Irish stud executive pays $44,000 for Taipan II filly

Press, 25 January 1979, Page 24

Irish stud executive pays $44,000 for Taipan II filly

From J. J BOYLE Wellington

Captain Tim Rogers, who earlier this week was attempting to engage Linda Jones to ride in Europe next flat season, paid $44,000 at Trentham yesterday for a filly of outstanding pedigree. “The pick of the fillies in ;the sale on type and pedigree,” Captain Rogers said after he purchased a brown daughter of Taipan II and Stellar Belle.

Captain Rogers, who heads a company which owns five studs in Ireland, selected two fillies from the Trentham catalogue arid made his first purchase, a chestnut by Imperial March from Domremy, on the first

iday of the sale on Tuesday. ; Captain Rogers plans to i race his Taipan II filly in 'this part of the world before ; retiring her to stud. He said ithat if he decided to race 'her in Australia Tommy i Smith would be the trainer.

; Bred by Mr Jim Sarten, of : Auckland, the Taipan 11 filly ■is a granddaughter of Star Belle, head of the 1966-67 | three-year-old Free Handicap, and the winner of 18 races, including the Wellington Derby, the N.Z. Oaks, the Great Northern St Leger and, in Melbourne, the Turnbull, Craiglee and Liston Stakes.

Captain Rogers, who is regarded as one of the leading European authorities on the thoroughbred, plans to increase his involvement in

the breeding industry in this part of the world" and is negotiating for a suitable property near Wanganui. Enthusiastic bidding for stock of the Ra Ora stallion, Sovereign Edition, was again one of the features of yesterday’s selling. Mr Mark Read, the Melbourne bookmaker who made his first sales visit last year, yesterday paid $50,000 for a grey filly byj Sovereign Edition 'from" Shalina, a half-sister by Stunning to the big winners, Apa and Lord Sasanof. While he has been in Wellington this week Mr Read has completed plans to form a syndicate which will race the purchases at Trentham this year. The Sovereign Edition-

Micheletta colt, bought fo. the top price of $55,000 on Tuesday, will like several others destined for South Africa, remain in New Zealand for some weeks. Thex will be taken from Trent han to a Cambridge property now being managed by Mi Peter Keating, who recently resigned his position as manager of Mr Nelson Bunker Hunt’s Waikato Stud.

. . Sovereign Edition finished the sale with a splendid average of $18,352. realised from the sale of 22 yearlings for $403,750. Naturally Ra Ora had an equally pleasing result. They offered 15 yearlings and sold them all for a total of $293,600 at an average of $19,573.