TURF NOTES

Opotiki News, Volume X, Issue 1044, 7 November 1947, Page 3

TURF NOTES

A WEE BIT 0’ ANCIENT HISTORY (By “Arrissimu”) ‘ 'Scuts wha hae-r “Ah ta II —!” was a well-known expression of the old erstwhile stud-master, the late Mr. G. S. Abbot, pater of Scot Drummond and' Malcolm Bishop of that ilk. The other day Scot produced a clipping of a paper just on forty years’ old of a particular race where all the runners (10) were all by Corsair, a great.--sire of brood mares in the vicinity of half a century ago. The doings of “Charlie” in the old days would-fill a book of interesting details.; The writer has many reminiscences of his sterling qualities, having . worked and camped with him on various occasions. When he crossed the great divide he left me a number of old turf stud books and registers of the old days. One in particular, an edition of the first- turf register printed in New Zealand. It is one of three known copies in the Domin ion to-day. “Charlie” as he was known to all and sundry, was the owner of “Corsair” and Daniel O’Rourke, both of whom figure prominently in pedigrees of many successful thoroughbreds of days gone by. It is no wonder that his sons both S.D. and M.B. have inherited the love of the thoroughbred in their veins, more particularly M.B. or “Paddy” as he is best known as a nomenclatufe, and they have successfully both raced and bred quite a number of good horses. Even today they own two or three youngsters tliat might make turf history in the near future. “What’s bred in the blood must come out iii the bone even to the first and; third generation. So we can look to the Abbot’s to carry on the breeding of the thoroughbreds : for a few decades to come.