NOTES BY PHAETON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20851, 18 April 1931, Page 9

NOTES BY PHAETON.

LIMERICK AND NIGHTMARCH.

CLOSE OF GREAT CAREERS. large winnings in stakes. /• •• •#!, The present season marks the close of the racing careers of Limerick nnd Nightmarch, and the question of the relative positions that may bo assigned to them is sure to form the subject of much writing in Australia. for it was there that the New Zealand pair registered their most important feats

Limerick's performances at four years may be taken as the most noteworthy of lis career, for he won 14 of the 16 races he contested and he finished second in his other engagements. Although defeated in the Metropolitan Slakes, the honours of the race wero clearly on his side, for with 9 2 he conceded lGlb. to the English-bred horse Murillo and ran hini t6 half a. length. Limerick's closing performance at four years old was in the King's Plato at Randwick, in which ho carried 9.5 and scored by a display of true grit. At various stages of his caroor ailments came against Limerick, but ho accomplished sufficient to entitle him *.o a place among tho most noteworthy horses that have graced tho turf in the southern hemisphere. Limerick has contested 53 races, and his record is as follows UnFirst. Second. Third, placed, At 2yrs . . 3 1 0 5 At 3yrs .. 6 0 1 1 At 4yrs .. M 2 0 0 At syrs .. 5 3 1 1 At 6yrs . . 1 0 0 1 At 7yrs . . 0 0 0 7

20 12 2 15 Limerick's winnings in stakes amount ro £39,719. As with Limerick, so it is with Nightmarch, whose four-year-old career may bo marked ofY as the period when lie was seen at his best. At the ago named Night march contested 11 races, and his record was eight wins, three seconds, twice third, and once unplaced. The first outstanding victory registered by on the Australian turf was ill the Epsom Handicap, one mile, which ho won in brilliant stylo under 9.4 at Rarrdwick in the spring of 1929. At the same meeting he made an effort to win the Metropolitan Handicap, ono mile five furlongs, under the steadier of ,9.12, and, although defeated by Loquacious, 8.11, the honours of the race were on his side, for it was only a Question of half a length between him and the winner. Nightmarch subsequently won the Melbourne Cup under 9.2, nnd the summing up of the son of Night Raid by the Australian critics was cast in highly eulogistic terms.

During his career Nightmarch contested 54 races, and his record stands as follows: UnFirst. Second. Third, placed. At 2yrs .. *2 1 1 5 At 3yrs . . 6 4 22 At 4yrs ~ S 3 2 1 At syrs .. 5 6 3 3

21 14 8 11 'lncluding ono dead-heat. Nightmarcli's winnings in prize-money amount to £29,488. A GOOD FIVE-YEAR-OLD. THE DIMMER AND HIS RECORD. By registering four successive victories at tho Australian Jockey Club's recent autumn meeting The Dimmer stood out prominently as the leading performer. Tho fact of his being let off with an impost 17lb. below weight-for-agft in the Sydney Cup no doubt reduced the value of his victory in that rac;, but ho could do r.o more than win. The victory he registered in the A.J.C. Plate on tho concluding day, when he carried 9.1 and won the two miles and a-quartcr weight-for-age race in 3m. SGSs., is entitled to be rated highly and shows him to be well worthy to be included among the true stayers tracing to Carbine.

The leading lines in The Dimmer's pedigree are as follows : Sire: Spearhead, by Spearmint, son of Carbine and grandson of Musket, from Lady Champion, by Challenger, eon of Isinglass, from Bangle, by Barcaldine, son of Solon. Dam: After Glow, by Sunstar, son of Sundridge and grandson of Amphion. from Marie Le Graye, by Diamond Jubilee, son of St. Simon.

DUAL ST. LEGER WINNER.

VEILMOND'S VICTORIES

The New Zealand-bred colt Veilmond secured the leading position, among the three-year-olds racing in Australia this season when he accounted for his opponents in the. V.R.C. St. Leger and A.J.C. St. Leger, and tho victory he registered in the Dangar Handicap' at Randwick last Saturday. in which he carried 8.12 home in front of a field of eight, further emphasised his right to the honour.

The Sydney sportsman Mr. E. Mobs bought Veilmond when a yearling for 575 guineas, and, as tho brown colt has won over £14.000 in prize-money, he has proved a profitable speculation.

BRILLIANT TWO-YEAR-OLD.

BRONZE EAGLE'S BREEDING

With Bronze Eagle appropriately ticked off as a likely winner of classic honours next season, very keen interest will be centred in his career. On tho sire s side tho Bend Or line through a famous channel is the feature in tho pedigree of Bronze Eagle, and with Hampton, St.. Simon and Musket close up on the dam's side, there is a great deal to be expected from Bronze Eagle. Tho lending lines in tho pedigree of thia brilliant two-year-old colt "are as follows

Sire: Brazen, by Polymelus. son of Cyllene and grandson of Bona Vista, from South Wales, by Llangibby. son of Wild fowler, from Southern Belle. Dam-- Torfrida, by Eudorus. son of Forfarshire and grandson of Royal Hampton, from Mary L.. by Bobadil, eon of Bill of Portland, from The Union .Tack, by The Admiral, son of Richmond. H, ■ ■ STUD ITEMS. WINNING SIRES' LIST. Tho progeny of English-bred sires had matters pretty much all their own way at tho Australian Jockey 'Club's recent autumn meeting. During the four days there were 27 races, and no fewer than 23 winners were credited to the imported sires. Spearhead, by Spearmint, was placed at the head of the list on tho score of money value by The Dimmer's four successes, but Limond. by Desmond, who had three winners (Veilmond twice, Amnion Ra and Golden Gate), who between them scored four successes, could be regarded as holding the most attractive record. Horses tracing to tho St. Simon lino topped the list with a score of eight tho sires under that heading being Limond. Rossendalo, Hedfern and The Verdcrer. Burwood, who won a double at tho Australian Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting, \Le valuable Champagne Stakes being included, is a half-brother (by Backwood) to tho A.J.C. Derby winner Trogilla. both being out of the Malt King mare Mallgilla. Burwood was bought for ]SO guineas when a yenrling. ~,,, , Bonnie Valerie, a two-year-old filly by Caravel from Galtee Queen, who figured among the winners at Randwick, has tho distinction of claiming three strains of Musket close up in her pedigree, two through Carbine and one through Nordenfeldt. .