FROM STUD AND STABLE High Praise: A Horse That Can “Motor”

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30270, 24 October 1963, Page 4

FROM STUD AND STABLE High Praise: A Horse That Can “Motor”

Most of the experienced New Zealand jockeys are more inclined to Understatement than fulsome tributes, and anyone who says he has ridden a horse that can “really motor” and leaves it at that is offering high praise indeed.

The Riccarton jockey, Arthur Stokes, found those two words to describe Garnet Queen after he won the Wellesley Stakes on that Takanini filly at Trentham last Saturday.

Garnet Queen came from last to win the Wellesley Stakes far Mrs G. W. Smith, wife of the Pundit filly’s trainer.

George Smith told “The Press’’ last Saturday that he had the good luck this season to have two two-year-olds with ability above the average, ' .

Garnet Queen, of course, is one. The other is Kandy. He decided to take Garnet Queen south for the Wellesley Stakes because he thought the roomy track would suit ■her; she is inclined to run greenly. She tried to duck in more than once when Stokes set her alight, but she still had such an edge on the others for speed that she could pass them all and win going away by a clear margin. Riccarton patrons will almost certainly see Garnet Queen in action next month. George Smith plans to bring the Ally south for the Welcome Stakes, which is run on New Zealand Cup day.

The last time Smith came to Riccarton he had Jan Beebe with him, and this filly won the Champagne and Challenge Stakes, each time in the hands of Arthur Stokes.

Mrs Smith has Garnet Queen on lease for her racing career from Mr Stan Walker, proprietor of the Oak Park Stud at Ngaruawahia, where Pundit stands with Syntax.

Syntax, one of the very best horses sired by Count Rendered, is booked for seasons ahead. Garnet Queen is from the first crop sired by Pundit, and the brilliance she has shown must heighten. interest in the imported Hindoe'an horse’.

Bred in England in 1954 Pundit is a brown horse by Hindustan (son of Bois Roussel) from Senetrix, by King Salmon, by Romudea, an English Derby winner of the Carbine line.

Pundit won 12 races, showing good form from a mile to a mile and a quarter and also winning over hurdles He earned £8641.

Hindostan won £BB7L and two of his big wins were the Irish Derby and the St. George Stakes at Liverpool As a two-year-old he ran third to Abernant and Star King The latter is the sire of Star Kingdom, whose daughter. Starlit, was runnerup to Garnet Queen in the Wellesley Stakes.

Garnet Queen is closely related to Tauloch, one of the many high-class winners chosen at the sales and prepared by the late Fred Smith, father of Garnet Queen’s trainer.

Garnet Queen is out of Naheed. which is by Balloch from Lady Taupiri by Baffles from Taupiri. Tauloch, by Balloch from Taupiri. was one of the top twro-year-olds of his year, and the champion three-year-old in 1948-49

Tauloch’s half-sister Super Snipe (by Ruthless) was in the top class; but wae un-. lucky enough to be • a contemporary of champions like Beaumaris and Sweet Spray However, she won six races and £9985.

Super Snipe has had much success as a producer, too She left Humber Hawk tMoonee Valley Gold Cup)' and Rover, which won the Great Northern St. Leger, New Zealand St- Leger, end Trentham Stakes and was head of the Three-year-old Free Handicap In 1957-58. Local Interest Although the Caulfield'cup wanner. Sometime, was bred at Cambridge, his win was of significance for South Island breeding. Sometime is a son of the Neptune mare Nereid, which was bred at Riccarton by Mr L. W. Starry, and crimes from a family which has produced winners of moot erf the important races on tier home course.

Sometime's pedigree bristles with top class horses.

There is no Melbourne Cup winner among his immediate ancestors, but there are sev-

eral classic winners and whiners of the Wellington, New Zealand and Caulfield Cups, and his third dam was a sister to the great mare. Warstep. Sometime is a five-year-old brown horse by Summertime from the Neptune mare, Nereid. Hie damns of Hot Drop, Lion, Pique and several other good gallopers were amxmg the progeny of Neptune, which has a useful record as a brood mare sire. Nereid was sold as a yearling at the Trentham sales in 1947 to Mr W. R. KemibaJL for whom she raced three times in Australia from H. Hilton’s sitable. In 1949,, Nereid was returned to New Zealand to be mated with Foxbridge at Mr L. S. Otway’s Trelawney Stud at Cambridge. Her first foal, a colt, was sold for 1350gns at the 1952 Trentham sales—-and became one of the best stayers of his time in New Zealand. Named Fox Myth, he won the 1954 Greait Northern Derby and St. Leger, and the 1958 Wellington Cup.

Nereid was foaled in 1945, art Mr Storry’s Laingleylea Stud, at Riccarton.

Her second dam. Limelight, won 12 races, including the C.J.C. Greait Easter Handicap. Members’ Handicap (twice) and Jockey Club Handicap, and the third dam, Stardancer, won Die CJ.C. Stewards’- Handicap and became the dam of 11 winners.

Stamdahcer was a sister, to Warstep, the winner of 13 races including the 1914 New Zealand Cup, in which she dead-heaited with Indigo. Limelight- was a half-sister to Startend (12 wins including the Auckland Cup), Metal Bird (20 wins) and Starmist, Hie New Zealand Oaks winner which was the granddam of Saint Warden, winner of a division of the Caulfield Cup in 1943. Sometime, Nereid’s sixth foal, was foaled in 1958 and fetched 2200gns art the Trentham sales in 1960, when bought by the Adelaide trainer, J. B. Cummings.

He was her first foal by Summertime (three of the earlier five were by Foxbridge, one was by Balloch and the other was by Pride of Kildare*, and her third oolt. Like his half-brother. Ota’ki, and half-sister, Curnagh Maid, Sometime was named in Australia.