The Kaikoura Trotting Club has paid tribute to the late Frank Monk - and his remarkable trotting mare Nikora.
The tribute was held during the club’s recent Kaikoura Cup day and celebrated the 100-year anniversary of Nikora’s win in the 1924 Dominion Handicap at Addington Raceway in Christchurch.
Nikora, driven by Frank, won the prestigious 2-mile race for New Zealand’s best trotters from a 48-yard handicap in race-record time of ‘‘4 minutes 34 and 1/5th seconds’’.
It was an outstanding performance, with the mare reported to have shown ‘‘brilliant speed from the barrier’’ and having ‘‘had the race in safe keeping a long way from home’’.
She was three lengths clear of the 16 other runners at the finish, with a further six lengths between the second and third horse.
But the win, which earned Frank ‘‘1000 sovereigns’’ was all the more remarkable for the epic journey the pair encountered travelling to Christchurch for the race.
Frank set off from his farm in Puhi Puhi, near Kaikoura, a few weeks before the big race.
They were heading for Parnassus, about 54 kilometres away, with Frank driving Nikora in a gig and towing his Hickory Shafted McKinley race cart which he imported from the United States in 1918.
From Parnassus they were able to connect with a horse transporter and travel the remainder of their journey in relative comfort with Nikora later reported to be in ‘‘fine fettle’’ during a prerace trial at Addington.
The Kaikoura Club’s treasurer and historian, Phil Gourdie said Frank was a highly regarded stalwart of the club who was also a significant harness racing owner, trainer, driver and administrator with a great interest in trotting.
‘‘He won many races throughout New Zealand. Winning the Dominion Handicap with Nikora in 1924 would have been his proudest moment.’’
The club secretary Glenn Hames said they wanted to mark the centenary of that achievement and the contribution Frank made during his long relationship with the club which includes attending the inaugural meeting in 1909 and proposing the motion to form the club.
He also won three Kaikoura Cups, in 1928, 1929 and 1931.
In Frank's tribute on Kaikoura Cup day Kaikoura trainer-driver Barry Ford and his trotter Blink N Bones led out the field for the White Morph South Bay Trotters Cup with Barry wearing a new set of Frank's racing colours made specially for the occasion.
There was also a static vehicle display on course including Frank’s race cart, which the club’s president Ben Smith had restored for the tribute, a 1924 Buick and a 2024 Corvette.
