RAILAND AND PROGENY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1938, Page 22

RAILAND AND PROGENY

(By "Binocular.")

There was racing at this end of the North Island about two decades ago a mare named Rail and, who was a very useful performer in the colours of two Palmerston North sportsmen, Messrs. Wallace and Spring. At the conclusion of her racing career it was decided to breed from her, for she had much to commend her, having been got by Finland from the Grafton mare Langrel who traced back to imported Juliet (by Touchstone). Unfortunately her first produce were twins to ICilboy and they failed to survive. Three years later she produced a filly to Royal Divorce, and this youngster later raced as Decree Nisi. This was her first living foal. In the following season she visited Lackham to produce another set of twins, but returning to the same sire in the succeeding term she produced a colt, Bold Jim. The tendency to produce twins was again made evident in the 1931 season, and she was destroyed in 1932, having left only two representatives to the Turf. Decree Nisi was prepared for racing by the Awapuni mentor, E. W. Watson, who had also trained Railand, but disaster overtook the Royal Divorce filly. A big-framed sort, she was promising to develop into a good performer, having won the Hopelands Highweight at Woodville, when she developed some trouble which brought her racingl.career to an abrupt close. In due course Bold Jim entered E. W. Watson's stable to be prepared for 'racing and, like his elder half-sister, he was also of commanding physique, but wh_ereas Decree Nisi was a brown, Bold Jim was a chestnut. When carrying Mr. J. Wallace's' colours he registered his first success in the Ballance Highweight at Pahiatua, following it up with another success in the Pongaroa Highweight on the second day. The gelding repeated the performance at the Christmas Meeting Of the Manawatu Racing Club, winning the Linton and Tiritea Highweights. Then followed wins in the same class of contests at ' Woodville and Rangitikei, which placed him in line for further honours at the March Meeting at Trentham. On the opening day he contested the Rimu Highweight, running second to Haere Tonu, but he failed to. gain a place in the Champion Hack Cup on the second day. He had four further outings without any monetary return, and although his slump in form had his trainer puzzled there was little to indicate that all was not well with him. However, that such was the case was forcibly brought I home when the gelding dropped dead one morning oh the Awapuni tracks. Thus another promising career was brought to an abrupt close. The blood which coursed through the veins of Railand is being carried on by her daughter, Decree Nisi, and it is interesting to note that the "name Finrail has been claimed for a three-year-old filly by Lackham, the first of Decree Nisi s progeny. There is- a distinct association with the grandam in the filly's name, and if she reaches the heights of Railand her owner will have reason to be satisfied.