This week’s Group 1-laden Friday night at Alexandra Park will be headlined by the $200,000 Woodlands Stud Northern Derby. So why not look back at one of the great champions to have won the race – 75 years ago.
Johnny Globe’s Derby win – “he gave nothing else a look-in”
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
Among the many champions that have won the Northern Derby since it was first run in 1916 – the likes of Indianapolis, Courage Under Fire and Lazarus – Johnny Globe’s must have been the most emphatic.
75 years ago the Don Nyhan-trained and driven pacer, who he’d once described as a “miserable looking” colt, won the 1950 Northern Derby on the grass at Alexandra Park by 22 lengths in a then race record. He won the New Zealand Derby the same year too.
In the Northern Derby he cut out the one and a half miles (2400m approx) in 3:17.2, beating the old record of 3:18.4 by Sir Vivian, driven by Bob Young, in 1947.
Such was the ease of victory that experts thought he could have gone 3:12 if he’d been pushed.
Media reports at the same said : “The public really enjoyed the display of Johnny Globe, who bowled along in front of the field and gave nothing a look-in.”
Private Scott tried to head off Johnny Globe early but had to concede defeat. With a lap to go Holden and Red Slipper looked to be the only ones likely to place before Centrepoise came from a seemingly hopeless position to wear them down and take second in 3:26.2.
The Johnny Globe story is a harness racing classic. Don Nyhan only procured the horse because he was convinced to by wife Doris. They agreed to sacrifice buying a fur coat to buy what was then “a scraggy little colt”.
That less than impressive youngster didn’t show much early on and had on-going issues with his feet. But he did win his debut in the Timaru Nursery Stakes and went on to become an out and out champion.
He retired as a nine-year-old after a career that included 34 wins from 99 starts including winning the New Zealand Cup at his fourth attempt, in 1954. He paced it in a world record 4:07.6.
Johnny Globe was officially farewelled at Addington in December, 1956, when a huge crowd emotionally cheered and sang as a band played ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’. He was later inducted into the New Zealand Trotting Hall of Fame.
As a sire he was also successful. He was the top stallion in the country for four years straight in the 1970s. His greatest progeny without doubt was Lordship, who twice won the NZ Cup in his 45 wins and was an even greater success at stud than Johnny Globe himself.