AGENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 125, 12 June 1937, Page 15

AGENT

Somewhere about sixty yeaivs ago, just about the time I was cutting niy milk-teeth as a newspaper worker, there was an upstanding chestnut gelding named Agent runnlng in hurdle races in the Hawke's Bay country districts. He was raced by Bogers and Co., who also raced a horse called The Worm in flat racea. The Worm remained just a inoderate performer and did not turn" into anything better, but Agent became the Dominion 's outstanding steeplechaser, as well as a fair hurdler, as hurdlers went in those days. Agent was not bought on pedigree. for no one really knew what his pedigree was. It was a practice on many stations in those early days to buy u colt with some breeding in hira, but with good bone and substance and sound legs, and use him as a station sire to breed good station hacks aud riding horses, and no endeavour was made to keep track of the colts so disposed of, and as they were allowed to xun with their mares which were later left to rear and wean their own foals without any tally being kept, it often happened .that a mob of young horses would be drafted on a station and either broken in and used, or sold un broken.

It was generally understood that Agent was purchased among one such mob that was offered. When he iirst raced his deeds did not bring him euflicientJy an the limelight for it to uiatter whether he had or had not a pedigree; but, however, at oue meeting, held at Pakowhai, 1 faiicy, he caught the eye of that astute judge, the lute Mr Patsy Butler, and when Agent blossomed out into a triple Grand National Steeplechase winner, eiforts were made without success to trace his pedigree. It was supposed in some quarters that he was by a Gownsman eolt, out of a mare by a RiddleworLh colt, and that he had originally been soid with a draft of horses from Messrs Naira Bros.' station, at Pourerere. His colour, a deep chestnut, certainly resembled some of the stock descende.d ixom the imported liorse Gownsman, but beyond that no deiinite knowledge could be gaiued. However, a gelding that can wiu three Grand National Steeplechases and run second in another can well do without a pedigree, for he has performances which talk louder thau pedigrees, just as doeds speak loudev cban words. It was dn 1879 that Agent, in Mr P. Butler 's eolours, won his iirst Grand National iSfceeplechaee with 12.0 on his back, and ridden by W. Hawkins. In the following year, 1880, he carried 12.7, and agais. won, Mr Horace (Horry) Lunn being his rider on this occasion. In 1881, the face was won by another great steeplechaser, Clarence, ridden by iPred Hedge, while Agent, who was ridden by H. Lunu, and had fallen at the last fence, was caught by Hedge after ho had weighed in for Clarence, and ridden in for second money, thus achieving the unique record of riding the first and second horses in the race. In 1884 Agent, weighted at 12.6, notched his third win in the Grand National Steeplechase, this time being ridden by Tommy Lyford. Tho genial Irishman who owned Agent during most of his racing career did not allow his old favourite to become a pack-horse or butcher's haclc, but sent in to an up-country station an Oanterbury where the old fellow could ruminate on. days gone by, and perhaps, who knows, sometimes fancy he was talring fence for fence with his old rival Clarence, as he had often dono in the brave days of old. For horses a? well as men have their brave days of old, and there are few with more brave days to their credit than the eubject of this slcetch, hardy, game and cousistent old Agent.