ST. LEGER WINNER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22524, 15 September 1936, Page 7

ST. LEGER WINNER

BOSWELL'S BREEDING

GOOD- STAYING LINES

DESCENDANT OF SON-IN-LAW

BY SPEARMINT The result of the St. Leger provides only one more instance of what the chief chronicler of his day, " The Druid," happily described as the "glorious uncertainty" of the turf. Surprises

I of a similar nature are not by any means unknown in the history of the St. Leger. In 1882 the filly Dutch Oven, starting at 40 to 1, beat two other great rivals of her own sex, Geheimnies and Shotover, the former of whom had won the. Oaks and the latter the Two Thousand Guineas and Derby. That year fillies won all sve classics and provided the only - instance of the threo places in the St. Leger being filled by gallopers of that sex. In 1894 another filly, Throstle, a 50 to 1 chance, defeated Ladas, who started one of tho hottest favourites on record. More recent winners who started at forlorn odus wero Night Hawk, Polemarch and iloyal Lancer. 1 . Judging by Boswell's record thfs season, his victory must have been a surprise to the' public, if not to his stable, which has always believed in him. His owner, Mr. W. Woodward, has been before the English racing public this soason through tho muchadvertised Omaha, who was narrowly beaten in the Ascot Gold Cup. He is also the owner of Perifox, who is said to be probably tho best two-year-old seen out this season, and of Granville, winner of the Belmont Stakes and the best three-year-old in America. All being well, Granviile will go over to England to race in the Ascot Gold Cup next year, and these three and Mr. J. H. Whitney's Night Song, the best two-year-old filly of the year, will make things very interesting for English owners. This is the third occasion on which the St. Leger has been won by an American owner. The other winners were Iroquois (1881) and Tracery (1912). From Caddie's Family It is noticeable that the first and second horses in the St. Leger were descendants of the great sire of stayers Son-in-Law and inherited stamina is the keynote of Boswell's breeding. It is probable that up to the present ho has been racing out of his best distance, which would account for his disappointing displays. Boswell is by Bosworth from Flying Gal 11., by Sir Gallahad HI. from Filante, by Sardanapalo from High Flyer, by Flying Fox from Altesse, by Amphion. The family is No. 20, to which Cuddle belongs, though it is necessary to go back eight generations to find the common ancestress, the Oaks winner Ghuznee. The best horse of this family we have had in New Zealand was the great sire Traducer. Its last classic winner was Tagalie, who won the Derby in 1912. Boswell is the first classic winner sired by Bosworth, who was bred by Lord Derby in 1926. Bosworth is also the sire of Plassy, who won the Jockey Club Stakes last year. He was named after the famous battle in the Wars of the Roses, on which field the house of Stanley received its present title. Bosworth won the St. George Stakes, Liverpool, as a three-3 T ear-old, and was beaten a short head by Trigo in the St. Leger. The following year ho won the Ascot Gold Cup. He belongs to Lord Derby's celebrated branch of the No. 6 family and . is. by Son-in-Law from Serenissima. by Minoru from Gondolette, by Loved One. Gondolette was dam of the Derby winner Sansovino, while Serenissima was dam of the St. Leger and One Thousand Guineas winner Tranquil and grand-dam of the Derby and St. Leger winner Hyperion. Career of Sir Gallahad 111.

Boswell was bred by Mr. Woodward, as was his dam, Flying Gal 11., who won important races for her breeder as a two-year-old in America. Sir Gallahad 111. was bred in France by Mr. Jefferson Cohn and had a distinguished raoe record. As a three-year-old he won the French Two Thousand Guineas and next season had a very easy win in the Lincolnshire Handicap and later beat the brilliant Epinard in a match over six and a-half furlongs. After a season at the stud in France he was sold to the American breeder Mr. A. B. Hancock. His son Gallant Fox is doing splendid service for Mr. Woodward, being the sire of Omaha, Granville and Perifox.

Sir Gallahad 111. is by Teddy from Plucky Liegb, by Spearmint from Concertina, by St. Simon. He is a halfbrother to the Grand Prix winner Admiral Drake, and Concertina was third dam of the " triple crown" winner Bahrain.

Teddy, who died a short time ago, was by Ajax, a son of Flying Fox, so Boswell is in-bred to this famous winner of the triple crown. Although Sir Gallahad HI. was best at a mile, the line founded in France by Flying Fox and his son Ajax haa been famous for the number of good stayers it has produced. Loved One, sire of Gondoletto, was by See Saw, maternal grandsire of Soult, from the great mare Pilgrimage, and further staying lines come in through Cyllene, sire of Minoru, and Carbine, sire of Spearmint. The Great Sardanapale

If , still more staying blood were wanted to build up Boswell's pedigree, it is to be found in Sardanapale, the greatest French-bred sire of the present century. He was by Prestige, who ran 16 times and was never beaten, from Gemma, by Florizel 11. from Agnostic, by ltosicrucian. It is noteworthy that both Sardanapale and Sir Gallahad 111. belong, like so many other good sires of the last 50 years, to the famous Agnes branch of the No. 16 family. Sardanapale was a brilliant racehorse and won both the French Derby and Grand Prix. In both these races ho beat the English Derby winner Durbar, and there is little doubt that he would have won the latter event had he started in it. His racing career was brought to a premature end by the war and he died last year after having sired winners of over 14 million francs. One of his best winners was Apello, who won the Italian Derby, Epsom Coronation Cup and Sandown Park Anniversary Cup twice. After winning the latter event Apelle was' bought by an English syndicate for about £30,000 and has been at the stud in England ever since. He has- sired the Grand Prix winner Capiello and the good stayer Apple Peel. , Altesse, fourth dam of Bosworth, Avas dam of Hapsburg, a son of Desmond, who won the Eclipse Stakes and Champion Stakes in 1914. Although Hapsburg was a middle-distance horse, his best son, Noble Star,was a thorough stayer and won the Ascot Stakes, Goodwood Stakes, Cesarewitch and Jockey Club Cup, allof two miles or over. Ho is carrying on tho line of St. Simon in England and is sire of the good three-year-old Noble King. ,

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB

ENTRIES FOR SPRING MEETING First forfeits for the Great Northern Guineas and Welcome Stakes and general entries for the spring meeting of the Auckland Racing Club, to be held on October 10 and 12, are due next Friday, September 18, at 5 o'clock, with the secretary, Mr. W. S. Spence.