Legends or embellishments often get attached to great historical figures or acts.
One such legend concerned one of New Zealand’s greatest racehorses – the “legendary,” Hawke’s Bay steeplechaser, “Moifaa.”
When being shipped from New Zealand to Englandin 1902 ‒ so the “legend” goes, the steamship carrying Moifaa was shipwrecked near Cape Town, South Africa, and the horse swam some distance to the safety of the shore. Moifaa was recovered by the crew and then went onto Liverpool, England.
In 1899, some years before Moifaa’s journey, another steamship, the SS Thermopylae, left Melbourne for England, carrying two racehorses, Kiaora (a New Zealand horse) and Chesney.
This ship ran aground at Green Point, Cape Town, and while Chesney was taken to safety by a crew member, Kiaora had already broken free from the holding cabin, and swam to Mouille Point, where she was found injured 10 hours later by the crew. Both horses were shipped on another vessel to England.
Another version, which originated from America, has Moifaa swimming to a barren Island off the Irish coast after his ship went down, and being discovered by two fishermen who ferried him ashore. They then trained him on the old Fairyhouse course before he went onto to Aintree, Liverpool to contest the Grand National – one of the world’s most famous horse races.
A different version states he got off the ship at Liverpool hours before competing in the Grand National at Aintree.
These were all myths, but descriptions of Moifaa swimming to safety from a shipwreck continue to the present day.
It is because of these myths, Moifaa is one of the past’s best remembered Grand National winners as “The Robinson Crusoe horse” (a fictional character from author Daniel Defoe who was shipwrecked on an island).
Moifaa was bred in 1895 by Martin Baird, of Takapau, and was purchased by the Central Hawke’s Bay Ellingham family, and jockeyed by Alf Ellingham.
He was a big horse at more than 17 hands, and as a five year old became the country’s best jumper. In 1900/01 he won nine of his 13 steeplechase races (over fences), including the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase in Hastings. Moifaa was then considered the greatest performer over jumps New Zealand had ever seen.
Spencer Gollan was a tall and strong antipodean, and a champion athlete.
He owned Mangatarata Station, near Waipukurau, which he inherited from his father, Donald.
Spencer, like many of the wealthier families, was sent to Switzerland and then Cambridge, England, to be educated.
Spencer excelled at any sport he decided to pursue.
He was a champion at running, rowing, sculling, swimming, boxing, shooting (rifle and revolver), fives (handball) and golf (he was New Zealand Amateur champion twice) and won an event at the home of golf, St Andrews, Scotland.
At St Andrews, he won the Jubilee vase at age 65, with a handicap of being blinded in one eye (a pupil was penetrated by a tree spike) and a wrist damaged from a stray golf ball striking it the previous day.
It was said of Spencer: “Mr Gollan, a tall, soldierly looking man, as straight as a gun barrel, had triumphed over all the plus and scratch men of the Royal and Ancient Club who assembler at St Andrew’s. It is no joke for a man of 70 [65] and handicapped by physical disabilities to play eight consecutive rounds of the championship links, in a tearing wind that had never ceased blowing for the past four days.”
It was said in 1934, on his death, that he was the best New Zealand all-round athlete ever produced.
When he returned from Cambridge, Spencer became involved in horse racing, and established a thoroughbred stud at Mangarata, which was managed by his half-brother, Louis de Pelichet. His horses met with great success in New Zealand and Australia.
Spencer, who later took up permanent residence in England, harboured an ambition to win a Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree, Liverpool.
Moifaa caught the attention of Spencer.
The racehorse had not performed well during the 1901/02 season and negotiations between the Ellingham’s and Spencer were reported as taking place over early 1902.
Moifaa was sold to Spencer in 1902, who shipped him (minus a shipwreck) to Liverpool, England.
He would line up on 25 March 1904, 120 years ago, for the Aintree, Grand National ‒ with jockey Arthur Birch, wearing Spencer’s racing colours of black and white with a red cap, to ride him after Ben Ellis, his mount, had an injury.
In the field was also Kiaora – the horse that did get shipwrecked and swam to safety in 1899.
There were little expectations for Moifaa to win, as he was unplaced in his three races since coming to England.
The course was over 6.907km, with the horses jumping over 30 fences during the two laps.
Apparently, the fences were higher than normal, playing into the hands of Moifaa – a large horse.
Twenty six horses took part, with only nine finishing – ten of them had fallen by the fifth fence.
Moifaa won comfortably and was the first non-British horse to win the coveted steeplechase.
Kiaora failed to finish.
And the myth of Moifaa and the shipwreck began after the Grand National win, with the mistaken identity – or deliberate fabrication of a myth with Kiaora.
Back in Hastings, previous owner and jockey Alf Ellingham, who was in 1904 the owner of the Pacific Hotel (where Hallenstein’s is today) kept his hotel open for some hours after Moifaa’ s win. Drunken shouts of “Health to Mr S H Gollan” and “good luck to Moifaa” could be heard outside the hotel on Heretaunga Street.
Spencer Gollan knew the king of England, Edward VII, as the Prince of Wales when he was a student in England.
After the Grand National win, Spencer sold Moifaa to King Edward VII.
Moifaa, the clear favourite, racing in the King’s racing colours, didn’t complete the 1905 Grand National, falling at a fence on the second lap.
King Edward VII retired Moifaa after the race when it was found he had a respiratory problem.
When the King died in 1910, Moifaa followed his funeral cortege – and accounts have the horse as riderless and with a rider.
Moifaa’s jockey for his 1904 Grand National win, Arthur Birch, broke his back in 1906 from a fall in a race, and never walked again. He died in 1911.
Spencer Gollan stepped out in front of a London Motorbus in 1934 and was killed.
His obituary reignited the legend of Moifaa – the horse that swam its way to a Grand National victory.
