£l0,000 Paid For Chequer Board

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31206, 2 November 1966, Page 5

£l0,000 Paid For Chequer Board

“The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. The brilliant pacer, Chequer Board, which holds the New Zealand record for 11 furlongs, has been sold to an Auckland business man, Mr A. Carmichael, for £lO,OOO. The sale is subject to a veterinary examination.

Chequer Board was previously raced by his breeder, Mr D. C. Jessop, of Tangiteroria. Mr Jessop has also trained and driven the horse throughout his career. A chunky fiv-year-old entire by Johnny Globe from Placid Girl, Chequer Board has always shown good speed. Tardiness at the barrier has nude his progress through the classes slower than expected. but the mobile barrier has helped him overcome this.

From a mobile start at Alexandra Park last week, Chequer Board won over 11 furlongs in 2min 50 2-ssec, bettering Swartz Pete’s New Zealand record, set last year, by two-fifths of a second. Mr Jessop has received many offers for Chequer Board. Some exceeded £lO,OOO, but these were from American interests and he always maintained that he

wanted the horse to remain in New Zealand. “Mr Carmichael, who is a personal friend, has wanted to buy Chequer Board for some time,” said Mr Jessop. “I told him some months ago that if I did sell, it would be to him.”

Mr Jessop has taken Chequer Board to Christchurch for the New Zealand Cup meeting. He will continue to look after the horse while in the south, but it is unlikely that he will drive him in his races. Mr Carmichael said yesterday that a new trainer for Chequer Board would be decided when the horse returned north.

Mr Jessop has five halfbrothers and sisters to Chequer Board in training on his farm, which is between Whangarei and Dargaville. “Unfortunately,” he commented, “none of them look like being as good at this stage.”