FROM STUD AND STABLE N.Z. Brood Mares In Demand

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30767, 3 June 1965, Page 4

FROM STUD AND STABLE N.Z. Brood Mares In Demand

There does not seem to be any slackening in Australian interest in New Zealand brood mares. And there seems to be a growing interest in the possibilities of Dogger Bank mares as producers.

This week two brood mares with Dogger Bank filly foals at foot and two young mares by that imported stallion were shipped from Lyttelton to Sydney and will go to a stud in New South Wales.

They have been sold by Mr! G H. Murfitt jun., proprietor of the Recarton Stud, where ■ Dogger Bank has stood for the last few seasons. Good Winner The best-known of the mares sold to Australia is Rise and Shine, winner of eight races for Mr P. D. Hall. This brilliant Sun King mare was prepared at Riccarton by C. G. Humphires, who has since moved to Picton. Rise and Shine has left the winner Mastiff, by Dogger Bank. She has a Dogger Bank filly at foot and is in foal to Ribotlight. Others sold to the Australian stud are Port Finis, Sal’s Treasure, an unraced four-year-old Dogger Bank-Kick-shaw mare, and an unraced two-year-old filly by Dogger Bank from Jenwyn. Port Finis, dam of the winner, Golden Cassock, has a Dogger Bank filly at foot. Dani Of Rae’s Hope Sal’s Treasure (by Treasure Hunt) is the dam of the successful sprinter Rae’s Hope. She is in foal to Ribotlight, and will remain in New Zealand until after she is mated again with that horse next season. Australian interest in Dogger Bank as a sire of producers has quickened through the deeds of Reveille. This Star Kingdom filly is out of Emulation, a Dogger Bank mare bred at Mr J. G. Alexander’s Cranleigh Stud. Reveille was a top-two-year-old and at three years beat most of her age over short courses. More recently she has been sold to the American owner, Mr A. B. Hancock, and the price is reported to be 50,000 dollars. Philippines Interest Inquiries have been made in Canterbury recently on behalf of breeders in the Philippines for young mares in foal to Ribotlight, which is owned by Mr Alexander, but has been leased by the Riccarton Stud. Inquiries have been made mainly for mares from four to six years, but mares up to the age of eight might be found suitable. These inquiries were made before the first of the American major classics this year —classics that have done much to enhance the fame of Ribotlight’s sire, Ribot, as a progenitor of high-class racehorses. Tom Rolfe and Dapper Dan. both sons of Ribot, chased Lucky Debonair home in the Kentucky Derby, and on May 28 they ran first and second in the Preakness, the second race of the famous American Triple Crown. The Preakness prize of 128.100 dollars brought Tom Rolfe’s seasonal earnings to 178.301 dollars and his lifetime total to 251,605 dollars in 17 starts, eight of which he has won. Ribot is now approaching the end of the last stud Season in America, under the terms of a five-year lease. Back To Italy Although the classic performances of Tom Rolfe and Dapper Dan will undoubtedly increase the desire of American horsemen to retain Ribot in their country, the decision to return him to Italy appears irreversible. It is no secret that several generous offers have been made either to extend the lease or to buy outright the now 13-year-old stallion, but all have been declined. When he was racing in the mid-1950’s Ribot earned every superlative in the book. He was unbeaten in 16 starts, and only once was he really threatened.

■ Seven of his victories were by eight lengths or more. Besides making a clean sweep in Italy he accounted for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in England and two runnings of the Prix de I’Arc de Triomphe in France. His scattered earnings—--30,360,000 lire, 59,880,000 francs, and £23,727 —made him the richest horse in Europe up to that time. After one stud season in England Ribot stood three seasons in Italy before Mr John W. Galbreath leased him for 1,350,000 dollars for

a five-year period and took him to the United States to stand at Darby Dan Farm. The Italian champion was the leading English sire in 1963 and ranked third on the French sire list in 1961. Among his European offspring have been two Prix de I’Arc de Triomphe winners, Molvedo and Prince Royal II; the unbeaten Italian Oaks winner Alice Frey; the British stake-earning champion Ragusa, winner of the English St. Leger and Irish Derby; and the English middle distance star, Romulus. Ribotlight is Ribot’s only son at stud in New Zealand. Owners of 150 mares have made inquiries for bookings to Ribotlight for next, season, and it will be necessary to ballot for services.