ON THE TURF AND OFF

Southland Times, Issue 23826, 25 May 1939, Page 10

ON THE TURF AND OFF

BIG DIVIDEND OF RACE CAMP BLACK SPECK’S SOUND LINES

By

SIR MODRED

Spear Chief, Six Fifty and L’Aiglon, the placed horses in the Brisbane Cup, are all of Musket-St. Simon line. The novice ’chaser Wexford Bridge is trained by T. H. Gillett, of Ricearton, a past master with horses for jumping purposes. The Wanganui J.C.’s Winter meeting, judging by the acceptance lists, is recovering its popularity as a ' leading jumping fixture of the year. The current visit of the Sydney trainer J. T. Jamieson to New Zealand may mean additions to his long Randwick string. No Epsom Derby winner has ever reached New Zealand, but Paper Money and Iliad (second) were placed in the famous classic event.

The Sydney mare Tantalizer has been shipped to New Zealand to be mated with Phaleron Bay (imp.), whose son from Modiste II topped the Sydney yearling sale list recently. New Zealand’s veteran cross-country horseman, Alan McDonald, was very seriously injured when a horse fell with him on the training tracks at Awapuni a few days ago. In November he led in Catalogue at Flemington as the trainer of the Melbourne Cup winner., Promoted from the ranks of the hurdle tacers to the cross-country field attention will be directed to the future career of Wexford Bridge, the aged gelding who finished second to the In-vercargill-owned Gold Wren in the steeplechase at Washdyke on Saturday. Wexford Bridge, who can gallop well, is a son of Shambles (imp., and by Phalaris from a maternal family in which the name of Trenton is prominent) from a mare called Scintillation. BLACK SPECK’S LINES The breeding of Black Speck, winner of the Liverpool Spring Cup (IJm. and 170yds), one of the leading opening handicaps of the season in England, is of more than passing interest in New Zealand. His sire Black Watch was by Black Gauntlet (son of John o’ Gaunt, sire of Swynford, who in turn was the progenitor of Blandford and Iliad) from Punka 111, by Cooltrim from Drowsy. In her racing days Punka 111, an Australian-bred filly, raced in the Dominion for Mr J. B. Reid to win the New Zealand Oaks, the Hazlett Memorial Plate (now the James Hazlett Gold Cup) and other races. She was taken to England where Mr Reid attempted to breed a Derby winner from her in Black Watch, who, however, was not successful in the classic event, but proved to be a useful horse. Hitherto a moderate performer the six-year-old horse Squadron Castle recently won the Lincolnshire Handicap, a coveted event in England. His pedigree is instructive from the point of view of stoutness, and presenting a tendency to the jumping game. Squadron Castle is by Mr Jinks (a very successful sire) from Laverock, by My Prince from Cantilena, by Spearmint (son of Carbine, by Musket) from Singing Bird, by St. Frusquin (son of St. Simon). My Prince, who was by Marcovil (sire of Hurry On), was the sire of four winners of the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase in Reynoldstown (2), Gregalach and Royal Mail.

A remarkable series of set-backs was experienced by totalizator investors at the Waikato Racing Club’s meeting on Monday. One first favourite won, but the six other (races carded were credited to extreme outsiders. The figures demonstrating the estimated value of the six winners’ chances are very interesting. In the opening race 14-12 was the order of Ngawiri’s selection. The favourite prevailed in the second event, then came five outsiders in a row, as follows:—s-5 Royal Dance (Hamilton Hurdles), 10-9 Maori Song (Te Rapa Handicap), 10-9 Biform (Waikato Steeplechase), 5-5 Prince Acre (Maeroa Handicap), IG-16 Race Camp, over a century to win (Farewell Hack Handicap). In addition there were a number of outsiders for seconds and thirds. Taken all round the number of outsiders entitled to win or place dividends must have approached a provincial meeting one-day record for the Dominion. BREEDING OF AGOG The aged gelding, Agog, who has been distinguishing himself over the battens in the North Island of late, is a son of the imported English horse, Cape Horn, whose progeny have won a number of jumping races in Australia for Mr W. R. Kemball and other owners. Mr Kemball owned Cape Horn in New Zealand. The dam of Agog was Vigilance, by Lord Quex (imp.) from Watchful, by Signalman (a sire of jumpers and daughters whose progeny did well in hurdle races) from Parasite, by Pounamu or Mosquetaire from Kie Kie, a good mare tracing back to the immortal Flora Mclvor. Kai Tere (by Siegfried imp.), who has been racing well in Sydney of late, is a. halfbrother to Agog. J. T. Jamieson has had Kai Tere schooled over hurdles during recent weeks. Already proved to be a smart galloper and a winner it was surprising

to find that the five-year-old Race Camp returned over a century quote when he won the Farewell Hack Handicap (Im.) at the Waikato R.C.’s meeting on Monday. He is not a Stud Book entrant, but there is little doubt about the claim that he is well bred. His sire was Raceful, by Martian (imp.) from Rose Red (a successful dam), by Stepniak (Musket sire line) from Madder (noted at the stud), by Gossoon (St. Simon strain) from Madras, by Chester (a noted Australian sire of stayers) from a mare of imported English family. On the dam’s side Race Camp does not trace very far back, but what there is available of his maternal family is a good recommendation. He is a son of Cammy (a useful galloper), by Camp Fire (son of Carbine from Revelry) from a mare by Sylvia Park (a son of that good sire St Leger, imp., from a mare of Dainty Ariel family). It may be said that Fire Camp’s sire Raceful has been credited with many winners in the North Island without getting a real chance at a leading stud, and also that he is a horse of one of New Zealand’s most important families. Fire Camp should jump in keeping with the traditions of his sire and dam strains.

One of the best cross-country performers known in the turf history of New Zealand passed into oblivion in the Waikato Steeplechase this week when Valpeen dropped dead during the progress of the contest Returned the winner of the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase of 1934, he was successful again in 1935, when loaded up with 11.13. He won many jumping races other than his successes at Riccarton and the most important were the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1934, and the Wellington Steeplechase of 1935. The ’chaser from the Auckland province was a useful galloper, but it was really as a jumper that he attained his high reputation. Accustomed to carrying his owner to work daily across country to a dairy factory in the far north he became a proficient fencer, a gelding who appeared

to relish his leaping tasks. In private life and on the racecourse his education was perfected until he became a dashing fence topper, putting wonderful vim into his efforts and causing his less proficient rivals to tire in endeavouring to keep pace with him. Always owned by an enthusiastic amateur rider in Mr G. Campbell, the gelding was invariably handled in his races by the best horsemen procurable, with W. J. Bowden for choice, but when he accounted for his first N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase in 1934 the Southland expert, A. J. Peart, now a successful trainer at Riverton, was in the saddle. Valpeen’s breeding is obscure in maternal family, but he was a son of the successful sire Valkyrian (imp.), by William the Third (son of St. Simon). His dam was of unknown parentage from a Stud Book point of view, but it is practically certain that she was a daughter of Spalpeen, by Gossoon from a mare of the famous Goldsbrough sire line of Australia. This is as far as Valpeen’s pedigree can be traced, but his dam was more than likely to be descended from a good family, as in her day care was exercized in Auckland province to breed from the best families procurable in the hope of producing racehorses or jumpers. Spalpeen, who is believed to have been the progenitor of Valpeen’s dam, was a noted sire of hurdle race and steeplechase winners.