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New Zealand Quizzes, Trivia

New Zealand Horse Racing Trivia

New Zealand Horse Racing Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
5 quizzes and 55 trivia questions.
1.
  New Zealand Trotting: Early Years    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz about the early years of NZ harness racing, 1890-1960. Most race fans will remember the names of these early champions.
Difficult, 10 Qns, veandercross, Feb 28 05
Difficult
veandercross
390 plays
2.
  Carbine    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
One of the greatest horses born in the Southern Hemisphere.
Tough, 15 Qns, veandercross, Apr 12 05
Tough
veandercross
368 plays
3.
  Rising Fast    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
One more in the series of New Zealand and Australian champion race horses.
Tough, 15 Qns, veandercross, Jul 18 04
Tough
veandercross
388 plays
4.
  Sunline - Mare of the World    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A long overdue quiz on the greatest ever mare from this side of the world. In 2002 she was named for the third consecutive time, Australian Horse of the Year.
Tough, 10 Qns, ricemaster, Feb 17 03
Tough
ricemaster
610 plays
5.
  NZ Racing    
Multiple Choice
 5 Qns
Do you know your racing?
Difficult, 5 Qns, RacingGod, Jun 18 06
Difficult
RacingGod
525 plays

New Zealand Horse Racing Trivia Questions
1. Which trotting track is located in Christchurch, New Zealand?

From Quiz New Zealand Trotting: Early Years

Answer: Addington

Harness racing commenced at Addington in November 1899, under the auspices of the newly formed New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. It is still one of the most popular racing venues in the world. Home of the NZ Trotting Cup and the NZ Derby.

2. Who was the sire of Rising Fast?

From Quiz Rising Fast

Answer: Alonzo

Both sire and dam were below average performers, but as usual in horses and humans, genetics always throw up a freak.

3. Who was the sire of Carbine ?

From Quiz Carbine

Answer: Musket

Logical, but Carbine's father was lucky to be alive, after his owner, the Earl of Glasgow, wanted to shoot the horse. The owner died before he could complete the action.

4. Who was the first horse to win three Wellington Cups?

From Quiz NZ Racing

Answer: Cynisca

Cynisca not only won three, but all three consecutive from 1890-1892.

5. Who is Sunline's sire?

From Quiz Sunline - Mare of the World

Answer: Desert Sun

Desert Sun raced 23 times for only 3 wins.

6. Which horse won the 1931 and 1932 NZ Trotting Cups?

From Quiz New Zealand Trotting: Early Years

Answer: Harold Logan

A late starter, he was 9 years old when he won the NZ Cup of 1931. A quote from Karl Scott, racing writer of the times, "Everybody loved this horse. His uncanny intelligence, courage, and perfect manners appealed to all. And at the barrier, he would stand ears pricked and watch the starter as keenly as the drivers did". Harold Logan won 30 races and was still racing at the age of 16!

7. Who was the dam of Rising Fast?

From Quiz Rising Fast

Answer: Faster

Cutie was his granddam.

8. Who was Carbine's dam ?

From Quiz Carbine

Answer: Mersey

The other three are of course, modern-era mares.

9. What did the race caller say Bonecrusher raced to after winning the Cox Plate?

From Quiz NZ Racing

Answer: Equine Immortality

Bonecrusher and Our Wavely Star battled from the 1000m mark up until the finish where Bonecrusher came out on top and raced to Equine Immortality.

10. Who is Sunline's dam?

From Quiz Sunline - Mare of the World

Answer: Songline

Songline, by Western Symphony, won five races in New Zealand. Hardly black type pedigree!

11. Born in 1929, ____________ was the winner of the 1932 Great Northern Derby, 1933 Auckland Trotting Cup, and the 1934 New Zealand Trotting Cup.

From Quiz New Zealand Trotting: Early Years

Answer: Indianapolis

Owned by Dunedin butcher, George Barton. Indianapolis also won the NZ Trotting Cups of 1935 and 1936. He finished his career with 27 wins and sired over 70 winners.

12. Where was he bred?

From Quiz Rising Fast

Answer: New Zealand

At Greytown in the Wairarapa, Lower North Island.

13. Where was Carbine foaled in 1885?

From Quiz Carbine

Answer: Auckland

New Zealand, where all the best horses in the Southern Hemisphere are bred.

14. Who was Sunline's trainer?

From Quiz Sunline - Mare of the World

Answer: Trevor McKee

A top trainer with over a thousand race wins, Trevor trained Sunline in partnership with his son Stephen.

15. Foaled in the USA in 1932, U _____ was a trotter converted to pacing on arrival in NZ, winning 11 times, but as a sire he was a sensation.

From Quiz New Zealand Trotting: Early Years

Answer: Scott

A stunning black horse, as a sire U Scott is credited with over 500 individual winners, and over 2000 race wins. He was the NZ Sire list champion 9 times. He was also the leading Broodmare Sire of Australia from 1972-77.

16. Who was his owner?

From Quiz Rising Fast

Answer: Leicester Spring

Leicester Spring was an accountant from Whakatane.

17. In New Zealand, he won all his starts as a two year old in the 1887-88 season: how many starts was that?

From Quiz Carbine

Answer: 5

He won 7 times for his first owner, an ex jockey called Dan O'Brien.

18. Which NZ horse beat another NZ horse Rough Habit, in the 1994 Cox Plate?

From Quiz NZ Racing

Answer: Solvit

Solvit held off a last stride lunge from Rough Habit and won by leading all the way.

19. Who was Rising Fasts first trainer, controversially suspended?

From Quiz Rising Fast

Answer: Jack Winder

Rising Fast was the early favourite for the 1953 Auckland Cup, but ran a shocker in a leadup race, the Te Awamutu Cup. Jacks suspension was finally increased to 5 years, amazing considering how many trainers let their horses have soft runs, and how many times the trainers non favoured runner, beats his preferred horse.

20. What was the name of his first owner?

From Quiz Carbine

Answer: Daniel O'Brien

Melbourne born, O'Brien traveled to New Zealand and competed as jockey in the South Island goldfields circuit. He went on to the buy the Racecourse Hotel next door to Riccarton, the biggest course in the South Island.

21. In the 2002 Auckland Cup, an Aussie jockey came over and rode the winner. Who was it?

From Quiz NZ Racing

Answer: Scott Seamer

Scotty Seamer teamed up with Magiure and came with a beautifully timed run to beat Cyclades.

22. The first of her Cox Plate wins came in 1999. Which multiple Group 1 winning horse ran second?

From Quiz Sunline - Mare of the World

Answer: Tie The Knot

The Group 1 Cox Plate, run at Moonee Valley, is a 2040m weight for age event and is a part of the Emirates World Series. Frequently termed the Race of Champions, the 1999 event certainly heralded the arrival of one.

23. Which trotting track is located in Auckland, New Zealand?

From Quiz New Zealand Trotting: Early Years

Answer: Alexandra Park

Originally called Potters Paddock, this ground was home to a number of other sports including rugby. The Auckland Trotting club commenced racing there in 1890-91 season. A beautiful racecourse that has seen most of the champion horses race there over its long history.

24. Where was Rising Fast's final start and win in New Zealand?

From Quiz Rising Fast

Answer: Paeroa

In the 1953 Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes, he came back to a hostile reception from the crowd, after the last start problems and the Waikato Racing Stewarts appealed the previous decision, and increased Jack Winders suspension to 12 months, the jockeys to 3 months, and banned the horse for 12 months. The horses ban was lifted but only after the Auckland and Wellington Cups had been run. His owner had enough by now and took the horse to Australia, never to race in New Zealand again.

25. Who was his new Australian owner?

From Quiz Carbine

Answer: Donald Wallace

O'Brien was his 1st owner, Walter Hickenbotham was his Australian trainer and Bob was not even born yet.

26. Which horse won the 1950 New Zealand and Great Northern Derbys, and the 1953 and 1954 NZ Free-for-alls?

From Quiz New Zealand Trotting: Early Years

Answer: Johnny Globe

Trained, owned, and driven by Don Nyhan, Johnny Globe held records over the mile, mile and 3/8, and two miles. He won the Derbys in 1950, and the 1954 NZ Trotting Cup. He retired with 34 wins and sired the mighty Lordship.

27. The crowning achievement in her illustrious career would have to be her win in the 2000 Hong Kong International Mile at Sha Tin racecourse. Which local star did she just nose out?

From Quiz Sunline - Mare of the World

Answer: Fairy King Prawn

After stealing a break from the wide running Fairy King Prawn, the two horses staged a thrilling duel up the straight, with Sunline winning the HK$10 million Group 1 event by a short head with Australian runner Adam in third.

28. One of the best drivers in NZ harness racing history?

From Quiz New Zealand Trotting: Early Years

Answer: Maurice Holmes

Born in 1908, Maurice drove his first winner in the 1924 season. He won the drivers premiership 18 times in total and drove over 1600 winners in a long career. He won 3 New Zealand Cups, 2 Auckland Cups, and two Interdominion finals. He also won 12 New Zealand Derbys.

29. Ivan Tucker, a New Zealander, who took over the training after the Winder suspension, was himself suspended, and the horse went to which Australian trainer?

From Quiz Rising Fast

Answer: Fred Hoysted

A well known Melbourne trainer. Known as Father.

30. He won how many Sydney Cups?

From Quiz Carbine

Answer: 2

In the 1889 Sydney Cup, he beat Melos, Abercorn and Keith. He also won the 1890 Sydney Cup.

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