Walter Edward (Ted) Lowe was one of New Zealand’s best known amateur horsemen. This was something of a misnomer as he regularly had twenty five or more horses in work but was required to maintain his amateur status to enable continuation of his administrative roles with the Ashburton Trotting Club.
Born on 21 June 1913, a year before WWI commenced, 1913 saw the first automatic totalisator devised by George Julius, son of the Archbishop of New Zealand was installed and operational at Ellerslie racecourse from June 1913 and on 5 November, strikers in the “Battle of Featherston Street” in Wellington tried to stop racehorses being shipped to Christchurch.
Ted Lowe was one of a family of thirteen who were all actively involved with trotting. His father Bill (WT) Lowe was a great sportsman and stalwart of trotting in the Ashburton district during the first half of the twentieth century. A son of one of the earliest settlers in the Ashburton district, his knowledge of horses was gained working as a shepherd on Max Friedlander’s 2,000 acre Kolmar Farm. Friedlander stood at stud imported stallion Blackwood Abdallah purchased from the estate of Robert Wilkin.
Bill Lowe purchased the foundation mare Jessie B (CF N9) for his Clarendon (Hinds, Ashburton) stud in the early 1900’s for £50. Jessie B by thoroughbred sire Smith O’Brien out of the Prickwillow mare who produced the Dexter filly Princess, dam of the immortal Prince Imperial. From her seven foals, four were winners including Sherwood who lost the 1921 NZ Cup on protest to trotter Reta Peter (winner of consecutive Cups; 1920, 1921) and winner of numerous Addington feature races. An owner/trainer/breeder Bill Lowe was heavily involved with horses for close to sixty years.
It was Jessie B’s unraced Wildwood Junior daughter Tairene (half-sister to Princess) who provided the Lowe’s with two winners of three New Zealand Cups among her descendants – dual winner Lucky Jack (1937 and 1939, second in 1938, trained by Roy Berry) and Cairnbrae (1964), both for Lowe family and both descendants of Princess (Ted Lowe won another NZ Cup with Humphrey in 1968). Tairene was dam of Lucky Jack, two NZ Cups, two ID heats, 2:01.2TT, who was the dam sire of Battle Cry (ID Trotters Grand Final, Rowe Cup,) and Chequer Board (Easter Cup, ID Pacers consolation). This branch of the Jessie B family (Tairene) is responsible for an extensive range of winners including :
- Pacing descendants – double millionaire Village Kid (four WA Pacing Cups, Freemantle Cup twice, Hunter Cup, ID Pacers Final**, Miracle Mile twice, fifty four Classic race wins, 93 wins from 160 starts); Cairnbrae (NZ Cup); Mr Yankee (WA Derby/Gold Nugget); John Tudor (Messenger)
- Trotting descendants – ID champions Fraggle Rock (NZ Trotting Championship) and Special Force (Dullard Cup, Bill Collins Mile) whose dam was Special Pride (Rowe Cup); Flaming Way (Dominion Hcp); Eastburn Grant (Rowe Cup)
** earlier family member and Cup class pacer Globe Direct (great great grandson of Jessie B), finished second beaten a head by Captain Sandy in 1950 Melbourne Pacers Grand Final
Whilst born into a trotting family, Ted Lowe didn’t begin driving until after the Second World War. Having served in the 20th Battalion with Charles Upham and several other trotting men and was among those taken prisoner at El Alamein on 15 July 1942, spending a lengthy period as a prisoner of war, the Germans removed a lung which saved his life being first moved to Italy and then Sweden. Hospitalised for twenty three months with pleurisy and pneumonia, this left him in ill health for many years with a form of chronic asthma, spending time convalescing in England and on the Isle of Man before returning to New Zealand.
Ted’s first race drive was with Gloxania finishing fourth in the first division of the two-mile Parsons Handicap at the Kaikoura Trotting Club’s meeting held at Rangiora on 23 March 1946 (winner Ben Adam). Gloxania was owned by his father Bill Lowe and trained at Hinds by Dave McGregor. A good winner producing U Scott mare from Belle Lorimer, dam of Grouse who left Stortford Lodge (Firestone FFA, sire), Wheatson and third dam of McShane (CPTC Trotting Cup, ID Trotters heat) and Samson (Welcome Stakes, NZ Sires Produce). Later in the same season (1945/6) Ted drove Gloxania to finish third twice on the same day in harness races at the Oamaru Jockey Club’s programme on 15 June 1946. Those placings qualified him to be classified as a B Grade driver.
Ted Lowe’s first winning drive was with a horse he owned named Baadin (4g Lucky Jack/Mistral, tr Dave McGregor, Hinds) who dead heated with Supplement (4g Dillon Hall-Love Parade, tr Peter Gallagher, Washdyke/dr Leo Fahey) in the Domain Hcp at the Waikouaiti Racing Club’s meeting on 1 January 1948. It was to be Baadin’s only win although he raced for a further three seasons. Victory graduated Ted to an A Grade driver, not that he had much cause to utilise this immediately as he didn’t do much driving until he commenced training in the late nineteen fifties. A second winner was as the owner of Spike who won the Coalgate Hcp at Hororata’s December 1952 meeting (tr/dr Isaac Scoon).
Ted Lowe trained many winners from his Mid Canterbury farm near Hinds in the Maronan district wearing his colours of black jacket, brown sash and cap. His increased involvement with harness racing commenced in the 1957/58 season when training and driving Elope (co owned with brother Ian) to win the Richmond Hcp at Nelson on 24 January 1958. The gelding recorded a further four wins for Ted Lowe at Rangiora/Cheviot, Banks Peninsula, Timaru and NZMTC meetings over the next two seasons. Chupra trained in conjunction with Isaac Scoon was driven to success at the inaugural Hororata meeting on 26 April 1958 (Tawera Hcp) while an earlier win had been recorded in January 1955 at Marlborough (not Lowe’s at time). Gay Polka which he owned/trained won at Hutt Park (City Hcp, dr Ces Donald, 1 March 1958) and Wyndham (Edendale Hcp, dr Ted Lowe, 15 March 1958). Gay Polka’s initial win came at a Westport JC meeting in February 1955 (not Lowe’s at that time).
After Ted’s father Bill died in April 1960 at the age of 84, Ted built up an impressive list of winners. Many of his horses were named after Mid Canterbury settlements – Barrhill, Lyndhurst, Mitcham, Staveley, Tinwald, Lauriston etc. Among those to work in his stables were George Adamson (during 1960’s and early seventies), an owner in his own right with winners including Allenton and Leldon; Bob Latimer and a young Christchurch schoolboy Paul Young (see later).
It was however Urrall (U Scott/Inverary), winner of 1960 Kaikoura Cup and later good feature races that brought Ted Lowe to prominence for all the wrong reasons. A positive swab to Xylocaine after winning the Empire Hcp on NZ Cup Day 1961 was followed by a period of disqualification. In hospital on Cup Day, Urrall was in the care of Mawson Scoon. Both were disqualified for three years although they successfully appealed against this in February 1962. Urrall was not reinstated as the winner of the Empire Hcp and Ted Lowe was required to meet costs of £480 towards the appeal. The evidence that cleared them was never released to the public; it appears a sample was muddled up for which an apology was received.
The following season (1962/3) saw Ted leading owner with stakes earned of £16,940; twenty two winners trained of which he drove twenty one of them (best ever season) including eight victories with Cairnbrae (five from Ces Donald’s stable), a Nelson Cup with Anama and Queens Birthday Stakes with Lyndhurst.
Several of his horses were raced in partnership with his mother Anne and immediate family members, others with friends like Errol Simpson (used Karamea as part of the horses’ names) and Brian Sampson, also an asthmatic like Ted Lowe. They raced the horse Samson together before he was sold to Australia.
Ted Lowe produced a number of top line pacers, including two NZ Cup winners in Cairnbrae in 1964 and Humphrey in 1968. Cairnbrae (2:03.3US, $42,771), bred/owned by Ted Lowe was the winner of thirteen races in NZ, the first six trained by Lowe (four winning drives with two for Doody Townley), Queens Birthday Stakes. Cairnbrae was handed to Ces Donald who trained and drove him to seven victories including five consecutive wins before his final victory in the 1964 NZ Cup (paid £13 to win), New Brighton Presidents/South Canterbury Hcps; thirds in Ashburton/New Brighton Cups; fourth in Wellington Cup.
His second NZ Cup winner was Humphrey (paid $2.65 to win, bracketed with stablemate Atanui) which he owned with his wife Lillian (bred by AA Lowe), trained and drove to victory in 1968. Humphrey (2:04.1, $43,315), winner of eighteen NZ races (one tr/dr George Noble, rest by Ted Lowe) including Interdominion 2m heat (also a promoted third in heat when Cardinal King disqualified for interference), NZ/Kaikoura/New Brighton Cups, George Barton Memorial, Easter Cup Consolation; seconds Allan Matson/Ashburton Flying Stakes; thirds Hannon Memorial, NZFFA; 2:01.0US, $71,888. In total, Ted Lowe had four drives in NZ Cup’s.
Major race winners for Ted Lowe apart from his Cup winning duo were (all driven by Lowe unless otherwise specified) :
- WAG, 1:57.4, $43,600, fifteen wins, Waimate Cup, NZ Miracle Mile, National Flying Mile, Hannon Memorial, Timaru Challenge Stakes, Louisson Hcp, MG Pezaro Memorial; seconds Ashburton Flying/Allan Matson Stakes; thirds Methven/New Brighton Cups. Australasian/NZ record holder 1:57.4 (fastest pacer outside North America at the time) when driven for the first time both in a mobile and by Maurice Holmes who went onto win five with him; Pacer/Horse of Year. Owned by Ted Lowe’s mother Anne (Bill’s wife) who lived until age 98, she raced Wag’s dam Merval (eleven wins; dam also of Pun) from a full sister to Lucky Jack from the Isaac and Bill Scoon stable
- DUNDAS, 2:05.7, $54,355, ten wins for driver Paul Young, Ashburton/Oamaru Cups; second/third Pan Am Mile
- ATANUI, 2:07.6, $16,650, ten wins (two driven by Bob Young), Dunedin Cup; thirds in Sapling Stakes, Methven Cup; winner producing dam
- GROUSE, 2:04.6, $13,740, twelve wins (eight as driver), won first four seven year old starts at Addington including Wildwood/Henry Mace/John Hcps; third Ashburton Flying Stakes; driven for solitary victories by Maurice Holmes, Dave Gibbons (as junior driver), Doody Townley and Bobby Nyhan. Dam of Stortford Lodge, Wheatson, grand dam of Samson
- SIOUAN, 2:09.2, $14,338, seven NZ wins, CPTC Winter Cup (driven by Doody Townley); 2:03.1US, $38,451
- URRALL, 1:59.4US, $93,785, ten NZ wins (Doody Townley one winning drive), Kaikoura Cup, FPTC Presidents Hcp, Dunedin Cup consolation, QE Hcp (Wellington Royal meeting); second Methven Cup; thirds MG Pezaro Memorial, Otahuhu Hcp; fourths Wellington Cup, Ashburton Flying Stakes
- STORTFORD LODGE, 2:01.8, $44,225, eleven wins (Paul Young ten, Ricky May one winning drive), Kurow/Ashburton Cups, Firestone Junior FFA; thirds NZFFA, New Brighton Cup; successful sire; dam sire of Lets Get Serious (T1:52.2US, $656,662, equal second fastest ever NZ bred trotter), Prince Sundon (T1:57.7, ID Trotters heat)
- FRI, T2:10.8, $19,675, ten wins, National Trot (dr George Adamson); second Ordeal Trotting Cup
- PUN, 2:07.0, $20,045, ten NZ wins (win each driving for Jack Carmichael and Allan Harrison), Laing FFA; third Kaikoura Cup; 2:03.4US, $62,052
- SAMSON, 2:00.3, $66,455, ten NZ wins (nine as trainer, Paul Young one as trainer/ ten as driver), Welcome/Sires Produce/Celebrity/Champion Stakes, Kurow Cup; thirds Sapling Stakes, 4YO Superstars; 1:58.5AUS, five AUS wins (two each at Harold and Albion Parks), overall earnings of $81,391
- CORWAR, 2:07.5, $12,485, nine wins (one driven by Bob Young), Timaru Cup, Laing FFA, Orari Challenge Stakes; seconds in NZ Oaks, Kaikoura Cup; thirds in Ashburton Flying Stakes, Dunedin Cup; successful broodmare of Dundas, Fair Alda, West Street; grand dam of Wing Commander, Templar, Firm Offer
- THE RAIDER, 2:07.7, $26,030, nine wins for driver Paul Young; White Stone Pace; 1:58.4US, $32,584
- WING COMMANDER, 2:03.5, $31,685, eight wins (drivers : Doody Townley six and Kevin Townley two), Garden City Stakes; second Methven Cup; thirds NZ Derby, NZ 4yo Championship; q2:01.3US, US$23,747
- LYNDHURST, 2:08.4, eight wins (four as driver, Queens Birthday Stakes; four for Doody Townley, Auckland/Northern Challenge Stakes); 2:01.3US, $48,946
- WEST STREET, 2:02.0, $19,575, four NZ wins (drivers : Paul Young two, Doody Townley and Mike De Filippi one each), Methven 2yo Stakes, Celebrity Stakes; 1:57.0US, $48,154
- TEMPLAR, 2:05.1, $17,750, five NZ wins (four driving for Paul Young, one for Neil Munro); 1:55.0US, $114,165
Other important race wins for Ted Lowe included :
- Kurow Cup – Leldon, Ariemore (six wins)
- Waimate Cup – Ganelon (six wins)
- Nelson Cup – Anama, Tinwald (won five of six for Lowe)
- Marlborough Cup – Ariemore
- Greymouth Cup – Allenton (nine wins)
- Hororata Cup – Wheatson (six wins)
- Caltex Gold Cup (Winter Cup, Nelson) – Trusted, Gold Boots (trained by JT Hill)
- White Stone Pace – Barrhill (eight wins), Allenton
Also of note were Randall (seven wins), Winning Note (eight wins) and Mitcham (seven wins; six as trainer, three as driver, Doody Townley three as driver. Ces Donald one win as tr/dr).
Ted Lowe retired from race driving due to the compulsory retirement rule at the end of the 1977/78 season (turned 65 on 21 June 1978). Until his retirement, he drove most of his own horses although young horsemen in his employ (George Adamson, Paul Young) were given the opportunity to drive for him. Both drove many winners for Lowe with Paul Young proving to be a highly successful stable reinsman with over one hundred winners for Ted alone.
His final winner was Ganelon’s maiden victory at Nelson on 10 June 1978. His final day of driving came at Addington on Saturday 22 July 1978, New Brighton TC meeting. His five drives that evening included a promoted second in the first (Raceway Stakes) with Single Lord; tenth with Lord George in the Committee Trotting Hcp, fourths with Ganelon (Aranui Hcp) and Wing Commander (July 2yo Stakes) before his final drive on Adio (9/10) in the eighth of nine races (Lance Heron Trotting Hcp). Adio had no sense of occasion finishing twelfth, breaking badly after 150m bringing the curtain down on Ted Lowe’s thirty two year race driving career (1945/46 – 1977/78).
Paul Young stayed with Ted Lowe for twelve years starting out with a Christmas holiday visit when still attending Christchurch Boys High School. His father Trevor had written to Ted asking if a holiday job was available. Young returned the following year after he had obviously enjoyed stable life. When Bob Latimer left Lowe’s employ, Paul Young commenced working for him full time. With no harness racing background he found the perfect mentor in Ted Lowe. After being winless in his first season of driving, the initial winning success for probationary (junior) driver Paul Young and trainer Ted Lowe occurred at the 14 August 1978 Kurow meeting held at Oamaru racecourse with Ganelon (Young won four races with him including Waimate Cup).
As a probationary driver, Paul Young (1978 – 1981) made quite an impact in NZ Junior Drivers Premiership – fourth in 1978/9 with sixteen winners (second season), second in 1979/80 with nineteen to Tony Herlihy’s twenty two, and equal leading probationary driver in 1980/81 with Tony Herlihy (twenty five victories) in his final season in the junior ranks. He was also top driver on a UDR basis at Addington for the 1980/81 season. After Lowe’s death in March 1985, Paul Young took over training duties being successful with Timandra and Filion in his first season (1984/85) following Ted’s death.
Renowned horseman Paul Young has driven 163 winners (ceased driving in 2011/12 season to give daughter Jessica opportunities) with sixty six training successes to date. Jessica commenced as a junior driver in the 2008/9 season after leaving Ashburton College (forty seven wins as a junior, best season 2015/6 with twenty four, one less than her fathers best), open driver since 2016/7 season with overall eighty six wins to date (ten to date this season). During her junior years, she won the 2015 Darren De Filippi Memorial, a keenly sought after annual Canterbury junior drivers feature over the past two decades.
Jessica took five years “off” to qualify as a pharmacist at Otago University (Bachelor of Pharmacy) and spent a year in a chemists’ prior to returning to harness racing. She has worked for her father, Dean Taylor (grandson of Alec Purdon), Stephen Boyd and from 1 August 2018 began her second stint with Bruce Negus. She has registered her colours (Sky Blue with Purple Crossed Sashes) and will train a few horses of her own in this regard. Major success to date has come with Quick As A Trick (two wins : Methven Green Mile, Central Otago Cup), Franco Texas (six wins : Methven Green Mile) and Clasina Maria (nine wins, eight on grass : Amberley/Marlborough Cups).
Official stats show Ted Lowe retired having driven 161 winners (not including any seasons when he had less than three wins) and 351 training successes. His best season was 1962-63 where he was leading owner with twenty eight wins (£16,940), eighth on the drivers’ premiership with twenty one wins and fourth on the trainers’ premiership with twenty two wins. The twenty eight victories of Lowe owned horses in 1962/63 included Cairnbrae (eight), Grouse and Peel (both six) and Urrall/Lyndhurst three each. Lowe trained Cairnbrae for his first three wins this season before going to Ces Donald, who prepared him for five successive victories.
Ted Lowe was heavily involved in trotting administration, specifically the Mid Canterbury Trotting Owners’ and Trainers’ Association and the Ashburton Trotting Club. After being a steward from 1955, he was elected to the committee of the Ashburton Trotting Club in 1958, and as President from 1977 to 1980, then spent three years as immediate past president before being re-elected to the committee again in 1983 before finally elected a life member of the Ashburton Trotting Club.
Ted Lowe aged 71 at the time of his death at Ashburton Hospital on 19 March 1985 was survived by his wife Lillian and six step-children – Peter Lowe (deceased), Karen McIntyre, Ken Lowe, Noel Lowe, Dorothea (Dot) Webb and Heather Middleton, wife of late Carl Middleton.
His funeral service was held at St Stephens Church, Ashburton with hundreds in attendance to see him off. At the time of his death, Ted owned eighty three horses including broodmares although this number had been reduced in the weeks leading up to his death. This included Stortford Lodge going to stand at stud for Barry Nyhan alongside Lordship. Stortford Lodge together with Huirapa (stood at Millburn Farm for Carl Middleton) and Allenton, were the only colts Ted Lowe did not geld. He studied bloodlines closely and tended to serve his mares with colonial bred stallions and NZ Derby winners where possible.
Peter Craig
23 April 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
