LEASE OF NOCTURNUS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 222, 19 August 1937, Page 14

LEASE OF NOCTURNUS.

OPTION BEING EXERCISED.

Nocturnes, winner of this year’s Grand National Steeplechase and of tho Beaufort Steeplechase, is a horse of short known pedigree. It was some time before it was ascertainablo what his ancestry was, but now it is registered as by Night Raid from Victory Lass, who was by Triumphator (not irumpetcr as previously noted), from a mare by Castor. That is as far as his table can- bo taken. » Victory Lass was bred by tho late Mr A. F. Roberts, formerly of Central Otago and Soadown, and subsequently of Kaituna, where Nocturnus was bred. . She was never raced herself. Her sire, Triumphator, was also bred by Mr Roborts when in Central Otago in 1908. Triumphator was ono of tho early offspring of Martian, being out of the Phaeton mare Clymene, a descendant of the Manto taproot through No Name, and ho won a number of races beforo being put to the stud. Castor was an English-bred horse by Zealot, first imported to Victoria and later imported from there to New Zealand by Mr T. Morrin, of Auckland, in 1890, for whom he proved a siro of numerous good horses. It is interesting to note the coupling of the blood of those two sires of stayers, Night Raid and Martian. There is thus ample in Nocturnus’s pedigree to indicate the stamina that he undoubtedly possesses. Nocturnus was originally purchased at a sale at Trcntliam by Mr \V. R. Simpson, of Karamea, a member of a family better known in the trotting world through the deeds of Olive Nelson and Bingen Palm, and in Mr Simpson’s colours he won a novice event at Nelson as a throe-year-old. Then tho ownership was transferred to Mrs Simpson, who leased him, with right of purchase, to Mr G. J. Barton, of Dunedin. After winning a highweight at Motukarara, Mr Barton allowed tho loaso to lapse, and ho was leased a little over a year ago by Hon. G. R. Hunter. Mr I-luntcr renewed tho lease last month for another twelve months, still with tho right of purchase, and (it is understood that the option, for £250, is now to be exercised, says the Christchurch Press.