TROTTING. . .

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 312, 24 March 1928, Page 7

TROTTING. . .

By

“Abaydos”

Record Dividend

WAIROA BELLE'S FEAT Owner Not a Participant AN UNLUCKY ADMIRER

CORRESPONDENTS continue to inquire for particulars regarding the wonderful dividend paid some years ago by the trotter Wairoa Belle at Nelson.

J ATAXY followers of the lightharness pastime express surprise when acquainted of the fact that the owner of the mare did not participate in the four-figure return, and also appear to think it incredible that only one ticket should be invested on her chances. That there were reasonable grounds for the public to stand off Wairoa* Belle, and circumstances which precluded owner Leo Berkett having even a modest amount on his charge, is shown in the following story. Only a Moderate Wairoa Belle, a grey mare, claiming Dictator as her sire, .was not by any means a champion, as her race records showed, but it was common talk chat at times on her owner’s private track at Hope, the grey mare could give some good displays. Taken to the races in her own district on several occasions, Wairoa Belle failed to give her supporters any encouragement. When Leo Berkett visited the Westport annual gathering of Christmas, 1919, Wairoa Belle comprised one of the Hope mentor’s team, and being a sturdy looking mare, she made many friends in the coalopolis. The daughter of Dictator was produced on four occasions during the two days’ sport, her portion being three thirds and once unplaced. There was little or no merit in her placed performances, as she started in fields, one of which contained only three runners. Returning to her Hope home emptyhanded, Wairoa Belle did not sport silk again till the Nelson fixture, which eventuated in March, 1920. Three times was the grey mare harnessed up but on each occasion she failed to make any showing, and her few admirers were by this time heartily sick of Berkett’s charge. Each day of the Jockey Club fixture she started in one of the light-harness heats and ran unplaced. On the eventful day, March 5, at the Nelson Trotting Club’s meeting, the grey mare competed in the opening event on the card, being the outsider in a field of a dozen, and she ran accordingly. Unexpected Happens Wairoa Belle paraded for the fourth time in the Wakefield Handicap, a saddle heat run over 12 furlongs, tut she was absolutely snubbed by the public. Owner Berkett gave her a preliminary to see how she was moving before getting his little bit on the machine, but before reaching the point where a friend was waiting for instructions as to the amount to be risked something unexpected happened. An official of the club considered that the gear on Wairoa Belle was not correctly adjusted, which he maintained was causing the mare to bobble. Being an expert in the art of “hoppiink” he made a suggestion, which Berkett thought worth the experiment, and after the straps had been altered the mare was given another preliminary and went much steadier, to the delight of her owner-rider. Machine Closed While this performance was taking place the time limit on the totalisator had expired, and much to Leo’s chagrin he discovered it was too late to even get a modest pound on the grey’s chance. When the figures were adjusted only one ticket was standing to the credit of Wairoa Belle, and the knowing ones laughed as they jokingly remarked, “There is evidently one mug on the course.” There was a field of 14 competitors in this particular heat, the starters being Cloraine, Wairoa Belle, Grey Bell (all greys), Prince Loris, Hopeless, Rose Alma (dam of Marshal Neil), My Lass, Tahi, Tracker, Wildmoor Lad Belle of Bombay, Wild D’Or, Turbine and Little Belgium. The finish was fought out between two of the greys, but it was not till nearing the post that* the huge crowd realised Berkett’s charge was one of the pair. The mare made no mistakes and won handsomely from Cloraine. Then there was a rush for the machine, and when the dividend was hoisted, the curiosity of the assemblage was aroused. Who Had the Laugh? Naturally everyone was anxious to see who was the lucky investor. Was it the owner? No such luck! “It’s sure to be a Chinaman,” said general opinion, but again the public were wide of the mark. When at length a wellknown Nelson business man emerged from the tote house with smiling face and bulging pockets, surprise was expressed on all sides. The fortunate speculator was warmly congratulated on his win, and many were the expressions of sympathy with Wairoa Belle’s popular owner-trainer when it became known fie was too late in getting his money to the machine. A Westport light-harness enthusiast who owned a relative to Wairoa Belle, and had backed the mare each start when she visited the Buller, intended making the trip to the Sunny City to chase his lost cash. Unfortunately he was detained at the eleventh hour, and could not send his investments through, but he managed to get accommodated in another direction, and had a small sum on Wairoa Belle at a very short limit when she won. This gentleman has long since -given up backing grey trotters. Never Won Again Wairoa Belle, fresh from her recordbreaking mission, was taken to the Blenheim fixture the following week, and although produced on two occasions failed to gain a situation in either event. The following year the grey mare started several times at Nelson, but was never in the picture except on one occasion, when she picked up a “fiver” for third place. Having accomplished her sensational recordbreaking feat, it seemed as if the Dictator mare had no further ambition.

and she never won again. Leo Berkett then decided to put Wairoa Belle in the matrons’ paddock, and she was matched with a young and promising sire, Neil Denis, sire of Marshal Neil. The result of the union was a filly who later became known to racegoers in Nelson as Star of Hope. Wairoa Belle’s daughter did not make very rapid progress at the pacing business, and was purchased later by Mr. L. Reilly, a Takaka sportsman. At the non-totalisator fixture in the farming district, Star of Hope picked up a few stakes, and 12 months ago she distinguished herself by winning the Farewell Handicap at Blenheim from a good field. Like her mother. Star of Hope will never be a top-notcher, but she will never get the opportunity of breaking Wairoa Belle’s wonderful divvy record. A further union with the son of Galindo and Thelma was productive of a male representative which became known to followers of the sport in the Nelson district as Tetanus. This son of Neil Denis was given a race with the colours up at Blenheim last May, and after showing a bit of promise in his initial essay, in which he ran on the green side, Tetanus made good next time up by wihning a 12-furlong heat off a 3.46 mark in 3.37 2-5. He is not being over-raced this season, and Berkett has hopes that the gelding will turn out a good proposition. Apart from the limelight effect of having owned, trained and ridden a winner, which has established such a dividend paying record as that of .Wairoa Belle, the genial sportsman from the Hope Valley has been kept well in the public gaze through the splendid achievements of that great pacer Imprint. The son of Denver Huon proved himself a real horse, and Leo Berkett was associated with him from his earliest career. The Nelsonian trains a big team, comprising good, bad and indifferent customers, but it is hardly likely he will find one* in the string to eclipse the remarkable feat of Wairoa Belle.