SHORT-PEDIGREED JUMPERS WERE IN THE LIMELIGHT

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 September 1949, Page 7

SHORT-PEDIGREED JUMPERS WERE IN THE LIMELIGHT

Short-pedigrepd horses and the progeny of Dominion-bred sires played a strikingly important part in the decision of the big jumping races in New Zealand last season, and the latest to be added to the list was the Hunting Song gelding Hunting Mac, winner of the Grand National Hurdles. Hunting Song was an importation, one of the best, but Billikins, the dam of Hunting Mac, does not appear in the Stud Book. She was by another great sire of mudlarks and jumpers, Lucullus, from Glutenora, by Gluten from- Jett, by Hippocampus. Billikins was a first-rate sprinter and won her share on metropolitan courses, and she also figures as the dam of the speedy Flowerburn, and Star Vaal. In addition, other members of the line founded by Jett were good winners, and Hunting Mac adds considerable prestige to - the family name. He won stakes approaching the £ 10,000 mark, and has won 15 races, among them the Great Northern Hurdles of 1947, in addition to his latest success. Golden Rein who won the Great Northern Steeplechase, but performed rather ingloriously on the opening day of the National meeting, is in the shortpedigreed class, and he is by a Do-minion-bred sire, Malibu. Gaiety, second in the Great Northern Steeplechase and winner of the Wellington Steeples is in the short-bred class and is by a Dominion sire, Gay Boy, while Kauri Pine, winner of the Great Northern Hurdles, is by the Surveyor horse, Surview. Contact, the sire of the Grand National Hurdles winner, was bred in Australia.

This does not by any means exhaust the list of good winners this season credited to Dominion-bred sires and half-bred mares, and while it is no argument against buying the best young stock and breeding from the fashionable families, it does serve to emphasise the value of the home-bred sire as against the imported horse of probably lesser performances, and the mare who has a winning history even if it is not lengthy.

Forthcoming Fixtures

Racing September 24.—Ohinemuri. September 24. —Hawke’s Bay. September 24. —Dunedin. September 24. —Otaki. T rotting September 24.—Auckland T.C. September 24.—New Brighton T.C. October I.—Methven T.C. October B.—Forbury Park T.C. Octobei’ B.—Wanganui T.C. October 15. —Forbury Park T.C. October 15. —Wanganui T.C. October 22.—Auckland T.C. October 22. —Greyniouth T.C. October 24.—Auckland T.C. October 24. —Greymouth T.C. October 24.—Oamaru T.C. October 29.—Invercargill T.C. October 29. —N.Z. Metropolitan T.C (N.Z. Cup.) October 29. —Thames T.C.