RACING NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 112, 7 November 1935, Page 6

RACING NEWS

(BY "RAM

THE MELBOURNE CUP

MARABOU'S ENGLISH LINES

MARCONIGRAM'S BEST YET

Another' Melbourne Cup has come and gone, and,, although there was nothing.'sensational either about the race itself or the victory, Marabou's success was a stylish performance by both horse and rider, and it will go down on .the records as at least not among the less meritorious of--the now long chain 6j£ triumphs. The most remarkable feature of the win was probably the fact that Marabou had gone so far into his,fourth year with only two previous successes on the race track; but there, was.one horse (Bitalli) who was a maiden when he won the Melbourne Cup. At the close of last season Marabou was not very seriously considered by the majority of racing people as a likely Melbourne Cup horse, for up till then his only win had.been in a mile and a quarter Trial Stakes at Williamstown in February; but he quickly rose to an ascendant position in the charts this season, and for some weeks before the Caulfleld Cup he was favourite for that race (in which he finished third on the day), and he was finally also the Melbourne Cup favourite on the course betting on Tuesday. PUBLIC TAKES NOTICE. ' Marabou came into the boom when he won the Heatherlie Handicap, Ii miles, at Caulfleld on September' 7, though the stable had _ previously shown that it considered him to be a very likely Cup proposition. Prior to that race he had been acquired by his present owners, Messrs. J. Fell and T Hogan-, from Mr. Andrew Robertson, who had-brought both the sire and dam out from England for Mr/A. P. Wade, of the Borambola Park Stud, Wagga,, NSW, the price paid for him, with i Koyal Messenger included, being 3000 guineas. The'figure makes it obvious that at least one of the horses, and undoubtedly it was Marabou, was very highly rated by those who knew them. The Heatherlie Handicap, as reported at the time, -was" stylishly, won by Marabou from the former .New Zealander Greenhorn and El Bassana, and he was ridden on that day also by Voitre. It was a strong field that was behind the places and Marabou carried 80. Though he had been displaying promising' form for some time previously it was this success that really drew general attention to him. • Marabou is a good-looking bay horse and he is bred upon the excellent lines one would expect in a Melbourne Cup winner. His sire (Marconigram) and his dam (Vivandiere) were bought for Mr. Wade in England in 1930 by Mr. C. Hailey, Marconigram joining Top Gallant and Ts. rquih at" the Borambola Park Stud.- Marabou is Vivandiere's first foal and Mr. Robertson, who had brought the mare out from England with Marconigram, received him from Mr. Wade and raced him for two seasons. RELATED TO LIMOND. Marconigram, who is also the sire of Contact, was one of eight racehorses that the late Lord Dewar sent into the sale ring at the. Newmarket (England) October sales in 1929. He was the first lot offered, and then four years old, he brought 820 guineas. Only one of Lord Dewar's horses brought more than that price that day, the three-year-old The Black Abbot going for 1000 guineas. Marconigram had been- a useful middle-distance winner. He was successful, at Goodwood, Windsor, and Sandown Park. At the Borambola Park Stud dispersal last year he was sold to Messrs. A. W. Thompson, H. S. Thompson, and P. C. Basche for 3050 guineas. His dam Marcia Blanche, a half-sister by Lemberg to that great stallion Limond, had been a.useful winner. Marabou's dam Vivandiere, a member of the. Bruce Lowe No. 8 family, was bought very cheaply. At the Newmarket December sales in 1929 the three-year-old fell to Mr. Hailey's bid of 45 guineas, and was shipped to Australia. She had been unplaced in each of her four starts that season. In hei seven starts as a two-^ear-old she was placed only once, running third. She had started favourite in a field oj ■three. On the day that Vivandiere was sold' to Mr. Hailey, her darr (Spondee) was' sold for 310 guineas Marabou's fourth dam, Bridge of Sighs was half-sister to that good horst Bridge of Canny. It is a line frorr which many good winners have come Marabou's * pedigree is a combina tipn of speed and staying power. Mar conigram's sire, Abbot's Trace, wa: first class up to a mile and a' quarter He was placedin good races up to tw< miles, but races of a mile and a hal and upwards worried him. As i three-year-old he cleared away to wi: the.Union Jack Stakes, of one mile at Liverpool by six lengths. An un placed runner was Marcia Blanche who, to Abbot's Trace, was to throv Marconigram. At his next start Abbot' • Trace again finished in front of a fay ourite, Prince; Galahad, who went ou at a short price for the Craven Plat at Newmarket. Abbot's Trace was no expected to stay, the Derby course, am he was a rank' outsider, but he wa running well forward when he wa brought. to grief in a scrimmage, th chief offender being Sarchedon, wh ran fourth. That Derby was won b; Sarchedon's stablemate Spion Kop, o whom Abbot's Trace later had hi revenge. For the Derbyshire Thret Year-Old Plate, one mile and three fui longs, there were only two starter; Abbot's Trace and Spion Kop, each ca; rying 9.12. Odds were laid on Spio Kop, but Abbot's Trace beat him by short head. As a four-year-old Abbot Trace again paid his way. With 8. he won the Liverpool Cup,- one mil and nearly three furlongs, by eigl lengths. Buck's Hussar, the sire of.Marabou dam, had a good deal more stamin than had Abbot's Trace, but lacke brilliance. As a three-year-old Buck Hussar won several races, but. was vi placed for the Derby, St. Leger, an Grand Prix de Paris. He wound v ■the season by flooring the odds lai on Royal Lancer in the Jockey Cli Cup, two miles.and a quarter, at Ne^ market. A month earlier Royal Lane had won the St. Leger at Doncaste Buck's Hussar had plenty of distani racing as.a three-year-old and also the following season, when he easi won the longest flat race in Englan the Alexandra Stakes, two miles, s furlongs, and 85 yards, at Ascot. I was placed in several other races th season, but broke down in his Is race, the Goodwood Cup. Bucl Hussar was retired to the Terra House Stud, at Newmarket, and th became a stud mate of his sire, Son-i Law. Bracelet, the dam of Buck's Huss; won six races, value £2670. and w second to Rhodora in a field o£ 19 f the One Thousand Guineas. The fo sires in the next remove of the pe< gree of Marabou are Tracery, Lc berg. Son-in-Law. and Phalaris. T firsC-mentioned three were stayers renown, but Phalaris could not f. beyond a middle distance. The'bi liant son o£ Polymelus, however, w paid his way. As a four-year-old carried heavy weights and won sev races in succession. So it in seen that, despite a f< weaknesses, there is plenty of stami credentials in Marabou's pedigree, i important feature is the coupling Dark Ronald in the third remove Vivandiere's table, through the din paternal and maternal lines resp lively, and during the past season England this has been shown time a again to spell strength in a pedigr It may actually be that it- is this coi iing that has made Marabou the cha pion he has become.

iATIKA/j

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