Arthritis beats courageous Stella Frost

Press, 26 October 1989, Page 41

Arthritis beats courageous Stella Frost

Otago correspondent

Stella Frost, one of New Zealand’s finest race mares, was put down last Friday. She was aged 26.

The winner of 36 races and $153,549 in stakes, Stella Frost will be buried on the Port Molyneaux (near Balclutha) property of her owner and breeder Len Tilson, aged 86. She had been suffering from arthritis. Stella Frost was trained from her five-year-old days by Doody Townley at Tinwald. Tilson trained her previously. Tilson took her to America in 1972 to contest the International Series, but she contracted a virus on the eve of her first race there and was

leased by Tilson for three years. She won 13 races in America for $54,446. She was returned to Tilson in 1975 in foal to the American stallion Most Happy Fella, to whom she foaled a colt, Stella’s Fella. Stella Frost took a record of 1.59.8 at Hollywood Park in 1972. Stella Frost will be best remembered for two controversial races. She was first past the post in the 1969 New Zealand Cup, only to be disqualified because of interference. Stella Frost was deemed to have caused a melee with 500 metres to run when she moved off the rail. Garcon Roux came down, Lords went over the top of him and Lead-

ing Light and Allakasam had their chances extinguished. Doody Townley, who drove Stella Frost, was disqualified for a month. Stella Frost was the favourite for the race. Spry, who was promoted to first, ahead of Holy Hal and Chequer Board, was the rank outsider in the 13-horse field and was at odds of 41-to-l.

Stella Frost gained compensation for losing the New Zealand Cup when she was promoted to first in the 1971 Interdominion Pacers’ Grand Final at Addington when the winner, Junior’s Image, was disqualified after returning a positive swab. Phil Coulson, the

West Australian’s trainerdriver, was disqualified for seven years. Stella Frost’s best

season was as a six-year-old in the 1970-71 season, when she won nine of her 19 starts and also received seven placings for record season’s stake earnings of $66,815.

Her wins that season included the New Zealand Free-For-All, Auckland Cup, Timaru Cup and all three heats of the 1971 Interdominion series at Addington. She also finished second to James in the New Zealand Cup. Her performance to win the Auckland Cup then fly back south to beat Manaroa and Chequer Board in the Timaru Cup eight days later is regarded by Tilson as the highlight of Stella Frost’s career.

She was voted New Zealand Harness Horse Of The Year (1970-71) for those efforts. Stella Frost was taken to Australia in 1971 to contest the Miracle Mile. She finished fourth to the mighty Mount Eden, then won the Hurricane Stakes.