FROM STUD AND STABLE Win recalled unusual mating 41 years ago

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32873, 23 March 1972, Page 8

FROM STUD AND STABLE Win recalled unusual mating 41 years ago

The mating of a young horse with his three-quarter sister was one of the daring experiments of the 1931 covering season in New Zealand, and it was to have a profound influence for good. That influence is still being felt.

Clandara’s win on the first day of the Manawatu Racing Club’s meeting last Saturday was another chapter in the history of the family. This Sobig filly is a fourth generation descendant of Rejoice, the product of the only mating of the Limond horse, Honour, with his three-quarter sister, Praise. Clandara traces to Rejoice through the high-class race mare, Challen (by Ruthless), Golden Climax (by Bulandshar), and Climax (by Nightmarch). Honour was bought by Mr G. D. Greenwood for 2300gns at the Trentham sales and had recovered that outlay tn generous measure before he finished his two-year-old racing. '' In the autumn of that season he was taken to Sydney to win the Sires’ Produce Stakes, then worth £4903. Earlier he had won the Welcome Stakes at Riccarton, the Royal Stakes at Ellerslie, and the Wellington Stakes at Trentham besides running second to Supremacy in the Great Northern Foal Stakes.

R. J. Mason had Honour in Sydney for a tilt at the AJ.G Derby in the spring of 1929 but the Limond— Homage colt was a wellbeaten third. The winner was Phar Lap and the runner-up was Carradale. After his distant third in the Australian > classic, Honour, along with several other of Mr Greenwood’s horses, was offered for sale in Sydney, but as the highest bid for him was 4000 guineas he was withdrawn and when further inquiries were made for him it was announced that he was no longer for sale. Derby win Honour was then brought back to Riccarton to win the New Zealand Derby by two lengths from Count Palatine, then ran second to Chide in

the G. G. Stead Gold Cup. On Stead Gold Cup day Praise won the Pioneer Handicap, for two-year-olds. Praise, like Honour, was bred by Mr G. M. Currie, and this daughter of Eulogy and sister to the New Zealand Derby winner, Commendation, was bought by Mr Greenwood for 1400 guineas at Trentham.

Early in Praise’s career it was obvious that Mr Green- > wood had got exceptional • value for his money. She won the CJ.C. Welcome i Stakes on New Zealand Cup . day—it was Chide’s Cup—- ! before her victory in the > handicap when giving 131 b ■ or more to her opponents. A year later she won the New ' Zealand Oaks. Mr G. D. Greenwood died ! before Praise left Rejoice to ' that mating with Honour, and the young mare then passed to the ownership of M.- A. Louisson, - who had achieved fame as an owner : through the deeds of Nighti march. I Mating, of Nightmarch , with Praise were highly suci cessful. They produced the

classic winners, Russia! Ballet, Representative, an< Regal Praise, also the Nev Zealand Cup winnet Serena ta. Praise lived to a great ol<

age in contrast to her first mate, Honour, which was dead when he was six, as a consequence of injuries received when kicked by another horse. Honour had few runners on the racecourse. One of his best was Grey Honour, winner of several races including a Brabazon Handicap, and later a station sire in North Canterbury. But as sire also of Hauteur and Rejoice, Honour has a lasting place of merit through the deeds of two splendid producers. Hauteur was out of Egotism and was bred by Mr G. D. Greenwood. She left the splendid stayer, Calibrate, Contrive (dam of the Wellington Cup winner. Gay Filou, Honestly and Honourable) and Gratify (dam of Roka and Signify, the latter the dam of the hardy and highly successful Woambra). Coiatus, another daughter of Hauteur, became the dam of Lampada, winner of $25,000, and Calpumia, the dam of the brilliant Honour Me. 1 Rejoice’s daughter, Climax, ‘ left Red Jester, which was in the top flight and has been ’ one of the more successful of the New Zealand-bred 1 sires in the last few years.