Noted U.S. Driver Wins First Race In N.Z.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29434, 9 February 1961, Page 14

Noted U.S. Driver Wins First Race In N.Z.

(Specially written for “The Press” by E.CJ’.I

Not even the most eherubic child building castles in the sands on New Brighton beach under the warm sun and halcyon breeze yesterday could have been happier than was Delvin Miller, one of the leading reinsmen of the United States, after he had won a pacing race at the Inter-Dominion Trotting Championship meeting at Addington yesterday in his first drive in this country.

The dapper American, wearing most nattily his own racing colours of gold, with tan sleeves and cap, and lighter-tan coloured trousers buttoned under the instep, showed on his first appearance on the country’s premier trotting track that he was not only a fine judge of pace. He drove his horse home with a vigour which would normally have met with a fine.

Del Miller’s win was one of the two outstanding features of the opening day of the Inter-Donadnion meeting. The other was the effort which all trotting enthusiasts expected from False Step. In being beaten into second place in his heat, the triple New Zealand Cup winner broke the world record for the mile and five furlongs, a distance over which pacers do not race in the United States. Frankly, the Australian contingent of nine pacers gave generally disappointing performances. Only one, First Kiss, finished in a place. Redwin produced a grand burst of speed only to fade out, as did Three Aces.

The racing may improve the Australians. Six qualifying beats for the grand final, in which 12 horses will start, on February 18, have yet to be run. Except for First Kiss, Redwin and Three Aces, the Australian pacers will probably be at long odds, as some were yesterday. Past Experience

As R. J. Mason, F. D. Jones and other trainers found years ago, horses taken from New Zealand to Australia to race had to be in perfect condition before they were shipped, and then given a little time to become acclimatised before they were produced in racing condition again. Few Australian gallopers have made the reverse trip to New Zealand, but in the early 20’s two Australian trotting trainers, W. J. Tompkinson and J J. Kennerley. arrived with teams early and beat the best of the New Zealand pacers and trotters at Addington. Tompkinson’s son, Jim, returned to Australia for the Melbourne Cup meeting last year and won races with Cadiz and his other horse, Braganza, ran second twice.

Only a few Australian pacers have made occasional visits to New Zealand. Their quality under race conditions against pacers at the InterDominion championships has been so far below that of New Zealand-bred pacers. Pas* Notables Yet we saw In the past notable horses such as Walla Walla, La-m Derby, Van Derby and Auburn Lad, which beat our best. Yesterday was not a happy day for the Australian visitors. The question whether they are equal to the New Zealand horses will have to stand unsettled until Saturday week. Obviously, some of the Australians were not fit enough to stand the pace yesterday. Most of them have raced on small tracks. Addington is sixfurlongs round and stamina, as well as brilliance, are generally required for a win. Del Miller had his winning drive in a handicap, not a championship heat. The West Melton trainer. J. D. Litten. who took Caduceus to America to race at Yonkers Raceway last year gave him the drive behind Lavengro With a lap to go. the field was crawling along Miller raced from the tai’ to hit the front and coming down the straight he gave a turbulent whipping and also infringed the rule that no driver shall remove a foot from the foot-rest.

It was a punishing drive, but Miller, all smiles, won. "What about the whip?” called out a few spectators as Miller was cheered back to the birdcage. With his arms round his New Zealand trotting friends. Miller was profusely photographed. ‘To give Delvin Miller a drive was one of the greatest pleasures of my life.” said Mr Litten T did not think that it would ever be possible for me to give him one good enough to drive, just to return the wonderful hospitality he and otners gave me in the United States”

For Miller, driving in a field as they pace in New Zealand was a new—and he called it “a nice”—experience. “It was a big thrill to drive a winner at my first drive," said Miller “The fields here are bigger than we are used to In the States, we go Muck fashion'—we follow each other. We don’t race in two’s. But

Jack Litten gave me a nice horse to drive, one that looked like the best." Time To Move

Miller gave the New Zealand horsemen a driving lesson. The pace was very slack with six furlongs to run and he shot round the field to take the lead.

Asked if he had judged that the pace was too slow. Miller modestly remarked: “I had to make a move sometime and I thought This is the time.'” Miller had his second drive behind Ordeal, which broke with more than five furlongs to go, and his fellow American, Eddie Cobb, had two unsuccessful drives when wearing his own blue and white colours.

The driving style of the Americans is very similar to that of New Zealand reinsmen. They do not now employ the “high-hand drive” introduced to this country by the late Bob Plaxico, an American who trained for the late Sir John McKenzie, and followed, in modified fashion, by the late F. J. Smith and James Bryce, jun, who won an interDominion championship behind Captain Sandy. They keep their hands about the same height as the New Zealanders. And Miller demonstrated how to keep a horse balanced with one hand on the reins when he “circumnavigated the globe” with his whip over the last furlong on Lavengro. Any New Zealand driver would have been called into the judicial stewards’ room to explain such a sweeping use of the whip.

“He’s a horse,” exclaimed Mr Martin Tananbaum, the millionaire president of the Yonkers Raceway, after seeing False Step break the world’s record for a mile and five furlongs. “I would certainly like to see him race at Yonkers.” One of the purposes of Mr Tananbaum’s visit to New Zealand is to see False Step in action and to invite his owner, Mr J. Smyth, to send the champion to New York. Addington was a beautiful course, said Mr Tananbaum. It reminded him a lot of the small-town galloping courses like Saratoga. Because of the modernising of cities and the lack of space, race tracks i the States could not have the beauty of Addington. The atmosphere for trotting was lovely, he said. “The track is good,” he said. “The surface compares very well with that at Yonkers, but ours might have a little more cushion, or softer top. Addington is nicely banked.” The top-class New Zealand horses he had seen at the inter-Dominion championships in Australia last year and those he had read about were of top quality, said Mr Tananbaum.

“Your Caduceus raced against the best American pacers and there is no question that your top horses are good. I saw False Step in Sydney, and 1 honestly think he is a tremendous horse.” Starting Systems The only real difference between trotting in the United States and New Zealand was the starting systems. New Zealand used the standing start, while the gate was used in America.

“I favour the gate,” said Mr Tananbaum, “because it gives all horses an even start. The horses pace behind the gate about a quarter of a mile from the starting position, the gate rolls and gathers speed and when the start is reached the horses are going practically at top speed. That gives them an equal chance.” No handicap races such as were held in New Zealand were run in the United States, said Mr Tananbaum. New Zealand horses were handicapped from behind a mark. In America, eight horses started in a race and the only handicap was the draw for positions.

Some races held were called “classified” races, the competing horses being classified according to their records, he said. The races were classified as free-for-all, junior free-for-all and A, B, C, and D As a horse won he moved up in the classification; as he lost, he moved down, accord-

ing to the judgment of the racing secretary, the counterpart of the New Zealand handicapper. “You have good drivers and bad drivers, as in America, Australia and anywhere else in the world,” said Mr Tananbaum. “The good ’ drivers I have seen here are capable of driving any day in the week as well as our drivers.”

The quietness of the patrons at Addington between races was similar to that on the United States courses, commented Mr Tananbaum. Between races the patrons studied form and decided what to back. They then showed excitement when the races were run.

Neither Mr Tananbaum nor his publicity manager, Mr I. Rudd, had a shilling on Miller’s drive, although I told them of the good odds offering. They’ watched the race won by Lavengro from the press stand and throughout the day they were moving about the course. They will be here for the next three days of the championship.