Outstanding career ends

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 50

Outstanding career ends

Mr Jack Litten, who became a harness racing legend in New Zealand in a career spanning nearly 50 years, died in Christchurch yesterday. He was aged 81. Hospitalised during his last few months, Mr Litten gained his last win as an owner at the Ashburton on-course meeting during N.Z. Cup week with Today’s Special, driven by Robin Butt wearing the world-renowned black, red and white Litten colours.

Mr Litten, who gained his first training and driving success with Fallacy’s dam, Diversion, in 1939 at Westport, retired from training in 1984 at a time when he had prepared the winners of most of the major events in both New Zealand and Australia. He gained his last driving success at Nelson in 1971 with Dryham Lea. New Zealand’s leading trainer in the 1959-60 term with 25 wins, Mr Litten won the sensational running of the InterDominion Pacing Final at Harold Park in Sydney during that term, with the mighty pacer, Caduceus. Caduceus had earlier contested the previous four championships and had won a total of seven heats before winning the final in front of 50,346 patrons. “I don’t think I ever encountered such a dramatic atmosphere-,” said Mr Litten in one of his last interviews. Mr Litten rated Caduceus and False Step, the latter which he prepared to win 13 races before the horse won three New Zealand Cups for Cecil Devine, as the best horses he trained.

"I can’t separate them. They were different types of horses," said Mr Litten. “Caduceus had tremendous speed and was a won-

derful racehorse, while False Step had speed, but was more of a rugged staying type.” He trained the 1955 New Zealand Cup winner, Our Roger, which was driven by the late Doug Watts, while Mr Litten trained and drove Caduceus to win the 1954 Auckland Cup, and the 1956, 1958 and 1959 New Zealand Free-For-Alls. Mr Litten won four New Zealand Derbys with Fallacy (1951), Caduceus (1953), False Step (1955) and Doctor Barry (1964), while he matched that feat in the N.Z. Trotting Stakes, winning with General Lee (1952), Royal Mile (1955), Highland Glen (1956) and Black Miller (1972). Other notable horses Mr Litten trained include: Junior Royal, Bra vine, Peerswick, Dignus, Rhyl, Charlie Chan, Highland Glen, Highland Heath, Westland King, Hocquard, Black Miller, Al’s Holiday, Dryham Lea, Barravey and Whispering Campaign.

Mr Litten seldom had more than seven or eight horses ready to race at any one time and never worked more than 10.

A son of a sawmiller, he began his interest in horse racing assisting Miss Isabel Button in the late 19205.

Mr Litten ran a timber and contracting business, breaking in pacers and trotters on a small scale, until he obtained a training licence while still at the family home in Selwyn Street. He moved to his Preston Farm property at West Melton in 1940. Successful horsemen to have worked for Mr Litten during his years at West Melton include Bob Nyhan, Tony Vassalo, Ray Morris, Eddie Cowie, Brian O’Carroll, Reg Curtin, Lee Crimmens, Jack McLennan and Brian Kerr. His son-in-law, Robin Butt, prepared his team over the last three years.