Two decades have passed since harness racing was last seen on the North Island’s East Coast. 125 years ago the first tentative steps were taken to launch trotting on the East Coast with two localities involved in providing venues, Gisborne and Hastings.
Poverty Bay Trotting Club (PBTC) –
The inaugural meeting of the Poverty Bay Trotting Club was held at the Park Company course, a half mile track at Captain Tucker’s paddock, Childers Rd (off Disraeli St and Roebuck Road) on 28 October 1891. Seven races were carded on a very heavy track with Joker taking out the first race, a 2m event (15 sovereigns) in 6:59.0, returning a dividend of £5 for the win. Joker won two races on the day. A variety of distances were run ranging from 1 mile to 1½m, 2m, 2½m and 3 miles.
The next annual meeting took place on Christmas Eve 1892, where multiple race winners K Jam, Othello and Queenie each won two races on the 8 race programme.. At this point in time the initial PBTC ceased operating.
Trotting races were held at Park Racecourse for the Poverty Bay Sports/Races meetings of Thursday 17 March 1892 (two of six) and 17 March 1893 (one of seven), all events being without totalisator facilities in operation.
Park Racecourse was built by the Gisborne Racing Club at Te Hapara on the outer western fringe of Gisborne with the inaugural meeting held in 1889. The PBTC utilised this facility from 1913 until 1927. Other users included the Agricultural and Pastoral Association (annual show held here 1901 – 1929); athletic and cycling events; motorcycle racing and Gisborne Coursing Club (involved rabbits and dogs in a confined area) leased a portion of the course from June 1907 until April 1910 when coursing was banned due to pressure from SPCA. The mile course was rectangular in shape with four corners, rather than a traditional oval. The picture below shows the track with A&P grounds behind including an oval used for motorcycle racing in later years.
The Poverty Bay TC was re-formed following a meeting held on 27 September 1912. The first annual non tote meetings consisting of six races were held on 27 February 1913 followed a year later on 5 March 1914. Annual club meetings from 1913 until the club’s closure in 1927 were run on the Park Racecourse.. The current Gisborne thoroughbred track is located at Makaraka, not far from Park Racecourse which is now a golf course and rugby ground.
The PBTC’s first totalisator meeting was held on 7 July 1915. In the period until 1927, annual meetings consisting of seven/eight races were run over distances from 1m (best time 2:15 1/5 Ena Bell 1922) to 1¼m (2:52 3/5 Pitaroa 1925), 1½m (Commander Bingen 3:38 4/5 1927) to 2 miles (4:44.0 Carbine Direct 1927). Driving trebles were achieved by S Wootton (1917) and SJ Roe (1922) while Red George (1916), Roebell (1917), General/William The First (1920) and Goldman/Dick Dillon all recorded dual victories on same days programme. Trotting races featured as part of annual Poverty Bay Hunt Club’s meetings from 1919 until 1925 (except 1920). The last meeting of the PBTC was held on 28 January 1927 with Bingen Boy winning the last ever trotting race in Gisborne, Stewards Hcp by 40 yards.
Among the surnames of prominent horsemen starring as owners, trainers, drivers during the latter part of racing at Park Racecourse were Paul, Corrigan, Lowe, Fisken, Bryce (Andrew/James) and Orange.
During this period of harness racing in Poverty Bay, dual Cup winners were Silverlocks (won first Cup run in 1914 and 1917) and Padlock (1925 and 1926). Two well known horses of the period raced at Park Racecourse – Nelson Derby (GN Derby/Auckland Cup, sire of Haughty, BM sire of Brahman, Casabianca) won over a mile in 2:19 2/5 in 1921 as well as starting off 60yds in PB Trotting Cup and Peterwah (Dominion Hcp Trot, won 12 in NZ/10 over 2m including World Record 4:23 2/5 at Addington, 1928, sire of Pilot Peter 1938 Dominion Hcp), owned/trained/driven by Gisborne’s Robert (RC) Fisken, won races in 1923 and 1925 (PBTC 2m Dominion Hcp) off 218yds while Fisken’s trotter Wild Lad won a Dominion Hcp as well as Poverty Bay Cup.
Hawkes Bay Trotting Club (HBTC) –
The first trotting races held on the East Coast took place at Stortford Lodge paddock on 23 June 1891, the only time this venue featured. The winner of the Maiden Trot (15 sovereigns), the first race run, was Mr F. Wood’s Friday (dr. T. Hay), paying a dividend of £2-17 shillings, the 2m journey being covered in a time of 6:36¼.
The HBTC moved to its own course in Hastings for meetings held from 7 October 1891 until Boxing Day 1899. In the initial years (1891/2 – 1894/5), three meetings were held – Spring, Autumn, Winter (October, March, June). Spring/Autumn meetings were held in 1895/6 – 1896/7, Autumn/Winter in 1897/8 with an Autumn only meeting in 1898/9 and a final summer meeting of the inaugural HBTC in December 1899.
Meetings consisted of seven/eight races over distances of 1½m, 2m, 2½m and 3 miles (December 1899 meeting included two thoroughbred races at five and seven furlongs). Multiple driving successes were common with R. Day featuring prominently, his best performance being five winners on an eight race card in March 1897.
A recess of several years transpired before the club was re-formed at a meeting on
29 September 1919 (non tote meetings held at the Waipukurau racecourse 25 May 1908/23 February 1909). The first non tote meetings of the new club were held at Hastings racecourse (Hawkes Bay Racing Incorporated track) on 1 May 1920 and 24 May 1921. The Hastings course has been a venue of racing for the past 150 years commencing 1866.
A further lapse in racing occurred until the introduction of totalisator meetings on 30 May 1925 which lasted until the club’s last Hastings meeting on 1 June 1933. A further meeting to assist with finances was held at Hutt Park on 6 September 1933 before the club’s existence ceased until 1979..
In the period 1925/1933, meetings consisted of seven/eight races over distances from 9 furlongs (best time 2:36 Blue Glen February 1927) to 1¼m (Teri Kingi 2:47 June 1933), 1½m (Capilano 3:28 June 1931), 13 furlongs (Capilano 3:43 June 1933) to 2 miles (4:40 Willie Derby June 1931). The days of 2½ or 3 mile races had long passed. The first tote meeting of HBTC took place on 30 May 1925 with the Novice Hcp taken out by Master Cute (1½m, 3:45 3/5) driven by Syd August.. The second race was won by Kolmar, the first of his two wins on the day for owner/trainer/driver Bill (WT) Lowe.
The May 1925 meeting was the club’s only fixture for 1924/5 season; summer/winter meetings held 1925/6 and 1927/8 with a summer meeting in 1926/7 at which Peter Grattan won twice and AJ Corrigan drove three of the eight winners. Two day meetings were run in 1928/9 (winter), 1929/30 (summer – AJ Corrigan/W Hughes drove three of eight winners on alternate days; Modern Light and Good Lady each won two races same day), 1930/1 single winter meeting only, 1931/2 and 1932/3 were two day winter meetings.
This HBTC held its final meeting at Hastings racecourse on 3 June 1933 with AJ Corrigan driving three of eight winners including final winner in Teri Kingi who set a track record 2:47.0 for 1¼m (tr WA Price). A final HBTC spring meeting consisting of eight races was held at Hutt Park on 16 September 1933 with winners including War Buoy (NZ Derby, Sapling Stakes, Louisson Hcp).
Among the surnames of prominent horsemen starring as owners, trainers, drivers during this period at HBTC meetings were Paul, Shaw, Corrigan, Lowe, Fisken, Dunleavy, Bryce, Broughton, Tomkinson, Berkett, Edwards, McDermott, Berry, Smith (JE&FJ).
In these early years, a Hawkes Bay Trotting Cup race was established, the initial winner in 1920 being Master Hal (Manawatu Cup), 1921-1933 winners included well performed horses, Padlock (NZFFA, NZ Cup Trial, National Hcp, leading stake earner 1930, 2 PBTC Cups, 2:10.1); Arachne (Kaikoura Cup twice, 2:10.0); Rey Spec (Ashburton/Dunedin/NZ Gold Cups, 2:08.1).
Re-formed in the late 1970’s, HBTC held an equalisator meeting at Tomoana Showgrounds in December 1978 with a crowd of 3,000 attending. Using the small Showgrounds venue (800m), two equalisator meetings followed in 1979/80 season before annual two day on course only meetings started on 22 November 1980 continuing until 20 January 1988 (two 2 day meetings in 1984). The club shifted its now full tote meetings to Hastings racecourse (1700m) with the first held on 16 January 1989. Annual two day meetings were held until 14 January 1997 (2 two day meetings in 1996) before two races (1 January 1998) and four races (16 October 1998) were staged as part of Hawkes Bay Jockey Club meetings, the final occasions harness racing was seen on North Island‘s East Coast.
Race distances at Showgrounds were from 1750m (best time 2:22.4 Debbie Patron 1985) to 2200m (Super Scholl 2:54.87 1985), 2600m (Local Mini 3:28.74 1986), through to 3000m (4:04.47 Who Knows 1985). The mobile barrier was used from 1983 onwards. The final race winner at Tomoana Showgrounds in 1988 was Paxton (2200m, 2:55.1).
The Hastings Racecourse had distances from 1900m (Sly Vance 2:24.7 1990) to 2000m (Rose Legacy 2:31.0 1995), 2700m (What You Got 3:30.9 1991), 2800m (Direct Deigh 3:37.1 1995 ) to 3000m run (Bellas Mercedes 3:54.9). The final race winner at a HBTC meeting was Chip Again (Tuesday 14 January 1997, 2000m). At January 1998 HB Jockey Club meeting two pacing races were programmed while the final ever four harness races on the East Coast were staged by the HB Jockey Club in October 1998 – three pacing races, a trot with final race ever being the last Hawkes Bay Trotting Cup won by Our Connection.
Multiple driving successes were commonplace at Tomoana Showgrounds and Hastings racecourse, Maurice McKendry recorded the best performance with five winners from a ten race programme in January 1996. Many drivers achieved 3 winners in a day – Peter Wolfenden, Tony Herlihy, Geoff Martin, Philip Baker, David Butcher at Showgrounds; while Maurice McKendry (four occasions), Brent Mangos (twice), Mark Purdon, James Stormont, Michael Langdon and David Butcher achieved at Hastings Racecourse. Trainers to win three races in a day at Hastings were Peter Blanchard and John Green.
During this latest period of harness racing in the Hawkes Bay, Cup winners included : Dream Drive (dam of Pocket Driver 1:49.3US, $465,292); Imperial Kiora (dam of Imperiora, Roxburgh/CPTC Winter Cups); Kirchhoff (Methven/Manukau Cups); No Control (1:50..2US, $249,985); Brinsley (1:53.1US, Manawatu/Te Awamutu Cups); Sam Malone (1:55..0, Taranaki Cup, Palmerstonian Classic, Waikato Flying Mile).
Next Week : East Coast Trotting Identities
Peter Craig
12 October 2016
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
