EARLY RACING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 November 1939, Page 7

EARLY RACING

EVENTS AT OPAKI AND ELSEWHERE

Some Notable Performers ADMINISTRATOR PROVES A CHAMPION WINNER OF NEW ZEALAND CUP (Specially written for the "Wairarapa Times-Age" by Charles Bannister.)

Continuing a survey of early racing in Masterton. Mr Charles Bannister writes as follow; —

In 1877. H. Bannister. Junr.. won the Maiden Race with Ada. The late Mr George Smith rode her. There was also a race for pack horses. That meant horses that had been used for packing for six months before the races. They had to be ridden by the men who had used them. This event was won by Mr Jack Dorset’s Darkle. Mr T. W. Tankersley was second on his cob. About this time Mr P. F. Tancred had started a stud farm at Carterton. He purchased from the Gilligan Estate a pretty roan mare. Princess Mary. He mated her with the Premier. This mating proved a success, judging by the results. One of the progeny. Administrator, was a champion, winning the New Zealand Cup besides many more big events. Another was Princess Royal. Mr Tancred had also several other horses— Senator, Forester, Gabble and King’s Bowman. His head men were Albert Lyford and Jack Gravestock. At one meeting on the old Opaki course Walter Armstrong, who was riding The Diver, was hugging the posts too closely. On turning into the straight he struck a post with his knee. The post, which was a 6 by 6 totara one, was broken off. Armstrong’s knee and leg were so shattered that he had to have the leg amputated. After that accident the posts were sawn off and in their place 6 x 1 battens were used. These were nailed to the butts and painted white. At one meeting I was competing in a trotting race in which there were several contestants. Coming up the straight T. H. Hill was in the lead with Rockett. Another rider was just in front of me. He had made a bet that Hill would not get the race. He stuck his spurs into his horse, which broke into a gallop. He crossed Rockett just before they got to the winning post. Rockett broke and they both galloped past the post. My mount trotted past and I was proclaimed the winner and got the stakes. When those two came into the saddling paddock Hill pulled that man off his horse and gave him what he deserved. RACES AT WHAKATAKI. Races were held at Whakataki in the early eighties and were carried on for a few years. Mr Joe Hayward had had a lean year. To finish the season he took up his pair of good horses. Ouida and Kakapo, to try to pick up a few pounds to buy winter feed. Somebody thought Hayward had no right to take such performers to a small meeting, which was meant for inferior horses, but as the Whakataki Cup was an open race Hayward was within his rights. The night before the races some fiend gave those innocent horses a good dose of arsenic in their feed. In the morning, when their owner opened the door, he was astounded to see both horses stiff. As this was the meeting place of all the "hard nuts" of the East Coast it would have gone hard with the miscreant if he had been found. He would have got a short shift into the next world and tried afterwards on all coast stations. Arsenic was usually kept in most wool sheds for dipping purposes and was easy to procure. This incident practically killed racing at Whakataki, for who would take a horse there to be poisoned. When meetings were held at Tinui it was a lively place for two or three days The meeting generally took three days, one to get ready for the races, race day and the morning after the night before to get over the races and to get home. I was there for one meeting. That was when Mr J. C. Vallance’s Frog won the Tinui Cup. The jockeys made up their minds that the Frog was going to win and he did. Tom Winteringham rode him. Kumurau or Carswells used to hold meetings, and good little meetings they were. The course was located on the site of Mr R. Liverton’s residence. It was a very pretty spot. It had for a background Mt Clyde which was covered with beautiful bush, rewarewa or honeysuckle predominating, with titoki trees in the foreground. In front or on the east side was a ravine, edged with manuka which when in flower was a sight to be remembered. It was a beautiful place when I first saw it. That was when the late Mr C. F. Vallance and I were boys. Mr Stillborn, of Masterton, was secretary of the Carswells Racing Club. That place is called the Blairlogie Junction now. OFF TO WAIRARAPA RACES. In 1876 a party was made up at the Club Hotel, for the Wairarapa races, to be taken in one of Hastwell. Bannister and Cave's large brakes that were used in the transport of goods between Wellington and Masterton. Mr A. W. Cave was asked to take the whip and reins and to select a good team from the numerous horses used by the company. Seats were made along the sides of the vehicle. These were made cosy with cushions and rugs. Lunch' hampers and cases of drinks made up the luggage. We left, the Club Hotel at half-past eight on

a fine morning and arrived at Mr Hastwells in time for morning tea which was greatly appreciated after a morning's drive across the Taratahi Plains and through the Three Mile Bush, as Carterton was termed then. After our horses had finished munching their corn and had a drink they were harnessed up by that old time trainer of Volunteer. Alec Cameron. We started for Tauherenikau. accompanied by a large party from Hastwells. In due time we arrived at the course. The horses were unhitched and made safe. The old Tauherenikau grandstand was then in a different position than it is today. It was on the left of the entrance gate. One thing that I can remember well was that Jack Girdlestone, a member of our party, rode old Libeller. Girdy, as we called him. had long black whiskers well down to his waist, which when he rode past, the winning post well in the lead were flowing past his ears. Another incident was the antics of that bad-temper-ed horse Nanakia (a very appropriate name). He was coming down the straight well in the lead. About two chains from the winning post a dog crossed the track in front of him. Nanakia stuck his toes in the turf and stopped dead and nothing could shift him. His rider used the whip and spurs in vain. He had to be led off the track. A good many of the bettors who had money on him would have liked to have shot him. It was explained he was a pet foal and only went where and when he liked. In the Produce Stakes the rules were three starters or no second money. Mr T. McArthy, of Masterton. had entered two horses. About a week before the races one of them died. He was a black bobtailed horse called Satan. He kept the death of his horse a secret and borrowed a black bob-tailed horse from my brother Harry. This horse was only beaten by a short head. He got away with second money. The next best thing was lunch in that piece of bush. The good things that were packed in the hampers and boxes, supplemented by Hastwells contributions, provided a spread that one reads about but never sees now. That evening we returned to Greytown and stayed the night at Hastwells, and spent a glorious time. Up in the morning not too early some felt like having a good breakfast but some didn’t. We enjoyed another good day but as we left for home up came one of Wairarapa’s’ “southerly busters.” By the time we got over the Moroa Plain we were wet and cold, but good Jack Edmondson, of Edmondson, Sellers and lorns, came to the rescue with a grey blanket each which was very acceptable. Hastwells wanted us to stop to tea, but our very capable driver shook his head. He was thinking about his horses. We got home safe and sound. I often wonder how many of that party are alive today, two, I think. WAIRARAPA’S WONDER HORSE. For the following I am indebted to Mr William Dorset. On my way from Mauriceville I often met him and many a pleasant talk we had under the shade of a tree, mostly about the doings of the pioneers, and racing in the Wairarapa in the 60’s. He told me about his wonder horse. Old Vol. as he called him. Mr T. W. Tankersley, an owner and rider in the 60’s, also told me about him. Volunteer was by Riddlesworth out of a mare imported from New South Wales. He was bred at Otaraia. Mr Hastwell, of coaching fame, bought several, horses from Mr Gillies to use as coachers. Volunteer was one of them. Mr Dorset saw Pat Cockery riding him one day and took a fancy to him for a hack. Subsequently he bought him. He turned out a good proposition, as his racing career showed. Horses were brought from all parts of the West Coast to down the sails of Volunteer, but not till he was 15 years old was he decisively beaten. At one meeting at Greytown Volunteer started for the hurdle race, which was run in two mile heats. Volunteer won the first. He was second in the next and second in the third. His wonderful stamina stood by him. In the fourth he won going away. That made eight miles for a stake of £lO. Later in the day they saddled him up for the forced handicap, as he had won all events in which he had started. The handicapper allotted him top weight. He won this event without an effort. The next day he was entered for the Wairarapa Plate, 3 miles, in which he had to meet the champions from the West Coast. Dr Mussen brought a horse from Wanganui to lower the sails of Volunteer. Billy Jenkins, of Otaki, father of Charles Jenkins, rode Bay Camden. There were several other starters whose names I have forgotten. Old Vol’s weight for that race was 14 stone 71bs. It was a good job there was not any more lead on the course or he mght have got a bit more. Alec Cameron, his trainer. was riding him. He remarked: "Now 1 will just let you see how good Volunteer is." He out-distanced the lot. When he got too old to race Mr Dorset let Mr H. Gillies have him back for a stock horse. He next made his appearance in 1871 at the Greytown meeting but he had lost his pace.