Keen Bidders For Tulloch

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31343, 13 April 1967, Page 4

Keen Bidders For Tulloch

SYDNEY. The unusual sdtuatioa of an owner of a horse and a former trainer in keen bidding competition at an auction occurred when Tulloch was submitted for auction last Friday. Agents for Mr P. Haley, eon of Tulloch’s owner, the Ute Mr E. A. Haley, were in the market; T. J. Smith, who bought Tulloch as a yearling in New Zealand and devel. oped Um to become the largest stake-winner in Australian history, was almost as keen to gain possession. Smith sought to regain possession, since he was really the, owner of Tulloch for about three months. Of the 22 yearlings Smith bought in New Zealand that year, aft but Tulloch, wMch cost a mere'YSOgns and was the cheapest of them all, readily found new owners among the regular patrons of the Smith stable.

Tulloch was the ugly duckling, his slightly hollow back detracting from other qualities that caused Smith to buy the colt against the advice of people at the sale. Eventually Mr Haley agreed to take the colt, remarking at the time that Smith had been lucky in picking a winner or two for him. DISPERSED Tho Haley estate now has been dispersed; first, the property near Bathurst, then the yearlings followed by the mares and foals, and last of all Tulloch, magnificent as a stallion as he was . paraded round the; ring tp be knocked down at 6200gns to the bid made on behalf at Mr Haley. Had Smith become the owner, Tulloch would have been sent to California but Mr Haley intends buying a property and Tulloch will continue as a stallion there. Tulloch went to the stud in

19*445 season that he qualified for inclusion in the published teaWtea of the BloodAll told he has not had 20 Winners, and aone haa won a really worthwhile race. Last season’s tally showed him with seven winners of 11 races and 9525 dollars of which 2510 dollars was gained in place money. But there has been a change down the line which may have a significance. In the 196142 season Tulloch’s fertility showed only 48.5 per cent; the following year it was 60.7 per cent; and in the latest figures published —those for 1963-64, it had risen to 79.4 per cent, a highly satisfactory figure for a stallion whose opportunity to get foals rests, after all, to a degree on stud management

It haa to be admitted that Tulloch got away to a bad start and that haa been the lot of many atalllons who later achieved fame.

In England the great stallion, Hurry On, had faded ao much from favour in Mb early stud career that he stood at a fee of £4O before his stock began pointing to his greatness, and mares of quality were booked to him, giving him a real chance for achieve, ment OLDEST ABE FOUR After all the oldest of the Tulloch horses are four-oar-olds and noose would ever claim that the marea booked to Mm included a reasonable proportlmi of topflight proapects. One such mare waa Arafura wMch won five two-year-old races in succession under the Offwod at the yearling sales at Easter and the buyer was the Sydney Turf Club chairman. William Longworth, who K a buyer of Tulloch yearwhen the first erop

came atopg, and then dropped out. Mr Longworth, said it waa impoaalble that Tulloch opportunity. Arafura is by NuUabor had prpduced a good galloper in Aranulla. NuUabor la by Nasrallah froth a mare by Hyperion, and of equal interest in her pedigree is the fact that her dam was half-sister to Ruthless (imp), Blue Coral (imp) and Gaekwaris Pride (imp) and was by Big Game, who sired Khorassan (imp), the sire of Tulloch. Thus the colt bought by

Mr Longworth has. doubling of BteGame la hfe makofaup and that should .be all to the f AU U the slightly dipped back whldi was one of the sire's • to the outstanding gallopera Fine and Dandy and Time and Tide. This little fellow, which probably was - just about as unprepossessivo as waa Tulloch at the same aget went round the ring walking pretty well and showing the sire’s backline.

But no one was impressed and be was knocked down at a miserable 472 dollars; yet he may prove the bargain of all. i

Mares of lineage matching that of Arafura and Glenray were few and far between in the general run of mates for Tulloch. Perhaps the fact that he will start afresh, may mean a nedr era of prospects for this great racehorse.