SPORTING BEAU LE HAVRE: SIX WINS IN A ROW

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 February 1947, Page 7

SPORTING BEAU LE HAVRE: SIX WINS IN A ROW

May Be The Best Since Gloaming Beau le Havre, the leading three year-old-old of the season, made his record six wins on end when he scored a comfortable win in the Wanganui Cup last Saturday. In winning the Cup, Beau le Havre achieved the feat of being the first three-year-old to annex this event since Bronze scored in 1912. There have been many attempts by three-year-olds in the interim, hut none has proved up to the required standard.

It must be admitted that to some extent Beau le Havre was given every opportunity of winning the cup by reason of his rather luxurious poundage. However, the weights were declared prior to Beau le Havre’s outstanding victory over Bruce, Soneri, and Golden Souvenir in the Trentham Stakes, and after all 81b over weight-for-age at a mile and a half was a fair enough test to ask for any three-year-old. Beau le Havre will probably be now put aside until commencing a preparation for the Awapuni Gold Cup, when he should again have little difficulty in extending his record, Remarkable Record. Beau le Havre’s remarkable record as a three-year-old. stamps him as the best of his age bred in New Zealand for many years past. Following. his win at Ellerslie at the New Year, one who is in a position to express a sound opinion, in the person of the former champion rider, H. Gray, considered that Beau le Havre was the makings of the besthorse in New Zealand since Gloaming. This was a wide suggestion, as there have been many good ones since the days of the Riccarton hero, but this was made before the colt won at Trentham, and capped oil this performance by outclassing his opponents in the Wanganui Cup with 91b above weight-for-age. That the public considered him. unbeatable at Wanganui is evidenced by the small dividends he paid. Beau le Havre was bred by his Manawatu owner, Mr. M. J. Nash, and is by Beau Repaire from Pretty Brown, an English-bred mare by Tommy Atkins from Cloelia, by Lancegaye from Cleone, by The Tetrarch from Pretty Dark, by Dark Ronald from Pretty Quick, by Eager. The previous year’s progeny of Pretty Brown was Default, by Defaulter, who has not shown anything like the form of his relative. . Beau Repaire is a half-brother by j Beau Pere to Royal Chief (by Chief, 1 Ruler), and was a foal at foot when his dam, Modiste 11, was sold for 600 guineas at the Westmere Stud dispersal in January, 1937. The pair were bought by Messrs. Thompson .and Brasche, the New South Wales breeders, and as time went on, the youngster, given the name of Beau Repaire by his breeders, who were personally interested in the deeds of the champion Australian swimmer, • Frank Beaurepaire, was purchased to come back to New Zealand. He ■ did not make history as a racehorse, : but proved himself worthy of the <

> breed, and now has come to the fore i as a successful sire likely to get > some high-class mares following his ; son’s record. ; Modiste II was imported by the > Westmere Stud, and is by Franklin • from Vogue, by Tracery from Char- ■ meuse, by St. Frpsquin from Fairy ■ Martin, by Martagon. . High-class Horse. i Beau Pere was undoubtedly one of the highest-class horses imported to New Zealand, and it was unfortunate for Dominion bloodstock when he was sold at the Westmere dispersal for 3300 guineas to Mr. W. J. Smith for his then new stud at Scone, New South Wales. That figure was of record dimensions at the time, but what would it have been to-day? Beau Pere was later sold by Mr. Smith for 10,000 guineas to go to America, arid he has had outstanding success there as a. sire, especially of two-year-olds. No doubt Beau Repaire would now command a substantial figure in the States or in Australia. Beau Vite and Beaulivre, who had better race performances than Beau Repaire, have also proved successful at the stud, and there seems every likelihood of the three young sires named attracting more attention from breeders than has.usually been evinced in Domin-ion-bred sires. A Great Horseman. Mention of H. Gray brings to mind his outstanding record as a horseman in many parts of the world. He has also done well as a trainer, one. of his present team, Iwo Jima, having won more races than any other horse in the Auckland district in. the past 12 months. Gray had his first ride in a race at Wanganui, in the spring of 1902, and he rode in over 4000 races in New Zealand, while he was in England for a season, where he followed his profession with much success, and was proclaimed one ol the best horsemen in England at the time. On six occasions he had more than 60 winners in a season in. New • Zealand, and for the 1930-31 season he reached the record total of 116 wins. This was over twice as large as the next on the list, and easily headed the records of C. Jenkms and B. Deeley, who in earlier years topped the list with 90 and 89 wins respectively. It is on record that on 29 occasions during his career, he performed the hat trick, seven of them in one season, while on five 'occasions he rode four successive winners. Gray’s total winning rides in New Zealand approached the 900 mark, and he was in minor places on over .1200 occasions.