Navarro To Be Set For Melbourne Cup

Press, Volume C, Issue 29479, 4 April 1961, Page 4

Navarro To Be Set For Melbourne Cup

Navarro will be prepared for the Melbourne Cup this year. Mr E. Rutherford, of Christchurch, last evening announced plans for an Australian campaign for his Great Autumn Handicap winner.

“Navarro won’t race again at the meeting," Mr Rutherford said. "He will go out for a rest, and may start another campaign with a race at the Grand National meeting. Then, all going well, he will go to Melbourne for the cup.” Mr Rutherford said Navarro had not done much racing before he had hopes of winning the New Zealand Derby with him. Badly Injured But a few weeks after the Sabaean gelding won at his first start as a three-year-old at the Grand National meeting in 1959 it was doubtful if he would race again. He was found to have a small crack below the knee after a race at Washdyke and was spelled for seven months before rejoining I. McClure’s Washdyke stable. Navarro started another campaign at Washdyke in December with a fourth. Since then he has won four races. The first of those wins was at Trentham on March 11, so inside the last month Navarro has earned £2795. Altogether he has won £3215. Cost 1300 Guineas Mr Rutherford paid 1300gns for Navarro at the national sales in 1958. Mr Gilbert Grigg bought Navarro for Mr Rutherford. He had bid on two colts earlier at the sale, but stopped on them when bidding went fairly high. “Mr Grigg was getting a bit worried, because it was getting well on in the sale, but anyway he got Navarro and I got a good horse.” “I might be wrong.” said Mr Rutherford, “but I could have another Ilumquh.” Navarro was bred by Mr and Mrs R. E. Adair, who

were then proprietors of the Montana Stud at Oxford, but now own the Inglewood Stud. Like Ilumquh, Yeman and other good stayers, Navarro was sired by the Blue Peter horse, Sabaean. His dam. Beautiful (by Solicitor General), won two races and his third dam, Nightdew, was a half-sister to Royal Star, winner of 11 races including the New Zealand Cup. Frisco Mail (17 wins), Royal Wink, Studley Royal and Highlander have been other very good handicap horses from this family.