Unusual Riccarton-Ellerslie double

Press, 14 April 1988, Page 30

Unusual Riccarton-Ellerslie double

By DAVID MCCARTHY Impressive victories by Ultra Sound at Riccarton and St James at tellerlsie last Saturday underline the debt racing [owes to the family probably best known as the “Note” tribe to which both the smart three-year-olds belong, I By coincidence, perhaps, both are by Sound Reason, the leading sire this season, though the fact that Riccarton had a smart sprinter by Sound Reason, from the same family, a season or two back in Sound Note suggests the Canadian-bred stallion nicks well with the | “Note” family. The Riccarton mare Ruff, I a sister to Ultra Sound, adds further fuel to that claim. Ultra Sound I and St James share the same third dam, Lyndall, I a well-performed 'race filly (McLean Stakes) and producer of 10 winners from 11 foals. I 1 ■ One of them 1 was Fair Note which didn’t quite emulate her dam when running second in the McLean Stakes but gained greater fame in the end by leaving Baghdad Note, the 1970 Melbourne Cup winner. Another of her foals, Pan Piper, won the Adelaide Guiness and a filly from her, Bellnote, also ran second in the McLean Stakes. Fair Note’s half-sister, Chattel, left the outstanding winner Prodigal and St James’ unraced dam, Burnap. Other foals from Lyndall include Rondel the dam of the best two-year-old filly of 1962-63 in Rondabelle and Swanky the dam of a New Zea-

land Gup winner Watallan. Another daughter. Lynlight left the fine galloper. Start Sapphire which is now} a stud stallion! [in Australia. Sound Note, the best of which was not seen on the track, was from Ararat Note, a sister to Baghdad Note.! ! I . ! . Several mares from this family were bought as a package deal to go to Riddlesworth Stud where Sound Reason stands which explains: some of his [ unusual sucess with the breed. j That the family should produce top race horses of I either sex is no surprise when its background is examined and it is particularly appropriate it should leave fine race mares. The family traces to Moth a mare imported from Australia by Henry Redwood. Her daughter, Ladybird, was the, champion mare of New Zealand and toast of the turf at least twice in the 1860 s. It! may come as some surprise to modern promoters enticing top Australian horses to this country, but it was first achieved over a century ago when the Champion Stakes was held each year. The race rotated around venues in both countries and Ladybird won a historic victory at Silverstream, near Dunedin, in 1865. The champion from Australia was Mormon which duly made the trip across the Tasman though his connections probably regretted it. Australia-New Zealand

id: ■ : .. i II.! sporting contacts had the same keen edge! then as nbw and the Australian horse was the victim | of some rather ' obivipus “team riding” from the five New Zealanders! in the field, one after an ’ other attacking the visitor in front Ladybird had the last run and won easily. She also won another race in the Champion Stakes Series which was then the premier race in Australia and New Zealand. | I The family later produced the Nordenfeldt colt, Crackshot, trained by the colourful Patsy Butler, which won the Canterbury and Auckland Cups rind 1 was run off the coiirse when trying to win [the northern feature a second time. In more recent times St James wori a Dunedin Cup early [this century; Pink Note won the same race and Pink Terrace won the' New Zealand Oaks. Lyndall the ancestress of the modern day St James, and Ultra Sound, was a half sister tothe brilliant Irish Note which set a New Zealand record winnind the Stewards at Riccarton in 1945. Irish Note, owned by the late Mr Derrick Gould and trained by Frank Roberts, ran 1.09 taking nearly two seconds off the race record. I [ All in all it is a! family which has done! South Island racing proud for 120 years and the double pulled off by the South’s leading filly and the colt many believe was the best male here before leaving for the north, is evidence enough that it’s influence shows no sign of fading.