TRAINED BY A GIRL

GRAND NATIONAL WINNEF

PRECOCIOUS'S PEDIGREE

Precocious, winner of the Grand National Steeplechase at Flemington last Saturday, was a gift as a foal to Mies Dordthy Shiel from her father, Mr. E. Y. Shiel, a well-known Victorian owner. Miss Shiel, who is only a young girl, named the horse, educated him, and schooled" him. She rode him regularly to houndß, and won several point-to-point steeplechases on him. Through her efforts Precocious became a. particularly skilful jumper. When she decided to race him, the took on the training herself (says the "Star"). It is a coincidence that the Australian Steeplechase, which ranks next to the Grand National in Melbourne, was won lattt August by Acceleration, who was owned and trained by Mrs. P. F. Chapman, an Adelaide woman trainer. Mrs. Chapman broke Acceleration in and educated' him herself to hurdling. ' Precocious is a half-brother to Rakwool, who won the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase last yew for Mr. B. Y. Shiel. ■ Mia Shiel broke in Rakwool when he was a two-year-old. Mr. Shiel has pastoral interests in the Seymour district of Victoria. Although he has been racing horses on and off since the early 'nineties, he could not win a race at FlemfngtOn until Eakwool won a ■teeplecbase there in June, 1931. A good but vety unlucky horse that carried his colours nearly forty years ago was Bruin, who was thijrd is'the Toorak Handicap (won by Devon), in the Caulfield Cup (woi» by -Paris), and in the Melbourne Stakes (won by Ruenalf), fourth in the Melbourne Cup (won by Patron), and third in the V.R.C. Flying Stakes (won hg Wallace). COMPARATIVE NEWCOMER. NV»w ax years old, Pracoeious was not baked to race until last season, when in Ills two starts he was third in a hunt cap;, and second in a brush steeplechase. Xoit season he had shown much promise ta Jim several outings, but went somewhat oat of favour for the National after {tiling at Moonee Valley,. in May, and running only a poor third at Flemington *«riy in June. However, he reinstated tuoMself to some "extent in the eyes of his admirers with a. success over the tricky Williamstowa country on. 25th June. , Wollunqua, dam of Rakwool and Precocious, has been a big success at the stud. Her ..earlier progeny—Melanesia, Polynesian, Micronesia, and Wordsworth—were 111 good winners. Mr. A. E. Tyson bred that quartet and Rakwool. When' he died Mr. Shiel paid 625 guineas for Wollunqna,- who had a colt foal by Woorak and jfas again in foal to that "sire. The colt foal racing ,as Worunqua, proved useful, •Bd the foal she was carrying made history- as Rakwool. Mr. Shiel then sent Wollunqua to October, and Precocious .was the result, BY BITALLI'S SIRE, 'October was imported by the late J. Burton,'a much-respected Sydney trainer. A son.of Rock Sand, October was the sire •I Bitallt who so sadly disappointed Burton that he sold him to Mr. A. T. Craig, t-?^°?; of, the 6t^ble of James Scobie. Bifcaln, for his new owner, won the Adetede Tattersall's Cup, two miles, and three.months later, without a race in between, won the Melbourne Cup. They were the only two races Bitalli ever won .--lie died withm a year of his Flemington -trruniph—but they were worth £11,988. WoUunquii is by Petrillo a son of Galflnule and Float, who was a half-sister to Glare^darojof Bright Steel and Romeo, Brand^am of Rossendale, and great granddam of 'Night Raid. Condiment,- dam- of • Wollunqua, was by Gossoon (son of Galo9f*\ worn Cinnamon (dam- of- Carbine's ■SE&^STfc 0' bl GoWsbrough (son of Xltetoorkt) from Brown- Duchess by Whalebone.(son of Speculation) from Clove, by Sweetmeat (son of Gladiator). NOTES FROrvFwANGANUI A: Wanganui report states that W. H Dwyer has put Head Lady into work '«*ain, and hopes to have her- ready for early epnng meetings. On her form as a two-year-old this Chief Ruler filly fa likely tojprove a good stake winner next Maaon. She has not grown much durine *k« ?"**«• but has filled out nicely, and looks hkely to prove a solid little customer. W. Rayner is giving his youngsters some Sprinting, and they are all shaping well. w wl^ ye Tfc to fol m dny deflnite opinion; but track watchers look to Spiral (Limond-Ilrax) and Ru ß t (Lysander— Bronte) to prove very smart two-year-olds. aae former v a. solid looking gelding, and haAdlea himself nicely. The Lyfander filly has a very smooth style of galloping *nd. she promises to show much of the Brilliancy of her sire. Midinette is coming along well, and if •Be does not show herself up in an attractive light as a three-year-old many keen critica will be surprised.