Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2021 i Turf Monthly

Ticino was a German bred horse by Athanasius out of Terra. He did not travel because of WW2, but raced from the ages of 2yo to 5yo. He won 14 races including the German Derby, the Grosser Preis von Berlin three times, and the Grosser Preis von Baden Baden. He was so good it was proposed that a match race be conducted between him and the British Champion, Blue Peter. He was bred at the Gestüt Erlenhof that was founded in 1901 by the District Councillor Ernst Ritter von Marx under the name Fohlenweide. In 1922, the industrialist Moritz James Oppenheimer acquired the stud, and renamed it Erlenhof. Oppenheimer was an enthusiastic promoter of equestrian sports and was president of the sports cartel in Bad Pyrmont, Bad Harzburg and Bad…

We have learned about Ghuznee by Pantaloon and her daughter Meeanee by Touchstone. Meeanee had only one stakes winner in Lady Augusta by Stockwell who won the 1863 One Thousand Guineas. At stud she produced Rostrevor by Thormanby who won the Ebor St Leger. His half-sister by Strathconan, Lady Vivian was imported into Australia in the 1880’s by leading breeder, the Hon. James White who was one of the most successful owners and breeders in Australia. White established the Kirkham Stud in the Camden district of New South Wales, and the stud soon became famous as a thoroughbred nursery. Kirkham prospered for many years, but soon after the death of White in 1890 the stud was dispersed. One of White’s best horses was the champion Chester who he had purchased…

The mare raced in the Cox Plate for the first time in 1941. At her first try she ran into Beau Vite, the 1940 victor. He was to join an elite group of horses to win the race twice when he started a 3/1 on favourite and beat the glamour mare by 1.5 lengths. Tranquil Star joined Beau Vite at the 800m to challenge for the lead, but the stallion proved too strong, winning under the hands and heels riding of Darby Munro. Laureate, a son of Law Maker from a Comedy King line mare, ran third. The following year, the Cox Plate was considered a match race between the Caulfield Guineas winner, Great Britain and Tranquil Star who had won the Caulfield Cup. The mare started at 7/2 in…

Snippets was by Lunchtime out of the Grand Chaudiere mare, Easy Date. He was the winner of the inaugural Magic Millions in 1987, and it was his successful career on both the track and in the breeding barn that legitimised the concept of the Magic Millions. Had he been a one race wonder, it would have been so much harder for the Magic Millions to gain credibility. Many were predicting that it was going to be another sale that would disappear almost as quickly as it arrived. After all, the height of Summer on the Gold Coast hardly seemed the ideal setting for thoroughbreds. The colt had his first start in the Listed Meynink Stakes, which was then the first main 2yo race in Queensland. On 18 October 1986 he…

Mahogany was a son of Last Tycoon out of the imported US mare, Alshadegha, a daughter of Alydar. She arrived in Australia on 11 October 1989. Almost a year later her first foal by Last Tycoon arrived which was to become the champion, Mahogany. He was raced by a partnership of Lloyd Williams and Kerry Packer, and trained by Lee Freedman. The gelding started his career in the G3 Merson Cooper in November of his 2yo season, running fourth behind Justice Prevails who was to go on to win the Silver Slipper and run second to Bint Marscay in the Golden Slipper. Mahogany won his next start at Moonee Valley before going for a spell. He returned in March and after two placings ventured to Brisbane for the Winter Carnival.…

Pharis is one of the real tragedies of the racing world in many ways. He was an exceptional racehorse unbeaten in all three starts as a 3yo. His wins were in the Prix du Jockey Club, Grand Prix de Paris, and Prix Noailles. He was by Pharos out of Carissima, a mare bred by legedary French breeder, Marcel Boussac. Pharis eventually reached 16.2 hands in height and was listed in some sources as brown or black. A contemporary turf writer who visited described him as “black as a crow." The same writer, said that the colt “had a good, sloping shoulder and powerful hind end, but was long in the back and slightly back in the knees.” Pharis had the misfortune to be born in France in 1936 and the…

Manikato is the only horse ever to win a major race in Australia in five consecutive years when he dominated the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley. The race club was to rename the Freeway Stakes to the Manikato. It was a race that Manikato had won in 1979. He was further honoured at Moonee Valley by being buried at the site in the Manikato’s Garden. Manikato had been largely unwanted as a yearling, bringing only $3500 when sold to trainer Bon Hoysted. He was not the most impressive yearling and by a moderate stallion. The colt also had an unpleasant temperament so it was no real surprise that he was not highly sought after. Even when gelded, Manikato remained a highly strung and rather spirited individual. What did surprise…

As something of a remarkable feat, not only did Tranquil Star start in five straight Cox Plates, but she also lined up in five straight Caulfield Cups. This is a remarkable testament to her soundness and toughness. The Caulfield Cup we must remember is a handicap event, unlike the weight for age conditions of the Cox Plate. In 1942, her second attempt, Tranquil Star became the fourth horse to win the double. The Cox Plate started in 1922 and although Rogilla, Amounis and Manfred all won both races, Tranquil Star was the first to win both races in the same year. Only six other horses since have won the double, with only Tobin Bronze and Northerly achieving the feat in the same year. Tranquil Star in 1944 became the first…

Ghuznee was born in 1838 and was bred by the Marquess of Westminster. She stood only 14.3 hands but won her first race start in the Epsom Oaks. After that she won the Coronation Stakes in a walk over but reportedly poor management forced her retirement to stud where she had nine recorded foals, all by the great sire Touchstone. Her daughter Meeanee produced the 1863 One Thousand Guineas winner, Lady Augusta by another top stallion in Stockwell. Her sister, Emily produced Normanby by Thormanby to win the Cork and Orrery Stakes, a race that is now known as the Diamond Jubilee Stakes that was coincidentally won by Black Caviar. A half-sister to Normanby was Katherine by The Scottish Chief. This line produced little of note, but in the 1890’s…

Our Native is another stallion who traces to the mare, Tedmelia. He was a quality racehorse winning 14 of 37 starts and over $400,000 in prizemoney. His best win came in the 1973 Monmouth Invitational Handicap now the Haskell Invitational. He raced in a great era of the US thoroughbred and finished behind Secretariat in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Our Native also beat Mr Prospector in the 1973 Calumet Stakes. The stallion was a son of Exclusive Native by Raise A Native out of the Crafty Admiral mare, Our Jackie. At stud he produced only three stakes winners. Be My Native won the Coronation Cup in England and the Prix la Force in France and was to become a reliable stallion producing River Verdon to win the HK…

Blue Peter was a son of champion stallion Fairway and many will say the most talented racehorse that he ever produced. The colt was bred by the Earl of Rosebery at Mentmore Stud, and was an attractive horse sporting a large blaze. Blue Peter started only twice as a 2yo, running second in the Middle Park Stakes to the American-bred Foxborough. At three, Blue Peter was undefeated in four starts including the Blue Riband Trial, 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and Eclipse Stakes. A match race with the French champion Pharis was proposed, but war broke out in Europe in September 1939 putting an end to those plans. At stud Blue Peter was an exceptional stallion although many of the time claim he was disappointing due to the weight of expectation.…

Blakeney is a stallion that traces back to the Lady Diver line of Ghuznee. He is of particular importance to the thoroughbred as he was a son of Hethersett who tragically died after only two seasons at stud. He produced only 48 runners, but such was their quality that Hethersett finished third on the Sires Table in the UK in 1969. He had won the Epsom Derby in 1962 and his best son was Blakeney who was to repeat the Derby victory of his sire in 1969. Blakeney was bred by his owner and trainer Arthur Budgett at Kirtlington, Oxfordshire. He was out of the Hornbeam mare, Windmill Girl who had been bought by Budgett for 1000 guineas from Major LB Holliday as a foal in the December Sales of…

Tranquil Star was by Gay Lothario who was a successful sire producing 26 stakes winners. His dam was Love In Idleness by Bachelor’s Double who had won the Epsom Oaks, Park Hill Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks. Among his best progeny, apart from the great mare, were Lucrative (Victoria Derby, Caulfield Guineas, Caulfield Stakes, Sydney Cup, AJC Sires' Produce, VATC Eclipse Stakes and AJC St Leger Stakes), Balkan Prince (VRC Hotham Handicap, VATC Eclipse Stakes, WATC Imperial Stakes, WATC Metropolitan Handicap and three WATC Osborne Stakes), Burberry (Oakleigh Plate, Cantala Stakes and Toorak Handicap) and Don Pedro (Mackinnon Stakes, Toorak Handicap, Moonee Valley Cup, CB Fisher Plate and VATC Eclipse Stakes). TranquilStar was unique among our champions, especially our female champions, in many ways. She was known as something of a…