A TWO-MINUTE PACER IMPORTED

Southland Times, Issue 24000, 15 December 1939, Page 15

A TWO-MINUTE PACER IMPORTED

Dillon Hall Is Highly

Valued

SN recent years Mr G. Youngson, of Riversdale, has added interest to light-harness breeding activities by the importation of several well-performed American sires. Mr Youngson has probably imported more horses with records approaching two-minutes than any other stud master. In 1929 he brought out Adioo Guy, who with a record of 2min |sec was the fastest performed stallion to be imported up to that time. The following year he imported Wellington Direct (2min 4isec) and Frank Dewey (2min ljsec) but unfortunately all three were at an age when most stallions are past their* best. Two years ago Mr Youngson purchased Sandydale as a three-year-old at a high figure and last year he imported Dillon Hall, the first two-minute pacer to be brought to this country. For many years Mr Youngson has been a keen student of trotting breeding and his enterprise is deserving of every success as the introduction of fresh blood lines to Southland studs is a most progressive step.

To the writer’s mind, Sandydale, who this season is doing stud duty in the Oamaru district, is one of the finest types of light-harness sires ever imported. His departure from America was regretted by breeders in that country as his performances stamped him as a super racehorse and one certain to better his three-year-old record of 2min ljsec had he been given the opportunity. Sandydale did all his racing without hopples, and as he has been widely patronized by breeders his influence in New Zealand may be greater than many anticipate. In America Sandydale’s most notable performance was his success in the Cham-

pionship Stallion Stake for three-year-olds at Lexington when he beat a highclass field.

Great Pacing Family ABBEDALE, the sire of Sandydale, is the leading sire of pacers in America at the present time hnd an all-impor-tant factor about his sons is that they have bred on with great success, one in particular being His Majesty (Imin 59? sec) who has left a host of winners. Abbedale took a record of 2min while his sire The Abbe had a record of 2min,4sec. The dam of Sandydale was loleen McKinney (2min 9Jsec as a four-year-old) who left others in Prince Dale (2min 4Jsec at three years) and Dalehurst (2min 7sec at three years). loleen McKinney was a beautifullybred mare, her sire, Lord Dewey, being a member of the Bingen family while her dam Worthetta McKinney was a daughter of McKinney. It is an outstanding pedigree right through and Sandydale lives up to it in every way. The oldest of his stock are now yearlings and great interest is being shown in their progress. Two-Minute Pacer IN Dillon Hall Southland breeders have been favoured this season with the opportunity of using the first twominute pacer to be brought out to New Zealand. Dillon Hall, who was imported last February, has attracted great attention as a fine specimen of the American pacing horse. He has it in his favour that he established his mile record of 2min under race conditions, whereas a big number of horses have taken their records in trials against time. Dillon Hall proved himself a great racehorse and a genuine pacer and it is not surprising that he reached championship class as his blood lines represent the best strains in America today, and are already familiar with New Zealand breeders.

His sire, The Laurel Hall, who took a record of 2min 6}sec, was a son of the renowned Peter the Great, who has made a name for himself in New Zealand through the agency of his sons Wrack, Peter Chenault, Great Audubon and others. The Laurel Hall has sired many fine winners in America, one of his sons Walter Dear (2min 2|sec) winning the 1929 Hambletonian Stakes, and later being sold to race in Europe where he took all before him. The dam of Dillon Hall is Margaret Dillon, one of the finest race mares in American trotting history. Until last year she was acknowledged the greatest mare ever produced and she retired with a mile record of Imin 581 sec. Besides Dillon Hall, Margaret Dillon produced others in Margaret’s Sun (2min 6jsec) and Miss Margaret (2min Margaret Dillon was by Dillon Axworthy, a member of the famous Axworthy family, and sire of numerous champions, while her dam Margaret Prima, was by Peter the Great and thus a doubling of Peter the Great blood is in evidence in Dillon Hall’s pedigree.