THE ROMANCE OF SILVIUS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 204, 17 November 1927, Page 6

THE ROMANCE OF SILVIUS

FASCINATING STORY OF PURCHASE OF CUP FAVOURITE

In racing, as in most other things, there is much virtue in an if. For instance, if the late Sir Edward Hulton, the newspaper magnate of Manchester (England), had not been a firm-willed man—and how strong he was only those closely associated with him knew—there would have been no Silvius to run in the Melbourne Cup.

The romance traces back a few years. The late Sir Edward Hulton’s favourite of all his brood mares—and he had many choice matrons at his Newmarket stud farm —was Silver Fowl. She was not much on the race track, but she was magnificently bred, being by Spearmint out of Admiration. And as Admiration was the dam of Pretty Polly, one of the most beautiful mares that ever ran on the turf and Spearmint was Carbine’s greatest son, small wonder that Sir Edward Hulton had great expectations of Silver Fowl when she went to his stud farm. “DON’T SHOOT”

But when she was only four years | old Silver Fowl met with such a severe 1 accident that everybody connected with the stable, and veterinary surgeons too, decided that she must be destroyed. A wire' was sent to Sir Edward: “Case hopeless. Vet. says shoot.” But Sir Edward wired back: “Don’t shoot; spare no effort to save her.”

For months Silver Fowl was suspended in slings, and at length, after everything possible had been done for her, she recovered sufficiently to take her place at Sir Edward’s Warren Tower stud, Newmarket. . • - •

Silver Fowl was first mated with Mintagon, a good sire of staying stock, and the result was a colt, who was called Silver Coin. He won some useful little races, and later became a successful sire in South Africa. Then came such good horses as Silver Tag, winner of the Cambridgeshire, in 1915, and Fifinella, and when this latter won the Derby of 1916, also the Oaks, for Sir Edward there was no prouder man in England His judgment had been confirmed. Finella was the result of a mating with the crack Polymelus, and Silver Fowl was put to that stallion again the following season. The result was Silvern, who ran second to Caligula in the Leger of 1920, and won the great Coronation Cup, at Ascot, as a four-year-old. BRED IN IRELAND

And Silvern is the sire of Silvius, who was bought as a yearling at the Ball Bridge bloodstock sales, Dublin, for 1,750gn5, by the British Bloodstock Agency, acting presumably under instructions from Sir Sidney Kidman.

Silviug by Silvern—Addenda was bred in Ireland by Lieut.-Col. Giles Loder, but had Sir Edward' Hulton not sent his *“dont’ shoot” wire, and thus saved Silver Fowl for the stud, there would have been no Silvius in Australia today. PRESENT OWNER OF SILVIUS That is one story. Now here is another concerning Silvius penned by an Adelaide admirer. Sir Sidney Kidman, the owner of Silvius, does not bother a great deal about business nowadays. He entrusts his worries in that direction to Mr. Sidney Reid, his son-in-law, and it is that gentleman who has the oversight of Fulham Park Stud, a property made famous in South Australia by the late W. Blackler, who, in the early days, had Countryihan and Winterlake, and latterly Richmond, Thunderbolt and Port Admiral. The property ultimately passed over to Sir Sidney Kidman, and he continued the stud with St. Carlo, Sir Simon and Passing By as stallions, purchasing the whole of the 4ate David James’s mares, many of them descendants from Auraria, to strengthen the stud. Then Aides, Earl Simon and St. Spasa were added as working stallions. But. then came the inevitable cycle of misfortune. Sir Simon, Passing By, Earl Simon and Aides died in rapid succession. This is where the thread of the Silvius story can be picked up. FRESH BLOOD FOR FULHAM

Mr. Sid. Reid, going on a world tour had one object in view—to bring back some English fillies and a young colt that would be able to carry Sir Sidney Kidman’s colours and then introduce fresh blood to Fulham. In England, however, the inflated prices asked for thoroughbred stock took the visitor’s breath away. They were asking up to £ 10,000 *ln England for anything with blood.

Mr. Reid was told that things might be better in Ireland, and, crossing the Channel, he visited the bloodstock sales at Ball Bridge, Dublin, where a young Silvan colt bred by Mr. Giles Loder from Addenda attracted his attention. He got him for 1,750gn5, and with four other two-year-old fillies at cheap rates Mr. Reid considered he had done well. In due course they were shipped to Adelaide, where they arrived without a scratch. Everybody was enraptured with the Silvern colt, now known as Silvius. Old John Horsley, who has spent a lifetime at Fulham, went without meals in his admiration of the newcomer.

LOOKED LIKE TH REE-YEAR-OLD Silvius looked like a three-year-old, and more than one visitor raised the point whether a mistake had not been made over bis age. But Mr. Reid had papers to show that there was no error.

Silvius made surprising development, but they did not hurry him for the

hurly-burly of the racecourse. The horse does not know what it is to have a day’s sickness. Harry Butler was selected as trainer, as he had done so well with Wiralla. Morphettville touts soon realised that here was a potential champion. His deeds on the racecourse in Adelaide have already been published. He won four races before going: to VictQria to tackle the Melbourne Cup. In passing it can be emphasised that whatever “big” money has been won in wagering over Silvius has not come the way of his connections. They do not bet to any extent; they are more than satisfied with the honour and srlorv.