SPORTING Young Family Started N.Z. Racing At Greymouth

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1948, Page 7

SPORTING Young Family Started N.Z. Racing At Greymouth

No reinsmen or trainers have created more goodwill among a wide section of the sporting fraternity than Rob Young and his father, J. Young, of Addington, driver and trainer respectively of the Inter-Dominion Trotters’ Grand Final winner Aerial Scott, says the Auckland Star. Born in Scotland, Rob Young came to New Zealand in 1929 and, like most Scotsmen, made friends slowly. During the 19 years Rob Young has been in the Dominion it can be said that his unblemished career and integrity have been an example, riot orily to his fellowreinsmen, but also to all associated with the racing of trotters and pacers.

When Rob Young came to the Dominion it was to train for Mr J. R. McKenzie. On his arrival he was so deeply impressed with the stakes given and the administration of trotting in this country, that he sent a message to his father to come to New Zealand and bring a team of good horses with him. A year later, on August 7, 1930, J. Young and another of his sons, J. Young jun, landed at Lyttelton with nine horses. They were Colonial Boy, Stanley T, Holly Bank, MajorLind, Sandy N, Page Girl, They Say, Banffshire Lad and Our George. In the first season the team won 13 races, was 12 times second and six times third, and earned £2746 10s in stakes. Began At Greymouth The Youngs began their campaign at Greymouth in October, 1931, with Stanley T and Holly Bank. Stanley T won the Dominion Handicap and the Royal Handicap, and Holly Bank won the B laketown Handicap, all in the one day. Stanley T, a trotter, went on to win four races on end and five for the season. Another pacer in Colonial Boy also opened his account at Greymouth by winning the Dominion Handicap in January, and a month later at Addington beat a field of ;good /performers in the Liverpool Handicap. During the 18 years J. Young has been in this country he has met with a great deal of success. He topped the winning list of trainers in 1943, but not until last season did he train

his first classic winner, Sir Vivian, who led the field home in the NewZealand Sapling Stakes at Ashburton in June last. Sir Vivian’s success also marked Rob Young’s first winning drive in a classic event for two-year-old pacers. Rob has also earned distinction as the driver of Sir Michael in most of that smart sprinter’s successes, and Aerial Scott’s excellent achievements. A Good Season Last season members of J. Young’s stable secured 13 firsts, 9 seconds, 11 thirds, and 7 fourths, and £BB3B 10s in stakes. The trotter Aerial Scott, who made remarkable improvement under the Addington trainer, scored five firsts, one second, three thirds, and one fourth for Young, and £4370 in stakes. Aerial Scott, a five-year-old son of the American importations, U Scott and Airflow, won his way to the top among horses of his own gait by winning the High-Class Trotting Stakes, a mile and a quarter race run Addington last Easter. Just recently Aerial Scott showed how good he really is by winning a heat and the Grand Final of the Trotters’ Championship at the InterDominion carnival. Another fine young trotter from the Young stable was seen in action at the Inter-Dominion Championship carnival. This was Acclamation, a five-year-old daughter of Certissimus and Mensa Matruh. Acclamation secured a first and a second in her threestarts at the fixture and, with her brilliant speed, should go a long way.