RED CROSS AND NAVY LEAGUE FUNDS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16159, 13 March 1918, Page 5

RED CROSS AND NAVY LEAGUE FUNDS.

GRAND ART UNION. INTERESTING INFORMATION REGARDING THE PRIZES. Few people realise tli'e value of the eleven thoroughbred horses recently presented to tho Red Cross and Navy League by an anonymous donor, in connexion with which the Grand Art Union is being aggressively pushed at

present. The real position is that those who tako an interest in horses will be very fortunate should they chance to purchase any of tho winning numbers. Those, on tho othet- hand, whose sole desire in procuring tickets is to liolp forward the cause of the Red Cross and Navy League will bo ablo to present their prizes—should they win them —to the funds in question. It has in fact been arranged that all prizes will be held for fourteen days after the date of the drawing (June Ist),' and if unclaimed they will be sold at auction. The proceeds will be held for a further fourteen days, and, if still unclaimed, will then be credited the respective funds. As already mentioned, probably few pooplo realise fully the value of the eleven prizes now offered the public in this Art Union. They are each descended from successful families, and, apart from other considerations, their breeding should make them valuable. The first prize, the bay horse, Fabrikoff, foaled in 1911 by Menschikoff from Fabia, proved during his ra<;ing career that he was a horse of great pace, putting up high-class performances over courses up to seven furlongs. Fabrikoff's sire Menschikoff was a racehorse of exceptional brilliance, for as a two-year-old he started in fifteen events and won eleven of them, and as a three-year-old be won all the four events which he

contested. At tho stud Menschikoff I has sired many good winners and Fabrikoff promises to maintain the family excellencc. Fabia, tho dam of Fabrikoff, claims descent from Musket, and as_ Menschikoff is also descended from this famous sire, Fabrikoff inherits a double, strain of the blood that is much esteemed _bv breeders. Soultmena, the second prize is ,a bav mare foaled in 1913, bv Menschikoff from Soult Athol by Soult —St. Margaretta, by Nelson — Sister Agnes (imp!), by Itosicrucian. count's record as a sire was one of exI ceptional success, gained by sheer merit, [ and a mare bred as Soultmena is, by i Menschikoff (a descendant of Musket), I from a mare got by Soult (a son of St. I Simon) should do well at the stud after her racing <lays are over. The third prize is an unnamed chestnut filly foaled in 19 r4 by Menschikoff from Lady Chiron, by Chiron from Estelle. Chiron is by Ladas (winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and Derby and a very I successful sire from Appenine, sister to I Velasquez (winner of over £26,000 in stakes). The fourth prize, a bay fUIy foaled in 1914 by Menschikoff from Oil Wells, comes from a very successful racing family. Oil Wells is by Ort Well" from Middy Morgan by Exile. Ort Wells won thirteen races cut of twenty-six {starts, while Exile won thirty races out of seventy-three starts, ThA fifth

prize is a brown mare by Vasco from Vivoca by Havoc from Virginia, by Nobleman. Havoc,/ who was by Nordenfeldt from that famous mare Frailty, proved himself the possessor or stamina by his victory in tho Australian Cup, and at the stud ho got many good winners. Vasco, by Velasquez— ■Seabreeze, was a sire of exceptionally good breeding, who has left some high class stock. Planudes, the sire of Lady Planudes, the sixth prize, is by the great St. Simon from Lonely, by Hermit from Anonyma, by Stockwell, a pedigree that should appeal to breeders. The seventh prize is a chestnut mare foaled in 1913 by _ Menschikoff ; from Geralda by St. Swithin from Miss Stuart, by Clan Stuart. St. _ Swithin was one of the best sires of his family in Australia, and Clan Stuart was by Prince Charlio, sire of Lochiel. Of the brood mares that form the balance of the prizes Vivoca, Lady Chiron _ and Themia have foals at foot by Fabrikofr, and havo been served by liim again, while Giraldakoff has been served by I San Francisco. The opportunity of securing such valuable blood stock for the price of an art union ticket, is one that seldom occurs. Already there is a brisk demand for tickets and the promoters feel confident that long before the date of the drawing (June Ist) every book will be sold. Complete books of tickets (costing one pound each) can be obtained from Air \V. H. E. "Wanklvn, Hon. Secretary, 123 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch. Tickets are now on sale anywhere and everywhere throughout the Canterbury Military District. All Red Cross workers in the country are enthusiastically pushing the art union. 2004