LOSS TO DOMINION

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 115, 11 November 1935, Page 11

LOSS TO DOMINION

FIVE GOOD HORSES SOLD

(Special from "Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, This Day,

Yet another New Zealand . trainer" has decided to stay in Australia^his' being E. Pope, of Takanini,' Who ~ hasaccepted ah offer to become 'private trainer to a Victorian sportsman. Doubtless the better conditions under which racing is conducted in NewSouth Wales and- Victoria induced Pope to make the change, but the fact ■that the owners of the five horses he. look to Australia. early in the spring, Mr.. G, Courtney, and his' son,.. Mr. Ji. Courtney, closed on a good offer for the whole team, must have had a good cical to do with the trainer's decision. The team which Pope took over threa months ago was facetiously known as 'The Gays," and not without reason, from the viewpoint of nomenclature alone. His horses were Gay Sheila, Gay Blonde, Gay Sheik. Gay Brunette, ;md Gay Lot, all mares except Gay Sheik. The first four were full brothe and sisters, being by the sue* cessful sire Gay Shield, whose early demise proved a distinct loss to the thoroughbred breeding industry in this country, a loss offset perhaps by the purchase of a half-brother, Beau Pere now at stud at Westmere.

Gay Sheila was the oldest of the relatives, and she proved herself the best of her sex at three years. She met with severe, injuries when spelling in her owner's paddocks at Ngaiea and was off the scene for twelve months or more before she was produced in a race, in Australia recently, oay Blonde was expected to be the sheet-anchor of Pope's team, for she was the leading three-year-old, beating- the good horses Synagogue and •sporting Blood in the Great Northern Derby. Unfortunately she did not have'a good trip across the Tasman and she later injured herself, and apparently never fully recovered.'With the few opportunities she had Gay Blonde indicated that had she be-jn at her best she would have made her presence felt at Randwick and Flero'ngton.

Gay Sheik too was unlucky and as lie was a difficult horse to train he was. never seen at his best in Australia; probably his hard season he-" us a two-year-old last term—he.had IB races—might have been a factor. Thr two-year-olds Gay Brunette and Gay Lot (a sister to Tavern Knight) ea<*ii won a race, but it is doubtful if the opportunity offered to, make the most of these successes financially. Mr; G. Courtney made no secret of his intentions with regard to his and his son's horses. Pie had headed the list of winning owners in New Zealand last season, but his stake money was under £4000 and he said that at that there was only a small profit on the year's racing. Of this sum, in round figures, the Government took £200 in, stake tax. and-the customary 10 per cent, to the trainer would reduce the'figure by £400, to' which has to be added riding fees, training fees; and general expenses. . ..

•While, the absence of Messrs. Courtney's five : horses from future racing in the-Dominion is to be regretted, the actual loss to the sport in the years to come is incalculable, for such wellbred.rnares atid fine gallopers as Gay Sheila, Gay Blonde, Gay Brunette, and Gay Lot would have been a great acquisition to the matrons' paddock. Goy Sheik is also a yood colt and may make his mark as a sire. In short, the s;ilc of these fine racehorses is oi:c nf the greatest blows the Turf in NewZealand has ever received.