BELLE GRATTAN SOLD

Southland Times, Issue 23182, 24 April 1937, Page 11

BELLE GRATTAN SOLD

STOCK OF GRATTAN LOYAL (By “Bingen”) The Wyndham Cup winner, Belle Grattan, has been sold to Mr W. D. McLeod who recently purchased the Grattan Loyal stallion, Eddie Tolan. Belle Grattan left on Thursday with W. Cosgrove for Oamaru and from there she will go into a Canterbury stable. The price has not been divulged, but it is stated that it was the largest price ever paid for a Southland mare. The Grattan Loyal mare was bred by Miss G. Horner and W. Cosgrove (both of Winton), from Lady Norris by Lee Norris from Sweet Lorraine by Lorene’s Todd. Belle Grattan is a double-gaited mare and at the square gait has shown some ability. Her dam, Lady Norris, was bred on trotting lines and was also double-gaited. Lady Norris has raced as a trotter and was credited with speed well above the average, but unsoundness, caused by a leg injury found her out and she was sent to Grattan Loyal. After delivery of the foal she was again put into training but was unable to stand a preparation. Belle Grattan is an upstanding mare of 16.2 hands. She made her debut at Winton as a three-year-old but nothing strenuous was asked of her. In the 1935-36 season as a four-year-old, she had eight starts and won three, clearly demonstrating that she was a mare well above the average. In her initial success at Gore in the spring she registered 3.29 2-5 for the mile and _ahalf harness, to return a remunerative price. She won over a mile and a-half in saddle at Invercargill in 3.25, and at Wyndham from 48 yards behind, she won again in saddle in 3.22, a Southland winning record. In one or two of her outings she lost all chance at the start, but her slowness to find her feet usually landed her into this trouble. This season Belle Grattan has played an important part in the cup fields. In the Gore Cup, after leading practically all the way she went under to Renown’s Best It is not generally known that sex trouble was mostly the cause of her defeat, and in the Winton Cup, her poor exhibition was also caused by the same complaint. Owing to the wet weather before the Invercargill Cup meeting the Winton track was flooded and thus Belle Grattan was short of the necessary fast work to time her up for the big event. Her showing was disappointing but the race improved her and on the second day she finished third in the big race and would no doubt have won had she not met with interference when entering the straight. The success of Belle Grattan in the Wyndham Cup was a very creditable one as her preparation consisted solely of galloping a week before the race owing to a soreness of the legs which prevented hopple work. As a consequence she pulled very hard in the race and at some stages was many lengths clear of the field. At the top of the straight she appeared beaten but came on again to win narrowly. Owing to no fast hopple work prior to the race she was in a very distressed condition for an hour afterwards. Belle Grattan was the first of Grattan Loyal’s stock to win a race in the Dominion. Her stake earnings amount to £545 for four firsts and a third. As she has not been strenuously raced and has proved herself both in saddle and in harness, she is a mare of great possibilities for her new owner. In 1930 Grattan Loyal was imported to the Dominion along with Frank Worthy (now defunct), by F. Holmes, and came direct to Southland to stand the season at the stud. Grattan Loyal is a fine type of sire and comes from noted family lines, his sire Grattan Royal having left champions in Grattan Bars 1.59 J; Louie Grattan 2.0; Widow Grattan 2.0 J; and Roy Grattan 2.1|. Grattan Loyal is the only male descendant of his sire in New Zealand, although in Grattan Queen, Mr J. R. McKenzie has a mare by Grattan Royal which he imported a few years ago. Grattan Loyal stood only one season in Southland and was not patronised as freely as he might have been. The oldest of his stock are five-year-olds and will no doubt be served well with tune. Many Southlanders were left lamenting when he was sent north but it is reported that this season he is returning and will be located in the Eastern District where, without doubt, his season will be a heavy one. He claims many representatives m Southland and practically all of his stock are ideal race-horses, being speedy, possessed of stamina and ideal racing temperaments. He is purely a pacing sire as so far none of his stock has shown a tendency for the square gait excepting Belle Grattan whose dam was bred on trotting lines. The Grattan Loyals produced in Southland have practically all been winners, namely, Belle Grattan. Eddie Tolan, Norman Grattan, Vinola, Eglington, Loyal Sun and Nell Grattan, while others in Samara, Loyalist, Gracious and Drum•bunnif have shown promising speed and are likely to be seen to advantage next season. . , It is interesting to note that in tne Gore Cup the first two platings were credited to Grattan Loyals in Renown s Best and Belle Grattan. In the Wyndham Cup the Grattan Loyals were again prominent, with Belle Grattan first and Loyal Sun third. The Winton trainer, W. Cosgrove, has held a high opinion of the stock of Grattan Loyal as his stable boasts no fewer than four members of this breed. All have been good winners so far excepting one, Edith Grattan (who was injured, but may be produced next season), so it cannot be said that his judgment has been misplaced.