RESEARCH CENTRE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24988, 24 September 1946, Page 4

RESEARCH CENTRE

RACING

ESTABLISHMENT AT NEWMARKET

“Plans to make Newmarket the world centre for research on the thoroughbred include the establishment of a ‘university* in two mansions which have been placed at the disposal of the Veterinary Education Trust," states a ■ correspondent of the “Evening Standard,” London, and a staff of experts is moving in.

“Picking the winner may become an easy matter, for a complete study will be made of the effect of heredity, and if theories' are borne out by the results it should be possible to breed ‘certainties’ by scientific choice of sires and dams,” the correspondent says. "Research will also be carried on into lameness and into the occasional appearance of the ‘rogue* racehorse. “The Argentine Jockey Club is sending its chief veterinary surgeon, Dr. Guillermo Garbares, for a year’s study at the “The director will be Professor W. C. Miller, who has occupied the Courtauld chair of animal husbandry, Royal Veterinary College, London, since 1935.” Juvenile Winner at Marton Sea Lad, the winner of. the Juvenile Stakes at Marton last Saturday, is still under two years, having been foaled on October 1, 1944. He is by Tiderace from Precursor, by Thespian from Ayah, by All Red from Hermosa, by St. Leger, and traces to the imported mare Pulchra, the ancestress of Royal Lancer, Lowenberg, Tara King, Agrion, Waikare, and Cruciform. His dam, Precursor, was not raced, but had previously bred Gold Lad (a winner of three races last season) and Miss Wheriko (which won two races). She ranks as a three-quarter sister to which won the C.J.C. Welcome Stakes? and the Wanganui Guineas; and as a half-sister to Jemidar, winner of the Perth Cup, of two miles. Sea Lad’s next dam. Ayah, was a halfsister to Oiyoi,. a winner of the Dunedin Cup, and the sprinter Soltykoff. < Her dam, Hermosa, won 27 races, and was a granddaughter of Pulchra. The 1942 edition of the Stud Book showed only nine mares by Thespian, but they rank as the dams of such winners as Tall Story (a good winner in India), Smoke Screen, and Scottish Dale. Thespian was a brilliant Absurd horse that once defeated Gloaming, but he received few chances at the stud, and was eventually sold to Australia. Defaulter’s Progeny Defaulter was well represented as a sire at Geraldine last Saturday. In the Ohapi Stakes, a maiden race, he was represented by the second and third horses, Liquidate and Philary. Double Cross won the Geraldine Cup, and Derene the open sprint, the Squatters’ Handicap; and in the Raukapuka Hack Handicap, Spiora and Deficiency finished second and third respectively. Liquidate also started in this race, and was the only runner by Defaulter that was unplaced during the day, there being no representative of the Defoe horse in the Belfield Hack Handicap or the Rangitata Hurdles. Spiora Shows Promise Spiora ran an excellent race for her first start for the season when she was beaten by Denary by a neck in the Raukapuka Hack Handicap at Geraldine on Saturday. This Defaulter filly is not likely to remain long in hack company. She is very keen in the early stages of a race, and on Saturday she soon pulled her way to the front. However, she showed stamina when she fought on in the last half-furlong after Deficiency had actually headed her, and was possibly unlucky to lose. It is always satisfactory to see well-performed two-year-olds carrying on the next season, and Spiora looks as if she is going to improve further. On Saturday she was beaten at level weights by a mare that is three years older.

Still Keen Early Once he learns to be a little less keen in the early stages of a race, Double Cross may run out a longer distance than a mile and a quarter. Most of his racing has been over distances of a mile or less, but he has previously attempted middle distances both as a three-year-old and a four-year-old, without success. Last season he was twice unplaced over a mile and a quarter—in a rack race at the Hororata meeting at Motukarara last December, and in the Waikouaiti Cup last January. However, there was no doubt about his ability to see out 10 furiongs last Saturday, and the Defaulter horse may soon win again when the. better class horses are absent. So far, only a few of Defaulter’s stock have been raced over middle distances; but this has probably been because they possess natural speed, and the tendency has been to make use of it.

A Likely Sprinter Making his first appearance for the season, Stagestruck paraded in good order at Geraldine. This three-year-old gelding possesses far more -size than most of Paper Slipper’s jUxnffs, and, looks the type to make a good sprinter,./ As a two-year-old, his only success was -when he beat Cipher in the Juvenile Handicap at Wingatui last December; but he was a remarkably consistent youngster, being five times - placed- -in seven starts. On Saturday hewas prominent in the running until just over two furlongs frpm the post, when he quickly lost his wsitlon, and finished back in the field. He should be much improved by the race. Half-brother To Boswell Aldan, which finished fifth in the Ohapi Stakes at Geraldine, did not fare well at the start, and still had a lot of ground to make up with three furlongs to run. He is a well-bred five-year-old chestnut gelding, being by Salmagundi from the imported mare, Celerity II by Gainsborough from Force of Gravity, by Forfarshire from Gravity, the dam of William the Third, the best staying son of St. Simon, and winner of the Ascot. Gold Cup, and the grand-dam of Tractor. The best of Celerity Il’s progeny has been Boswell, a good sprinter by Balboa. Aldan is raced by his breeder, Mr A'. Chisholm, and trained by D. P. Wilson. He had four unplaced starts as a three-year-old and did not race at all last season. Not Bred for Early Speed Billy Ruff’n, the runner-up to Sea Lad, is by Tweed II from Artistry by Leighton from Oddity by All Black from Concert by Boniform from Lady Wayward 11, ‘an impoted mare that founded a great winning family which includes such well known horses as Bashful Lady, Lord Nuffield, The Joker, Jaloux, and Royal Artist. On his breeding, Tweed II would hardly be expected to get early two-year-olds. Also there havfe been few two-year-old winners on Billy Ruff’n’s dam’s side, although Leighton, his dam’s sire, was one of the best two-year-olds of his year in England. Photo-Finish at Ellerslie.

The steel frame of the new judging tower, which is to house equipment for the photo-finish apparatus at the Ellerslie racecourse, is being erected, the stanchions having been placed in position. The tower will be 48ft high when completed. It is being built between the main stand and the stewards’ stand on a site directly behind the present judge’s box. The .tower measures lift by 9ft at the base and will not obscure the view of spectators. The judge’s room will be approximately halfway up the tower, with the camera box at the top. There will be no direct access to the tower from ground level, the judge’s room being connected with the stewards* stand by a bridgeway. A stairway from the bridgeway will provide access to the camera room. It is expected that the photo-finish apparatus will be in operation on the opening day of the Auckland Racing Club’s spring meeting on October 12.