A GREY SIRE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 156, 20 July 1937, Page 15

A GREY SIRE

Importation for Flaxmere Stud

Mr. F. B. Donnelly, of the Flaxmere stud, has purchased in England a grey five-year-old sire by name Theio, wllo was quite a successful racehorse on the English turf. This is the first sire of this colour to be imported to any established stud ' in Hawke's Bay, but in the past there have been two others of this colouf doing stud service, viz.: the SoultTauhei horee, Mira, who did station duty at Mr. Frank Armstrong's Akitio farm, and Royal Picture, who was in the Otane district a few years back, but both were mated more with haeks than with stud-book matrons. Greys have been very successful in England, both on the Taeecourse and at the stud, this last three decades, but only through the one strain, that of the Roi Herod line. This iatest importation com.es from the Roi Herod family. In England, at 1;he present time, breeders and bwners will not breed from this particalar line unless it is a grey, so that Hawke's Bay has a good lead from the leading authorities in England, the greatest breeding field of the world. A few seasons back there Wsus a predominance of sprinting blood among our imported stallions, so much in fact that stud-maBiers at once began to rectify tnis by imp.orting only horses of the stoutest staying iineS, with the result that to-day the Dominion is over-ruu with horses of that class. It was for this reason that Mr. Donnelly decided to irnport a 'stallion of the sprinting blood class, so that he would have that blood later on to cross with horses of stamina, as well as to produce brilliant two-year-olds and sprinters, Theio (31) has not yet taken up his dut'ies at Flaxmere, but is expected to arrive at the week-end. He is yerhaps oae of the most fashionably-bred sires imported for some time. He was got by Tetrateme (2), the very best galloper that the famous The Tetrafch (byRoi Herod by Le Samaratin by Le Sancy) ever produced; also, Tetratema has proved easily the best of the same sire's son to go to the stud, having twice headed the winning sires' list in England,^ his best season perhaps being in 1929, when his produetions won close on £60,000, his best, winners that season being Mr. Jinks, Royal Minstrel, and that gregt fiHy, Taffen. The first two colts were greys, and the filly a bay. Tetratema 's stock have won in first prize money well over the quartermillion mark. He was got by The Tetrarch from Scotch Mist by Symington from Maund by Tarporly (St. Simon — Ruth) from Ianthe. Theio was out of -Thyene by Sunstar (a great sire and prodncer of successful brood mares) from Selenico by William the Third from Gay Duchess (second dam of Lord Qnex) by Rosicrucian from Bonnie Katie by King of Trumps from Basquine by Orlando from Canezoti (winner of the One Thousand, Goodwood Cup (twice) Doncnster Cup, etc.) Yery few mares will be booked this season, and later partieulars will be published in the Herald-Tribune.