Looking Back

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 208, 18 September 1937, Page 19

Looking Back

HORSES OF NOTE a> Performances That Linger in the Memory

TEMPLETON & LURLINE

I am taking xny readers back to a period just over sixty years ago wheix almost the first race horse whose natne fastened itself oii my memory was that of Templeton. Templeton was by that grand imported horse Tradueer, from Belle of the lsle, and like all of the ' ' mighty Tradueer 's " ' (as lie was called) progeny, was a horse of great quality, and had both pace and stamina, while his deeds showed that he was a laster. He won inany of the principal handicap events of those far-ofi! days, for he was running over sixty years ago, besides a number of smaller events. His first important win, I fancy, was the Forbury Handicap, in 1874, when, as a three-year-old, he carried 6st. 81b. to victory. In the following season, 1875, he again displayed his partiality lor the old Forbury raceeourse by winning tho Dunedin Cup with 8st. l21b., and the D.J.C. Handicap with 8st. 131b. He returned to this favourite scene of his triumphs again in 1878, when he annexed his second Dunedin Cup with 9st. 31b. on his back, and his second D.J.C. , Handicap with lOst. lt will be recogliised that with a 6st. 71b minimum, as it was in those days, this was'no mean perfonnance. In the meantime he had won the Great Autumn Handicap of 1876 with 8st. 111b., while Iater on he won the Canterbui'y Cup of 1878. Thus we find him Winning important races over four seasons^ a tribute to his gameness and SOundness as well as to his quality and stamina^ Templeton was quite tlie champion of his peiiod, but that ia'uot saying that he would have been a champion in sonxe of the later periods. However, the horses of any one period cannot really be eompared with those of another period, so W6 will let Templeton oceupy hie niche as the champion of his day. Lurline was anotber of Traducers' progeny, her dam being the Eing Tom mare Mermaid, ancestress of a long line of winners through Waterwitch, Wave, and othfers, and through them of Watersprite and her many winiiing representatives of Natator, whose fame as a sire bf jumpers Will never die out, of Nautilus, and all her descendantS. I think it wohld be quite fair to say that ; in those early daye Mermaid was one of the eorner-stones of the New Zealand turf, a phrase Which is not a remarkably apt oue. for the turf reqtiires no addition in the shape ef corner-stones, to make a good galloping surface. Lurline was a fifst-class perforiner, her suecesses as well as her beautiful raciirg quality earning for her the title of the fpeerlesS Lurline." After doing well in the Dominion. Lurline was taken to Australia, where she won several races. On being put to the stud, the sire chosen for the peerless Lurline, was strangely enough, The Peer, to whom she threw a great three-year-old, Dafebin. Among Lurline 's victories in New Zealand were the Canterbury Cup of 1872, Canterbury Cup 1873, Dunedin Cup of 1874 with 9st. 91b. oh her four-vear-old back, and the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap, carrying 9st. 121b. Some of the wins of hex- son Darebin were; V.E.C. DSrby, 1881; Sydney Cup, 1883, carrying 9st. 81b., as a fottr-year-old, as.well as other good races. As a sire Darebin did not get anyf thing as good as himself, but neverthej less his °hame crops np occasionally in J the back lines of the pedigrees of Wiuners of important events. A younger full brother to Lnrline, Le Loup, was also taken afcross to Australia, and was put in the stable of W. E, Dakin to be trained. He was strongly backed for the Melbourne Cup of 1879, but f&iled to run into a place, the winner turning up in Darriwell, which ,was trained in the same stable. Le Loup, which was raced by ' ' Mr. G. Fraser ' ' (Mr. G. G. Stead's nom de plume), returned to New Zealand, and won the New Zealand Cup and Canterbury Cup for his owner.