Painting of Carbine up for sale

Press, 16 November 1981, Page 2

Painting of Carbine up for sale

From

KEN COATES

in London

A painting of one of New Zealand’s greatest racehorses, Carbine, will be auctioned at Christie’s on November 20.

The picture, probably painted for its' owner, the Duke of Portland, who bought Carbine in 1895 for 13,000 guineas, is valued between £4OOO and £6OOO. But a Christies spokesman says it could well fetch up to £lO,OOO.

The pairiting, which depicts five other horses as well as Carbine, which is dominarit, was done by a well known painter of horses about the turn of the century, James Lynwood Palmer. In the landscape background is, a view of the Greendale oak: The largescale work, in a heavy frame, measures 167 cm by 274 cm. It is one of a number of paintings being sold by Lady Anne Bentinck, the late Duke’s daughter, and is from Welbeck Abbey.

Carbine was a bay horse foaled at Sylvia Park, Auckland, in 1885 by Musket out of Mersey. He was one of the greatest racehorses in Australia and New Zealand where he started 43 times, winning 33 races. His most important win was the Melbourne Cup of 1890 which he won in record time carrying lOst 51b. His most important son was Spearmint, which won the Derby in 1906; Other horses in the painting are Ayrshire, a Derby winner in 1885; St Simon, never beaten in his nine races, including the Ascot Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup; and St Serf, Raeburn, and Donovan.