FROM STUD AND STABLE Cadiz Proved A Handful For R. J. Skelton

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32296, 14 May 1970, Page 4

FROM STUD AND STABLE Cadiz Proved A Handful For R. J. Skelton

The Auckland joqkey, R. J. Skelton, was quick to accept an offer to ride Cadiz on the track at Hollywood Park, Los Angeles, recently, but almost immediately had cause to regret his decision.

Cadiz is now 15 years old to American time, but full of good feed and the joy of living, and he almost bolted with Skelton. Still, .there is much of the keenness and; vitality the Nelson-bred Targui gelding showed i in winning big races in three countries.

Cadiz is now owned by one of the Hollywood Park racing officials, and spends much of his life round the course where he brought fame to the New Zealand thoroughbred industry by winning the Hollywood Gold Cup twice. The horse, selected as a yearling and trained through a brilliant sprinting programme in New Zealand and

Australia by J. C. Tomkinson, of Riccarton, was inspected recently by Mr Corin Murfitt, a veterinary surgeon who flew to the United States with a load of 24 horses in April and remained there for a month. Mr Murfitt inspected some of the most famous stallions in the world, and saw racing

i under superb conditions at Hollywood Park. The chance to see a famous veteran like Cadiz showing obvious signs of care and attention in his years of retirement was sorne- | thing more than a fleeting im- . pression formed by Mr MurIfitt on his trip. “He looks great” Mr Murifitt said yesterday. I First Win Mr Murfitt went racing jwith Skelton at Hollywood; Park and saw Daryl’s Joy, the’ former star of S. A. Brown’s team, work on the eve of the V.R.C. Derby winner’s first i American victory. The race, run over a mile, was the I seventh on the card on the seventeenth day of the Holly-1 , wood Park meeting on May 2.1 and it was for a purse of I $lO,OOO. . I

This was Daryl’s Joy’s third race in the United States, where he is trained for Mr Robert Goh by Charles Whittington, and Mr Murfitt now regrets his travelling schedule did not make it possible for him to see it. Daryl’s Joy’s two previous starts in the United States had produced a second and la fourth. : Fairfleet, ridden by Skelton, (was sixth in the race won by I Daryl’s Joy at Hollywood I Park. This former New Zea- ' land star is trained by P. G. I Griffiths, an Australian, for 'Mr Theodore G. Schonpe and her American record up to the race won by Daryl’s Joy was eight starts for two seconds worth 54300. Skelton told Mr Murfitt he was prepared to stay in the United States indefinitely if he could see prospects of; good rides, but he was finding! it hard to break through.

j Failure Skelton told Mr Murfitt hei r was confident Fairfleet would i win races but was anything 1 but hopeful about Felix Dee, a another New Zealand-bred i racing in the same colours as e the Fair’s Fair mare. s| Most of the New Zealand g i horses sent to the United

States bad done little to create a favourable image for this country’s bloodstock industry and South America was sending better horses, which were often cheaper, Mr Murfitt said. »

It was to be hoped, he said, that Daryl’s Joy would do much to give New Zealand a big boost.

/ Mr Murfitt said many New ■ Zealand horses must be affected by great changes in :'environment and schedules. ; “Most horses never see a yard, land the only time they get 1 out is when they are worked. You see lots of horses in their boxes weaving—Fairfleet does —and crib biting.” Impressive I Mr John R. Maluvius, 'chairman of the-racing department at Hollywood Park, idid much to make Mr MurI Utt's visits to the famous I course memorable. “It would be hard to I imagine a better set-up anywhere,” Mr Murfitt said yes- , terday. Hollwood Park, he found, had parks for 31.500 cars and a seating capacity of 32,406. Last year 3,188.707 people attended the racing on the course.

The total taxes from Hollywood Park thoroughbred racing since the track opened in 1938 have reached 5307.162.401. The 1969 total taxes from Hollywood Park thoroughbred and harness racing amounted to more than $3O million.

Hollywood Park paid out 86.346,500 in 675 purses last year, and that record is expected to be bettered this year. Top Winner I Figonero was the top stake | earner at Hollywood Park last I year with $140,300. In 1963 i Cadiz was at the top of the list with $119,800. Another highlight of Mr Murfitt’s American visit was a visit to Darby Dan farm to inspect Ribot, the world’s greatest living sire of classic winners. There was more than pro-

fessional interest here. The Riccarton Stud, owned by Mr Murfitt’s father, is the home of Ribotlight, the first son of the Italian-bred champion to come to New Zealand. Mr Murfitt made several stud visits with the famous horse salesman, Mr Humphrey S. Finney, who was honoured last year by the Thoroughbred Club of America with a testimonial dinner as public recognition for distinguished service to racing. The English-born Mr Finney, who has visited New Zealand in the interests of the successful Fasig-Tipton Company, spent two days with Mr Murfitt arranging for stallions to be paraded and inspected. Grand Type Mr Murfitt was impressed by Graustark (son of Ribot). He found that the Australianbred Tobin Bronze is developing into a magnificent type of stallion. One of the 46 stallions at Spendthrift Farm, which has its own police department, is last year’s Kentucky. DerbyPreakness winner, Majestic Prince, and his sire, Raise a Native. “It costs $lO,OOO to breed to Raise a Native and $25,000 if you get a foal.” Mr Murfitt said yesterday. Clovelly Farm, owned by Robin Scully, an Englishborn millionaire with oil interests, is now the home of Yahabeebe, one of the fastest mares ever bred in New Zealand.

Mr Scully, who bought Yahabeebe quite recently, breeds his horses in Kentucky, but races them all in France.