SEVERE CRITICISM BLENHEIM'S RECENT SALE

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1936, Page 15

SEVERE CRITICISM

BLENHEIM'S RECENT SALE

The action of H.H. the Aga Khan in recently selling to an American syndil cate the stallion Blenheim, winner of £ the 1930 Derby and sire of this year's J Derby winner, Mahmoud, has aroused ' a storm of criticism from breeders and - blood stock interests in England. The > matter is viewed as one of the greatest - importance to breeders of the best class [of bloodstock, for nominations to the ! "fashionable" sires have to be booked ; years in advance, and the owners of ; brood mares might be put to very seri- , ous inconvenience under the present i rule of advance bookings if no reliance can be placed on stallion owners to honour their moral obligations. There was a case, though in different circumstances, last year which placed breeders in much the same position as that with which they are now faced, . rhis was the sudden death of Blenheims sire, Blandford. Owners with nominations to him were at their wits' end to find suitable sires, and in many cases they could not get those they wanted. They had. therefore, to seek the services of the available horses, which in many cases they did not desire. TATTERSALL'S VIEW. . The following statement was issued immediately after notification of the sale by Major Gerald H. Deane, a partner in Tattersafl's:— "I was informed on Thursday that negotiations for the sale of Blenheim to an American syndicate were pending, and during the racing at Newmarket on Friday afternoon I asked the Aly Khan if he would confirm or contradict this. He informed me that his father was at Geneva, and that, while he knew negotiations were pending, nothing definite had been settled. "This morning I read a definite announcement that the horse has been sold, and I am also informed that the Aga Khan is negotiating for the sale of another of his stallions, which on May 28 was advertised in the 'Racing Calendar' as full for 1937. Blenheim in the 'Racing Calendar' of May 28 is advertised as full for 1937, and a few nominations available for approved mares for season 1938 at 500 soys.

n "While lam fully aware that the Aga r- Khan in issuing his nomination forms I to Blenheim has had printed on them '~ the words 'and subject to the mares d being approved and the horse remaina ing in possession of his present owner,' :. when Solario was sold, and bought by c an English syndicate, he was sold subject to' his standing in England the following season and fulfilling the nominations which had already been booked to him. "My point is this. If the Aga Khan advertises his stallions to cover for \ future years, and invites breeders to ; book to them, are these breeders suddenly to be informed that the stallion has been sold? It is not easy to book r nominations to Derby winners, and 1 when these nominations are suddenly - cancelled owing to the sale of the 3 stallion other Derby winners may be already booked full for 1937, and pos- ; sibly for 1938. Therefore the breeder who has nominations booked to Blenheim for future years has only one alternative, to take nominations to the best stallion available, all the classic stallions being probably already "A client of mine has two nominations booked to Blenheim for 19,37 and two for 1938, and a nomination was sent for him to sign for one nomination to Blenheim for season 1939 at a fee of 500 guineas as recently as July 2, when the negotiations for the sale of Blenheim were actually taking place. If the Aga Khan is going to proceed m future with this mode of advertisement for his stallions, he should at least advertise in the 'Racing Calendar' that the nominations are subject to the stallion remaining in his possession." BREEDERS IN SUPPORT. In a later statement the Earl of Ellesmere endorsed the views expressed by Major Deane. Lord Ellesmere said:— "In endorsing the remarks of Major Deane, I must add that I am extremely sorry for the breeders who have booked nominations to Blenheim, and I consider myself fortunate that I am not one of them." Lord Glanely, another of England's biggest breeders of bloodstock, said: "The owner is protected and can please himself. There may be special circumstances for selling, but morally he _should carry out the booked obligations. When I purchased Solario for a syndicate, of which, I think, Blenheims owner was the largest subscriber, this point was made definite, that Solano should carry out all booked engagements for the ensuing season The horse was sold accordingly." Mr. Adrian Scrope, manager of the famous Sledmere Stud, at Malton, iOIKS, SSluI "Many subscribers to Blenheim will lave read of his sale with amazement, Jus being m some, if not all, cases the first notification .they have received of +iv«f lnc *c .l he Aga Khan> owing to the erms of the contract, is perfectly entitled to sell, the point raised by this sale appears to be whether it is advisable for breeders to book nominations far in advance without demand- ? a£ r? ater safeßuard of their interests. This, of course, applies with even greater force in the case of a young and untried stallion taking up stud