TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1939, Page 11

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Cyllene a Stayer and a Great Sire INFLUENCE ON AUSTRALIAN BLOODSTOCK THE SPORT OF KINGS IN FRANCE t (BY “CARBINE.”) A Mauriceville correspondent writes asking for some particulars of the class and career of the Australian Cyllene, great grandsire of Heroic. “WaslCyllene a good performer on the turf; was he best at long or short distances?” he asks. Cyllene was one of the best stayers to come from the Bend Or line. Heiwas the best horse of his day and became a great sire. No sire in the present century has exerted greater influence on Australian bloodstock than Cyllene. Among Ihe horses to come from this line are Heroic—leading sire for the seventh season in succession—Manfred, The Trump, Hall Mark, Hua, Manolive, Ajax, Valiant Chief, Nuffield and a host of other brilliant winners.

Cyllene was the sire of four Derby winners. They were Minoru. Lemberg (considered by some to be very little below his great half-brother, Bayardo, sire of Gainsborough and Gay Crusaer), Cicero (sire of Valais), and Tagalie. Tagalie (1912) and Fifinella (1916) were the only fillies to win the Derby in this century. Fifinella was by Polyrnelus (son of Cyllene). She was a sister to Silvern, sire of that very good horse. Silvius. who was the sire of Sylvandale and Braeburn, both fine stayers.

Bona Vista (sire of Cyllene) had a very modest turf record, his winnings amounting to £5,860. He was bred by Lord Rosebery and with some other yearlings was sent to Newmarket in 1890. His breeder liked the colt and placed a reserve of 1200gns on him. He was bought by Mr Charles Rose, at 1250gns. It is true that not many stayers have come from this line in Australia, but if has produced a great percentage of brilliant horses over distances from 6 furlongs to 12 furlongs. Cyllene, a chestnut, bred in 1895, was by Bona Vista (4) out of Arcadia (9). by Isonomy out of Distant Shore by Hermit. (5) out of Land’s End by Trumpeter out of Faraway. Trumpeter belonged to the No 1 family. He was by the Derby winner, Orlando (Son of Touchstone), his dam by Redshank (15), who was the sire of Ellen Horne, dam of Rouge Rose, who produced Bend Or, sire of Bona Vista, whose dam was Vista by Macaroni out of Verdure by King Tom (3). King Tom was the sire of St Angela, dam of St Simon. He was a son of the great Irish horse, Harkaway, and Pocahontas, most illustrious brood mare in bloodstock history. Cyllene was a beautiful horse of symmetrical proportions and superb class. He was credited with a “perfect temperament” by those associated with him. In this country not a few of his descendants have been wayward and' inclined to be temperamental. These traits, however, were manifested only on the racecourse with the colours up. In his stable Manfred had the reptu-« tation of being as tractable as could be, and Heroic was a “perfect gentleman” when at stud. Both he and Manfred could give their riders something extra to do when' they were in wayward mood. Most of the horses of this line are high spirited. Valais (grandson of Cyllene) was an impressive individual. Towards the end of his careeer he became something of a problem for those who handled him.

Cyllene was a small foal and so little was thought of him that he was not entered for the classic races. As he was the best stayer of his year he would probably have won the Derby and St Leger had he been a runner. At three years Cyllene won the Jockey Club Stakes, 1:1 miles, carrying 9.1. In the following season he won the Ascot Cup, 21 miles. Descendants of Cyllene at the stud in Australia include Brazen. Bullhead. Christopher Ptobin, Closing Time. Hadrian., Gilt Edge, Manfred, Hua. Glenariff. Hall Mark. Grand Joy. Havelock. Melfort, Kuvera, Piccadilly, Salmagundi. Silverburn, Sion, Tippler, Manitoba. Law Maker, Cheveley Lad, Brueghel, Thracian, Eastern Monarch, Apple Snow, Silvius, Sylvandale, Braeburn, Rabbi, and Aztec.

J. Duncan, one of Sydney’s leading light-weight jackeys, had a narrow escape from serious injury at Menangle Park recently when his mount, Miss Crimea, while leading in the Three and Four-years-old Boomerang Five, suddenly ran off the course and jumped the outer rail. As Miss Crimea

landed in the paddock on the other side of the fence. Duncan was dislodged, but, beyond a few abrasions Of the face, he escaped injury. To be carried over the outside rail was not a new experience for J. Duncan. He was the rider of Lornlee in the Novice Handicap at Randwick on December 31 when the horse made for the outside of the track and jumped the rail. On that occasion also Duncan escaped serious injury. One has yet to meet a racing man who did not strongly object to divisions of a field under the existing circumstances, Writes “Sentinel" in the Otago ’“Daily Times.” They are objectionable from a betting point of view, a factor which counts most from the punters, who find the sinews 'of war for clubs to carry on . The objection would not exist if each division was treated as a race from a betting point of view, or failing that idea, add a sweepstake,-which helps to eradicate the rubbish in a field. RACING IN FRANCE INTRODUCED FROM ENGLAND. Horse racing was introduced to France in the time of Louis XVI, when English horses and English jockeys raced on the Champ de Mars to the delight of Marie-Antoinette. The great race of the year in France, the Grand Prix, the equivalent of the Epsom Derby, has often been won by an English horse. The Grand Prix was run for the first time on Sunday, May 31, 1863. It was created by the Due de Morny, who had succeeded in obtaining .from the Municipal Council and the railway companies a subvention of 100,000 francs, and from the Emperor Napoleon I a prize of an object of art. The distance was 1 mile 7 furlongs and has never been changed. The race is open to entire colts and fillies of any country. The Ranger was the first winner. In all, the Grand Prix has been won 72 times by French horses, 14 times by English horses, once by a Hungarian, an American and an Italian horse. Of all the winners Gladiateur was the greatest, bringing off the triple event of winning the Grand Prix, the Derby and the Ascot Cup the lastnamed by 40 lengths. In commemoration of these remarkable performances his statue stands in, the paddock of Longchamp race course. One of the most extraordinary Grand Prix races was won by Take-my-Tip, a 62 to 1 outsider, mounted by Jack Jennings. The owner, M. James Hennesy, had decided to scratch his horse, and sent Jennings to the organisers with the forfeit. On the way, Jennings telephoned to the owner and said he still thought “Take-my-Tip” had a chance although a very small one, and added: “I would so much like to ride in one more Grand Prix before I retire.” The horse won and broke all records for the course. RACING FIXTURES .August 31—Egmont-Wanganui Hunt. September 2—Taranaki Hunt. September 2 —Otago Hunt. September 7, 9—Wanganui Jockey Club. September 16 —Foxton Racing Club. September 16—Ashburton County Racing Club. September 16, 18—Avondale Jockey Club.