Turf Monthly February 2022

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TURF FEBRUARY 2022

THIS MONTH

SPEARMINT CARBINE OVERSEAS

Editor’s Letter I usually try and steer clear of talking about horse sales.

I love them. The excitement of the auction and just the simple pleasure of watching some lovely yearlings is sublime. Not only that, but you get the chance to see how these youngsters interact with their new surroundings, and the way that staff of the vendors treat them. It is easy to tell genuine affection from a sales pitch most of the time. There is also the added advantage in seeing the first yearlings from the new stallions.

I guess it is no surprise to regular readers to know that I love pedigrees. My approach to looking at yearlings is to know exactly what sort of horse I am expecting to see before even inspecting the horse. When everything matches, it makes for a lot of confidence in the future racetrack performance of the yearling. When they don’t, it is often more interesting to work out why.

Has the yearling thrown more to the sire or the dam?

This is especially important when looking at first foals of each, but sometimes you can be too early in suggesting that a new stallion is stamping their stock in a particular manner. With such a limited and highly scrutinised sales population, this can be misleading.

Another option of course is that the yearling may have thrown more heavily to a particular ancestor. That is the probably one of the main reasons that Turf Monthly exists in this new regeneration. If we don’t know what the horses in the pedigree were like, then how can we tell which one may be influencing the resultant foal? I also choose to publish a lot of pedigrees because again, knowing how patterns result in success or failure can add to our knowledge of any current horse. As we all know, sales prices are not a predictor of racetrack success. Pedigrees though are a very different matter.

Next month we will be looking closely at the Magic Millions race won by Coolangatta from Russian Conquest who I think were clearly the best horses in the race. Importantly both again were fillies, and it seems like the two kilogram allowance might be a significant advantage most years. In fact, the first colt home finished fifth and that was perhaps one of the most unfashionably bred colts in the race. Until then, we can look at the skyrocketing prices that the youngsters are bringing this year and contemplate which ones might make the grade in 2023.

Until nest month

CONTENTS 4

Spearmint

9

Spearmint

at

Stud

10

Spearmint’s Daughters

11

Addenda/Armorial Ensign

13

Bathing Girl

16

Catnip

18

Document

21

Drax

22

Entangelement

24

La Douairiere

27

Madam Spearmint

29

Sentiment

32

Plucky Liege

40

Seaweed

44

Silesia

50

1998 Melbourne Cup

Ross Prowd

Cover Image - Phar Lap

Turf Monthly ABN 64 892 144 940 Phone 0412 712 181

Email editor@turfmonthly.com.au Unit 4/125 West St Menzies Qld 4825

TURF MONTHLY 3

SPEARMINT

CARBINE’S MOST ENDURING INFLUENCE

I

nternationally, the most important son of the immortal Carbine was Spearmint.

Even though Wallace has ensured that Carbine’s influence is still well regarded in Australia, Spearmint gave the stallion world-wide importance with there likely being few, if any, international pedigrees that do not carry at least one line of Spearmint in varying forms.

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pearmint was foaled on 6 April 1903 by Sir Tatton Sykes at his famous Sledmere Stud in Yorkshire. He was by Carbine out of the Minting mare, Maid Of The Mint. Maid of the Mint was unraced. Her sire, Minting, was by Stockwell's Triple Crown winning son Lord Lyon, out of Mint Sauce, a daughter of Young Melbourne.

Maid Of The Mint was a half-sister to Wargrave by Carbine who had won the Cesarewitch Handicap. It was the family of Speculum who had won the Goodwood Handicap, and the female line also saw the presence of One Thousand Guineas winner, Preserve.

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ir Sykes was by then an elderly man, but was still on the lookout for a good young mare. While at the Duke of Portland’s Welbeck Abbey Stud to check on two mares who were to be covered by St Simon and Carbine, he inquired after a mare. Stud groom, John Huby, told of a mare in residence owned by Sir James Duke that was in the paddock and might serve his purpose. Despite the poor weather, Sir Sykes went to the paddocks to inspect her and decided that he must have her. Sir James Duke put a high fee on Maid Of The Mint of £1500 on her, with a further £500 more to be paid if her recent cover to Carbine produced a colt. This was agreed to, and Sir Tatton duly paid the extra fee when the mare produced a fine bay colt with a blaze and a white sock on his left foreleg. The colt was to be sold as a yearling to Major Eustace Loder who had been impressed with him when he had seen him at Sledmere Stud. He had no hesitation in paying the bargain price of 300 guineas which reflected the lack of success that Carbine had in the UK to that time. He was sent into training with Peter Purcell-Gilpin at Clarehaven Lodge, Newmarket where he was known as "Tom." Spearmint had brought the lowest fee of any of the Sledmere draft of nine yearlings at the sale where the rest of their yearlings averaged 1200 guineas.

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ajor Loder was the eighth son of Sir Robert Loder, the first baronet, and was born in May 1867. He was to study at both Eton and Trinity College at Cambridge. Loder became one of the leading owners in the UK and was later to become a steward at the Turf Club and National Hunt Club in Ireland. He was also appointed to this role at the English Jockey Club in 1912. Major Loder was also the owner of one of the greatest mares of all, the wonderful Pretty Polly. In 1897 he purchased Eyrefield Stud at Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland from Henry Eyre Lind. He expanded and improved the property until it covered 300 acres and even boasted that all of the stables were lit by electricity. The Major died at only 47yo in 1914.

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pearmint’s 2yo career was interrupted by illness, and he did not have his first start until 15 July. He won the Great Foal Plate and Lingfield by a head. His next start at Derby saw him run second, two lengths behind Black Arrow. Spearmint

Major Eustace Loder - the owner of Spearmint.jpg

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then finished fourth in the Richmond Nursery. He carried top weight in what was to be his last start of the season. The colt was only considered third best juvenile in the stable behind Admirable Crichton who was a full brother to Pretty Polly, and the filly Flair. Nonetheless, he was entered for the Derby although some suggested it was to play the role of pacemaker for his stablemate.

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n the off season, and given that Carbine’s progeny were noted over more ground, it was decided to aim Spearmint towards the two mile Grand Prix de Paris, a race that had not been won by an English horse since Minting, Spearmint’s damsire in 1886. The 1906 racing season saw the colt Admirable Crichton disappoint and he dropped out of Derby contention for the stable. Champion filly, Flair impressively won the One Thousand Guineas, but less than a month before the Derby she suffered a serious leg injury ruling her out of contention. This left Spearmint as the only Gilpin entry for the Derby, and given that he was in preparation for the French race, it needed only slight modification in his work to get him ready for the new challenge. Gilpin organised a private trial with Loder’s two star mares, Pretty Polly and Hammerkop over 1.5 miles, with the colt proving superior. When details of the trial became public, Spearmint’s odds tumbled from 20/1 to 11/2 and he eventually started the 6/1 second favourite behind Lally at 4/1.

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he Derby was held on 30 May, and Spearmint was ridden by American jockey Danny Maher in the field of 21. Despite missing the top filly, Flair, it was reported to be an unusually strong field for the Derby that year and perhaps the fine weather played a part. Spearmint sweated freely before the race in the warm weather. Picton and Troutbeck swapped the lead throughout the early stages, with

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Spearmint settling handy. At the 400m, Maher asked Spearmint for his effort, and he surged to the front, running away to win by a comfortable 1.5 lengths from Picton with Troutbeck a further two lengths back in third. To stamp his quality, Spearmint covered the mile and a half of the Derby in a record time of 2.36.8, a time that was matched by the champion Pretty Polly when she won the Coronation Cup the day later. The time had bettered the record set a year earlier by Cicero by 2.8 seconds, and for Maher, it was his third Derby win in four years having won on Cicero (1905) and Rock Sand (1903).

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nly eleven days later Spearmint lined up for the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. Maher did not make the trip and Spearmint was ridden by Irish jockey Bernard Dillion. A field of 13 faced Spearmint which included the French Derby winner, Maintenon, but the quality of the English colt ensured that he started a hot favourite at 10/9 on. Dillon took Spearmint to the front to ensure that the French jockeys could not interrupt his run. The jockey described Spearmint as “the gamest horse I think I was ever on,” as Spearmint was never seriously challenged winning by a half-length from the outsider Bisecoeur with Storm in third. Surprisingly the champion colt received a warm welcome from the French crowd. Major Loder was personally congratulated by French President Armand Fallieres who also visited the colt in the racecourse stables. Returning from France, Spearmint was lucky to escape a train accident near Amiens suffering only slight bruising to his head. The colt however suffered leg issues following his win and was withdrawn from his engagements for the rest of the season.

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pearmint returned to training as a 4yo in 1907 but the leg issues kept reappearing.

It became clear that he would not stand up to further racing and he was retired to stud at Loder’s where he commanded a fee of 250 guineas in a time when the war severely impacted thoroughbred prices. Spearmint however was not necessarily considered the greatest success at stud with a reputation for some unsoundness in his progeny. His owner, Major Loder once is reported to have refused an offer of 50,000 guineas for his champion.

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The first feature of the pedigree is that Spearmint’s dam, Maid Of The Mint, saw two prominent lines of Stockwell who also is present in the pedigree of Carbine. Stockwell is a son of the famed mare, Pocahontas who we see also appears as the dam of King Tom in Maid Of The Mint’s pedigree. Five lines of the stallion Touchstone appear in the first six generations of Spearmint’s pedigree. Orlando, a son of Touchstone, also appears three times in the pedigree. Stallions Pantaloon and Melbourne also are duplicated in the pedigree. Overall, at 14.45%, the pedigree of Spearmint is relatively heavily inbred, and the lack of sex-balancing within it may have contributed to not only his unsoundness, but also to that of many of his progeny.

SPEARMINT AT STUD

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pearmint was hardly a sensation at stud, but he was a remarkably good stallion.

His enduring legacy though most likely outshines anything his progeny did on the track. Spearmint produced classic winners in three countries with Spion Kop repeating his sire’s effort of winning the English Derby in 1920. Spearmint produced two Irish Derby winners in Zionist and Spike Island. One of his wonderful daughters was Fausta who won the Italian Oaks and Italian Derby for his owner, the legendary breeder Federico Tesio. Fausta was bought by Tesio as a yearling and proved the best of her generation in Italy winning nine races and being placed four times in 14 starts. Rather remarkably at stud she was to produce three Italian Derby winners, all full brothers by Signorino, in Michelangelo, Melozzo da Forli, and Meissonier.

His progeny were to have success across the world with Johren winning the 1918 Belmont Stakes in the US, while another son, Cyklon was sent to Australia to race where he won nine stakes races.

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pearmint died of colic on June 24, 1924 aged 21. He was buried near the main residence at Eyrefield Lodge. In later years, his son Spion Kop and stablemate Pretty Polly were buried alongside him. e have chosen a selection of Spearmint’s daughters to highlight, all of which have played an important role in the thoroughbred over the years. Naturally, there are many more who we have not found room for.

Spearmint’s dam Maid Of The Mint

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THIS EDITION

Addenda Armorial Ensign Bathing Girl Catnip Document Drax Entanglement

TURF MONTHLY 10

La Douairiere Madam Spearmint Sentiment Plucky Liege Seaweed Silesia

Addenda Addenda was bred by Major Loder and while she did little on the track, her progeny proved to be top class racehorses in Australia. She was a daughter of the Saraband mare, Admiration making her a half-sister to Pretty Polly who was to win 14 stakes races and become a foundation of a dynasty. Addenda produced two stakes winners here, and her best was Silvius who was purchased by Sir Sidney Kidman in England as a yearling for 1750 guineas. Due to the war, bloodstock prices in the UK were at record lows, and many wealthy Australians were looking there for quality thoroughbreds. Silvius won three stakes races in 1927 in the Moonee Valley Cup, CB Fisher Plate and Melbourne Stakes. He ran second to the good colt Trivalve in the Melbourne Cup of that year, having started the 3/1 favourite and being beaten a length having led at the 200m mark. Trivalve, the VRC Derby winner, was a son of Cyklon who in turn was a son of Spearmint. Silvius went on to beat the champion Amounis in the CB Fisher Plate on the last day of the Flemington carnival. He was retired to Widden Stud in 1928 and went on to become a good stallion, producing the likes of Queensland Cup winner, Arboreal, Queensland Derby and Cup winner, Braeburn and his best son, Sylvandale who won eight stakes races including both the VRC and AJC St Legers, the VRC King’s Plate and the Australian Cup.

Silvius winning the 1927 Melbourne Stakes

Armorial Ensign Armorial Ensign was born in 1914 and was out of the Velasquez mare, Portrait.

Portrait was a daughter of Orion out of Dubai, making her a half-sister to Sweet Briar who was to produce Sun Briar who was foaled in France but went to the US to win the 1918 Travers Stakes before going to stud. Armorial Design produced one stakes winner in Bar Sinister, a chestnut daughter of Bachelor’s Double who won the Falmouth Stakes in 1925. Her line was eventually to lead to an Irish bred mare called Princess Ru by Princely Gift, a son of Nasrullah. Princess Ru produced two stakes winners in Princess Tracy by Ahoonora who won the Phoenix Sprint Stakes and Ballyroan Stakes in Ireland and Trasi Girl who won the 1970 National Stakes. A full sister to Princess Ru was also to produce two stakes winning sons in Bletchley Park by Caerleon and Shalford by Thatching who both came to Australia to stand at stud with some success. Bletchley Park stood in WA and produced 23 stakes winners in that State, but oddly none had success in the east. Princess Tracy though was to come to Australia where she played an important role in the development of our breed especially during the 1990’s. In Ireland, she had produced Topasannah who went to South Africa to win a stakes race, and Humour who was also to come to Australia where she had some success as a broodmare producing two stakes winners in Fatal Attraction and Happy Morning. Coming to Australia, Princess Tracy produced seven named foals with her first being Tracey’s Element by Last Tycoon. She was sent to South Africa where she won four G1 races and then TURF MONTHLY 11

returned home to go to stud where she proved a similar success. She produced Red Element by Red Ransom who won two Listed races in Melbourne before going to stud with limited success. It was a sister to Red Element in Typhoon Tracy who was to prove superior, winning six G1 races among her nine stakes victories including two CF Orr Stakes. At stud, she produced only one foal in Last Typhoon by Street Cry who went to stud for only four seasons before also dying young.

Princess Tracy’s second foal in Australia was the son of Danehill in Danasinga who proved a wonderful racehorse and later stallion in NZ. Danasinga won four stakes races including the 1996 Stradbroke Handicap and at stud produced 32 stakes winners. Among these were horses like G1 winners Metal Bender, winner of the Rosehill Guineas, Randwick Guineas, Doomben Cup, George Ryder, Hollindale Stakes and Warwick Stakes, and Portland Singa who won the Brisbane Cup, Ipswich Cup and Caloundra City Cup. After Danasinga, Princess Tracy produced Scribbling

by Palace Music who was to go on to produce two stakes winners in Prince Arthur and Prince Of War. Another filly by Last Tycoon followed and was called Urge To Merge. This filly did little on the track but was also to produce two stakes winners who were incidentally both G1 winners. Master Of Design by Redoute’s Choice won the ATC TJ Smith Stakes and Theo Marks Stakes before going to stud in 2012 and he now stands at Eden Park Stud in Victoria. He has produced Greyworm who won the 2020 ATC Hall Mark Stakes and The Mitigator winner of the 2020 Thorndon Mile and 2019 Eagle Technology Stakes in NZ. Urge To Merge also produced Suntagonal

by Octagonal who went to South Africa to win the Premier's Champion Stakes and Protea Stakes. Daughters of Urge To Merge have also produced stakes winners in Assail by Charge Forward and Traces by Snippets who also won in South Africa.

Another covering by Last Tycoon produced Towkay who won the CS Hayes Stakes in Melbourne before going to stud in NZ where he produced 11 stakes winners.

Princess Tracy’s last two foals were both by Danehill. Cullen won the Blue Diamond Preview and Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield before also going to stud in NZ where he produced two stakes winners. The last was Danehill Star who won five of his 21 starts around SE Qld and retired with earnings of a little more than $70,000. He had four seasons at stud without success and was sold to India in 2007.

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Bathing Girl

War Admiral

Bathing Girl was out of the Sundridge mare, Summer Girl. She had been unraced but American Walter Jeffords bought the mare for $4000 in foal to Harry Of Hereford, a full brother to Swynford. Jeffords owned Faraway Farm which stood the champion racehorse and stallion Man o’War. He had purchased Bathing Girl with the specific idea of sending her to Man o’War who was to serve his first season in 1921. Her first foal was produced when she arrived in the US and was named Annette K in honour of the famous Australian swimmer, Annette Kellerman. Annettte K was unplaced at her only start but was purchased by Samuel Riddle who owned Man o’War. She was to become a successful broodmare in her own right producing War Glory by that stallion who won six stakes races. It was her daughter Brushup that was to immortalise this line of the family. Brushup was by Sweep, and when mated with Man o’War produced War Admiral, the US Triple Crown winner of 1937. He was to become the fourth Triple Crown winner, and his career included 13 stakes wins.

Interestingly, War Admiral shared few characteristics of his famous sire. He stood at only 15.3 hands against the imposing 16.2 of his sire. He also carried the dark brown colouring of his dam who, at under 15 hands was also no doubt responsible for his size. This led to the War Admiral sometimes being known as the Mighty Atom, although more frequently he was just called “The Admiral.” One thing he may well have inherited from his sire was a wilful temper which was displayed predominantly by his dislike for the starting stalls. Away from the races, the colt was much more relaxed noted for taking long naps.

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On the track, War Admiral won only three of his six starts as a 2yo but was highly regarded being rated only seven pounds below the champion 2yo of the season, Pompoon. War Admiral won his first two races as a 3yo including the Chesapeake Stakes. Riddle had not nominated Man o’War for the Kentucky Derby as he felt the distance was too much for that age so early in the season. He also did not like racing outside of New York and Maryland, but fatefully he made an exception with War Admiral. He was sent out as the favourite for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and delayed the start for some time as he refused to enter the starting stalls.

War Admiral jumped to the front and was never headed beating Pompoon by almost 2 lengths. The Preakness Stakes two weeks later saw War Admiral again acting up at the start. He went to the lead immediately but had trouble negotiating the turns running wide on the last allowing Pompoon to join him on the inside.

The two had a sterling duel down the straight with War Admiral winning narrowly TURF MONTHLY 14

by a head. The colt faced six others in the Belmont Stakes and started as the 5/4 on favourite. Again he was at his worst at the start, delaying the race for eight minutes.

War Admiral stumbled upon leaving the stalls and was later found to have stuck his off front in the incident as he returned to scale covered in blood from a gaping wound. Onlookers could not have known this in the run as he won effortlessly by three lengths in a time that equalled the US record for the mile and a half and bettered his sire’s race record by 0.2 seconds.

The injury kept him out of racing until October and War Admiral won three more races for the season, taking his tally as a 3yo to 8 wins from 8 starts. He was elected Champion 3yo and narrowly beat the older Seabiscuit for the title of Horse Of The Year. As a 4yo, War Admiral returned to win four straight races before failing on a heavy track in the Massachusetts Handicap finishing fourth, the only unplaced run of his career. He then continued his winning run by winning the Wilson Stakes, Saratoga and Whitney Handicaps, and the Saratoga Cup. War Admiral then won the Belmont Park’s Jockey Club Special Gold Cup over two miles (3200m) on 1 October 1938 before he finally lined up against the great Seabiscuit. For a variety of reasons, the two had never met but this was to change a month later in a match race between the two in the Pimlico Special. No starting gates were used, so it was thought that the greater early speed of War Admiral would have seen him lead easily. Seabiscuit’s trainer had other ideas and had worked hard to get the horse to bolt at the sound of the starting bell. This meant that Seabiscuit had the advantage of leading and never surrendered it, eventually winning by four lengths and beating the track record over the one and three-sixteenths trip (1900m). War Admiral bounced back to win the Rhode Island Handicap, and in his only start as a 5yo, an Allowance race at Hialeah before injury finished his career. In all War Admiral won 21 of his 26 starts.

At stud he was to become a very good stallion, winning the US Champion Sires title in 1945, and was the leading juvenile sire in 1948. He stood at Faraway Stud until 1958 when the executors of Riddle’s Estate sold the remaining portion of the farm. He was moved to Hamburg Place but died the following year. Among the top horses he produced were Blue Peter, Bee Mac, Navy Page, Cold Command, and Admiral Vee. His daughters though were to extend his legacy including champion filly and Horse of the Year Busher and Striking who won the Schuylerville Stakes.

She became one of America’s greatest broodmares and can still be found in the tail line of horses like Boucher, Smarty Jones, Rhythm, Mutakddin, Woodman, and Monashee Mountain. War Admiral was the Leading broodmare sire of 1962 and 1964 and his name appears in the pedigree of the last four Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, American Pharoah and Justify, as well as other champions like Cigar and Zenyatta.

Bathing Girl also produced Seaplane for Walter Jeffords. Seaplane’s daughter Dinner Time by High Time produced the champion colt, Eight Thirty. He was owned by George D Widener Jr and bred by his Erdenheim Farm. Widener is one of only five people ever named an Exemplar of Racing in the US Racing Hall Of Fame.

Eight Thirty was raced in the Eastern states of the US and was not entered for the 3yo classic races. In all Eight Thirty was to win thirteen stakes races including the Whitney Stakes, Travers Stakes and US Metropolitan. He was to become a good stallion producing 44 stakes winners and was himself inducted in the US Racing Hall Of Fame in 1994. A son of Eight Thirty in Bolero appears in the female line of the remarkable US stallion, Storm Cat who continues to play an important role across the world.

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Catnip

Nearco

Catnip was another daughter of Spearmint bred by Major Eustace Loder. Her dam was the US-bred Sibola by The Sailor Prince, a stallion who had been bred in the UK. Sibola had raced in England wining the One Thousand Guineas and running second to Musa in the 1899 Epsom Oaks. Catnip though was a small unimpressive filly who managed one minor win from only ten starts. Loder bred her to Cock-aHoop, a brother to Pretty Poly and sent her to the Newmarket sale in December 1915. With the shadow of war hanging heavily over Europe, bloodstock prices were depressed and Catnip attracted little interest from buyers. An astute Italian breeder was looking to establish a stud near Lake Maggiore in the Lombardy region that he had named Dormello Stud. His name was Federico Tesio, and the sunny climate was appreciated by the mare as she blossomed into one of his foundation matrons for the famed stud.

Her first foal for Tesio was Nera di Bicci by Tracery who was to win eight races for her breeder. She was to go on to produce the Italian Oaks winner, Neroccia. Another daughter in Nella Da Gubbio by Grand Parade, a son of Orby, was to go to Germany and produce an unbeaten daughter called Nereide who won the 1936 German Derby which was an especially important time in German racing due to WWII. She was to go on to be mated with one of Germany’s greatest stallions in Oleander to produce the wonderful Nordlicht who won the 1944 German and Austrian Derbies. He had been bred by the Gestut Erlenhof, and like many studs, tried to stop the Americans from taking their best horses at the end of the war. Nordlicht had been hidden in a remote outbuilding while the owners tried to pass off other stock as their best thoroughbreds. The Allies by that stage were experienced in that tactic, and when Nordlicht was discovered, the groom was reported as saying, “Well you have the best now. That is Nordlicht, the finest horse in all Europe."

Nordlicht was sent to the US where he was eventually auctioned in Virginia for $20,300. He was purchased by a syndicate that included William D Pawley of Belvoir Farm. Unfortunately, Nordlicht produced only a few minor stakes winners and was TURF MONTHLY 16

later sold to the La Branche Plantation in St Rose, Louisiana where he died as a 27yo in 1968. His moderately performed brother Nuvolari remained in Europe and had significantly more success with his daughter, Oranien leaving the wonderful stallion, Orsini by Ticino.

Interestingly it was another son of Ticino in Neckar who was to become one of Germany’s greatest stallions. He had been an impressive racehorse winning six of his nine starts including the German Derby and French Prix de Chantilly. Neckar went on to become six time champion sire in Germany dominating breeding in that country during the 1960’s. Neckar’s fourth dam was Nera di Bicci. Neckar continues to play a role in the modern thoroughbred appearing commonly through descendants like Star Way who can be found in the pedigree of Encosta De Lago, the US stallion Distant View, and the champion German sire, Monsun.

Tesio retained another daughter of Nera di Bicci in Nuvolona by Hurry On who was to win three stakes races in Italy. She was to produce Navarro by Michelangelo who won eight stakes races for Tesio and was to go on to become the leading broodmare sire in Italy. Navarro is perhaps most readily found in modern pedigrees through the good US horse Hennessy by Storm Cat. Despite this success, it was another daughter of Catnip that was to be one of Tesio’s masterpieces. Her name was Nogara and she was by the French stallion, Havesac.

Nogara was an outstanding race filly winning 14 of her 18 starts including the Criterium Nazionale as a 2yo and the Italian One Thousand and Two Thousand Guineas at three. But it was in the breeding barn that Nogara and Tesio were to change the shape of the thoroughbred. It was her colt by Pharos called Nearco who was to be unbeaten in his 14 starts and was to go on to dominate world breeding to this day in many ways. It is likely that no modern thoroughbred does not have at least one line of Nearco in their pedigree and of course he was the grand sire of the great Northern Dancer who dominates so many pedigrees. His full brother Niccolo dell’Arco was also an important influence, often when crossed with Nearco in a pedigree, but his name is now almost forgotten alongside his more famous brother.

Neckar.

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Document This Spearmint daughter was out of the Ayrshire mare, Doctrine who had won the Coronation Stakes over a mile in 1902. Document was not a great success but one of her daughters, Beneficiary by Happy Man, a grandson of Desmond, was to be sent to Australia where she produced four stakes winners. Interestingly, all four won only one stakes race each with Codicil winning the 1947 AJC Anniversary Handicap, Gay Romance, the 1937 AJC Gimcrack Stakes, Matinee, the 1934 VATC Debutante Stakes and Trustee, the 1941 Port Adelaide Sires Produce Stakes. Surprisingly it was none of these that was to ensure the long term success of this line of Spearmint in Australia.

Deserve by Enfield, an Irish bred son of Winalot, produced moderate performers.

She was to produce a daughter called Genvetor by Beau Cheval who was mated with Better Boy to give us Eloquent who produced the 1981 WA Oaks winner, Badinage.

A half-sister to Badinage in Approvetor by Approval was purchased by the Peter’s family who bred Congressman by Ksar who won the Herbert Power and Moondah Plate at Caulfield in 1988. She also produced Raffett by Raffindale who went to NSW to produce a daughter called Skating by At Talaq who was to be one of the top fillies of her generation winning the 1993 AJC Doncaster Handicap, Surround Stakes, Light Fingers Stakes and Silver Shadow Stakes and the STC Winfield Classic and Sweet Embrace Stakes. At stud she produced three stakes winners in Magic Millions winner, Bradbury’s Luck, Skyline Stakes and Breeders’ Plate winner, Murtajill and AJC June Stakes winner, Sunset Run. Both Bradbury’s Luck and Murtajill went on to successful careers at stud while daughters of Skating like Skates by Danehill have produced stakes winners including the Golden Slipper winner by Medaglia D’Oro in Vancouver who has become a popular stallion at Coolmore.

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Rimfire winning the Cup

Another daughter of Document in Mizar by Great Star, an imported son of Sunstar, was to produce two stakes winners in Better Law by Landlaw who won the VATC Burwood Handicap, and Rimfire who was to make his mark in the 1948 Melbourne Cup. Rimfire is derided by many as an upset winner of the Cup, saluting at an official price of 80/1, but the story of Rimfire’s win is important for racing historians and we look at this horse in more detail a little later. Nevertheless, this line of Spearmint looks set to continue his influence well into the future.

Rimfire is derided by many as an upset winner of the Cup, saluting at an official price of 80/1, but the story of Rimfire’s win is important for racing historians.

Rimfire was by Enfield, a son of Winalot, who was a good stallion and most notable for his son, Aldershot. The colt was owned and bred by Mr HG Raymond, a VRC Committeeman, and the owner of the famed St Albans Stud which he had purchased in 1926. Rimfire had only one start as a 2yo, in the Maribyrnong Trial won by Nestor, but was unplaced. As a 3yo, he competed at good levels, placing in the Lowan, Somerton and Bagot Handicaps before winning his first race on 12 January 1946 in the Bennett Plate over 2000m at Moonee Valley. Despite having nineteen starts as at that age, this was to be his only win. Mr Raymond and his trainer, Stan Boyden did not lose confidence in the horse’s ability, and as a 4yo he had his second start in the 1946 Cox Plate. The race was won by Flight with Rimfire a moderate eleventh. An eighth in the Hotham Handicap was followed by running 22nd in a field of 35 in Russia’s Melbourne Cup. In the Autumn, Rimfire was taken to Sydney, and after two unplaced runs broke through for his second win in the Tatt’s Cup at Randwick at 20/1. A third in the Rosehill Cup was followed by a trip to Brisbane where Rimfire ran third behind Blue Boots in the Brisbane Cup. The following Spring saw him stay in Sydney with little success, and it was not until 31 March 1948 that he was again in the winner’s circle in a City Handicap at Randwick.

Returning to Melbourne to round off his season, he finished eighth at Flemington but then won at Moonee Valley, ran third in consecutive runs at Flemington, and then won again at Moonee Valley when ridden by Harold Badger.

Rimfire’s Jockey Ray Neville (centre) clebrates his 16th birthday the day after the Cup

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As a 6yo, Rimfire was eighth in the Stand Handicap behind Royal Scot at Flemington over 2600m, and then fifth over the same course and distance in the Hotham Handicap behind Howe. It was then to the Melbourne Cup where few punters saw much in Rimfire’s form to warrant their support. Harold Badger was on the Hotham winner, Howe who started the 7/4 favourite having also won the Moonee Valley Cup, Herbert Power, and finished an unlucky second in the Caulfield Cup. One of Australia’s best jockeys, Badger was having his last ride in the Cup, a race that had eluded him. Old Rimfire had to be content with the services of an apprentice jockey Ray Neville who was only 16yo and had only taken out a licence some two months before. The boy from rural Birchip in Victoria’s Mallee had ridden a total of nine races in his career. Neville was a good boxer, but never rode another city winner after Rimfire. In fact, he gave up riding for a time, but did return briefly the following year when he rode Jack Tar to win a Maiden at Horsham in February. It was revealed after the race that Rimfire was suffering badly with joint pain before the race. Stan Boyden had spent much of the night before the race applying hot and cold bandages on Rimfire’s legs to just get him to the post. The day after the Cup, Boyden scratched Rimfire from all other Spring engagements saying that it would be a long time before he raced again. In fact, it was to be January 1950 before Rimfire was back at the races. He had only four more starts with his best result being a third over 2600m at Flemington before he was retired to a comfortable paddock at St Albans Stud. As one final interesting point, Stan Boyden had been the driver of the float the took Phar Lap from St Albans Stud to run in the 1930 Melbourne Cup after having been in hiding.

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Drax Drax was a daughter of Spearmint out of the Sunstar mare, Suncroft. Her dam, Miramonde by Desmond was a half-sister to Major Loder’s great mare Pretty Polly. Drax was purchased by Mr GM Currie of the famed Koatanui stud in New Zealand which was home to the top stallion Limond. Here Drax produced the very good horse Spiral by that stallion. Spiral won the New Zealand St Leger and Manawatu Cup and stood at the same stud following the death of his sire. Spiral was to produce only three stakes winners in Barrage (Feilding Jubilee Cup), Scutate (WA Metropolitan Handicap), and Sublime (NZ Oaks and Eulogy Stakes) but his daughters created numerous important lines.

Among the horses that find a daughter of Spiral in their female line are champions like Sacred Kingdom, Red Handed, Bonecrusher, Lovely Jubly and her son, Chautauqua, Drax also produced a full sister to Spiral called Dynasty who won the Wanganui Cup and Taranaki Centennial Cup. Drawl produced Sona by Ringmaster whose progeny included the Fernhill Handicap winner, Eastern Song. This line was to lead to a mare called Rosehill by Test Case who produced three stakes winners. Lavender Hill by Sovereign Edition won the Cuddle Stakes in NZ but was also to leave two stakes winners in Khamacruz (1986 VATC Schweppes Cup) and Snow Chief (1989 STC Winter Handicap). Rosie’s Girl by Zamazaan won the Waikato Guineas, Great Northern Oaks, and Avondale Championship Stakes and also produced a stakes winner in Lord Westminster who won the 1990 Duke of Norfolk Stakes and 1987

Gibson Carmichael Stakes. Rosie’s Girl continues to have descendants winning good races with horses like German Chocolate (2007 STC Premiere Stakes and Missile Stakes) and Daunting Lad (Lightning Handicap and Dr John Power Handicap) keeping the line going. The third of Rosehill’s stakes winners was most likely her best in the excellent galloper Prince Ruling by Ruling who won the 1980 Tulloch Stakes and Lintlithgow Stakes and the 1981 George Ryder Stakes and Chipping Norton Stakes. He also went to stud with limited success with his only stakes winner being Prince Anton who was a top juvenile in Brisbane winning the 1987 BATC Coca Cola Bottlers' Classic, Queensland Stakes and QTC Ascot Flying Handicap.

Another daughter of Drawl in Clynder by Balloch produced Clochmerle by Rousseau’s Dream who was the dam of Herminia who won the 1974 VRC St Leger and both the Brisbane Cup and West End Draught Stakes in Adelaide the following year. Clynder also produced Kia U by Khorassan who left two stakes winners in Kia Maia (Manawatu Cup, Auckland Cup, Waikato Gold Cup) and Kia Marea (Royal Stakes, Lady Norrie Stakes, Thompson Handicap, Easter Handicap Stakes and Champion Stakes Handicap). Perhaps most importantly Clynder produced Patronia by Patron Saint who went on to produce two stakes winners in Drought (Caulfield Stakes, Peter Pan Stakes and Gloaming Stakes) and Salcantay (Dulcify Quality Handicap and BATC Chairman's Handicap). Drought was to go to stud in Western Australia where he had limited success.

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Entanglement Entanglement is another daughter of Spearmint who had considerable success over time. Her family had been quite moderately performed since her fourth dam Mayonaise had won the 1859 One Thousand Guineas. It did not seem that a mating with Spearmint did all that much to improve the fortunes of the family until her daughter, Lady Lawless by Son In Law produced the Irish Oaks winner Uvira in 1941. Uvira went to the US where she produced Francis U who won five stakes races in the 1960’s including the important Donn Handicap as well as Noble Impulse who won four stakes races. Uvira also produced a daughter called Missy Baba by My Babu who went on to become one of the most important US broodmares of the twentieth century. She was bred by Michael G Phipps, a cousin of the legendary US breeder Ogden Phipps. Michael was an accomplished horseman in his own right and was posthumously elected to the US Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame. Missy Baba was to produce three stakes winners in Gay Missile, Master Bold, and her best son, Raja Baba. Raja Baba went on to win seven of his 41 starts and $123,287 in stakes. He went to stud in at Hermitage Farm in Kentucky where he lived to the good old age of 34. Raja Baba was an outstanding sire winning the Leading Sire title in the US in 1980. Among his best performers were Sacahuista who won the US Breeders Cup Turf and later left the good racehorse and stallion Ekraar who stood in NZ, and Is It True who won the Breeders Cup Juvenile and stood at stud in Western Australia.

While Raja Baba was the best son of Missy Baba, her daughter Gay Missile was to play an even more important role in breeding. She had won ten of 40 races including the G1 Ashland Stakes and at stud was to produce four stakes winners. Among these was the champion Gay Mecene by Vaguely Noble who won four stakes event in France and went on to become an outstanding stallion in that country. Among his best runners was the filly Balbonella who won five major races in the US and France and later, when mated with Danzig, produced a top class son in Anabaa who stood at stud in Australia with great success. Anabaa won the July Stakes at Ascot as well as races in France, and produced runners like Anacheeva, Virage de Fortune and Yell in Australia and the champion French mare, Goldikova.

Gay Missile also produced the stakes winning mare, Lassie Dear by Buckpasser who was to become perhaps an even more successful broodmare than her dam. Lassie Dear produced three important stakes winners. The last was Foxhound by Danzig who won in France and became a good stallion even shuttling to Australia where he produced Golden Fox among other good horses. The second of the mare’s stakes winners was Wolfhound by Nureyev who won stakes races in France and Britain and became a good stallion in France. The first of her stakes winners was no doubt her most important as she produced Weekend Surprise by Secretariat. Weekend Surprise won two Group3 races in the US but at stud ensured the success of the line.

She produced the excellent horse, Summer Squall who won the 1990 Preakness Stakes, and whose son Postponed was to become a good sire in NZ, and another good horse in Eavesdropper by Kingmambo who was to stand at stud in Australia.

Her other stakes winner though was AP Indy by Seattle Slew who won four stakes races in the USA Belmont Stakes, Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Derby and Hollywood Futurity. At stud AP Indy was to become one of the world’s leading stallions producing horses like Bernardini who won six stakes races including the 2006 Preakness and shuttled to Australia where he gave us horses like Boban, Toydini and Go Indy Go.

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La Douairiere

La Douairiere was arguably the best broodmare daughter produced by Spearmint, at least in the short term. She was out of a mare called Dormouse by The White Knight who in turn was out of Craigie by Orvieto. Craigie was a half-sister to Rozelle by Adventurer who won the 1882 Coronation Stakes. She belonged to the Aga Khan who bred two sons, one by Blandford in Bulandshar, and another by Blenheim called Le Grand Duc. Bulandshar won the Chester Vase and was placed in the Union Jack Stakes, Newmarket Stakes and St Leger Trial in only 12 starts all at the highest level. He was sold to Frank Ormond of Karamu Stud in New Zealand and arrived in that country in 1934. His first crop saw him produce the top horse, High Caste who won four of his first five race starts in NZ and was then purchased

by Sydney meat tycoon, HE “Harry’ Tancred and did the remainder of his racing in Australia. He won his first three starts in Melbourne for Tancred and these included the VRC Sires’ Produce and Ascot Vale Stakes. High Syce ran fourth at his first start in Sydney at 7/4 on before then being beaten at 9/4 on in the Sires’ Produce. Punters that stuck by him though were rewarded when he won the Champagne Stakes at his last 2yo start at the seemingly generous odds of 5/2.

As a 3yo, High Caste won 11 of his 21 starts including victories in the Hobartville Stakes, Rosehill Guineas, Craven Plate, Caulfield Guineas, Caulfield Stakes, Linlithgow Stakes, CB Fisher Plate, and the CF Orr Stakes. He also finished second in both the AJC Derby and VRC Derby, both times beaten by Reading, a horse he was to compete against on 29 occasions. High Caste came out ahead winning ten of these and Reading five.

The following year High Caste started 24 times for 10 wins and 9 placings. These successes included the Epsom, Caulfield Stakes, Linlithgow Stakes, CB Fisher Plate, Futurity, King’s Plate and CM Lloyd. In the Caulfield Stakes, High Syce equalled the track record in beating the great champion Ajax. He also twice finished second to another champion in Tranquil Star that season, in the Chipping Norton and St George Stakes.

His 5yo season saw High Syce win seven from 17 starts and he retired as the ninth highest stakes earner in Australian racing. His last appearance on a racetrack was at Rosehill in the All-Aged Plate on 11 April 1942 where he was to finish third behind

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High Caste

Yaralla. The day before he had been offered for sale at auction by William Inglis, but the last bid of 4500 guineas was not enough to convince Harry Tancred to part with the horse. Lionel Israel was to privately negotiate a sale of High Syce and the stallion began stud duties at Segenhoe Stud that season with a fee of 100 guineas.

He was a good stallion, if not an outstanding one, and sired stakes horses like High Jip (1950 VRC Newmarket), Highlea (1952 BATC Doomben Ten Thousand) and Sir Pilot (1954 STC Cup) while at Segenhoe. Israel was disappointed with the stallion though and at the end of the 1949-50 breeding season, he was leased to Tom Flynn’s Oakleigh Stud at Kerrabee. Among the best of his progeny at Oakleigh were Miss High Caste (1957 VRC Australian Cup) and Prince Kerdieil (1958 Canterbury Guineas).

High Syce had been trained by Jack Jamieson who announced his own retirement only a few days after his stable star. Harry Tancred was to retain his horses in the same stable that were taken over by the champion jockey, Maurice McCarten who was just beginning his training career. High Syce was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2012.

Bulandshar, the sire of High Syce, was found dead in his stall in August 1951 after a wonderful career that saw his progeny earn over £200,000 in stakes. In all he sired 26 stakes winners although the only other to win a stakes race in Australia apart from High Syce was the filly Brimful who won the 1939 Tasmanian Guineas.

Among his NZ stakes winners were Auckland Cup victors, Expanse, Frances, and Tesla. Bulandshar went on to become a prolific broodmare sire and his influence continues through multiple families in the Australian thoroughbred. Some of the great horses that trace back to a daughter of this stallion are Fairway (1999 Spring Champion Stakes, Gloaming and Peter Pan and the 2000 Canterbury Guineas and AJC Derby), Danzero (1994 Golden Slipper winner, top stallion and the sire of Fairway), Kingston Bay (1993 Chipping Norton and Canterbury Guineas), Victory Prince (1984 AJC Sires Produce winner and sire of champion Tierce), Bush Padre (2003 Doomben Cup winner), Burst (1992 2yo Triple Crown winner), and Red Tempo (Futurity, Newmarket and Memsie Stakes winner and good sire).

Le Grand Duc was also lightly raced, having won the New Stakes at Ascot as a 2yo, and finishing third in the English Derby behind Midday Sun. He was purchased

High Caste AJC Derby Finish

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for stud duties in Australia by Percy Miller who was the owner of the famed Kia Ora Stud. He proved a sound sire, often appearing near the top ten sires in the country. Among his stakes winners were horses like Aristocrat who won five stakes races including the AJC St Leger and the Randwick Plate, Iron Duke, winner of the VRC Sires Produce and Caulfield Guineas, and Sweet Chime who won the One Thousand Guineas and VRC Oaks. Le Grand Duc also made his biggest impact through his daughters. Among the good horses that see a daughter of Le Grand Duc in their tail female line are High Society (1961 Doomben Cup), Mode (1971 Grand Prix Stakes, Qld Oaks, 1972 Brisbane Cup), Alf (1998 AJC Sires Produce) and Brewery Boy (1981 SA and VRC Derby winner). Arguably the best horse that has Le Grand Duc in her pedigree was Evening Peal. She won eight stakes races in total and her win in the Canterbury Cup in March 1957 made her the highest stakes earning mare in history, overtaking the champions Flight and Tranquil Star.

As a 3yo in 1955, Evening Peal won the VRC Wakeful Stakes and VRC Oaks before venturing to Brisbane to take out the Qld Oaks. The following season in Sydney she won the Frederick Clissold Stakes and Adrian Knox Stakes, but it was her win in the 1956 Melbourne Cup for which she is best remembered.

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Evening Peal set a number of records in the Cup of that year, but almost never made it to the race. Her owners, Rex White and his wife, wanted to scratch the mare suggesting that they thought she could not beat the red hot favourite, champion galloper, Redcraze. Evening Peal had finished second to that horse in the Metropolitan at Randwick beaten by three lengths when in receipt of 20 pounds (9kg). In their next meeting in the Caulfield Cup, Evening Peal again ran second to Redcraze, this time beaten by four lengths with a 25lb (11.5kg) advantage. After the Caulfield Cup, White told trainer Peter Lawson to scratch the mare and put her in a race in which she would not have to meet Redcraze. Lawson pointed out that was to carry 10.3 (65kg) in the Cup, which was another 7lbs more than he carried in the Caulfield Cup. In addition, he had to give Evening Peal 31lb (14.5kg) in the Melbourne Cup. The Whites were happy that they listened to their trainer as Evening Peal prevailed by a half-neck with George Moore’s mount, Caranna a further half-head away third. Moore always maintained that he should have won the race had his mount not been crowded by the winner in the last furlong.

While no doubt the Tommy Smith trained Redcraze was the best horse in the race, we cannot underestimate the performance of Evening Peal. She carried 8 0 (51kg) to create a weight carrying record for a mare in the Cup, beating the 7.9 (48.5kg) carried by Rivette when she won in 1939. Evening Peal also equalled Comic Court’s Australian record for the two miles by running 3.19.5. The mare was ridden by lightweight Sydney jockey, George Podmore and was his first and only success in the race.

Evening Peal returning to scale

Madam Spearmint This mare might seem like a very moderate daughter of Spearmint, but her legacy is one that we cannot let pass. Madam Spearmint was out of a mare called Guissel by the champion stallion, Cyllene. She was a half-sister to Littleton by Right Away who won the GB Trial Stakes over a mile in 1903. Our story changes little for a few generations until Stanley Wootton imported the Whistler daughter, Ballina to Australia in the early 1960’s. She was originally mated with Wootton’s champion Todman to produce a filly called Tobalina who was to produce Forina by Vibrant who was to win the 1974 Blue Diamond. Forina was mated with Biscay, another of the Wootton stallions and a son of the great Star Kingdom, to produce Biscarina. She was to win the 1982 Widden Stakes quite fittingly, but it was at stud that the mare was to ensure the legacy of this line of Spearmint. Biscarina produced two stakes winners. Her second was a Bluebird colt called Bialia who won the Flemington Rose, and went to stud with limited success producing only one stakes winner in Riley Redwing. The first stakes winner for Biscarina was a grey colt by Salieri who was called Schillaci who went on to become one of the greatest sprinters in the later part of the twentieth century.

Schillaci was purchased for $70,000 as a yearling by the Freedman brothers and Hall Of Fame trainer, Lee added the polish to the big grey. He did not race as a 2yo but first faced the starter on 22 October 1991 in an 1100m maiden at Kyneton as a 3yo. He won convincingly as the 11/8 on favourite. Freedman took him to Flemington for the Listed Laurent Perrier Stakes over 1400m for his next start but he found the step up in class and distance a little too much, finishing sixth behind Enjoy Dancing despite being sent out the 9/4 favourite. He then went to Sandown over 1000m where he equalled the track record in winning by 2.5 lengths. A spell ensued and Schillaci returned in the Autumn at Flemington for an ambitious tilt at the G1 Lightning Stakes. Remarkably, he beat Umatilla by 1.5 lengths at 7/1 at only his fourth race start. Schillaci then won the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket to complete the major sprint treble. Off to Sydney, the grey suffered defeat at his first start beaten a long head by Alishan in the Canterbury Stakes over 1200m. Schillaci went back to 1100m to win the G1 Galaxy by two lengths and then won the QTC Cup in Brisbane over 1200m. The gelding then was beaten into sixth behind Rough Habit in the 1992 Stradbroke over 1400m before heading to the spelling paddock.

Returning as a 4yo, Schillaci won the Moir Stakes before failing in the Linlithgow.

He then won the Rubiton Stakes over 1000m beating his own track record before going down by a half-head in course record time over the 1200m of the William Reid at Flemington. Schillaci then won four straight races in the Lighting Stakes,

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Futurity over 1400m, Stan Wootton Stakes, and George Ryder over 1500m. He then failed in the Doncaster over a mile, interestingly behind the good filly, Skating who also saw Spearmint play an important role in her pedigree.

Schillaci raced only five times as a 5yo but did not record a win. He was narrowly beaten in the Moir Stakes over 1000m at Moonee Valley by a short half-head to Sports Works. Keltrice also beat him by a half-neck in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington and he finished third behind Primacy and Deposition over 1400m in the Futurity in course record time. As a 6yo, Schillaci was to win only three of his twelve starts.

He won the Caulfield Sprint over 1100m before a couple of ordinary runs saw him have a break until the New Year. He returned to win the Rubiton Stakes over 1000m before running third in both the William Reid Stakes and CF Orr. He then had arguably his most famous win when he took out the G1 Futurity over 1400m for the second time. He carried 58kg over the unsuitable distance to beat Jeune by a long neck. He was placed in the Stanley Wootton before failing in the George Ryder on his way to Brisbane. He finished third, beaten a half-head by a short head in the Fosters Cup before finishing unplaced in the Qantas Cup in track record time.

Schillaci had his last race start on 10 June 1995 in the Stradbroke Handicap over 1400m at Eagle Farm. He carried 58kg and finished second, beaten by only a halflength by Rouslan again in course record time. In all, the gelding retired with 16 wins from 36 starts over $2.3 million in prizemoney. Schillaci suffered from degenerative hoof problems and cancerous tumours in retirement and was euthanized on 15 November 2001. Schillaci was buried at Anthony Freedman’s property at St Ives next to Mummify, another of the wonderful Freedman Brothers’ horses.

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Sentiment Spearmint had a daughter called Sentiment who was to change the very nature of Australia. She was a daughter of Flair who was by St Frusquin, a son of St Simon.

Flair had won the One Thousand Guineas and Middle Park Stakes and was a sister to Lesbia who won the Middle Park Stakes, Coronation Stakes and July Cup. A three quarter brother in Bright Steel came to Australia to race where he won the 1908 Oakleigh Plate. He was to go to stud with good success and was the sire of Scarlet who won the VRC Sires Produce, VRC Oaks and Sydney Cup, and Westcourt who won the 1917 Melbourne Cup. Other half-sisters to Flair were Lady Lightfoot who produced Prince Palatine, a champion English stayer who won six stakes races including twice winning the Ascot Gold Cup, and Menda who produced the top stallion Rossendale. Rossendale, also by St Frusquin, had good success in Ireland producing Oaks winner Ixia and One Thousand Guineas winner Lady Violette before coming to Australia to become an important influence. Among his best here were horses like Mapie who was a champion in WA and also won the 1928 Caulfield Cup, Rampion who was an outstanding horse winning both the AJC and VRC Derbies, and Winalot who won six major races in Sydney including the Sydney Cup, Rawson Stakes and Hill Stakes.

Sentiment produced a son by Radium called Night Raid who was purchased as a yearling by Douglas Pennant and Captain T Hogg. They then sold the colt to Mr P Keith of Sydney for 120 guineas and Night Raid came to Australia to race. After a moderate start to his career, he won a Maiden Plate at Canterbury Park (NSW) on 17 June 1922 when a 4yo under local conditions. Keith then sold Night Raid to a NSW studmaster, Mr AP Wade and the horse dead heated in a Chelmsford Handicap at the Sydney Tattersalls meeting. Night Raid had to survive a protest for interference to keep his share of the prize. Wade had the horse in training in preparation for a tilt at the Australian Cup when he broke down and was retired to stud. He served a limited number of mares in Australia, but Wade had the stallion on the market.

With such an outstanding pedigree, and a cheap price, he was inspected by many prospective purchasers including Mr William Thompson. Thompson was far from impressed with Night Raid, saying that he would not be acting fairly by his mares if he put such a narrow rumped, straight up-and-down stallion among them. Wade eventually sold Night Raid to Mr AF Roberts of Seadown Stud in Canterbury NZ for 800 guineas.

Phar Lap fourth in the Warwick Stakes TURF MONTHLY 29

Across the ditch, Night Raid flourished, and his first two crops produced the champions Nightmarch and Phar Lap who was to become an idol of two nations.

Wade attempted to buy back Night Raid, offering a reported £12,000 for him. By now, Roberts was stating publicly that Night Raid was not for sale at any price, and the stallion remained at Seadown until Roberts’ death in 1931. He was then leased to Elderslie Stud but when it was dispersed in 1939, the old stallion was practically retired from stud duties. Mrs Roberts then gifted Night Raid to John McDonald of Timaru who had looked after him since he had arrived at Seadown. Apparently, McDonald covered a few mares of his own with the stallion, but none achieved any success. The stallion died in November 1943.

Night Raid produced only 13 stakes winners with three of these being outstanding.

Nightmarch won the 18 stakes races including the 1929 Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup double, and was to become a good stallion. We have written about Nightmarch at length in a previous edition. Nightly was another son of Night March who went to stud after a distinguished career which saw him win seven stakes races including the NZ Derby, Canterbury Cup, Moonee Valley Cup and CB Fisher Plate. He produced five stakes winners including the NZ Cup winner, Jamell.

Night Raid holds a special place as the sire of the legendary Phar Lap, the greatest horse in Australian history. While we can argue his performances on the track, there is no doubt that his impact on Australian society will never be matched by another racehorse. So much has been written about Phar Lap that we could scarcely do justice to his great career so will not endeavour to. Readers can no doubt find volumes on the great champion if they wish to find out more. But there are a couple of issues that are worth at least touching on that are often missed in the retelling of the Phar Lap story that might be of interest.

First of all, little is ever written of his early starts. Phar Lap had five starts as a 2yo, with his first being on 23 February 1929. He finished last of 13 runners in a Nursery Handicap over 5.5 furlongs (1100m). The gelding carried 6.11 (43kg) in a race won a filly called Exact who carried 8.6 (53.5kg). Exact by Shillinglee was to later produce Precise

by Andrea who won a Villiers Stakes and Newcastle Cup. On the 2 March, Phar Lap improved to run seventh in a field of 16 again behind a filly, this time one called Sheila. Phar Lap carried 7.3 (46kg) giving two pounds to the filly in a 2yo Handicap at Hawkesbury back over the 5 furlongs (1000m). Two weeks later it was to Rosehill over 6 furlongs (1200m) in a Nursery Handicap. Phar Lap carried 8.2 (51.5kg) and was again unplaced this time behind My Talisman who carried 6.13 (44kg). Connections

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then stepped the gelding up to his first stakes race, the 7 furlong (1400m) Easter Stakes at Randwick. He never featured at any stage and finished eighth of eleven behind the exciting 2yo Carradale. Carradale was a good horse owned by LKS Mackinnon who had won the VRC Gibson Carmichael earlier in the year. He had put in a solid run at his previous start finishing fourth in the AJC Sires’ Produce as a 100/1 chance behind Nedda. Carradale was to later run second to Phar Lap in both the AJC and VRC Derbies. He was later sold to Keith Angas of Lindsay Park Stud in South Australia where he had limited success. In his last start as a 2yo, Phar Lap beat a field of 21 in a Juvenile Maiden over 6 furlongs (1200m) at Rosehill on 27 April 1929.

As a 3yo, Phar Lap returned again with indifferent form being unplaced in a field of 21 in the Open Denham Court Handicap over 6 furlongs (1200m) at Warwick Farm on 3 August. The race was won by Killarney who was a good galloper having won the QTC Ascot Handicap the year before. Next up it was a fourth placing behind dead-heaters King Crow and Firbolg in a 7 furlong event at Rosehill for 3yo’s. An eighth of 25 in a 3&4yo Handicap again over the same distance at Rosehill followed.

Connections though stepped him up to a mile in the Warwick Stakes at his next start when he put in a good run to finish fourth behind three top horses in Limerick, Mollison and Winalot, beaten around a length. Phar Lap was well and truly on the radar for the better races now and finished a strong second behind Mollison in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick over 9 furlongs (1800m). His next start saw him return to his own age group to win the Rosehill Guineas. He then won the AJC Derby, Craven Plate and Victoria Derby before running third to another son of Night Raid in Nightmarch in the Melbourne Cup. We all know what happened after that, but what is remarkable is the comparison of his form at distances beyond a mile as compared to his early form. How many owners over the years have lost patience in horses that have performed better than Phar Lap did in his early career?

An interesting addendum the career of Phar Lap was the campaign that was planned for him following his trip to the US, had the unthinkable not happened. Phar Lap was the talk of the racing world after leaving Australia. This comment from one of the best English jockeys of the time made to a newspaper prior to his start overseas makes some interesting observations and is a fitting tribute to the champion.

Ballidu-Wongan Budget (WA : 1927 - 1941), Saturday 5 March 1932, page 2

PHAR LAP. "Phar Lap is as impressive an animal as I have ever seen," said Steve Donoghue, the well-known English jockey. "Although I only inspected Phar Lap a week after landing, in a stall and walking, I was struck by the length of stride and easy paces. There is tremendous driving power in the hind legs, the quarters of which resemble English thoroughbreds rather than Americans. Phar Lap is obviously a good stretching galloper and carries himself magnificently. He may compete against American cracks in the Eastern States and is such a good one that he will run well anywhere, but I believe he would prove more successful in England, and I suggested his entry for the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire. He may arrive in England in August. I would be a delighted jockey if I could ride such a wonder horse."

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Plucky Liege

Plucky Liege

Whenever discussions are held about the greatest ever broodmares, one name that is always mentioned is Plucky Liege, not surprisingly a daughter of Spearmint. Few broodmares can boast producing two sons who both were winners of the Sires’ Title in the US, while two others sired classic winners across Europe.

Plucky Liege was a daughter of Concertina, by the great sire St Simon. She had only one stakes winner which interestingly was a daughter of Carbine in Playaway who was sent to Australia where she won the VATC Futurity in 1904 and the VRC Newmarket the following year. Sadly, it would seem that no descendants of this mare are still in the Stud Book. Plucky Liege was the twelfth foal of her dam and bred by Lord Michelham in England. She actually started her racing career known only as “The Concertina Filly,” but was later named Lucky Liege which was further modified to Plucky Liege in honour of the French town that had put up strong resistance in WW1.

The filly won four of her six starts as a 2yo, all over five furlongs (1000m). While not a stakes winner, she nevertheless was allocated 117 pounds (53kg) on the Free Handicap to be the third highest ranked filly, only one pound behind Lady Josephine who was also to go on to become an outstanding broodmare. The filly failed to shape up as a 3yo though, in contrast to most of the later maturing progeny of Spearmint. She started seven times at that age without winning although she did TURF MONTHLY 32

finish third over 1000m behind the good horse Friar Marcus in the Queensbury Handicap. Lord Michelham was no doubt disappointed in the filly and sold her to his secretary, Jefferson Davis Cohn who took her to France for a life at stud.

Cohn had leased Haras du Bois Roussel and installed Teddy as his home stallion, a horse he had purchased from breeder Edmond Blanc. At stud, Plucky Liege was to produce 12 foals in all, 11 of which were winners, with six of these winning stakes races.

Her first foal was Marguerite de Valois by Teddy, born in 1919. She won four races in France before being sent to the US where she produced the stakes place Cleves

by Sardanapale. Her only stakes winner was her last foal in Hostility by Man o’War who was foaled in 1936. She won the Acorn Stakes and was placed in several others including the California Oaks, Gazelle, and Alabama Stakes. It is her that continues this line of her Plucky Liege as she produced the stakes winner Antagonism and the winner Boldness. Boldness by Mahmoud produced the stakes winners Correlation and Big Raff as well as the broodmare Cequillo by Princequillo who has become the most enduring influence. Among her descendants are stallions like Fappiano

by Mr Prospector who won the Forego and Metropolitan Handicaps in 1981 before going on the become an outstanding sire. He was the sire of Cryptoclearance who won eight stakes races including the time honoured Donn Handicap, before himself going on to a good career at stud producing Victory Gallop who won four stakes races including the Belmont Stakes and Whitney Handicap. His grandson Candy Ride was to become an important stallion in Argentina. Another good son of Fappiano was Defensive Play who won stakes races in England and the US including the Man o’War Stakes in 1990. He stood at stud in NZ with success producing the likes of Millward who won the Blue Diamond Prelude, VRC Sires Produce and STC Silver Slipper as a 2yo, and Defence Force who won the 2000 VRC Grand National Hurdle. He is perhaps best known as a broodmare sire with

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Gallant Fox

his daughters producing the remarkable Efficient and his half-brother Guillotine, as well as Gorky Park, Sirmione and Zarita. Other stallions from the line of Cequillo are Ogygian who is prominent in the pedigree of Street Boss, Quiet American, the sire of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, Real Quiet who shuttled to Australia, and the US champion Unbridled who won the Kentucky and Florida Derbies, and the Breeders Cup Classic. He was to produce the outstanding Unbridled’s Song and Empire Maker in a stellar stud career. Unbridled’s Song is another who shuttled to Australia where he produced the likes of Bridal Hill and Grey Song. Empire Maker is the grand sire of the US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah who is also shuttling to Coolmore in Australia.

In 1920, Plucky Liege produced her first stakes winner in Sir Gallahad III also by Teddy. He won three races out of five starts as a 2yo winning the Prix Eclipse, Prix du Petit Couvert and Prix de la Mediterranee. At three, Sir Gallahad won four races in the French 2000 Guineas, Prix Daphnis, Prix Edgard de la Charme and Prix Jacques le Marois. He was also second in the Prix Royal Oak and third in the French Derby. The following season he won the Lincolnshire Handicap in England, together with three more stakes races in France. He was also to defeat the champion Epinard who so often had been his conqueror, in a match race over six and a half furlongs (1300m).

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Sir Gallahad stood only two seasons in France before a syndicate headed by legendary US breeder AB “Bull” Hancock purchased him for $125,000. He stood the rest of his career at Claiborne Farm in the US where he produced the Triple Crown winner, Gallant Fox, in his first crop. He was to win the Sires title on four occasions and was leading broodmare sire an astonishing twelve times. Gallant Fox was also to go on to sire Omaha who won the US Triple Crown in 1935. Gallant Fox had a full brother in Fighting Fox who won eight stakes races including the Wood Memorial and was himself to sire another champion in Crafty Admiral.

It was not until 1927 that Plucky Liege was to produce another great son, this time in Bull Dog. He was not up to the quality of his older brother on the track but did manage to win the Prix Daphnis and Prix La Fleche d'Or, both at a mile as a 3yo.

By then, Sir Gallahad’s first crop had made their racetrack appearance to instant success. Bull Dog was purchased by Charles B Shaffer for his Coldstream Stud at Kentucky for $80,000. He was also to prove an instant success at stud although his progeny were much more the precocious 2yo type rather than the classic type produced by his brother. Bull Dog was the leading Sire in the US in 1943 and was also leading broodmare sire four times. One of his daughters Miss Dogwood appears as the third dam of the champion US stallion, Mr Prospector. Arguably his most important son was Bull Lea who won six stakes races and went on to win the US Sires Title five times while standing at the famed Calumet Farm. Bull Lea was also to sire the 1948 Triple Crown winner, Citation.

Citation

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Bois Roussel

In 1931, Plucky Liege was to produce a colt by Craig An Eran called Admiral Drake.

That was the year that an ageing Teddy was sold to the US. Admiral Drake won five races as a 3yo including the Grand Prix de Paris and was placed in both the French 2000 Guineas and Derby. He returned to win another stakes race at four, but it was at stud in France that he was to make his biggest impact. He produced six stakes winners including the 1955 English Derby winner, Phil Drake, who was also to win the Grand Prix de Paris the same season. Admiral Drake also produced the French 2000 Guineas winner, Mistral. It was his daughter Source Sucree that ensured the lineage of this son of Plucky Liege. She produced Turn-To a successful racehorse who turned into another outstanding sire in the US. He sired arguably two of the greatest sire influences of the twentieth century in Hail To Reason and Sir Gaylord.

Hail To Reason sired horses like Halo who in turn sired Japanese legend, Sunday Silence, and Southern Halo, the sire of More Than Ready. Hail To Reason also sired the great Roberto, the sire of Melbourne Cup winner, At Talaq, Dynaformer, the sire of another Cup winner in Amercain, as well as Red Ransom whose sons include Charge Forward, Duporth, Onemorenomore and All American. Sir Gaylord was to create his own dynasty in terms of his sons. Habitat produced sire lines that gave us Gold Brose, Keepers and Chimes Square in Australia, but it was another son of Sir Gaylord in Sir Ivor that was to dominate Australasian racing for a period. Sir Ivor’s line produced local sires like Tierce, Encounter, and Myocard, but it was Sir Tristram that was to have the biggest impact. Sir Tristram was to win the Australian Sires Title on six occasions and gave us the great Zabeel who was also to win the title twice.

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By 1934, Jefferson Davis Cohn had decided to sell his bloodstock interests. He sold the lease on Haras du Bois Roussel together with the stallion, Vatout, and his old matron, Plucky Liege to Leon Volterra, the great French music producer. Plucky Liege had been in foal to Vatout and duly produced a colt which was to be named Bois Roussel after the famous stud. In March of the following year she produced a dead foal by Casterari, and she was to also pass away a week later with her last live foal still to make his way to the track. Bois Roussel could hardly have been a better end to her career as he was to become her second classic winner. The colt did not race at two, and made his debut in the Prix Juigne at Longchamp, an event for unraced colts and geldings. Volterra then sold Bois Roussel for £8,000 to the Hon Peter Beatty, the son of Admiral David Beatty and grandson of the Chicago department store magnate, Marshall Field. Beatty sent the colt to England for an audacious attempt at the English Derby at only his second race start. Punters did not fancy the unknown colt sending him out at 20/1. Despite being well back throughout the race, Bois Roussel came with a sensational run to take the lead inside the last furlong and won by an increasing margin of four lengths from Scottish Union and the favourite, Pasch. The win more than recouped the purchase price of the colt. He was to have only one more start, finishing third behind Nearco in the Grand Prix de Paris.

Bois Roussel sired the Arc De Triomphe winner, Migoli and the Japanese Derby winner, Hikaru Meiji. His sons however had quite a significant impact in Australia.

Tehran had won the 1944 English St Leger and his son Tulyar had won the 1952 English Derby. It was a daughter of Tehran in Tarien that was purchased by George Ryder and brought to Australia where she won six stakes races in the early 1950’s including appropriately the 1953 George Ryder Stakes. Another son of Bois Roussel was the stakes winning Delville Wood. He was to be purchased by Percy Miller to

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stand at his Kia Ora Stud. Delville Wood won the sires title for five successive years from 1952/3 to 1956/7. In 1954 he stood for a record fee of 500 guineas. Among his many stakes winners were the 1956 Melbourne Cup winner, Evening Peal, and the champion galloper, Hydrogen. Hydrogen won 24 stakes races. As a 3yo he won the Rosehill Guineas, Caulfield Guineas and VRC Derby. He also won the AJC Craven Plate, STC Hill Stakes and VRC CB Fisher Plate twice but is perhaps best remembered for his wins in the 1952 and 1953 Cox Plates, and the fact that he should have been one of a small elite group of horses to have won that race three times. He had ran second in the Cox Plate as a 3yo when the 5/4 favourite beaten by another 3yo in Bronton. Champion jockey Neville Sellwood shouldered much of the blame for the defeat being outwitted by Jack Purtell. Hydrogen was uncomfortable around the Moonee Valley track and raced wide on some turns. Purtell who had great confidence in his mount who had won the Caulfield Guineas in a canter at his previous start, allowed plenty of time to adjust and started to make his move at the 600m. Purtell though had pounced on the leaders by then and shot away to a commanding lead as they rounded the turn. Hydrogen tried valiantly to reel

Hydrogen winning the Guineas

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Hydrogen and Prince Morvi in the Cox Plate

in the leader but failed by a neck. He proved his class by winning the VRC Derby comfortably at his next start, with Bronton in third. Ridden by Darby Munro the following year, Hydrogen proved his class by winning comfortably by a length and a half. He joined the leaders at the 800m and, much like Bronton the year before, strode clear in the straight with nothing being able to get close to him in the run.

In 1953, Carioca was sensationally backed leaving Hydrogen, this time ridden by Bill Williamson, to start second elect at 3/1. Hydrogen again joined the leaders at the 800m mark with Carioca this time caught napping. Hydrogen again strode clear winning by a length from the 3yo Prince Morvi with Carioca never threatening finishing fifth. Hydrogen lined up in the Cox Plate again in 1954. He was not at the height of his powers, having bled twice during the Autumn in Sydney. Melbourne had different rules to Sydney about bleeding, and so Hydrogen was allowed to face the starter. Hydrogen again made a move at the 800m but this time was forced wide, and did not have his usual dash. He struggled home to finish ninth behind a new star in Rising Fast.

Bois Roussel can regularly be found through descendants of his daughters in horses like Nassipour, Our Waverley Star, Blevic, Stravinsky and Almaarad. Delville Wood’s influence has waned significantly in recent times with horse like Cangronde, El Meroo, , Sam Sung A Song, Alf and Let Go Thommo being among the more recent stakes winners.

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Seaweed Seaweed was a daughter of Spearmint out of the Ayshire mare, Seadune. Seadune

by Ayrshire was a full-sister to Downshire who was brought to Australia for stud duties. He tragically died young but not before he had left the very good galloper Amberdown who won five stakes races at Eagle Farm in Brisbane. He was a very versatile racehorse winning from 1000m to 2000m and being equally adept on the sand at the famed Albion Park racetrack. Remarkably, Amberdown won the G1 Stradbroke as a 2yo, one of six horses to achieve that feat, at only his fourth race start. He also won a 2yo race at “The Creek” carrying 63.5kg. Seaweed though was to become an excellent broodmare after she was sent to France. She produced the full siblings by Bruleur named Hotweed and Brulette. The first of these, Hotweed, won the French Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris and was placed in the Ascot Gold Cup and Arc de Triomphe, while the filly Brulette won the English Oaks and Goodwood Cup. At stud, Hotweed was to sire the 1935 French Derby winner, Pearlweed. Brulette however carried the family line into the future.

Amberdown

Brulette had a son by Big Game called Stockade who won three races in England over the straight mile course in the Brenkley, Wiltshire and Southern Handicaps. He also won the mile Cobham Stakes at Sandown Park and the 2000m Hastings Stakes at Newmarket. Stockade was purchased at auction in England as a 4yo for 6800 guineas by SG White’s Carrington Stud near Singleton in NSW. He produced nine stakes winners with his best being Compound who won seven stakes races in the Frank Underwood Cup, Canterbury Cup, Tramway Handicap, Lord Mayor's Cup, and Festival Handicap in Sydney and the Newmarket and Cameron Handicaps at Newcastle. He also sired Golden Stockade who won the Qld Oaks, and Teranyan who won the Doomben 10,000, Tramway Handicap and Theo Marks Quality.

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Another daughter of Brulette, this time by Hyperion called Tropical Sun was to finish third in the English Oaks of 1943 behind Why Hurry. A son of Tropical Sun in Brimstone by Dante also was imported to NSW where he stood at Kia Ora Stud.

Brimstone had raced only once for a win in a minor race but was to prove to be a good sire. He produced twelve stakes winners including Flight Stakes and One Thousand Guineas winner, Brimses, Qld Oaks winner, Kzan Retto, and Newstone who won seven stakes races in SA including the Sires Produce and Port Adelaide Guineas.

Brimstone is best known for his son, Baystone who won the 1958 Melbourne Cup. Out of a Manitoba mare called Unity, Baystone was purchased as a yearling by a NSW shearing contractor, Bob Burns and his two sons, Norman and Noel for 1100 guineas. He was trained by Jack Green at Randwick. He had won the Eclipse Stakes over 2000m at Caulfield and the 2400m Summer Cup at Randwick in 1956 and turned 6yo in the Spring of 1958. He had been in good form and had run second to Timor in the Brisbane Cup, third to Prince Darius in the Craven Plate and fourth in the Moonee Valley Cup before winning the Hotham Handicap. Ridden by Mel Schumacher, Baystone was well supported in the race starting at 10/1 although the Neville Selwood mount, Yeman, who had won the Cox Plate a week before, was a firm favourite at 9/4. It was a roughhouse affair, and Yeman returned to scale with numerous cuts on his legs following the buffeting he received in running. But there was no taking away from Baystone’s victory that saw him win by a comfortable 1.5 lengths from Monte Carlo. It was the 98th running of the Melbourne Cup, and such is the nature of the great race that it was still throwing up firsts. Baystone became the first horse to ever carry saddlecloth number seven to win the race, and also jumped from barrier thirteen for the superstitious. It was also the first time that the Cup was ever run using starting stalls. That year also held the record for the longest price ever offered about a runner in the race when odds of 5000/1 were offered about Our Pentzia who was to officially start at 1000/1. She was to beat home five runners in the 29 horse field with one of those being Newstone, another of the stakes winning sons of Brimstone.

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A half-sister to Brimstone in Belle Sauvage by Big Game was mated with Nearco to produce Noble Lassie who won the 1959 Lancashire Oaks. She was to produce the excellent colt, Vaguely Noble by Vienna who won the Doncaster Racing Post Trophy, Observer Gold Cup, Prix de Chantilly, Prix de Guiche, and his most important race, the 1968 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Vaguely Noble was ridden by champion Australian jockey Bill Williamson and was sold for a record $306,000 during his racing career. He was later sold to a US group that included John R Gaines of Gainesworthy Farm in Lexington for US$5 million. He was to go on to become one of the best stallions of his time siring 35 stakes winners including the great filly Dahlia who won 14 stakes races including the Irish Oaks, two Benson and Hedges Stakes and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in England, as well as the Man o’War Stakes, Washington International and Hollywood International in the US, and the Canadian International Championship. At stud she produced the good stallion Dahar who stood in NZ where he produced top horses like Sydney Cup winner, Daacha, the wonderful Skybeau who won five stakes races and was placed behind Saintly in the 1996 Melbourne Cup, a race he competed in five times, and winner of the BMW, Ranvet and Hill Stakes in Sydney, Stony Bay. Vaguely Noble had a host of sons at stud throughout the world, but one of note was Noble Bijou who stood at stud in NZ. Again, a noted stamina influence, Noble Bijou produced over 50 stakes winners that included such horses as Alibhai, Allez Bijou, Our Sophia and 1993 Cox Plate winner, The Phantom Chance.

Brulette continues to play an important role in the modern international thoroughbred, although one more is worth mention. A French bred filly called All Along by Targowice was born in 1979 and bred by Daniel Wildenstein. She did not race as at two, but as a 3yo proved herself among the world’s best. She won the G1 Prix Vermeille but more importantly was to finish second in the Japan Cup. At four she won the Rothmans International, Turf Classic Stakes and Washington International in the US as well as the Prix De l’Arc De Triomphe. She returned as a 5yo to run second in the Breeder’s Cup Turf and third in the Arc de Triomphe. In all the mare won nine from 21 start and over $2,000,000 in prizemoney. All Along was voted Horse of the Year and Champion older female in both the US and France in 1983 and was inducted into the US Racing Hall Of Fame in 1990.

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Silesia In his first season at stud, Spearmint covered a Galopin mare owned by Alfred Cox called Galicia. This produced a filly called Silesia. Great expectations were held for her due to the performances of her older half-brothers, Bayardo and Lemberg.

Bayardo was to win seven stakes races from the 6 furlongs (1200m) of the Middle Park Stakes to the 20 furlong (4000m) Ascot Gold Cup. Lemberg may have been the superior runner winning nine stakes races in total including the Epsom Derby. She was unplaced as a juvenile against only the best company, and as a 3yo was second in both the Knowlsley Dinner Stakes and Newmarket Oaks. Only three runners though lined up for both races. In all at that age, she was placed three times in eight starts.

At stud, Silasia was to excel, and her daughter by Beppo in My Dear won the Dewhurst Stakes at two and the Oaks Stakes and Champion Stakes at three. My Dear also ran second in the Two Thousand Guineas and the St Leger. At stud she produced a son by Cicero called Caravel who was purchased by Harry Taylor of Wellington Stud in NSW. Mr Taylor paid. £15,000 for Caravel, which was reportedly the most expensive Australian bloodstock purchase ever in England at the time. Interestingly another Australian sportsman, Mr REH Hope of Clare in South Australia had sought to buy the colt as a racing prospect on the basis of a sound performance in the Two Thousand Guineas. The asking price was a moderate 1500 guineas.

However, Caravel won the Peveril of the Peak Plate the following day, followed by the Grosvenor Cup to be rated among the best of the British 3yo’s. As a result, his price increased to 10,000 guineas. The stallion was to have only limited success producing five stakes winners in Caramba (AJC Breeders' Plate), Carradale (AJC Easter Stakes), Dazzling (QTC Hopeful Stakes), Lady Superior (SA Dequetteville Stakes) and Spanish Galleon (VRC Ascot Vale Stakes). He is becoming very difficult to find in modern pedigrees although the good galloper Ashlor who won 12 races and almost a million dollars in prizemoney traces to a daughter of Caravel.

Another son of Silesia was Baralong by Galloper Light who had won a number of distance races in the UK before being imported to Australia by Percy Miller of Kia Ora Stud. The stallion made a good start to his career siring six stakes winners including Aeolus (AJC Hobartville Stake and Rosehill Guineas), Hegemonic (Adelaide City Handicap, John Lewis Stakes, Goodwood Handicap and Morphettville Plate), and John Wilkes (AJC Chipping Norton Stakes, St Leger Stakes, VRC Melbourne Stakes, Bagot Handicap and Williamstown Cup). Tragically the stallion was to die in 1936, at the age of only twelve. The loss becomes even more stark when we consider that he continues to play an interesting role in modern gallopers being found in the pedigrees of horses like Silver Award (Dalgety), Prussian Blue (NZ Bayer Classic), Ensign Ewart (twice winner of the Telegraph Stakes in NZ and the 2021 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes), Hades (NZ Derby), Runaway Kid (Caulfield Guineas), and Riva San (Qld Derby and Qld Oaks). Likely the best horse to have raced in Australia tracing to a daughter of Baralong was Tauto by Good Brandy who was bred in NZ out of a mare called San Patricia by Dacian. Tauto was a top galloper of the early 1970’s winning ten stakes races in Melbourne. Tauto was an

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unfashionably bred type who was trained by the country Victoria traner, Bob Agnew and was one of those life changing horses that we see in racing. He won his first race in a maiden at Bendigo, and did not go on to hit great heights until he was a 5yo.

Tauto won the VATC Invitation Stakes which is now the Sir Rupert Clarke twice in 1970 and 1971. He also won the Toorak and Victoria Handicaps in 1970. In 1971, he won the JJ Liston, a race that he was also to go on and win again the following year. These six races were all at Caulfield. The only other track Tauto was to win a stakes race on was at Moonee Valley. There, he won the Alistair Clark in 1971 and the Freeway Stakes, now the Manikato, in 1973 and 1974. His other major win was the 1971 Cox Plate where he beat a quality field that included Igloo, Gunsynd, Tails, Rajah Sahib, Silver Knight, Classic Mission who was to win the VRC Derby a week later, and the Caulfield Guineas winner, Beau Sovereign. Tauto was to be ridden in the Cox Plate by Pat Hyland but a fall in the first race on the programme saw Hyland watch the race from a hospital bed where he was nursing a broken foot. The mount went to Len Hill of Qld. Hill had been instructed that Tauto had a habit of pulling so he should lead if nothing else wanted to. Tauto pulled hard early so Hill let him stride to the front and put on a strong pace. Usually that would make the leader a sitting shot for something to run on, but Tauto was game and never looked in danger of defeat, holding Igloo who railed up inside him on the turn to win by a half-length.

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Chiquita

Silesia also produced Ciceronnetta, by Cicero who won the British Trial Stakes. She produced Picaroon by Beppo, winner of the Middle Park Stakes at two and the Champion Stakes at three. She also produced a full sister to Picaroon in Gioconda who won the Yorkshire Oaks. Ciceronnetta was also to produce Concordia by Son In Law who won the Cheveley Park Stakes. In Australia, Cicernonnetta is notable as she appears in the female line of the wonderful colt, Imagele. He was a son of the Italian bred, Sostenuto out of Cele’s Image by Nullabor. Imagele was trained by TJ Smith and was the dominant 2yo of his season winning the Todman Slipper Trial and VRC Sires Produce before sensationally falling in the Golden Slipper when the red hot favourite at 9/4 on. As a 3yo, Imagele went on to win the Hobartville Stakes, Phar Lap Stakes, Rosehill and Canterbury Guineas and AJC Derby. At stud he was another horse who died tragically young, standing for only two seasons but leaving three stakes winners including the G1 winning Little Imagele.

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Another daughter of Silesia in Radesia was imported to Australia by LKS Mackinnon.

Although he had high hopes for this regally bred mare, she proved a disappointment at stud. Her daughter, Linton Lowrie by Woorak produced the stakes winner Flaming Star by Great Star who won the Easter Mile in Perth. He went on to become a good stallion in that State producing five stakes winners including two Railway Stakes winners in Flame Lady and Thorium. A daughter of Linton Lowrie in Starr Faithful by Equator though was to cement the legacy of Silesia in Australian racing by producing three stakes winners. Her first was Blankenburg by Blank who won the 1945 Adelaide Cup. Her next stakes winner was also by Blank and called Double Blank. He won the 1951 Adelaide Parkside Stakes, 1952 West End Draught Stakes and 1953 AJC Summer Cup. In 1946 the mare produced a full-siter to these two who was to become the glamour mare of her time. Her name was Chicquita and she was a resounding crowd favourite.

Chicquita had her first start at Flemington on 11 June 1949 as a 2yo. It was an inauspicious start as she finished twentieth in a field of 26 runners behind the winner, Ailsa. A let up saw her return as a 3yo on 6 August 1949 at Caulfield, and Chicquita stunned many on track by turning the tables on Ailsa. Chicquita started at the good odds of 10/1 but it was reported that some punters in Launceston got on early at 33/1. Two more wins followed at Flemington and Caulfield before the boom filly lined up in her toughest test to date, the Edward Manifold. An easy win at 7/4 on saw her continue her dominance over her age and sex in the Thousand Guineas, Wakeful and VRC Oaks. She had one more start in 1949, winning the Kinross Handicap on Christmas Eve. Her string of eight consecutive wins was broken on 2 January 1950 when she finished fourth in the Standish Handicap back over 1200m. A win in a Highweight at Flemington followed, but next start in the St George Stakes over 1800m at Caulfield saw her face the champion Comic Court for the first time. She ran second and was again beaten by him in the Clark Stakes.

She had two more seconds in the Victoria Handicap and Sandown Cup before she was spelled.

Chicquita in the JJ Liston

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Chicquita started off her 4yo season with a fourth over 1200m in the Chesterfield Handicap at Flemington before winning the Tullamarine Handicap, Feehan Stakes and the Craiglee Plate, beating Comic Court for the first time. Unplaced runs in the Underwood and Caulfield Stakes, the latter won by Comic Court, followed.

Chicquita then lined up in the Caulfield Cup but was narrowly beaten by Grey Boots in a thrilling finish, having given that colt some 5.5kg. Grey Boots incidentally made history as the first grey to ever win the Caulfield Cup. Comic Court then beat her in the Mackinnon Stakes and Melbourne Cup of 1950. The following Saturday she ran third to Playboy in the Fisher Plate to end the Spring. The Autumn started with a fourth in the William Reid and a second to Comic Court in the CF Orr. An unplaced run in the Futurity was then followed by another second behind Comic Court in the Ercildoune Stakes. Chicquita then had her first win for the season in the Alister Clark Stakes at Moonee Valley before running second in the Sandown Cup. A bizarre accident in training saw her shy at a couple of magpies at Mentone causing her to seriously injure her leg and forcing her out until the Spring. Chicquita had been a short-priced favourite for the Brisbane Cup in the winter but those plans were quickly shelved. This was a relief to bookmakers who had seen the mare coupled with just about every entry for the Stradbroke in the big double.

As a 5yo, Chicquita had only four starts. In August she won the Liston Stakes before running second in the Memsie at Caulfield. She then beat Basha Felika in the Memsie Stakes before finishing fourth to Morse Code in the Turnbull Stakes, after which she was retired. The trainer of Chicquita, Tony Lopes, said that the mare possibly could have stood another race or two, but the last thing that he or the

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Chicquita winning the Feehan Stakes

Photo Finish in the 1950 Craiglee Chicquita beating Comic Court

part-owner, Mr F Dimattina, wanted to happen was to see the glamour mare break down. Lopes said: "I would have retired her before this, but I was anxious to give her a chance to become the greatest stake-winning mare in the history of the Australian turf. She goes into honourable retirement from the turf, third behind Flight and Tranquil Star." Chicquita retired with the equivalent of $56,570 in prizemoney to be third behind only those other two great mares as the leading stakes winning mare in Australian racing history.

In the 1960’s the VRC built stables at the back of the Flemington track adjacent to the “scraping sheds” which had traditionally housed those horses coming for trackwork. Lopes leased the new stables which he named Chicquita Lodge. He painted the name in large letters that were very visible from the grandstand, and it became a familiar landmark of the course until they were closed in 2006.

Chicquita was to prove a very good broodmare, producing nine winners from 13 foals. Her best was a son of Todman in Eskimo Prince who won the Silver Slipper Stakes, Breeders' Plate, Golden Slipper, AJC Sires Produce, Rosehill Guineas, Canterbury Stakes, and Hill Stakes. Chicquita visited her racetrack rival Comic Court to produce Comicquita who ran second in the 1962 Melbourne Cup to Even Stevens. Chicquita’s line continues to produce quality racehorses with the likes of Alamosa by O’Reilly who won eight stakes races including the G1 Thorndon Mile in NZ and the Toorak Handicap in Melbourne. He was to go on to become a good stallion in NZ producing 18 stakes winners including the Thorndon Mile winner, Stolen Dance, and the VRC Oaks winner, Kirramosa. Others tracing to Chicquita include Qld Oaks winner Tristram Rose, Sydney Cup and dual AJC Chairman’s Handicap winner, No Wine No Song, and NZ Derby and STC Tulloch Stakes winner, Mansingh.

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1998 MELBOURNE CUP REMEMBERING PERSIAN PUNCH

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owards the end of 2021, a legend of British racing retired. Renowned trainer David Elsworth, known affectionately as Elsie, who is 82yo decided to call time on his career. He was among the most popular of trainers but started his career in racing as a stable lad for Alec Kilpatrick in 1955. He enjoyed success as a jumps jockey before establishing his remarkable career as a trainer.

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lsworth was noted as the trainer of the great National Hunt campaigner, Desert Orchid. In Australia he will forever be linked with one of the world’s great stayers in Persian Punch who arguably was the best credentialled stayer to ever race in the Melbourne Cup. He won 20 out of 63 starts and his wins included three Henry II Stakes, two Goodwood Cups, two Lonsdale Stakes, and a Doncaster Cup. Persian Punch first came to Australia to compete in the 1998 Melbourne Cup, the race that we are going to look at in more depth in a moment. Quite remarkably Persian Punch also returned in 2001, three years later to again run third, this time behind Ethereal. Persian Punch was by Persian Heights who had won the St James Palace Stakes out of a Reliance mare called Ready And Willing. But our story is on the 1998 Melbourne Cup which was an amazing race in its own right.

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his story of the Melbourne Cup of 1998 starts in the Caulfield Cup some two and a half weeks earlier. Central to the race was an English invader, Taufan’s Melody. She raced erratically to say the least. With 250 metres to go, Jezabeel and Champagne both were almost put through the running rail. Inevitable protests followed which were dismissed angering trainers and jockeys alike, and one can only wonder if the same result would have happened had Taufan’s Melody been an Australian horse. It was not the first controversy in the 1998 Caulfield Cup. A few hours before final acceptances closed, it was discovered that Taufun’s Melody had failed to meet the prizemoney clause of the race conditions by a few thousand dollars.

The mistake apparently was made by Racing Victoria officials, but the VATC allowed her entry to stand, much to the displeasure of the Australian Trainer’s Association led by Colin Alderson. Ironically, not only it was Alderson’s horse, Our Unicorn, that ended up becoming first emergency for the race, but Alderson had been vocally opposed to the practice of enticing overseas entrants to the Spring carnival.

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very cloud has a silver lining, and in the case of the Caulfield Cup the winner was usually penalised for the Melbourne Cup, and in the case of Taufan’s Melody her penalty was 2.5kgs while Jezabeel and Champagne escaped any further burden.

Topweight for the Cup was shared between the Godolphin horse, Faithful Son with 58kg, and 1995 Cup winner Doriemus who had been beaten in a close photo in 1997

by Might And Power. Another of the English horses, Persian Punch was to carry 56.5kg. The VRC Derby winner of a few days before in Arena was given automatic entry into the race and carried only 46.5kg and was ridden by the lightweight Corey Brown.

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ezabeel was to become the second progeny of the emerging NZ champion staying sire, Zabeel with Might And Power the first the year before. Zabeel was also the sire of Champagne. The NZ bred Jezabeel was trained by Brian Jenkins, the son of leading bloodstock agent, Peter. In January 1998 she had the biggest win of her career to date by winning the Auckland Cup beating Aerosmith who was also to be among the favourites in Melbourne. Jenkins had always had a big opinion of his mare, and after her first two wins in NZ brought her to Australia for the VRC Oaks.

She was not a good traveller, and her trip was cut short after she injured herself in the barrier stalls in her only appearance in a fillies’ race at Flemington. After her Auckland Cup win, the plan was to bring her to Australia in the Winter to have a couple of runs before taking her home to get ready for the Spring. After two runs, her return flight was cancelled, and she was forced to remain in Australia where Jenkins set up base at Cranbourne. A second in the Underwood Stakes behind Tie The Knot convinced connections that she was on track for the Cup, and she was to go into the race straight from the Caulfield Cup. With only 51kg, and ridden

by Chris Munce, Jezabeel was backed into the 6/1 favourite narrowly in front of Champagne and Aerosmith at 7/1, Faithful Son at 13/2 and Arena at 8/1.

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he race itself was quite a remarkable one. Persian Punch was asked to do the impossible, sitting wide the entire race and then being taken to the lead when about six horses wide at the half-mile. The import was in front in the straight but looked well beaten when Jezabeel cruised up beside him. Champagne headed Jezabeel who then fought back to win narrowly, while Persian Punch who had been headed by both Taufun’s Melody and Yorkshire, another Irish horse, finished as strongly as any in the race to finish third less than a length behind the winner. With some luck Persian Prince probably should have won the race which would have been a fitting result for the remarkable galloper and his trainer. Perhaps though the Europeans had already used up all their luck in the Spring of 1998.

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