Winner With Interesting History

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31479, 20 September 1967, Page 3

Winner With Interesting History

Wairakau was the patient when Professor O. A. Adams, of Colorado University, demonstrated the removal of a broken splint bone from a horse before veterinarians at Lincoln College about 15 months ago. Wairakau had shown great ability in training at three years, said his trainer and part-owner, J. D. Litten, but he went sore. “We thought he had ordinary splint trouble and decided to spell him at Kaikoura,” said Litten. After about three months Wairakau’s other part-owner, Mr M.

C. Smith, a New Zealand jiggerboard champion axeman, reported no progress in the horse’s condition. “It was about that time that Professor Adams was in Christchurch. He diagnosed the trouble and performed a successful operation,” said Litten. Wairakau has been as fit as ever since then, he added. Wairakau is of interesting breeding. His dam, Toki, was injured when spelling at Kaikoura and did not race. She was mated with Harlequin Parade, a good winner when trained by Litten and now at the stud in Australia. Harlequin Parade was by Light Brigade, as also is Fallacy, the sire of Toki, which traces back to Pearlchild, ancestress of a host of fine winners, many of which were for the Nicoll family, of Ashburton.

Wairakau’s win was a fine wedding present for Mr Smith, who was married a few days before the race. Wairakau will probably have his next start at the Ashburton Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday, and will race at the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club’s meeting a week later.

The picture shows Wairakau beating Fratello and Glen Alan by a wide margin last Saturday.