The NZ Pacing Oaks – 50 Years ago

[Wandering Eyes]

With the likes of Treacherous Bay and Duchess Megxit squaring off in Friday’s $225,000 Group 1 Tennant Engineering NZ Pacing Oaks for the three-year-old fillies at Addington Raceway why not look back at who won the Oaks half a century ago?

1974 New Zealand Oaks winner – Hurrania

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk

It was like mother like daughter in the New Zealand Oaks 50 years ago.

On February 16, 1974 at Addington Raceway, Hurrania won the New Zealand Oaks, just like her mum Arania had done 15 years previously.

She gave trainer George Noble her third win in the fillies classic, son John Noble his second winning drive, and Roy McKenzie, of Roydon Lodge fame, his second success in the race as an owner-breeder.

Hurrania was perfectly driven by John Noble (pictured above) in the 14-strong field. She was positioned in the one-one more than a lap out from home. In the straight she was too strong for second favourite Forta Cavalla, winning by over a length.

On a rainy day it was an eventful Oaks with four runners receiving bad checks after 350 metres when Grouse Call galloped.

The disappointment in the race was the hot favourite Gentle Miss. Her manners were wayward early before sprinting around the field to be handy from the 1600 metres, only to fade in the run home to finish seventh.

George Noble’s previous training successes in the Oaks were with Arania in 1959 and Bonnie Frost 10 years later. George drove Arania to victory with son John doing the honours with Hurrania and Bonnie Frost. (George and John Noble also combined to win the 1976 New Zealand Cup with Stanley Rio.)

Bonnie Frost’s winning margin in the Oaks is recorded as being seven lengths, the equal biggest along with Glint in 1955.

Hurrania was one of the first New Zealand crop of Armbro Hurricane who was imported from the USA by Roy McKenzie in 1969 for his Roydon Lodge Stud at Yaldhurst in Christchurch. She was Arania’s seventh and most successful foal, with eight career wins from 70 starts.

Bred and raced by McKenzie, Arania (U Scott – Local Gold) at one stage was the fourth fastest mare in history after recording a 1:57 mark at the famous Red Mile track in Kentucky in 1961.

Driven by Noble senior, McKenzie’s private trainer, she was a top three-year-old winning six times that season from just nine starts. She also won two heats of the 1961 Inter Dominions at Addington before just getting beaten in the final by Massacre and three-time New Zealand Cup champion False Step.

To show how things have changed over the past half century in 1974 the Oaks was worth $9000 while Friday’s race has stakes of $225,000, with more than $123,000 going to the winner. Hurrania’s winning time was 3:29.3 – the race record by Princess Tiffany in 2019 was 3:08.2.

The Oaks date back to 1948 with Mark Purdon (5 wins), Ricky May (5 wins), Natalie Rasmussen (4 wins) and David Butcher (4 wins) all featuring prominently in recent years.

To see Friday’s Oaks field click here
 

 

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