Redwood, Mason were irresistible pair

Press, 13 April 1982, Page 26

Redwood, Mason were irresistible pair

Henry Redwood. “Father of the New Zealand Turf.” and Dick Mason, then his stable horseman, and later one of New Zealand's most successful trainers, proved an irresistible combination at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s first.autumn meeting in 1874. Mr Redwood, then racing under the nom-de-course of J. Watts, had his colours carried to victory in all four races on the first day of the meeting. Monday. April 6. and Mason was the successful jockey each time. One of their successes was with Wainui in the first con-

test for the Champagne Stakes. The Champagne Stakes remains on the club's calendar, but the lures of sponsorship are such that this year's renew?!, which will be staged next Saturday, will be presented for the first time as the Great Western Champagne Stakes. Other winners for the Red-wood-Mason combination on the first day of the C.J.C. autumn meeting in 1874 were Lurline in the Trial Plate, Kakapo in the St Leger Stakes, and Calumny in the Easter Handicap.

“Mr Redwood skinned the lamb;" the “Weekly Press" commented in its report of the first day of the meeting. In. congratulating Dick Mason on riding the winner of every event of the day. the "Weekly Press" expressed the hope “for the sake of this really painstaking jockey that his luck may be as well in on future occasions." The first contest for the Great Autumn Handicap was run on the second day of the 1874 meeting.-

Mr Redwood declared to win with Kakapo — he also put Lurline and Calumny into the field. Dick Mason rode Lurline at 6.10. Kakapo had Bob Derrett up and this combination triumphed by half a

length from Gossip. The two miles of the Great Autumn Handicap were run in 3min 46 r 2sec. Later -that afternoon Calumny, with Mason up, reappeared to lead all the way over five furlongs in the All-Aged Stakes. There are many other famous names on the race records of both the Champagne Stakes and the Great Autumn Handicap since 1874. Starting in 1876 Traducer was represented by six successive Champagne Stakes winners including the Red-wood-owned Natator. G. G. Stead, who became honorary treasurer of the Canterbury Jockey Club a year -before the Champagne Stakes was launched, had his first winning experience in the race with Trenton in 1884. Trenton later became a top Australian sire, and was resold to England. His name appears in the pedigrep of Hyperion, one of the most influential sires of the century. Mr Stead's second Champagne Stakes winner was Maxim, like Trenton a son of Musket, and a name that figures in the pedigree of Phar Lap. A year after Maxim, an even more famous son of Musket showed impressive qualities in preserving his

unbeaten first-season record. This was Carbine, which was sold to Australia the next spring and by the time he was five was being hailed as the world's greatest weightcarrying stayer. G. G. Stead's two-year-olds dominated the race in the third decade of its history. They established an unbroken sequence from 1893 .until 1902.

Stead colour-bearers won again in 1905. 1907. and 1908 giving their famous owner a spectacular total of 15 successes in the classic.

This achievement was matched by Sir George Clifford's two-year-olds. Treadmill was the first winner in the Clifford colours, in 1903. breaking that spectacular sequence of Stead victories. The last of Sir George Clifford's winners was Prickles. by Panmure, in 1928.

Five years later Sir George Clifford's son. Sir Charles, made his first entry on to the Champagne Stakes records as owner of Fracas. The successful jockey was Bert Ellis, the last remaining member of a famous family of horsemen. Sir Charles Clifford's other winner of the classic was > Wild Chase, who was ridden ■ by George Humphries, now living in retirement at Blenheim.