FROM STUD AND STABLE Mandalay Fulfils Clarkson Prediction

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 4

FROM STUD AND STABLE Mandalay Fulfils Clarkson Prediction

No one got more pleasure from Mandalay’s win at Washdyke last Saturday than the Christchurch auctioneercommentator, Mr David B. Clarkson. Mr Clarkson was in charge of selling operations at the national sales in 1958 when Mandalay was offered at auction.

When he knocked the colt down to Mr J. H. Grigg, of Longbeach, for 325gns, Mr Clarkson said that the grey would one day be winning steeplechases. One of the Hawke’s Bay breeders at the ringside thought he knew better about this Hastings-bred colt. “Not bloody likely the way’s he's bred," was his reaction to Mr Clarkson's prediction. In recalling the incident the other day, Mr Grigg said hi* purchase was then regarded as a sprinting type. “And instead of a sprinter I have got a plodding stayerjumper," Mr Grigg remarked, not regretfully either. Mandalay is by Pherozshah from Lady Lotus, and is a half-brother to Land, which won open-class sprints in the North Island.

Mandalay was not started on a racing career until he was five, and his win last Saturday was his first. It fc hard to judge whether he will be in the top flight of jumpers, but he has been given a great start in life, and should improve more than some of the old battlers he will be opposing from now on. His jumping at Washdyke was pretty sure, and he showed a fair turn of foot in putting a winning break on Hurdle between the second last and the last fences. This week he is top-weight and likely favourite for the Westen r a Cup Steeplechase at Riccarton Ernest James Shaw, who died at Trentham earlier this

week, was nicknamed ‘Brusher.” And he had more than one brush with death in an active life. He was riding jumpers for Sam Trilford at Washdyke when he was 15, and they called him the “kid from Timaru.”

Some of the rough jumpers he rode nearly killed him. Bones were broken and there were long spells in hospital, one of them with a fractured neck, and it was a surprise to find he was passed medically fit for overseas service in World War 11.

Then a German machinegunner tried to kill him in an action in the desert. “Brusher" was badly wounded but recovered and returned to New Zealand and after a time to New Zealand racing, this time as a trainer. He was a one-horse trainer, and had the luck to get a good one in Rio Negro. More recently he had one just as fast in Rio Rapido but >it was not easy to control in his races For a time Rio Rapido was probably the only Wellington thoroughbred in racing. He did much of his conditioning work on a harbour-side strip of ground close to the Wellington airport. The late Ernest Shaw was a brother of the Riccarton trainer, J. E. Shaw, and J. M. Shaw, clerk of the course at Riccarton and several other Canterbury courses. On The Move Mr W. L. Paterson travels far and often in his work as head auctioneer for Wright, Stephenson and Company, Ltd. He spent some time in Sydney before Easter, at the time of the third Asian racing conference, and attended the Sydney yearling sales. Mr Paterson will, as usual, be canvassing all Australian buyers again in November. At present he is in the United States to create interest in New Zealand yearlings and will be attending the two main sales, at Saratoga Springs and Keeneland, Kentucky.

Later next month, Mr R R. Trotter, director in charge of the commission department of Wright, Stephenson and Company, Ltd., will also visit the United States. He will attend the yearling sales at Del Mar, California, and will also be a member of a deputation from New Zealand which will meet the New York Joekey Club in an endeavour to overcome

difficulties met In getting New Zealand horses eligible for the American Stud Book. This deputation will comprise representatives of the New Zealand Racing Conference. the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, and the auctioneers. Under the present rules about 24 per cenit.. of all thoroughbred horses in New Zealand would not qualify for the American Stud Book. This problem has to be overcome if a stable and steady American demand for New Zealand horses is to be created. The American interest is there. The deeds of Cadiz and Phoenician have ensured

that; and there are already signs that there wild be a good number of American owners in New Zealand for the next yearling sales, not to mention Bob Hope, whose interest might run largely to breeding stock. A valuable champion of the New Zealand thoroughbred in the United States is Eddie Reed, an executive officer of the Del Mar Turf Club in California.

He had a big opinion of Cadiz from the first time he saw the former Riccartontrained galloper. And he was delighted when the Targui gelding won the Hollywood Gold Cup recently. “There should be dancing in the streets of the South Island," he said in a personal note to the writer. This win, Read thinks, could mean much for New Zealand and perhaps much for South Island breeding in particular.