National history rich in the unusual

Press, 5 August 1976, Page 7

National history rich in the unusual

By

JACK BOYLE,

racing editor

A race so pulsating in Zealand Grand National tradition as the New Steeplechase has a rich crop of unusual records and feats. One worthy record is a fat h e r-and-son double completed 60 years ago when Bert Rae won on Waimai. Nineteen years earlier Bert Rae's father, John, had won the great race on Levanter, which most of the old-timers regarded as one of the greatest of the early Grand National winners.

A father-and-son National riding double is unusual enough in itself. But it belongs to the believe-it-or-not category when it is remembered that Bert Rae rode throughout his successful career with an artificial leg. Rae had a leg amputated from the calf down after an accident while loading horses on one of the old types of railway horse boxes. But he still managed to kick home winners of several important jumping races including the Wellington Steeples on Captain Jack

in 1914 two years before he triumphed on Waimai in the Grand National. Bert Rae had visions of winning a second Grand National on Waimai when they led over the last fence in the 1917 race, but the horse slipped and fell on the flat. Mr Jim Paterson, an old-time Canterbury racing enthusiast who lives in Amberley, was at Ellerslie one day when Bert Rae ‘ took a fall off Tenacious up the straight in a hurdle race. Rae’s artificial leg came adrift; and was damaged in

the spill, but the indomitable Aucklander put the limb under his arm and started to hop back to the birdcage. “I can still see the look on the faces of some of those people on the course when Bert stood up, put his artificial' leg under his arm and started hopping up the straight,” Mr Paterson said recently. ‘‘Bert was recognised as one of the top jumping riders of his day.” “Lost” a leg Mr W. N. Mackie, secretary of the Auckland Racing Club, also records in his history of the club, “A Noble Breed” that on one occasion when Rae took a spill at the double an excited woman spectator rushed over to the fallen jockey. “He’s lost a leg,” she shrieked, and fainted!

Bert Rae’s father E. J. (John) Fie started his racing career in Marlborough with Mr Henry Redwood in 1872. At that time Edward Cutt was trainer and R. J. Mason, who was to become known later as ■‘Prince of Trainers", was first horseman for the stable. In November of that year (1872) Rae had his first race ride at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s spring meeting in a catchweight half-mile scurry, but it was not until the Marlborough meeting some weeks later that he won his first race, the Shearers’ Purse, on a horse called Little Dick. In his career on the flat John Rae won races in Canterbury, Otago, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, and Marlborough but never succeeded in winning a bigger race than the Hawke’s Bay Stakes.

Because of increasing weight John Rae turned his in 1876 to a race-riding career over jumps and two years later came his first major triumph, on Awahou in what was then known as the Wanganui Grand National.

Levanter came along in the 1890 s to' impress everyone with his impeccable jumping. He carried the Rae colours, and had his owner, up when he won the 1896 Great Northern, but a year later the horse won in the interests of Mr C. Archibald, although Rae was again the rider. Carried 12.6 After his second Great Northern victory Levanter was brought to Riccarton to win the Grand National under 12.6. Rae rode Levanter in 28 races, and the horse never made a mistake. Little wonder that Levanter was sent to England with hopes of winning the National at Aintree.

He contested two English Nat.oiials, und finished fourth in one of them after missing a fence in fog and losing much ground and prec<ous time while being taken back to run th 3 proper course.

John Rae retired from race riding after having ridden in 511 jumping races in 24 years. He won 265 races, nad 33 falls, was 15 clines knocked unconscious, broke an arm, a collarbone twice, had two ribs broken, and his lungs lacerated.