MR NORMANS STUD

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25870, 1 August 1949, Page 4

MR NORMANS STUD

TROTTING

NURSERY OF HIGH-CLASS TROTTERS The Southland sportsman, Mr W. M. Norman, well known as a starter at Addington some years ago, has enjoyed unusual success in the breeding of good trotters in recent years. During the last season, Belshazzar, Jason’s Quest, and Will Cary have been trotters from his Forest Hill stud to perform with distinction. Mr Norman has had a lifetime association with trotting in Southland and as. tar back as 1907 he won the Gore Cup with Captain Tracey. Will Cary, a Dominion Handicap winner. established an Australian and New Zealand two-mile record of 4min 19 l-ssec during the season, but he had earlier entered the select 2min lOsec trotters’ list at Forbury Park by a mile and five furlongs in 3min 31 sec. Carbinea, the clam of Will Cary, was first bred by Mr Norman in partnership with Mr T. G. Fox (Christchurchj, and for them she produced good class trotting winners in Norman Fox (4min 35 4-ssec) and Journey’s End. a young trotter which looked like developing high-eiAss, but he died at' the peak of his Southland form through an internal complaint.

Beatrice, a Drusus mare, was also bred by the partnership, and she became the dam of Quite Right, a winner over a mile and a half at the Ashburton Trotting Club’s meeting in June in the exceptional time of 3min 16sec. Another of Caroinea’s daughters was the pacing mare, Norma Grattan, >vhich left an outstanding three-year-old pacer in Clementine. Both Belshazzar and Jason's Quest are Quite Sure geldings from the half sisters Mishap (by Happy Voyage) and Dame Fortune (by Drusus). Although both Mishap and Dame Fortune were winners at the pacing gait, and their dam Misfortune was also a pacer, there was a trotting influence in this family. Misfortune was sired by a trotter in Stirling Lad. and Edith, the dam of Misfortune, was described as a fine pony trotter. Edith was an Australian-bred mare and ranked as a sister to Picaninny, which was a champion trotter m Australia and the sire of a second Edith, which was the third dam of Lawn Derby. Besides Misfortune, Edith founded other branches in New Zealand, admittedly of lesser account, but they included trotters in Danny Malone, Blackdale, and Jock Bingen. Belshazzar was of little account when raced in Southland, but for C. R. Berkett he has developed outstanding form, taking a two-mile record of 4min 25 4-ssec and mile and a half figures of 3min 16 3-ssec last season. Jason’s Quest is rated one of the best square trotters in the country. Last season he won twice over two miles at Addington in 4min 24 4-ssec and 4min 23 3-ssec besides finishing second to Great Venture in the Ashburton Cup in 3min 30 17 s see—aboirt a 2min 9 2-ssec mile rate. Misfortune, which was described as under 14.1 hands when she was registered as a five-year-old. has proved a great source of speed, and no fewer than 12 or her progeny have been winners. The best of her stock were Erin’s Fortune Nelson’s Victory, and Carver Doone, but her daughters and grand-daughters left such winners ;.s Stirling Castle (now a°ing stud dutv in Southland). Stirling Lady, Sphere, Stirling Hall, Budge, Royal Fortune Glengarrv. Mandrake. Haste, Waitemata, Edith Grattan. Erinack. Lovai Peter. Roulette, Dillon’s Fortune, Scarlet OHara. Jason’s Quest. Belshazzar, and Alvando (out of Ladv Alva), the lastnamed the winner of 11 races in Australia. At Epsom

Minmi Boy. which gained one fourth in 4 starts last season when trained at Hinds by D. Townley, is now being trained at Epsom by W. S. McDonald. By My Trick H. Murfitt (Rangiora) is handling a filly by the Jack Potts horse. My Trick. Jo an Potts, which is now" in foal to Highland Chief. A good-looking five-year-old horse, Highland Chief, which is ln . wor ] < after a spell, showed some ability to win two races last season. A son of U. Scott and Pearl Logan, he may take a much tighter mark this season. A Likely Type E N. Vernail’s team at Frankton includes a promising Indianapolis pacer m Sir Roman, which is out of Our Flora by Our Thorpe from Flora McKinnej' by Young McKinney from- Goosev. by Albert Victoria from a Fitzjames mare. At Wataroa Assault, a winner when trained at Prebbleton by V. Leeming, is now being jogged about at Wataroa. A well-bred gelding, Assault is by Dillon Hall from First Water, the dam cf several smart pacers.