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Lady Clare and driver Jack Brankin

1911 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Lady Clare, the second mare to win the New Zealand Cup, was a six-year-old by Prince Imperial from Clare, who was by Lincoln Yet, the sire of Monte Carlo.

Her trainer, James Tasker, who had been successful with Marian in 1907, took the drive behind her more favoured bracketmate Aberfeldy, and entrusted the drive behind Lady Clare to Jack Brankin. The Cup field was not a strong one, with Wildwood Junior out of the way. Also missing from nominations was King Cole, the star of the August meeting. King Cole, winner of the King George Handicap from Bribery and Dick Fly, and the National Cup from Havoc and Bright, had been temporarily retired to stud. The club received 14 nominations, but the early favourite, St Swithin, was injured and withdrawn. Sal Tasker, who had not raced for four years, and Manderene were two other defections. The front starter, Imperial Polly, received five seconds from the back marker, Bright. Al Franz, because of some outstanding trials, was race favourite, with the bracketed pair of Dick Fly and Redchild, from the stable of Manny Edwards, also well supported. Redchild was the only trotter entered.

The field did not get away at the first attempt because Free Holmes, the driver of Bribery, jumped the start. Medallion stood on the mark and took no place in the race, while Bribery went only one lap and then pulled up lame. Lady Clare led from the start and at the halfway stage was still in front, followed by Al Franz, Dick Fly, Imperial Polly, Aberfeldy, Havoc and Redchild. The mare held on to the lead to win by a length, in 4:38, from Dick Fly, with necks to Al Franz and Redchild. Then came Aberfeldy, Bright and Havoc.

The Cup victory was the last of Lady Clare's seven career wins, but she showed her durability by racing over eight seasons. Indirectly, she featured again in the Cup in 1988, when Luxury Liner turned the clock back 77 years. Lady Clare was the firth dam of Luxury Liner. Lady Clare's £700 from the Cup stake of 1000 sovereigns was the only money she won during the season. Emmeline, an outstanding mare by Rothschild from Imperialism, a Prince Imperial mare, won £949 and was the season's top earner. Rothschild and Prince Imperial were both still standing at stud in the Canterbury area. Rothschild was at Durbar Lodge, in Ashburton, available at a fee of 10 guineas. Prince Imperial and his son, Advance, stood at James McDonnell's Seafield Road farm, also in Ashburton. Prince Imperial's fee was also set at 10 guineas, but Advance was available at half that rate. Franz, the sire of Al Franz (third in the Cup), stood at Claude Piper's stud at Upper Riccarton, at 10 guineas. Franz was a full-brother to Fritz, by Vancleve from Fraulein.

A new surname at that time, but a very familiar on now, Dan Nyhan, introduced another great harness racing family to Addington. Nyhan trained at Hutt Park and ha won the 1909 Auckland Cup with Havoc. He was the father of Don Nyhan, later to train the winners of three New Zealand Cups with his legendary pair of Johnny Globe and Lordship, and grandfather of Denis Nyhan, who drove Lordship (twice) and trained and drove Robalan to win the Cup.

Of all the stallions in Canterbury, Wildwood Junior commanded the biggest fee, 12 guineas, but he held that honour only until 1914, when Robert McMillan, an expatriate American horseman, stood his American imports Nelson Bingen and Brent Locanda at fees of 15 guineas at his Santa Rosa stud at Halswell. He also had Harold Dillon and Petereta on his property. Harold Dillon, sire of the champion Author Dillon, was the top sire for six seasons, from 1916-17 until 1921-22, while Petereta gained some fame by siring the double New Zealand Cup winner Reta Reter.

The outstanding feature of the 1911 Cup meeting was the introduction of races restricted to trotters, particularly the Dominion Handicap. The move, prompted by the Metropolitan Club, came at an appropriate time to save horses of this gait from extinction in New Zealand racing. In the 1880s and 1890s there were two trotters for every pacer in New Zealand, but by 1911 the reverse ratio applied. With the advent of the sulky and harness from the United States, trainer in the 1890s found pacers easier to gait and easier to train, and learned that they came to speed in less time, so many trotters were converted to the pacing gait. Generally, the trotter could not match the pacer on the track.

Coiner won the Middleton Handicap on the first day, in saddle, and raced over two miles in 4:52. Quincey, who had been successful against the pacers on several occasions, got up in the last stride to dead-heat with Clive in the Dominion Handicap, with Muricata, a promising five-year-old, third. Muricata became the dam of double New Zealand Cup winner Ahuriri. The Dominion Handicap carried a stake of 235 sovereigns and was raced in harness for 5:05 class performers. Quincey's time was 4:37.4 slightly faster than Lady Clare recorded in the Cup on the Tuesday. Another of the 13 trotters in this race was the Australian-bred Verax, who started in the New Zealand Cup six times.

The meeting ended with some high-class racing on Show Day. In the Enfield Handicap, in saddle, Aberfeldy, from scratch, beat 14 rivals in 2:12.6, a New Zealand race-winning record for one mile. St Swithin, who had to miss the Cup, won the Christchurch Handicap from Emmeline and Little Tib. The Andy Pringle-trained pacer confirmed how unfortunate it was for his connections that injury denied him a Cup start.

Further improvements had been made at Addington, with a large new 10-shilling totalisator housebeing used for the first time. With bookmakers outlawed, the totalisator turned over a record £27,418 on Cup Day, and betting on the Cup of £6096 10s was a single-race record. The total for the three days of the carnival of £68,329 was an increase of £17,440 over the previous year.


Credit: Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

1907 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Marian began a rich tradition of mares in the formative years of the Cup when she prevailed on a heavy track for James Tasker, who four years later trained another mare in Lady Clare to score.

Marian was a half-sister to the freak pacer Ribbonwood, who won the forerunner of the Cup in the New Zealand Handicap, but who had effectively won his way out of racing before the Cup was introduced.

Their dam was Dolly, who founded the family which led to other top performers such as Plunder Bar, Tactician, Twinkle Hanover, Stylish Major, Le Chant and Grades Singing and Roman Gladiator.

NZ HRWeekly 1Oct2003

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At her third attempt, Marian became the first of many fine mares to win the New Zealand Cup. Her win was all the more meritorious because she led all the way on a heavy track, taking 5:16.4 for the distance.

The 1907 meeting was held on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, November 4,6 and 7. The Cup race returned to the final day, Show Day, which was cold but fine overhead. The Cup stake remained at 400 sovereigns. Of the eight races, three were in saddle and five in harness. Three races were contested over a mile-and-a-half, two over two miles, two over a mile and one a mile-and-a-quarter. The three-mile race disappeared. The Show Day turnover of £18,193 was again a record.

Trainer James Tasker started Marian's new-season campaign in August and she ran unplaced in the Midwinter Handicap and the National Cup. Tasker did not start her on the first day of the New Zealand Cup meeting, when Boldrewood, at long odds, upset the Cup candidates in the Courtenay Handicap, beating Electrician and Darwin. Despite this win Boldrewood was not well-backed and started the Cup 11th favourite, and for the second successive year ran fourth.

Rain fell on the second day and the track suffered. Lord Elmo won the Christchurch Handicap over a mile-and-three-quarters from Marian and Terra Nova, in a slow 4:22, with sensational young pacer Advance a well-beaten seventh. Three-year-old Advance was the third favourite, and the most interesting competitor in the New Zealand Cup. He remains the only horse this young to contest the country's premier event. Advance was only two years and 10 months old when he won the National Cup the previous August, against top-class horses, qualifying for his start in the New Zealand Cup. He was a black colt by Prince Imperial from Rose, owned and trained by James McDonnell, of Ashburton.

Unfortunately, Advance went amiss the following season and was retired to the McDonnell stud, where the best of the progeny he produced was Vice-Admiral, who placed third in the 1921 New Zealand Cup.

Marian, ninth favourite in the 13-horse field, led from barrier rise, and at the end of the first lap was just ahead of The Needle, Cocoanut and Verax. There was little change until a mile had been completed, when Advance and Lord Elmo became prominent in the second group. Entering the last lap Marian led from Advance, who had made a big run, with the others, led by Verax, Sal Tasker and Boldrewood, a long way back. Marian pulled away and won by 12 lengths from Advance, with six lengths to Verax, Boldrewood and the backmarker, Sal Tasker, who had to concede an enormous start of 11 seconds to the first horse away, Prince Warbeck.

Marian was trained and driven by James Tasker, who had his stable at Spreydon. She was an eight-year-old chestnut mare by King George from Dolly, by Young Irvington from a thoroughbred mare. Dolly was also the dam of Ribbonwood. Tasker produced a second New Zealand Cup winner, Lady Clare, also a mare, who won in 1911.

Auckland trotter Albertorious was the race favourite, but was slow away, broke during the running and ruined his chance. He reappeared in the next race on the programme, in saddle, and won. Second favourite Durbar also broke during the race and finished well back.

Another innovation greeted patrons in 1907. A new totalisator house, described as being built on "up to date lines", had been constructed. For the first time, above the totals shown in front of the totalisator, was a clock, one hand of which was stationary and pointed to the time the totalisator closed, while the other gave the time of the day. When the latter hand reached the stationary hand a bell rang and the betting closed. Previously, races were started before the totalisator closed. Lord Elmo was the top stake-earner with a then record of £630.

Bernie Wood writing in The Cup

1906 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP HANDICAP

In 1906 great interest was shown in the race. The winner, Belmont M, by Rothschild-Puella, came from Australia when noted Sydney horseman Gus Milsom brought the NZ bred Belmont M back in this year. Euchre (A Pringle) was second, and Marian (J Tasker)third.

The stake was £400 and the class was let out to 4:50. Belmont M's time was 4:46.

Unlike Monte Carlo and Birchmark, who began from the front, Belmont M had only one behind him at the start and turned a top staying performance to get around nine runners.

He was royally-bred, being by champion sire Rothschild from a sister to the dam of champion trotter Fritz, and was a brother to another top pacer in Almont, and when sold at the dispersal sale of breeder Henry Mace fetched a record price for a 2-year-old of 400 guineas.

This was exhibition year in Christchurch and "It was a truly representative gathering."

**'Ribbonwood'writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 25Oct44**

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Belmont M, a son of the great sire Rothschild, won the 1906 New Zealand Cup with a wonderful stayer's run. Unlike the two winners before him, Monte Carlo and Birchmark, both started from the front, Belmont M had only Euchre behind him on handicap. His performance was considered exceptional, because he was forced over plenty of extra ground to get around the other 10 runners. Belmont M was not well supported and started as ninth favourite.

The race favourite was Woodend, but he lost his chance at the start. The second favourite and backmarker Euchre, driven by Andy Pringle, almost carried his supporters through. Euchre took the lead a furlong from the winning post, only to be run down by Belmont M, who was driven a patient race by his Australian trainer-driver Gus Millsom. Marian, one length behind Euchre, was third, followed by Boldrewood, Cocoanut and Terra Nova.

Belmont M was New Zealand-bred but had raced in Sydney in the previous four seasons, graduating to the top class. He was a brother to Almont, another very good pacer, who had won numerous races in Australia. Henry Mace, at Brooklyn Lodge, New Brighton, bred both. Mace died in 1902 and his stud was disposed of by auction in November the same year, when the 47 lots were sold for £2440 10s. Australian buyers paid record prices of 640 guineas for Almont and 400 guineas for Belmont M, then a two-year-old. Both were by Rothschild from Puella, by Berlin from Woodburn. Puella was also auctioned and fetched 90 guineas. Mace, a cordial manufacturer in Christchurch, was an early and avid supporter of harness racing. In 1881 he bought land in New Brighton from Canterbury Sports Company Ltd when it went into liquidation. The Sports Company had bought the land from its original owner, Tom Free, for the purpose of encouraging athletics. Mace soon established his home, stables, training track and stud at Brooklyn Lodge. Later the land passed to the New Brighton Trotting Club and when it shifted operations to Addington to take advantage of night facilities, the cycle was completed when the Queen Elizabeth II Park sports complex was established. Mace, whose private trainer was Tom Frost, was the leading owner for two seasons, with totals of £800 and £760. He was awarded life membership of the Metropolitan Club in 1900 and was a steward of the club at the same time.

Belmont M gave his sire Rothschild the first of his three Cup winners - the others were Albert H.(1912) and Ravenschild (1913). Rothschild was the top sire in New Zealand for many seasons, up to 1915-16. He was a bay horse foaled in 1889, by Childe Harold from Belle Briggs, both sire and dam imported from the United States. Rothschild was bred in New South Wales and imported to New Zealand by William Jarden in 1893. He was trained and started in a few races, but never possessed much speed. He sired 306 winners in this country and died in Wellington Zoo, aged 32. His first winner was Jessie Palm, who, as a two-year-old trotter, won the Juvenile Handicap at New Brighton in April 1897. His other good winners, apart from Almont and Belmont M, were Sal Tasker, Emmeline, Lord Elmo, Bright and Glendalough.

In 1906 - Exhibition Year - the Metropolitan Club raced over four days. It was generally agreed that the best collection of standardbreds ever assembled in New Zealand were at that meeting. Stakes of 5000 sovereigns were distributed and the Cup stake was lifted to 400 sovereigns. The totalisator turnover for the four days reached £48,428, with Show Day creating a one-day betting record of £15,604. The New Zealand Cup was raced on the first day of the meeting, with another feature of the day's racing being the performance of the three-year-old filly Wild Wind, who reeled off a mile in the Riccarton Stakes in 2:21.6. The second day was notable for the success of the overseas contingent. Dan Patch, owned by the Melbourne-based Allendale Stock Farm Company, had a convincing win in the Christchurch Handicap. His driver, Lou Robertson, also won the Halswell Handicap with the Syney pacer Little Ned, but was disqualified for starting before his time. Verity, by Vancleve, in the hands of Andy Pringle, and Birchmark were successful on the third day. A violent storm after the main race churned up the track and Birchmark, revelling in the conditions, won the Best Handicap easily.

The three-mile event was still a regular feature of each day's programme, but on Thursday the race was run with a difference. The drivers of Impatient and Sydney, the leading pair, became confused over the number of rounds and raced on for a full curcuit after the distance had been completed. With the introduction of the sprint distance of a mile-and-a-quarter, the three-mile races were destined for elimination.

The visiting Australian horses - Fusee, Dan Patch, Jewel Heiress and Lady Inez - won half the last day's programme, but the day belonged to Sal Tasker, a four-year-old mare, who won the 500 sovereign Exhibition Cup, the first harness race in New Zealand with a stake of that sum. Starting as the favourite, she made no race of it, winning by 30 yards. She was the first out and was first home, in 4:44.6, much faster than the time Belmont M had recorded to win the Cup. Sal Tasker, by Rothschild from Jessie, had the makings of a top-class performer, setting a mile record of 2:20 for a two-year-old, but never fulfilled her promise. She was the season's top earner, with £575. Sal Tasker started in the 1907 Cup, finishing fifth.

**Bernie Wood writing in The Cup**

Credit: Calendar 25Oct44

WILLIAM CLINTON

A court case involving a New Zealand Trotting Cup winner, a leading trainer and a well-known Canterbury owner was guaranteed to be a headliner.

The 1911 New Zealand Cup winner, Lady Clare, raced by Darfield farmer, William F Clinton, and trained at Addington by Jim Tasker was the centre of a suit for £600 damages (about half the stake of a NZ Cup in those days) against Clinton, money Tasker considered he had been denied in stake earnings by the owner's drastic actions.

Clinton had paid a hefty 165 quineas to buy Lady Clare at an Ashburton sale only a year before her Cup win. She had ability but had only won a few races. Tasker agreed to train her for 10 shillings a week (for race expenses and shoeing) the stakes evenly divided. He had trained and driven Marian to become the first mare to win the NZ Cup in 1907 and make his wife, Sarah, the first female owner though that seems a well kept secret. Tasker also bred and sold Sal Tasker, named after his daughter, an Australasian champion mare.

He imported the stallion Galindo and others from America. Tasker drove the fancied stablemate Aberfeldy in the 1911 Cup and Ashburton's Jack Brankin handled Lady Clare. She led most of the way landing big bets for Clinton. In court Tasker took exception to Clinton's lawyer Oscar Alpers claiming that he had driven Aberfeldy "on a tight rein". Justice Dennison reminded Alpers that it was not a trial for fraud. Aberfeldy started in four Cups from the stable.

Set all year for a 1912 repeat Lady Clare suffered a minor knock on a leg in October. Tasker wrote to Clinton saying he would aim at supporting features and withdraw from the Cup. Clinton, who had backed the mare heavily for the Cup threw Tasker's letter in the fire, rang the club and scratched her from all her engagements in Cup week. Tasker was furious and sued. The mare had recovered well and the club's vet passed her fit to race. Another, Dr Charlton, praised Tasker's professional approach to the mare's injury at the hearing.

The colourful Clinton was the star of the courtroom drama but destroyed his own case along the way. Described as "a bewhiskered and somewhat rustic looking figure" he confided to the judge that "of course I had had a whiskey by then" when Tasker's lawyer questioned his refusal to discuss the mare's programme with Tasker after the latter made a special trip to Tattersalls hotel to meet him. "Are you sure it was not a double?" the normally humourless Justice Dennison asked.

Clinton, one of the most successful farmers in Canterbury whose stock sales attracted buyers from all over the province, claimed the right to scratch even though the agreement with Tasker was registered. He then whispered loudly to the judge that as there were no ladies in the court he could say the words Tasker had used telling Clinton what he could do with the mare if he did not accept the terms. "That would be rather a large undertaking" Dennison dryly commented on hearing them, telling the typist to replace them with a row of stars. Clinton then made the damaging admission to the judge that the cost of his actions to Tasker was "no more than he had cost me by scratching from the Cup" - referring to his Cup bets. "Such a statement made the reason for the action of Clinton very plain indeed" the Judge told the jury in the summing up.

Tasker's lawyer Mr Stringer, questioned Clinton about incidents caused by drinking on past visits to the city in his Cadillac and whether this was another example. Clinton had appeared unsteady making his way to the witness box.
Clinton: "That is a personal question and I refuse to answer"
Stringer: "Haven't you in fact had a glass too much this morning?"
Cliton: "That is a very personal question and I won't answer"

At the end of the show the jury absolved Tasker of any Blame ans awarded him £350 in damages. Another sensation passed into history.

Jim Tasker is still the only trainer to win NZ Cups with two different mares. In a bizarre coincidence the 1944 winner, Bronze Eagle from a family Tasker had had for 40 years, was bred, owned and trained by his son, Cliff, until a few months before the race. Tasker lost possession of the horse in a marriage settlement. His former wife gave it to her son, William Suttie, of Springston, the official owner. In another coincidence George Noble, like Brankin, only got the drive because trainer Roy Berry opted for inform stablemate, Pacing Power. Bronze Eagle had several Cup starts and sired the near champion filly, Vivanti, an early star for Cecil Devine.

Tasker retained Bronze Eagle's half-brother, Sir Michael, which won the NZ Free-For-All and NZ Derby for him some years later. The Tasker maternal line starting with Mavourneen were shy breeders and the Group 1 winners were Lady Bridget's only foals over many years.

William Clinton, whose family remains prominent in West Canterbury, died suddenly in 1915 triggering the biggest farming sale in Canterbury for years. He had also bought and raced the high class little roan trotter Muricata, good enough to be nominated for a NZ Cup against the pacers. Adding insult to injury she was run down late in the 1913 Dominion Handicap by the Tasker-owned Michael Galindo. Sold in 1917 Muricata left the dual NZ Cup winner, Ahuriri, and another top class pacer, the pony roan Taraire, later winner of the Pacing Championship in Perth which preceded the Inter-Dominion.

The NZ Cup association did not end there. Luxury Liner the record breaking 1987 winner had as his fifth dam none other than William Francis Clinton's fine staying mare, Lady Clare.

Credit: David McCarthy writing in HRWeekly 26Jun1911