THE GREAT RACE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1933, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE GREAT RACE

A TALE OF THE YEARS

(By

P.M.)

The field in the first race produced a hard lot of two-year-olds-and a sprinkling of aged runners. Feed was short and corn was out of the question. Consequently the horses in the paddock looked a hairy lot. But of course it was a long while ago. The track was soft and a bit uneven, the officials having chopped the course out of .a ti-tree flat. The wild pigs did the levelling, and these had to be chased away to allow spectators on the ground. The first horse in the saddling paddock, Pioneer, was a well-grown colt, full of substance, showing great staying powers. He was followed by Starvation, by No Work out of that unlucky dam Lost Energy. Government, a noisy colt, was unfortunate in being injured in the preliminary, staking his • reputation on a manuka stump along the middle of the track. A veterinary surgeon, Mr. Hayseed, poulticed the wound with cold tea leaves, and fed him on dry dough-boys for 10 minutes, and it was decided to start the colt. Speculation, a wizenedlooking chestnut by King Country out of Native Lease, also appeared. The judge had a look at his nomination paper to see that all the signatures were correct.

The clerk of the course, using a bullock’s horn for a megaphone, sounded the signal for all horses to saddle up and be in the saddling paddock within five minutes. Trainer Bad Times had considerable difficulty in saddling Pioneer. So much so, in fact, that the stewards held a meeting to hear evidence as to whether the horse had been drugged. The owner stated that the horse had eaten tutu. Everything was eventually ready and, the horses went to the post. The starter, with a large blade of flax in his hand, was to give the signal to start, by dropping the blade of flax to the ground. The judge and clerk of the course, one at each end of a long string of flax stretched across the course, were to decide the winner and placed horses. “They’re off” someone shouted, and in the excitement the owner of Pioneer and his wife fell off a punga stump across the press table, crushing the scribe. Consequently very few notes of the race were available for the Press. Pioneer won after a gruelling race with Starvation.

The next year produced Pioneer, Starvation, Speculation, Government, Ready Money and English Grass, the latter being an imported filly that promised to smother everything on the track. Ready Money, by the sire of Pioneer out of a High Price Grocer filly, drew the admiration of the crowd, especially the women-folk, who admired the shining coat. Government, although he had changed hands several times, showed little signs of improvement, but his new owner decided to lead him out once again before turning him out. So sporty had become this race that spectators came from far and near. They were dressed in moleskin trousers, dungarees and coats, and the ladies in crinolines and busseis. The door to the grandstand had to be removed to admit some of the crinolines. The race was timed to start immediately after the arrival of the last bullock-waggori from the North Cape. Pioneer showed signs of hard training, and seemed outclassed by the promising youngsters, Ready Money and Speculation. The arrival of the bullock-waggon from the Cape was the signal for starting. AU lined up at the post. Speculation became fractious and kicked Government badly, it was thought for ulterior motives. The band of the Shining Cuckoos struck up the Pioneer Prayer, “There’s a Happy Land Far Away,” and the horses faced the starter. “They’re off.” Speculation and Starvation could not face the straight, and Pioneer, knowing nothing, plodded away, adding another victory to his credit. Ready Money was second. Government, Starvation and Speculation were all in a bunch. After this race the connections of Government and Speculation decided to retire these horses to the stud.

As years wore on this race became famous. The sire and the dam of Pioneer produced other good winners such as The Settlers, All Black, Cricket Bat, Tennis and the famous Soldier Boy. For years Government’s progeny met with little success, until Trainer Ballance produced his first winner,, Good Times. It was not until he got into Trainer Seddon’s hands that the supporters of Government saw his real worth. Old Age Pension, Advance to Settlers, Penny Postage and the briUiant filly Women’s Franchise, with Arbitration, were produced by Trainer Seddon, and are running under the Liberal colours to-day. Trainers Ward and McKenzie both handled these stake winners, but not with the success of Trainer Seddon. Trainer Massey, who was handling the Speculation stock, was now beginning to meet with success. Reform was the first to show winning form, and added honours to his trainer for some years, until his head stable lad, Gordon, threatened to join another stable. The Reform trainer was able to retain his services as leading rider for the stable, and ultimately Gordon gained his ambition and became trainer of Reform, Speculation, Starvation and Borrowed Money. He produced these horses in their true form. Trainer Gordon made some expensive purchases abroad, pne of them being a big Unemployment colt that showed great promise, and Red Fed, a nice piebald by Socialism from that great dam, Soviet Russia.

Trainer Gordon was later joined by the young and promising rider George, and between them they trained and successfully galloped Farmer, Producer, Good Chance (by Speculator), Unemployment and Wheat Tax, all in 1931. Trainer Gordon unearthed a Speculation —Wool King colt Coalition, which attracted young George so much that he sold his colour’s, stable mates and himself to Gordon’s stable. The combination, added to the stable a Jewish colt, Interest by Mortgage, out of the dam of Advance. The purchase was almost ruinous, for whilst training he kicked a few farmers badly.

Rider George now being well in the hands of Gordon he is compelled to ride work on Inflated Exchange, Balanced Budget, Sales Tax, Wages Cut and the Useless Nonsense filly Failure. It is rumoured that a well-known old trainer that led many colts to victory promises to set up a training stable, starting with a Pioneer—Squealer colt, Cockie, that neighs and kicks whenever old Progress takes the training track with him. Trainer Harry has Labour at the top of his form, and expects with Women’s Franchise to reach winning honours very soon. Coalition spoilt him a winning chance a year or two back, but now the Coalition following have sold Reputation it is feared Rider George may have ,to ride Wool King and Ottawa to work.