The New Zealand Trotting Cup first held in November 1904 is the country’s premier event for top level pacing horses. The race name is a misnomer in the sense that it uses the phrase “trotting” when the race is for pacers. However, trotters have over the years (specifically earlier years) both contested and won this prestigious race. Trotters only races started in Christchurch in 1911 i.e. Trotters Hcps at New Brighton Autumn meeting (day three, 11 March 1911); NZ Metropolitan TC Easter meeting (day 3, 27 April 1911) and then at the 1911 NZ Cup carnival.
The first NZ Trotting Cup was indeed won by the trotter, MONTE CARLO. At fourteen years of age (1890g, Lincoln Yet/unknown NZ dam), he is the oldest horse to have ever won the NZ Cup (12yo – Durbar, 1908; 11yo’s – Agathos, 1922 and Invicta 1961). The NZ Cup was held on the third day of the Cup carnival, Show Day Friday 11 November 1904. The Cup field consisted of nine horses for a stake of 310 sovereigns with Monte Carlo going to the post as fourth favourite. Trained and driven by renowned horseman Bertram (Bert) Edwards (Woodend), owned by Tom Yarr who originally owned him in partnership as a six year old then individually from age nine. Starting with a handicap advantage of seven seconds over backmarker Euchre, Monte Carlo won from champion mare Norice who finished second with 1908 winner Durbar third).
Monte Carlo’s sire Lincoln Yet (sire of fifty winners) was by Irvington from Pride Of Lincoln, therefore an early member of NZ’s premier family N1 Pride Of Lincoln. Monte Carlo started on 153 occasions over thirteen seasons, winning twenty five races, his first in a solitary start as a four year maiden off 60 yds at Addington A&P Showgrounds, the last aged sixteen at New Brighton (from nine seasonal starts). A winner of one from four attempts at age five (Lancaster Park) and no wins at six, Monte Carlo won on Canterbury tracks that predated Addington Raceway’s opening in November 1899. These included 1897 Addington Plate at A&P Showgrounds, Addington; 1898 Lancaster Park Limit Stakes and the 1899 Plumpton Park Hcp.
Monte Carlo lowered Fritz’s Australasian two mile record of 4:55 when he recorded a time of 4:53 at Lancaster Park when paced by galloper Salvo Shot ridden by Free Holmes. Prior to his NZ Cup win in 1904, he had won three races on the Wellington Trotting Club’s Petone Recreation Ground track in 1900 and feature races at the 1901 November Addington carnival – NZ Handicap (outsider of field, winning in 4:40.4/2 miles) and NZ Metropolitan Hcp. A leading stake earner of the year in 1898/9, 1899/1900 and leading trotting stake earner of the year in 1901/2 and again in 1903/4, winning at distances from one mile to two miles, in saddle and in harness.
Monte Carlo was well supported carrying the fourth most betting units on starters in the NZ Cup although being unplaced on the second day of the three day Cup carnival. Following leader Norice all the way in the Cup, he made his bid down the back straight the final time before gaining her measure by the home turn. A winning margin of twelve lengths over Norice with two lengths to favourite Durbar in a time of 4:44.4. His winning share of the 310 sovereign race stake was 265 sovereigns.
Monte Carlo was also a starter in the 1905 NZ Cup won by Birchmark in the slowest ever two mile NZ Cup time of 5:17.6, finishing a well beaten fifth. His career record mile rate was 2:21.4 with earnings of £2,190.
In the earliest years of the NZ Trotting Cup, it was not uncommon for trotters to contest the event as shown from the listing below – it included (unplaced unless stated otherwise) :
1904 – Monte Carlo (winner); Verax (fourth)
1905 – Verax (fourth); Vaunt; Monte Carlo (fifth)
1906 – Verax
1907 – Verax (third); Electrician; Albertorious (1900)
1908 – Albertorious
1909 – Revenue (fourth); Verax; Albertorious
1910 – Verax; Albertorious
1911 – Redchild (fourth)
1912 – Redchild; Quincey (dead heated with Clive in 1911 Dominion Hcp Trot)
1913 – Redchild; Quincey
1917 – Hardy Wilkes
One of only two mares to win dual NZ Cups, trotter RETA PETER in 1920 and 1921, the other being pacer Haughty in 1942 and 1943, Reta Peter is the only trotter other than Monte Carlo to win a New Zealand Trotting Cup. The second of fourteen to win dual NZ Cups, others being Wildwood Junior; Ahuriri; Peter Bingen; Harold Logan; Lucky Jack; Haughty; Highland Fling; Lordship; Il Vicolo; Just An Excuse; Flashing Red; Monkey King; Lazarus. Together with the three three time NZ Cup winners being Indianapolis, False Step, Terror To Love, these multiple NZ Cup winners have won over thirty percent of all Cups run to date.
Reta Peter (1913f Petereta/Tot Huon) was seven years of age when winning her first NZ Cup in 1920 for trainer/driver Alf Wilson (Myosotis Lodge, New Brighton) and owner Frank Robson (Linwood, Christchurch). In a field of twelve starters, Reta Peter had a nine seconds handicap advantage over back marker Author Dillon and was seventh favourite paying £20 11s on the win machine. The only trotter to make the Cup field she beat home General Link with 1918 winner Author Dillon third. The stake for the NZ Cup had increased from 310 sovereigns at the time of Monte Carlo’s victory in 1904 to 2,500 sovereigns in 1920.
Reta Peter’s sire Petereta was by champion North American sire Peter The Great, three generations removed from Hambletonian 10 through Happy Medium. Reta Peter was from Petereta’s first NZ crop, he having arrived in NZ in 1913 standing at American Robert McMillan’s Halswell stud for a fee of £10 10s (ten guineas). Her dam Tot Huon (Huon/Berlin mare) was Frank Robson’s own mare, establishing herself as founder mare of NZ family N67, Tot Huon (Paula, Paulette, Paula Scott, Paul Gentry, Paul Command, Pauls Byrd – all trained at Kumeu by Arthur and Dave Gibbons; Game Paul, Super Command, Cincinnati Kid, The Orange Agent, Superbowlcheerleader, Cheerful) – good family of both pacers and trotters.
Two unplaced three year old starts were followed by a second at Ashburton at four years old on Boxing Day and her first victory at Hutt Park in January 1918. Reta Peter won five two mile races against pacers or trotters during the 1918/19 and 1919/20 seasons, her first for Alf Wilson (Autumn/Cashmere twice/Sockburn/Trotters Hcps), prompting Wilson to set her for the NZ Cup the following season. Her more important wins had been 1918 NZMTC Autumn Hcp and 1919 Sockburn Hcp Trots.
In the Cup itself, early breakers were Dean Dillon and Albert Cling. Reta Peter was handy in midfield throughout with the early leader being Willie Lincoln. General Link took over in the back straight on the final lap pursued by Author Dillon. These two engaged in a battle royal turning for home before being joined and subsequently passed by Reta Peter who went on to win by a half-length from General Link and Author Dillon a neck away third with Sherwood a distant fourth. Starting nine second in arrears of Reta Peter, Author Dillon was required to set an Australasian record of 4:21.8 for his placing (beating Admiral Wood’s record) compared to Reta Peter’s winning time of 4:30.4.
Reta Peter started as favourite in the 1920 Dominion Hcp Trot on the third day of the NZ Cup carnival. Beginning badly from her back mark in the first 1,000 sovereign trotting race in NZ, she was never a chance in a race that was won by Auckland owned/trained trotter Gold Boy (winner Sockburn Hcp Trot day earlier) and subsequent starter in 1922 NZ Trotting Cup.
In 1921 Reta Peter’s second NZ Cup victory was cloaked in controversy. She had not started earlier in the season before the Cup after being pin fired. The stake for the Cup rose to 3,000 sovereigns and Reta Peter was again opposed by eleven other starters. Remarkably she was only sixth favourite paying £7 8s 6d in defeating Sherwood (relegated from first after winning by a length) with a further three lengths back to Vice Admiral third. Reta Peter started off seven seconds handicap with four others receiving five seconds from back marker Australian Man O’War (two seconds) who started second favourite behind Albert Cling. Alf Wilson was having his seventh drive in the NZ Cup on Reta Peter since his initial one on Factory Boy in Monte Carlo’s Cup of 1904.
There were two false starts with the time system of starting, the second had many horses at top speed for three furlongs before they were pulled up with Reta Peter leading out first on both occasions. At the third time of asking the field was dispatched correctly with all away well except Asturio who broke and Man O’War who began slowly.
Gleaming and Vice Admiral led with Reta Peter placed sixth, an order which did not change until the final lap when Gleaming tired and Vice Admiral went to a clear lead over Reta Peter. Sherwood passed both Vice Admiral and Reta Peter entering the straight and under a vigorous drive from Freeman (FG) Holmes appeared to have won with a length to spare over Reta Peter. Vice Admiral was third ahead of Willie Lincoln, 1919 winner Trix Pointer and Albert Cling.
Frank Robson approached chief stipendiary steward Mr Mahee showing him that Reta Peter had returned to the birdcage with skin off her front knees which were bleeding. The stipe seeing this then lodged a protest after the horses had passed the post based on Sherwood crossing in front of Reta Peter at the entrance to the Addington home straight. The Judicial Committee considered the protest under part 25 of the Rules of Trotting which mentioned “as to keeping positions” resolving that Sherwood’s driver Holmes had interfered with Reta Peter fining him £25. Reta Peter was promoted to the winner’s position.
An immediate appeal against the Committee’s decision was lodged with the stewards by Holmes. The NZ Trotting Associations Appeal Committee decided after studying the Judicial Committee’s decision to dismiss the appeal. This remains the only occasion in the Cup’s history where interference was determined sufficient to require relegation. In 1969 Stella Frost was disqualified after being first past the post due to being deemed responsible for a serious spill that put paid to the chances of several horses. Spry who had finished second to Stella Frost was promoted to the winner’s position. Reta Peter was preparing for a third NZ Cup tilt when she broke down within a week of the Cup’s 1922 running.
Reta Peter was leading trotting stake earner of the year in 1920/21 and again in 1921/22. Her career record mile rate was T2:15.8 with earnings of £4,650 accrued from eight wins and twelve placings from sixty three starts. In the broodmare paddock she left Peter Locanda (ten race winner, Timaru Cup) and Gracie Fields, a high class trotting mare (winner of nine – Avon/Middleton Trots, New Brighton Presidents Hcp; grand dam of Gay Gordon, Waimate/Waikouaiti Cups). Reta Peter died in 1936 and is an inductee of the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame.
Following Reta Peter’s dual success in 1920/1921, the number of trotters making NZ Cup fields diminished greatly. The only trotters to do so since the early nineteen twenties have been Gold Boy (1920 Dominion Hcp Trot winner) and Whispering Willie in 1922; Whispering Willie in 1923 (dual Dominion Hcp Trot winner 1916, 1918; three time leading stakes earning trotter); Escapade in 1927; Peterwah in 1928/winner 1926 Dominion Hcp Trot (all unplaced) with a gap of over five decades before the latest and likely last trotter to ever run in the NZ Trotting Cup, Scotch Tar who in 1982 finished eighth in a field of ten.
A further notable feat regarding the NZ Trotting Cup was that of the ultimately dual gaited WRACKLER (1925g Wrack/Trix Pointer), 2:08.4, T2:12.0, $17,310. The winner of thirteen races from 113 starts, he won group one races at both gaits – at three he won both the NZ and Great Northern Pacing Derbies, NZ Trotting Cup in 1930 (five year old) and Dominion Hcp Trot in 1932 (seven year old), the only horse to have done so.
Earlier Wrackler started in the 1931 Cup as a pacer, finishing fourth in the first of Harold Logan’s two NZ Cups before competing again as a pacer in 1933 (unplaced) having mixed his starts between that of pacer and trotter from March 1932 onwards. His dam Trix Pointer is the only mare to have won the NZ Cup and to leave a NZ Cup winner in the history of the race. See full story in harnessbred article titled “NZ Cup winning mare and Winning Progeny” of 9 November 2017.
Peter Craig
3 November 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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