OWNER’S DEATH

Press, Volume C, Issue 29467, 20 March 1961, Page 4

OWNER’S DEATH

Mr P. Curtis Mr Percy Curtis, a hotel licensee in Christchurch for the last 42 years, and a wellknown racing owner and breeder, died on Friday. He had been in bad health for some time. Mr Curtis bred and owned Burgos, the leading two-year-old in the South Island this season. Until a few years ago Mr Curtis had most of his racing interests in the North Island. Mr T. R. George trained Mr Curtis’s first horse, and also one of his best winners. Mr Curtis bought Indian Sign after he won three races as a two-year-old, and with him he won the Wanganui Guineas in 1942. He was later put to steeplechasing, and won over country at Marton, Ellerslie, and Awapuni. Later he came to Riccarton to be trained by G. S. Barr but he was unsound. He was placed in an Otago Steeplechase. Most of Mr Curtis’s horses, and Burgos is one of them descend from Doria, an Iliad mare bought by Mr Curtis for 50Ogns at the dispersal sale of Mr E Hay’s horses Doria was the granddam of Burgos. Rose of Kildare. Gladwyn. and Beau Esprit have been winners in the Curtis colours in the last few years. Earlier ones included Brachma and Polygraph. Mr Curtis, whose mother is still living, is survived by his wife and Mrs R. W. King, a daughter of a previous marriage.