PHAR LAP'S SIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21144, 30 March 1932, Page 9

PHAR LAP'S SIRE.

IDENTITY CONTROVERSY. REPLY TO CAPTAIN HOOD. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] SYDNEY, March 24. In connection with the controversy as to Phar Lap's sire, Mr. Peter Keith, formerly a. leading trainer in Sydney, who brought Night Raid from England to Australia, emphatically denies that the stallion was poor looking. He claims that Night R.aid was one of the bestproportioned horses that ever came from England. Mr. Keith says he commissioned McGuigan to purchase two horses for him, and in due course Night Raid and Cymric reached Sydney. The purchase price of the pair was £950. While Night Raid was being raced by Mr. Keith, he ran a dead-heat for first, in one raie and was third in another. Those were his only placings in Australia. Mr. Keith says he quite fails to understand the statement of Captain Tom Hood, the English trainer, that Night Raid was narrow and lacked size. Eventually Mr. Keith sold Night Raid to Mr. A. P. Wade, a leading Sydney owner and breeder for 1400 guineas. He in turn sold him to the late Mr. A. F. Roberts, studmaster in New Zealand, for 700 guineas.

After Nightmarch and Phar Lap had secured phenomenal successes on the turf Mr. Keith wanted to buy the sire back, but an offer of 10,000 guineas was refused by Mr. Roberts. Commenting on the statement that Cymric and Night Raid might have been mixed up in the matter of identification on arrival in Sydney, Mr. Keith says there is no shadow of doubt that Night Raid really is Night Raid. Mr.--Keith's description tallied perfectly with the details supplied to him by Weatherby's, in London, and through which firm the horses were shipped to Sydney. Mr. Keith adds: "A blind man could tell the difference between the two horses, as, for a start, they were of different ages.''

The following letter was written to a Christchurch paper last Saturday by the Canterbury breeder, Mr. G. A. Kain: — "I have always been of tile opinion that we have to turn to England for our best blood and pedigree stock, and I still think so. On the other hand, it shakes one's confidence to read the following cablegram : —'llow such a mean-looking horse as Night Raid could sire a really great horse beats me. It may be a case of blood going back to sires in his own country. We hope Phar Lap will race in England, enabling us to see what sort of a horse Night Raid could get in New Zealand.' I question if you could find one in this country, calling himself a judge of either pedigree or conformation, who would have the audacity to pass such a ridiculous remark. "If one can judge by the photographs in the advertising column of the British Bloodstock Review, which would no doubt b 0 more flattering than otherwise, Night Raid can beat them all pointlessly on conformation; in fact, I question if they have a sire in England to-day that would beat him in a show ring. From a Bruce Low point of view, they certainly have nothing better in England, and most breeders to-day take off their lints to Bruce Low, so why such a futile remark as 'lt may bo a, c;ise of blood cjoinc; back to sires in his own country"? Mr. Ken Austin, whom I judge to bo (lie hostauthority on Bruce. Low brooding, savs : 'Phar Lap has a truly remarkable pedigree/ "Coming a.-, if, dop.s on the pv of the Kaituna. bloodstock clearing salo, simh a ridiculous cablegram must., I think, be particularly gallinc; to those interested. Happily all our good judges who know Niehf Raid will treat it, as so much piffle."