SPORTING Foxbridge Has Amazing Record At Stud

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 July 1949, Page 7

SPORTING Foxbridge Has Amazing Record At Stud

• 'Founded by Mr L. S. Otway only 16 years-ago, the Trelawney Stud is one of the greatest influences in racehorse breeding in New. Zealand if not in the British Empire. Pride of the stud is the prolific' sire Foxbridge, whose progeny have won well over £400.000 in stakes.

Mr Otway founded his stud at Cambridge, and it is a delightful spot. Covering. many acres of excellent pasture, well watered, and with abundant shelter provided by the native bush, Trelawney is one of the district shcnvplaces. A beautiful three-quarter-mile drive through an avenue of trees, with glimpses of spacious parkland and quietly-brows-ing mares, and their- offspring, make a peaceful setting as one motors up to the homestead. _ • •' • Foundation Stock With just two locally-purchased mares and- an English .sire—this was the foundation stock of Trelawney. Mr Qtway himself could have little inkling of the “mighty things from small' beginnings” which were to COme ' ' . , 1 4 . . e The’mares were Persis, bought lor 200gns in 1918, and Lady Marie, purchased'as a two-year-old in me sire.was Gay Shield. Lady Mane was to-prove the more-successful of the two matrons, though both were wonderful producers. Persis had 1 1 leeis, and while four did not race, 11 of the remainder were race-winners, while the'other two became dams oi winners. To name some of the family of Persis.- there was Kentucky, Lady Lois, P“ersham, Gay Sister, Gay Seton, Lord Barwon, Al Sirat, and the. grey filly, Chubin, who has been a winner this, season.

Great Bid, a recent novice winner at Southland, is an interesting member of the family, Persis being the Salmagundi gelding’s third dam. Lady Marie founded an ever greatei family than Persis, and her progeny won handicap and classic races both in New Zealand and Australia. Golden Blonde, Gay Sheila, Gay Blonde, Zealander, and Gay Sheik are a lew examples. , .. , Unfortunately, Gay Shield died after only a year at the stud, and this was a heavy blow to Mr Otway and to the breeding industry of New Zealand. However, the horse had left some good winners, and his qualities had awakened breeders to the Possible value of his half-brothers Beau Pere, Dink, Mr Standfast, and Balloch—all four horses following hyn to the country where they proved, or are proving, sound progenitors. Foxbridge Outstanding Foxbridge, out of Bridgement, by the Son-in-Law horse Foxlaw, was born at Wicklow, near Dublin, in. 1933, and he was purchased by Mr Otway to take the place of Gay Shield. Foxbridge had been an outstanding racehorse on the English turf, his most important success being in the Atlantic Liverpool Cup, of £2520, when he ran the one and a-quarter mile distance in 2.4 1-5 —good time for a three-year-old—«and he won easily by four lengths. Foxlaw, the sire of Foxbridge, was also a good winner and a stayer of renown, who amassed £13,536 in stake money before going to the stud. Bridgemount the dam, was herself a winner and producer of other winers in Cresta Run, Spion Bridge, etc. , J , Foxbridge had the blood lines to be a good sire, and he was an immediate success, getting stock who have won from four furlongs to two miles. Over the last eight seasons he has headed the New Zealand winning sires’ list, and during the 1946-47 season established a British Empire record by siring winners of £80,620 in stskcs. His progeny’s gross earnings now exceed £400,000, and there is no

doubt that he will overtake the mighty St' Simon’s record of over half a million within the next two or three seasons. He has already smashed’Martian’s figures of £373,231. Progeny Of Champion Some of Foxbridge’s progeny .include Sleepy Fox, winner of the Auckland Racing Club’s Easter Handicap four times; Foxwyn, Auckland Cup winner;. Lew Rosa, a good racehorse and winner of £13,055; Regal Fox, G.N. Guineas, Derby, and Avondale Cup; Majesty, Exeter, Distinction, Royal Charter, Coonbridge, Winter Sweet, Bright.-Fox, Foxchase, Shirley Fox, Royal Scot, Swanee, Lord Foxbridge, Vigilantia, etc., etc. Foxbridge is also a successful sire of brood mares, and it is interesting to note that the dams of Hiraji and Fresh Boy, first and second in the 1947 Melbourne Cup, were both by Foxbridge. Incidentally, when mentioning Hiraji, this calls to mind a mistake the breeders of New Zealand made when they refused to recognise Nizami’s worth when this stallion was leased by Mr Otway to stand at Trelawney alongside Foxbridge. As a result of the preference shown, the latter, Nizami returned to Australia, where he became the property of Mr F. W. Hughes.

Trentham Prospect Aristea, winner of the Hastings Hack Hurdles on Saturday, is trained at Awapuni by Rex Beale. A six-year-old mare by King Lu. she was got from Bab el Luk, by Arausio from Parearua, by Demosthenes from Mangaroa, by San Fran from Maude, by St Leger from Hilda, by Musket. She is freely engaged at Mie Trentham meeting, and was a winner at the Manawatu meeting on the previous Saturday.

Young ’ChaSer One of the youngest horses in the Wellington Steeplechase will be Skywriter, who is a five-year-old, and a horse of that age has won the race only four’ times, the last occasion being in 1911, when Hoanga was successful. Skywriter has'a good record over hurdles, winning three races in a row last season, and he has shown promise over country. He finished second to Master Meruit in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase on Saturday, and prior to that had run third to First Act and Roman Ned in the Frankton Steeplechase and fourth to Golden Reign, Whooray, and Brookby Song in the Waikato Steeplechase. Skywriter is by Rhodes Scholar from Rock Dove, by Cape Horn from Dovelike, by Chief Ruler from Dovelet, by Maltster.

NOMINATIONS FOR GRAND NATIONALS

Fifty horses have been nominated for the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, which will be run on August 6. There were 43 entries lor last year’s race. The for the Winter Cun total 74, the same as last year. The Grand National Hurdles has drawn 48 entrants, also the same as last year. Entries are:— NEW ZEALAND GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE HANDICAP, fff £3555; three miles and a half.—Bravura, Colonel Smart, Laindon, Lunaria, Master Play. Arabian Night, Eleanor Star. Roman Ned, Tangatapai, First Act, Supreme Shepherd, Yama, Golden Reign, Abbey Lu, Greek Comet, El Tiger, Hazsoult, Master Meruit, Page’s Raid, Gaiety. Imperial Crown, Gay Fort, Tamerlane. Sky Writer, Vassilikos, Prize Ring, Roman Son, Lisheen, Kassai, St Simper, Northfield, Ctlptain Jesse, Gay Rouen, Albino, Troytown. Young, Bob, Batal, Hakim, Whakawhatea. Siglow, Mike, Vernon, First Out, Erin’s Smile. Vindicator, Light Tea. Hunting Mac, Flying Attack, Waihopi, Baffar. WINTER CUP (flat), of £2000; one mile.—Julius x Caesar, Swift Robin. Lexia, Ned Kelly, Money Lender, Langham, Elofa, Lovemorn, Lord Elgin, Trafalgar Day, Kartikeya, Billy Mac, Flying Control, Grand Pal, Lord Dundonald, Bambalina, Indian Song, Lorna Leigh, Finigin, Da Vinci, Sparkling Scholar, Saieda, Lady Kindine, Detract, Field Marshal, Mangatiti. St Bruno, Red Pickle, Kippo, Infatuate, The Turk, Dark Arrow. Magnaform, Shenandoah. Luminous Knight. Kirkella, Love Letter, Flying Sovereign, Playtos. Reward. Opulent. Carnegie, Lord Azure, Livre d’Or, Bright Side. Silver Sam, Extra Plight, Super Flight, Sir Abbot. Winning Cheer, Hasty Glance, Bar Garette, Consulate, Oslo, Nullah, Riverview, Rebin Leigh, Reveller, Deep Harmony, Roscarea, Virginius, Dinnyhazer, Akbar, Cipher, Leyma, Distinction, Colorado Maid, Orthodox, Flying Fort, Angell, Clyde Bridge, Advent, Fortune’s Smile, Moonee Valley. NEW ZEALAND GRAND NATIONAL HURDLE RACE, of £2555; two miles and a half and 160 yards.—Voltaire, Pride of Mossburn, Desert Trek. Perusha, First Act, Roman Duke, Supreme Shepherd, College Boy, Zulu Boy, Golden Reign, Turf Topic, Our Gold, Sal’s Pal. Fianna Fail, Arabian Night, Page’s Raid. Dawn March, Imperial Crown, Master Meruit, Beaulitha, Gay Fort, Minion, Arctic ' Circle, Tremello, Gay Fellow, Bulaselle, Pimlico, Vassilikos, Detain, Prize Ring. Result, Gunther, Benbecula, Bonifort, Fairhome, Sphere, Brockie, Young Bob, Eatal, Aristea, Homespun, Master Ted, Sailor Boy, Ruling Master, The Fake, High Order, Hunting Mac, Jon Rosa.