Another success for Matangi stable

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33066, 6 November 1972, Page 9

Another success for Matangi stable

A combination of good judgment, skill and a bit of good luck has made the Robinson family, of Matangi, one of the most successful in New Zealand racing during the last two decades. Since 1955, the year Treasure Ring carried the Robinson colours to victory in the Grand National Steeplechase, Mr I. Robinson, sen, and his two sons, Leo and Roy, have regularly prepared some of the country’s top-class performers.

Winning major races at Riccarton is no new experience for the Robinsons—this has been the scene of some of their most successful "raids”—but for Mr N. Blakeway, of Christchurch, Trumpet Call's victory in the Welcome Stakes on Saturday was a highly exhilarating experience. Mr Blakeway, a retired raspberry farmer and motel ier, first became involved in racing through the Robinsons. On their fairly regular visits to Riccarton the family stayed at Mr Blakeway’s motels. A friendship developed and one day in the mid--1960s when the Robinson sons were off to the Bloodstock Sales in Christchurch Mr Blakeway was asked to accompany them. A well-performed but nonStud Book mare in the catalogue which attracted Mr L. Robinson was Lucky Sal, which was in foal to Afghanistan. He bought her and offered a half-share to Mr Blakeway. The offer was accepted and the motelier became a partner in a thoroughbred for the first time. Lucky Sal, the winner of 10 races, returned to Mr and Mrs R. E Adair’s Inglewood Stud, near ’ Kaiapoi, and the next spring produced her foal. Mr and Mrs Blakeway saw what appeared to be a normal healthy youngster the day it was foaled but the next day Mr Adair arrived at their home with the sad news that the foal had died. Mr Adair, who with his wife, had offered Lucky Sal at the sales, insisted that the partnership should take a substitute foal, free of charge. So Mr Blakeway and the Robinsons became the owners of a daughter of Afghanistan and Voysa. The filiv. which was named Ghanis, won two races for the partnership but never looked as if she would be out of the ordinary and was later sold. Meanwhile, Lucky Sal, which had been covered again by Afghanistan, produced another foal for the partnership. This filly, now a four-year-old, was named Linda Jane. She won her first race but obviously was not going to develop quickly so was put aside to grow and St It "looked as if _7°“ ld some time before Mr Blakeway s main ambition—to win a race at Riccarton—was going to be fulfilled. _ , The year after Lucky Sal produced Linda Jane she was not bred from but in the springy of 1969 she was mated with the English-bred sire, Show Off H, which was standing at the Rodmor Stud, near Cambridge. The product of that mating was Trumpet Call. It is every ownert ambition to get a really good horse and some never get one in a lifetime of trying but Mr Blakeway has achieved his ambition in seven years. Although two wins do not make a horse a champion, Trumpet Call is obviously well above average Trumpet Call’s performance in Saturday’s classic was one of the most impressive efforts seen at Riccarton in years. He stayed with the pack for the first three furlongs then left the others to I it At the end he was out by 12 lengths from the Otaki-trained Four Leaf, which saved second by a nose from Grey Way. Trumpet Call’s 57 seconds for the five furlongs was two seconds outside the course record, created by Rag DoH a howling north-westerly behind !her at the New Zealand Cup meeting in 1965, so Trumpet Call’s was an exceptional effort into the teeth of a strong easterly. _____

The Welcome Stakes was Trumpet Call’s only race at the meeting. The colt, his trainer, L. Robinson, whose last visit to Riccarton was with the Derby winner Piko in 1969, and Mr Robinson senior, on his first trip here since 1960, will return north today.

If all goes well Trumpet Call’s next race will be the Avondale Stakes on Saturday.