MOBILE GLOBE’S WIN

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 8

MOBILE GLOBE’S WIN

BREEDER WATCHES FINE RACE DAM BOUGHT FOR “BARGAIN PRICE”

Mobile Globe’s brilliant win in the race for the New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington yesterday gave Mr N. G. Mason, or Southbridge, another notable success as a breeder: he also bred the 1949 Derby winner, Burns Night, which was a creditable fifth in the race yesterday. All round, the result of the race was a tribute to Mr Mason’s judgment in the breeding of light-harness horses. As Mobile Globe easily held off his strongest challenger, Tactician, to win by four lengths, Mr Mason was smiling broadly. He was no doubt remembering the day, several years ago, when he paid what he considered a “bargam price” for a mare called Helen Ann. Helen Ann’s first foal was Mobile Globe, which Mr Mason sold for 80 guineas. “I am very proud to have bred the winners of two of our most important races—the cup and the Derby,” said Mr Mason after the race yesterday. “I bought both Helen Ann and Festival Night (Burns Night’s dam) cheaply. Festival I got for £7,” he said. Mr C. Smith, part-owner of Mobile Globe, was beaming with delight as he accepted the £lOO gold cup, the trophy for the event. “It was a grand race,” he said, “and I enjoyed every minuie of it. It was a good dividend, and I hope all you people enjoy it too, going around the back to collect.” Mr Smith said he could not understand the dividend (£24 3s 6d) the horse had paid. “He had two fine wins on this track in August, and I was really confident that he would win,” he said. “T am a butcher in Papanui, and I told all of my customers that Mobile Globe would be hard to beat. I wasn’t going to back him, but when I saw the dividend he was paying, I put a few pounds on him,” he said. Mr Smith said that his daughter, who had never seen the horse race before, was at Addington yesterday to see the race. He had given her and two of her friends £1 each, and had told them to back his horse. Half Share for £650

When asked how he had become part-owner of Mobile Globe, Mr Smith said that the Ashburton trainer, C. M. Laing, had been mainly responsible. “Mr Findlay, the other part-owner, first raced Mobile Globe in partnership with a Mr Orange, of Mosgiel,” he explained. “They bought Mobile Globe from Mr Mason. Mobile Globe was trained for the first part of his career by Mr Laing, who is a friend of mine, and when Mr Orange decided to get rid of his half share, Mr Laing recommended that I should buy it. The price was £650. but Mr Laing at that time told me that Mobile Globe was a potential cup winner. Not long after I bought my half share. Mobile Globe won the Reefton Cup. and paid £2O. That was a really good start, and from then on I knew that Mr Laing’s words were true,” he said.

Widely known as an astute buyer of cattle. Mr Smith has owned several light-harness horses. Some which will be remembered are Lightning Lady, Pilot Queen, and Gay Note. Lightning Lady, although it did not show much form for Mr Smith, won many good races afterwards.

Mr Findlay, a Mosgiel farmer, who is the other part-owner of Mobile Globe, did not seem excited after the contest. “I was very pleased at the outcome, and I think Berkett drove a very good race,” he said quietly. “Mobile Globe has been working very well, and we were quite confident. I had a few pounds on him.” Mr Findlay said that he and Mr Orange named the horse. “Mobile Globe is by the Australian-bred sire, Springfield Globe, and about the time the horse was to be named we noticed an Australian newspaper called the ‘Mobile Globe.’ We thought that would be as good a name as any.” N. L. Berkett. who has trained and driven Mobile Globe at his last three successes, said he had not met any trouble in the running of the cup race. Once in the straight he had known the •horse was going to win, he said.