NZ TROTTING BROODMARE GEM – PEARL POINTER

This is the final in an occasional series looking at some of New Zealand’s trotting broodmare gems.

Pearl Pointer bred on to leave an extensive family.

PEARL POINTER (1918f Logan Pointer/Pearlchild; a member of the Verity family, CF A1) : unraced; fifteen foals (one died in 1927), seven raced (three trotters, four pacers), six winners (three trotters, three pacers). Bred by Harry Nicoll, Durbar Lodge, Ashburton and all foals bred by Harry Nicoll except Ardglass, McDonald Bros, Methven. Pearl Pointer died in 1945.

Pearl Pointer was unraced, beginning her breeding career when comparatively young for a broodmare with her 1922 foal Kempton. Bred by as were all her foals (except one Ardglass) by Ashburton breeder/owner/administrator Harry (HF) Nicoll of Durbar Lodge, Ashburton, NZ Trotting Conference President 1922 – 1947.

Pearl Pointer’s dam Pearlchild, was a 1908 Rothschild filly from foundation mare Verity. Rothschild, was colonially bred coming from well-bred imported American parents (Childe Harold/Belle Briggs). With his full brother Osterley, they both left an indelible mark on the breed in Australasia. The great Rothschild had an undistinguished racetrack career but in the breeding barn he was the leading stallion of his era with 318 winners, his pedigree appears deep in many of today’s champions.

Pearlchild was also bred by Harry Nicoll as were all her foals except a Wrack colt which was bred by Durbar Lodge Limited. Pearlchild had two starts as a three-year-old in the 1911/12 season, both of which she won. As a four-year-old, her two starts produced one win at Addington. As a five-year-old, she added a further Addington win (Islington Hcp) and as a six-year-old in 1914/15 she won two Addington features, the August and National Cup Hcps, 2:19.7, $2,102, with two unplaced starts as a seven-year-old before retiring to the breeding barn.

Pearlchild left twelve foals, eight of whom were winners of which only one (First Wrack) was a trotter. A further two (Vanity Fair and Verey Light) were non-winning pacers and Pearl Pointer as previously mentioned was unraced. A number of Pearlchild’s progeny were by Wrack who was imported from North America by Harry Nicoll. Male progeny included :

• Casanova (Wrack), 2:11.8, $1,911, sire of 62 winners (26 NZ, 36 AUS) including top class trotters Casablanca (Dominion Hcp/Rowe Cup) and Precaution (VIC Trotters Derby, Dominion Hcp, dam sire of Rannach Lad and Junior Royal, sire of Cinimod Junior and dam sire of Basil Dean, Dominion Hcp, National Trot)

• Ciro (Wrack), 2:13.0, $3,232, one of Maurice Holmes twelve NZ Derby winning drives
• Childe Pointer (Logan Pointer), 2:16.0, $8,364, won Sapling Stakes, Champion Stakes, NZ Derby, two Ashburton Cups and other important handicap races

Pearlchild’s fillies bred on as is shown by :

• Cornelian (Author Dillon), 2:17.6, $620, a winner, was dam of Auto Spinner, family of Katys Command (Flying Mile), Admirals Avenue (WA Cup) and Cornice, family of Glenfield Girl (Dullard Cup, Aust Trotting C/S)
• First Wrack (Wrack), best time of T4:28.4 (2 miles), $4,467, a champion two-year-old trotting filly who had a two year old match race at Alexandra Park with Koro Peter at June 1928 meeting. Koro Peter was tote favourite and won after a great struggle up the home straight. First Wrack later reached the top flight of trotters winning 11 races and was dam of good trotter Calumella whose family descendants include Ansett, Meagunn, Brighton Rock, and Philomena, family of Karalta Bay, Distant Thunder (Kilmore Cup)
• Flying Cloud (Wrack), 2:13.4, $974, was dam of Windermere, and family of Even Speed (Rosso Antico/NZ Trotting Stakes – 3T, Rowe Cup, 22 wins, three and four year old Trotter of Year before being exported to NA; T2:00.2US)

• Nantwich (Nelson Bingen), 2:13.4, $5,150, won a Sapling Stakes and GN Derby before breeding on particularly well leaving Gerfalcon (14 wins, including original NZ Trotting C/S, Australasian 1¼m record holder in T2:45.0) and Daventry whose family has left good trotters including Paul Nairn’s threesome, Special Branch (NZSS -2T, Trotting Stakes – 2T) and Lotalov (NZSS – 3T, dam of Lotamuscle, NZ Trotters Derby), plus dual-gaited Hocquard, Idle Raider (Hunter Cup), Havana Gold (VIC SS – 4h) and Big Bucks (NSW Oaks)

• Sea Pearl (Nelson Bingen), 2:13.6, $10,742, winner of Manawatu/Otahuhu Cups, Adams Memorial, was dam of Lucky Gem (Wyndham Juvenile)
• Vanity Fair (Wrack), non-winning pacer, $590, was dam of Awadale (Methven Cup), Cembala (Timaru Cup), Scottish Fair (Oamaru Presidents Hcp) and her fillies led to another extensive family with descendants such as Co Pilot (Louisson Hcp), Noble Lord (Golden Slipper, Masterton/Timaru Cups), Ardri (sire of 222 winners, leading sire/broodmare sire of Australian trotters on number of occasions), Sapling (GN Derby, Messenger, AK/Easter Cups), Mighty Dragon (T1:52.0, fastest ever NZ bred trotter) and Try A Fluke (Hunter Cup)

Pearl Pointer’s grand dam was the founding mare of the leading Australian maternal family, Verity (CF A1). She was bred by J.L.B. Brown of Caigon, NSW, from a thoroughbred mare (Bar B mare) by imported American sire, Vancleve, with Verity ultimately being purchased by Harry Nicoll from John Buckland. Verity (then known as Veronica) had produced a foal in 1900 in Australia before racing. She subsequently won races in NZ when owned and driven by AJ (John) Buckland (Australia) including the two mile Maiden Hcp at Addington in 1903 and in 1905 when driven by Andy Pringle won the Lagmhor Hcp at Ashburton’s Autumn meeting before continuing her breeding career.

Among Verity’s progeny were several fillies who all bred on – Aranui, Edenchild, Fancy Girl, Pansey and Pearlchild. Apart from Pearlchild’s family members, descendants from Verity include: Mighty Hanover (National Trot, Trotting FFA), Final Decision, Cee Ar (Rowe Cup), Basil Dean/Tronso [fourth dam of The Bohemian, VIC/NSW Trotters Derbies]/Logan Count (Dominion Hcp), Jack Brandon (Aust Pacing C/S), Fergiemack (NZSS – 2c), Decorated Jasper, Linda Lovegrace (Caduceus Fillies- 2). The Verity family is the leading Australian-bred maternal family of classic race winners although it contains no absolute champion.

For complete coverage refer to Harnessbred article on Australasia’s Leading Families – Verity :

https://baringbloodstock.com.au/australasias-leading-families-4/

Pearl Pointer (Logan Pointer) as founding mare of this particular branch of the Verity family bred on leaving an extensive family. It is interesting that her sire Logan Pointer was almost exclusively a sire of pacing stock with the one notable exception being Trampfast (Dominion Hcp, High Class Trot).

Pearl Pointer’s male progeny included :

• Kempton, one of the best trotters of his year, purchased for £600 by Mrs E Berryman of Wellington on Ces Donald’s advice. Kempton was the winner of seven races including Rowe Cup and NZMTC’s August Stewards Trot for Ces Donald (T2:17¼ for 1½m). Ron Bisman in Salute to Trotting noted that an Auckland newspaper reported that “the largest sum taken off a tote by one individual in New Zealand was when Kempton won his Rowe Cup”

• Nicoya (two Avon Hcp Trots, NZMTC Addington Hcp, T2:09.8) was purchased by Leo Berkett for 4½ guineas, developing him into a top class trotter, the winner of twelve races and runner up in 1934 Dominion Hcp
• Return Voyage, winner of three pacing races
• Ardglass, solitary race win as a pacer

Pearl Pointer’s fillies included :

• White Satin (Sires Produce 3T), reached the top flight of trotters, winner of seven races before retiring as a five-year-old after winning her final race in NZ. Exported to Australia where she was very successful in the breeding barn leaving eight foals, three winners and sire Admiral Harwood (sire of NSW Derby winner Admiral Nelson, exported to NZ and dam sire of Fort Nelson; NSW Trotters Derby winners First Admiral, Blue Orchid); ancestress of Arizona Blue (NSW/VIC Trotters Derby, T1:56.9); Van White, broodmare sire of Gypsy Belle, grand dam of Albas Reign (NZ 2yo C/S, NZ Derby) and many others
• Plain Pearl (Westport/Hawera Cups), winner of three pacing races
• Lustre (Wrack), non-winning trotter, dam of two winners from ten foals (trotters Silica and Gold Craze), grand dam of SA Derby winner Pearl Queen (fourth dam of Folsom Blues, VIC Sapling)
• Double Measure (Gaillard), unraced, dam of sixteen foals for five winners (three trotters in Bugle Call, Macrae and Kuyaway ) and family branch that includes trotters Courting Appeal (Dullard Cup, Aust Trotting C/S, SA Trotters Cup) and Piece De Resistance (National Trot); Lord Manhatten (Welcome/Kindergarten Stakes, NZ Championship – 2), Bobs Blue Boy (Hannon Memorial, Methven Cup, ID Heat
• Cairngorm (Sandydale), dam of three non-winning foals
• Last Word (Lucky Jack), unraced, dam of six foals, three winners (all pacers) including Final Say, sire of eighteen NZ bred winners including Finnigan (two ID Trotters heats); dam sire of Adios Brad, WA Derby

Peter Craig

12 May 2021

Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com

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