DEATH OF MR JOHN FIELD

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 39

DEATH OF MR JOHN FIELD

Mr John Field, of Tasmania, died on the 10th October. He red Occident, Hyacinth, Captain Webster, Tasman, Oaptaim Cook, Quamby, Don Jose, and other horses that have done well in New Zealand, and as for the performers in Australia that were foaled at his establishment a mighty list is headed by Sheet Anchor, Stockwell, Malua, Meteor, and Blink Bonny. Mr Field had reached the age of 81 years. "'Coronach" in the Austra-_ lasian. tells us that Mr John Field commenced his racing career about the time he came of age, in 1842, with a horso called Paul Jones, who won him a number of races, including a sweepstakes of 25sovs each, run 'for at Newtown, near Hobart, in 1844. Blue Bonnet, Rambler, and Swordsman all won him races in the forties and fifties ; and Bequest won him the Longford St. Leger of 1850, and when subsequently mated with Bay Middleton, a horse Mr Field paid 400 guineas for at the break-up sale of Mr Alex. Rose's stud, she produced as a first foal The Promised Land, whom Mr Field was wont to allude to of late years as the best horse he ever bred. At a sale of Mr Baynton's horses, the Field Brothers secured the imported mare Edella, and her daughter, Curiosity, by Buffalo, and when the latter was mated with Peter Finn, the result was Diana, dam of Merry Maid, who won Mr Field quite a number of races, and produced as her first foal to Boiardo Cora, a fine-looking mare, that might have won the Launceston Champion Race of 1868, won by Fireworks, had she run up to a trial she did a. couple of daya previously on Mowbray course. After the sixties Mr Field did not race much, but gave more attention to breeding. St. Albans, as everyone, knows, made a most successful nick with the Peter Wilkins and (Pay Middleton mares in the Calstock stud, and had Mr Field kept either Molua, Stockwell, or Sheet Anchor to take the place of their sire, the Calstock stud might have proved a little gold mine. But no sire has made anything like a successful nick at Calstoek since the chesnut son of Blair Athol and Pandora left there two decades ago. Still, Mr Field took the greatest possible interest in bis stud up to within a few months of his death, and was to the last hopeful that Chestennau would win baok for the stud its pristine glory. In private life Mr John Field was a most hospitable man, and his inexhaustible fund of racy anecdotes made him good company at home or abroad. He leaves two sons, the elder of whom (Mr W. L. Field) tells me the stud will be kept on as usual, and let us hope another Malua may be bred there ere loftg.