The second part of legendary trainer/top driver Ces (CS) Donald’s harness racing story continues with a review of his horses from the 1940’s onwards leading up to when he became the first trainer in New Zealand racing history (standardbred or thoroughbred) to train one thousand winners.
1940’s :
1940/41 : with thirty four training successes, Donald topped the Trainers premiership for the sixth time. His major win came with Marlene (three), providing owner/trainer Donald’s first NZ Cup victory when driven by brother Ron Donald. Marlene won twice during the August National meeting at Addington (August/Dash Hcps) but hadn’t raced for three months leading into the Cup having effectively broken down. Noticeably lame both before and after the running of the Cup, this was a superb training effort by Ces Donald. Brother Ron was an outstanding reinsman regarded as a better driver than Ces but due to injury and drink problems ultimately resulted in his being sacked with Ces taking over the reins again to continue his driving successes as in earlier years. Marlene raced on only a few occasions after her Cup victory without success and had minor achievement as a broodmare from her three named foals – Kimberlene raced and won in Australia; Technicolour, winner, third dam of Wat Knot, WA Higgins Memorial.
Other major winners included 14 year old trotter Tan John, dr Ron Donald/tr Ces Donald (Dominion Hcp defeating stable mate Captain Bolt, who made up the quinella, run on NZ Cup Day); Night Beam (four with another three in later years); Captain Bolt’s trotting brother Lee Berry (three, seven in total); Plutus (1940 NZFFA); Ferry Post (two); Superior Rank (Australasian Hcp); Repeal (saddle race at NZ Cup meeting).
1941/42 : the seventh Trainers Premiership with the least number of winners limited to seventeen the result of racing being severely curtailed due to the Second World War. Top drawer trotter Biworthy who joined the Donald stable late in life won three races and placed second in the 1941 Dominion Hcp to Peggotty; Conflagrate (three, Taranaki Cup); Ferry Post set Donald off for a good start to the season winning twice at the NZMTC National meeting (August/Kings Hcps); Blaydon (Harewood/Sockburn Hcps).
1942/43 : fourteen victories placed Donald third equal on the Trainers premiership. Brilliant square gaiter Rangefinder, a son of Frank Worthy joined the team this season and he was a major winner in the years to come. Bayard moved to the Donald’s stable late in his career, another by Guy Axworthy stallion Frank Worthy from broodmare gem Bonny Logan, this pony sized pacer finished third off 12yds behind Haughty and Loyal Rey in the 1942 NZ Cup won in a new world record 4:13 4/5 from the limit mark (Bayard paced a faster placed time of 4:13 2/5 than the winner). Blaydon won the Avon Hcp at Addington and Thomas Wilford Memorial at Trentham racecourse (galloping track used as the Army utilised Hutt Park during WWII) taking his tally of wins to seven for Donald.
1943/44 : Rangefinder dead heated for first with Forewarned in Easter Trotters FFA at Addington and won the Canterbury Park TC Stewards Hcp; Betty Boop was Donald’s second Auckland Cup winner.
1944/45 : Donald was third in the Trainers premiership with seventeen victories. Characteristic won four including Hawera Cup at Easter; Air Marshall won the NZ Derby; Clockwork, 1945 NZ Pacing Championship defeating NZ Cup winners Bronze Eagle second, Gold Bar third and Haughty; Loyal Chief (three).
1945/46 : the superb grey trotting son of Wrack, Steel King after much success in the northern Auckland ranks, arrived late in his career to the Donald stable winning a further four races including the NZMTC August 1945 Stewards Hcp Trot. Rangefinder won High Class Trot at Addington and future top Jack Potts pacing gelding Checkmate won his first race at Greymouth in April 1946 going on to win eleven races over five seasons for Donald.
1946/47 : Trotters to the fore this season included Steel King winning NZMTC Sockburn Hcp and the inaugural NZ (Champion) Trotting FFA during the NZ Cup carnival; Rangefinder defeated twenty two pacing rivals over a mile and a quarter in the Strowan Handicap at Addington; Southland mare Mistydale scored first up for Donald at Ashburton’s June winter meeting in Ashburton County Hcp Trot; Loyal Chief.
1947/48 : Checkmate (four, FPTC Metropolitan Hcp); Red Hussar (three); Substitute (two)
1948/49 : Beverley Volo (three Reta Peter Hcp Trot), only multiple winner among thirteen victories
1949/50 : Checkmate (NZMTC Empire Hcp, CPTC Mason Hcp at Addington); Beverley Volo (CPTC Stewards Hcp) – only four winners this season
1950’s :
Donald made a couple of forays across the Tasman during the early 1950’s, the first occasion taking twenty seven pacers and trotters of varying ability on the Wanganella. He managed to dispose of them all while his second trip accounted for a further fourteen with demand still exceeding supply.
1950/51 : by Raider, Australian bred trotting mare Fathers Wish (joint Australian mile and Mares mile record holder T2:08.0TT) crossed the Tasman late in her career joining the Donald stable and winning on three occasions over next couple of seasons (Canterbury Park’s Holmes Hcp).
1951/52 : Gay Dene, recorded six wins this season for Donald.
1952/53 : Gay Dene (NZMTC Canterbury Hcp, one of two wins); Queens Honour (four, Waimate Cup); Brucus (four, Forbury Park Metropolitan Hcp); Fathers Wish (New Brighton TC Nicoll Hcp) were notable victors.
1953/54 : Brahman, the result of a mating between the first two NZ bred two minute pacers (Gold Bar/Haughty) entered the Donald stable as a late three year old winning shortly after arrival on Easter Saturday 17 April 1954 over two miles at Hawera (Tasman Hcp; placed third in Stewards Hcp on second day Easter Monday), the first of thirteen for him (one previous win) and breeder/owner Ben Grice. Ben (Nugget) Grice and Ossie (Darkie) Hooper, two of Donald’s closest friends during his peak years nicknamed him “McGinty”. Fathers Wish (Oamaru Wishful Hcp); Jaunty, two of six wins for Donald (Nelson/Hawera Cups) and owner Ben Grice; Radiant Nip (two); Sandman (three).
1954/55 : Brahman won six races this season (New Brighton Presidents Hcp, Cross Stakes off 36 yds); Gay Dene (Canterbury Park TC Canterbury Hcp); Jaunty (John Hole Memorial, CPTC Presidents Hcp, New Brighton Cup); Lynberne (three of five in total; Cheviot Cup, NZMTC Canterbury Hcp).
1955/56 : second on the Trainers premiership with twenty victories from a reduced stable of horses, Southlander Lady Shona (four, of an eventual ten, Oamaru Presidents Hcp), Beehive (four), Brahman (three), Jaunty (one), Lynberne (two) were notable performers.
1956/57 : Brahman (three; Ollivier Hcp over two miles defeating Caduceus), Lady Shona (three, NZMTC November Hcp) were prominent. Donald drove Brahman to win the Flying Stakes at Hawera, the inaugural mobile start race staged in New Zealand on 23 April 1957 defeating a high class field (Earl Marie, dr Doug Grantham second; Worthy Chief, dr Norman Snell third, Danniels Pride fourth) in 2:07.0 for the mile journey on grass.
1957/58 : Donald thought he had Brahman ready to win the NZ Cup but he broke a sesamoid bone on the eve of the Cup and was never right again after that. It was an amazing season where Donald trained only one winner that being Astral.
1958/59 : Lady Shona (two, Allan Matson FFA); Falsehood (three, Hutt Park win for Donald); Honest Charles (three, Methven Cup, NZMTC Spring Hcp); Gambling Princess (three, Marlborough Cup); Queens Glow (two)
1959/60 : Lady Shona (Adams Memorial at Alexandra Park, plus fourth in NZ Cup behind False Step, Gentry and Caduceus); Four Peaks (four, Reefton/Nelson Cups); Fiord (two); Stanway (two); Pencarne (five)
1960’s :
1960/61 : an eighth Trainers premiership was recorded with forty eight victories, the most of any of his nine premiership winning seasons. King Hal (six, GN Derby, Riccarton Stakes), Gildirect (five), Ballista (five), Falsehood (two; Geraldine Cup, Hawera winner); Jolly Hal (three); Nevan (two); Snuffbox (two); Gunner (three); Implore (three); Medoro Star (two)
1961/62 : second to Wes Butt (33) on the trainers premiership sandwiched between his last two premierships victories he attained thirty one wins this season. Zany (National Hcp), Carver Doon (Rangiora Cup), Falsehood (four, Ashburton Cup), King Hal (five including Wellington Presidents Hcp plus second in Cardigan Bay’s first Auckland Cup), Dandy Briar like Falsehood was owned by Greymouth shoe retailer Jim Steel (Greymouth TC : Committee from 1939, President 1947 – 1957, then Treasurer, Life Member 1971) won eight with a rapid climb through the classes. Note : Falsehood and Dandy Briar were half-brothers from Jim Steels’ Grattan Loyal mare Aloysius.
Falsehood, King Hal, Dandy Briar, Gildirect, Urrall and Cairnbrae were all Cup class pacers in the Donald stable around the same time in this era. They often formed a formidable bracket with at times five of six of them in the same race.
1962/63 : a ninth and final Trainers premiership with twenty seven wins included Dandy Briar’s easy two length Auckland Cup victory over Cardigan Bay giving Donald his third Auckland Cup success; Falsehood (seven, Hannon Memorial, Wellington Presidents Hcp, set 1½m track record in QE Hcp at Wellington’s February 1963 Royal meeting off 18yds, dr Doug Watts; second to Lordship in his first NZ Cup success). Already the winner of six for owner Ted Lowe, three in the current season, Cairnbrae met instant success when transferred to the Donald stable, winning five successive races for him. Front Line (NZMTC Easter Stewards Hcp).
Donald then took Falsehood to North America where he started in the 1963 Yorkers International Pace finishing fourth piloted by Doug Watts.
1963/64 : with twenty one wins and fifth in the premiership, there was no stable standout. Cairnbrae won the New Brighton Presidents Hcp on the club’s inaugural night meeting at Addington. Front Line (four), Flying Ailsa (three), Evening Twilight/Quesnel/Squire/Joyeuse (two). Robert (Bob) Nyhan (nephew of Don Nyhan, Johnny Globe/Lordship fame) and engaged to Donald’s daughter Pat (married 1964) became stable foreman and number one stable driver for Donald in October 1963.
1964/65 : thirty two wins including U Scott gelding Cairnbrae, trained/driven by Ces Donald winning him his second NZ Cup training success (13th overall win) and only one as the driver. Donald had two other starters in the Cup (Urall, King Hal); King Hal (Laing Hcp); Dieppe (six, Timaru Cup), Quesnel (four); Password (four, Marlborough Cup).
1965/66 : thirty wins and third equal on the Trainers premiership, winners included Indecision (six, Waimate Cup), Chaman (four), Lusty Lad (four), On Probation (four).
Required to retire from race driving in the season he turned 65, Ces Donald’s final driving success came with On Probation in the Hawera club’s Farewell Hcp in April 1966 (Easter meeting) almost forty four years to the day he first took out his licence. Donald was a great supporter of the Hawera club over many years and good friend of Club stalwart Alex Corrigan.
John Langdon commenced his successful harness racing career in 1965 spending three years under Donald’s tutorage. Future World Driving Champion Kevin Holmes (USA/Canada 1978) also spent time working for Donald.
1966/67 : Student (Masterton Cup) provided three of Donald’s eleven victories.
1967/68 : Indecision (Rangiora/Ashburton Cups, NZMTC Canterbury Hcp, CPTC Presidents Hcp) provided six of Donald’s ten training successes after a setback the preceding season.
1968/69 : eighteen victories made Donald fifth on the Trainers premiership with stable mainstay being Indecision’s younger full brother Chief Command winning four (Ashburton Flying Stakes, Rangiora Cup), Chaman (Timaru Cup), Royal Trump (five).
1969/70 : just seventeen wins this season, still earning fourth place on the premiership, with Chief Command gaining two victories (NZFFA) the standout. Chaman’s victory in the Le Lievre Hcp (NZ Cup carnival day three) at odds of $112 (14/14) was the first three figure win dividend in the decimal era.
1970’s :
1970/71 : fourth again with twenty nine victories, Donald’s leading performer was Rauka Lad with nine (New Brighton Presidents Hcp), Empire Royal (six, Marlborough Cup), Forest King (five, Rangiora Cup), Royal Trump (two). Preparing the classy trotter Tutira for the 1971 Christchurch ID’s, gaining a second in a heat and fifth to Geffin in the Grand Final.
1971/72 : third on the premiership table with twenty eight wins, Donald’s stable stars were again Rauka Lad (three, Easter Cup heat/final, New Brighton Cup; second Kaikoura Cup) and Royal Trump (two, NZMTC Canterbury Hcp, Wellington Presidents Hcp) with Shakey Valley (five), Forest King (four, Greymouth Cup).
A red letter day in Donald’s career occurred when he brought up his one thousandth training win with Forest King’s win driven by Jack Carmichael in the Cressey Stakes at the Canterbury Park meeting on 12 February 1972. The Racing Writers Association’s annual dinner in Auckland presented him with a silver plaque to celebrate his achievement. The NZ Trotting Hall of Fame likewise honoured him and established a special area in their museum devoted entirely to Ces Donald and his career.
1972/73 : in what was to prove his final season as a trainer prior to his death in August 1973, Donald racked up a further ten victories; Rauka Lad (GJ Barton Memoria); Radiant Royal (four). His final training success came on 31 March 1973 with Uira in the LL Richards Memorial at Methven, driven by Bob Nyhan.
Ultimately the trainer of the winners of 1,026 races (updated on HRNZ website as previously recorded as 1,025) and nine Trainer’s premierships, only bettered by Purdon’s – Roy, Barry and Mark. Donald placed second and third on a number of occasions plus being consistently in the six over the majority of his half century training career.
Driving successes finished in excess of 350 (several years only the leading driver’s stats listed). Account needs to be taken that especially near the end of his career and post compulsory retirement age, he regularly utilised the services of Doug Watts, Doody Townley, Derek Jones and when available Maurice Holmes. In addition, his brother Ron drove a considerable number of winners for him in earlier years and others such as Jack Carmichael, also drove winners for him.
Towards the end of his life Donald suffered with a hip injury and used walking sticks on course, supervising his horses in training, dairy and cattle farming businesses. Advised by his doctor to spend three weeks complete rest in hospital he managed just a week as “he wanted to die at home”. Ces Donald died from a heart attack in August 1973.
Peter Craig
23 October 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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