NOTABLE MARES’ PROGENY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25366, 13 December 1947, Page 4

NOTABLE MARES’ PROGENY

• • -- r— . . » SUCCESS THIS SEASON One of the features of the racing so far this season has been the success of the progeny of mares that were good performers themselves. The stud records of a number of the great mares to have raced in. New Zealand have been nothing to enthuse over, and the progeny of two of their number in Desert Gold and Warstep were well below the class of their dams. Desert Gold did leave useful winners in. Oreum, which won the Woodville and Napier Cups, and Chrysology, which wdn the Napier Cup and the W.R.C. Anniversary Handicap, but her stud value was chiefly in the worth of her daughters as matrons. Oreum produced the brilliant Gold Rod, which won 16 races and £18,920 in stakes in Australia, and Pure Gold produced the Auckland Cup winner. Gold Trail.

Warstep bred several winners and easily the best of them was Footfall, by Autumnus, which won nine races and £5910 in stakes, including the Dunedin Cup. Her other winners were Vanestep (eight races). Warvane (five races). Goosestep (13 wins),. Gold Step (10 wins), and Warhue (four wins). Unlike Desert Gold Warstep’s daughters have yet to produce anything of note, although Vanestep has produced quite a useful winner in Capronella.

Among the races that Warstep was successful in was the New Zealand Cup, in which she dead-heated with Indigo. This season no fewer than three mares that won the New Zealand Cup have been represented by winners of which more should be heard.

Most pleasing was the success of Liebestraum in the New Zealand Derby. Lis- - is the first foal of Serenata, which won the New Zealand Cup in 1940 and whose two-mile record of 3min 20 4-ssec still stands With Liebestraum there is the additional satisfaction that he is by the New Zealand-bred sire, Beau Vite, the best son of the great Beau Pere.

By N.Z. Sires The winning progeny of Cuddle and Pal&ntua, two other mares to win the New Zealand Cup, are also by New Zealandbred sires. Cuddle’s daughter, Renowned, is by Beaulivre, and she secured her first win in the Stonyhurst Handicap at Riccarton last Saturday. Cuddle could both sprint and stay, and in addition to the New Zealand Cup won the Auckland Cup twice. She showed amazing improvement with age, and though her daughter, Renowned, may never be in the same class, she should improve considerably with age. Cuddle’s first two foals, Gamble and Beau Cheval, were both useful winners, the latter developing particularly good form in Australia last sea--B°Palantua has had several foals, but her present representative, Fine Night, a son of Nightly, may prove her best. Like his dam. Fine Night has taken time to find his form, but he is likely to add considerably to hia record this season. Although she did not stay beyond a middle distance, Stretto was a fine performer in her day and was up to weight-for-age class. She won 11 races and £5381 in stakes, and her successes included the Awapuni Gold Cup and the A.J.C. Warwick Farm Stakes, in which she beat Gold Rod and Royal Chief. Stretto is now making a name for herself at tne stud and this season she is represented by the winners Frontier Mac and Fifth Note. Frontier Mac won the Foley Memorial Handicap at Avondale last Saturday and may gain further success in handicaps, but It is Fifth Note that may gain most fame lor her dam. Earlier in the season she won the Avondale Guineas, but she met with a slight accident shortly afterwards and has not displayed her best form since.

A First-class Mare Gay Blonde was a first-class mare in her day, and she was also a weight-for-age winner in Australia. The best of her progeny to date is Zealander, which showed highly promising form as a two-year-old and has shown a return to form this season. However a respiratory affliction may prevent his rring to the heights he might have otherwise. Golden Hair won the V.R.C. and Great Northern Oaks ahd the Thompson Handicap, and after producing some moderate performers she may have a performer above the average in Double Chance. Another Thompson Handicap winner in Kathbella is the dam of Great Trek, which was unbeaten as a two-year-old and is expected to display high class form this season. Other mares which were also good class performers such as Queen of Song, Taurangi, and Peerless, have yet to produce a winner, but so far they seem to have been dogged by ill-luck at the stud. Bred as they are they are quite capable of producing class performers. Silver Link Arrives at Riccarton

The Australain gelding Silver Link, which is to be trained at Riccarton by L. J. Ellis, arrived yesterday morning. Silver Link was nominated for the Auckland Cup but his engagement for that race was not continued and he will probably race at the Dunedin Cup meeting, where he has been entered in the Dunedin Cup and the Hazlett Gold Cup. Silver Link stood his journey well and arrived big in condition. In Sydney he has been trained by the successful trainer Bayly Payten. Stiver* Link is a good-sized horse, strongly made, and with a very big middle piece. He is a six-year-old by the Italian-bred sire Bruegtitel from Bren by Marconigram (sire of the Melbourne Cup winner Marabou) from Gunnery by High Art. (by Gainsborough from the New Zealand-bred mare Black Battery by All Black from the Stepniak mare Cross Battery. Black Battery was a halfsister to the high-class performer Artilleryman, which won the Melbourne Cup, V.R.C. St. Leger, King’s Plate, C.B. Fisher Plate, and dead-heated with Richmond Main in the A.J.C. Derby. Although Silver Link’s sire, Brueghal, was Italian bred, he is entirely of English blood. He was by Pharos (brother to Fairway, and sire of Nearco) from "Bunworry, a halfsftter by Great Sport (by Gallinule) to the Derby winner Manna, the St. Leger winner Sandwich, Parwiz, a successful sire in the Argentine, and the New Zealand sire Baffles. Silver Link was unsuccessful as a two-year-old and his only success as a three-year-old was in the Encourage Stakes at Canterbury Park. As a four-year-old he won five races, the A.J.C. Glenlee Handicap, one mile. With 8-6; Tatersall’s Spring Handicap, one mile and three furlongs, with 7-7; the Hawkesbury Grand Handicap, one mile and three furlongs, with 8-0; the Sydney Turf Club Flying Handicap, seven furlongs and a quarter, with 8-7; and the Sydney Turf. Club Autumn Handicap, one mile and a quarter, with 9-0, beating Modulation 9-2. He also ran second to Rainbird in the Melbourne C*ip, and his four-year-old season was easily his -eat to date. Last season as a five-year-old. Silver Link failed to win a race, but was placed three times, his last placing being a second in tlje A.J.C. Summer Cup, one mile and five furlongs, with 9-0. This season he has won the Bank Holiday Handicap of one mile and a half with 8- at Randwick on August 4, and with 9- he dead-heated with Russia 9-6 in the Colin Stephen Stakes, one mile and a half, on the same course at the A.J.C. spring meeting.

Winning Progeny in England Sires now standing in New Zealand which were represented by winners in England during the flat-racing) season which concluded last month were:—Airway, one winner of two races and £3413; Columcille, five winners of 11 races and £3611; Pherozshah, 15 winners of 23 races and £8643; and Robin Goodfellow, one winner of one rajee and £735. Out For a Spell W. Barr has turned the two-year-old fUJy Village Beauty out for a spell. Village Beauty had two starts at the New Zealand Cup meeting, and in both her races showed great speed for about four furlongs, after which she weakened badly. By the Paper Money horse Sir Galloway, Village Beauty is from Traction, by Tractor from thfe Stepniak mare Droski, the dam of Ravenna, a good race mare which later bred the winners, Alma, Boloyfia, and Travenna. Traction was also the dam of the winners Withdrawal (by Paper Money) and Runaway (by Wild Chasq). Answer to Correspondent C. Lloyd, Christchurch: (1) At the Banks Peninsula Racing Club’s meeting held at Riccarton on March 3, 1945. (2) In most cases, yes, except that dual acceptors are automatically eliminated if the number of acceptors in certain races exceeds the safety number.

AUCKLAND MEETING STARTING STALLS MAY BE USED (P.A.) . AUCKLAND, Dec. 12. There is a distinct possibility that New Zealand’s richest race, the Auckland Cup, to be run at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, will be started from starting stalls. If the acceptors do not total more than 24, such a start would be possible. From the ordinary start, however, the safety number, is 27, and if this total is exceeded a ballot will be necessary because the Conditions of the race state that it Shall not be run in divisions. The Auckland Racing Club, it is understood, intends to Mart the mile, seven furlongs, six furlongs, and mile and a quarter events from stalls if the fields are not too cumbersome. The committee is averse to Starting two-year-olds from the stalls.

SHANNON ALLOWED TO RACE IN AMERICA (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, Dec. 11. The Stewards of the Jockey Club ruled to-day that Shannon should be granted a permit to race in the United States, but a decision as to whether he should be registered in the American Stud Book was "held pending.” Shannon is among 116 candidates for the eleventh running of the 100,000 dollar Santa Anita Handicap on February 28.