BARGAINS IN JUMPERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19660, 11 June 1927, Page 16

BARGAINS IN JUMPERS.

SOME GOLDEN RETURNS. BY PHAETON. When men in close touch with racing engage in conversation in which bargain# in racehorses form the subject, many interesting stories can always be looked for. During the progress of the recent Great Northern meeting at Ellerslie I was cast in the pleasant company of some keen followers of racing engaged in discussing noteworthy horses who won important races over the " sticks" and across country on the New Zealand turf and the prices at which they were bought. Liberator, holding the record as the best all-round horse that has figured on the NewZealand turf, was not, it may be readily imagined, overlooked. Tho price at which the black son of Betrayer was bought was a point on which there was some disagreement, and I could only help the disputants by stating that I had once seen it stated in a Southern paper that he was sold for £l5O prior to winning his first Grand National Hurdle Race at Riccarton in 1893, and that some little time after recording that victory ho was bought by Mr. P. Butler for £SOO. As I left my friends thoughts came to my mind of whetel could be tolerably sure of the correctness of the figures involved in the purchase of certain noteworthy borse-3 that have earned fame as jumpers. Turning over the tablets of memory, the case of Levanter quickly presented itself as related to me by Mr. C. A. Brown. Levanter was not favourably regarded in his early days, and he was handed over to a drover to hack about. Levanter—then j simply known as the Captivator—Steel All gelding—was bought by Mr. Brown for £SO while running in a paddock on the West Coast. Truly a lucky stroke. To this day the popular Charles can always be depended upon to call up a bright smile at the mention of Levanter's name. As is well known, : Levanter won the Great Northern Steeplechase in two successive years and a New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase is also dowu to his credit. Despised, the one-eyed son of Cap-a-pie, holds a prominent place iri bargains ol the jumping class sold in Auckland, and hia career was well tinged with the sensational. A few days prior to the running of the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1893 Despised was sent up to auction at Messrs. Alfred Buckland and Sons' Haymarket Yards at a reserve of lOOgns, but no one was prepared to bid that sum for the bay gelding, and he was accordingly passed in, to bo sold privately on the same afternoon to the late Mr. T. Wylie for £6O. How Despised won the Great Northern Steeplechase to the amazement of the public and of his own connections i 3 writ large in the history of EllerMie's greatest cross-country race. Despised's winning form was carried beyond the winter of 1893, and at the A.R.C. j Summer Meeting of 1893-94 he won the treble—two hurdle races and the Auckland Steeplechase. Mutiny, who registered a victory in the j New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase in two successive years, oud went close to recording a third win in that important event, was not thought much of until he reached the age of six years, and at that age his breeder, the late Mr. W. Douglas, undoubtedly made a lucky stroke when he re-bought the Mute gelding at auction for 230gns. It was under Mr. Douglas' colours that Mutiny won the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase. . Haydn, who figures winners of the New Zealand Grand National Hurdle Race, New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase and Great Northern Steeplechase, proved a lucky purchase and, quite an interesting story attaches to his name. An Aucklander who was present at Kiccarton in the spring of 1901, when Haydn won the New Zealand Grand National, on his return from the South remarked to Mr. F. McManemin that he had seen a promising horse (Haydn) at the C.J.C. ground that could be bought for £250, and an arrangement was made to buy the horse in partnership. Haydn was eventually secured for £225. but tho man who cited Haydn at Riccarton as a good speculation experienced a hard time financially, and Mr. McManemin mentioned the question of partnership to another Aucklander. but the latter had listened to a • story that Haydn had been trained on drugs, and he therefore declined the proposal to_ become a partner. Mr. W. Davis—who in those days raced as " Mr. Salisbury"—joined Mr. McManemin in partnership with Haydn. The Sou'-wester gelding won over £2500 in stakes after he was bought by the two Aucklanders, so that ho proved a bargain at £225. Royal Conqueror's purchase for £IOO in 1901 was brought about under quite accidental circumstances. The Flintlock gelding was entered to be sold by auction at Messrs. Buckland and Sons' yards, and a keen judge, taking a liking for him. advised his purchase. Royal Conqueror won the G.N. Hurdle Race at Ellerslie in 1902 and several other good races also went down to his credit. Gluepot (by Gluten—Cloud), who won the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1917, is another that was paraded in the sale-ring prior to winning that important race, and who was fairly scouted. In the summer of 1910 Gluepot was sent up for sale at Alexandra Park, and he stood in the ring for some minutes before there was any movement. When bidding started it was only an offer of lOgns, and in 1-guinea bids it travelled to 18gns, at which it came to a standstill. The owner stuck out some time for the reserve price (20gns), but, as the other side would not advance, he accepted the 18gns, and the chestnut _ passed into the hands of the late W. H. Windsor, under whose colours he won the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1917. Coalition, who has his name enrolled as a dual winner of the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, and whose successes also include the Great Northern Steeplechase, Wanganui Steeplechase, and Wellington Steeplechase, is included among the lucky purchases Considered a failure when raced as a four-year-old. Coalition was quitted at a hack price, and was used as a hunter. Coalition was resold to Messrs. V. and E. Riddiford. and under the colours of the Wellington sportsmen he got his opportunity, with what happy results the pages of the Turf Register furnish ample proof. The sum won in stakes by Coalition runs out to £B-185. Hautere. who won the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1912 under tho colours of Mr. John Williamson, was once sold by auction at Wanganui for £l2 10s. and he Was bought at the time with a view to using as a buggy horse. The son of Euroclydon was never, however, subdued sufficiently to make him safe between the shafts, and that fact played the great part in securing the gelding a place with the racers. El Gallo, who holds the record of winning the Great Northern double in two successive years, was bought by Mr. W. J. Ralph for £2OO and a contineency of £IOO out of his first win. E) Gallo won £5030 in stakes under Mr. Ralph's colours. Oakleigh, who hns the distinction of capturing the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase in two successive years, was. it is stated, bought for the paltry sum of £6, and that investment in the purchase of Oakleigh brought a return in stake-money of over £BOOO to the Messrs. Peach. At a sale of yearlings at Wellington Park in the summer of 1898 a bay colt by Castor from Victoria stood in the ring for some time without a bid being forthcoming, and when the auctioneer did obtain one it was lOgns, and at logns he wsb knocked down. The bay colt bustled out of the ring that day was destined to win marked fame under the name of Kiatere. The son of Castor won the Great Northern Steeplechase on two occasions, and the victory he registered in 1907 under the steadier of 12.13 stands as one of the finest cross-country performances registered in the Dominion. Sol, by Soult—Loreli, who won tho Great Northern Steeplechase at five years old, was bought when a yearling for 50gns. Paritutu (by Castor—Yattaghan). winner of the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, was bought at a like age for 150gns. Sea De'il (by Seaton Delaval—Serita) was bought at 60gns when a yearling, and I gather from a reliable source that he was privately sold for £lO some time prior to recording his victory in the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1922. Sea De'il carried his winning record further in 1924 when he brought, off a surprise victory in the Great Northern Hurdle Race. From the time he was sold for £lO Sen De'il won prize-money to the amount of £5640. Sir Roseberry, who won the Grgat Northern Steeplechase in 1924, and went one better in the succeeding year, when he won the double—Great Northern Hurdle Race and Great Northern Steeplechase-—was bought at seven years old by Mr. W. Garrett for £200: and he made a handsome return by winning £5305 for that owner. Beau ~ Cavalier, winner of this year's Great Northern Steeplechase, was bourrht for £55 in the spring of 1925. and he has won stakes to the volue of £2050. RECORD PRICE FOR JUMPER. A SENSATIONAL SUM. As in many things, we have to turn to " dear old England" for the record price paid for a steeplechaser. At Newmarket in the autumn of 1925 Silvo, an eight-year-old gelding by Minter, was submitted to auction, and the competition that ensued for his possession was of 'such a spirited character that the bidding was carried to 10,50pgns. at which sum he fell to the bid - uf r 'i Midwood. Silvo was bought J? , *l9 De . that he would win the Liverpool 1 <jrand_. National Steeplechase of 1926. Silvo started in the position of second favourite tor the great cross-country race at Aintree, but his large circle of admirers had not '°ns to realise that they had lost , for , Sl, 7° tiie first fence, oucxi is tli© luck O£ I&ClBg,