JILL'S ROMANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 152, 30 June 1939, Page 12

JILL'S ROMANCE.

NUISANCE ON FARM. » . I SUCCESS ON RACECOURSE. One of trotting's most romantic stories is associated with the retirement in West Australia of Jill, dam of many winners, at the age of about 22. Some years ago Jill was on a farm at Damboring. in the wheat belt, but was such a nuisance in lifting lids off tnnks, and turning on taps, that she was sent to Whittaker's Mill, where her owner discovered that she was a speedy pacer. •Till and her dam, whose pedigree is unknown, were bought by Jill's present owner, Mr. A. Edward, "of Whittaker's Mill, in the south-west. Edwards first mated ,1 ill with a draught horse. The result later on showed speed, and won a few pacing races in the country. Later, when sent to the city to be mated to a trotting sire. .Till escaped, and was missing for about seven months, finally being located running with a mob of brumbies in the hills, and in foal to a brumby sire. Progeny Win 87 Races. Mated with Welcome Bells, Jill produced Welcome's Double, who w-on six races. Her rext ssven foals were by Alfred Donald. Of these, Adonaldson won 30 races, Altril 15, and Alfred's Double 14, making 87 wins in all for her stock. Alfred's Double recently ran third at a 2.9J rate over a mile, becoming the fastest locally bred pacer. The last of Jill's get, a colt by Peter Stretta (who is American-bred), is entered for the 1941 W.A.J. Sires' Produce Stakes. One of her get is named Donald George, after Don Bradman, but so far has not raced. The Peter Stretta colt was born on the day The Trump won the Melbourne Cup, and the name Soretoa Trump has been epplied for. ABOUT COLONEL GRATTAN. The greatly-improved South Island pacer Colonel Grattan has not been given any serious work since the recent Ashburton meeting, and he has put on condition rapidly. However, he has been doing useful tasks, and it is expected that he will Ite seen in action again at the August meeting. His trainer. Y. Leeming. is handling a half-sister by Key de Oro to this good performer, and the filly, a rising two-year-old, is highly regarded by her connections. Like the beit of her sire's stock, she is a chestnut and displays fine quality, without being above average size.