The sixth 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.
N6 HAROLDS REST
HAROLDS REST (1891 King Harold 3/Polly (Keys), by Robin Hood (thoroughbred); unraced; thirteen foals, two died, four winners. Bred by J Stevenson, Wendon : Queens Pet, Girlie Chimes, Queens Lane, two dead foals (final five foals); all others bred by JJ McMath, Riversdale (first eight foals).
This foundation mare produced five Classic Progeny with her best being the incestuously inbred Harold Rothschild (raced by Harry Nicoll) who was 2×3 to imported Childe Harold, a son of Harold from a Mambrino Chief mare. A winner of seven races, including five of seven races at three as well as NZMTC King George Hcp, Ashburton TC Hcp (2:30.0, £622), he was a handy early colonial sire, notably leaving Auckland Cup Harold Junior among ninety nine winners. Harold Rothschild was dam sire of a number of the Red Diamond (N3) clan as outlined in the fourth article of this series (First Lord, Ned Worthy, Nell Grattan, Rocks Ahead, Indemnity).
Harolds Rests other progeny and descendants included Harold Patchen (George M Patchen), sire of two winning pacers together with her daughters :
Queen Pet (General Pet), unraced, through daughter Sunranes and ultimately Dillions Pride branch of family comes top race mare Victor Supreme, North Shore City Stakes, Waikato Flying Mile, ID Heat (disqualified from second to Golden Reign in Grand Final), dam of Utmost Delight, NZ Breeders Stakes, Harness Jewels – 4m; Franco Jamar 1:51.2, Menangle; Staka Pride, NZ Trotting FFA, ID Trotters Consolation, grand dam of War Dan Destroyer T1:54.8; Game Girl, USA Handle With Care, grand dam of Sokys Dream, SA Oaks, Tatlow Memorial; Princess Della, 2f Trotter of Year, dam of Dealornodeal T1:55.5TT and Just Incredible, NZ Trotting Stakes – 2T
Queen V (Kentucky), Harold Rest’s first foal in 1897, winner of four races, NZ Hcp; dam of :
- Gianella, bred by H.F. (Harry) Nicoll, Ashburton, President Ashburton TC 1906–1955 (succeeded by his son Arthur (A.J.) 1955–1964) and President of NZ Trotting Conference 1922–1947 (Arthur Nicoll 1965–1969). Harry Nicoll bred all thirteen of Gianella’s foals which produced eight winners. Gianella won six, four of these at three including two at Forbury Park (FPTC Presidents Hcp). She recorded one win at Addington at four with her final win coming at Addington (Metropolitan Hcp) as a six-year-old.
Gianella’s progeny included winners :
- Latona (Sapling Stakes), full brother to Nell Pointer
- St Anthony (NZ Sires Produce – 3T at Forbury)
- Wakanui (Thames Pacing Cup at Parawai Racecourse)
while her fillies included :
- Lingfield (Winton and Gore Cups)
- Lorellei, unraced dam of Gallant Ruth (winner), who bred on leaving Red Jenny, a winner of several Harold Park Trotting FFA’s in early 1960’s and Loris, unraced dam of Excellenza (Christchurch/Winter Trot Hcps, NSW Summer Trotters Cup), dam of Highland Sport (dam of Wayamba, Bunbury Cup), third dam of Sir Lektor (Fremantle/ Northam Cups, WA Marathon Hcp) and fourth dam of Early Striker (2002 Bernie McClure Memorial Trot, Strathalbyn)
- top producer Nell Pointer, Lightning Hcp. Her leading performers were :
- Tempest, GN Derby, Methven Cup, Forbury Hcp, Henry Mace Memorial, Ollivier FFA, two WA Easter Hcps. Tempest was one of the first 100 NZ horses in 2:10 (2:09.0)
- Nella Dillon (Te Aroha Cup)
- Grand Canyon (Taranaki/Waikato Cups, Forbury Hcp)
- Golden Pointer, unraced dam of Barravey (feature trots at Addington – Greyhound/Rita Peter/CPTC Stewards Hcps)
- Santa Fe, winner; dam of Fitnesse (FJ Smith Memorial); grand dam of Fitment (CF Mark Memorial, Louisson Hcps) and Scottish Star filly, Star Petite, which leads to the Birdie branch of the Harolds Rest family (seventh dam of Birdie).
Major winners descending from Birdie over the past forty years have included Dillon Dean (NZSS -3, NZ Derby, NZFFA, Messenger), Dillon Dale (NZ C/S – 2, NZFFA), Elmer Gantry (Honda Cars 2000 twice, Addington, Taylor Mile), Two Under (FAI Stakes, Summer Cup), Hero (NZYSS – 2), Hei Shangri La (VIC SS -2c), Total Defiance (WA Easter Cup), Elusive Chick (Jewels Diamond 4m), Risk 1:48.2US. Birdie’s sister’s families bred on successfully while her brothers Royal Forbes (intermediate trotter), Wayward Willie (Cambridge Cup), Hello Birdie (Hawera/Manawatu Cups) were good performers
- St Swithin, Christchurch Hcp, NZMTC Presidents Hcp; sire of Lady Swithin (GN Derby), Indra (Gore Cup twice, Wanganui Cup); dam sire of Bill Scott (Manawatu Cup), Jimmy Scott (NZMTC Easter Stewards Hcp Trot), Sandown (Greymouth Cup); maternal line descendants for St Swithin include Pansey, a daughter of Verity (refer fifth article of this series) and ancestress of Basil Dean and many other fine trotters; another descendant through Precision is Springfield Globe
Queens Drive (General Pet),five race winning full sister of Queen Pet, dam of :
- Black Admiral, Dunedin Cup, NZMTC Presidents Hcp
- Master Roy, Canterbury Hcp
- Great Drive, unraced dam of :
Auburn Sun, descendants through daughters
- Air Mail : millionaire pacers The Gold Ace (1:52.6, winner of NZSS – 3c, NZ Derby, Jewels Emerald – 3, WA Golden Nugget, NZFFA, Cranbourne Cup) and Smiling Shard (1:53.7, NZSS/Breeders Crown – 2c, Kaikoura Cup twice)
- ; speedy mare Kiwi Ingenuity 1:52.1, NZ/Southland Oaks, NZ Breeders Stakes, Queen of Hearts, Jewels Diamond – 4m, Premier Mares Championship (dam of Kiwi On Show 1:52.2); Kiwi Supreme, Taylor Mile; Motu Prince, NZ Derby; Drumfire 1:49.0US, $635,209; Rocky Tryax, Wellington Cup, second and third in NZ Cup; Dance With Rain, VICSS – 3f/4m; Anvil Raider, most wins with twenty three in 2013 USA season; Gold N Gold, Aust Trotting Grand Prix; Direct Kiwi, Franklin Cup; Seeking The Gold 1:50.2US; Knight Fox, NZ Sapling Stakes; Mach Shard, Cardigan Bay Stakes; Pemberton Shard, Premier Mares Championship
- Dillon Drive : Im Rockaria, WA Pearl; Auburn Bret, Southland Futurity -3
- Grattan Drive : No Return, Flying Stakes, NZ Championship -3; Shania Patron, NZ Oaks, NZSS – 2f/3f; Adios Adieu, Dunedin Cup; Majestic Charge, CPTC Winter Cup; Justin Hanover, WA Golden Nugget; Anna Patron, 1:55.0US (ancestress of Aztec Bromac, Queensland Cup; Fifth Edition, Winter Cups – Nelson, Marlborough, Rangiora twice; Jackson Street, NZ Sapling Stakes)
Lucky Drive, third dam of Henry Butler, WA FFA’s, Gold Cup and Saucer (Prince Edward Island, Canada)
- Pleasant Drive, unraced, dam of Dalnahine (Henry Mace Memorial) and unraced daughters
- Dark Drive, descendants include Wee Win, Easter Cup, Matson FFA, Ashburton Flying Stakes, ID heats (3); Falconair, 1:51.1US, Cheviot/Geraldine Cups; All Our Fella, Renwick FFA; Camero, NZ Championship – 4
- Pleasant Guy (bred by George Youngson), ancestress of champion trotter Scotch Tar, Dominion Hcp/NZ Trotting FFA/Inter Island Challenge Stakes – all twice, NZ Trotting Championship, ID heat; Argent Treasure, WA Pearl/Derby; Ameer, ID Pacing Consolation; Second Dollar, TAS Oaks, NSWSS – 3f; multiple winning juvenile filly of 1969/70 NZ season, Scottish Cheer
- Pleasure Cruise, dam of Dragoman
- Pleasant Wave, descendants include Broadways Best (VICSS – 3f/4m, VIC Oaks,
Ladyship Mile); Command Performer, Cambridge Mile
- Promenade, winner, exported to Western Australia, dam of Quick March, sire of Lincolns March (WA Derby)
The Harolds Rest family has several Methven Cup winners amongst its number – Rolon Waitaki, Rebeccas Pride, Tempest, Kiwi Kosby, Corka Dream.
Harolds Rest’s descendants contain several major race winners among their classic performers including :
Derby winners :
NZ – Motu Prince, Dillion Dean, The Gold Ace
GN – Tempest
WA – Argent Treasure
Dominion Hcp : Scotch Tar (twice)
with Trotter of Year Awards won by Scotch Tar (NZ, 1981) and Gold N Gold (Australia, 1995).
Oaks winning daughters from this family include Shania Patron, Kiwi Ingenuity, Sokys Dream, Second Dollar and Broadways Best.
The fastest family members are Risk (1:48.2US), Drumfire (1:49.0US), Vanquished (1:49.3US) and Cyclone Kiwi (1:49.4US), in Australia, Franco Jamar, 2011 and Thebattlehasjustbegun, 2016, both in 1:51.2 at Menangle are fastest. War Dan Destroyer’s T1:53.8 at Menangle in 2019 (T1:54.8, 2018) 8 is the family’s fastest trotter with Dealornodeal’s T1:55.5TT, the next best time. The family millionaires number two : The Gold Ace and Breeders Crown champion Smiling Shard. The most prolific Classic Race winners in the family are The Gold Ace with eighteen, Scotch Tar with seventeen and Broadways Best with sixteen.
Next Edition : Millie C (N4)
Peter Craig
1 May 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
