THE ST. LEGER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22518, 8 September 1936, Page 7

THE ST. LEGER

TO-MORROW'S FIELD PAST WINNERS RECALLED SOME COLONIAL IMPORTATIONS BY SPEARMINT The English classics, without exception, exercise a profound influence 011 bloodstock the world over, as tho winners are invariably retired to tho most fashionable studs at a high fee. The recent newspaper controversy which has arisen over the sale of Blenheim shows that ic is almost impossible to get a service to a Derby winner unless it is booked up years ahead, and tho same thing applies, in an only slightly less degree, to a winner of the St. Leger, the 161st contest for which will take place at Doncaster Moor to-morrow. There is practically 110 chance of the winner leaving England; with the exception of Blenheim and Diophon, who proved a failure at the stud, 110 winner of any of the three great classics has been allowed to leave the country since the 1922 Derby winner Captain Cuttle was sold to the Italians for a huge sum, the exact amount of which was never disclosed, but which was said to have been £50,000. No winner of tho Derby has ever come to Australia or New Zealand, nor have we, so far as I am aware, ever had a classic winner imported to the Dominion. However, Australia has had at least seven winners of tho live great classics, threp of whom were winners of the St. Loger. These were Tho Marquis (1862), Hawthornden (1870) and Night Hawk (lt'l3). The Marquis was a son of Stockwell and was a halfbrother to who won the Oaks and later became one of tho greatest brood mares ever imported to Australia. Half-brothers to The Marquis were The Peer and Towton, both of whom were at the stud in New Zealand. The Marquis was very successful at the stud, one of the best of his sons being Newminster, who sired the V.R.C. Derby and Melbourne Cup winner Newhaven. Another of his sons was The Painter, who was imported to Wanganui in 1878. Record of Leolinus

The Marquis was a high-class racehorse, who also won the Two Thousand Guineas and was beaten only a neck by tho 40 to 1 chance Caractacus in the Derby. The Marquis was bought for 2500 guineas for export to Victoria, but when he first went to the Maribyrnong Stud in 1872 his fee was only 20 guineas! By common consent Hawthornden and Night Hawk are classed as two of the worst winners of the St. Leger and both were failures at the stud.

The nearest we have ever liad to a St. Leger winner in New Zealand is Leolinus, who was imported by Mr. G. G. Stead in 1878, and a few years later was acquired by the New Zealand Stud Company to join Musket and Anteros at Sylvia Park, where he remained until his death in 1888. Leolinus was a high-class racehorse and as a three-year-old beat Atlantic, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas, in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot. Hie St. Leger that year was an extraordinary contest. The favourites were the Derby winner George Frederick and the great mare Apology, who had cantered away with the Oaks. George Frederick went wrong on the eve of the race and Apology was lame and it was announced she would not start. However, she was got to the post and was too good for the opposition, of whom Leolinus did best, being beaten by a somewhat easy length and a-half. Although he was no match for Apology, Leolinus had some good horses behind him, including Trent, who had won the Grand Prix, and Atlantic. Leolinus was a great success at the stud and was sire of British Lion, Fabulous, Leolantie, Leopold, Lionel. Tigredia and many other good winners. Prospects o! Precipitation

Acceptors for this year's St. Leger number 17 and the most-discussed candidate is Lord Astor's Rhodes Scholar, who defeated the Derby winner Mahmoud at Ascot, and a. few weeks later ran away with the valuable Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park. Rhodes Scholar is by Pharos from Booklaw, a mare by Buchan from Popingaol, who won the St. Leger in 1927. Pharos has already sired a St. Leger winner, Firdaussi, as well as the Derby winner Cameronian, so that Rhodes Scholar would appear to have the necessary stamina, and of his brilliance there is 110 question. ' , , A candidate who has improved out of knowledge in the last few months is Precipitation. The commanding son of Hurry On ran unplaced in the Wood Ditton Stakes, won the Royal Standard Stakes at Manchester by three lengths, but was disqualified for crossing, won the King Edward VII. Stakes, li miles, at Ascot, and the Gratwickc Produce Stakes, over the same distance, at Goodwood. These are his only starts to Precipitation is owned by Lady Zia Wernher, and his dam, Double Lire, won the Duke of York Handicap for his owner in 1929 and a few weeks later carried a 101b. penalty to victory in the Cambridgeshire. Double Life is by Bachelor's Double from Saint Joan, by Wilbrook, son of Grebe, from Flo Desmon, by Desmond. Precipitation is described as a very fine horse, and one experienced writer ranks him as the best son of Hurry On since Coronach. He is apparently a thorough stayer, as he is bred to bo, and should bo one of the leading candidates for the longdistance races next season. Bonspeil Should Stay

After his defeat at Ascot Mahmoud has gone out of favour and his stamina for so long a journey is in doubt. So far as 1 am awaro, only one other Derbv winner has been defeated at Ascot in the same year, but as this was Lord Lyon, who subsequently won the St. Leger, there may perhaps be a tendency to take Mahnioud's defeat too seriously. On form the rest of the field appears to have little chance. A well-bred candidate is Lord Derby's St. Magnus, who is by Sansovino from Fair Isle, a winner of the One Thousand Guineas and sister to Fairway and Pharos. St. Magnus has had only two races this season and was second in both. His last start was in April. Thankorton ran very badly in the Eclipse Stakes and lost ' x recent winner is Pizzaro, by Pharos from Sister-in-law, by Lemberg from Own Sister, a sister to Son-in-Law. He won the Birmingham Midland Breeders' Foal Plato, but was easily beaten by Precipitation at Ascot. Esqueineling, bv Le Voleur from The Basilisk, by The Tetrarch, won at Birmingham and Newmarket in April and was second to Precipitation at Ascot. His does not read like a classic pedigree. Bonspiel is by Solario from Bongrace, a Spion Kop mare who won the Doncaster and Jockey Club Cups, and should stay. He was second to Precipitation in the Gratwicke Produce Stakes. His Grace is a brother to Blenheim and his best performance, was to run second to Rhodes Scholar, beaten by six lengths, in the Eclipse Stakes. Kaeburn, a brother to Orpen, won the Irish Derby, and Haulfryn, being by Sunny Trace, does not appeal. The chances of tho rest appear to be negligible. answers to correspondents "Argument," Auckland. —Nor.-West died at Ellerslie after winning the Onehunga Steeplechase on November 13, 1908, in the ownership of Mr. F. P. Selby.