Ar Miss N.Z.‘Broodmare of the Year’

Press, 15 July 1982, Page 22

Ar Miss N.Z.‘Broodmare of the Year’

By SHELLEY CALDWELL People who watched the magnificent performances of Armalight at the New Zealand Trotting Cup meeting at Addington last November would have been justified for thinking Armalight's dam, Ar Miss, would be hard to beat for the “Broodmare of the Year" award when the honours were decided later in the season. That thinking, has proved correct. Through the deeds of her outstanding daughter, Ar Miss has been named the standardbred broodmare of the year for the 1981-82 season. Armalight trounced her rivals in the 1981 New Zealand Cup scampering away to win by seven lengths.' She followed that run up with a blistering winning run in the Benson and Hedges New Zealand Free-For-All a few days later in which she recorded a world-record time of 2min 23.5 s for the 2000 m, a 1 min 55.4 s mile rate. On the final evening of the Cup meeting, she was a brave third behind Lord Module and the Victorian pacer, Gammalite, in the Allan Matson Free-For-All, which was also run in world record time — 3min 15.5 s for the 2600 m.. Armalight has not raced since then. She was spelled briefly, then suffered a setback. in her training after which it was announced that (she would be retired to the ■ broodmare paddock. How•ever, since the setback she jhas . thrived and her ownerj trainer, Brent Smith, is jogiging her again. Smith said ; Armalight was very well and ‘.he was fearful she would i huir nerself frisking in her

paddock so he began jogging her to quieten her down. Although there was no immediate plan to race Armalight, Mr Smith said if she continues to progress this way it was possible she might race again but at this stage he was taking each day as it came. Smith’s brother, Vic, owns Ar Miss' — herself a fine racemare. She was bred by Mr Smith’s father, the late H. J. (Howie) Smith, who was a prominent trainer in Canterbury for many years. Vic said his father bred Ar Miss from the good race mare, Trixie Milne, which he had trained during the late 1940 s arid 19505, for Vic’s uncle, Ossie (the late Mr W. 0. Smith), the mare’s breeder. Trixie Milne won several races and before Ar Miss, she left the useful winners. Admiral, Bosun, and Jack Tar. / ; Vic said his father, who at one, time held a professional trainer’s licence for both standardbreds and thoroughbreds. had “retired and wanted to create interest for me in racing.” The plan was for Vic's father, who retained an amateur trainer’s, licence, to train Ar Miss for his son. The venture proved a success and Ar Miss won eight races, including the New . Zealand Sapling Stakes, the New Zealand Oaks, and the 1972 Rangiora Cup. Vic said it was a family agreement that when Ar Miss ■. (which is by Armbro Del) was retired from racing, his brother, Brent, should . have her first foal. Unfortunately her first foal died so Brent was given her second foal, a filly by Timely

Knight, later named Armalight. Although he might be the only person to have given away an eventual New Zealand Cup winner, Vic said he had no regrets. He retains Ar Miss and has high hopes for her 1978 filly by Boyden Hanover, named Miss Denover, .which is the only foal from Ar Miss he has. After a number of setbacks, Miss Denover was now “ready to qualify" Vic said and all going well he will race her this year in partnership with her trainer, Ron Roach. . Ar Miss has had six foals in all. After Armalight came Armistai, a Timely Knight colt now owned in Western Australia where he has had five. wins and four seconds from only 14 starts, for earnings of $10,125, this season. After Miss Denover, Ar Miss foaled a colt, Armaboyd. which was also by Boyden Hanover, and he is owned by Mr Gordon Hammond and his wife. Jill, of Halswell, and trained for them at Gore by Maurice Kerr. He is unraced as yet, but showing potential and likely to race next season. Ar Miss’s next foal was a colt by Midshipman which has been leased to Mr Tony Whisker, of Christchurch, and is with Ross Payne at West Melton. Ar Miss’s most recent foal is a rising yearling filly by El Patron, which is yet to be named, and is owned by Mr Brent Smith, who purchased her as a foal from his brother. Now rising 14 years, Ar Miss is again in foal to El Patron and is booked for Nat Lobell after that foaling.