AUSTRALIAN TURF ACTIVITIES

Southland Times, Issue 24003, 19 December 1939, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN TURF ACTIVITIES

NIGHTMARCH SIRING WINNERS AMELITA IS MEMBER OF FINE FAMILY By SIR MODRED The Williamstown R.C. will hold a Christmas meeting in Melbourne on Saturday. , O Phillips, who won the Melbourne Cup on Wotan, has left Melbourne to ride in India. , , Racing in Sydney this week will be conducted at Victoria Park and Randwick. , m ~ The West Australian Turf Clubs Christmas meeting will open on Saturday in Perth. ... Sydney’s crack apprentice jockey, W. Lappin, has recovered from injuries and rides again. A smart galloper in Sydney bears the name of a crack Dominion sprinter of old—Goldspur. Ken, a gelding by Silverado (imp.), has recently won three hurdle races in Victoria. Postman (N.Z.), by Defoe, and racing well in Sydney, is bred on similar lines to Defaulter. Bezonia, a juvenile filly, may be the first of Beau Pere’s progeny owned in Tasmania. „ . Home Secretary (N.Z.), by Solicitor General-Satisfy, is a two-year-old racer in Australia. The principal events of the A.J.C. Easter meeting are the Doncaster Handicap, £3OOO (lm.) and Sydney Cup, £7OOO (2m.)’ Recently named the three-year-old filly Fire Witch, by Colonel Cygnus from Lambent, by Tractor (imp.) from Dazzling Light, is now included in Mr W. T. Hazlett’s Melbourne collection of thoroughbreds. Two recent winners in N.S.W. by Salmagundi (imp.) were the three--year-old gelding Catanza, and a four-year-old mare called Hash. The mare was returned a winner at two meetings in succession. Owned by Lady Muriel Barclay-Har-vey, wife of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey, the two-year-old colt Waxwings has an impressive record. Very narrowly beaten in his first start he has won twice on end.

AGRION’S SUCCESS

It is noticeable that an increasing number of the progeny of Agrion (N.Z.), by Limond, are being registered for racing purposes in Australia. At the service of breeders in West Australia Agrion has been responsible for a steady flow of winners for several seasons past in that far-flung state of the Commonwealth. He began stud life in the Dominion and one of his sons in Double Shot was well known in Southland and elsewhere. Camelhair (imp.), by Gainsborough from Needle Eye, is now registered as a five-year-old horse in Australia. During the past twelve months studmasters across the Tasman Sea have secured a number of daughters of Gainsborough' from the Old Country and lucky to do so as they are highly valued in their native land. The Otau-tau-owned mare Celerity II (imp.) is a daughter of this great sire. Mr H. Bamber, the breeder, owner, and trainer of Rivette, on a recent Saturday night entertained about 200 of his friends at a smoke'social at Mordialloc (Victoria) in commemoration of the gallant victories of his great mare during the currerit season. Advantage was taken of the occasion to present him with a trophy—a tea and coffee service—as a mark of appreciation of his services in assisting the sporting carnival held in aid of the Melbourne Children’s Hospital. Mr Bamber’s third trophy of the season will make an imposing display flanked with the trophies won by Rivette in the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.

PROLIFIC PRODUCER

The New Zealand mare Graciosa (imp.), dam of Boomerang, Might, Lyric, and Tutor, was recently credited with another successful son. This was the four-year-old horse Companion, who cost 550 guineas as a yearling at Trentham, and secured his first win at a meeting held at Moonee Valley early this month. A son of Night Raid (imp., and sire of Phar Lap and Nightmarch)., Companion was permitted to mature before being seriously raced. He was backed on two occasions, but failed after displaying merit by the way. His winning effort found him again entrusted with the confidence of his party when he was first home in the Relief Trial Handicap (IJm.) in 2min 6Jsec. Staying on he won nicely and it is hoped that he will succeed later on in accounting for stakes over more extended distances.

The four-year-old mare Hash, who has been adding to the winning account of her sire, Salmagundi, in N.S.W., is a well-bred galloper, capable of speeding up to advantage. Her dam was Miss Gwenella, by Rangag (imp. and by Eager from a St. Serf-St. Simon mare) from Tyromissa, by Almissa (imp., and by Ayrshire from a St. Simon mare) from Tyrona, by Merv (imp.), and by Donovan). It is always of interest to quite a number of breeders in Southland to glean particulars as to the origin of Australian mares credited with having produced winners to Salmagundi. Well known in Southland as a fairly consistent and staying winner owned and trained in Invercargill Amelita is a very attractive type of thoroughbred. Her sire, Ronsard (imp., and by Son-in-Law) is looked upon as a very successful sire of mares possessed of stamina. During the past twelve months daughters of the English horse have been very successful in Australia and elsewhere, examples of the truth of this claim being furnished by Rivette (winner of the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, and other races), Ronwin (since March last winner of five races, second on four occasions, and three times third in 13 consecutive starts), and Most Charming (a winner in India). Ronsard was a winner in England as a two-year-old and he was then purchased for Australia. He displayed high-class form on the training tracks in his new home, but broke down and was retired to the stud. Submitted at auction in Melbourne a year or so ago he changed hands at 170 guineas and was transported to a New South Wales Stud. He may be said to be yet another of the sons of Son-in-Law to gain sire fame with increasing years. His progeny are good looking and stay well and the local mare Amelita may be included in this category. Ronsard is by one of the world’s greatest stayers and sire of stoutness in Son-in-Law from Joie de Vivre, by Gallinule from Melinda, by Melton (winner of the Derby). His Southland daughter, Amelita, is also bred in the purple, as her dam was Black Vera (imp.), by Black Jester (son of Polymelus from Absurdity, dam of Absurd) from Perseverance 11, by Persimmon (Derby winner, and by St. Simon from Reminiscence, by Carlton. In maternal family Ronsard comes of the same line as Steppe (imp.), who produced Stepniak and Stepfeldt in New Zealand and She for Australia.

It is pointed out in The Australasian that All Black (imp.) has proved a valuable she to the thoroughbred industry in the Southern Hemisphere by

reason of the success of his sons and daughters as racehorses and the proved value of his mares as stud propositions. Reference is made to one of his best sons in the Southland sire Nigger Minstrel, who as a juvenile ran the mighty Heroic to a hard head defeat in the Australian J.C. Derby. The excellent winning performances of Nigger Minstrel are also detailed. It is also made plain that experienced turfites in the Commonwealth still retain impressive memories of Nigger Minstrel’s sister, Desert Gold, in connection with her turf career in Australia and New Zealand—she started in 56 races, and won 36 of them, also placing 13 seconds, and five thirds to her credit. But it is with the sire of the Southlander and his celebrated sister that interest will rest in the home province. All Black was foaled in 1904 and bred by Lord Clonmell. The following year he was sold at Newmarket for 700 guineas to the South African millionaire Sir Abe Bailey for whom he furnished into a brilliant galloper to be ultimately purchased by Mr E. J. Watt for export to New Zealand. He was later sent to Australia and Aurarius (already the dam of Desert Gold) was sent across the Tasman Sea to be again mated with him. On her return to Hawke’s Bay she produced Nigger Minstrel. The fact that he was first put into training in 1905 and owned by an enthusiastic South African patron of all outdoor sports suggests why the colt came to be named after New Zealand’s most famous Rugby football team as it was in 1905 that the All Blacks carried almost all before them in Great Britain. The aristocratic horse AU Black was by Gallenure (son of Isonomy, who was descended from the mighty StockweU, close up in maternal family) from Vortex, by St. Angelo (son of Galopin, sire of St. Simon) from Whirlpool, by SeeSaw (a famous racer) from Miss Pool, by Permesan from Lady Highthorn, by Stockwell (the Emperor of Stallions, as he was classed in England’s history of the thoroughbred). In his racing endeavours All Black was a stayer endowed with a rare turn of speed.