Innehållsförteckning för June 2024 från Turf Monthly

Genetics is an odd thing. We assume the influence that stallions have on their progeny often to the disadvantage of the mare. History tells us that the female line is critical in the thoroughbred and sometimes a stallion who appears to have had relatively little influence becomes a breed shaper through his daughters. One stallion that is certainly never mentioned in the modern era may just be one of those whose influence continues to shape the breed. His name was Sheen and he was foaled in 1885. He was a bay son of Hampton out of a Tibthorpe, by Voltigeur, mare called Radiancy. He was bred by Prince Saltykoff and was a good performer, winning the Ascot Derby, now known as the King Edward VII Stakes, and running third in…

Martian came to Australia in vitro with his dam, Otterden in foal to Martagon. The mare proved an excellent broodmare as we have discussed, but in terms of lasting influence, it is hard to go past Martian. He himself won three stakes races in a brief career. All came in 1904 when he won the Canterbury Cup and Challenge Stakes and North Island Challenge Stakes. It was at stud though that he proved superior to most. Martian was a major influence in the early 20th century and sired some 48 stakes winners in a time when these races were relatively few compared to today. He was adept at siring both sprinters and stayers and among his best progeny were Cupidon who won the 1921 AJC Derby, Rapine who won nineteen…

Wotan will always be remembered as only the second 100/1 winner of the Melbourne Cup. His 1936 victory was something of an oddity in the racing world. He was owned and bred by the Smith Brothers from the Martian mare Left who, while they never disclosed publicly how much they had paid for her, they admitted had purchased for under £100. She was to produce three Cups winners in Gaine Carrington, who won the 1933 Caulfield Cup, Peter Jackson who won the 1933 Moonee Valley Cup, and the 1936 Melbourne Cup winner, Wotan. Remarkably, the only reason they retained Wotan is because they could find no one interested in leasing him. Peter Jackson had earlier won two St Legers in his native NZ, while Gaine Carrington we have discussed briefly…

Pride Of Jenni took Sydney racing by storm with her dominant performance in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April. It was not all that unexpected a win as the mare was already a multiple Group 1 winner in Melbourne, but it was the style of the win that was remarkable. The race generated so much comment and analysis that we won’t go into here, but you can watch the race here and make up your own mind. I am sure that if the jockeys had it all to do again, that we might not have seen Pride Of Jenni get away to such a remarkable lead. It was the mare’s second campaign in Sydney, but this time she took an impressive resume with her to the Autumn carnival. But we…

Australasian (Melbourne, Vic.: 1864 - 1946), Saturday 22 July 1939, page 15 The Sportsman’s Scrapbook FAMOUS SIRE: BONIFORM WHEN about 40 years ago Mr. G. G. Stead purchased the Sheen mare Otterden in England and brought her to New Zealand he could not have foreseen the remarkable Influence Otterden has had in breeding and racing in this part of the world. Otterden produced two notable sires in Martian and Boniform, and one of her descendants is Manfred, whose son The Trump won the Caulfield and Melbourne Clips a couple of years ago. Otterden was in foal to Martagon when Mr. Stead purchased her, and after her arrival in New Zealand she produced Martian. His record has been set out in this series of articles; so there is no need to…

Referee (Sydney, NSW: 1886 - 1939), Wednesday 5 October 1921, page 1 Cupidon’s Derby Win Furious Outstayed:: Harvest King Badly Beaten There is always difference of opinion as to the probable winner of an AJC Derby, but that race has rarely puzzled backers, as a whole, to the same extent as on Saturday last. The reason for this was that they could not select even one competitor that could be regarded as certain to run out a mile and a half. It was generally admitted that Furious stood right out up to nine furlongs, but the fact of being by The Welkin, was counted against her as a stayer besides which backers do not take kindly to fillies for Derbies. In her work she was not asked to go beyond…

Via Sistina emerged as one of the country’s best stayers in the Autumn in Sydney. She will no doubt be headed for the Melbourne Spring where she will be a strong chance in any race she contests. Given her form in the UK, her impressive form comes as no surprise as she is a genuine Group 1 horse. What is most surprising though is how quickly she seems to have adapted to Australian conditions. If she takes more improvement from her spell, there is no limit to what she can achieve. The mare was purchased by Yulong Investments and arrived in the Chris Waller stable in time for the Autumn in Sydney. She had her first start in Australia by easily winning the Group 1 Ranvet before starting favourite and…

Boniform has an interesting legacy in the local thoroughbred. We have recently covered some of these in Gurner’s Lane and Sovereign Red. We have also discussed at length the wonderful Prince Cortauld who had international success. Still others like Peter Pan, Abdul and Longfellow have had a mention in previous editions. Even then, we have only scratched the surface of the enduring legacy of Bonfirm who includes modern gallopers like Xcellent, Dantelah, the siblings Barlinnie, Maze and Penitentiary who won stakes races in Brisbane, NZ and Geelong, and Zelady who produced stakes winners Excites Zelady and Zelady’s Night Out. The new stallion Hitotsu who won the Caulfield Guineas, VRC and AJC Derbyies, also comes from a line of a Boniform daughter. Other great gallopers from this line include Silver Bounty…