RECORD BROKEN BY LAWN DERBY

Southland Times, Issue 23664, 12 November 1938, Page 10

RECORD BROKEN BY LAWN DERBY

One Mile Paced In Imin 59 2-ssec INDIANAPOLIS’S TIME BETTERED FASTEST PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE AMERICA (From Our Own Reporter) CHRISTCHURCH, November 11. Lawn Derby’s successful attempt to better Indianapolis’s mile record of 9min 0 2-ssec aroused great interest at Addington this afternoon and when the Australian pacer went out on to the track after the second race the record crowd was seething with excitement. There was a slight breeze blowing, but the conditions were almost perfect and the going next to the rails was in wonderful order. Assisted by a galloping pacemaker driven by the veteran reinsman, Free Holmes, Lawn Derby was at top speed when he passed the mile post. He paced the first two furlongs in 28 3-ssec, four furlongs in 58 l-ssec, six furlongs in Imin 28sec and completed the mile in Imin 59 2-ssec. The last half was run in Imin 1 l-ssec. , , When the official time was posted the Australian horse received a great ovation. He was driven by the Sydney reinsman, W. J. O’Shea, and his owner, Mr J. F. Mackenney, who bred the son of Robert Derby, was present to see him accomplish his great task. Lawn Derby is the first horse outside America to break two minutes for a mile, but his performance is much greater than it would appear. -Ie raced unhoppled and did not make a semblance of a mistake. When he ran his first half in 58 l-ssec it appeared that too much had been asked of him in tiie early stages of the trial, but he responded gamely when driven out over the last furlong. Lawn Derby is one of the most clean gaited pacers racing, as apart from an open bridle and a set of harness he wears no other gear. Free Holmes, who drove the pacemaker to perfection, assisted materially in Lawn Derby accomplishing his task. The mile record of New Zealand and Australia was 2min 0 2-ssec, put up by Indianapolis two years ago when he bettered his own record of 2min 2 2-5 sec. The world trotting record for a mile is held by the American gelding Greyhound, who recorded Imin 55sec a few months back. The first horse to break two minutes in America was Lou Dillon, Imin 58jsec, and since then 25 horses have been included in the twominute list. Horses of Lawn Derbys calibre aro few and far between and it is likely to be many years before a free-legged pacer is produced capable of bettering even time. The crowd at Addington today was thoroughly appreciative of the wonderful record of the great horse. Lawn Derby’s sire, Robert Derby, was by Globe Derby. Globe Derby is the sire of Logan Derby and Walla Walla, the latter a great horse who defeated most of New Zealand’s champions about five years ago. NOCTURNUS FOUND DEAD former grand national STEEPLECHASE WINNER (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, November 11. Noctumus, the winner of the 1937 Grand National Steeplechase, was found dead yesterday in a paddock at Cashmere, where he was being spelled.