Ribaldo has right breeding for cup

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33063, 2 November 1972, Page 8

Ribaldo has right breeding for cup

if Riccarton's main cup hope, } Ribaldo, wins the New Zealand ' Cup on Saturday it will only vindicate the possibilities sugi gested by his staying pedigree. I Ribaldo is by Ribotlight, a i sire whose progeny have distinguished themselves chiefly over the longer distances. Ribotlight is by the unbeaten Ribot, winner of 16 races, including the Prix de I’Arc de Triomphe, and a champion sire, out of Honeylight, by Honeyway, the sire of Better Honey which left Simon de Montfort, winner of the 1972 Wellington Cup and Mediate, a strong contender foi the New Zealand Cup. Crepuscule, the dam of Honeylight and a half-sister to Crepello. was by the Massine horse, Mieuxce. Ribaldo’s dam, Fleur, was quite a useful winner, particularly in heavy going. She won at least three races over 11 furlongs as a hack and in open company won the Geraldine Cup. She used to get out of her ground early but had a strong finishing run. As a track galloper she could hold her own with most, especially from a moving start and hers was one of the best distance trials before she contested the 1957 New Zealand Cup. Fleur is by Massowa, the sire of the Melbourne Cup winner, Toparoa, the Auckland Cup winner, Classowa. and Chocolate, dam of the fine staying mare, Sailing Home, winner of the last Auckland Cup. There is a doubling of the powerful Massine staying blood here in Ribaldo’s pedigree through Massowa and Crepuscule. the grand-dam of Ribotlight. Fleur’s dam, Lady Rosette, was a winner up to a mile and a quarter and was a half-sister to the New Zealand Oaks winner, Lady Graceful. She was by Lord Warden, sire of Cerne Abbas, a New Zealand Cup winner. Quality, the next dam by Clarenceux, produced the high class handicapper, Vintage, winner of a Wellington Cup under 9st 91b.

This is one of the best families tn the Stud Book and although more prominent in earlier days carries on successfully today. Dyak boasts a pedigree full of Interest from a staying viewpoint, and this has been borne out by his win over two miles in the Chalmers Handicap at Trentham. He is by Head Hunter, whose

stock are adept in soft to heavy ground. Head Hunter is by Big Game, whose son. Faux Tirage, sired the Melbourne Cup winner, Straight Draw. Dyak’s dam. Swanee. was by Foxbridge out of Pelagia, by Chief Ruler out of Rupture, by Kilbroney. Swanee was a great stayer, winning the Auckland Cup in 1949. She also ran second in Beaumaris’s Wellington Cup in 1950. Kartika is by Fair’s Fair, sire of the Melbourne Cup winner, Even Stevens, out of imported Queen Hestia, by the great sire of stayers. Precipitation. Precipitation was the sire of Summertime, whose name is in much prominence at present through Sobig, sire of Sobar. Ali Cat has more to back up her chance than many cup runners as far as pedigree is concerned. She is by Persian Garden 11, an Alcide horse out of Persian Lilac, the dam of Follow Suit, which sired the Sydney Cup winner, Dark Suit. Alcide is the sire of the boom stallion, Oncidium. and of Gate Keeper, which sired Artifice, winner of an Auckland Cup. Ali Cat’s dam, Great Filou. is by Le Filou, whose mares are doing so well in big handicaps. Sobar is out. of a Le Filou mare. Monition is a horse which can be expected to run out the cup distance well. He is by Monitor, by Worden 11, winner of the Washington International. Monitor’s stock are showing much promise, especially his Derby colt, His Bestone. Cis Luck, the dam of Monition, is by Targui, sire of the New Zealand Cup winner, Oreka, out of Adaluck, by Admiral’s Luck, the sire of Mainbrace, out of Tower Lady, by Phaleron Bay.