HORSES FOR AFRICA

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1932, Page 6

HORSES FOR AFRICA

SPORTSMAN’S EXPERIMENT. . PURCHASE OP YEARLINGS. I WELLINGTON, March 8. “What 1 wanted in buying in New Zealand, and what I 'think I have got, were sprinters,” said Sir Joseph Robinson, Bart., of Cape. Town, in discussing with “The Dominion” yesterday his purchases of thoroughbred stock, while ' on a hurried tour of the Dominion, i Sir Joseph visited Awapuni on Saturday and acquired a- bay yearling filly by Chief Ruler out oh Pebble 11, to add to epd-ier bag of "two yearling colts, Money—-Philomela and Lord Quci—Dominant. The two colts wer£ shipped by the iMarama for Sydney Friday and will embark on .the 'Ndsg|j 1 at ,Melbourne for 'South Africa. .i-JaW 1 filly sails from Auckland on Friday .next, and will join her compatriots at Melbourne. She will be named Eureka 'll after a successful mare, raced by .S:r Joseph. The.colts will be given Maori names, possibly Rotorua and tVakaj Lipu. “ -V ;. A.:,;:' I Asked why he came all ~t'hc 'dray, to" i Now Zealand for bloodstock, Sir Joseph said that primarily he was on a health and pleasure trip, but his South African trainer suggested he niight’as well ■‘.‘buy some New Zealand horses and see whaf, happened.” - ~•■>. It was suggested tio Sir. Joseph’ that, he had not bought in Australia, and he. hastened to say th.at was because Australian thoroughbreds were not ..so imroh esteemed in South Africa. “On 'the other hand,” he added, “the New Zealand thoroughbred, has quite a widening. . reputation. A.ctu,aliy. Ha fn-,. though we have had Australian horses in South Africa, I understand my trio will be the first imported from New Zealand. Naturally there is some interest in what is an experiment. It may turn out a success; maybe a frost. That Jifl all in the game. But if a success, then others will be interested and will buy.” When in Christchurch ten days ago vSir Joseph saw Phar Lap’s brother with a view to purchase. “But to.me it seemed they wanted too much—6oo guineas —for the colt. He is only a baby, not even a yearling, and no one can say how . lie will develop. His;, breeders pressed the matter and I telegraphed from Wellington: ‘Napoleon was a great general, but his brothers were not. The same may apply to Phar Lap’s bro-" fibers.’ So we were not able to ; (}pal,” he /concluded. \ " •Sir Joseph explained that why he looked for sprinters in New Zealand was because he had,., plenty of staying blood in hi s string in South Africa. Be had acquired some of the finest blood from the' Irish-National. Stud, descend-, •ants of famous sires. ." : /. A; .\"t* •’* •While in New Zealand, Sir Joseph Robinson has taken the opportunity to renew some fiienddrpa with soldiers o’ the N.Z.E.F. made during the war. He sails for Sydney, en route to South Africa, by the Mokura to-morrow.