RACING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1262, 25 June 1914, Page 2

RACING

A YEARLING ROARER. The yearling colt, half-brother (by Symington), to Craganour, for whom Sir William Nelson paid 6000 guineas last year, was recently the subject of litigation in England. A recision of contract was claimed by Sir William Nelson for alleged ■fraudulent misrepresentation, and breach of warranty; the youngster heaving developed roaring proclivities. V. reported to trainer Persse that the youngster was “grunting,” whereupon Mr. Persse wrote to Mr. Somerville Tattersail, as under: —“I suppose you are aware that the half-brother of Craganour, purchased by Nelson last week for 6000 guineas, is a very bad grunter. I am quite aware that in purchasing yearlings one has to take one’s chance, but at the same time one hardly expects the Sledmere Stud to offer a yearling for sale knowing that he is unsound. The only consoltation is that I did not advise Nelson to buy the horse, and that he did so on his own.” At a later date Mr. Persse had the colt tested, and found that it was a bad roarer. Ultimately the case was settled, Sir William Nelson to return the colt, and to have his choice of a colt from this year’s Sledmere Stud yearlings. Concerning the above mentioned law suit in connection with the Sledmere bred yearling purchased by Sir W. Nelson, last year, “Legeyt” writes in the London “Sportsman,” recalling an incident in the career of the Derby winner Surplice, as narrated by “The Druid”:— Butler and Nat Flatman viewed the son of Touchstone in the paddock during his yearling days, and decided that from the ‘throppling’ noise he made when grazing, he must be a roarer., Lord George Bentinck, however, observing that nearly all the other fourteen yearlings in the same paddock emitted the same unwelcome music, cheered himself with the reflection that ‘they can’t be all roarers.’ Surplice, of course, won the Derby and St. Leger, 1848, and by his victory in the former event was the means of wringing that historical ‘splendid groan’ from his breeder. As a coincidence, it may be mentioned that a half-brother of Sir W. Nelson’s £6300 youngster, wrung quite a considerable quantity of of more or less ‘spendid groans’ from various folk on a later Derby day. Without going into the several causes of grunting, it is interesting to note that Arab horses do not suffer from this complaint when on their native desert. When Mr. Justice Darling suggested a settlement of the above*-mentioned case opt of Court, he can hardly have intended that the defendants should use the extreme measure which Mat Milton inflicted on a nobleman who complained that a hunter which the celebrated dealer had sold to him was a roarer. Mat, ironically asked him, after making four horses grunt, successfully, by a sudden blow of the fist, if that was what he meant, and wound up his discourse by giving him (the nobleman) a dig below the waistcoat, and an adjuration of “Why, you’re grunting now —hang it, you’re a roarer yourself. Be out of the yard with you.”