SIRE OF DERBY WINNER

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26125, 30 May 1950, Page 7

SIRE OF DERBY WINNER

RACING

DJEBEL’S SUCCESSES Djebel. sire of Galcador, winner of the Derby at Epsom on Saturday, has been the leading French sire for the last three years. His principal winners last year were the filly Coronation (Prix de I’Arc de Triomphe and second in the English Oaks), Djcddah (Eclipse Stakes and Champion Stakes in England), and Marveil (Prix Jean Prat in France and the Ascot King George VI Stakes). Sons and daughters of Djebel last vear won stakes worth 84,541.574 francs. That figure includes the amounts won by his progeny in Great Britain. Italy, and Belgium. Earnings in England were calculated on the basis of 1082 francs to the £ sterling.

The amount earned by his progeny would be equal to £79.600 sterling. Djebel is a son of the great sire Tourbillon, whose stock are now eligible for the General Stud Book. Tourbillon is now 22 years old, and he has dropped to fifth place on the French sires’ list. However, no less than four of his sons appear among the first 15 French sires. Cor de Chasse, which was in fifteenth place on the list, is a half-brother to Pont d'Or. which is now at the stud in New Zealand. Gaiety’s Record

The seven-year-old Gaiety fell heavily in the King Country Steeplechase at Te Kapa on Saturday, * and had to be destroyed. It was her seventh start for the season.

By Gay Boy from Whitmond, Gaiety had been racing for only three seasons. In that period she had contested 21 races for seven wins, three seconds, and lour thirds and £5850 in stakes. She began rating as a five-year-old, and at her fust attempt won the Kennels Steeplechase at Awapuni on July 24. 1948. Her other start that season was in the Rangitikei Hunt Cup. which she won by four lengths. At her second start last season Gaiety won the Roake Memorial Steeplechase at the Hawke’s Bay-Da nnevirke Hunt meeting. She was runner-up to Golden Reign in the Great Northern Steeplechase and won the Wellington Steeplechase. G-’iety was owned by Messrs A. W. and C. L. Lyster. and trained by j. J. Waller, at Awapuni. Useful Hack Jolly Sailor will have his first race since he joined C. C. McCarthy’s Riccarton stable in the Brighton Hack Handicap. seven furlongs, at Wingatui next Saturday. The Tiderace colt showed smart form € rlier in the season for Mrs H. Beecher; his io starts producing two wins, two seconds, two thirds, and one fourth. Premising ’Chaser I ibellula’s record this season brings him Into favour tor the Tahuna Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase at Wingatui next Saturday. T'c ciegfried gelding has had three is season for a win. a second, and a t 'ird. His first race was in the Hunters’ Flat Handicap at the Birchwood meeting. «.'<• i e finished third to Rhine Lord and Gay Music. On the first day of the Riverton meeting he was second to Irish Pal in t c Waiau Hack Steeplechase, an.-, he improved on this on the second day to win by five lengths from Irish Pal in the C taitai Steeplechase. He is trained at Wingatui by H. A. Anderton. St. Simper’s Prospects S . Simper may extend the good record of the Hazlett stable in jumping races at Wingatui by winning the Otago Steeplechase on the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting next Saturday. The Sir Simper chestnut gelding has not raced since the Otago Hunt meeting last September, when he failed under 11-13. He will carry 10-4 next Saturday. St. Simper, now a six-year-old. was cne of the out?tanding young jumpers produced in the South Island last season. He scored his first win over country in the Roslyn Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase on the second day of the Dunedin meeting after having ran second to his stablemate. Kassai. in the hack steeples on the first day. St. Simper later won the Pareora Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase at the South Canterbury Hunt Club’s meeting and the Lawford Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase at the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting. Those efforts brought him into favour as a light-weight prospect for the Grand National Steeplechase, in which he fell, when leading and going well, about five furlongs from home. St. Simper will be bracketed next Saturday with Irish a winner at the Riverton Easter meeting. Main Races at Wingatui The Birthday Handicap, the principal race on the first day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting next Saturday. has at different times been raced over distances from one mile to one mile and three-quarters. Since 1945 the distance has been one mile and a half. The race was first run in 1873 and the winner, Merryman, carried 6-5. That is not. however, the lowest weight that a winner has carried, as Taiaaroa won in 1884 with 5-10. Only one dead-heat has ever been recorded in the race, and that was in 1893 when Mr S. Waddell’s Captive and Mr G. Stead’s Melinite shared the honours.

Four-year-olds have the best record in the race, horses of that age having won on 22 occasions. The last four-year-old winner was Dark Arrow, which was successful in 1948. A three-year-old has not won since 1932. when Fast Passage led the field home. In the same season she won the New Zealand and Auckland Cups. Many other fine gallopers have their names on the list of winners. Rorke’s Drift has a record which will probably never be beaten. He won in 1916 with 10-0. ir. 1918 with 9-6, and in 1921 with 8-4. In his first win he carried the highest weight ever carried by a winner. The principal race for the jumpers on the first day will be the Otago Steeplechase, of two miles and a half. The first winner of the Otago Steeplechase. in 1910. was The Gunner. Since then some of New Zealand’s best jumpers have won the race. Among them was Master Strowan, the 1923 winner, which, in 1917. won the Grand National Steeplechase, and in 1918 the Wellington Steeplechase under the high weight of 12-5. Snowfall, the 1931 winner, won the Grand National Steeplechasce a few months later. Among the horses which have won the race twice is Pamplona, which on the second occasion in 1924 carried 12-2, which is _ the heaviest weight ever carried by a REHANDICAPS FOR ELLERSLIE (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. May 28. Rehandicaps for the first day of the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meeting on Saturday are:— Green Lane Steeplechase: Sandy, 151 b. to 10-1. Fisst Jervois Handicap: Peer Gynt, 101 b, to 9-0. Penrose Hurdles: Kyrat, 81b, to 9-13. Second Jervois Handicap: Tactful Lad, 71b, to 10-0: Prince Regent, 111 b, to 8-11. FAIRHOME WITHDRAWN FROM NORTHERN HURDLES (New Zealand. Press Association) AUCKLAND, May 29. Fairnome was withdrawn from the Great Northern Hurdles at the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meeting at 4 p.m. to-day. As a result. Paul Gregor, one of the two horses balloted out, has been enabled to re-enter the field. FRENCH OWNER’S WINNINGS AT EPSOM (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May 28. Mr Marcel Boussac. France’s leading owner-breeder, won £30,518 during the four days of the Epsom race meeting, including £17,010 for Galcador’s Derby win. It will net be taxed in England, as he is regarded as in the same category as stage and screen actors, boxers, and writers. greymouth meeting may BE POSTPONED From Our Own Reporter GREYMOUTH. May 29. It is very’ likely that the Greymouth Jockey Club’s meeting, scheduled for Saturday. will be postponed because of the difficulty of horses reaching Greymouth from the East Coast. The Omoto course was practically covered with water in the week-end at the height of the flood. Although most of water has now cleared away, a considerable quantity of debris remains on the course. Of 250 sheep grazing on the course, only one was lost in the flood.