A Twenty-year-old Racehorse.

Manawatu Herald, 24 June 1893, Page 3

A Twenty-year-old Racehorse.

A man with a horse twenty years old, and one that had never raced, would require a lot of encouragement to. nut him.injio M tr.aining. Such a thing, however^ happened some years agp^i^ewXoutn Wales with a nag •alleji jfe|odigal, who was upwards of a score befqre being trained successfu^yr fend the fact after being alluded in f tne Melbourne Snorting Standard,. ha| 4 paus^d r '"^'^pt^ef..disoussion in sporting circles i|t Home, which has led t£., further enquiries, regarding him, anS the Sporting Standard publififces' 'further information as foUows-M"Mr Rankin provides some interesting particulars concerning the doings of his wonderful old horse. After Prodigal came into Mr Rankin's possession that gentleman used him fo^alniost every purpose (except in harass), and he did service from a lady's nacjt to a packhorse. When twenty-two years of age, old Prodigal was brought by his owner to New Sqijbh Wales with a droving party, and an 1872 made his debut as a trained racer, winning the Tiranna Picnic Gup and Bachelor's Bay. The gallant old horse, who was by an Arab sire called Beeza, his mother being an Antelope mare, continued on,<|he ,turf, till 1876, when he was pensioned off , and died on April 3rd, 1886J at Lockyersleigh. at the age of thijtar *yearf r . j Aa f . a^ted before. Prodigal started' his ,', career .as '. a trained racer at the age of twenty-tw^-yefkWr-^ad • during the - ensuing four years actually won sixte^ u; races, including the Autumn Stakesrand 'Forced Handicap at the A.J.O; 1 Autumn Meeting of 1879.

during his training, his trainer being rigidly opposed to this treatment, and to this causo he attributes, in a great measure, the horse's wonderful stamina at such a time of life."