A REGRETTABLE LOSS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 36, 12 February 1931, Page 10

A REGRETTABLE LOSS

S)EATH OF FIRST SIGHT

ONE OF NEW ZEALAND'S,BEST

As a result of the fatal injury sustained toy First Sight when doing his,final.Punei. din Cup. trial at Wingatui,yesterday the ; dominion Turf is poorer by f one of the most promising middle distance horses that it has had for-several years. 'Kfsfc'Sight 'was never one of Fortune's favourites, for -urisoundness prevented his''being, .raced overmuch, but whenever his trainer (F. 3X Jones) produced- him" he ahVays finished in or very near the'moriey. His record'illustrates his consistency; for in four seasons' racing he started ;6n 32 occasions, and on only seven times did he .finish out of a place.. .-.,-, ■■■;■•'•:;<■ The loss is particularly unfortunate f ( or his owner (Mrs. G. H, Grigg), for he was one of the first favourites for" to-day's Duriedin Cup, and had he not met,with the accident he might well 'have gained ;what would have been his most notable success to date. First Sight was in the pink of condition, and it was freely anticipated that he would score some important victories Before the season, closed. Last season he went very near .winning the Great Easter, in which only, Great Charter finished ahead of him, and he was already being mentioned this season as one likely to emulate GrandJ Knight's double Easter and Autumn success'at the Canterbury Jockey Club's;" Autumn.Meeting. / * ' ■". : '■'.-'■■ I'•..' ■• • HIS CONSISTENT RECORD. . First Sight did not begin racing till well into his three-year-old days, and. at his first two starts he ran second:; in events at the Manawatu Racing Club's 1927. Sumarner Meeting. He went' on from there and notched his first success "at Marton.' Before the season closed, he had ,\von his way. out of hack class with stake earnings '^mounting to £660. -.. V- -f The next season was his most successful, including two important wins;,at the ■New Zealand Cup Meeting, and he .amassed : £1119 in stakes. As a five-year-old last season he raced on only three occasions for three seconds, worth £305.' This season he accompanied Limerick and other members of Jones's team to New South Wales, and,, after r, brilliant victory in ■the Camellia .Stakes (seven furlongs) at . Rosehill in September, -.he became one of the top-liners for the r Epsom,-in which, Ibwever, he ran unplaced. Returning to ;the Dominion, he, was taken, tor Ellerslie for Christmas, but;did not approach his best form till the recent Wellington Meeting, at'which he ran into places. , His record reads as follows: — ."".-' |

In. all, First -Sight amassed :£2556 in ■take motiesC So far this season be had earned £472, of /which £332 was.the result of his-Via and two thirds in Australia. BRED TO STAY. First Sight would probably have veloped, into a true, stayer, for his lines indicated stamina. He was by the imported hors.e Gay, Lad, who ruled: a' very hot favourite for the New ; Zealandl Cup in Vagabond's year, and was.-immediately retired to the stud after a most dismal failure,' from Snapshot, who was bred in\lol7by Sir. J. C. N. Grigg, the breeder also of First Sight. . jGtay Lad, a member of" the number 4 faimly, is an: Irish-bred horse hf Cellini from the Oberon^ mare Gayspme.: Cellini by Cyllene fromrSirenia, by^ Gallinule (son- of Isonomy) irom Concussion (dam of Hammerkop, who left the Derby winner Spion Kop), by Reverberation. There was thus plenty of staying blood in the paternal pedigree. \ ■ '•':■: \"' Snapshot is a member of the No. 22 family, being by Calibre from the imported Irish mare First Glance (winner of 1914 D.J.C. Publicans' Handicap); by Kosinos Bey (son of Gallinule from a mare tracing back to Arbitrator, a son of Solon, sire cf Barcaldine. Solon was by.^est Australian, Derby and Ledger winner. True Heart, dam of Arbitrator, was by the Derby winner1 Musjid. 'Calibre was a descendant of Musket. He was by Light . Artillery, who was by Trenton (MusketFrailty) from Bengal-Light (imp.), by Beaiiclerc from Bhielight, by, Stockwell's brother, Rataplan. The dam of. Calibre V-was imported Sunningdale,' by.; Hampton ilrom Sallyport, by Theobold (son of USioekwell) from Fortress, by Knight of ■ISmth, s' half-brother to, Stoqkwell and .Rataplan, his sire 'being .ITntwith, by T«mbor from a mare by Coimis.:. ,' Other horses produced'by Snapshot nave "keen Setting Sun, Tourist, and the two-".Tear-old Chance Bird, but First Sight has .jfceen easily the best of the progency so far left. Had he not met with the mishap, he would probably have i taken a place among the dozen best horses in the at the -close of the season, and Id* destruction will be keenly regretted by »n lovers of » really first-clasr thoroughtred and racehorse.

■ . JUrst. Second. Third. TTnplc"d. it 3 years ..3 5 1 l A 4 years ..5 1 -f \. 3 Lt 5 years .. ; 4— -3 —, —' it 6 years ..' I 1 ! 3,; 3 Totals .. 9 12 4 7