Re-live some of our past glories on this page
Sundon - Castleton's Dream
Lifetime Total - 69 starts 15 wins 10 seconds 6 thirds $237,242
Trot 3 1.59.7; Trot 1.59.5 1950m
incl Hambletonian Classic Group 2, ID Trotters Heat Group 3, 2nd ID Trotters Grand Final Group 1, 2nd Dominion Trotting Handicap Group 1, 3rd NZ Trotting Stakes Group 1.
What a horse he would have been if he could have stayed sound.
http://www.mickeee.co.nz/Mission.html for more info
Vance Hanover-Vita Gold
84 starts 14 - wins 16 - 2nds 10 - 3rds $192,750
1994 DB DRAUGHT NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP
$300,000, OC HANDICAP PACE, 3200m
1 7 Bee Bee Cee Fr 180,000.00 7/8 4-01.5 J F Curtin
2 13 Master Musician 10M 60,000.00 2/1 4-00.9 R J Dunn
3 2 Matthew Lee Fr 30,000.00 15/15 4-02.0 P G O'Reilly
Vance Hanover - Believe Me
15 starts 4 - wins 5 - 2nds 0 - 3rds $173,750
1992 BELLINI SHOES NZ SALES SERIES FINAL
$130,000, 2YO FILLIES C0 & FASTER MOBILE PACE, 1700m
1 6 Vee Mee Fr 79,600.00 2-09.6 R T May
2 15 This Time Franco Fr 18,900.00 2-10.0 B Purdon
3 1 Sneaky Peak Fr 10,080.00 2-10.8 M Purdon
1993 PYNE GOULD GUINNESS NZ YEARLING SALES-FILLIES
$90,000, 3YO FILLIES C0 & FASTER MOBILE PACE, 2000m
1 3 Vee Mee Fr 58,090.00 2-30.3 R T May
2 5 This Time Franco Fr 14,865.00 2-30.4 A G Herlihy
3 1 Olivia Franco Fr 7,870.00 2-30.8 J F Curtin
Developed and sold to Australia My FIRST BIG SALE - this horse was placed in 3 DERBYS in AUSTRALIA but died at 4 when looking like a very good horse !
Prizemoney: $ 140,047
Starts: 51
Wins: 21
Seconds: 5
Thirds: 10
Best Winning Mile Rate: 1.55.9MS
Butler B G-Light Ahead
48 starts 5 - wins 5 - 2nds 5 - 3rds $45,656
For Michael House 14 starts 3 wins 1 2nd 1 3rd
2 New Zealand records 2400 STD AND MOB 3 YEAROLD
SIRES STAKES HEAT
SOUTHERN SUPERACY HEAT & 2ND in FINAL to ATTITAGAIN
Holmes Hanover-Lady Crystal
10 starts 3 - wins 1 - 2nd 0 -3rds $19,335
1995 DB DRAUGHT FILLIES SERIES (HEAT 6)
$10,000, 3YO FILLIES G0 & FASTER MOBILE PACE, 1609m
1 1 Miss Dufton Fr 6,500.00 2/1 1-58.2 C J De Filippi
2 6 Lover's Wish Fr 2,000.00 9/8 1-58.4 K N Larsen
3 10 Go Anna Fr 1,000.00 5/5 1-58.5 A M Butt
also won the Blenhiem HEAT OF THE DB SERIES
28 JULY 1930 - 14 JUNE 2003
Husband to MARION
Brother to SALLY
Father to MICHE`LE , ANGLEA , BRUCE & MARK
Sadly missed
Soky's Atom-Van Royal
8 starts 3 - wins 1 - 2nd 1 -3rd $21,675
1998 HYDROFLOW FILLIES SERIES (HEAT 4) MOBILE PACE
$11,000, 3YO FILLIES, 1609m
1 1 Luvyulindylu Fr 6,615.00 2/2 1-57.2 C J Barron
2 7 Caesars Woman Fr 1,650.00 3/3 1-57.6 2.0 R T May
3 5 Atom Royale Fr 880.00 4/5 1-57.6 2.4 C J De Filippi
ALSO WON SOUTHERN OAKS HEAT
Died early in 4 year old seaon with COLITIS X A BEAUTIFUL MARE WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT HORSE she could rip off a 26 sec 1/4 at any moment .
Artsplace-Seven O'Clock
2 starts 2 wins winning at ADDINGTON in 3.15 9 2600M MOB
WENT ON AND HAS WON 50 RACES WORLD WIDE and won $500,000 and been in 1.50
a great horse who could race every week .
It was a great experience to have him !
Valley Victory-Lovelorn(USA)
13 starts 4 -wins 3 - 2nds 1 -3rd $44,675
1997 FIRESTONE FIREHAWK NZ TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP
$26,000, M1 & FASTER FFA MOBILE, 2600m
1 6 Holdonmyheart Fr 16,250.00 1/2 3-20.1 C J Barron
2 4 Diedre's Pride Fr 5,200.00 3/3 3-20.4 J C Hay
3 8 Little Jolter Fr 2,600.00 6/6 3-20.6 G D O'Reilly
1997 CANTERBURY DRAUGHT BANKS PENINSULA TROTTING CUP
$13,000, C5 & FASTER DISCRETIONARY HANDICAP, 2800m
1 15 Holdonmyheart 30M 8,125.00 3/3 3-46.5 C J Barron
2 14 Eastburn Grant 30M 2,600.00 1/1 3-46.8 1.3 K M Barron
3 5 Marvin Fr 1,300.00 2/2 3-49.4 2.3 D J Butt
INTER DOMINION HEAT WINNER
4TH IN FINAL
Sundon-Princess Della
13 starts 2 -wins 2 -2nds 1 -3rd $53,161
Now placed in 1:55.3 in USA
2002 ROYDON LODGE STUD NZ 2YO TROTTING STAKES (MOBILE)
$25,000, 2YO, 1950m
1 14 Just Incredible Fr 15,012.50 3/3 2-29.9 C J De Filippi
2 2 Solar Active Fr 4,100.00 5/6 2-30.0 0.5 M Purdon
3 1 Lord Clive Fr 1,800.00 2/1 2-30.2 1.3 M J House
2003 PYNE GOULD GUINNESS NZ YEARLING SALES TROT
$58,500, 3YO MOBILE, 1950m
1 11 Just Incredible Fr 32,175.00 1/1 2-27.4 C J De Filippi
2 12 Halogen Fr 9,940.00 8/9 2-27.6 1.3 M P Jones
3 7 Kristalvagen Fr 5,560.00 3/3 2-27.7 2.0 G A Payne
Holmes Hanover-Davidia Bromac
35 -starts 9 -wins 3 -2nds 2 -3rds $52,229
A BEAUTIFUL BROWN MARE WHO WAS RETIRED EARLY TO GO TO STUD !
10 starts 4 wins 1 2nd
Another who was leased for syndicate and we put in light to race in the NORTH IS. and he won his first 4 in a row including a couple of cup races
STRATFORD CUP
WANGANUI CUP
THEN WENT ON TO RACE AT THE Interdominions in AUCKLAND and run 2nd to FACTA NON VERBA
sent home to spell he was found dead in the paddock whilst on holiday still only a 4 year old !
Save Fuel-Oil City Lady
84 -starts 9 - wins 12 - 2nds 3 - 3rds $54,248
2 NELSON CUPS
BLENHIEM CUP
PLACED IN ALMOST ALL OTHER COUNTRY CUPS IN STH IS.
Darren De Fillippi won a JNR DRIVERS race with him
Just an awesome horse to take on a trip !
Caprock-Cara Alayne
60 -starts 9 -wins 10 - 2nds 3 - 3rds $65,037
Micheles first horse raced in partnership with ROSS HARLUND
2 NELSON CUPS
AKAROA CUP(D J BUTT TRAINER)
AMBERLEY CUP(D J BUTT TRAINER)
Genghis Khan-Cash Asset
25 -starts 6 -wins 3 - 2nds 6 -3rds $94,335
Nht sales series win (P Bagrie trainer)
SIRES STAKES HEAT WIN
3 wins at the CUP MEETING 2001
3RD GREAT NORTHERN DERBY 2000
3RD FORBURY 4YEAR OLD SERIES
Sold to the US he paced in 1.51 on the 800m track and won $250,000us in 3 months and then broke his leg , they have screwed it and now hopefully they will get him back .
In The Pocket-Bella Chip
59 starts 16 - wins 7 - 2nds 7 - 3rds
For Michael House 21 starts 3 wins 1 2nds 1 3rds
Returned from America and won Free for All on NZ Cup Day and the Ashburton Cup - was starting his siring career when tragically cut down by Colitis X.
Soky's Atom-Luckyship Two
>For Michael House 11 starts 5 wins 4 2nds 0 3rds
Leased for a syndicate he was a lovely horse who was a great stayer just waiting for the right time ! unfortunately he broke his pastern in training and could not be saved ! he probably would have gone on to freeforall class as he did have a great capacity to handle the workload .
Michael Jonathan -tabella pauline
All wins at ADDINGTON a great late closing horse WHO COULD run home over any horse sub 26sec sold and has done a great job in the US
Prizemoney: $27,035
starts : 26
wins: 6
placings 4
Holmes Hanover-Vita Gold
Developed and exported to Australia
Prizemoney: $ 158,643
Starts: 141
Wins: 28
Seconds: 17
Thirds: 13
Best Winning Mile Rate: 2.00.8
BROTHER TO MATTHEW LEE WHO WAS A SMART MAIDEN WHO WAS SOLD - HE MUST HAVE BEEN SOUND!
FLETCHERS TRIBUTE TO SIR ROY
A sad day for Harness Racing Worldwide with the the death of Sir Roy McKenzie on September 2nd 2007.
Canterbury harness racing identity Fred Fletcher will firstly and foremost always remember Sir Roy McKenzie as a kind and generous man who always put the welfare of those in less fortunate circumstances first.
He will also recall his genuine love of harness horses that meant much more to him than simply a means of making money.
Fletcher, for 30 years ran Sir Roy’s vast Roydon Lodge operation near Christchurch and trained and drove for the distinguished Wellingtonian with great success.
“I can recall that when I won the Auckland Cup for him with Roydon Glen that he donated the stake money to the Wellington Trotting Club to glass in the front of the public grandstand,’’ he said.
“He raced so many good horses and stood so many fine sires that it is difficult to recall all of them but, speaking of stud stallions, Sundon, Game Pride, Smooth Fella, Scottish Command, Thurber Frost, Captain Adios and Armbro Hurricane were some of the better ones I was tied up with for him.’’
Similarly, Roydon Glen, Roydon Scott and Sundon were three of the finest race horses Fletcher was involved with for Sir Roy who also enjoyed much success with other big winners Jay Ar, Bonnie Frost, La Mignon, Roydon Roux, Arania, Samantha and Garcon Roux.
John Noble, who also enjoyed a long and worthwhile association with Sir Roy, always maintained that Bonnie Frost might well have been the greatest of them all on the track for him and his late father George.
Garcon Roux was New Zealand’s first Harness Horse of the Year when the award was inaugurated in 1968-69. Bonnie Frost also won the prestigious award the following year.
Northern trainer Charlie Hunter also enjoyed considerable success with a raft of horses for Sir Roy, one of their most satisfying wins being the John Langdon-driven Castleton’s Pride in the 1975 Interdominion Trotting Grand Final at Alexandra Park.
Jay Ar dead heated with Robin Dundee in the memorable 1965 Interdominion Pacing Grand Final at Forbury Park in Dunedin.
“Sir Roy liked traveling to many places to see his race horses compete and you couldn’t get a better man to work for,’’ Fletcher said in tribute.
“Up to his death, I would still speak with Sir Roy once or twice a week,’’ Fletcher said.
“Not long ago when he got out of a Hospice, I told him that many people wanted to know how he was with his health and he quipped back and told me to tell them that he was heading either forward or backwards.’’
That warm sense of humour and acceptance of failing health were other hallmarks of Sir Roy’s life and the measure of him as a man, Fletcher said. The trainer added: “We ran fourth for him with Dear Diedre at Addington on Friday night but I missed catching Sir Roy on the phone to talk to him about it.’’
Sir Roy played rugby in his youth and also followed the keen rivalry between Wellington and Canterbury in that sporting code with much interest, Fletcher said.
“He thoroughly enjoyed driving his own horses in earlier years…He was a competitive driver and always got a great thrill out of any wins.’’
Fletcher was moved to say that Sir Roy’s passing was a classic case of the end of an era.
One of Wellington’s favourite sons, he followed on from the profound contribution of his late father J R (John) McKenzie of Light Brigade and U Scott fame and founder of Roydon Lodge that has etched an indelible impression on harness racing annals world-wide.
The late George Noble, for many years master of Roydon Lodge, told the writer in the course of an interview many years ago that Sir Roy “kept it in the family’’ when he carried on from where his father left off.
Sir Roy, he said, projected the same refined dignity and gentlemanly ways of his father and was also a role model for society and harness racing.
As long as harness horses are running around New Zealand tracks, the influence of Sir Roy McKenzie, his father John and Roydon Lodge is certain to be present in some shape or form.
Their act will be difficult to follow, some might say impossible.
Don Wright
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