ON THE TURF AND OFF

Southland Times, Issue 24439, 20 May 1941, Page 9

ON THE TURF AND OFF

Whirlaway’s Kentucky , Derby " By SIR MODRED When Whirlaway won the famous Kentucky Derby a few days ago, setting a new time record for the race, the result was of absorbing interest in Australia and New Zealand. The juvenile classic winner is a grandson of the great English horse Blandford and a son of Blenheim, winner of the Epsom Derby of 1930. There are a number of sons of Blandford at the stud in this country and Australia; one of them is Bulandshar in Hawke’s Bay, who sired the brilliant racehorse High Caste. The success of Whirlaway in the United States gives Blenheim a unique record of having sired a Derby winner in three different countries. His son, Mahmoud, won the Derby in England, Donatello won the Derby in Italy; and now Whirlaway has accounted for the puncipal Derby in America, a country where there are a number of Derbies, but the Kentucky Derby is looked upon as the greatest test and guarantee of the leading three-year-old of the season in the United States. Blenheim began his stud career m France, where he sired Donatello II ana Mahmoud, and in 1936 the • Aga Khan sold him to a syndicate of American sportsmen for £45,000. One of the fnst crop of Blenheim’s foals in America, Whirlaway was the best two-year-old of his year. In 16 starts he accounted for seven wins, and placings, realizing a total of 77,275 dollars. There is only one son of Blenheim at the stud in Australia, and that is Le Grand Due, who is at Mr P. Miller’s Kia Ora Stud, New South Wales. SONS OF LIMOND

Three sons of Limond bred in New Zealand are proving successful at the stud in Australia. Veilmond is already a leading sire, but Limarch (from Queen March, by Lucullus) and Waikare, whose dam was Waterwings, by Absurd, have to be credited with useful winners. , , . . „ H. Badger, who so often piloted Ajax to victory, is in trouble. He has been suspended for two months by the Australian Jockey Club, which held him responsible for the fatal fall of Doi c in the Sydney Cup, and the injury to the horse’s jockey V. Thompson. The owners of Chatoona and Pioucl Fox (New Zealand) will each receive a £lOO cup for dead-heating in the City Tattersail’s Cup. The owners will each provide £5O toward the cost of the cups and Sydney City Tattersail’s Club the crack jockey. W. Cook, has during the current month accomplished several notable riding feats. On May JO he piloted four winners at a Sydney fixture, but four days previously he did better. At the Newcastle meeting he rode five successive winners. One of the winners started at odds on, but four returned remunerative prices.

BRISBANE CUP

The Brisbane Cup (two miles) was won in runaway fashion by Lady Buzzard, who scored by eight lengths in 3min 35sec. Her breeding is of interest to New Zealanders as she is bred to stay and claims Carbine blood on each side of her family tree. Sired by The Buzzard from Canning Queen, by Highfield from Carina, by Bernard from Carmine, by Cai bine. The famous Musket-St. Simon cross is in evidence each way in Lady Buzzards pedigree, with a blend of the noted Illuminata blood. The South Australian Jockey Club’s important sprint event of last week, the Goodwood Handicap, of £650 (6 fur.), was won by the brilliant galloper Unishak. He is a five-year-old horse by Shakuni (son of Brazen) from Lady Adelaide, by Lucknow from Lady Priscilla, by St. Anton from Lady Dudley, by Pistol. The English horses St. Anton and Pistol were very successful at the stud in South Australia. A son of the former in Anton was at one time owned and trained in Invercargill. The gelding was endowed with marked brilliance and incorrigible manners which told against success as a racehorse. Unishak won the Oakleigh Plate (51 fur.) in 1940.

NO COUNTRY DAY RUGBY

Senior Club Matches On King’s Birthday

The difficulty of holding the usual Country Day Rugby fixtures on the King’s Birthday holiday, June 2, was emphasized during a discussion at the meeting of the Management Committee of the Southland Rugby Union last night. The secretary (Mr A. J. Hamilton) said he had received replies from the union’s inquiry about Country Day only from Eastern, which stated that Mataura had the only senior team in the district, and from Central and Western, which were prepared to send in teams. The chairman, Mi’ N. R. Brown, said he understood football was being played in the Northern District, but it was doubtful whether the district could send forward a strong team. It was doubtful whether the sub-unions could send forward teams which would prove a sufficient draw for the gate takings to meet the travelling expenses.

Several members spoke in favour of abandoning the Country Day fixtures. Mr H. S. Strang said it would be unfortunate if the Rugby day on the King’s Birthday holiday was lost and he recommended that senior club fixtures be played. It was decided to abandon the Country Day matches and to play senior club fixtures.

The secretary reported that the following programme had been adopted tentatively for the grand sports rally at Rugby Park next Saturday in aid of the Patriotic Fund: 1.30 p.m., Men’s hockey; 2 p.m., basketball and Boy Scouts’ display; 2.30 p.m., march past, including four bands, Rugby football, basketball and hockey players and Boy Scouts. Tickets are being sold, available for either the rally, the swimming carnival tomorrow night or the community sing on Thursday night. The following senior football fixtures were approved for the rally:—Old Boys v. Marist on No. 1 ground at 2.45 p.m.; Star v. Mataura on No. 2 ground at 2.45 p.m.; Pirates v. Bluff, at Bluff, at 2.45 p.m.; Invercargill a bye. The Marist Old Boys’ Football Club requested that fifth grade matches in which the club’s team was engaged should start not later than 2.15 o’clock as several players had newspaper runs. The request was referred to the flag committee to arrange the matches as suggested where possible.