RACING NOTES

Grey River Argus, 30 January 1946, Page 6

RACING NOTES

THE YEARLINGS At the Trentham sales, the biggest operator among the Sydney buyers was Maurice McCarten, who bought seven yearlings on the first two days. They were not cheap lots either, as the seven cost his various patrons not less than 6,025g5. The highest priced was Mr. J. A. Mitchell’s great colt by Foxbridge from the Hunting Song mare Taupiri, for which the buyer had to go to 2,000g5. A fine bay colt by Lang Bian from Lady Able, bred at Greytown by Mr. R. C. Southee, was bought by McCarten for 1350g5., and he paid 850 gs for the big chestnut by Nizami from Wardress. Barwon’s all-time record, which had caused a thrill at the previous year’s sales, lasted just one week under twelve months, and New Zealand buyers followed those at Newmarket in setting a new main for those who come after to tilt at. When bids were called for three of a thousand guineas each came in as many seconds. There was a breath-taking pause, and bids of 3,250 gs and 3,500 gs followed in quick succession, the last bid being made by Mr. Tom Impey, of Auckland.

This was capped by a bid of 3,750g5, and the auctioneer looked round the ring in expectation; but the limit had been reached. .The gravel fell, and the great colt had been sold to Mr. Ken Austin, of Kaiapoi, as agent for the well-known bloodstock firm of Mackinnon and Co?;, of Melbourne. The fact that the draft from the famous Trelawney Stud was the last to be offered kept both buyers and spectators keyed up in expectation, and interest was maintained to the last. The draft was produced in the usual perfect condition, and the fact that Barwon’s brother was the first to be sold ensured its success from the outset. Actually, 13 yearlings were sold from the Trelawney Stud, and on this occasion at least it was not an unlucky number for Mr. Otway. They realised 13,285g5, which must surely be a record total for the sale of a single draft , from any one stud in New Zealand racing, history. The average price for the stud was 1,022g5, while six of the progeny of the stud sire Foxbridge, were sold for an Average of 1,629g5, the top average for the day. Mr. W. S. Goosman sold the well-performed Coronaire to Mr. W. H. Tyler, an Australian breeder, and the sen of Coronach will leave New Zealand shortly and will take up stud duties in the coming season. Coronaire was bred at Palmerston North by Mr. Leo Collinson, president of the Manawatu Racing Club, and he was bought by Mr. Goosman at the 1941 National Sales for 825 gs. There were many critics of Mr. Goosman’s judgment that day, the general objection being that the colt was too big but at least two very experienced horsemen, who had spent many years in England, insisted that he was the true Hurry On yearling in size and type. Coronaire was not the type to make an early two-year-old, but he soon vindicated his owner’s judgment. It is understood that the price paid for him was a substantial one, and x he now ranks with his owner’s Expanse as one of the bargains of the sale ring. His dam,Snowshoe, was a half-sister to Fleeting, dam of Inflation, one of the most successful New

Zealand-bred sires of the present cen-| tury. ' . Barwon’s brother wasn’t the only pearl in the Trelawney crown. Takanini trainer Fred Smith, on behalf of an Auckland patron, had to go to 2,000 gs for a lovely black colt by Balloch from Night Spi, a half-sister to the honest performer. Longsword. Then there was Foxola’s sister, a sweet black filly who was bought by Mr. Tom Lowry for 1,600g5, and will some day go to the famous Okawa stud. Maurice McCarten, buying freely for his Sydney principals, paid 1,200 gs for a typical Nizami filly, a good-bodied whole chestnut with a white star, from the good Chief Ruler mare Astrath. This set the buyer back an even 1,200g5, and she should be able to gallop. Incidentally,- the Australian buyers are showing a .lot of interest in the Nizamis since the two-year-old Nizami filly, Gold Taj won three in a row over there. At the last sales Mr. W. H. Tyler, who has a stud at Scone, bought three of them. They are now in work, and he is very pleased with them. This time, on the first day alone, Mr. Tyler bought three more, Maurice McCarten four, and two others were bought by other agents. The progeny of Nizami should put him on the map in Australia next season.

There was a thrill when the draft from Mr. J. G. Alexander’s Cranleigh Stud came into the ring. These were the first yearlings by Mr. Alexander’s imported horse Neptune, a son of the great Hyperion, and halfbrother to the English Derby winner Blue Peter. They fully Jived up to the great reputation and blood of their sire, as three better-looking yearlings by a first-season sire have seldom, if ever, been put into the sale ring. The first to come in, a grand, big, black horse from La Poupee, the dam of My Bonnie, brought a murmur of admiration from all round the ring, and when the bidding started at 500 gs it advanced by rapid stages to 2,000g5, when he was knocked down to the well-known and enterprising buyer Mr. Peter Louis. Another by Neptune from Cineraria, three-quarter sister to Balloch, a filly this time, went to Mr. W. T. Hazlett, of Dunedin, for 1,600g5, while another filly from Cocoanut Grove, half-sister to Palm Bearer. was bought for Mr. Nestor Bayliss, of Hastings, for l,ooogs. They were grand types, and Neptune’s reputation is now made.

One of the more recently established of the big studs in New Zealand' is the Santa Rosa Stud of Mr J. A. Mitchell, well known in the past for his trotting stock, of which he bred and raced some of the best in the country. Mr. Mitchell recently turned his attention to thoroughbreds, and his stud is located at Longburn, near Palmerston North. He sent in ten yearlings, and they attracted as much attention as any that were offered. The first to come in was a beautiful dark brown colt by Foxbridge from Taupiri, a regular picture of a yearling, and it went to Maurice McCarten, as agent for an Australian buyer, for 2,000g5. Fred Smith got a lovely filly by Balloch from Molten, the dam of Majesty, for 1,300g5, and two other yearlings from this stud brought four figures. Mr. H. M. Glazebrook, the well-known Hastings owner, paid 1,150 gs for a handsome half-sister by Balloch to the Avondale Guineas winner Batal. Mr. G. J. Barton, of Dunedin, went to a similar sum for a slashing bright chestnut with a white blaze and Golden Souvenir’s markings by Lang Bian from the Limond mare Missal. Mr. Barton may be having a tilt at the New Zealand Cup with this fellow a few years hence. He was given every ! encouragement, as Mr. Mitchell, speaking from the rostrum, offered him £lOO of his money back if he did not win it!

Mr. Martin Tims, jun., of Te Awamutu, put in a magnificent red chestnut colt of powerful and perfect physique by Balloch from Royal Sister, a mare by Marconingram from a sister to Melbourne Cup winner Hall Mark, and-the opening bid was I.OOOgs, and after a spirited competition he went to A. Winder, as agent for Mr. W. S. Goosman, for 1,550g5. Mr. Goosman may win his third G.N. Derby with this colt. In the mid-afternoon and outsized and tremendously rangy colt by Bulandshar from Martarawa, offered by Mr. L. O’Neill, of Pahiatua, went to an Australian buyer for l,ooogs. He may follow in the footsteps of Highway King and win a V.R.C. Grand National. The next lot to be offered was a sweet chestnut filly by Coronach from the wellknown mare .Cherry’s Ticket, bred by M. J. Nihill, of Auckland. This filly looks as though she could fly, and she will have every opportunity in the ownership of Mr. Harold Greenwood, who secured her for 1,000g5..