DECKED IN PURPLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 560, 12 January 1929, Page 9

DECKED IN PURPLE

Trotters, Pacers and Gallopers Bred on Sound Lines at Mardella

A MODERN ESTABLISHMENT

GRAZING kuee deep iii luxurious pasturage and looking' the picture of good health and contentment was the manner in which “Abaydos” found a big quota of galloping and trotting brood mares during a recent visit to the Mardella Stud farm at Otahuliu and the additional acreage at Tamaki.

The master of these holdings, Mr. B. P. Edwards, who is well known from the North Cape to the Bluff for his lengthy association with the light-har-ness sport, is not a believer ir; Tialf measures, and visitors to the Mardella selection are immediately struck with the methodical, efficient and up-to-date arrangements in vogue for the successful carrying out of the extensive breeding operations. While the Otahuhu enthusiast is the proud possessor of two great blueblooded trotting sires in The Triumph and Worthy Bond, he does not confine his activities solely to the breeding of trotters and pacers, and that fine galloping sire, Kilbroney, comprises one of the lords of the manor. Mating with Kilbroney The son of The Wag, who has sired some of the most successful racehorses in the Dominion, is hale and hearty, and like Johnny Walker, still going strong. His condition is excellent, and the English-bred horse has been visited by some high-class ir.ares, some of whom were seen running in tho longacres at Otahuhu with aristo-cratic-looking foals at foot. These included T© Papa, Jolly Gay and a four-year-old unraced mare by Prince Merriwee from Te Papa. Loloma, with a Catmint foal at foot, and on a visit to Kilbroney, is also domiciled at headquarters, as is Lady Electra, who has a filly foal by Prince Merriwee. At the Tamaki longacres, another batch of well-bred mares, stinted to Kilbroney, were seen, including Mia

Bella, Joy Queen. Jolie Fille, Jolly Princess, Miss Melville, Abbey .Day, Judge’s Box, Acushla, Romeo—Avon Park mare. Busy Worthy Bond The Sorrel chestnut, who is a typical son of his world-famed sire, Axworthy, has probably never looked better than at present, while it is apparent from some of liis young stock that

the aristocratic American can transmit a great deal of this quality to his offspring. Worthy Bond also has a great lineage on the dam’s side, and his first four dams have each produced standard performers. Several fine foals claiming the American horse as their pater were noticed frolicking at the Otahuhu headquarters, these being from the brood mare* Le Muriel, Lucetta, and the unraced mare Melody, by El Carbine irom CanzoneUa. Others who had visited the handsome son of Axworthy and were transferred to the happy grazing grounds at Tamaki, include Hundalee, Fancy Pointer, a Hal Zolock mare belonging to the Hastings enthusiast H. Jones, Yenot, Miss Rolfe (dam of that good pair Medusa and Rolfe Audubon), a half-sister to Stanmoor, a Huia Dillon—Franzie de Oro

mare, Oledo, a lialf-sister to Connie (dam of Trustworthy), Tiki, Grace Direct, a Hawera-owned mare from the dam of Soda, and a Cleaver’s mare. Many other well-known local mares, who had visited Worthy Bond, and proved in foal, had been returned to their owners. The Triumph—Racehorse and Sire The pride of Mardella is undoubtedly I the great trotting exponent and proved j sire. The Triumph, and his general ap- : pearance confirms the oft-stated opinion that he would win a prize in any of the world’s show-rings." By The Exponent from Mardella, the American wonder, has everything to recommend him as a “dyed in the wool” horse, and his record before leaving the land of his nativity is one that will stand the real test. Twelve starts for five wins, two seconds and a third, with a mile record of 2.Si on a half-mile track, speaks for itself, but the son of The Exponent went one better in Yankeeland by registering 2.5 i for eight furlongs in a trial. That he could step some after arrival in New Zealand, The Triumph proved when lie ran a mile for Ben Jarden at Christchurch in 2.84. T\3 Triumph only left two youngsters before migrating to New Zealand, but they proved champions, a pacer, Rags, going 2.5 3-5 for a mile, and the trotter Tril*e equalling her sire’s record for a similar distance for square-gaiters. The showy American has only been mated with a limited number of mares since taking up duty at the Mardella stud, as his owner, recognising his value also as a racehorse, will probably put him in action again! Retaining His Speed In fact, The Triumph has occasionally visited the Otahuhu track, and while only stepped over a few furlongs, has given track-watchers some idea of his remarkable speed at the true gait. At the homestead a few high-class youngsters by the American from Cyree, a Franz mare, Canzonetta, Hena Patch and Ruby Bell, claimed attention, and they are a qual-ity-looking lot. The well-known trotting mare Lady Nan, and a filly foal at foot by Peter Chenault, and mated with The Triumph, is also sporting at the Mardella selection. At Tamaki, a splendid specimen of the young light harness type was exhibited, her dam being Franzie de Oro, a mare that for years has not produced any offspring, a striking testimony to the ability of The Triumph in this direction. The dam of Stanmoor, Canberra, Gineta and Koroena (dam of Koro Peter) are running at this location, and all show signs of their union With the American sire. A remarkable feature of the young foals seen at the Mardella homestead is their docility, and from an early age every representative of Kilbroney, Worthy Bond and The Triumph are taught good manners, and they know their onions, or at least their oats. The rattle of the oat tin will bring the youngest member of the homestead galloping up to feed from the hand of Miss Nancy Edwards, who renders valuable assistance to her dad in the work of rearing the young stock on the I farm.