HITCH IN £5000 DEAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 146, 22 June 1945, Page 9

HITCH IN £5000 DEAL

STENELAUS NEGOTIATIONS Five thousand pounds is a lot of money to pay for a moderately performed three-year-old, but a well-known Melbourne owner, who had signified his willingness to pay that price for the New Zealand galloper Steneiaus, now fears that an unexpected hitch will cause a complete breakdown of negotiations, states "Orleigh" in the Melbourne Herald of June 19. t Several weeks ago . one of the bestknown racing owners in Melbourne, acting on behalf of another prominent owner, entered into negotiations for the purchase of Steneiaus, which had been highly recommended to him by one of New Zealand's accepted racing authorities. For two or three weeks it seemed certain that a deal would be made. In fact, the man for whom Steneiaus was under offer was convinced that the matter had been taken so far that he was actually the new owner of the three-year-old. However, it was then that a hitch happened over the selection of a veter-. inary surgeon to examine Steneiaus as finality in clinching the sale. . A cable message was duly received stating that a satisfactory veterinary certificate of soundness had been given for Steneiaus,-but it was then found that the man who had examined him was not the one nominated by the negotiator.

Pedigree Lines Cables were exchanged again seeking a certificate from the veterinary named by the Melbourne man. That was a fortnight ago, and, as nothing further has been heard from the Steneiaus people in the Dominion, it is now practically taken for granted here that proceedings probably have ceased. Steneiaus is a three-year-old gelding by Foxlight (son of Foxlaw) from a mare named Knock Out, by Winning Hit from Rivalry, which represents some wellknown New Zealand pedigree lines. As a yearling Steneiaus was sold cheaply for 65 guineas to Mr. Lan Cameron, who still owns him, and he was not raced until a three-year-old From 15 starts this season Steneiaus has had three wins and gained four minor placings in hack races. He was also placed in the Great Northern St. Leger at Easter and if his sale had gone through lie would have been prepared for the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups.