YEARLINGS ARE MIXED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23671, 1 December 1938, Page 15

YEARLINGS ARE MIXED

INTERESTING CASE HISTORY RECALLED (Spkcial to Daily Times) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 30. An interesting case has occurred in the Dominion, involving the identity of two Australian-bred fillies, now two years old. At the Sydney sales which were held last Easter several yearlings were purchased, apparently as a speculation, with a view to being resold in New Zealand. They were sent to the Elderslie Stud, remaining there until July, when thfty were disposed of by auction at a sale at Trentham. Only two of them need be brought into the present story. One was a filly by Constant Son (son of Son-in-Law) from Lady Cynosure, by Comedy King from Lady Vic, by Wallace from Lady Victoria, an imported mare by St. Frusquin from Lady Cynosure, a sister to the great sire Polymelus, by Cyllene from Maid Marian. The other was a filly by Caledon (son of Hurry On) from Sandra, by Claro from Lady San, by San Francisco from Lady Mostyn. The pedigree of the Constant Son filly appealed to Mr D. O. Rutherford, of Christchurch, not only for racing, but as a prospective brood mare, and Mr H. E. Martin, acting for him, purchased the filly at 420gns. Earlier in the sale a North Islander, Mr W. H. Barton, had secured the Caledon filly for 215gns. Mr Rutherford's filly came to Riccarton, where she joined A. J. Martin's stable. Recently, when Mr Barton took steps to have his filly registered, prior to racing her, a checking of the brands showed that she was the Constant Son filly, while it was the Caledon filly that was being trained at Riccarton. When the mistake was brought under their notice the parties concerned lost no time in coming to an amicable settlement of the trouble. Mr Barton will continue as owner of the Constant Son filly, but Mr Rutherford, having missed the lot he was anxious to buy, does not want the Caledon filly, though she is a very attractive looking youngster. She is to remain for the present under the care of A. J. Martin, who will train her until a new owner is found for her. The experience over these Austra-lian-bred fillies serves to recall two Other cases of changelings in which Riccarton was specially interested. In November, 1907, at a sale of Mr J. B. Reid's yearlings from the Elderslie Stud, the late Mr D. Rutherford, uncle of Mr D. O. Rutherford, bought two Stepniak fillies, both chestnuts, paying 310 guineas for one from Armigera and 50 guineas for the other, from Miss Niente. In due course they were named respectively Ingoda and Zemlia. At the summer meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, then extending over two -days, the two fillies had their first race, both being started in the Lyttelton Plate. Ingoda won and Zembia was unplaced. Mr J. B. Reid was present at the meeting, and on inspecting the pair after the race he declared that they were not as thev were labelled. In other words, they had been transposed. The filly described as from Miss Niento was the Armigera youngster and vice versa. An inquiry was held, at which Mr Reid, as breeder, gave evidence, which was accepted as authoritative. The finding of the stewards was that there was an error in the entry regarding Ingoda's breeding, and she was distanced for the race. As a three-year-old the real Ingoda won the Oaks and the St. Leger. At the end of their racing the two fillies went back to Mr Reid, and in January, 1912, at a dispersal sale of the Elderslie Stud, they were both bought by Mr Sol Greens stud in Victoria, Ingoda for 800 guineas and Zemlia for 400 guineas. Mated with Comedy King, Ingoda became the dam of King Ingoda, a good performer, with the Melbourne Cup among his successes. At the Sydney sales, at Easter, 1923, two yearlings were secured for Canterbury owners. For Mr G. Fulton the Buckwheat—Petal colt, later known as Chickwheat, was bought for 130 guineas, while Mr G. D. Greenwood's agent paid 425 guineas for the Demosthenes—Scotch Light colt that raced as Haze. The two colts were shipped to New Zealand by the same steamer, and in due course they arrived at Riccarton, going into the stables of their respective trainers. A few montht, later it was discovered that they did not tally with the descriptions given in the sale catalogue, and investigation showed that they had become mixed some time between their sale in Sydney and their arrival at Riccarton. The colts were transferred to their proper stables. Neither of the pair turned out to be a very good performer, though both won races. Two colts, bred in Australia in 1925, were imported to New Zealand in the following year by *Mr H. R. Mackenzie, of Auckland. One was by Duke Humphrey from Shepherd Princess, and the other by the same sire from Princess Hazel. One of the colts passed into the ownership of another Aucklander, Mr C. G. Macindoe. In the season 1927-28 he raced the two-year-old Prince Humphrey, described as by Duke Humphrey from Shepherd Princess. He was a good performer, winning the Auckland Welcome Stakes and the Royal Stakes, while he was placed in several other events in the best company. Taken to Sydney the following spring Prince Humphrey won the Australian Jockey Club's Derby. Some time after the race his identity was challenged. An inquiry was held by the committee of the Australian Jockey Club, whose decision showed that the two Duke Humphrey colts sent to New Zealand had in some way become transposed. While the earlier records described Prince Humphrey as being by Duke Humphrey—Shepherd Princess, the Australasian Turf Register of 1929 gave his breeding as by Duke Humphrey—Princess Hazel, with the following footnote in the index:— "Nominated in error is being from Shepherd Princess, under which pedigree he won the A.J.C. Derby." The result of the Derby, however, was allowed to stand. The race, on the finding of the committee, was won by a horse that was not nominated.