MUSKETOON THE SIRE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1933, Page 21

MUSKETOON THE SIRE

A CHANGE OF QUARTERS

AVith Luckham in particular, and also with Royal Divorce, the Awupuni studmaster, Mr. W. T. Bailey, has iv the past few years achieved a notable run of success, and.it is therefore of more than

ordinary interest to learn that he has now

decided to ...add to his stud the well-per-formed imported horse. Musketoon, 'who will be available to breeders at this end of the North Island in the coining season. JMusketoon, who was foaled iv England in 1920, is an upstanding bay horse by Stedfast (son of Chaucer and grandson of St. Simon) from Musk (dam also of Skald, winner of three two-year-old races in England, including the valuable Rous Memorial Stakes at Newmarket in 1920), by JMyram (son of Flying Fox and greatgrandson of Bend Or) from Zara, by Soliman (son of St. Simon and sire also of Solferino). This is a successful branch of the Bruce Lowe Xo. 6 family, and it is moreover of note that the four grandparents of Musketoon are full of running blood, for the paternal pair, Chaucer and Be Sure, are respectively of the No. 1 and No. 2 family, and the maternal pair, Myram and Zarn, arc of tho No. 5 and (of course) No. G family respectively. Musketooivs lines are obviously of a very high class. Stedfast, his sire, was the best son of Chaucer, running second (to Sunstar) in both the Two Thousand and the Derby (which he might have won had he not lost many lengths at the .start). He is the sire also of Brownhylda (Oaks, and dam of last year's St. Leger winner, Firdaussi), Air Balloon, and The Night Patrol (winner o£ nearly £13,000 in Australia). Chaucer, who was a half-brother to Swynford, was an excellent winner on the race track, and lie was a great success at tho stud, among his progeny (who to date have won nearly iv stakes) being Salome (winner of £14,651), Lavcndo (winner of the Caulfield Cup), and Arrowsmith (a good racehorse and sire in the Dominion). Turning to the female line, Musk's pedigree also reads very attractively. Myram, the sird of Musk, won races in I'l-ance and in England, and ho is a brother to Jardy, a great racehorse who was sent to the Argentine, where he made a name for himself at the stud. Scotch Lassie, Musketoon's third dam, was the fourth dam of Lancegnye, who was runner-up to Coronach in the 1926 Derby. Soliman, with whom Scotch Lassie was mated to produce Musketoon's second dam, Zara, was the sire also of Solferino, who has done so well at the stud here. Musketoon's extended pedigree shows the successful combination of Galopin on Bend Or close up, supported by infusions of Hampton, Wisdom, Hermit, and Musket. With such splendid lines this young sire can hardly fail to leave stock endowed with speed, stamina, and courage. Musketoon himself was purchased as a yearling in England for 85 guineas, and he Was shipped out,to the Dominion, where he began racing as a three-year-old in Mr. J. Donald's colours. During his four active seasons on the Turf he won many good races, often under big weights, and among his successes were the Takapuna Cup (VA miles in the fast time of 2min 33sec), A.R.C. Cornwall Handicap (1% miles under 10.3), A.R.C. King Edward Memorial (1% miles under 9.4), and Wellington Handicap (1 mile 3-furlongs under 8.8.). He was also third one year iv the New Zealand Cup, won by Suriart, to whom he was conceding Gib, and he was the favourite for the Auckland Cup won by Te Kara. In all, he won 12 races and £6214 iv stakes.

He has now been at the stud for four seasons, previously being stationed With King Lv at Te Aroha, where, with very limited opportunities, he had sired up till last May stock that had already won nearly £3000.1 " Tho first: of his progeny to win was Te Waipu last season, and this season his winners have included Master Brierly, D'Artagnan, Sir Musk, and Mungatoon. Judged through the best of these representatives, his progeny are likely to show the expected staying ability.