TURF NEWS & NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1938, Page 9

TURF NEWS & NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

VICTORY BY BRILLIANT STRETTO

(By

“The Cynic.”)

Brilliant Stretto by her victory in the Warwick Stakes in Sydney has earned the right to' rank among the great mares which have raced in New Zealand. Incidentally, she made up for her lapses as a three-year-old when she was unplaced in five starts in Australia. Representative of that rare combination, sprinter-stayer, Stretto has built up a remarkable record in her three seasons’ racing and now she has started off as a five-year-old with success at Warwick Farm, following a second placing to Brown Baroness in a division of the Flying Handicap at Victoria Park on the previous Saturday. As a two-year-old this Hunting Song-The Begum mare won the Avondale, A. R. C. Welcome and Royal Stakes and was the runner-up to Gallio in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. Her earnings were £1075. The next season came her lapse of form in Australia; she did not race in New Zealand. But last season she proved that her Australian showings were all wrong arid that she was capable of staying as well as sprinting. Her first two starts, in which she was unplaced, were followed by sprint successes in the Flying Handicap at Waipa; Railway and Electric Handicaps at Auckland; while she was also the runner-up to Whirling in the Newmarket Handicap at the same meeting—just failing to complete the treble. Stayed on. Following an unplaced effort over six furlongs at Takapuna she won the Flying Handicap and Taranaki Stakes at Taranaki. And then she proved that she could stay as well as sprint by winning the Herries Memorial Cup run over a mile and three furlongs at Te Aroha. At her next start she did well to finish third to Orotary and Smoke Screen in the Thompson Handicap at Trentham after losing her place at the turn. At the same meeting she failed to show up in the Autumn Handicap won by Davolo, from Catalogue and Dictate. That the lapse was only temporary she proved by beating Royal Chief by half a length in the Awapuni Gold Cup after running the mile and a quarter in the course record time of 2min 3sec.

At her next and last start for the season Francis Drake beat her by a neck in the mile Easter Handicap at Auckland.

Her efforts as a four-year-old brought in £2940, making a grant total of £4015 from the following record: 23 starts, ten wins, three seconds and one third. Solidly Bred. Hunting Song, sire of Stretto, ended up the past season at the head of the sires’ list for the sixth time in succession; while Chief Ruler, sire of The Begum, has headed the list twice. Stretto’s grand-dam, Lucella, was by Lucullus, which headed the list in the 1927-28 season. As Stretto’s maternal line is one of the best in New Zealand it is no cause for wonder that this mare is well above the average. Manto, believed to be the first thoroughbred mare imported to Australia, is the ancestress of the family to which Stretto is a member. It is believed that she was foaled in 1822 when her dam had reached the ripe old age of twenty, and she was imported to Australia in 1825.Manto was in foal to Young Grasshopper, and Cordelia, the result of the mating, was in turn mated with famous Rous’ Emigrant and produced Flora Mclvor in 1828 or 1829. Flora Mclvor distinguished herself at the stud in Australia and as an old mare was brought to New Zealand by Mr Henry Redwood in 1854. her last two foals, bred when she was either 26 and 28, or 27 and 29, were the fillies Io and Waimea. 10, which was sent back to Australia, became dam of the famous Frailty, while Waimea established a successful branch, of the family in New Zealand, Nightmarch, Chide and Silver Scorn, making history for it in recent years.

The Foundation. The branch of the family to which Stretto belongs was founded by Emma, a grand-daughter of Flora Mclver bied in New South Wales and brought to New Zealand in the early fifties. Her third foal, Emmeline, won the C.J.C. Derby, while five years later, Scandal, by Traducer, also won the same race. Fancy, another daughter, became the dam of two winners of the Auckland Cup in Foul Play and The Poet. But the best daughter of Emma proved to be her last foal, No Name, by Traducer This mare had ten foals which included the C.J.C. Champagne Stakes winner Nonsense; the C.J.C. Derby winner Oudeis; and the C.J.C. and Derby winner Disowned. Lady Gertrude, by Cadogan from No Name, was also a big success at the stud. Her sixteen foals included Blizzard; Lady Rosslyn Oaks); Euroclydon (C.J.C. Derby, N.Z. Cup and Canterbury Cup as a three-year-old)- and Mistral, dam of Pampero, Sychem and Notus, and grand-dam of Vladimir, Art, Sir Solo and John Barleycorn. r Lady Gertrude’s fifteenth foal was Amorelle and she was foaled when her dam was twenty. Mares from the family nave been notable not only tor the quality of their progeny but also for their longevity. Most of the recent winners fiom the Emily branch in New Zealand came through Amorelle. They include Arch Marella, Statuette, Flying Juliet, Supremacy, Soloist, The Begum, Mazir, and Arvakur. With such good blood lines Stretto should Play her part in carrying on the line when her racing days are over.

Interesting Entrant. A very interesting entrant tor tne Wanganui meeting, to be held next month, is Gay Chou, the Gay Lothario gelding Mr Walter Devon purchased in Australia late last season. Gay Chou has been entered for the Flying Handicap (six furlongs). The horse, accompanied by another of Mr Devon’s purchases, arrived here in May, and is being trained at Mas-

terton by Ashley Jenkins, who won the Grand National Steeplechase this month on Clarion Call.

Gay Chou is seven years old. His dam, Chouette, is a Magpie mare. He has some creditable performances in Australia. He won the Rous Handicap (seven furlongs), a Flying Welter at Kensington, the Doomben Newmarket (six furlongs) and the Campbelltown Handicap at Warwick Farm. He was fairly well fancied for the Australian Jockey Club Epsom Handicap, and finished sixth. His last win in Australia seems to have been in the Rochdale Mile at Moorefield, carrying 9-2, and running the distance in Imin 42sec. The time is very ordinary, but the mile course at Moorefield does not look fast. Gay Chou had been purchased by JVIr Devon before the race at Moorefield.

A perusal of Gay Chou’s form suggests that he should be an acceptable addition to the ranks of our handicap horses.

Big Return for £5,000. In any country the man who owns a good three-year-old is to be envied, but nowhere more than in America, where valuable races for horses of that age are numerous. One American owner in particular, who has benefited through three-year-olds is Mr M. Howar, owner of Stagehand and The Chief. Stagehand, for whom Mr Howard gave £1,500, has earned about £38,850 this year, and The Chief, for whom he paid £3,525 last November, is the winner of approximately £7,800 in his ownership. Stagehand won the Santa Anita Derby, but the greater portion of the amount credited him resulted from the Santa Anita Handicap. Further wins for The Chief and Stagehand this season are practically certain, but even if they should fail, a return of over £43,600 in stakes is good interest on an outlay of a little over £5,000.

Should Improve. Night Scout, who was making his first appearance in a race when he started in the Seaview Hurdles on Saturday, showed both pace and ability to jump. His rider kept him well out in the centre of the course at each hurdle. This means extra ground to cover, and with more experience Night Scout should make a good hurdler.

For Wanganui. F. Davis paid a visit to Wanganui last week, making arrangements for the accommodation of several members of his team to race at the spring meeting. Among them are Francis Drake, Coronation, Homily and two youngsters, Silver Stick and Kohi. Francis Drake is engaged in the sprint events, and from reports to hand he has been going well at Woodville. Homily is in the Seafield Handicap, the first day, and will probably run in the Guineas on the Saturday, although Mr G. M. Currie also has Rehearsal and Minga left in the classic event.

A Derby Candidate. , Limulet, a winner at Warwick Farm on Saturday, is by Limond from Anklet, so he and Royal Order, who won at Williamstown, are full relatives. Limulet is owned by Dr C. Nigel Smith, of Sydney, who purchased him at the Trentham sales from the Koatanui draft for 700 guineas. Anklet has proved a top-notch matron, as all her stock are winners, and an earlier colt, Garter Knight, who came to an untimely end, was looked upon as high-class. Anklet is by Absurd from Bronze. Limulet is in the Derbies. Well Connected. Aeolus, who defeated last year’s crack two-year-old Pandava in the Hobartville Stakes, is owned and trained by P. Riddle, who was for some years very prominent in the trotting sport in New Zealand. Aeolus is a black colt by the Galloper Light horse Baralong from Queen of the Night, by Comedy King —Taffle, by Junior—Tippingdale, by William the Third. Queen of the Night is a halfsister to Koanie, the dam of last year’s dual cup hero, The Trump, so Aeolus has a real Derby pqdigree. Midian as Remount Sire. Royal Banquet, who was to have taken up stud duties in the Hawera district after the Grand National.meeting under the new remount scheme, has been replaced by the Weathervane horse Midian. A useful performer when in training under W. Dwyer’s care at Wanganui, he should favourably fill the role. Among mares visiting Midian are: —All Amber (All Red —Amberine), Fleeting Arrow (Arrowsmith—Mydora), Humorada (Comedy King—Lady Fisher), Lady Viy (Diacquenod—Vivarini), a half-sister to Middle and two half-sisters, by Peach Brandy (|id Colossus respectively, from Kawhatau. RACING FIXTURES. September 3. —Taranaki Hunt Club. September 8, 10. —Wanganui J.C. September 17.—Ashburton C.R.C. September 17. —Foxton R.C. September 17, 19.—Avondale J.C. September 22, 24. —Geraldine R.C. September 24.—Marton J.C.