Obituary Mr John Johnston

Press, 2 December 1985, Page 36

Obituary Mr John Johnston

Special correspondent Dunedin Mr John Johnston, who successfully bred standardbreds in the Oamaru district for 60 years, died this week aged 82. Mr Johnston retired from breeding horses 12 months ago when he sold the broodmare Rustic Widow. He bred the big winners Cardinal King and Master Dean and stood several stallions, including Sandydale. Cardinal King made a clean sweep of the threerace International Series at Yonkers Raceway, New York, in 1968. He was sold by Mr Johnston for 150 guineas as a yearling. Cardinal King was by First Lord, which Mr Johnston stood. Master Dean won 16 races, including the 1976 New Zealand Free-For-All after he had been sold by Mr Johnston as a yearling for $4OO, with $2OO contingencies from each of his first two wins.

Mr Johnston had a close association with Captain Sandy, the two-time Inter Dominion champion.

Mr Johnston recommended Captain Sandy to Dinny Nolan in 1953 when the Adelaide trainer was looking for Inter Dominion material.

Captain Sandy, then 10, had won the Inter Dominion Final in Melbourne in 1950 for the Omarau trainer, Jock Bain, who had him leased. He had subsequently been returned to his. Kabul Hill breeder, Bob Ludemann.

Nolan bought Captain Sandy for 525 guineas and won the 1953 Final in Perth. The first stallion Mr Johnston stood was the Victorian bred Four Chimes in the 19205. Four Chimes sired the 1916 New Zealand Cup winner, Cathedral Chimes, which in turn at Waikaura, where Mr Johnston’s stable were located.

Cathedral Chimes left Ahuriri, winner of the New Zealand Cup in 1925 and

1926, and Kohara, which won the next year. Mr Johnston bought the American bred Sandyvale from Mr George Youngson, of Gore, in the 19405. Besides siring Captain Sandy and the dam of Cardinal King, Sandyvale sired the dam of Johnny Globe, which left the champion racehorse, and sire, Lordship. He was also the maternal grand* sire of Stanley Rio, the winner of the New Zealand Cup and the Inter Dominion in Brisbane in the 1976-77 season. Mr Johnston sold 26 winners through the

national yearling sale which he supported from its inception in 1944. He sold Village Logan,, dam of the 2min;. pacers Emory Wheel,’ Bell Logan and Logan Son, for 175gns at the 1957 sale.,., ?

A life member of the Oamaru Trotting Club, Mr Johnston was described by a contemporary as “very fair and honest in all his deal- .

He was always prepared to discuss breeding and the state of trotting and was renowned for his letter writing on the subject.