ON THE TURF AND OFF

Southland Times, Issue 23839, 9 June 1939, Page 10

ON THE TURF AND OFF

FINE RECORD OF A. E. ELLIS IRISH LANCER’S SUCCESS AS A SIRE

By

SIR MODRED

Transferred from Auckland Jo Riccarton Konnetta proved a brilliant two-year-old this season. ... On Monday the Victoria R.C. will hold a one-day meeting as a dress rehearsal to the Grand National fixture. So far not overtaxed by his owner in public it will be interesting to note how Auctor shapes in open company. Survoy should prove equal to carrying his weight (10.0) in the Winter Steeplechase at Ellerslie on Saturday. By reverting to win and totalizator betting the Auckland R.C. has recorded an investment increase of nearly £20,000 for two days. The well-bred Southland pacer Southern Chief reached smart time m winning the Acton Handicap (2m) at Ashburton in 4min 21sec. Fireguard, who acted as runner-up in the Gloucester Cup (amateur riders), at the D.J.C. meeting, has so far been. an unlucky racer. Bred in the purple it is not surprising to find Pandine, by Panmure (imp.) from Geraldine, improving with racing to win four steeplechases on end. It is safe to say that Survoy s nose success in the Great Northern Steeplechase was in a great measure to be attributed to the horsemanship of A. E. Ellis. CHARADE’S SUCCESS In the long history of the Great Northern Hurdle Race, which was established in 1892 very few mares have been enrolled in the table of honour, but a jumper of the gentler sex prevailed last week when the well-bred Hawke’s Bay mare Charade was first home in the valuable batten contest at Ellerslie. The first mare to succeed in the Auckland R.C.’s leading hurdle race was Melinite, a smart galloper w ho won in 1894 under 10.5. She was a close up representative of the Musket sire line. In 1934 the winner Wee Pat, by Kilbroney (imp.) carried 10.1 and added to a long list of turf successes. On Saturday last a mare of excellent recommendation secured the coveted race when Charade, a six-year-old experienced in flat and jumping ranks, prevailed well clear of the runner-up, Inness Lad, to carry the record weight of 10.11 and gain victory for her sex. Glowing reports of her prospects from Greenmeadows, Napier, where, she is trained by H. S. Greene, a clever mentor, caused her to be sent out as first selection each way. The fact that she won the Century Hurdles with 9.11 at the Wanganui J.C.’s winter fixture last season in comfortable fashion, would also have a bearing on her position in the wagering market. Particularly wellbred Charade is by Lord Quex (imp.), son of Lemberg (Derby), and sire ot the Melbourne Cup winner Catalogue and many other successful performers. Her dam was Charlady, by Absurd (imp. and a noted sire) from Lady D. (imp.), by St. Denis (St. Simon line) from Lady C, by Ladas (son of Hampton from Illuminata) from St. Cecilia, by St. Serf (son of St. Simon) from Melody (England), by Tynedale. It is interesting and pleasing to note that Charade was bred by her owner Mr A. W. Meikle, and that she ranks as a half-sister to a brilliant galloper in Royal Minstrel, who in turn is a son of the Southland sire Nigger Minstrel. A FINE RECORD Popularly known as one of the most capable flat-race riders in the Dominion and Australia * the career of A. E. Ellis is interspersed with feats of horsemanship in batten races and steeplechases that have assisted in building up New Zealand turf history to a marked degree. In 1923 and again in 1924 he won the Otago Steeplechase on Pamplona. Also in 1923 he piloted the Southland owned and trained gelding Penury Rose to victory in the New Zealand Grand National Hurdle Race, and he rode Wamcliffe to win the same coveted Riccarton event of 1925. In 1931 he was in the saddle when the Southland-bred and owned (Mr M. Mouat) gelding, Snowfall, accounted for the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase of 1931, while in 1933 he cleverly stole marches on his rivals at the bends to win this race for the second time with Thurina as his mount. One of his most striking feats of riding ability was achieved in 1938 when he piloted that good but green jumping performer Padishah first home in the New Zealand Grand National Hurdle Race, and this week he has acted as jockey to Survoy (trained by his brother E. J. Ellis, of Timaru) to be credited with a nose margin success in the Great Northern Steeplechase. Not having witnessed the last-named race the writer cannot include it in personal experience, but may claim with reason that Ellis’s two most notable jumping wins from a horseman point of view were those accomplished with Thurina and Padishah, the latter performer accounting for the most outstanding display in the pigskin. This unique range of victories was attained in a comparatively few.attemps in jumping events, as the Southlander’s services as a flat racing jockey were too valuable to be endangered by competition over the little sticks or across country. In his home province the Riccarton horseman of today won the Great Western Steplechase in 1923 and in 1924 on Mr L. C. Hazlett’s Otago-bred gelding Pamplona. He served his apprenticeship under F. D. Jones at Riccarton and one of his successful rides for the northern trainer’s stable was in winning the Invercargill Cup on Amythas in 1920. His leading cup successes include:—Auckland Cup (Fast Passage), Avondale Cup (Prodice), Wellington Cup (Loughrea and Vintage), Dunedin Cup (Loughrea), Awapuni Gold Cup (Vertigern, Nightmarch and Wild Chase), Riverton Cup (Loughrea and Ravenna), Timaru Cup (Loughrea and Arikiwai) and Invercargill Cup (Ravenna). Ellis in a short visit to Australia at dnce commanded a high reputation as a horseman of the first class. IRISH LANCER WINNERS Although classed as a minor event on the card the Brighton Handicap (Im.) on the opening day of the Dunedin J.C. meeting, provided a winner to be considered important in Southland blood stock circles. This was the three-year-old gelding Spearthrust, who ran in the racing livery of his sire’s owner Mr A. H. Fisher. Imported from England by Mr Fisher Irish Lancer was a virile horse of attractive conformation when in racing shape and when as a four-year-old he accounted for the Canterbury J.C.’s Club Handicap (Im.) in lmin 39sec, in 1932, the style in which he won stamped him as a galloper of the best class. When retired from the turf he served several seasons at the stud in Southland and in the circumstances the success of Spearthrust, one of the first of his progeny, assumed gratifying significance in the south. Irish Lancer is very strongly inbred to one of the greatest of all sire lines in that he has close up strains of Bend Or on each side of his family tree. I