REMINISCENCES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 504, 6 November 1928, Page 11

REMINISCENCES

MONTE CARLO’S CUP BERT EDWARDS’S FIRST WIN EARLY TROTTING HISTORY One of the mqst interested light harness enthusiasts in this province in to-day’s big race at Addington is B. P. Edwards, of the Mardelle stud, Otahuhu, who piloted the first Cup winner to victory away back in 1904. It is over 40 years since the present owner of Mardella first associated himself with the trotting sport in Canterbury, and he has the distinction ot having rode the winner of the fir-.t light harness event ever Held at Lancaster Park, Christchurch. But, like Johnny Walker, Bert Edwards is still going strong, and to-day he is engaged in the fine work of breeding and edu eating blue-blooded pacers and trotters from the greatest strains, knowing which promise to play a. big in the future of the sport in the Dominion. The master of Mardella possesses two sires of wonderful quality and richness in Worthy Bond (Axworthy— Preferred Bond) and The Triumph (The Exponent —Mardella), and their early productions are now beginning to attract ottention to the American stallion by their fine promise. Mr. Edward has a wondertul store of knowledge regarding trotting history, and dearly enjoys to chat about the pioneer days of the now popular pastime. "Abaydos” recently paid a visit to the Otahuhu _stud farm, and when mentioning the New Zealand Cup contest, stirred the reminiscent bump in the reinsman, who won the race in 1904 with Monte Carlo. B.P. also referred to incidents of the early period in Canterbury, which included his first victory, and a match unparalleled in trotting history for its uniqueness, and which will prove of. interest to old-timers and present-day followers of the sport. The master of Mardella can recall

! many interesting accounts of the early ' history of the sport in Canterbury and i Auckland, and retains vivid and happy recollections of his initial entry into I the business in the early “eighties/’ ; when he rode the grey trotter Fidget to victory in the opening event of the first “tote” meeting held in Christchurch.' The track at Lancaster Park, which was approximately three laps to the mile, was rough and ready at that period, but Fidget covered the three miles in nine minutes, a wonderful performance 40-odd years ago. It is interesting to note that in the race in question the late Dan O’Brien, of Cari bine fame, finished second to Bert 1 Edwards on a grey horse named Erin, j while Alf. Keith, who recently died, and I who, according to expert judges, was j the greatest horseman of the times. A Unique Match Mention of Malverner put the Mardella breeder in further reminiscent vein, and he recalled a unique match which took place at Lancaster Park toward the latter part of the eighties. G. Webb, the crack English cyclist of that period, who was in Christchurch, made a match with A. Keith to cover 10 miles on his high cycle faster than the trotting man could traverse the distance with any two trotters. Keith selected Wait a While and Malverner for the job, and when the great event came up for decision he rode the former six miles and the latter four, eventually defeating the cyclist by a lap. In the early nineties B. P. Edwards spent a few years in Auckland, where he met with a good deal of success at the sport, and then returned to. the Southern province, where, in conjunction with his late brother. “Manny,” he kept in the forefront of horsemen and trainers for a lengthy period. Monte Carlo’s Fine Feats One of the best horses handled by Edwards about 30 years ago was Monte Carlo, a son of Lincoln Yet, from a mare of unknown breeding. Lincoln Yet was a son of Irvington, whose sire, Hambletown X., is the recognised fountain head of the trotting tribes, and whose remarkable strain is to be found to-day coursing through the veins of the leading trotters and pacers the world over. Monte Carlo is credited with being the winner of the first New Zealand Cup, run in 1904, but four years previously he won a similar event, which was then known as the New Zealand Handicap. In 1898, for a purse of £IOO, Edwards succeeded in lowering the two-mile record of 4.55 held by the Australian Fritz, Monte Carlo being paced by the galloper Salvo Shot, who was ridden by Free Holmes, reducing the time to 4.53. The son of Lincoln Yet came out the same afternoon and also won the handicap. He was the bigg;est stakewinner of his day, but prizes were very modest at that period when compared with the liberal and enticing purses of the present time. TROTTING FIXTURES Metropolitan T.C.—Nov. 6, 8. 9 Otahuhu T.C.—Nov. 17, 21. Wellingoon T.C.—Nov. 24. Forbury Park T.C.—Nov. 29. Deo 1 Waikato T.C.—Dee. 8. Westport T.C.—Dec. 26, 27. Auckland T.C.—Dec. 27. 29 31 Winton T.C.—Dec. 29. Northland T.C.—Oct. 22. Oamaru T.C.—Oct. 22. Greymouth T.C.—Oct. 20, 22. inangahua T.C.—Dec. 31 Canterbury Park T.C.—Jan. 1 2 Westland T.C.—Jan. 3. Greymouth T.C.—Jan. 4, 5