DB RACING ANNUAL 1984-1985 Edited by John Costello.

After a somehow quiet opening, the 1984-1985 racing season in New Zealand wound up as colourful a tapestry as ever.

The main drama occurred where Victoria Racing Club vets forced the scratching of Kiwi from the Melbourne Cup on the eve of the big race and all New Zealand shared the disappointment of Kiwi’s owners, Snow and Anne Lupton.

On the staying front at home, Secured Deposit emerged as much more than a plodding stayer with a crushing superior DB Auckland Cup victory and a gallant second in the Wellington Cup.

Among the sprinters and metric-milers there were brilliant performances from High Regards and Burletta to highlight a season in which honours were fairly well distributed.

The three year olds included two stars up to 1600 m, Canterbury Belle & Kingdom Bay, with Jolly Jake a worthy and talented New Zealand Derby winner.

The two-year old picture, as is becoming the case more often, was not clarified until the autumn when Star Board emerged as the top youngster.

More than a few touches of sadness . . . The passing of generation-spanning identities like Hector Anderton and Jim Tomkinson, the poignant completion of the Great Northern hat trick by Hunterville just a week after the death of owner Doug Mackenzie . . . The retirement of respected racing friends like Bill Sanders, Bill Skelton and Johnny Grylls.

A superlative riding season by David Walsh who, despite a lengthy absence from the saddle, not only broke but shattered David Peake’s record of wins for a season.

These, a wide coverage of the Australian racing scene & other highlights of what became, after all, an engrossing season, are captured in word & picture in the 1985 DB Racing Annual.

Hardcover with d/j, 157 pages. In overall good used condition, owners name crossed out