Ashley Lobell’s dam had. premature ending

Press, 3 December 1985, Page 40

Ashley Lobell’s dam had. premature ending

By

JEFF SCOTT

The good producing mare, Ashley Star, the dam of an impressive Cl winner at Orari on Saturday in Ashley Lobell, met with an unfortunate and premature ending in October. The 11-year-old chestnut

and the foal she was carrying to the boom sire, Smooth Fella, were both lost on October 5 when complications arose at home while the Rangiora horseman, Frank Murfitt, and his wife Nola, were watching the fortunes of open class pacer, Lord Lx)uie, at Addington Raceway.

Murfitt, and his Papanui partner and friend, Dr Clive Moody, have bred five foals from Ashley Star (Brad Hanover—Naomi Brigade), the first being the former smart juvenile, ' Ashley Knight (by Timely Knight), the winner of 16 races and over $60,000 in New Zealand and Australia (including seven at Moonee Valley), before being exported to North America, where he has won twice, in Imin 56.4 s and Imin 56s respectively. Then came Ashley Lobell (by Nat Lobell), which qualified impressively but could not get starts as a three-year-old, won once from six starts last term, and won second-up in his five-year-old season on Saturday.

Ashley Globe (by Lordship) followed, winning well at the New Zealand Cup meeting last year before being sold to Victorian interests. In Australia he has extended his record to four wins and earnings of $18,176, winning the South Australia St Leger at Adelaide in December.

The remaining foals from Ashley Star are Ashley Brigade (by Lordship), now three and prominent at trials last season, and the first and only filly from the mare, a valuable yearling by Smooth Fella. Ashley Lobell—which provided Frank Murfitt, aged 65, with his last driving success when he won a maiden at Rangiora in March—had to be good to win the Royal Hotel Temuka Pace on Saturday after giving the leaders a big start into the straight.

He rattled home late in the hands of Trevor Thomas to snatch victory from Snow Prince, which ran about after dashing clear 200 m

out, to win by a long neck,' being timed over his last 800 m on a deadened track in Imin o.ls, the full 2000 m taking 2min 40.25. The Nat Lobell gelding had failed to handle the sloppy conditions first-up for the season at Kaikoura, but after performing well when second at the Rangiora trials on Thursday, was well-backed on Saturday. “I don’t know who backs him. I don’t bet much but there he opened up favourite with that draw,” Murfitt said.

Murfitt’s first horse, Logan Scott, had been a winner at Orari (14-15 in the betting) at the Geraldine Racing Club’s meeting 37 years earlier, taking out one of three standardbred races held in conjunction with the galloping meeting. Murfitt’s partner, Dr Moody, became an owner in the standardbred industry in 1973, while a son, Gerard, worked for Murfitt for several years.

Dr Moody also named one of his racing pigeons Ashley Star. It won a major race from the East Cape (north of Gisborne) to Christchurch. The bird covered the 520 miles (about 880 km) journey in 12 hours.