THE TURF

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 68, 18 September 1917, Page 2

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

in "sin uutczuff.")

The successful New Zealand and Australian performer Cherubini (MartianGrand Opera) has taken up stud duty at Momba Station, South Australia. The Adelaide Guineas winner, Mareca, by The Welkin—The Infanta, is * half-sister to the Wallace horse Wolawa, who is doing stud duty in Hawkes Bay. Di Gama, who was so successful when trained by G. Delaney a- couple of seasons back, is again in that trainer's care at Caulfield. ' ■ ■ . Since the commencement of the war the Australian Jockey Club has contributed for patriotic purposes tlie sum of £47,140. .. ; .

A contemporary, in referring to the excellent record of the Australian Steeplechase winner, Caibye, viz., 10 firsts, 6 seconds, and 1 third out of "nineteen starts during the.last twelve months, quotes the paragraph that has been going the rounds about the New Zealand 'chaser The Lad, who is credited with having won fifteen races without defeat. The writer well remembers The Lad, a chestnut gelding by Messenger—Stella. He was owned by the late Mr. Dunca.ii Rutherford, and was ridden in most of his races by Tammy Sheenan, the wellknown Ricearton trainer. Mr. Sheenan was a. contemporary in the saddle of the late Mr. Bail O'Brien, Harry Piper, Tommy Lyford, Sam Osbornei Jimmy Cotton, Mi\ Horry Lunn (now farming in the- Amberley district), and other prominent. cross-country riders of . the 'eighties.. In those days a- steeplechase meeting was a- steeplechase meeting. , At one meeting the writer attended at Amberley Tommy Sheenan won nearly the whole programme. He won two events on The Lad. In the principal event Sheenan rode Kosciusko (who had previously won the Grand National) and ran second to Batman, ridden by Dan O'Brien, who had won the Grand National the previous year under the nam« of Kaierfelto. Sheenan won the Farmere' Steeplechase on Hercules, who had started in the two previous events. He was owned. by Mr. Alf Dillon, and. beat Nikau, on whom Sheenan later in the day won the Consolation. In five events during the, afternoon at Amberley Sheenan roae four firsts and a second. Mr. Dillon, who is at present residing in the .Marlboroiigh- district, bred from Nika-u when he lived at. Cajivastown. Several of Nikau's stock raced successfully. Langley the Devil was .one and Pyrites another. At a Hurunui meeting The Lad won a hurdle race and two fiat races the same day. He was successful in a maiden steeplechase at lieathcote at the old course opposite the bridge., Sheenan won the principal crosscountry event on Barbary, ovraed by the late Mr. James Pilbrow. He, however, had not completed the course, and the stake went to Batman, owned and ridden by Starter Charlie O'Connor. During the latter part of The Lad's career lie carried the colours of Mr. Sheenan. • He won a hurdle race at the Old Pliimpton course, and later won two principal steeplechase events on the same day at South Canterbury. He went through one ■season with 12 starts unbeaten. In his first start the following season he was unplaced in the.open steeplechase event at the Christchurch Hunt Club's- Meeting, ( held at Ricearton, when Captain Cotton: and. the late Mr. Pat Campbell were prominent figures in the hunting world. At Amberley The Lad won ths Great Northern, .carrying 12.7,' also the* next race on the card, in which his only opponent failed io get round. Although he never won a National, The: Lad, who used to mix it—race on the flat, over hurdles, and across country—was a great performer. He raced 'in a steeplechase at the Auckland Cup Meeting. Clarence came in first, but on the race being run over again, owing, to most of the competitors taking, the wrong course, Linwood, owned by the late Billy Western, a well-known. bookmaker of these days, and ridden by, Sheenan, got the stake..

The imported horse St. Evins won a race 1 in Queensland recently. He is by St. Aihant-—Operation, by Velocity from Silver Thread, who was sent to Fiance after being covered by Gallinule. Operation was owned by Messrs. Ctark and Robinson, who hred St. Evins. Mr. E: J. Watt recently won.a three-year-old handicap in Queensland with Orillon, by Poseidon—Orlet. Orillon is trained by G. P. Nailon, who also owns the second horse Edenic, by Orcus (brother to Poseidon) from the New Zealandbred 1 mare Eden (Stepniak—Faraway), who had some produce in the Dominion before she went to Queensland. Orillon was ridden by P. S. O'Neill, who rode Sasanoff when he won the Chelmsford Stakes at Rmidwick. The sale of.Bimeter and Immortelle has induced R. .J. Mason's Randwick team to two. Immortelle (Martian — Everlasting) is a full brother to Immer; Pall Mall, and Martignes. ,• The judges in the Sydney Mail Mating Competition, for the most suitable mats for the stallion The Sybarite, by Symington''(son/of Ayrshire) from Veneration n., by Laveno (sod of Bend Or), awarded the prize to Mr. Charles Reynolds, who selected Desert Gold. The Downshire colt Amberdown. who won 2430 sors in stakes last season as a, three-year-old, has made an Excellent start this season. He was beaten by Ornato (Flavus—-True . Colours) in the weight-for-age Denman Plate, one mile, at the Queensland Meeting, but scored in the National Plaie, also at weight-for-ajje, nine furlongs, the field including Ornato. At the Albion Park Meeting Amberdown won the Five Hundred (worth 350 soys to- the winner). He carried 10.13 arid ran seven furlongs in lmin 29jsec. Am-berdown was top weight in the Epsom Handicap with 9.6, but was followed to drop out of the race when the first-payment became due. ■