RACING Desert Chief Has Won 36,000 Dollars In U.S.

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 4

RACING Desert Chief Has Won 36,000 Dollars In U.S.

The former Wingatui galloper, Desert Chief, established a track record of Imin 50 l-ssec for nine furlongs when he won a division of the Escondido Handicap Stakes at Del Mar on September 12.

Desert Chief 111, as he is known in the United States, has now won three of his 18 races in that country, and has earned 36,357 dollars. The race Desert Chief won was run on turf. One of his rivals was Braganza, but he made no showing, finishing last of a field of eight.

Desert Chief won 14 races in New Zealand for the late Mr G. J. Barton. His major success was in the Canterbury Cup and other wins included the Invercargill Gold Cup. After the death of Mr Barton, Desert Chief was bought at auction by the Riccarton owner-trainer, Mr J. F. Tutton, who resold him to Cadiz’s Californian owner, Mr V. Graber. The handsome chestnut is now owned by the Valley Stable and trained by D. K. Landers. Desert Chief’s dam is the Foxbridge mare Zizette, which is now in England. She was bought by the former Gover-nor-General, Lord Norrie, Zizette was covered by Ruth-

less to Northern Hemisphere time and was exported in July, 1957. Unfortunately, she slipped twins to that mating with Ruthless. In 1959 she foaled Aurora Fox (by Aureole), which has been a winner. She foaled a filly by Zarathustra in 1960 and her 1961 foal, a filly by Hugh Lupus, called Lucky Lu, has also won. Good Start The American-bred Amber-ley-based Comte De Grasse has now sired winners of two of the three races for two-year-olds, decided in the Auckland province this season. They are Ponderosa and Count de Loot Such a good start suggests

that his ability to sire performers with early speed will match the speed lines in his own pedigree. Comte De Grasse won a race at nine furlongs, but was not asked to race at all at two years. His record was in marked contrast to that of his dam, La Liberte. This brilliant daughter of Beau Pere was ranked as the third filly on the Two-year-old Free Handicap after winning four of her five starts at that age. Necklace, the great granddam of Comte De Grasse, was the champion French two-

year-old filly in 1928. Straitlace, the next dam, won 11 races and was placed in her other five starts. Like La Liberte, Straitlace was got by Son-in-Law. The doubling of the Son-in-Law blood as well as the fresh source of Cinna blood make Comte de Grasse one of the most interesting importations for many years. The American Influence heightens the interest. Ameri-can-bred racehorses are having a great year outside their own country. The win of Baldric II in the Prix Perth at Saint Cloud earlier this week, and his Two Thousand Guineas victory earlier in the year heightened the stature of the American-breds in England and France. Northern Interest Rio’s win in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas, and the high promise shown by the three-year-old Markable are helping to heighten North Island interest in South Island thoroughbred breeding. Rio was bred in Canterbury and is from the first crop sired by the Abadan horse, My Pal. Markable is one of few runners for the Southland-owned imported horse Bellborough in the North Island, and his win at Te Aroha last Saturday gave the stallion’s owner, Mr A. J. Lawton, nearly as much pleasure as a result of the Dunedin Guineas. Bellborough sired Combination, Town Crier, and Royal Burgh, the first three placegetters in the Wingatui classic. Riding Better Than Name (N!Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, Sept 30. The young apprentice’s riding was good enough to earn him an Australian Jockey Club licence, but his name left officials at the post. “Too much of a tongue twister,” they told Germanborn Kazimierz Chodkiewicz, aged 18. So Kazimierz has become Peter Kane, by deed poll. MARXISTS Harpo Marx, who died this week, once had a horse named after him, and it was a winner of an important race at Tanforan in 1962. Mr Frank Sale, who owned the horse named after Harpo, this year had two two-year-olds named Gummo and Zeppo, two of the original five members of the famous family. Neither of these two-year-olds had won until September 4, then both won on the same day’s programme at Del Mar. NORTH CANTERBURY RACING CLUB INC. NOMINATIONS NOMINATIONS for the above Club’s meeting at Ranglora on Friday, October 23, and Monday, October 26, 1964, close at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, 1964, at the club’s office:— BYRNE and CO., 661 Colombo street, CHRISTCHURCH. Telephone 65-029 Christchurch. Telegrams "BYROC,” Christchurch. —Advt