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INTERNATIONAL HISTORY

The Japanese attack Pearl Harbour.

The production of penicillin, discovered by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming begins. The antibiotic was shown to have a remarkable ability to combat bacterially infected wounds and was invaluable in the theatres of war.

NZ troops land in Greece on 18 March, and are evacuated to Crete a month later; they fight the Battle of Crete on 20 May, and are evacuated to Egypt from 29 May, leaving behind 962 killed, 6942 wounded, and 3794 captured.

The National Film Unit is formed and produces a weekly war information newsreel.

LOCAL HISTORY

December 12 - Slit tenches dug in Hagley Park and in Cranmer and Latimer Squares.

Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries

RACING HISTORY BUILDINGS & FACILITIES

FALSE RAIL

This photo shows the finish of the Ellersmere Handicap at the Canterbury Park meeting at Addington in June, 1941 won by Positive from Turco, Stylish Boy and Labour Day.

The interest in this photo is the false rail that can be seen at the straight entrance. Note: Just how long this was in use has not, as yet, been established.

Credit: HRWeekly 25Jul90

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Fred Smith, Josedale Grattan & Winifred Matson

1941 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Josedale Grattan, a stallion imported from America by polished Auckland horseman F J Smith, convincingly led home a North Island-owned trifecta when Kenworthy and Peter Smith filled the placings.

It was an exciting spectacle thanks to the tearaway Gold Bar, but Josedale Grattan had his measure two furlongs from home and won by three lengths in a race record of 4:15.

The meeting also saw notable wins recorded by the mare Haughty and the Globe Derby entire Springfield Globe, who had won the Inter-Dominion in Tasmania as a 4-year-old.

Credit: NZ HRWeekly 8Oct03

RACING HISTORY FEATURE RACE COMMENT

1941 DOMINION TROTTING HANDICAP

The death has occurred of Mr R H Butterick, for many years one of Canterbury's best-known owners, trainers and breeders. Reg Butterick was one of trotting's 'characters'- a self-effacing, agreeable type of man who had a great deal more ability than ever appeared on the surface.

Reg secured his first real 'break' in trotting one overcast afternoon - it was Wednesday, August 14, 1935, to be exact - when he bid 4gns for lot 13 at a horse sale of nondescripts at Christchurch Tattersall's Horse Bazaar, Cashel Street (now-1962- Gough, Gough & Hamer's premises) and had it knocked down to him. This was a bay mare, seven years, by Wrack from a Nelson Bingen mare, and about the plainest bit of horseflesh imaginable. It took the auctioneer, the late Mr A L Matson, all his time to give her away, and Reg Butterick declared that he "only bought her for a farm hack."

By mere chance Mr Butterick discovered the mare could trot; he put her into training and she proved a goldmine by winning seven races on end. She was then retired to the stud and produced a foal by Quite Sure which strangled itself in a fence. Of a fatalistic philosophy, Reg Butterick decided that Peggotty should not have been retired to the stud, and he put her back into training - she proved better than ever, and won the Dominion Handicap in 1941.

Reg Butterick, who bought the American trotting stallion Josedale Dictator from the late F J Smith and had him at stud for many years, owned a lengthy list of horses, the best of whom were Roy Grattan, who was placed second in the NZ Cup, Macklin, winner of the Auckland Cup, and Peggotty.

Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 26Sep62