Melbourne Owner Who Had Phenomenal Success In Dominion

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 76, 31 March 1945, Page 6 (Supplement)

Melbourne Owner Who Had Phenomenal Success In Dominion

MR. W. R. KEMBALL, who paid 7000 guineas for yearlings at the recent record sales in Melbourne, made his mark as an owner in New Zealand towards the end of World War 1., while later he extended his racing activities to Australia, where he finally settled.

It was with ready-made horses that Mr. Kemball met with outstanding success, as he did not fare so well when he turned his interest to the breeding side.

Mr, Kemball informed a writer in Melbourne that during the 35 years lie has raced horses he had bred or bought 310 horses, and 280 of theni were winners of all types cf races in Australia and New Zealand. At one time he had 32 horses in work.

Hymestra, a Hymettus horse and sister to Hyades, ancestress of many winners racing in the Dominion today, was the first horse of note to carry Mr. KembalPs colours. He was bought for 2050 guineas at the dispersal sale of the Hori. J. D.. Ormond's stud and racing stock, and returned his new owner £2625. Hymestra's successes for Mr. Kemball included a dead-heat with King Lupin in the Auckland Railway Handicap, the Auckland Royal Stakes, Manawatu Stakes and Hawke's Bay Stakes as a three-year-old in the 1917-18 season. As a four-year-old, Hymestra was a failure, but later on he again showed very useful sprint form. Won Auckland Railway Another successful purchase made by Mr. Kemball was the Martian filly Nanna, a sister to Marsa, the dam of Nightmarch. Nanna, after an early success in Mr. C. G. Dalgety's colours as a three-year-cld, was bought by Mr. Kemball, winning five races for him in her first season, while she was also runner-up, though soundly beaten, to Impediment in the New Zealand Oaks of 1917. Her principal success as a three-3'ear-old was in the Metropolitan Handicap at Trentham. In her four-year-old term she did not win out of turn, but she beat Gazique by a neck in the Auckland Railway Handicap when ridden by C. Emerson, while she also won another rich sprint, the Telegraph Handicap, at Trentham.

From Mr. Dalgety, Mr. Kemball secured a good stayer, Snub, by Martian from Lady Disdain. Snub was a brother to the well-performed Bee and a half-brother to Disdainful (dam of Meprisant and Haughty Winner), Reproachful (dam of Chide), and Contempt (dam of Silver Scorn and Disdain).

After winning the Canterbury Cup in 1918 Snub was raced successfully in Australia, winning the Governor's Plate, a weight-for-age race over a mile and a half, and the King's Plate, a weight-for-age race over two miles, at the V.R.C. autumn meeting.

At the V.R.C. winter meeting he took the ten furlongs Sandringham Handicap, and mastered 9.7 in the Birthday Handicap, run over twelve furlongs. Missgold proved equal to winning the Great Northern St. Leger for him in 1920, the year that Tenterfield won the Metropolitan Handicap at Riccarton.

Grand National Successes In 1921 and again the following year Gladful carried Mr. KembaU's colours successfully in the Grand National Hurdles, while anwag the wins of Trespass were the Dunedin Cup (1922) and Feilding Cup (1924).

After a fairly lean period Hynanna, a son of Hymestra and Miss Nanna, did good service for his breeder, taking the Great Autumn Handicap at Riccarton in 1928, while later his triumphs included the Egmont, Taranaki and Wairarapa Cups.

The last horse of note Mr. Kemball raced in the Dominion was Lady Pam, a staying Limond mare, which won the Great Northern Oaks, Hawke's Bay Cup and New Zealand St. Leger.

Lady Primrose, Greenhorn, Resency and Amiable have been some of the many horses to carry the Kemball colours with distinction m Australia.

For a number of years Mr. Kemball held a leading plage among the owners in the Dominion, topping the list in the 1919-20 season with £10,935, while in the following season he was represented by the winners of £10,330.