DEATH OF IMPORTED ROKEBY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1291, 21 January 1915, Page 12

DEATH OF IMPORTED ROKEBY.

The death of Mr. J. F. Reid’s imported thoroughbred stallion Rokeby, by Rock Sand from Aida, by Galopin from Queen Adelaide, by Hermit from Adelaide, by Young Melbourne from daughter of Maid of Fashion, which occurred last week, must be regarded as most regrettable. He was only eight years old, and had made his mark by performing well at three and four years old in England over long distances. His first crop of yearlings are very fine and full of quality and well grown, and his foals of this season are very promising. The only yearlings by him offered at auction so far this season were held in such esteem by those present at the sale that they realised very good prices indeed for a first lot. A sweet little lady, the smallest that Mr. Reid bred by him from Stepka, daughter of St. Leger and dam of Pavlova and halfsister to Reputation, Provocation, Elevation, Gravitation, and others, made 500 guineas, and a very neat, lengthy filly, a bit bigger but two months younger, from Tea Cup, dam of Di Gama, brought 320 guineas. A gelding yearling from the St. Clair mare Mosca, showing quality, fetched 260 guineas, the three thus realising 1080 guineas. Mr. Reid, we know, regarded the three youngsters as the least valuable of his batch this season. The lot which he is sending to Australia in the autumn by the defunct sire are very choice indeed, so we have been informed by a gentleman who has recently seen them. Mr. Reid breeds to sell, but some enterprising owner should be induced to purchase one of the colts by Rokeby for stud purposes. It is a pity that we are to lese any of the fillies by him this season. The loss of such a fine horse is a heavy one, but it is fortunate that there are this year’s foals coming on and that there will be another lot next season, so that we shall have some of the blood.