STEEPLES WINNER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22470, 14 July 1936, Page 7

STEEPLES WINNER

ANCESTRY OF DIAMOND MANGANESE FAMILY MEMBER PERADVENTURE'S DESCENDANTS BY SPEARMINT It is a long cry from " Parson" King, clergyman, breeder and owner in the sixties of last century, who raced under the 110111 de course of " Mr. Lauiule,'' to the Wellington Steeplechase of 1933, but tho victory of Diamond in tho last-mentioned event revives memories of the famous Manganese family, founded by Mr. King nearly a century ago. it belongs to tho branch of the No. 4 or No. 11 family, tracing to Anticipation by Beningbrough, and comes through Lunatic, by Prime Minister, said to bo the first brood mare owned by Mr. King. A grand-daughter of Lunatic was Manganese, by Birdcatcher, who won the One Thousand Guineas in 1850, giving John Osborne his first classic ride. Incidentally, Osborne's career closed with a third 011 Watercress in tho St. Legor of 1892, won by La Fleghe, after a continuous career ot 46 years in the saddle. To return to Manganese, she was a great stud success being the dam of The Miner, Mandragora, Mineral, Thorsday and others. The Miner beat Blair Atliol in the Great Yorkshire Stakes at a difference of seven pounds only. Mandragora was the dam of Mandrake, winner of tho Ebor Handicap and Doncaster Cup, and of Apology, one of the greatest race mares of all time and winner of the One Thousand Guineas, Oaks, St. Leger, Coronation Stakes and Ascot Gold Cup. From another daughter of Mandragora came Crowberry, runner-up to Ayrshire in tho Derby and sire of the dam of The Welkin, sire of Gloaming. Mineral was dam of Wenlock, winner of the St. Leger and sire of the dam of Isinglass and of Kisbor, winner of the Derby and Grand Prix. Other descendants of Manganese were Elf 11., grandsire of Tidal, Willonyx and Bruleur. Such is the family from which Diamond can claim descent. Imported to South Australia One of the last of tho progeny of Manganese was Peradventure, a mare by Adventurer and therefore a threequarter sister to Apology. Adventurer, who was by Newminster, was a very successful sire, among his progeny being the Two Thousand Guineas winner Pretender, the peerless Wheel of Fortune and the brilliant two-year-old Bal Gal. Several mares by Adventurer came to the colonies and all were successful, among them being Miss Kate, the third dam of Phar Lap. Mr. King died tho year after Apology's St. Leger and his stud came under the hamni9r. One of the lots offered was Peradventure, and she was secured by Sir Thomas Elder for 1250 guineas as one of the foundation mares for his Morphettville Stud and so came to South Australia. There she became the dam of a great littio galloper in Guesswork, by Gang Forward, who, though little more than a pony, won the South Australian Derbv afid St. Leger. One of the stallions at Morphettville was Neckersgat, a tremendously powerful son of Talk o' the Hill and Miss Giraffe, by King Tom. Talk 0' the Hill was by Wild Dayrell from Avaconara, a half-sister to Stockwell, Rataplan and King Tom. In consequence of, his developing a fiendish temper, Neckersgat had been banished to one of Sir Thomas' properties at the far north of South Australia, somewhere near the Queensland border, and there he would have died, unhonoured and unsung, but for the advice of Mr. W. E. Dakin, manager of the Morphettville Stud, who persuaded Sir Thomas to bring him back to join Gang Forward at Morphettville. Once there, Neckersgat appears to have reformed and become most docile. He was a tremendous stud success and sired, among other winners, Portsea (V.R.C. Champion Stakes and Australian Cup), Dunlop (Melbourne Cup), Sedition (Newmarket Handicap), Maddelina and Annesley (Caulfiehi Guineas), Nitrous (Adelaide St. Leger and Cup), arid Newstead, Kcera and Lady Mostyn (all Maribyrnong Plate). Lady Agnes at Cambria Park

Mated with Neckersgat, Peradventure produced the filly Lady Agnes. She won one race as a three-year-old, but her best performance was to run second in the Debutante Stakes to Montalto, another daughter of Neckersgat. She was passed on to Mr. F. S. Reynolds and sent to the 'focal Stud, where she was purchased on behalf of the late Mr. Leonard Marshal! for the newlyfounded Cambria Park Stud at Auckland. She was then in foal to Simmer, a son of St. Simon and the St. Leger winner Dutch Oven, and the ; progeny, foaled in Auckland, was Our Lady. It is a coincidence that Simmer, sire of the third dam of Diamond, was also sire of the third dam of Pooley Bridge, who won the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles on the day that Diamond won the Wellington Steeplechase. Lady Agnes had other progeny at Cambria Park, which were later represented by the Avondale Cup winner tattoo, the Avondale Guineas winner Cyresian ,and this season's Maribyrnong Trial Stakes winner Idavale. The fame of the Manganese line in Australia and New Zealand, however, rests with Our Lady, who was passed on to Mr. M. Currie and became, next to Eulogy, the greatest matron seen at the Koatanui Stud. Our Lady was very prolific and died in J921 after having 12 living foals. Her daughter Cowl, by King Rufus, earned great fame at the stud, being the dam of Rational, The Monk, Mask and The Masquerader, and granddam of Vcilmond, Visage, Prince Pombal, Gladswood, Loud Applause and Pel met

.Record of Bronze i'o return to Our Lady, her best performers on the turf were Beau Sou It, who beat Radnor in the Rosehill Guineas, Farceur, winner ot the G.J .G. Champagne Stakes and A.B.C. j'o.val Stakes, and Bronze, grand-dam of Diamond. Beau Soult later earned great fame at the stud as the sire of Beauford, twice conqueror of Gloaming. Bronze was by Field Battery, a son ot Hotchkiss and Lady Evelyn, by Perk in Warbeck from Pulchra, by Kosicrucian, another famous family. Bronze was a high-class mare and won lo races, but she did not produce anything as good a:i herself. Grotesque, however, won the Avondale Guineas and A.11.0. Faster Handicap, and Alloy and Rust were winners. Anklet is dam of l e '' l ~ broke, Jutland, Linklet and the illfated Garter Knight. . Diamond, who was foaled 111 IS32J, is the first foal of Lady Desmond, who is by Limond from Bronze. Lady Desmond was a consistent performer and raced till she was five years old, winning the Nelson, Hangitikei and Manawatu Cups and running second to I' lying Juliet m the Great Northern Oaks. .1 he sire of Diamond is Diacquenod by Diadunionos from Miss Cobalt, by Pruie from Silver Wing, a half-sister, by Silvester to Gallinulo. Diacquenod was a moderate racer, but DindumeilOS won the Kempton Park Jubilee Handicap and Liverpool Cup and was a brother to the brilliant Diadem, winner of the One Thousand Guineas, and haltbrother to the Two Thousand Guineas winner Diophon.