TROTTING New Stakes Record Likely Soon

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32232, 26 February 1970, Page 4

TROTTING New Stakes Record Likely Soon

Within the next few months Gold Horizon will probably be supplanted as the greatest stake-winner among the trotters raced in New Zealand. At present Gold Horizon tops the list with $36,260 won between 1947-48 and 1956-57.

Johnny Gee advanced his total tn $34,110 when he was successful at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting at Addington Raceway on February 14. This took him past Battle Cry’s total Of 533.765, which had kept him in second place since the 1959-60 season. However, last week Stylish Major gained three successes —two at the Manawatu meeting an; one at Hutt Park—and he moved into third place with 533.870. Both Johnny Gee and Stylish Major are expected to be racing at the Addington Easter meeting. They are in such fine form at present that it will be surprising if one of them fails to ton Gold Horizon's total by the time the two nights and one day of the meeting are ended on Easter Saturday. Gold Horizon, one of the most striking trotters to have raced in New Zealand, gained 20 wins and 15 placings at a time when stakes were on the decline and they were much smaller than they are today. Also, he raced at a time when the over-all standard of horses was lower than today and when trotters had much fewer opportunities than in the last few years. Gold Horizon’s biggest season was as a nine-year-old when he gained five wins and five placings worth 512.390. He continued racing until he was a 14-year-old. Battle Cry, which towards the end of his career raced mainly against tight-class pacers in the Auckland area, was an 11-year-old when he was retired after gaining 23 wins and 22 placings. Battle Cry’s best season was as a five-year-old when he gained six wins and three placings worth 513.720. Good Season Johnny Gfte also experienced a most profitable season at five years, gaining four wins and seven placings from 17 starts for $9610 in stakes. So far this season he has had 15 starts for four wins and seven placings worth $9050. Last term he raced consistently for two wins and 14 placings from 20 starts worth $BBl5 for his Templeton trainer, W. R. Butt, who holds him on lease. Johnny Gee is an eight-year-old entire by Johnny Globe, this season’s leading sire, from Atone. He was bred at Templeton by Mr D. D. Moore, who sold him for 460 guineas at the 1962 national yearling sales to the late Mr J. H. Parsons, of Christchurch, who leased him to Butt. In almost six seasons of racing Johnny Gee has had 85 starts for 16 wins and 36 placings. Stylish Major is raced by his Dunedin breeder, Mr N. H. Campbell, for whom he is trained at Makikihi by C.- C. Scott. Like Johnny Gee, he is an eight-year-old and he has had an identical number of starts, but he has had 18 wins and 31 placings for $33,870. Dictation, which practically rewrote the record book more than 15 years ago, gained the bulk of his wins when stakes were very low. He had 17 wins and 30 placings for $32,660 in ■ Highland Flight, Uteenali

and Scotleigh have all topped $30,000 this season. Highland Flight, now a nind-year-old and in his sixth season of racing, has won $8520 so far this season and altogether he has had 91 starts for 21 wins and 34 placings worth $30,940. Uteena, an 11-year-old and in her last season of racing—she was mated with Tuft a

few weeks ago—has had a busy career spread over eight seasons during which she has had 144 starts for 18 wins and 39 placings worth $30,715. The Matamata gelding, Scotleigh, must surely be the busiest trotter ever. He is a 13-yearold and is now in his tenth season of racing. He has had 211 starts for 19 wins and 59 placings worth $30,138.50.