One for Ollie North

Press, 23 September 1987, Page 52

One for Ollie North

By

J. J. BOYLE

An American two-year-old being prepared for his racing debut has been named All For Ollie, in honour of LieutenantColonel Oliver North. The youngster is a son of Shredder. Sheer numbers make demands on the imaginative naming skills of American owners in the country with the world’s biggest thoroughbred population. As Carlyle said, giving a name is indeed a poetic art. Happily, apt choices come through in the lists of big American races. One of the most impressive winners at Belmont in July was Dance of Life, a three-year-old by Nijinsky II from Spring Is Here.

This year’s Hollywood Oaks winner was Perchance To Dream, whose parents are To B Or Not

and Rendezvous. A recent winner at Hollywood Park was Bedside Promise, which is by Honest Pleasure from Enchanted Native, by Native Charger from Enchanted Eve by Lovely Night. Of an earlier racing generation, and later a successful stallion, Tom Fool was by Menow from Gaga; and Blushing Groom, another strong influence at stud, was got by Red God from Runaway Bride. New Zealand and Australian racing records abound with some splendid choices.

The champion, Gloaming, was by The Welkin out of Light, but was first registered as Celestial. The name of that chestnut South Canterbury-bred champion, Phar Lap, intrigued many, but as his career developed along such brilliant lines the

choice proved apt Harry Telford sought the name on being told that pharlap was a Siamese (Thai) word meaning lightning. Another interpretation of pharlap is wink of the sky. Phar Lap’s grandam was Winkie.

Phar Lap had an undistinguished brother called Friday Night, and it was unkindly suggested that the name fitted a horse which, it seemed, had to start the night before to compete in his Saturday engagements. Friday Night was also a failure at stud, but he figured in the pedigree of an aptly-named filly. The youngster was named Cheap Lodging. The name of her dam was Clink. The Cliffords, of Stonyhurst, came up with dozens of apt names for products of the oncefamous North Canterbury thoroughbred nursery.

No great feats of memory were necessary to establish that Conclusion was by Finis from Good Passage or that an early Battle Eve must be by Martian from Tomorrow. Other New Zealand owners have chimed in with good choices — Blyton, by Chatsworth II from Bedtime Story; Final Embrace by Finis from Cuddle; Canute, by Midstream from Idle Words; Kiss Me Quick, by Nothing Venture from Mistletoe; Above and Beyond, by Reindeer from Golden Music. Fred Astaire decided to take the easy way out when he was asked by his trainer to come up with a name for a youngster being prepared for a racing career. “Call it anything,” said the famous American dancer. That is what happened. The horse went to the races bearing the name, Anything.