Importation of English fillies urged

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33407, 13 December 1973, Page 8

Importation of English fillies urged

| “The Press” Special Service INEVRCARGILL. Only with selective culling and the importation of English fillies, even on a syndicatebasis, could South Island, breeders, and, in partic-i ular. Southlanders, compete with North Islanders in breeding thoroughbreds. This opinion was expressed in Invercargill on Monday by Mr W. L. Aynsley, president of the Southland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, at the association's annual meeting. “Some years ago, astute North Island breeders picked the best of many of our mares by Salmagundi and Lo Zingaro,” Mr Aynsley said. “Southlanders now have to compete with North Island yearling with those backgrounds at Trentham.” Mr Aynsley expressed concern

that South Island breeders seemed to be making no proIgress on a national scale. There ‘were 441 yearlings accepted for I the selected Trentham sale, he [said, but only 30 of them from [the South Island. NINE SIRES IN SOUTH ] Of the 60 individual sires re-' presented in the catalogue, only] [nine were domiciled in the South I ! Island. The system of selection. Mr Ayneslay thought, was quite fair. However, he felt that too few South Island breeders were entering yearlings; and proportionally speaking, more North] [lsland yearlings might have been' turned down. Mr B. Kelly moved that the Soutliland branch inquire from: the auctioneers to determine how many yearlings were entered from the South Island before the problem of yearlings being refused could be placed In its correct perspective. Mr Aynsley said that some wellbred sires in Southland were not getting the chances they deserved. Over-all, North Island sires served better mares, with classic backgrounds and stakes winners throughout their pedigree. Only by the syndication of English fillies and astute culling of mares could Southlanders hope to improve their mares. It was pointed out by Mr Aynsley that the national council, of which he is a member, was aiming to approach the Government to make the association a statutory body, under legislation. He was concerned that a Sydney racing journal had declined to accept advertisements for New Zealand yearlings in the Trentham sale, and added that the council was also worried that South Africa might place an import restriction on Trentham yearlings. Mr Aynsley said there was a move afoot to restrict the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas and Derby to eolts, denying geldings the chance of running Ln these prestige classic races. "IMPORTANT RACE" Mr W. A. H. Thompson said the Southland Racing Club was anxious to stage an important race for three-year-old fillies, and pointed out to Mr Aynsley that his club would welcome advice and assistance from the South-

land branch concerning the organisation and stake for the event.

Mr Aynsley said clubs in Southland had been too parochial for i too long, and should consider; contributing fo the stake for a I race in the province. The New Zealand Racing; ; Authority, he said, might be; able to subsidise the stake by ’ 30 per cent. He thought the I Southland branch should show “renewed energy” in file likeli* i hood of the race being inaugurated.