Rose and Thistle for stud

Press, 24 July 1986, Page 36

Rose and Thistle for stud

PA Wellington The hardy competitor Rose and Thistle will go to stud in the spring. The rising eight-year-old Harbor Prince stallion, which has just completed a campaign in Brisbane, will stand at Cambridge’s Morven Farm Stud.

A big winner on both sides of the Tasman, Rose and Thistle won nine races and, indicating his gameness, placed 44 times including fourths in the Melbourne and Fourex Cups. Trained throughout by Errol Skelton, of Levin, his wins in New Zealand include the group 111 Queen Elizabeth Handicap (2400 m at Ellerslie, the •Tenderkist Cup and Birch Handicap at Wanganui, and the Waipukurau and Wairoa cups. As a three-year-old he was second in both the New Zealand Derby and St Leger, while he posted other notable placings in the North Island Challenge Stakes, and the Masterton, Hawke’s Bay, Foxton and Feilding Cups. In Australia he won the listed VATC Textile Handicap, and Bairnsdale Cup, and was placed in the group II Herbert

Power Handicap, the Tatteraall’s, Geelong, Grafton, Ipswich, Brisbane, Gosford and Prime Minister’s Cups.

He earned almost $380,000.

Rose and Thistle looks a likely ultimate successor to the versatile stallion Alvaro (Rockefella-Alde-gonde), a former fine staying racehorse still in service at 21 years of age.

Rose and Thistle comes from a family which has produced some top jumpers.

He is half-brother to Scotch Prince, the winner of five hurdle races, and further back in the pedigree is Megan’s Boy, a Waikato Steeplechasewinner.

His fourth dam Papette is the grandam of Trelay, a successful flat galloper, which has also sired many outstanding jumpers.