SPEARMAID’S FAMILY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26367, 23 January 1947, Page 8

SPEARMAID’S FAMILY

FURTHER HONOURS GAINED Special INVERCARGILL, Jan. 22. The successes this season of Salmon Spear, Desert Girl and Nigger Lad. have gained further honours for Spearmaid, a Greyspear mare, bred for the Thornbury sportsman, Mr H. J. Riddle. Consistency has been a feature of the racing of Desert Girl and Salmon Spear, both Salmagundi three-year-olds, while Nigger Lad’s return to the winning list on Saturday points to him living up to the promise he showed as a three-year-old. In his first seven starts Salmon Spear has won two and has been five times second for £7lO in stakes, while Desert Girl’s record is almost as good. She has won three times and been three times placed for £585 in her first eight appearances. Spearmaid’s family has been an outstanding one, and its latest representatives promise to maintain its record. Spearmaid was bred by Mr H. A. Knight, but she did all her racing for Mr Riddle, for whom she was trained by A. McKay. She won several faces, and as a producer she has been a great success. The first of her produce to gain distinction was the Balboa gelding Spanish Lad, whose record included an Invercargill Cup and a Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap. Spanish Lad won as both a sprinter and over middle distances, and for some time he held the Wingatui track record of 2min 11 l-ssec for a mile and two and a-half furlongs. Two years later, Spearmaid left Nigger Boy to Nigger Minstrel. Nigger Boy snowed brilliant form, but his career came to an abrupt end in 1940, when after winning the Jockey Club Handicap and Members' Handicap at Riccarton, his owners incurred the displeasure of the racing authorities. Spearmaid was sired by Spearmint (a son of Carbine) from Marsinah, by Martian from Black Bess, by San Fran from Lady Bevys, an imported mare by Sir Bevys. She has several foals, but' the family did not produce many winners of note. Marsinah was a useful sprint winner, and her daughter, Spearmaid, has founded by far the most successful branch of this family. A Fine Record Salmon Spear, who is one of the few Southland three-year-olds to win his way out of hack company so far this season, began racing at Gore in the spring. In his first start he finished second to Punjab and at the same meeting he acted as runner-up to Kite High. In his third attempt Desert Girl lowered his colours, but he came into his own at the Dunedin summer meeting when he beat a big novice field on the first day. Tenor Royal beat him in a hack sprint race on the second day of the meeting and at Invercargill he finished second to Aganev in the Three-year-old Handicap. In his last start Salmon Spear defeated a strong field in the Summer Cup, a hack mile and a-quarter race, in which he was responsible for a high-class performance, in his first atterhpt over the journey. In seven starts Salmon Spear has yet * k finish further back than third. He has been kept in work at Invercargill, and his next outing will probably be at Gore next month. Like Salmon Spear. Desert Girl also made an auspicious initial appearance. At Gore in October she tackled a seasoned field of hack sprinters, which seemed a tall order for* a green filly, but was far from disgraced in being narrowly beaten by Gold Song, at the top of his form. Desert Girl won her first race at Winton in November when she gave Salmon Spear 51b and beat him decisively. She beat a moderate field at Wairio in her next appearance and was then taken tc Riccarton, where she failed in her only engagement. At Wyndham she went under narrowly to Stagestruck and in her next start* at the Southland meeting she was unplaced in the Three-year-old Handicap, in which she did not secure a good run. On the second day at Invercargill she returned to her best by beating a hack sprint field. At Invercargill on Saturday she ran a great race to carry 9.1 and finish third to Nigger Lad and Faithful Pal. % Return to Form Nigger Lad showed great promise when he was first raced as a three-year-old two seasons ago, when he won once and was three times second in eight starts. He had one race as a four-year-old and he did not appear until the Southland summer meeting this year. If Nigger Lad remains sound he may develop high-class form. Although he had not raced for over two years Nigger Lad had been in work at different times, but difficulty was experienced each time in keeping the Siegfried gelding sound. He is now being trained by G. McLean at Riverton and there are few hack sprinters in sight with better prospects.