AUSTRALIAN TURF ACTIVITIES

Southland Times, Issue 23498, 3 May 1938, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN TURF ACTIVITIES

New Zealand Horses Abroad

SOUTHLAND JOCKEY IN SYDNEY

By

SIR MODRED

The Australian Jockey Club’s Easter meeting provided a very. long . opvictories for horses bred in the Commonwealth. New Zealand’s representatives were few and more unsuccessful than has been the case for many seasons past. . L’Aiglon, the Queensland-bred . inner of the Sydney Cup, of £7OOO (2m.) started second in order of selection and at a remunerative price. The Frenchbred stallion, Genetout, ranked as first fancy, but was unplaced after running a good race. Quite a few horses were heavily backed and beaten and the contest must have proved a satisfactory one to the ringmen, particularly as many candidates fancied early in the piece did not see the post. On the opening day of the Sydney Yearling Sales the best prices of the occasion, as freely anticipated were realized for three of the last of the progeny of the great Australian-bred sire Heroic, as follows: —Chestnut colt from Trasina (descended on the maternal side from Wallace, son of Carbine), 2300 guineas; chestnut colt from White Swan (in sire line running back to a good English performer in Torpomt, by Trenton), 1700 guineas; bay colt from Ashtar (by Moabite, imp., from Otterform by Multiform from Otterden, imp.,’ and dam of Martian), 1000 guineas. The first two youngsters were purchased by Melbourne owners, but the Ashtar colt was secured by Mr W. Higgins, of Wellington, New Zealand.

The Sydney owner-trainer F. McGrath turned out a smart winner at City Tattersall’s meeting at Randwick on Saturday to take the Denman Stakes. This was the four-year-old mare Brown Baroness, by Brazen (imp., and son of Phalaris) from Tribute, by Valais (imp., and sire of Heroic, also Vaals, who has been making a name for himself as a sire in Auckland) from Veneta, by Havoc. At the Sydney Yearling Sales recently a yearling colt ranking as a half brother to Mr J. Graham’s wellknown Southland performer Amelita, realized 500 guineas. The colt is by Andrea (imp.) by Solario (son of Goldsbrough) from Persuasion, by Roi Herode (son of Le Samaritan) from Flash of Steel. The youngster’s dam Black Vera (imp.) is by Black Jester (Polymelus from Absurdity) from Perseverence 11, by Persimmon, by St. Simon. The mare Amelita and the colt sold at Easter are from the same family as the two Derby winners Hyperion and Sansovino. FORMER SOUTHLANDER The Southland horseman George Young, retained at one period of his career to pilot Silver Peak, Eleus, and other horses for Mr W. Stone and also to ride Gloaming to victory in many races in New Zealand and Australia for Mr Greenwood, held the centre of the stage in other days. Eventually he settled down, in New South Wales to become a licensed trainer and further provide winners in his own colours. He is referred to in The Referee (Sydney) as follows: “George Young former Dominion jockey and now Randwick (Sydney) trainer, is quite an old bowler, and plays well. As George says, ‘where’s there’s a win there’s a weigh’.” It is not surprising to learn that the New Zealand-born horseman and trainer has succeeded on the bowling green, as he is of very equitable temperament in addition to. having been seasoned to exercise judgment and coolness in one of the most exciting pastimes of the world of sport, the racing game. A strong field contested the Maiden Two-Year-Old Handicap, of £3OO (6fur.) at the Williamstown Racing Club’s meeting and the gelding Mukama defeated his countryman the New Zealand gelding Dannevirke by a length in lmin 14jjsec. The runner-up was second fancy, but Mukama started at a quote of a quarter of a century. The breeding of the winner is interesting as his sire was Martarma, by Martian (imp.) from Per Arma (imp.), while his dam was Taraheke, by Paladin (imp.) from Flower of the West (imp.), by Arizona from Flowerer, by Persimmon (son of St. Simon) from Wise Flower. An interesting feature of Mukama’s breeding is that he is a full brother to the very successful performer Matara, who was sold to India. Dannevirke, who finished second, and who was bred by Mr J. C. Kennedy, of Dannevirke, is a son of Colossus (imp. and by Polymelus) from Tripping, by Nigger Minstrel (Southland sire) from Dainty Step, by Lucullus (imp.) from Adoption, by Elevation (San Francisco from the maternal line which produced Stepniak) from Ascension, by Gipsy Grand from Rainbow, by Cadogan (imp) from Iris, by Traducer (imp.). The youngsters, Mukama and Dannevirke, are stoutly bred each way and both should develop into useful performers with age. Mukama was bred by Mr J. Porter, of Canterbury, and was sold as a yearling at Trentham at a reasonable price for export to Victoria, where he is trained by F. Godley. GOOD WIN AT RANDWICK An enduring and successful galloper, but recently just failing to score, the six-year-old mare El Senorita won the City Tattersall’s Cup, of £650 (lm. 3 fur.) in convincing manner by four lengths at Randwick on Saturday. She is by El Cacique (imp.), by Tracery from Indiecita (winner of fifteen races). He was a good performer in England, but his first progeny were foaled in France to race well in that country. The son of Tracery claims

good winners in Australia. Bred in the Argentine (South America) El Cacique raced in England, to be relegated to the stud in France, and finally to Australia to figure again as a sire of winners. Saturday’s turf heroine (El Senorita) is possessed of breeding strains of interest in this country, as her dam was Secret Wedding, by William the Silent (imp., and displaying blends of Cyllene, St. Simon, and Carbine, by Musket blood) from Wedding Present (imp.), by Trenton (son of Musket from Frailty, by Goldsbrough). El Senorita is bred to stay, and her pedigree is suggestive of a good mare to carry on the famous family of her grandsire Tracery. Dominion-bred public performers have not been racing prominently in Sydney recently but a horse foaled in New Zealand was discovered in winning vein at City Tattersall’s Club fixture at Randwick on Saturday. This was Capaneus, who won The Hurdle Race, of £250 (about two miles) in 3min 43sec, presumably over brush battens. Mrs McLean’s successful representative is a four-year-old son of Night Raid (imp.) from Sennight, by Day Comet (imp., and son of St. Frusquin, by St. Simon) from Week End (imp.). A three-quarter brother to Pillow Fight, a gelding who was sent to America and failed as a racehorse in the United States after winning a number of races in New Zealand, Capaneus certainly possesses jumping qualifications. His sire (Night Raid) has been responsible for a number of jumpers, headed by his son Nocturnus, a well-known cross-country aspirant in Southland trained at Riccarton by A. S. Ellis and produced to win the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase. It is feared that Nocturnus will not stand up to a preparation to enable him to again compete in first-class cross-country company, but it is to .be hoped that this will prove to be incorrect as the black gelding is one of ; the most finished jumpers in the land, due to the careful education of his trainer. Apart from his sire, Capaneus can be recommended as a jumper in maternal line, as his dam (Sennight) was by Day Comet, a sire imported from England to beget hurdle racers, steeplechasers, and hunters and it must be admitted that he fulfilled expectations in this respect, while his progeny include many winners of important flat races.

The Queensland Turf Club’s most important fixture of the season is now well advanced and the third and concluding day’s proceedings are set down for Saturday when the Moreton Handicap, of £1250 (one mile and a-quar-ter) will be the principal attraction. On the opening occasion on Saturday the feature race was the Stradbroke Handicap, of £l5OO (six furlongs) and victory rested with the three-year-old gelding Thurles Lad, a minor winner of one race last season. The successful juvenile sprinter is by the imported English horse Saltash, by Sunstar from Hamoaze, by Torpoint (son of Trenton, by Musket) from a mare descended from the celebrated sire Cyllene, probably the greatest stallion of the Bend Or line, when the influence of his issue is taken into consideration.

OF NEW ZEALAND INTEREST

The success of the chestnut colt Activity in the Youthful Stakes, of £3OO (6 fur.), at Randwick on Saturday, was of widespread interest in New Zealand. In the first place the colt is a full brother to a filly purchased at the recent Sydney Yearling Sales by Wright, Stephenson and Company for a New Zealand client at 120 guineas and the youngster will now take an increased value. From several angles the breeding of Activity presents interest to studmasters in the Dominion, as his sire Excitement (imp.) is by Hurry On (sire of the leading New Zealand stallion Hunting Song) from Stefanova, by Stefan the Great (son of The Tetrarch, sire of Tractor, a horse whose mares are producing winners in New Zealand). In maternal line the youthful Sydney winner is from a mare called Ritual, by Spelthome (imp. and son of Spearmint, by Carbine) from Tenebra, by All Black (imp., and sire of Desert Gold and Nigger Minstrel) from Queen Battery, by Comedy King (imp. and noted sire and racehorse in Australia) from Cross Battery (a sister to Cross Step, dam of the fine Queensland performer who held the Australasian two-mile record until Wotan shattered his figures in winning the Melbourne Cup), by Stepniak (a great New Zealand sire of the Musket tribe) from Firecross, by Patrol from Crossfire (a very successful Australian performer)., by .Goldsbrough (a great Australian sire represented strongly in female descendants successful at the stud in the Dominion, including Frailty, dam of Trenton and Cuirassier). The Musket-St. Simon cross is very prominent on the dam’s side of the pedigree of Activity and this was probably marked down by the New Zealander who purchased his younger sister in Sydney at Easter. Owned by Messrs W. Devon and J. T. Jamieson (trainer) Activity is reported to have caused surprise and returned a very substantial machine and ring price. Probably because at one time he raced in the colours of Mr G. J. Barton, of Dunedin, the success of Riddle in the Plymouth Welter Handicap, of £250 (lm.) at Ascot, Melbourne, on Saturday was reported to the Dominion by cable. Riddle changed hands some time ago and now represents Mr

A. L. Berliner, of Victoria. Riddle is a four-year-old gelding by Baralong (imp.), by Galloper Light (by Sunstar) from Silesia, by Spearmint from Galicia, by Galopin (sire of St. Simon). Baralong raced well over long distances in England. The gelding’s dam was Wilhelmina (imp.), by Grosvenor. Riddle was piloted to victory by the New Zealander Tito Webster, who for some years past has been in keen demand in Melbourne as a horseman in welter races or as jockey to horses assessed to carry heavy weights in open handicap events. In his lightweight days Webster, a son of the well-known Otaki trainer of that name, was much sought after as a jockey by New Zealand owners, and a similar state of affairs prevailed when he accompanied his father on regular visits to Australia. Eventually the young rider with Maori blood in his veins grew too heavy and taking a fancy to Melbourne settled down there to retain his reputation as a clever welter jockey.