VALUABLE BLOOD

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 197, 18 May 1944, Page 7

VALUABLE BLOOD

English Mares Bought For New Zealand

(By

St. Simon.)

The recent dispersal of Mr. Sol Green s Underbank Stud at Bacchus Marsh Victoria, enabled New Zealand to enrich the Dominion’s thoroughbred population considerably with some of the besi lines of English blood Many purchases of highly-bred b ' o ®“ mares were made on behalf of New r. land breeders by Mr. C. E. Roberts™, who has just returned from aggregate sum realized at the was 41,765 guineas, and of ‘J 118 guineas was paid for stock to como to the D The n Underbank Stud ®beltered the most valuable collection of English . fl ported to Australia. On two ® c ® aB !2?® Mr. Green made large importations. The last lot arrived in 11)38 and inc “ ded ' sisters to the New Zealand sires Battle Song and Man’s Pal. , It was not surprising that all tbe hading studs in Australia and c ®““ li . ss L°.“?!o from New Zealand and the United £ tat .® 8 were operating keenly for the pick of.tne lots offered. Main interest was centred in the brood mares, 35 of which averaged 85 ¥he 3 ’first imported mare sold was Blandsong, eight years old, Blandford from Cradle Song, dam of numerous high-class winners, including three of the Irish bi Leger. Blandsong, who was generally con. sidered to be the pick of the catalogue, had a brown colt at foot by Charles I ox (son of Son o’ Mine), and was in tea. to Actor. Competition was keen for this mare, who wao knocked dovwn at -ojOgns. to the bld of Wright. Stephenson and Co., Ltd., on behalf of Messrs. James and J. C. Fletcher, of the Alton Lodge stud, la Kauwhata. , . Blub Orchid, a six-year-old grey daughter of Trlmdon, famous dual Ascot Gold Cup winner, and Lily of the 5 alley, a half-sister by Tetratema to Blenheim, winner Of the English Derby and sire of Mahmoud and Whlrlaway, almost came to the Dominion also, a lefldiug. studmaster being the underbidder when she was knocked down at 2700gn5., top price Ot the sale, to Messrs. Raymond and Rankin, proprietors of the St. Albans Stud Geelong. She was bought to be mated wl th their recent Importation, the grey horse Ilogerstono Castle. ... Clamella, the 10-year-old half-sister byBuchan to Man’s Pal, was bought by Mr. F. W. Hughes, Sydney, for 2300gns. She goes to the Kooba Stud, where posterity is standing. , ~ „ Mr. W. J. Smith, who bought Beau Pere at the Westmere dispersal in 1937» wae the buyer of the French-bred Agathos mare Helleniqua, winner of the Cambridgeshire Handicap, for 2300gns Mr. Smith also secured for I'OOgns. the Sr iar Marcus mare None So Gay, whose dam, Gay Tilly, by Gay Crusader, is a half-sister to the successful sire John James. Mr. Robertson secured None So Gay’s yearllng'daughter by Actor for 325gns. for the Alton Lodge Stud. This filly was the pick of the progeny of the Imported mares retained for the Underbank Stud. Other lots acquired on behalf of Alton Lodge were Miss Vixen, a fdur-year-old mare by Actor from Fox Berry, a full sister to Foxlaw, at 550gns. ■ Virginia Waters, a seven-year-old mare by Verblus (son of Swynford) from Virginal, an imported half-sister to Simper, whose stock, have done so well in New Zealand, for 725gns>; and Young Lavlnla, bv Gainsborough from Passion, ior 200gn6. The last-named mare, foaled in England in 1929, was undoubtedly a bargain. Her five-year-old daughter, Tetrlnia (by Tetratema) sold earlier iu the sale for 2200gns. On behalf ot. Mr. J. A. Mitchell, of the Santa Rosa Stud, Longburn Mr. Robertson acquired the six-year-old mare Orange Pink, with a filly at foot by Charles Fox, and served by Actor, for ISoOgns. She is by King Salmon, half-brother to the Derby winner, Blenheim, and sire of last year’s St. Leger winner, Herringbone. Orange Pink’s dam, Matinal, is by Blandford from Dawn Win, dhm of the unbeaten filly Tiffin. the best of her time in England.

Mr. W. R. Stead, Hastings, wa s also a buyer at the sale, Mr. Robertson securing for him the rising four-year-old mare Freezla, by Gothic from Winter’s Dream, whose dam, Pennula, was half-sister to Neil Gow, Traquair, Chersonese (dam of Heroic), and Popinjay (dam of Magpie). Pennula was by Sunstar from Chclandry. Other brood mates bought at the sale on behalf of a New Zealand breeder were Fairest, by England’s champion stallion, Fairway, from Queen of the Blues, by the great sire of brood mares, Bachelor’s Double; and Fox Berry, a full-sister to Foxlaw, winner of the Jockey Club Stakes, Ascot Gold Cup, and sire of Foxhunter (Ascot Gold Cup), Foxbridge, Tiberius, Cecil, and many other successful winners in England and abroad.