The fourth in a series of articles reviewing the leading Australasian maternal families. Family numbers are as shown on the Classic Families (CF) database. Due to the extensive size of these families, only brief mention can be made of some of the more prominent family members and/or items likely to be of interest to Australasian readers.
A1 VERITY
Verity originates from Vancleve, one of three imported sons of American stallion Harold who was incestuously inbred 2×2 to Abdallah, to have a major impact on early Australian breeding. Verity was registered as being out of a “Bar B mare” (thoroughbred). This was subsequently corrupted to being out of a mare by “The Barb” from a “Rebel mare”. The “Bar B” brand of horses were famous in NSW and included hackneys, roadsters, thoroughbreds and draughts. Bred by J.L.B. Brown of Caigon, NSW, Verity produced daughter Fancy Girl in 1900 before racing as Veronica in Australia. After her export to NZ (sold by John Buckland to Harry Nicoll, Durbar Lodge), she was a winner in T2:25.0, including NZMTC August Stewards Hcp Trot, Plumpton Park Hcp, for NZ only earnings of £585½ (Trotting stake earner of Year 1905, £301; 1907, £208) before continuing her breeding career.
Vancleve was sire of Australian foundation mares in Verity (A1), Vanity (A6), Katie M (A7; 2:20.0) and Whisp (A8). The other two sons of Harold who also sired foundation mares were Childe Harold, the Honest Kate (A5) family and Tuxedo the Powters mare (A40) family. Vancleve’s contribution to Australian harness racing has endured from being sire of the immortal Fritz, sire of richest trotter of the early 1900’s Verax (NZ leading trotting stake earner for three seasons), through to siring Globe Derby’s grand dam Fidget and into the modern era where millionaire Baileys Dream’s tenth dam Vanity was by Vancleve. He was one of the finest Australian bred sires.
Of all Australian bred maternal families, the Verity family is the leading producer of Classic Race winners, without having produced any standout champion. Verity was the dam of eight foals for four winners with all five of her daughters successfully breeding on :
Aranui (Lord Derby), race winning trotter, dam of geldings Arabond (Hawera Cup) and trotter Quickfire (NZ Sires Produce – 3T)
Edenchild (Rothschild), one race winner, 2:33.0, £110, dam of Westport Cup winner Robert Guy
Fancy Girl (Velox), bred in Australia, three year old winner, exported to NZ, dam of
- Fancy Boy (NZMTC Metropolitan Hcp)
- Highstopper, descendants include Sahara Queen (Welcome/Oamaru Juvenile Stakes, fourth dam of Jesse Grace : unraced dam of Nad 1:53.1US, Chatham Grace 1:54.2US, Pacing Grace [dam of All U Need Is Faith, Junior FFA; Pacing Major Sapling/Kindergarten/Welcome Stakes]; second dam of Gina Grace 1:51.8, Linda Lovegrace, Caduceus Club Classic – 2f and fourth dam of Sly Vance, Hawera Cup); Robert Eden, SA Derby; Bobbinet (Otahuhu Cup); Recent Choice, Hannon Memorial; Yogi Berra, GN Stakes – 2; Sway Boy, Waikato Cup; Bal Harbor, Geelong Cup; Jamcaro, WA Oaks, Sires Produce; Lady Abbess, Melbourne Pacing Cup; Go For Broke. NZ Breeders Produce – 2; ShimIzu 1:53.0US; Hail The Judge, Bunbury Cup; Sir Edwin, Cardigan Bay Stakes; Moon Flight, Mildura Cup; Deadsetlucky, Kevin Seymour Nursery – 2c; Decorated Jasper, Bendigo Cup and eleven VIC Listed races
- third dam of Kiwi Express, Cambridge Cup
- fifth dam of Royal Flash, Albany Cup
Pansey (St Swithin), unraced dam of Wrackeen, dam of five foals including being :
- grand dam of Mighty Hanover, two NZ Hambletonian – OT, Trotting FFA, National Trot; Robert Medoro, NZ Hambletonian – OT; Fourth Edition, ten wins, Easter/Methven Cups
- third dam of Cee Ar, Rowe Cup, Trotting FFA, ID heat, SA Trotters Cup; Final Decision 1:58.3US, Alan Matson FFA, second in NZ Cup; Tronso (Dominion Hcp, BPTC Trotting Cup; third dam of Don Pauli T1:55.2US,; Conquer All, Holmfield;, Running On Time, Cambridge Trotters Stakes – 3T; Janover Hanover, Cambridge Trotters Stakes – 2T/3T; fourth dam of The Bohemian (NSW/VIC Trotters Derbies, Holmfield; Lenny B (T1:56.1US), War Spirit (VIC Breeders Crown – 3T)
- fourth dam of Robert Evander, sire of Robbie Hest (NZ Trotting Stakes – 3); Game Again, NZ 3yo Trotting Filly of Year; Aereus, dam sire of Keystone Del (millionaire, T1:53.7, Glenferrie Farms Challenge/Dullard Cup twice, Great Southern Star, Bill Collins Mile, Aust Trotting Grand Prix, Knight Pistol Trotters Cup, Australian Trotter of Year twice)
- fifth dam of Fergiemack, NZSS – 2c, Elsu Classic; Cherbourg, 1:55.4US, Waikato Oaks
- sixth dam of Silky Pockets 1:51.1U;, Jack Brandon Aust Pacing Championship
- seventh dam of Emperor Montana 1:50.3US, QLD Championship – 4
also Pansey through another daughter in Pansy Wrack, Pansey was fourth dam of trotters Logan Count (Dominion Hcp)/Donna Juanita (Cambridge Trotters Flying Mile); fifth dam of mid-1980’s leading trotter Basil Dean (Dominion Hcp, Challenge Stakes, National Trot, CPTC Trotting Cup twice, twice NZ Trotter of Year)
Pearlchild (1908 Rothschild); 2:19.7; £1,101, six wins; twelve foals, ten winners. Breeder of Pearlchild and all her foals except a Wrack colt (Durbar Lodge Limited) was Harry (H.F) Nicoll, Ashburton.
Pearlchild’s sire Rothschild was leading stallion of his era with his pedigree still appearing deep in many of today’s champions. His broodmare sire credentials rate highly with a prominent example being that of Parisienne, one of our greatest ever broodmares.
Pearlchild won both her two starts as a three-year-old (1911/12). As a four-year-old, her two starts produced one win, at Addington. At five, she added a further Addington win (Islington Hcp) while as a six-year-old (1914/15) she won Addington features, the August and National Cup Hcps. She was unplaced twice at seven before retiring to the breeding barn.
A number of Pearlchild’s progeny were by Wrack who was imported by Harry Nicoll. These included male progeny Casanova, sire of 62 winners (26 NZ, 36 AUS), top class trotters Casablanca (Dominion Hcp/Rowe Cup) and Precaution (VIC Trotters Derby, Dominion Hcp; dam sire of Rannach Lad, Junior Royal [sire of Cinimod Junior, dam sire of Basil Dean]) and Ciro, one of Maurice Holmes twelve NZ Derby winning drives; sire of third dam of Valley Champ, WA Golden Nugget, FHRC Classic, two ID heats and Pacing Consolation
while Childe Pointer (Logan Pointer) won Sapling Stakes, NZ Derby, Champion Stakes, two Ashburton Cups and other important handicap races.
Pearlchild’s fillies bred on as is shown by :
Cornelian (Author Dillon), winning dam of Auto Spinner, family of Katys Command (Flying Mile), Admirals Avenue (WA Cup, ID heat) and Cornice, family of Glenfield Girl (Dullard Cup, Aust Trotting C/S, two ID heats).
First Wrack (Wrack), champion two-year-old trotting filly, making top flight of trotters winning eleven races; dam of good trotter Calumella whose family descendants include Ansett, Meagunn, Cool Man Cam, Brighton Rock and Philomenia, family of Karalta Bay (Tasmanian champion), Distant Thunder (Kilmore Cup).
Flying Cloud (Wrack), dam of Windermere, fourth dam of Even Speed (Rosso Antico/NZ Trotting Stakes – 3T, Rowe Cup, twenty two wins, three and four year old Trotter of Year before being exported to NA, T2:00.1US).
Nantwich (Nelson Bingen), won NZ Sapling Stakes and GN Derby before breeding on leaving Gerfalcon (fourteen wins, including original NZ Trotting C/S, Australasian 1¼m record holder); Daventry’s whose branch left good trotters including Paul Nairn’s trio, Special Branch (NZSS -2T, Trotting Stakes – 2T), Lotalov (NZSS – 3T) and Lotamuscle (NZ Trotters Derby); dual-gaited Hocquard, Idle Raider (Hunter Cup, two ID heats), Havana Gold (VIC SS – 4h) and Big Bucks (NSW Oaks).
Sea Pearl (Nelson Bingen), winner of Manawatu/Otahuhu Cups, Adams Memorial, dam of Lucky Gem (Wyndham Juvenile).
Pearl Pointer (Logan Pointer), bred on leaving an extensive family; dam of one of the best trotters of his year Kempton (Rowe Cup/NZMTC Stewards Trot); Nicoya (two Avon Hcp Trots; second Dominion Hcp); Plain Pearl (Westport/Hawera Cups); White Satin (Sires Produce 3T), who after reaching top flight of trotters, retired at five after winning her final race in NZ before going to Australia, ancestress of Arizona Blue (NSW/VIC Trotters Derby, T1:56.9); Last Word, dam of Final Say, sire of Finnigan (two ID heats); Lustre, grand dam of SA Derby winner Pearl Queen (fourth dam of Folsom Blues, VIC Sapling); Double Measure, unraced, dam of branch including trotters Courting Appeal (Dullard Cup, Aust Trotting C/S) and Piece De Resistance (National Trot); Lord Manhatten (NZ Championship – 2), Bobs Blue Boy (Hannon Memorial, Methven Cup, ID Heat).
Vanity Fair (Wrack), dam of Awadale (Methven Cup), Cembala (Timaru Cup), with her daughters leading to another extensive family with descendants including Co Pilot (Louisson Hcp), Noble Lord (Golden Slipper, Masterton/Timaru Cups, sire), Ardri (sire of 222 winners, leading sire/broodmare sire of Australian trotters on number of occasions), Halyer (AUS/TAS Derbies, ID heat), Sapling (GN Derby, Messenger, AK/Easter Cups), Mighty Dragon (T1:52.0US) and Try A Fluke (Hunter Cup).
The Verity family had significant success in the nineteen twenties and thirties with NZ Sapling and Derby winners Childe Pointer/Nantwich and 1928 Rowe Cup trotting winner Kempton. In the nineteen sixties, prominent winners included 1963 Hunter Cup victor Idle Raider, Dominion Handicap winners Tronso and Logan Count. Over the past forty years success has come through dual New Zealand Trotter of the Year winners Basil Dean and Even Speed, Australian Pacing Championship winner Jack Brandon, Hunter Cup winner Try A Fluke and dual Trotting Derby winner Arizona Blue featuring. The best performers in the family are Karlata Bay (twenty three), Halyer (twenty), Basil Dean (fifteen) and Sapling (thirteen) Classic Race wins.
Verity’s descendants contain many major race winners –
Derby winners (Jamcaro WA and Big Bucks NSW only family Oaks winners) :
NZ – Childe Pointer, Ciro, Lotamuscle (NZ Trotters Derby), Even Speed (NZ Trotting Stakes – 3, now NZ Trotters Derby)
GN – Nantwich, Sapling
AUST : Halyer
SA : Pearl Queen, Robert Eden, Paua Fella
TAS : Halyer
Hunter Cup : Idle Raider, Try A Fluke
Dominion Hcp : Tronso, Logan Count, Basil Dean
The fastest family members include Emperor Montana (1:50.3US), Chairman Whitby/Montana Pablo (1:50.4US) and Gina Grace’s 1:50.8 at Menangle in 2016. On the trotting side Mighty Dragon’s T1:52.0 at the Meadowlands in 2003 is the fastest ever by a NZ bred trotter. The family has no millionaire earners at present with the wealthiest being 1998 Hunter Cup winner Try a Fluke with over five hundred thousand in earnings.
Next Edition : Red Diamond (N3)
Peter Craig
10 April 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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