The thirteenth 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.
U301 KATE BY HIGHLAND CHIEF
The family of Kate (1866 Highland Chief/Pet, unraced) found its way to New Zealand with the importation of the immortal trotting broodmare Berthabell, a daughter of Peter the Great.
BERTHABELL (1909 Peter the Great/Corona Mack), placed as a pacer, £55½; seventeen foals (twins died at birth), eleven winners. Breeder : C.G. Thompson, Kentucky, USA. Imported by and all her foals bred by E. X (Etienne) Le Lievre, Akaroa (Oinako Stud).
Foaled in North America, Berthabell was imported to NZ by Etienne Le Lievre in 1914 at the start of the First World War, together with her filly foal by Bingen [Bell Bingen] and in foal to The Harvester whose colt foal died within days of birth. Imported at the same time from North America was Nelson Bingen who went on to be a leading stallion. Le Lievre successfully imported from North America a number of sires including Harold Dillon, Wallace L, Great Audubon, Guy Parrish, Travis Axworthy and many mares apart from Berthabell (Miss Spear, Muriel Madison, Grattanette, Solon Gazelle, Unique, Lou Lee).
Berthabell’s sire Peter the Great’s impact on the American standard bred scene is only surpassed by Hambletonian 10. Dam Corona Mack was by Wilkes Boy (sire of Grattan, great Canadian family) with her third dam Lady Thorne Jr being the founding mare of USA family Kate by Highland Chief.
Berthabell raced as a pacer in NZ on five occasions attaining three placings (two seconds : New Brighton, Plumpton Park and a third : Timaru). In the same year she finished second at Plumpton Park, in foal later but foaled dead twins to Nelson Bingen. From her fourteen live foals, all but one was Classic Progeny with eight of them being winners.
Berthabell’s female progeny included six daughters who all bred on leaving large families. She left eight foals to the cover of Nelson Bingen (Great Bingen, Peter Bingen, Great Peter, Baron Bingen, Great Nelson, Worthy Bingen, Bessie Bingen, Bertha Bingen), three to Guy Parrish (Great Parrish, Bertha Parrish, Corona Bell) and one each to Bingen (Bell Bingen) and Travis Axworthy (Ringtrue).
Bell Bingen (Bingen) was her first, foaled in North America and crippled when shipped to NZ with her dam. She did not race but produced many foals mostly female :
- Belita: grand dam of Au Fait (Trotting Stakes – three, Dominion Hcps) and sister Precocious (ID Trotting Final, Dominion Hcp, NZ Trotting FFA), fifth dam of Admiral Holliday (VIC Derby, Golden Nugget); eighth dam of WA Oaks winner Artemis Belle and Franco Edward, WA Pearl/Golden Slipper ; ninth dam of Western Cullen, WA Golden Slipper and Amazing Dream, Caduceus Club Classic – 2f
- Mavis Bingen : dam of Mavis De Oro (descendants include Kotare Knight, Deep Court, Henschke (SA Derby)); Cyone, grand dam of Logan Derby’s son Vodka (Dominion Hcp, NZ Trotting FFA, first Australasian winner in North America, won eight in North America, NZ Hall of Fame),ancestress of Mi Coconut (VIC Queen of Pacific), Die Wondering (NSW SS- 2f ); fourth dam of Spry (NZ/Kaikoura Cups) and Berkleigh (NZ Derby, Ashburton Cup); sixth dam of iron horse, Idle Scott, (219 starts—forty six wins [thirty six at Alexandra Park]/seventy five placings, $½m, Rowe Cup, National Trot twice, NZ Trotting FFA, Trotter of Year, NZ Hall of Fame); ninth dam of Tip Your Hat (QLD Derby);
- Parrish Belle (Rowe Cup)
- Young Travis (Westport Cup)
Bell Nelson (Nelson Bingen), final foal, unraced, fourth dam of top performer Our Mana (Easter Cup, twice second in NZ Cup/second AK Cup) and a good mile performer (NZ Flying Mile, Down Under Mile/Waikato Flying Mile twice). Winner of inaugural $10,000 West Coast bonus for winning three races on the Christmas circuit.
Bertha Bingen (Nelson Bingen), winner of two pacing races at Wanganui, grand dam of Indomitable (Rowe Cup/Bridgens Memorial).
Bessie Bingen (Nelson Bingen), twice a winner, dam of Contender (GN Stakes – 2, GN Derby) and trotters Balmoral and Bessie Parrish.
Corona Bell (Guy Parrish), trotting winner of one leaving Hopeful (Taranaki Cup).
Bertha Parrish (Guy Parrish), dam of Sea Gypsy who left NZ Cup winner Our Roger (Louisson Hcp, Ashburton Flying Stakes, ID heat).
From Berthabell’s female branch of the Kate family have come three winners of the Rowe Cup – 1937 Parrish Belle, 1950 Indomitable and 1990 Idle Scott.
Most of Berthabell’s male progeny were successful in the breeding shed.
Great Parrish (Guy Parrish) won fourteen races including GN Derby and an Auckland Cup for J.T. (Jim) Paul. His forty one winners included Otahuhu Cup winner Parrish Lad, Bonniedene (GN Derby), Bold Venture (AK Cup trial, 2nd AK Cup); dam sire of Indian Parrish (Rowe Cup), champion Australian mare Angelique (VIC Oaks, SA Cup, two ID heats), Gold Horizon (NZ Trotting FFA, NZ Hambletonian – OT twice), Pleasant Smile (Otahuhu Cup).
Ringtrue (Travis Axworthy), winner of ten races (five at three), nine at Alexandra Park and FPTC’s Ritchie Hcp; sire of forty six winners (Parshall) including twenty one pacers in Australia having stood at Inverell (NSW) in early 1950’s.
Berthabell produced six full brothers by Nelson Bingen who finished top of the sires list in 1928-29 and 1929-30, was five times second and left two hundred and nineteen winners with stake earnings approaching £191,000. His one gelded son by Berthabell, trotter Great Nelson’s five wins included NZ Sires Produce – 3T at Forbury Park.
Her siring sons were led by Great Bingen, a high class pacer whose twenty six wins (twenty two NZ, four AUS, sixteen Classic races) included NZFFA, 1926 Australian Championships (four wins, beaten by Taraire in final), Dunedin/Exhibition Cups at Forbury, Christchurch and New Brighton Hcps. He won the York Hcp (108 yards behind) at New Brighton before the Duke of York, (later to become King George VI). He was twice second in NZ Cups, fourth on another occasion and twice fourth in Auckland Cups, often off lengthy marks. Great Bingen won six Free-For-Alls during his career. His 2:07.6 placed him among the first hundred NZ horses in 2:10 and in finishing third over two miles in 4:19.4 (108 yards) at Alexandra Park, he was the first horse outside America to go under 4:20. Great Bingen was leading stake earner in 1925/6 (£4,015) with total stake winnings of £14,120 standing as a record for 17 years.
Great Bingen was the first stallion to stand stud duties for Sir John McKenzie leaving forty six winners including NZ Sapling Stakes/NZ Derby winner Taxpayer, Double Great (NZ Derby), Refund/Great News (Wellington Stakes – 3) and dual gaited Dark Hazard. His broodmare sire credits included Bintravis (WA Cup), Bonnidene (GN Derby), Kings Brigade/Sure Gift (NZ Trotting Stakes – 3), Manapouri (NSW Sapling), Powerful Lady (NZ Oaks), Tapuwae (Rowe Cup) and Crocus, grand dam of Sole Command (NZ/AK Cups, two ID heats, Horse of Year). Great Bingen died in May 1945 ar Roydon Lodge in his twenty sixth year.
Peter Bingen started his career as a trotter with a second in the NZ Trotting Stakes – 3. As a high class pacer, his sixteen wins included consecutive NZ Cups, NZFFA (three times second), National Cup and Canterbury Hcps. He placed second in an Auckland Cup and a division of NZ Cup. His 2:07.0 placed him among the first hundred NZ horses in 2:10. His forty five winners included three time Otahuhu Cup winner Double Peter, Peter Smith (FFA winner), Peters Find (GN Derby) and dam sire of NZ Derby winner Single Medoro.
Worthy Bingen, recorded four wins in three seasons of racing, siring thirty three winners of whom twenty one were trotters. Journalist Karl Scott rated him the best sire of the three brothers by Nelson Bingen. He sired Worthy Queen whose T2:03.6TT set in 1934 took 5.4 seconds off previous record and stood as a NZ Trotters mile record for twenty eight years; Tan John (Dominion Hcp).
Great Peter won three races at three including GN Derby and the final running of the Champion Stakes at Addington in 1927 before its transfer to Ashburton. He won again at Auckland at four and five before his final three victories (eight in total) at six during the Auckland Summer carnival. He retired after being unplaced at seven dying shortly thereafter.
Baron Bingen, winner of seven races, exported to United Kingdom to stand at stud.
Berthabell died at Oinako Stud aged 23, her progeny having won close to 100 races and approximately £35,000 in stakes, much of it during the depression years.
Kate by Highland Chief imported great great granddaughter Berthabell is a leading NZ family with a number of classic performers included in the various founding branches of the family. With three winners of four NZ Cup’s (Peter Bingen twice, Our Roger, Spry), the family sits third equal with Dairy Maid, Millie C and Fanny Fern compared to leading NZ Cup winning family Pride Of Lincoln with six (Regina second with five wins).
Other major race winning performances include :
Dominion Hcp winners – Vodka, Au Fait, Precocious
Derby winners :
NZ – Berkleigh; Idle Pride/Au Fait (Trotters)
GN – Great Peter, Great Parrish, Contender, Firmament
AUST – Franco Enforce
NSW – Surprise Frost (Trotters)
QLD – Franco Enforce, Tip Your Hat
SA – My Ultrasound, Henschke
VIC – Admiral Holliday
WA – Swahili, Satanas, Volutis, Trunkey Maseratti
ID winners : Trotters – Precocious
Idle Scott was Trotter of Year in NZ in 1990.
Oaks winners from the family include Pammy Bam, White Thunder, Western Dream, Torquen Power, Flojos Gold, and Artemis Belle.
The family has one on the 1:50 list in Australasian winner Lets Chase The Dream, 1:49.9 (NZ bred winner at Menangle, 2017) with other speedy “locals” being Oliver Winkle (1:51.5), Whats In The Esky (1:51.7), Fouroeight (1:51.8, 1:52.0) and Real Stride (1:51.9). Blazing Under Fire (T1:55.4) and Idle Bones (T1:55.6) are the families’ fastest trotters with times recorded at Menangle in 2019 and 2016 respectively.
The families three $500,000 horses are “iron horse”, trotter Idle Scott (winner of eighteen Classic races) just ahead of Derby/Breeders Crown winner Tip Your Hat (seventeen credits) and Lets Chase The Dream.
Next Edition : an additional article covering the three maternal families unlucky to miss out on my Bakers dozen choice as leading Australasian families.
Peter Craig
24 July 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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