Over the one hundred and fifteen years of the NZ Cup, three stallions have produced the winners of five Cups; one with three individual winners and the other two with four individual winners. One of the three four time winners has been dam sire of five winners. Colonial bred stallions have not missed out either. Just who these stallions are and others making up a leading ten NZ Cup sires are revealed below :
VANCE HANOVER 1975 (CF : U3 Mambrino Beauty)
Albatross – Valentine Hanover – Best Of All (died aged 17) : Electioneer – Meadow Skipper branch
Five (5) WINS
Four (4) WINNERS
One (1) BROODMARE WIN
Vance Hanover, the unraced Electioneer line stallion descending through Hal Dale and Meadow Skipper’s son Albatross, produced the winners of five NZ Cups in the space of seven years in the 1990’s.
His run of success commenced with Christopher Vance in 1991, followed by Chokin (1993), Il Vicolo (1995, 1996) all trained by a Purdon and Iraklis in 1997. Vance Hanover’s one broodmare sire success was Changeover in 2008. Other major Cup successes for Vance Hanover was courtesy of Auckland Cup winners Chokin (twice and Victoria Cup), Christopher Vance/Burlington Bertie/Vics Vance (Hunter Cup) and Our Sir Vancelot (SA Cup, two WA Cups).
Five stallion and broodmare sire premierships in NZ (stakes basis) together with two leading sire and one leading broodmare sire in Australia performances.
BETTORS DELIGHT 1998 (CF : U66 Molly Dillard)
Cams Card Shark – Classic Wish – Armbro Emerson : Electioneer – Most Happy Fella branch
Five (5) WINS
Four (4) WINNERS
When Thefixer captured last years NZ Cup (2018) for Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, it was the fifth consecutive success for Bettors Delight. The son of Cam Fella stallion Cams Card Shark traces his male sire line back through Meadow Skipper and Hal Dale to Electioneer.
With a race record of fifteen victories from twenty six starts including Breeders Crown and Nassagaweya at two, Little Brown Jug, Tattersalls Pace and North America Cup at three, Bettors Delight was a double millionaire and 1:49.4 pacer at the beginning of the 21st century. These netted him O’Brien (Canadian) and USA 2yo and 3yo colt and gelding Pacer of Year Awards, at three Canadian Horse of Year and North American Stake earner of year.
His leading sire awards continue to mount, suffice to say he has been to the forefront in NZ over the past eight seasons (one behind U Scott and Jack Potts), similarly Australia and in North America for five seasons as leading sire.
Bettors Delight’s five NZ Cup wins have come courtesy of Adore Me (2014), Arden Rooney (2015), champion Lazarus (2016, 2017) and Thefixer (2018).
Other major Australasian Cup winners include : Dream About Me/Have Faith in Me (Auckland), Arden Rooney/Lazarus/Tiger Tara (Hunter), Caribbean Blaster/Lazarus/Tiger Tara (Victoria), Chicago Bull (Fremantle/WA Cups).
Bettors Delight, a dual hemisphere siring sensation whose leading sire status in North America, Australia and New Zealand is unprecedented. It seems likely that Bettors Delight will extend his NZ Cup siring prowess in years to come and before long making an impact on the Cup’s broodmare sire stats as well.
WRACK 1917 (CF : U8 Lizzie Witherspoon)
Peter The Great – The Colorado Belle – Colorado E (died aged 19) : Happy Medium – Peter The Great branch
Five (5) WINS
Three (3) WINNERS
A spread of fifteen seasons, Wrack’s five NZ Cup winners began with dual gaited Wrackler in 1930, the first three time Cup winner in consecutive years Indianapolis (1934, 1935, 1936), and later a moderately successful sire, then finally Bronze Eagle in 1944.
A direct descendant of Peter The Great with his great grandfather being Happy Medium, a son of Hambletonian, Wrack was a free legged pacer who competed on the American Grand Circuit prior to his arrival in NZ.
Wrack a three time leading NZ sire (193 winners) and leading broodmare sire – stakes (once) and winners on three occasions. Dual gaited Wrackler, the product of Wrack and Trix Pointer is the only NZ Cup winner from a NZ Cup winning mare in the lengthy history of the Cup. Apart from annexing the NZ Cup Wrackler was earlier a dual Derby winner later converting to the trot and winning NZ’s premier trotting race Dominion Hcp two seasons (1932) after his Cup win. Indianapolis’s win in the 1933 Auckland Cup was Wrack’s other major Cup siring success.
U SCOTT 1932 (CF : U82 Kate Crockett)
Scotland – Lillian Hita – U Forbes (died aged 30) : Happy Medium – Peter Scott branch
Four (4) WINS
Three (3) WINNERS
Five (5) BROODMARE WINS
U Scott, a Happy Medium line stallion through Great Grandfather Peter The Great and father Scotland was dual gaited having trotted T2, 2:11½ in USA prior to his export to New Zealand where he won eleven of thirty starts as a pacer (2:08.5, £2,005, 1938 ID Pacers heat at Addington). He was arguably the greatest sire ever imported into NZ.
His first NZ Cup winner was dual champion Highland Fling, who won the Cup in consecutive years 1947 and 1948. Next in line was Van Dieman in 1951 and a full seventeen years after Highland Fling’s first Cup victory, Cairnbrae became the third individual winner for U Scott in annexing his sires fourth Cup. Other notable Cup winners for U Scott included Auckland Cup winners Scottish Command (prominent sire)/Caduceus, Jackie Scott/Portree (WA Cup) and trotters Fantom, Aerial Scott and Barrier Reef.
As a broodmare sire, U Scott numbered Lookaway (1957), Lordship (1962, 1966), True Averil (1971) and Robalan (1974) among his five NZ Cup dam sire credits.
Leading sire on nine occasions, leading broodmare sire on ten occasions in NZ with six broodmare sire titles in Australia. U Scott sired 410 winners of over 2,000 races and stakes in excess of $2.3m.
JOHNNY GLOBE 1947 (CF : U326 Laura Logan) NZ Cup winner
Logan Derby – Sandfast – Sandydale (died aged 25) : Strathmore – Globe Derby branch
Four (4) WINS
Four (4) WINNERS
Son sired Two (2) WINNERS
The premier colonial stallion of his era, Johnny Globe was from the Strathmore line (originally named Goodwin Watson) emanating from Hambletonian through the Southern Hemisphere’s great siring son Globe Derby, grandfather of Johnny Globe. Being the best son of his sire Logan Derby, himself the winner of fifty seven races. On retirement Johnny Globe had recorded thirty four victories (fifteen FFA’s, four World Records) and forty five placings and earned the most of any stake earner in NZ (£42,887½), thoroughbred or Standardbred. One of only four NZ Cup winners (1954 at his fourth attempt) was to sire NZ Cup winners.
Lordship won two NZ Cups (1962, 1966) for his sire which were followed by Spry (1969) and Globe Bay (1972). Lordship, the winner of forty five races (sixteen FFA’s, record earnings of $113,790), became an even greater success at stud than Johnny Globe. Leading sire in 1979/80 and leading broodmare sire on four occasions, Lordship sired two NZ Cup winners in Lord Module (1979) and Inky Lord (1989) giving the Globe Derby line seven NZ Cup successes spanning three and a half decades (mid-fifties to end of eighties). Lordship was the greatest of the Globe Derby line, both on the track and in the stallion barn.
Johnny Globe was leading sire for four consecutive seasons (1969/70 – 1972/73), leaving 294 winners of over 1,000 races.
Other major Cup winning successes for Johnny Globe included Lordship’s victories (Auckland, two Easter Cups), Chequer Board (Easter Cup), Royal Force (Fremantle Cup) while leading trotters Grammel, Johnny Gee, Precocious and Bay Johnny were sired by him.
FALLACY 1948
Light Brigade – Diversion – Rey De Oro (died aged 24) : Happy Medium – Volomite branch
Four (4) WINS
Two (2) WINNERS
One (1) BROODMARE WIN
Another colonial bred stallion, unfashionable at the time, Fallacy proved a very good racehorse (2:08.4, £3,970) numbering a NZ Derby among numerous three year old victories. By Light Brigade, Fallacy’s male line descended from Happy Medium through Peter The Great to his grandfather Volomite.
The sire of two NZ Cup winners, one of whom was the second consecutive year triple winner in False Step, the other coming a decade later with True Averil (1971) while his broodmare siring credit was Hands Down victorious in the 1980 NZ Cup.
Other major Cup wining successes for Fallacy included Allakasam (Auckland/Easter Cups) while his broodmare credits included Royal Ascot (Auckland Cup) and Hands Down (three Easter Cups). Having limited opportunities, Fallacy was leading broodmare sire – winners in NZ for 1983/4 season with forty two, equal with Bachelor Hanover.
Note – Fallacy and his sire Light Brigade left the winners of five consecutive NZ Cups – Light Brigade : Thunder (1956), Lookaway (1957) and Fallacy : False Step (1958 – 1960). Light Brigade was dam sire of three NZ Cup winners – Humphrey (1968), Spry (1969) and Globe Bay (1972). Fallacy’s dam sire Rey De Oro left a NZ Cup winner in Morello and was dam sire of a further two in Gold Bar and Chamfer.
JACK POTTS 1920 (CF : U937 Temple)
Walter Direct – Margaret Steiner – Steiner (died aged 24) : Dictator – Direct branch
Three (3) WINS
Two (2) WINNERS
Two (2) BROODMARE WINS
Jack Potts, a Dictator line stallion was exported to NZ in 1923 from North America, completing a successful career as a pacer (2:11.9, £5,244½) in the mid to late nineteen twenties when trained initially by Ben Jarden and then Ces Donald. Like his compatriot U Scott, Jack Potts was leading stallion for nine consecutive years (1938 – 1946) in NZ, a record he holds jointly with U Scott. Leaving two hundred and seventy five winners and topping the broodmare siring stats on six occasions.
Three NZ Cup winners flowed over four years with dual winner Lucky Jack (1937, 1939) and mare Marlene in 1940 (1939 Auckland Cup winner). Jack Potts was dam sire of two NZ Cup winners in Van Dieman (1951) and Thunder (1956; two Easter Cups). Other major Cup winners for Jack Potts were as dam sire of Auckland Cup winners Thelma Globe and Macklin.
ROTHSCHILD 1889 (CF : U342 Belle Briggs)
Childe Harold – Belle Briggs – James Lick (died aged 32) : Harold sire line
Three (3) WINS
Three (3) WINNERS
One (1) BROODMARE WIN
Son sired (1) WINNER
Born in Australia, Rothschild’s pedigree was totally American through his sire Childe Harold who arrived in Australia via Scotland in 1882 aged eleven following a successful European campaign. His dam Belle Briggs was exported to Australia from North America as Kentucky Maid. Rothschild was only three removes from Hambletonian through his son Harold, sire of Maud S and grand sire of Robert J.
While a failure on the track after being exported to NZ from Australia, Rothschild sired three NZ Cup winners in Belmont M (1906), Albert H (1912) and Ravenschild (1913). His NZ Cup winner as dam sire was Kohara (1936) while his unraced son King Child sired 1914 NZ Cup winner Win Soon.
Other major Cup winners sired by Rothschild included Auckland Cup winners Nora Creina and Talaro (as dam sire) while his three NZ bred WA Pacing Cup broodmare sire credits were Kola Girl, Taurekareka and Tommy Dillon. Trotters of note included being sire of Master Raymond (Dominion Hcp) and Rowe Cup winners Bluewood and Aerial Bingen as dam sire.
Rothschild was leading sire in the early nineteen hundreds for around ten years, before annual awards began to be compiled. In total, he sired the winners in excess of 1,000 races but his siring prowess did not transfer through to his many sons.
CATHEDRAL CHIMES 1911 (CF : N146 Jean Armour) NZ Cup winner
Four Chimes – Jean Armour – Lauderdale (died aged 20) : Electioneer – Abbey Bells branch
Three WINS
Two WINNERS
From the Electioneer sire line, unraced Four Chimes was born in Australia to American stallion Abbey Bells (arrived in Australia in 1904) and NZ bred mare FB who moved to Australia around the turn of the century.
A dual Cup winner, Auckland (1915) and NZ (1916), Cathedral Chimes was leading stake earner in both 1917 and 1918, leaving three consecutive NZ Cup winners in dual winner Ahuriri (1925, 1926) and Kohara (1927), becoming the first NZ Cup winner to sire a NZ Cup winner (only three others : Johnny Globe, his son Lordship and Christian Cullen, sire of Mainland Banner (2005). Other major Cup winners for Cathedral Chimes were Ahuriri (Auckland) and Taurekareka (WA).
WESTERN TERROR 2001 (CF : U1 Medio)
Western Hanover – Arterra – Artsplace : Electioneer – Western Hanover branch
Three (3) WINS
One (1) WINNER
The sire of the third consecutive year triple winner in Terror To Love (2011, 2012, 2013), Western Terror is a product of the Electioneer sire line through Hal Dale and Meadow Skipper to his sire Western Hanover. A millionaire in the United States with a 1:48.3 mile completed at The Red Mile, Lexington on 9 October 2004 (Tattersalls Pace), Western Terror’s stellar three year old season resulted in his being awarded O’Brien (Canadian) 3yo Pacer of Year, following Group One success in Cane/Tattersalls Paces and Breeders Crown.
Apart from winning three NZ Cups, Terror To Love has clearly been Western Terror’s stand out performer in Australasia (double millionaire, 1:51.0, thirty one victories); other major successes included Auckland/Easter/Cranbourne Cups, Taylor Mile and two Harness Jewel’s. In total, eight Group One’s; leading stake earner in NZ for three consecutive seasons; Four year old entire or gelding of year, Aged entire or gelding of year (twice), Pacer of Year (three times) and NZ Harness Horse of Year (twice).
Terror to Love is now at stud with his oldest progeny aged three.
Different criteria to NZ Cup wins coupled with broodmare sire winning performances and siring a stallion son who produced NZ Cup winners may result in a different combination of ten leading sires with regards to major multiple NZ Cup winners over the past one hundred plus years. Either way, the above grouping of leading NZ Cup winning sires is impressive in performance terms.
Among the ten stallions mentioned above, all but one of the five major sires lines emanating from Hambletonian are represented – Electioneer (4), Happy Medium (3), Dictator (1) and Strathmore (1), leaving just George Wilkes missing. The remaining Hambletonian sire line above was that of Harold.
Peter Craig
5 November 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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