This year’s inductees were announced at Addington Raceway on Friday 1 September 2017 as part of the fifteenth Canterbury Owners and Breeders Night.
The first three time winner of the New Zealand Trotting Cup in Indianapolis, one of only two trotters to have won the Dominion Handicap on three occasions in Take A Moment and all-round horseperson Jim Dalgety are the latest to be honoured by the Addington Harness Hall of Fame.
Indianapolis –
The first three time winner of the New Zealand Cup (1934, 1935, 1936) was outstanding champion pacer Indianapolis.
Bred at Harry (HF) Nicoll’s Durbar Lodge, Ashburton by Freeman Holmes and WH Norton, both of Christchurch and purchased by AJ (Arthur) Nicoll from his father’s dispersal sale in 1932 and later sold to Dunedin owner George Barton as an early three year old for £500.
One of the greatest stayers ever produced in the Dominion, a few salient facts concerning him follow :
- Winner of 27 races, 14 at Addington, meagre stake earnings of £10,257 due to the Depression
- Leading stake earner 1934/5 season : £3,210
- Established mile records 2.01.4TT (19/1/1935 Addington); 2:00.4TT (13/11/1936 Addington); world 2 mile record 4:15.8 (NZ Cup 1934)
- Forbury Park mile record 2:03.6TT (1/2 1936)
- Winner of NZ Cup/FFA same year 1935
- First three time winner of NZ Cup in successive years 1934/1935/1936 (record shared with False Step 1958/1959/1960 and Terror To Love 2011/2012/2013)
- Remarkable NZ Cup sequence :
at 5 : 1934 NZ Cup defeated Blue Mountain King & dual NZ Cup winner Harold Logan
at 6 : 1935 NZ Cup defeated War Buoy and 1933 NZ Cup winner Red Shadow
at 7 : 1936 NZ Cup defeated Red Shadow, War Buoy and Harold Logan
- George Barton’s three wins were the most NZ Cup wins as an owner, a record shared with Jim Smyth (False Step) and Terry McDonald (Terror To Love)
Indianapolis – 1929c (Wrack/Estella Amos), 73 starts : 27 wins, eight seconds, five thirds (26 wins for GJ Barton); 2:00.4TT, £10,257, family of U303 Brown Lancet.
Commenced racing as a 2yo (1931/2) racing until ten, Initially trained by Jack Behrns for his first win in the Selma Hcp as a 2yo against rivals of all ages at the Ashburton County RC meeting in May 1932 with Maurice Holmes driving.
At three, Indianapolis now owned by GJ Barton and trained/driven for him by leading horseman (Bill) WJ Tomkinson, record read 13: 6-3-2, £1,282. Wins registered at Hutt Park; Forbury Park (three); Auckland TC’s GN Derby and Ashburton. Indianapolis placed second to Taxpayer in the NZ Derby at the 1932 NZ Cup meeting.
Indianapolis’s four year old season (1933/4) stats showed 12:7-2-1, £1,720 (2nd leading stake earner). Wins were recorded at NZMTC’s Addington meetings (four); Oamaru (Weston Hcp, forerunner to Hannon Memorial); 1933 Auckland Cup at Alexandra Park and Hutt Park.
During Indianapolis’s 5yo season (1934/5), his previous year’s record of seven wins was equalled – 13:7-1-1, £3,210 (leading stake earner of year). With the passing of WJ Tomkinson at the end of the previous season (trained Indianapolis for 13 wins; driver on ten occasions), Claude (FC) Dunleavy took over his training (12 wins).
Wins came at Oamaru; Alexandra Park Champion Hcp in the hands of Jack (J) Fraser jnr; Addington in National Hcp qualifying him for a 1934 NZ Cup start when favourite, establishing a world record time for the 2m staying journey of 4:15.8, last mile and a quarter in 2:35.0, last mile 2:03.6, last half 59.6. Against 11 rivals, Indianapolis started off 12yds in the £1,500 Cup (plus £100 trophy), driven to a one length victory over Blue Mountain King and 1931/1932 winner Harold Logan (72 yds) by Eugene (EC) McDermott; Show Day winning Christchurch Hcp; NZMTC Royal meeting Windsor Hcp (same day he won an exhibition mile in a NZR 2:01.4, taking a second off the Australasian record [2:02.4TT] jointly held by Auburn Lad and Walla Walla); NZMTC Easter meeting.
Indianapolis’ six year old record shows 8:4-1-0, £1,780 (2nd leading stake earner). Commencing an unbeaten sequence of four straight wins with Oamaru’s 1935 Weston Hcp;, he successfully defended his title in 1935 NZ Cup against ten other starters, handicapped off 48 yds, driven by J Fraser jnr defeating War Buoy and 1933 NZ Cup winner Red Shadow; second day he won 1 mile Clarkson Memorial (48 yds) completing a carnival clean sweep on the third day winning the NZFFA thus completing a treble.
As a seven year old (1936/7), Indianapolis had one win, his third successive NZ Cup victory, off a 48 yd handicap in the £2,000 Cup (plus £100 trophy) for dr J Fraser jnr, Indianapolis ran the 2 miles on a heavy but improving track after overnight rain in 4:30.6 to win by one length, defeating Red Shadow, War Buoy and Harold Logan. Seven year old record read 6:1-0-0, £1,100). Having undergone a 2 mile preparation, he appeared three days later on Show Day time trialling in his best ever recorded mile time of 2:00.4.
Into the twilight of his career at eight (1937/8) Indianapolis record shows 12:1-0-1, £315 with numerous unplaced runs off long marks. At the 1938 InterDominion’s held at Addington, Indianapolis one of Barton’s five representatives was unplaced in all three heats reserving his best for Grand Final day by taking out the second ID Consolation. Indianapolis produced little from a handful of starts in his final two seasons of racing at nine and ten.
Retired to stud, Indianapolis sired 75 individual winners (53 pacers, five in 2:0; 22 trotters; seven Australian winners). His classic offspring included Indian Game – ID heat, Indian Parrish – Rowe Cup and dam sire of 27 (Jewel Derby – Rowe Cup; brother and sister pair Le Chant – ID Trot Consolation, Trotting FFA, Trotting Championship and Stylish Major – ID Trot heat & Final; Sugar’n Spice – Australian Trotters Championship). Indianapolis died in 1951.
Take A Moment –
Take A Moment (1995g Armbro Invasion/Nakura) is one of New Zealand’s greatest ever trotters who raced from 2000 to 2005 (five – ten year old) won 39 of his 67 starts which included six of sixteen starts in Australia. Of the New Zealand trotting millionaires (August 2017), only then stablemate Lyell Creek and I Can Doosit have bettered his total stake earnings of $NZ1,164,356.Major victories included two Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Grand Finals, three consecutive Dominion Handicaps (including dead heat) and a Rowe Cup.
A product of strong trotting bloodlines, the gelded son of Armbro Invasion USA and Jet d’Emeraude EU mare Nakura (NZ), Take A Moment is a member of the leading NZ family of Pride Of Lincoln (N1). Nakura a four year old trotting mare of year and bred on through her fillies Juverna (eight foals for eight winners including Quite A Moment T1:55.3, Breeders Crown – 3T, National Trot; Duke Of The Moment T1:59.6); Nows the Moment T2:04.7 (dam of Dr Hook, $451,742, T1:56.2 CPTC Trotting Cup/Ashburton Trotters Miles twice, ID heat; Moment Of Truth T2:02.5) and gelding Another Moment, T2:02.2.
Grand dam Nakaia (1977 Crockett/Morning Haze filly), T2:12.0, was dam of two winners in Nakura (see above) and Naraya, T2:10.1, dam of six foals for one winner in Stig, $841,529, twenty two New Zealand wins, T1:55.2 Trotting free-for-all, Dominion Handicap, National Trot, Rowe Cup/one AUS win, T1:57.2, heat Great Southern Star and Only A Moment, unraced, dam of Dream A Moment, T1:57.5TT.
An in-depth look at Take A Moment’s achievement’s reveals-
Best mile rates of :
New Zealand – T1:57.2 at Cambridge (2 January 2002)/Ashburton (27 October 2003)
Australia – T1:57.7 at Moonee Valley (7 December 2002)
Significant race wins :
Group 1 victories (13) :
Addington – Dominion Hcp (3); NZ Trotting FFA (2); ID Trotting Final
Alexandra Park – National Trot (2); Rowe Cup
Albion Park – ID Trotting Final
Moonee Valley – Australian Trotting Grand Prix; Bill Collins Mile (2)
Group 2 victories (7) :
Addington – Canterbury Park Trotting Cup
Alexandra Park – City of Sails FFA (2)
Cambridge – Trotters Flying Mile (2)
Ashburton – Trotters Mile (2)
Group 3 victories (5) :
Addington – ID Trotting Heats (3), clean sweep
Albion Park – ID Trotting Heat (1)
Moonee Valley – Australian Trotting C/S heat
Other notable victories :
Listed Ordeal Cup (twice) at Addington as well as Cup Day Trot and an Addington FFA.,
Take A Moment’s overall record at Addington was 28 starts for 21 wins (six Group One’s, one at Group Two, three at Group Three), one second and one third. Between 28 October 2002 Ashburton Trotters Mile and 12 December 2003 Bill Collins Mile at Moonee Valley, Take A Moment won 18 races in succession (including three wins in Australia), just short of Lyell Creek’s record of 20 straight for a trotter. Sub two minute trotting victories came at Addington (one, T1:59.6), Ashburton (one, T1:57.2), Cambridge (two, best of T1:57.2) and three at Moonee Valley (Melbourne), fastest of T1:57.7.
Take a Moment recorded a number of multiple major race wins especially in feature Group Ones, such as three Dominion Hcps (together with Lyell Creek only three time winner), and two NZ Trotting FFA’s, National Trots and Bill Collins Miles in Australia. Take a Moment will retain an Inter Dominion Trotters record for all time over the distance of 3157m at Albion Park of T4:03.4/MR T2:03.2 and a Grand Final record over 2600m at Addington of T3:15.9/MR T2:01.2 (Major Decision won a heat in MR of 2:00.3).
Awards won by Take A Moment included :
- ANZ Grand Circuit Trotting Champion (twice)
- NZ Trotter of Year (twice)
- NZ Aged (5yo+) H&G Trotter of Year (twice)
- NZ Harness Horse of Year
- Australian Trotter of Year
- NZ stake earning Trotter of Year (three times)
- Inducted into NZ Trotting Hall of Fame
Take A Moment was bred in the Central Districts by Andrew (AM) Corkran whose nephew Paul joined him in ownership and trained him in Canterbury. After winning four of his first six starts for the Corkran’s as an early five year old, Tim Butt organised the Long Drive syndicate consisting of Bruce Greenhalgh, Barry Cotton, Jack O’Donnell, Merv Rodgers, Peter Barber, Neven Botica, Julie King-Turner, Tom Malcolm and Trevor Woolley to purchase Take A Moment for $120,000. Initial three starts for new owners the Long Drive Syndicate saw wins in all three of his starts at the 2000 NZ Cup carnival.
Having taken over Take A Moment’s training, like that of Lyell Creek early in his career, Tim Butt trained him for all of his future Australasian starts (61). In the driving stakes, Anthony Butt drove Take A Moment in every Australasian start (58 of 67) except for the initial six starts when John Hay drove him on five occasions for three wins, Andrew Paanagiotidis won a junior drivers race while Mark Jones had three drives with a best placing of second in National Trot with him.
Jim Dalgety
Jim Dalgety has has a lifetime in harness racing as a breeder, owner, trainer, driver, stud master …….. .
Part of a multi-generational family involvement In harness racing spanning the last seventy five years, Jim (James Scott) Dalgety (jnr) is the son of Jim (James William) Dalgety (snr), a breeder/trainer who operated the Belmedia Stud at Kakanui, Oamaru (North Otago). A vendor at the national yearling sales for many years from the early 1950s, he bred a host of winners, including Chief Command, Indecision, Living Doll and Jack Ruler, all from Queen’s Coronet and trained many others, standing the stallion Jack Chance in the mid-1970s.
Assisting their father, sons Don (Donald Murray, Shardon Stud, Kakanui) and Jim (Lantana Lodge, West Melton) later established their own standardbred studs. Now in his mid-eighties Jim Dalgety is a walking encyclopaedia of harness racing knowledge, having passed on his ability to present well prepared and healthy horses to his son, leading trainer CranDalgety. The Dalgety’s are obviously nurturers of future talent as can be seen in respect of talented horseman Robert Dunn who learnt his trade under Jim, and son Cran’s development of two future World Driving champions in Mark Jones and Dexter Dunn (son of Robert). That just leaves grandson Carter Dalgety to carry on the family dynasty in future years.
Jim got his start in harness racing as a seventeen year old after leaving his parents farm at Kakanui south of Oamaru. He first worked for Cecil Devine (involved with Van Dieman) before moving onto Maurice Holmes (involved with Lookaway) at a time when the leading horseman was at his busiest in a training role. First licensed as a Probationary Driver in the 1955/56 season, Jim was working for Maurice Holmes. His first placed drive being an NZMTC Probationary Drivers’ race at Addington on 6 April 1957, where he finished third on Simalas (owned by A M Hunter). His application for a trainer’s licence stated that he had worked for Cecil Devine for two years, and Maurice Holmes for three years. He was granted a licence to train his own and his father’s horses in November, 1958 while his first win as both a trainer and driver, was with Vanity Scott (owned by his father, J W Dalgety) at Forbury Park on 24 January 1959.
After branching out on his own account, Dalgety later took horses to North America in 1967 where for five months he worked for Stanley Dancer. It was here he met Vernon and Caroline Dancer the owners of Out To Win and Farm Timer, these stallions Dalgety later purchased to stand at his Lantana Lodge operation.
As a trainer Jim Dalgety prepared 162 winners (twelve trotters) from 1966/7 season to date and at further 49 dating back to 1958/59 season, making a total of 211. His best seasons were 1965/6 with twenty one wins (Mister Chips seven, Chief Command four, Overtime three, Ulove/Michael two, Monte Bello), 1964/5 with fourteen (Golden Oriole/Ulovethree, Mister Chips/Michael two, Monte Bello) and 1973/4 with eleven winners (Adios Ned five). This season he has had two training wins both with Time Traveller in the hands of Dexter Dunn at Forbury Park on 15 June and 15 July 2017.
In the driving ranks Jim Dalgety drove 40 winners (three trotters) in the period 1966/7 to 2001/2 and a further 18 dating back to 1958/9 with his best season being 1980/81 when his six wins included four with Melton Monarch (NZ Champion Stakes). His last winning drive came on trotter A Touch Of Sun at Motukarara on 29 April 2001.
Associated in varying capacities with horses the winners of an Auckland Cup (Bolton Byrd, ten wins), GN Derbies (Bolton Byrd, Melton Monarch ten wins, Golden Oriole ten wins), GN Oaks (Happy Hazel, twelve wins, Scuse Me eight wins), Taylor Mile (Scuse Me), Nevele R Fillies (Happy Hazel, Solberge seven wins), Ladyship Stakes (Lucy Lumber five wins), Delightful Lady Classic (Fancy Wishes six wins), Leonard Memorial (Rely winner, Astrazaani six wins, Violetta nine wins), NZSS – 2f (Imagine That fifteen wins), Sunny Action (NZ Trotters Derby, NZ Trotting FFA defeating Lyell Creek, thirteen wins), Jovial Jeanie (Franklin Cup, nine wins), Dictatorship (twelve wins), Dwayne (ten wins, his solitary NZ Cup drive), Out To Dream (seven wins), Living Proof (nine wins), Danger Sign (seven wins), Never Bend (seven wins), Living Doll (bred by his father but raced by Jim jnr for five wins and matriarch of an extensive on going branch of Dairy Maid family) and A Touch Of Sun (five wins) plus numerous others over many years.
Jim Dalgety bred the dam of a NZ Cup winner in Module (Lord Module, Bachelor Hanover/Volatile), Three Year Old Pacer (Melton Monarch) and Pacing Filly of Year (Happy Hazel), Four Year Old Pacer of Year (Melton Monarch); full brothers from Bachelor Hanover mare Nikellora out of Out To Win (imported and stood both stallions at stud) in Bolton Byrd and Melton Monarch. A number of horses bred/raced were sent to race or sold into Australia and North America as well as local sales within NZ.
Conversely, one of most astute decisions he ever made was during a trip to the States when he noticed 1963 NZ Derby winning mare Bellajily (Van Dieman/Malabella) racing in lowly claimers. He had an American friend claim her on his behalf for $2,600. Coming from a strong family of good winners Dalgety developed this branch of Krina’s Dam family through Bellajily/Jovial Jeanie seven wins)/Happy Hazel/Imagine That (all Group winning mares) over the next three decades. He and wife Faye have been among the more successful breeders in the business, although less success with the other side of the racing business, the thoroughbreds.
Stallions that Jim Dalgety stood at Lantana Lodge included premiership leading sire Bachelor Hanover who he imported in 1965, dying aged 22 in 1977 (leading sire for winners twice 1972/3, 1973/4; stakes once 1973/4; sire of 193 NZ bred winners of 553 races worth $1.094m including NZ/Auckland Cup winner Arapaho, juvenile champion and sire Noodlum, Bachelor Star, Sovereign, First Batch, Main Star, Bachelor Tom; dam sire of 524 NZ bred winners including Bionic Chance, Locarno. Lord Module, Bolton Byrd, Melton Monarch, Times Up, Ladys Rule, Decision Time, Motoring Magic, Galleons Paradise). Bachelor Hanover is buried with a commemorative headstone near the main entrance to Lantana Stud Dalgety’s 450 acre property. Noodlum carried on Bachelor Hanover’s male line with minor contributions and limited success from Bachelor Star, Adios Bachelor, Fernside Bachelor, Huirapa, Main Star, Pointer Hanover and Sovereign.
Jim Dalgety also stood a second premiership leading sire in Out To Win he imported in 1970 becoming infertile in later years and dying aged 22 in 1985 (leading sire for stakes once 1976/7; sire of 277 NZ bred winners including Wee Win, Double Agent, Amaze, Bolton Byrd, Melton Monarch, Mighty Me, Balgove, Trident, In Or Out; dam sire of 358 NZ bred winners including Borana, Pacific Flight, The Unicorn). These two sires alone showed that Dalgety was a fine judge of horseflesh with his stallions contributing massively to enhancing NZ harness racing. Other stallions that stood at Lantana Lodge included Colonel Kenton, Last Edition, Paulsboro (Young Mister Charles), Farm Timer (Blossom Lady), Striking Force, Goodland (Topeka), Tuapeka Knight (The Court Owl), Wingspread, Alberton (Happy Hazel), Reba Lord and Ginger Man.
His brother Don also stood various stallions at either Belmedia Stud or Aorangi Bloodstock’s Shandon Stud. They included Jiffy Boy, JJ’s Connell, Greener Pastures, and Nua Rival.
Jim Dalgety was honoured at the 2009 Harness Racing New Zealand Dinner as the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Harness Racing Award and the NZ Trainers And Drivers Association have also recognised his considerable contribution to the industry over many years. Modest and unassuming his willingness to help and impart knowledge to anyone who asks for it is legendary.
“Me old mate” Jim Dalgety is the latest deserving entrant to the Addington Harness Hall of Fame for his extensive contribution as a horseperson to the harness racing industry in Canterbury and further afield.
Peter Craig
4 September 2017
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
