Turf Monthly January 2022

monthly

TURF

January 2022

THIS MONTH

WALLACE

CHAMPION RACEHORSE AND CHAMPION SIRE

TRAFALGAR, DESERT GOLD AND OTHER CHAMPIONS ANOTHER GREAT RACE

Editor’s Letter A New Year beckons and who knows what it will bring. January is Magic Millions time, and unless COVID throws up another curve, this year’s event should be outstanding as buyers have the opportunity of heading to the Gold Coast. Recently I had the opportunity to talk at length with David Chester, the man who is the heart and soul of Magic Millions. He raised a couple of interesting points that we should all take note of. Firstly, he suggests that if you want to make a stallion, then you need to get at least 200 mares to them in their first season to give them a chance. Such is the competition these days that for a lot of breeders it is now simply a numbers game.

This goes for a lot of owners as well now as even the large buyers take shares in a range of horses rather than simply racing a smaller number themselves. The danger in this is what it can do to the commercial prospects of a mare. If she goes to new stallions for her first three or four seasons, which is a regular strategy in this day and age, and she fails to produce anything of note, irrespective of the success or failure of the stallion, then her value is diminished. Even a Winx or Makybe Diva would struggle to bounce back commercially from this sort of set-back. If we look at this year’s Magic Million’s catalogue, we see that there might be a swing away from new stallions as there are big numbers of proven sires in the catalogue.

This would be a great trend even though we do see plenty of new ones. There are some sensational ones among the freshmen and stallions like Justify and The Autumn Sun should rightly bring some strong results. With this month featuring Wallace and his ongoing influence, it is fitting that David singled out General Nediym as one of his favourite Magic Millions winners. According to David he is about the perfect type of horse; a big strong early type and he proved that not only on the track but also in the breeding barn. We have a video of his Magic Millions win later on. For those heading to the sale, good luck.

CONTENTS 4

Wallace -

9

the racehorse

Wallace -

the sire

14

Les Macdonald

18

Desert Gold

24

Aurous -

wallace’s daughter

25

John McDonald

26

Lady Wallace

30

Mountain King

36

Trafalgar

42

Wallace’s Daughters

47

Eurythmic

50

Great Races - 1977

Until next month

sydney cup

Cover Image BEHEMOTH

Ross Prowd 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

WALLACE

THE CHAMPION RACEHORSE

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allace is rightly renowned as one of the greatest sires that Australia has ever seen. But this chestnut son of Carbine, and in fact the very first foal ever produced by that stallion, was a top quality racehorse. Trained by Hugh Munro, the father of jockeys Jim and Darby Munro, Wallace first faced the starter on 20 October 1894 where he ran fourth behind Blue Cap in the 900m Nursery Handicap at Caulfield. Next up at Flemington over the 1000m of the Maribyrnong Plate, he ran third on the day that Patron won the Melbourne Cup. On the Saturday, he won his first race, the 1400m Flying at Flemington before heading for a break.

Wallace returned on 23 February 1895 to finish unplaced in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield before running second to Hova in the All-Aged Stakes at Flemington.

He then travelled to Sydney where he ran unplaced in Delaware’s Doncaster. He then finished second behind Bob Ray in the Champagne Stakes two days later over 1200m. Bob Ray was an interesting horse in that he was raced by Dan O’Brien, the original owner of Carbine. Like many of O’Brien’s horses, he was an inexpensive purchase with O’Brien having only paid 35 guineas for the gelded yearling. Bob Ray was by the NZ champion, Welcome Jack out of a daughter of Gildermire who had dead-heated in an English Oaks before O’Brien’s former employer, Hurtle Fisher

TURF MONTHLY 4

had brought her to Australia. He had some fond memories for O’Brien and was named in honour of Bob Ray who was one of the earliest professional jockeys in NZ. Ray had later become an owner/trainer and owned the inaugural winner of the NZ Grand National Steeplechase in 1875 with a mare called Medora who had been ridden by Dan O’Brien. Ray had also been an owner and one time trainer of Welcome Jack making it a fitting name for the youngster. Bob Ray had won his first start in NZ and then went to the VRC Spring meeting where he was unplaced in the Maribyrnong Plate and Flemington Stakes. Only five horses lined up for the Champagne Stakes that year and Wallace had been a short-priced favourite. Bob Ray seemed to be cantering at the furlong mark, but the gallant Wallace did not give up only going down by a long head on the post. He won the Seventh Biennial Stakes later in the meeting and was then spelled before returning to win the AJC Derby, a race that Wallace was surprisingly not entered for. Bob Ray damaged a bone in his knee either during his Derby win, or shortly after, which limited his career. After a couple of years on the side lines Bob Ray eventually ended his career in Qld where he enjoyed some success for EG Blume including six wins in a row at the Rockhampton and Tattersall’s Spring Meetings of 1899.

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fter the Champagne, Wallace was again to be beaten when favourite in the AllAged Stakes at the end of the Randwick meeting a few days later to end his 2yo season. It must be remembered that Carbine’s progeny were much better as they got older, so his early results were but a portent of what was to come. It was to be one of the great 3yo seasons in history for Wallace. He resumed in the September Stakes at Flemington over 2000m, again starting favourite at 7/4 and again running second to Hova who had beaten him in the All-Aged Stakes the previous season. Wallace stamped his class on the Caufield Guineas winning easily over the mile beating The Parisienne. The 1895 VRC Derby proved another easy assignment for the star colt.

He beat Osculator with the excellent mare, Auraria who was to go on and win the Melbourne Cup and the VRC Oaks, finishing third. Auraria incidentally had also won the SA Derby. Wallace went to the Cup but was never sighted in the run. Two days later his nemesis Hova beat him again in the Flying Stakes over 1400m. He

Wallace winning the VRC Derby

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dead heated for first with Auraria in the 3200m CB Fisher Plate a further two days later to finish off his Spring. The two horses battled each other head and head for the entire straight with the crowd watching on in awed silence. They erupted in appreciation when the horses crossed the line and were grateful that connections chose to share the prize rather than hold a run-off.

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break saw Wallace return to finish second behind Cabin Boy in the St Leger at Flemington which was followed by another game second to Idolater in the Australian Cup. He then dead-heated in the 4800m Champion Stakes with Quiver before again trekking to Sydney. Here Wallace proved his class by winning three straight races in the St Leger, Sydney Cup and Cumberland Stakes in the space of five days. Two days later the hard racing took its toll and Wallace finished third behind The Harvester in the 4800m Cumberland Stakes. Sadly, Wallace was to have only one start as a 4yo when he ran third in the Caulfield Stakes in October 1896 behind Hopscotch. He broke down in a track gallop shortly after in the near front. He was immediately withdrawn from all of his engagements which caused mayhem for the Melbourne Cup as Wallace was a pronounced favourite. It was estimated that the Victorian ring alone had laid over £50,000 against Wallace for the Melbourne Cup in which he had been handicapped with 10 stone (63.5kg). While some of the time argued that Wallace was a better 3yo than his sire, Carbine, it must be remembered that Carbine was able to win the 1890 Cup carrying a record of 66kg for a 4yo.

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allace was owned by WR Wilson of the famed St Albans Stud. Wilson had purchased the property in 1890 for £70,000 and had then set about restocking the stud, outlaying a further £30,000. By 1895, the economic recession had hit with prizemoney being slashed and yearling prices plummeting. This led Wilson to

Rather surprisingly the amazing Wallace has relatively little inbreeding in his pedigree at 5.47%. This is even more interesting when given that close inbreeding was prevalent in his day. We see only three stallions duplicated within six generations in Camel, Touchstone and Whalebone. What is important is that we see that Touchstone is a son of Camel, and Camel in turn a son of Whalebone. There are five lines of Touchstone within six generations and four of Camel. Two of these are through Touchstone and two are through his excellent daughter, Brown Bess. Whalebone is found through Camel and another son in Sir Hercules. Touchstone quite surprisingly is found through five different descendants of which two are female, and three are male. The pedigree is all about bringing in as much of one influence as is possible and has worked incredibly well in this instance.

liquidate the enterprise in a fairly novel manner by way of lottery to dispose of the estate and his horses. There were 125,000 tickets of £1 each with 130 prizes. Wallace, who was then a 3yo, was listed as the ninth prize in descending order of value with the lottery draw taking place in the Centennial Hall, Brisbane, by George Adams one week before the Melbourne Cup. A syndicate of four people from Creswick won the colt, but Wilson promptly renegotiated a buyback for £2,500 plus winning contingencies, as he did with some of the other prizes. These included the estate itself which he bought back for just £24,000.

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allace was sold at the St Albans dispersal at the death of Mr Wilson for only 750 guineas to Mr John Matthew Vincent “Jack” Smith of Bundoora Park.

He died at that property in December 1917 but not until he had become Australia’s Champion sire. His list of winning progeny was quite remarkable producing six winners of the VRC Derby, VRC Oaks and VRC St Leger, four AJC St Leger winners, two each of the SA Derby, SA St Leger and Melbourne Cup and one AJC Derby winner. Despite being at stud for 20 years, it was estimated that Wallace covered only 420 mares, with his largest crops slightly more than 30 mares. From these numbers which stallions achieve in a couple of seasons in the modern era, he produced 172 winners including 53 individual stakes winners.

TURF MONTHLY 8

WALLACE

THE CHAMPION SIRE

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allace was to go on to become one of the most important sires of his day, although rather oddly he won the Australian Sires’ Title only once, in the 1915-16 season. This success came largely on the back of the performances of Patrobas, a stallion that we have written about extensively in the past. He won the Caulfield Guineas, VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup that season to put Wallace on the way to success. It must also be noted that Wallace stood at a bumper time for Australian stallions and competed alongside such legendary sires as Maltster, Grafton, Linacre and The Welkin.

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allace was a daughter of the Goldsborough mare, Melodius. The mare was to produce two other stakes winners in Meli by Newminster who won the 1892 AJC First Foal Stakes, and Kerlie by Stepniak who won the VRC Coburg Stakes, the Williamstown Cup, and the Moonee Valley Cup. Melodius had been a more than useful race filly herself, although her performances were restricted to sprint journeys. She won the Flemington Stakes over 800m having started favourite in the Maribyrnong Plate. Melodius was importantly the full sister to Melos who was a true stayer and won the 1888 AJC Derby over 2400m, AJC St Leger over 2800m, and both the AJC Randwick Plate and VRC Champion Stakes over 4800m.

TURF MONTHLY 9

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part from Patrobas, Wallace also sired another Melbourne Cup winner in Kingsburgh who won the 1914 edition. Kingsburgh was a son of the imported British mare, Alexandra by Persimmon who was herself a three quarter sister to St Ambrose who had won the 1899 Williamstown Cup. The 1914 Melbourne Cup was the first of the War time Cups and was a rather sombre affair in comparison to previous events. The crowd approached 100,000 but the usually colourful crowd was dominated by the khaki uniforms worn by many of the young men. There had been calls to suspend racing for the period of the war, but the argument that racing was good for national morale ended up prevailing. The Victorian Racing Club promised to donate one third of the profits of the spring meeting or £5,000, whichever was the highest, to patriotic funds. Kingsburgh started at 20/1 but was a surprisingly popular win due to being owned by prominent VRC committee man LKS Mackinnon. Mackinnon had previously tried to win the Cup but 1914 was the first time he used his real name, having raced horses under the nom-de-plume of KS MacLeod in the past. Mackinnon was reported to have done well by the win, having procured an early wager of £14,000 to £78, or odds of 150/1 about Kingsburgh. The 4yo chestnut horse did not have overly impressive form coming into the race, having won only one race in his career, the Carlingford Mile at Randwick at Rosehill as a 3yo.

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ingsburgh carried only 6 stone 12 pounds (43.5kg) in the Cup and was ridden by a young apprentice KG ‘George’ Meddick. Meddick was largely unknown in Melbourne and was interviewed by the Observer following his win.

Kingsburgh winning the Melbourne Cup

TURF MONTHLY 10

STAKES WINNERS Ailsa (NZ ) 1901 1906 WRC Telegraph Handicap Amata (AUS) 1910 1916 VRC Newmarket Handicap

1916 VRC C.M. Lloyd Stakes Aurous (AUS) 1897 1901 VATC Futurity Stakes Balmoral (AUS) 1906 1909 SAJC SA Stakes 1912 PARC Port Adelaide Cup 1911 PARC Queenstown Stakes Beanba (AUS) 1898 1901 VRC Oaks Stakes Birida (AUS) 1901 1906 AJC Anniversary Handicap Blairgour (AUS) 1907 1910 VATC Memsie Stakes 1911 VATC Futurity Stakes 1911 VATC Oakleigh Plate Bonnie Chiel (AUS) 1898 1901 VATC Toorak Handicap

1901 VATC Eclipse (11f) Stakes Braw Scot (AUS) 1907 1912 SAJC West End Draught Stakes Carlaverock (AUS) 1914 1917 TRC Tasmanian Derby Ceres (AUS) 1899 1903 AJC The Shorts Charles Stuart (AUS) 1902 1906 MVRC Moonee Valley Cup

1905 VRC Ascot Vale (2yo) Stakes 1906 AJC All-Aged Stakes 1905 AJC Champagne Stakes Cock O' The North (AUS) 1910 1915 VATC Coongy Handicap Culroy (AUS) 1901 1903 AdelRC Dequetteville Stakes Debenture (AUS) 1897 1905 VRC Coburg Stakes Elderslie (AUS) 1898 1903 VATC Coongy Handicap Eltham (AUS) 1909 1914 AdelRC Parkside Stakes Emir (AUS) 1900 1905 AJC Spring Stakes 1904 AJC Craven Plate 1904 VRC Essendon Stakes 1904 VRC Champion Stakes

1903 VRC Ascot Vale (2yo) Stakes

1904 AJC St Leger Stakes 1904 VRC Loch Plate 1905 VRC Loch Plate 1905 AJC Cumberland Stakes 1905 AJC Plate 1905 AJC Autumn Stakes 1903 AJC All-Aged Stakes F.J.A. (AUS) 1900 1903 SAJC South Australian Derby 1903 VATC Toorak Handicap 1903 VRC Victoria Derby

1904 AdelRC South Aust St Leger Stakes 1904 VRC All-Aged Stakes 1903 VRC Flying Stakes 1903 AJC Easter Stakes Fastness (AUS) 1905 1910 PARC Port Adelaide Cup

1911 SAJC West End Draught Stakes Heloise (AUS) 1899 1901 VATC Debutant Stakes Impress (AUS) 1901 1904 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes Jack Smith (AUS) 1903 1909 TRC Hobart Cup Kildalton (AUS) 1910 1913 AdelRC Adelaide Guineas 1913 SAJC South Australian Derby Kinglike (AUS) 1897 1900 VATC Eclipse (11f) Stakes

1900 VATC Caulfield Guineas Kingling (AUS) 1907 1911 TTC Newmarket Handicap Kingsburgh (AUS) 1910 1914 VRC Melbourne Cup Kirn (AUS) 1907 1912 AdelRC City Handicap 1911 PARC Port Adelaide Cup Lady Wallace (AUS) 1902 1905 VRC Victoria Derby 1905 VRC Oaks Stakes

1905 VATC Caulfield Guineas 1907 AJC All-Aged Stakes

1906 VATC St Helier Stakes 1906 VRC All-Aged Stakes

1906 VATC St George Stakes

1906 AJC St Leger Stakes

1906 VRC St Leger Stakes 1906 AJC Spring Stakes 1905 AJC Easter Stakes Lord Derby (AUS) 1906 1910 SAJC Goodwood Handicap Macadam (AUS) 1914 1920 VRC Australian Cup 1918 WATC Perth Cup Moe (AUS) 1909 1912 VRC Oaks Stakes

1913 AdelRC South Aust.St Leger Stakes Mother Goose (AUS) 1905 1907 VRC Maribyrnong Plate

1908 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes Mountain King (AUS) 1904 1907 Tatt's NSW Rawson Stakes

1907 VRC C.B. Fisher Plate 1907 VRC Flying Stakes

1908 AJC St Leger Stakes 1908 VRC Loch Plate

1908 VATC St George Stakes

1908 VRC St Leger Stakes 1907 AJC Craven Plate 1907 AJC Derby 1908 AJC All-Aged Stakes 1907 VRC Victoria Derby Orvieto (AUS) 1908 1914 AdelRC Birthday Cup 1910 VATC Debutant Stakes 1915 AdelRC Alderman Cup 1912 VRC Bagot Handicap Patrobas (AUS) 1912 1915 VATC Caulfield Guineas 1915 VRC Melbourne Cup 1915 VRC Victoria Derby 1917 VRC Essendon Stakes

1917 VATC St George Stakes 1917 VRC King's Plate

1916 VRC St Leger Stakes Port Logan (AUS) 1906 1911 TRC Sir James Wilson Handicap Queen Of Scots (AUS) 1905 1911 VRC Newmarket Handicap 1912 VATC Oakleigh Plate Ready Aye Ready (AUS) 1913 1919 Tatt's NSW Carrington Stakes Red Streak (AUS) 1901 1904 VRC Oaks Stakes 1907 VRC Bagot Handicap 1906 AdelRC City Handicap Rosanna (AUS) 1912 1916 AdelRC Alderman Cup 1915 VRC Oaks Stakes Scotland (AUS) 1902 1904 VATC Debutant Stakes 1908 VRC Newmarket Handicap Scottish King (AUS) 1900 1904 VATC St Helier Stakes

1904 VATC St George Stakes

1904 VRC St Leger Stakes Sheriff Muir (AUS) 1909 1912 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes Sunny South (AUS) 1906 1909 VRC Ascot Vale (2yo) Stakes Trafalgar (AUS) 1905 1911 VRC Melbourne (10f) Stakes 1909 AJC Sydney Cup

1912 VATC St George Stakes 1911 VRC Champion Stakes 1912 VRC Champion Stakes 1912 VRC Essendon Stakes 1912 VRC Loch Plate 1909 VRC Loch Plate 1909 AJC Spring Stakes 1911 SAJC Elder Stakes 1909 AJC Autumn Stakes 1912 AJC Autumn Stakes 1909 AJC Randwick Plate 1910 AJC Randwick Plate 1911 AJC Randwick Plate 1912 AJC Randwick Plate 1911 AJC Cumberland Stakes 1912 AJC Cumberland Stakes 1909 AJC Plate 1911 AJC Plate 1912 AJC Plate

1911 VRC C.B. Fisher Plate Troytown (AUS) 1901 1905 SAJC Adelaide Cup True Scot (AUS) 1903 1910 VRC Bagot Handicap 1907 AdelRC City Handicap 1908 SAJC Elder Stakes 1907 AdelRC Parkside Stakes 1909 AdelRC Parkside Stakes 1908 AdelRC Birthday Cup 1909 SAJC Goodwood Handicap 1907 VATC Toorak Handicap Wallace Isinglass (AUS) 1912 1915 RRC Rosehill Guineas

1917 VRC C.B. Fisher Plate 1918 VRC King's Plate 1918 VRC Essendon Stakes 1917 AJC Spring Stakes 1915 AJC Easter Stakes Wallalo (AUS) 1908 1914 VRC Australian Cup 1914 VRC Essendon Stakes Wilari (AUS) 1908 1911 VRC Victoria Derby 1911 VRC Oaks Stakes

1911 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes

1912 VRC St Leger Stakes Wolawa (AUS) 1909 1912 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes 1912 VRC Victoria Derby

1913 VRC St Leger Stakes

1912 VRC Ascot Vale (2yo) Stakes

1913 AJC St Leger Stakes Woorooma (AUS) 1904 1908 MVRC Moonee Valley Cup

TURF MONTHLY 11

MY FIRST CUP

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eorge Meddick, the jockey who rode Kingsburgh to victory, said that he weighed 5 st 1 lb (32kg). It is not heavy weight but looking at him one was forced to the conclusion that he is surely the smallest boy who ever raced home in front of the field in the Melbourne Cup. He said "I come from Mr Kelso's stable. I was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, and am 18 years of age. I have won about 22 races. I think the most important were the Canterbury Park Cup and the Waverley Handicap, both this year.

I had only ridden Kingsburgh three times." Coming to the race, Meddick said "I got away well, and I think I was about fifth. Then I dropped back a bit, but I started to go up near the abattoirs. The going was easy, and I was not troubled by crowding, and I did not have any interference. I never noticed Uncle Sam or St Carawyne, or any of the rest of them. I was too busy with my own horse. I went to the front coming round the turn, and then had to fight for it all the way up the straight with Sir Alwynton. I didn't think we'd win when we started," concluded Meddick, varying the casual assertions of the jockeys of winning mounts who usually declare that they knew all along that the horse was going to win. "I am glad I did win. This is my first Cup, and I have only been riding two years."

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ingsburgh officially beat St Alwynton by a neck after a battle that lasted for most of the straight. Moonbria finished third a further 1.5 lengths back with the 5/1 favourite, St Carawyne ridden by Ken Bracken in fourth. Kingsburgh had been bred by the noted bookmaker Sol Green at his Shipley Stud. Mackinnon purchased him for 700 guineas on the recommendation of trainer Charles Wheeler. However, after Kingsburgh performed below expectations in Melbourne, he was sent to Isaac (Ike) Foulsham, the former Melbourne trainer who had relocated to Sydney for health reasons. Foulsham had previously trained the wonderful Malua by St Albans to win the 1884 Cup. To show just how versatile Malua was, he also win the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Handicap in the same year. Foulsham had a reputation as a skilful trainer and was noted for his dry humour. He was also reportedly quite superstitious refusing to allow any of his horses to be photographed before a race.

Interestingly it was the following year, 1915, that Wallace was to produce his only other Melbourne Cup winner in Patrobas.

1914 Melbourne Cup Trophy TURF MONTHLY 12

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allace only retired from racing in October of 1896 and covered a handful of mares that season. Nevertheless, that first crop was to produce three stakes winners. His first was Kinglike who was out of the imported Barcaldine mare called Bonnie Rosette who was later to produce a full sibling called Mountain King who we will discuss in more detail a little later. She also produced two other stakes winners by Wallace in Bonnie Chiel and Scottish King. Kinglike had his first stakes wins as a 3yo in 1900 when he won the Caulfield Guineas with the excellent colt, Maltster finishing third. Maltster went on to win the VRC Derby and run second in the Melbourne Cup that year. Kinglike was later to win the VATC Eclipse Stakes after having finished second to Maltster in the Derby. It was an unusual Derby in that only three horses raced, with Barbarossa joining the other two colts. Maltster started the 5/4 on favourite and won comfortably by a length from Kinglike at 7/4 with Barbarossa, the 5/1 outsider a further five lengths adrift. Kinglike also went on to the Melbourne Cup and started at 16/1 but finished among the tailenders. At that stage Kinglike was still owned by the Estate of WR Wilson. He was to be sold at the dispersal of the stud for 900 guineas to Colin Macdonald who had managed the St Albans stud for Wilson. Macdonald was highly regarded as one of the country’s best judges of a horse, and he also purchased an unraced filly called Wakeful at the same sale for 310 guineas, as well as Revenue for 725 guineas who was to go on to win the Melbourne Cup the following year.

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acdonald was to meet a sad fate some years later, and we will let the Melbourne newspaper report of Saturday 23 November 1929 tell the story.

Kinglike TURF MONTHLY 13

MR. C. L. MACDONALD. TRAGIC DEATH.

By Snowden.

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uch regret was expressed at Caulfield races on Saturday when it was learned that Mr Colin Leslie Macdonald was dying. Early that morning he had been found lying unconscious in a room in his flat at Cliveden Mansions, East Melbourne.

Near him was a revolver. Mr. Macdonald, who had been in ill-health for a long time, died in a private hospital on Saturday afternoon of a bullet wound in the head. He was aged 73 years.

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or half a century Mr Macdonald had taken a leading part in racing affairs, first in South Australia and later in Victoria and New South Wales. Beginning his career in South Australia he was a very young man when he won the South Australian Derby with Pawnbroker in 1879. Later that season he won the ARC Alderman Cup with Banter. His sister married Mr JE Savill, at that time one of the leading owners and trainers in South Australia. In 1882 Mr Savill won the Melbourne Cup with The Assyrian, and soon afterwards went to England with a team of horses, and he remained there. The Adelaide establishment was taken over by Mr Macdonald who engaged Hugh Munro, a successful footballer of the day, to assist him. In 1888 Mr Macdonald brought the filly Hortense to Victoria and won with her the VATC Debutant Stakes and the Maribyrnong Plate. Hortense carried a 14lb penalty at Flemington. The following autumn she won the Ascotvale Stakes. Shortly after Mr WR Wilson bought in 1890 the St Albans stud and training establishment at Geelong for £84,000 from Mr John Crozier. Mr Wilson engaged Mr Macdonald to undertake the management of St Albans, Hugh Munro also coming across from Adelaide. For 10 years Mr Wilson had remarkable success on the Turf, the winners prepared for him at St Albans between 1890 and the date of his death, May 28, 1900, including such great performers as La Carabine, Wallace, Aurum, Bobadil. Resolute, Merman, Auriferous, Delusive, La Tosca, Strathmore, Carnage, and many others. They were trained privately in ideal surroundings, the old training track, superior to many racetracks of the present day,

Kinglike winning the Caulfield Guineas TURF MONTHLY 14

being more than a mile and a half in circumference.

OWNED WAKEFUL AND REVENUE.

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t the dispersal sale of St Albans stud in 1900 Mr Macdonald bought Kinglike for 900 guineas, Wakeful (then unraced) for 310 guineas, Aurous for 350 guineas, and Revenue for 725 guineas, and he settled at Caulfield. Each of these horses proved a first-class stake winner. In the 1900-1901 season Kinglike won the Caulfield Guineas. Aurous the Caulfield Futurity Stakes, Wakeful the Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket Handicap, and Doncaster Handicap. The following season Revenue won the Melbourne Cup, and he still holds the record as the shortest-priced winner of that event. So confident of success was Mr Macdonald that on the Monday before the race he had a photograph of Revenue taken by "The Australasian" photographer so that it would be ready for reproduction as soon as the horse had won the cup. Mr Macdonald retained Wakeful and Aurous for brood mares, they being kept at studs in New South Wales. Among the progeny of Aurous was the sprinter Dunolly and the dams of Desert Gold and Tangalooma. With Wakeful's second foal, Blairgour (by Mr Macdonald's old favourite Wallace), the breeder won the Oakleigh Plate and Futurity Stakes in 1911. With Wakeful's son Night Watch he won the Melbourne Cup in 1918. In the 1903-4 season, in which several high-class three-year-olds were in opposition, he won the VRC St Leger with Kinglike's brother Scottish King. That year he had two smart

TURF MONTHLY 15

hurdle racers, Kudos and Elderlsie. Successful bearers of the black jacket, rose sleeves and white cap in 1906 and 1907 were Lady Rylstone and Wandin, the first named a winner of the AJC Champagne Stakes and VRC Oaks. Wandin won the Oakleigh Plate later was sold to go to India.

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n the last 10 years Mr Macdonald comparatively few horses in training. Their preparation was entrusted to R Bradfield, who sent Night Watch out to win the Melbourne Cup in 1918. About that time Bradfield won many races for Messrs Clark and Robinson with Lucknow, King Magpie, Lanius, and others. Mr Macdonald acted as manager of these horse their owners, who lived in England. When Night Watch won the Cup, Mr Macdonald stated after the race that it was only a matter of sentiment that he kept the horse in training. He had several descendants of Wakeful in training up till March, 1927 when he had a clearing sale of all the stock. Wakeful's Daughter, and three horses in training being sold for 2,975 guineas. Wakeful, the greatest mare over all distances ever known on the Australian Turf, was still owned by Mr Macdonald when she died, aged 27 years, in September 1923. Mr Macdonald had a very high reputation as a judge of blood stock, well founded by his successful association for 50 years with the sport. When St Albans, Geelong, was bought by Messrs Raymond and Ranken in 1926, and once more became a thoroughbred nursery (it had been used for years as a dairy farm), Mr Macdonald took a very keen interest in its redevelopment.

For so many years has he been a conspicuous figure on the principal racecourses that he will be sadly missed by a large circle of friends. He left a widow but no children. His remains were buried at the Brighton Cemetery on Monday.

Wakeful TURF MONTHLY 16

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part from Kinglike, Wallace also sired two other stakes winners from his limited 1897 crop. Aurous, a daughter of the Richmond mare, Aura, won the 1901 Futurity Stakes. She beat Finland and Maltster who coincidentally had been placed behind Kinglike in the Caulfield Guineas the year before. The flashy chestnut mare was to prove to be one of the most important daughters of Wallace as she went on to create an enduring legacy. At stud she produced two stakes winners in Dunolly who won the VRC Standish Handicap and was to run second in the Newmarket. The mare also produced Golden Hop by Maltster who won the AJC The Shorts, and the AJC Challenge Stakes two years in a row in 1913 and 1914. The gelding was something of a surprise winner of his second Challenge Stakes starting at 16/1 and carrying some 12 pounds (5.5kg) more than he did in 1913. Golden Hop settled a length behind the last horse in the 1600m event but finished strongly to win comfortably by a length at the finish. It was another of her daughters though in Aururius by Maltster that ensured the Wallace name continued. Aururius produced three stakes winners in NZ. Her first was Croesus by Royal Fusilier who won the CJC Stewards Plate. Her last was Nigger Minstrel who won the Great Northern Champagne Stakes before heading to Australia where he won the Rosehill Guineas.

Between those two she produced the NZ legend in Desert Gold who held the record for 19 straight victories for most of the twentieth century. To tell her story, we are going to look at some of the newspapers of the time.

TURF MONTHLY 17

Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 3 January 1942, page 34

Desert Gold — Record of a Great

By CHIRON

D

ESERT GOLD, one of the most brilliant and spectacular mares ever to grace the Australasian Turf, died in New Zealand last week. She was a venerable old lady at the time of her death, as she was foaled in 1912, so was rising 30 years when she died. It is not often mares live as long as Desert Gold did, but Circle, the last daughter of Carbine at the stud in Australia, who bred the Newmarket winner Blague, was about the same age as Desert Gold when she died. As a performer Desert Gold was not the equal of Wakeful, as she did not stay as well as the peerless daughter of Trenton, but she probably had as much speed. Mr Leslie Macdonald owned Wakeful during her racing career, and he was linked with Desert Gold, as he bred Desert Gold's dam Aurarius, a daughter of Maltster, which he sold privately to Mr TH Lowry when she was a 4-year-old in 1910. Like many other notable brood mares Aurarius had been a failure as a performer. She made amends for her shortcomings in that respect by becoming a great brood mare. Her first foal, Croesus, who was just useful, and her second was Desert Gold. Her last was the Rosehill Guineas winner Nigger Minstrel, who gave Heroic a hard race in the AJC Derby, when Heroic, Nigger Minstrel, and Spearfelt passed the post with inches separating them.

Speedy Mare

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esert Gold was a mare with extraordinary speed and of the type one would have expected to begin her racing career with some spectacular performances.

She made her first appearance in a race in the Wellesley Stakes, a 4 furlongs dash at Wellington but could do no better than finish third. She was second in her next 3 races over a similar distance. Her first success was gained in the Pioneer Handicap at Christchurch. She won 5 other races during the season, and was second in 2 others. Her last race as a 2-year-old was in the Hawke's Bay Stakes, which she won. As a 3-yearold she won 14 races and was undefeated that season, her victories including the NZ Derby and Oaks and Great Northern Derby. She won her first 4 races as a 4-year-old, which gave her a winning sequence of 19 races. Gloaming also won 19 successive races.

Ajax, after winning 18 races on end, seemed certain to equal the records of Desert Gold and Gloaming, but Spear Chief unexpectedly defeated him at Rosehill and brought his winning run to an end. When Gloaming was a 3-year-old he met Desert Gold in the Taranaki Stakes and was defeated by the mare. Gloaming, however, avenged the defeat by accounting for Desert Gold in some later races over short courses.

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esert Gold paid 2 visits to Australia, the first being in the autumn of 1918. She made her first appearance here in the St George Stakes at Caulfield, in which she defeated Cetigne, Wallace Isinglass, and several others. She was made a 7-to-4-on favourite for the Caulfield Futurity Stakes, but Wedge wore her down in the last bit to

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defeat her by a neck. She easily won the Governor's Plate over 1.5 miles at Flemington but was outstayed by Wallace Isinglass over 2 miles in the King's Plate. She went to Sydney and won the Autumn Stakes and All-Aged Stakes, and then returned to New Zealand. She was in Sydney again in the spring that year when she lost the Spring Stakes by a short head to Poitrel. She started at 4 to 1 on, and Poitrel was on offer at 25 to 1. It was no disgrace to go down before Poitrel over 1.5 miles. Then Desert Gold figured in one of the most remarkable finishes we have seen in Australia. It was the Craven Plate, in which Cetigne, Wolaroi, and Estland passed the post at half-head intervals, and Desert Gold was a similar distance away in fourth place. Desert Gold won only 2 races that season. She was obviously nearing the end of her racing days, but she was given 3 races when 7 years old but was placed in only one.

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hen retired to the stud Desert Gold was by no means a prolific producer. She began stud life in 1920, but after producing 9 foals she ceased to breed after dropping Treasure Trove to Gainscourt in 1932. Several of her progeny were good winners — notably Chrysology and Oreum — but none could be put anywhere near the class of their dam. The daughters of Desert Gold, however, are doing fairly well as brood mares. Oreum, for instance, is the dam of the Epsom and Doncaster winner Gold Rod, and Pure Gold produced the good staying mare Gold Trail, winner of the Auckland Cup and runner-up in the New Zealand Cup. Auratum and Sahara have also bred more than useful winners.

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Truth (Sydney, NSW: 1894 - 1954), Sunday 18 February 1940, page 9

Midget McLachlan's Life Story - No. 8 Famous Jockey This Week Tells of My Rides on the New Zealand champion Desert Gold

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illy McLachlan will ever remember his association with the great New Zealand mare Desert Gold, bred, owned and raced by Mr TH Lowry, as fine a sportsman as ever lived. In all, McLachlan rode Desert Gold in six of her races here. He won the St George Stakes and the Governor's Plate on her in Victoria, and the Autumn Stakes and the All-Aged Stakes at Randwick.

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e was second on her to Wedge in the Futurity, and second to Wallace Isinglass in the King's Plate. She went down to Wedge in the Futurity, but McLachlan told Mr Lowry afterwards that if the race were re-run she would win. She drew a bad position at the start and was never favorably positioned. Still, Wedge was one of the fastest horses ever raced in Australia, and to him goes the credit of licking a real champion.

We'll leave it at that. Desert Gold was raced here by Mr Lowry for the benefit of the New Zealand Diggers, then in hospital with war wounds. When her generous owner returned home, he spoke in glowing terms of the tumultuous receptions she had been given by racing folk everywhere. “They recognised her as a great performer,'' he said with pardonable pride. 'What seemed to appeal to them most was that she looked the part.” In New Zealand there was some criticism of Mr Lowry because he stood O'Shea down and gave McLachlan the riding of his mare. As an owner, he was entitled to do as he liked where the riding of his horses was concerned. Most owners know their own business best. During her 1918 trip to Australia Desert Gold was an acceptor in the Essendon Stakes, 1.5 miles, on the first day of the VRC Autumn Meeting. Heavy rain and a sodden track, however, were considered by Mr Lowry and his trainer to be against the mare, and she was scratched. In Desert Gold's first race - the St George Slakes at Flemington - the New Zealand mare, a week after making the trip across the Tasman defeated Cetigne and a fair field at weight-for-age. In every way it was an auspicious debut. The result was really never in doubt; though the New Zealander was ridden resolutely at the finish. The field included Lingle, Wallace Isinglass, Prince Bardolph, Coq d'Or, Broken Glass, and Duntulm. In the early stages of the race, McLachlan said that Desert Gold was inclined to loaf, but she did not require a great deal of riding to get her at her top. Cetigne was first out at the start, but Albert Wood allowed the New Zealander to make the pace, and dropped in behind her and Prince Bardolph. At the turn into the straight, Desert Gold had a clear lead. Prince Bardolph dropped back, and Wood sent Cetigne after the flying Maorilander. At the distance he was at the mare's quarters, but McLachlan was quietly confident. A nudge with the heels, and Desert Gold bounded forward. At the post she was a clear length to the good. Some critics said that had the race been a furlong further, she would have been defeated. 'Midget' has no doubts on that point. He says she would not have been beaten - that she was demonstrably the best on the day, and thoroughly deserved her extremely popular victory. Hard-headed racing men agreed with that view. 'A dandy mare,' said one old time trainer. 'Measures up to everything that has been said about her in her homeland. A great mare. One of the best ever.' The quotation is from a Melbourne paper of the time.

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ac described Desert Gold as easy to ride, game and generous. He attributed her apparent slowing down in the latter stages of the St George Stakes to the strangeness of the surroundings. New Zealanders said that she had shown this peculiarity in many of her races at home and had to be urged along. Fred Davis, trainer of Desert Gold, said after the race that the mare was at her top speed to defeat Cetigne, but added that she could scarcely be expected to be at her very best a week after her arrival in Australia. Davis didn't say this to belittle the opposition. He knew what his charge could do and was more than justified in the exalted opinion he held of her. Why not? Desert Gold had won 29 races in New Zealand and had never been worse than third in any event. McLachlan rode her in the Governor's Plate, 1.5 miles, on the third day of the meeting. There were only four runners, the others being Lanius, Lingle and Wallace Isinglass. Desert Gold was at 7 to 4 on. McLachlan took her to the front at once. She liked to run her races that way. There was not much pace for a couple of furlongs. Then, 'Midget' says, he gave her her head. She opened up a break of three lengths from Lanius with Wallace Isinglass and Lingle following. Four furlongs from home, Wallace Isinglass and Lanius made a determined effort to bridge the gap, but the Maorilander maintained her lead to the post. Wallace Isinglass being second and Lingle a bad last. He said he never had any doubt about the mare at that distance.

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here was a different story to tell, however, on the last day of the meeting. In the King's Plate 2 miles, there were but three runners. The bookmakers opened Desert Gold at 4 to 1 on, but were satisfied with half a point less at starting. Wallace Isinglass was at 5 to 1 against and Lingle 8 to 1 against. Desert Gold, being a free mover, and

resentful of restraint, was allowed to run her own race. MacLachlan let her run along at a smart gallop, without pulling her about. Soon she was out several lengths. Lingle lobbed along in the rear, a hopeless case. Half a mile from home, Wallace Isinglass was seen to be creeping up to the New Zealander. Backers of the visitor had good cause to be nervous. At the turn, Wallace was within a length of Desert Gold. Half-way down the straight Mac knew he was beaten. He didn't knock the gallant mare about and finished a length and a half behind the Coal King’s horse. Mac says the “Daisy from Down Under” was not a two miler. “Up to a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half as good as anything that has ever raced here,” he said. In the Autumn Stakes on March 13, 1918, and the All-Aged Stakes, four days later at Randwick, Desert Gold scored a TURF MONTHLY 21

notable double at weight for age. McLachlan rode her on each occasion. In the mile and a half she defeated such good ones as Westcourt, Lanius, Kennaquhair, Gadabout and Thana, and in the mile Cetigne, Panacre and Prince Viridis.

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t was O'Shea who rode Desert Gold in the famous Craven Plate when she missed a place by a whisker. It was the first time in her career that she had been unplaced in a race. Up to then she had started 48 times and had won 34 races. She was second 9 times, and third 4 times.

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herever seasoned racegoers gather, the remarkable finish in the Craven Plate of 1918 is always productive of a flood of talk. A blanket would have covered Cetigne, Desert Gold, Estland, and Wolaroi as these four - the only starters - flashed past the winning post. The judge placed them Cetigiie 1, Wolaroi 2, Estland 3, Desert Gold 4. It was the first time in her career that the illustrious New Zealand mare had been out of a place. You will get every possible variety of opinion as to the race - how it was run and what should have won - in any racing assembly, so there is no harm in adding to the pros and cons the view of the jockey who rode Wolaroi. Midget says definitely that Wolaroi was the horse that suffered ill-luck in running, and that he would have won had he not been squeezed between Estland and Desert Gold. “Desert Gold was tiring towards the end” says Billy. “She shifted out from the rails on to me and moved back again. Cetigne was running behind her. I had just attempted to go between her and Estland when she moved out a second time, jammed me again and Cetigne, ridden by Albert Wood, got through on the rails to win narrowly. Of course, I will be reminded that lookers-on see most of the game, and there will be those who disagree, but my opinion is that Wolaroi deserved to win. The general view among racing men at the time was that Desert Gold - one of the greatest mares ever to race anywhere - had passed her prime. Even so she was only a neck from the winner, though she wasn't placed. I had the pleasure - the privilege, I should say - of riding her in some of her victories on a previous trip to Australia. Her record on the turf is one that will challenge comparison, for all time, and I am glad that my name - in a small way - will be coupled with hers whenever and wherever her amazing record is being discussed.

What a pot she would have won had she raced in Australia during the whole of her career!”

Craven Plate Finish 1918

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AUROUS

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he success of Aurous did not stop at Desert Gold.

Another daughter of the mare in Aureity by Grafton produced another quality galloper in Tangalooma. By Linacre, that stallion won six stakes races in Victoria in the Herbert Power, Williamstown Cup, CB Fisher Plate, Governor’s Plate and two October Stakes. The influence of Aurous has continued in Australia racing and one of the best to trace to that mare was the remarkable filly in Eye Liner by Smokey Eyes, a Qld champion who we have discussed in a previous edition.

The list of descendants is long and includes horses like Breakfast Creek by Lunchtime who won three stakes races and went on to become a good sire leaving the excellent Sir Breakfast. Another son of Lunchtime from the family that did well was Pre Catelan who won the STC Silver Slipper and AJC Breeders Plate before going on to a successful career at stud where he left the likes of Loader who was a multiple Group 1 winner in NZ. Another NZer from this line was Major Drive by Sea Anchor who won the 1987 Sydney Cup, a race that holds a special place in racing history especially for one of our largest punters and owners in Kerry Packer.

We will look at that race later on in our Great Race section.

the imported stallion Archway is one of the few horses that have won both the AJC and VRC Oaks. Trained by Graeme Rogerson, the filly was beaten in her first start in a 1000m maiden at Moe in March of her 2yo season.

She then won four straight races including the Listed Anzac Day Stakes at Flemington before finishing her first season of racing by running second to Clay Fighter in the SA Sires Produce. Her 3yo season started with a second in the Quezette behind Bright Side. A failure in the G2 Moet and Chandon was followed by fourth placings in both the Listed Tranquil Star behind Danelagh, and the 1000 Guineas behind Inaflury.

Grand Archway then hit top form winning the Wakeful and VRC Oaks both times beating Rose o’ War to finish the Spring. Returning in the Autumn, the filly won the G1 Australia Stakes and CF Orr with Shane Dye on board. An ordinary run in the G2 St George was followed by a second to the great Sunline in the G3 Moonee Valley Oaks before venturing to Sydney.

Her first run there saw her finish third to Sky Heights in the AJC Derby and she then again teamed up with Dye to win the AJC Oaks beating Light Work. Heading to Adelaide, Grand Archway finished second in the Australian Oaks and Roseland Oaks both times behind thers from the family also include Livistona Lane the good filly, Episode. Grand Archway returned for a and Grand Archway. Livistona Lane was a popular good fourth in the G2 JJ Liston but she broke down in Sydney horse of the early 90’s and won the Gosford the G2 Craiglee Stakes and was retired. In all she won Gold Cup and STC Caravan Show Stakes which nine of her 22 starts and over $1.7 million in stakes. At was better known as the Royal Parma Stakes before stud, she produced two stakes winners in Seul Amour becoming the Doncaster Prelude. Grand Archway by and Stand Tall.

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JOHN MCDONALD

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hile Colin Leslie Macdonald was a legend in racing, it was another McDonald with a different spelling that enters the story of Wallace at this point. It is also a story of the foundations of NSW as we can trace it back to a time when Major Thomas Mitchell arrived in the northwest of the current State while investigating the story of a runaway convict called George Clarke, and a legend of a great river flowing northeast to the sea. The area came to be known as the Moree Plains and the river the Gwydir, a fertile valley. The Baldwin family were the first squatters but the Lands Act in 1861 sought to break up the large properties. The first land sales in the area were conducted by 1868. Ten years earlier a young Scotsman called John McDonald had arrived in Australia. He was only 16 when he arrived in Sydney with an aim of making his fortune. He first went to Jerilderie where he had family connections but soon moved to Nangunyah Station, near Berrigan, before going on to become overseer at Ellerslie Station, near Adelong. In 1875, McDonald joined a partnership in 1875 that took over the Mungie Bundie station in the Moree district.

He was to later buy out his partners and set about making the property near Moree one of the largest in NSW, covering around 60,000 acres of freehold.

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e married Rebecca Falkiner, the eldest daughter of Franc, a wealthy grazier and pastoralist which helped him expand his own flock. Sadly, Rebecca died in 1893 with the couple childless. In order to distract from his grief, McDonald was elected to the AJC committee two years later, and by 1897 with the extension of the railway line to the Moree District, he hatched a plan to establish a thoroughbred horse stud at Mungie Bungie.

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his was a time of some financial turmoil in Australia, leading to numerous dispersals of stock. McDonald used this to his advantage and in particular he attended the dispersal sale of the Morphetville Stud in July 1897, shortly after the death of Sir Thomas Elder. There he purchased a Neckersgat yearling, to be named Lady Mostyn, for 250 guineas. She was to give McDonald his first major success when she won the 1897 Maribyrnong Plate.

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LADY WALLACE AN OUTSTANDING MARE

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ady Mostyn was sent to the stallion Wallace in the 1901 season. The subsequent foal was a filly that was retained by McDonald and named Lady Wallace who was a remarkable racehorse. She had her first race in November of her 2yo season, finishing fourth. A third at Rosehill followed and then she had her first win over 1000m on 28 December at Randwick. Three days later she won over the same course and distance, and completed a treble only two days later, this time over 1100m. After a quick let up, Lady Wallace ran second to Binnia who she had previously beaten, in the AJC Sires Produce over 1200m before winning the Easter Stakes over 1400m.

She rounded off the carnival, and her 2yo season, by running third to Charles Stuart in the AJC Champagne Stakes.

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ady Wallace had her first run as a 3yo in the Spring Handicap at Randwick over 2000m and ran third behind Lucknow in the Spring Handicap. Two weeks later she won the August Stakes at Rosehill over a mile, before heading out against the colts in the AJC Derby. She faced off against the two boom NZ colts in Noctuiform and Sun God. In the Derby, the pair set a cracking pace, but Noctuiform proved too good winning in an astonishing time that smashed the track record. He won by eight lengths from Sun God with a further eight lengths back to Lady Wallace.

Noctuiform returned to NZ without another start, but Lady Wallace faced Sun God in the AJC New Stakes over 1800m two days later with Sun God again proving superior, winning by four lengths from the filly. The NZ invaders returned home and Lady Wallace travelled to Melbourne to prove that she was the best of the local 3yo’s. She won the Caulfield Guineas by two lengths from Dantzic before being too good for Grama in the Victoria Derby. She then won the Oaks comfortably from The Infanta to round off a wonderful Spring.

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Lady Wallace winning the Oaks

eturning in the Autumn, she took on the open horses in the St George Stakes at Caulfield over 1800m, beating the excellent Gladsome narrowly. A week later she won the St Hellier Stakes over 2400m again at Caulfield. As the carnival moved to Flemington, Lady Wallace won the St Leger over 2800m by an impressive five lengths from Circuit. She then again narrowly beat Gladsome again, this time in the All Aged Stakes over a mile. It was then back to Sydney where she won the AJC St Leger over 2800m before ending her string of wins by running second, this time going under by a half-head to Gladsome to end her 3yo season.

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s a 4yo, Lady Wallace won her first race over 2400m at Randwick in the Spring Stakes, beating Isolt by five lengths. A third behind Solution over the 2000m of the Craven Plate was followed by running last in a field of four over 3600m in the Randwick Plate when starting the 3/1 on favourite. It was to be the mare’s only start at 2 miles or beyond. In Melbourne, she ran fifth in the Melbourne Stakes before finishing second in the Flying Stakes over 1400m. Connections then sent her for a break after a disappointing campaign. Returning for the Autumn, the mare finished a well beaten fifth in the Autumn Stakes behind Dividend. Dividend was a short priced favourite and an outstanding racehorse in his own right winning ten stakes races in his career which was overshadowed a little by the fact that his older halfbrother Lord Cardigan had won the 1903 Melbourne Cup and the Sydney Cup the following year. Lady Wallace had only one more start, winning the All-Aged Stakes back to a mile four days later before she was retired to stud at Mungie Bungie.

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ady Wallace proved to be a good broodmare producing three stakes winners in Cisco by San Francisco who won four stakes races including the AJC Breeders Plate, 1911 AJC Derby, and the AJC Anniversary Handicap and Rawson Stakes in 1915. Balarang by Challenger won the Carrington Stakes and Futurity Stakes. Her last stakes winner was Noscitur by Reputation who won the 1927 Werribee Cup and was foaled when the mare was 19yo. Cisco’s Derby win sparked unusual scenes on

Lady Wallace winning the Derby TURF MONTHLY 27

At 10.94%, we see quite a deal of inbreeding in the pedigree of the mare. In the case of Wallace, we saw a build up of the Whalebone line through his sons and grandsons. The pedigree of Lady Wallace features four lines of the mare Pocahontas. Two are through her great son, Stockwell, one through another son in King Tom, and one in a daughter called Ayacarnora. We also see three lines of Sir Hercules, four of his son, Touchstone, and another two of Touchstone’s son, Orlando. In this pedigree while we are reinforcing the strength of the Whalebone line, we are also introducing the balancing lines of Pocahontas and her descendants.

Lady Wallace winning the All-Aged Stakes

the track in Melbourne, as one of the strangest scams was conducted. The Manders Agency was responsible for the telegram to the track advising of the winner, and it was duly received announcing that Cisco was victorious. Simultaneously though other wires declaring Pontano as the winner were received by a number of bookmakers.

They were signed by people known to the receivers but were subsequently found to be forgeries. Seeking to gain advantage, there was plenty of wagering to say that Cisco had not won and it seems that the organisers of the swindle were on hand to take their share of the action, with betting allegedly lasting for 30 minutes before the scam was detected. Bookmakers could never ascertain if the scheme originated in Sydney or Melbourne, but it underscored an interesting Derby.

Cisco ater his Derby win

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MOUNTAIN KING GONE IN THE WIND

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t the same St Albans sale that Les Macdonald had purchases Kinglike and Wakeful, John McDonald purchased a mare called Bonnie Rosette with her second Wallace foal at foot and having been served by the same stallion again.

John McDonald was forced to go to 700 guineas to secure the rising 14-year-old broodmare and her accompanying foal. He agreed also to lease the attractive chestnut colt to Les Macdonald. He was to be named Scottish King and went on to win three stakes races in the VRC St George, St Helier and St Leger Stakes. He was later to have a moderate career at stud. The filly that was born was an upstanding black filly, subsequently registered as Bonnie Crest. The filly was unraced after dislocating one of her hind fetlocks when being prepared for the 1904 Randwick Spring Meeting.

At stud she produced Bonnie Plume who won the 1918 AJC Challenge Stakes, and her legacy continues to this day having produced horses like Manuan winner of eight stakes races including the G1 AJC Galaxy, Chimes Square a talented galloper and later the sire of G1 winner, Chimes Zam, Speed Week who won a Black Opal, and Tribu who became a good sire in WA.

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fter giving Bonnie Rosette a year off, McDonald travelled her again the 1000 miles to visit Wallace. The resultant foal was to become arguably the best of all of Wallace’s progeny. Given the success of Scottish King, McDonald decided to offer the strapping colt for sale in April 1906 at the Chisholm and Co sales. He had not been well prepared, and the sale was plagued by heavy rain meaning that the colt drew bids of only 350 guineas, well short of the 600 gns reserve. McDonald decided to race the colt himself and registered the name, Mountain King. He was sent to 58-year-old Joe Burton, who operated out of the celebrated Rathluba stables overlooking Randwick racecourse.

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n 1906, the AJC committee included two new races for the 2yo’s for the Spring Carnival. The first was the Breeders Plate which was to be run over 1000m on the second day of the carnival and was worth 1250 sovereigns, while the Gimcrack Stakes worth 500 sovereigns was scheduled to be held over 900m on the following day. McDonald and trainer Burton had it in mind to target the Breeders Plate with their lumbering 2yo with the unorthodox galloping action. He was not fully fit as he faced up against the strong field, led by Boniform, a brother to the excellent NZ galloper Sun God. Mountain King did his chances no favours when he bolted just before the start, galloping around 400m until his jockey regained control. Mountain King nevertheless led the field narrowly at the half-way point, just in front of Maltine who was the first progeny of the champion Maltster ever to race. The colt beat off Maltine but was caught on the line by Boniform who won by a head with Maltine three lengths away in third. The filly franked the form by winning the Gimcrack the next day.

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ountain King was taken to Melbourne for his next appearance in the time honoured Maribyrnong Pate. The colt finished a well beaten sixth behind Maltine who was carrying a 10 pound (4.5kg) penalty. Mountain King was found to be suffering from influenza and he failed to return to the track for the remainder of his 2yo season.

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ountain King had matured significantly when he reappeared as a 3yo and he took on the open horses in the Rawson Stakes at Randwick at his first engagement. He won the 1800m event by two lengths from Collarit with the champion Poseidon in third. Poseidon was anchored by a huge weight, conceding some 33 pounds (15kg) to the 3yo. Next it was on to the AJC Derby at a new look Randwick that had been extensively remodelled since its last meeting. Mountain King was favourite for the race ahead of Peru, a colt by Grafton who was trained by Thomas Paynton. Peru had finished second in the Ascot Vale Stakes and AJC Sires Produce before winning the Easter Stakes over a mile as a 2yo. The NZ colt Maranui had also made the trip across the Tasman and was well fancied, while the other two runners were Welcome Trist and another NZ visitor in Seddon. The race proved to be something of a farcical affair, run at a pace that saw the small field cover the first half-mile (800m) in 58 seconds, and it was rumoured that Joe Burton was seen chuckling quietly in the stands as he knew that none of the others could match his charge in a sprint home. Mountain King had the race in hand a long way from home, and only coasted in to win by a neck which flattered runner up, Welcome Trist. Mountain King won twice more that week in the New Stakes over 1800m and then in a narrow victory in the Craven Plate over 2000m beating Iolaire and Poseidon, with the 7/4 favourite just getting up on the post. Although no protest ensued, it was said that the jockeys of Mountain King and Poseidon almost came TURF MONTHLY 31

Mountain King VRC Derby win

to blows after the race. Whatever happened, Mountain King was scratched from further engagements in Sydney and went to Melbourne.

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ountain King proved dominant again in the VRC Derby, with the placegetters of the AJC Derby again running second and third, although in a different order with Peru finishing ahead of Welcome Trist. Heavy rain fell after the Derby and it looked like Mountain King would not run in the Melbourne Cup. However the weather cleared, and even though McDonald was wary of running the 3yo on a wet track over the 2 miles, he was also conscious of the colt’s many supporters who had backed the horse. Mountain King appeared as the winner in the straight but was run down by the heavily backed favourite Apologue who had been a certainty beaten in the Caulfield Cup. Mooltan, also trained by Joe Burton, ran past the 3yo who finished a gallant third. Mountain King won two more races during the Flemington carnival, returning on the Thursday to start at 7/4 on and win the Flying beating Iolaire and then beating Poseidon in the CB Fisher Plate over 2400m on the Saturday.

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spell saw Mountain King return in February to win the St George Stakes at Caulfield over 1800m at 5/1 on, before he was beaten in the 1400m Futurity. He bounced back again at prohibitive odds, this time at 7/1 on to win the VRC St Leger over 2800m again beating Peru. He had a walk over in the Loch Plate at Flemington and then returned to Sydney to win the AJC St Leger at 12/1 on. Two days later he ran out a comfortable winner in the All Aged Stakes over the mile. Such was the ease of the win that John McDonald agreed to let the colt start again three races later, in the wfa Cumberland Stakes over 2 miles. McDonald had already declared his intention to give Mountain King a long spell after the carnival but he was attracted to another meeting with Poseidon. The colt seemingly objected to being asked to run again, and fought harshly against his rider. He choked down at the 1200m and was almost retired from the race with the official version being that he had struck himself. Mountain King though had began to make a loud breathing noise and was subsequently diagnosed as a roarer, a rumour that had followed him for some time.

McDonald announced that Mountain King would be given at least a year off.

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enowned bookmaker Sol Green approached McDonald to purchase the horse for his Shipley Stud near Warrnambool. McDonald refused and Green ended up buying Positano instead. Mountain King served a small number of mares in

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Mountain King has the most heavily inbred pedigree of those we have seen this month to date at 11.72%. The pattern though has some similarities to the others. We again see multiple lines of Whalebone through Touchstone, Sir Hercules, and now other sons of Touchstone in Orlando and Newminster. Other duplications occur through Stockwell, the son of Pocahontas and also West Australian. West Australian was a son of Melbourne, and perhaps more importantly sees his damsire as Touchstone. To further reinforce these influences, we see that both Orlando and Melbourne appear in the tail female line of the dam of Mountain King. Another duplication is a stallion called Weatherbit who appears through the sire line of Goldsborough, the damsire of Wallace.

1908 but in April of 1909 McDonald decided to return him to racing. It proved a poor decision as the 5yo raced only four times in his comeback, failing to run a place. Joe Burton maintained for the rest of his life that had it not been for his wind infirmities that Mountain King would have been the greatest horse that Australia had ever seen.

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ountain King stood at Mungie Bungie and sired ten stakes winners although none as good as himself. His best no doubt was Mountain Knight who won the 1914 AJC Derby as well as the VRC Linlithgow Stakes and CB Fisher Plate, and both the AJC and VRC St Legers. Mountain King continues to play a role in the modern thoroughbred despite his breathing issues. His descendants include Tullmax who won the 1980 George Main Stakes and Listed Tramway, the NZ bred Apa who won the 1966 Auckland and Brisbane Cups and Lord Sasanoff who won nine stakes races in his native NZ. He was to go on to become a quality stallion and can still be found in pedigrees of horses like the 2001 SAAB Quality winner, Maythehorsebewithu.

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TRAFALGAR

ANOTHER GREAT SON

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rafalgar was out of the Splendor mare, Grand Canary. The imported British horse, Splendor by Speculum had proven a very good sire. Splendor was bred in England by Mr Crowther Harrison, and as a yearling was sold to Mr GG Stead of NZ, who was in England at the time buying mares for the Stud Company. Stead paid 420 guineas for Splendor and left him in England with Matt Dawson to train.

As a 2yo, Dawson must have thought something of Splendor, as the colt made his debut the Middle Park Plate but he finished unplaced. His only other start at that age was in the Cheveley Stakes at Newmarket, running third. His first start as a 3yo in the Payne Stakes at Newmarket saw him win impressively from Ladislas, and he was well backed in the Derby although he finished unplaced. Ridden by champion jockey Fred Archer, his 4yo season saw him win the Bretby Plate at Newmarket and finish third in the Newmarket April Handicap. Splendor was then purchased

by Frank Reynolds, arriving in Sydney in August 1884, standing at Tocal Stud alongside Goldsbrough. Splendor was an excellently bred horse and represented the male line of Blacklock through Vedette and Speculum. His dam, Bathilde, was a high class performer, winning a number of races including the Cambridgeshire Stakes. At stud she also produced Tomahawk and the great handicapper, Lowland Chief. Bathilde was a sister to Zelle, the dam of Zealot, whose son, Castor, stood at

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stud in New Zealand. Splendor remained at Tocal until the stud was dispersed in January 1901, shortly after the death of Mr Frank Reynolds. Splendor was sold to Mr F Mack for 40 guineas, and went to the Cobbora district, where he was kicked by a mare in February 1903, and had to be destroyed. He sired 13 stakes winners including Doncaster winner, Superb, Epsom winner, Uabba, Qld Derby, Brisbane Cup and dual Qld Cup winner, Splendide, and Toorak Handicap and Memsie Stakes winner, Massinissa. Superb was actually a half-sister to Grand Canary, the dam of Trafalgar.

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rand Canary was bred by Frank Reynolds at Tocal and sold to James Mitchell at Tabletop as a yearling for 300 guineas. She proved a moderate racehorse winning only two of thirteen country starts. Mitchell then sent her to sale without reserve where she was bought by his two nephews also of Bringenbong for only 35 guineas. She was to prove a quality broodmare, producing 12 foals for seven winners from the nine to race. She also produced three other stakes winners apart from Trafalgar in Corroboree, winner of the 1907 Futurity Stake, Gillamatong winner of the 1911 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes and Munderah who won the 1905 VRC St Leger Stakes. Interestingly, all were by different stallions. Grand Canary died only four days after Trafalgar won his fourth Randwick Plate.

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rafalgar was bred by the two brothers on the advice of Archie Yuille, and they kept the colt to race themselves. He had only one start as a 2yo, finishing unplaced

Trafalgar winnng the AJC Plate TURF MONTHLY 37

Trafalgar Final Race win

in the Lilimur Handicap at Caulfield in July 1908. After two unplaced runs as a 3yo, Trafalgar won the Stand Handicap at Flemington over 2000m. He then finished fifth behind Parsee in the Caulfield Guineas before running a poor eighth in the Eclipse Stakes behind Alawa. He finished fifth behind the same horse in the VRC Derby when starting at 50/1 and then finished third in the Carnival Handicap back over 2000m behind Pendil. Trafalgar then started the 3/1 favourite two days later when winning the Spring Handicap again over 2000m, this time beating Five Crown in a field of 13. He then rounded off his Spring with a good third behind the top galloper Iolaire in the Williamstown Cup.

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eturning from a break, Trafalgar missed a place in the St George Stakes behind the talented Soultime who was having his first start for new owner, SP Mackay who had purchased him privately for 1000 guineas. A fourth in the St Leger was followed by a win in the 2 mile Loch Plate beating Five Crown. A third in the Champion Stakes over 4800m behind Pendil and Signor saw Trafalgar head to Sydney. He won the AJC Autumn Plate, from the 6/4 on favourite Parsee when ridden by WH Smith. Smith was tragically to lose his life in 1914 following a fall in the Rosehill Cup that saw eight horses come down. Trafalgar then started the 3/1 favourite when he won the Sydney Cup by a head from Ungarie. Only three runners lined up in the Cumberland Stakes two days later with Trafalgar as the 10/9 on favourite ahead of Lord Nolan and Neith. Lord Nolan crossed the line in front but was disqualified for interference he caused to Trafalgar and was disqualified, and the race awarded to Neith. Three days later Trafalgar again lined up against Neith and Lord Nolan in the AJC Plate over three miles, but this time Lord Nolan was the odds-on favourite. Trafalgar won easily claiming the first of four AJC Plates by three lengths from Neith, with the favourite third. Going to Adelaide, Trafalgar was a shock second to Waipuna in the wfa Elder Stakes over 1800m.

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fter a spell, Trafalgar resumed as a 4yo with an unplaced run in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield before immediately heading to Sydney. Joined by crack jockey, James Barden, he won the Spring Stakes and Randwick Plate, both times beating Lord Nolan, before heading back to Melbourne. A second in the Melbourne Stakes over 2000m behind Alawa saw him line up a few days later as the 4/1 favourite for the 1909 Melbourne Cup. Trafalgar and Alawa had a clear lead as the field headed into the straight. Just as the crowd thought that the two had the race to themselves, the boom 3yo Prince Foote who had won the AJC and VRC Derbies swept past them to win comfortably by three legnths. Alawa stuck on to run second

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with Aberdeen a head away in third, and Trafalgar another head back in fourth. On the Saturday, Trafalgar was an unlucky second behind Alawa in the CB Fisher Plate over 2400m before again being sent to the paddock. The Autumn in Sydney saw Trafalgar finish behind the NZ horse, Bobrikoff, and Maltine in the 2400m Autumn Stakes at Randwick. He was unplaced behind Vavasor in the Sydney Cup where he carried top weight of 59.5kg and started equal favourite at 6/1. Trafalgar was placed behind Prince Foote in both the Cumberland Stakes and AJC Plate to bring a close to his 4yo career.

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rafalgar returned in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield as a 5yo and finished midfield behind Blairgour when carrying 62kg and now being ridden by NZ jockey Ron Cameron. He finished fourth behind Comedy King in the Spring Stakes at his first start for the season in Sydney, and then was unplaced in the Metropolitan behind Eric. Trafalgar then won the Randwick Plate over 2 miles when carrying 60kg to down Pendil. Back in Melbourne, he then ran third to Son Of March in

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the Melbourne Stakes over 2000m before lining up for his second Melbourne Cup. Trafalgar started at 9/2 favourite and carried 58kg. The eventual winner, Comedy King, was owned by Sol Green and became the first imported horse to win the Cup, and carried 8.5 kg less that Trafalgar. Trafalgar had gotten a long way back in the race and put in one of the best finishes ever seen at Flemington, failing by only a half neck to catch Comedy King. Trafalgar then again ran second to old foe Alawa, who had finished fourth in the Cup, in the CB Fisher Plate before a break. He returned with a good second in the St George Stakes at Caulfield over 1800m before he joined up again with WH Smith to run second to Comedy King in the Essendon Stakes at Flemington. Trafalgar then won the Champion Stakes over 3 miles beating Alawa before heading to Sydney where he was again runner up to Comedy King in the Autumn Stakes at Randwick. He then won the Cumberland Stakes before winning the AJC Plate for the second time starting as the 7/1 favourite in a field of four, and setting an Australasian record in the process. Trafalgar again travelled to Adelaide to make amends by taking out the Elder Stakes beating Eye Glass to round out his 5yo season.

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s a 6yo, Trafalgar started the Spring by being unplaced in the AJC Spring Stakes and Craven Plate before success in the Randwick Plate where he beat Cadonia.

In Melbourne, Trafalgar won the Melbourne Stakes at the juicy odds of 14/1 staging another barnstorming finish to beat the odds on favourite Comedy King with The Parisian in third. Such was the measure of his popularity that the crowd cheered him from the track. Trafalgar then lined up in his third Melbourne Cup. In 1911 he was asked to carry 61kg but punters still backed him into the 7/2 favourite. He found the task too much, finishing well back behind The Parisian. Trafalgar was unbeaten for the rest of his 6yo season winning the CB Fisher Plate, St George Stakes, Essendon Stakes, Loch Plate and Champion Stakes with WH Smith back on board after having missed the rides in the Melbourne Stakes and Melbourne Cup. In four of these races Comedy King ran second. In the Loch Plate, Trafalgar won pulling up and started at 20/1 on, with Comedy King the second favourite at 25/1 in the field of three. In the Champion Stakes he started at 25/1 on. Trafalgar was then joined by a young jockey named Jim Pike to win the Autumn Stakes, Cumberland Stakes and AJC Plate to round off the season.

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t seven Trafalgar began with an unplaced outing in the AJC Spring Stakes, followed by a second to Duke Foote in the Craven Plate. The next race was to be his last, and again ridden by Jim Pike, Trafalgar fittingly won the Randwick Plate for the fourth time in succession. He suffered a leg injury shortly after and retired to the Mitchell Brothers stud at Bringenbong on the Upper Murray River with stakes earnings of £22,111. In 1916 Trafalgar was put up for sale in the Yuille and Co sale in Melbourne. He was sold to Allan McFarlane of Wellington Lodge in South Australia for a record price for an Australian bred horse of 7500 guineas. He was humanely euthanised after a paddock accident resulted in a broken leg in 1929 after a disappointing stud career. Trafalgar was to pass away at the Towong Hill Stud of WE Mitchell.

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We see with the pedigree of Trafalgar as the last of the Wallace progeny that his pedigree is still more heavily inbred.

This time a total of 13.28% of inbreeding as per Hardiman’s Coefficient of inbreeding. This heavy inbreeding is likely a successful pattern because we saw that Wallace had such limited inbreeding in his own pedigree. In this pedigree Stockwell, the son of Pocahontas plays an important role appearing four times within five generations. We also see the mare Juliet prominent and significantly she is a daughter of Touchstone. We see two grandsons of Juliet in Goldsborough and Lapidist and these are three quarter siblings, both being by the stallion, Fireworks. He sees Sir Hercules as his damsire and his grand sire is a horse called Weatherbit who we also saw duplicated in the pedigree of Mountain King.

One final duplication is that of the mare Martha Lynn who appears in the tail female line of Carbine.

WALLACE

MORE SUCCESSFUL DAUGHTERS

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e have already touched on some of the great daughters of Wallace at stud.

Even then we have missed some absolute champions that trace back to a daughter of the legendary stallion. Braw Lassie by Wallace was responsible for a horse called Bengalla Lad who was a Qld favourite in the early 1970’s. Bengalla Lad won six stakes races in Brisbane including two editions of the Hopeful Stakes and the short lived Doomben Dollars as a 2yo, and later the Doomben 10,000 in 1972 while still a 3yo. He won a total of 16 races from his 60 starts which also included wins in the QTC Toorak and Ascot Handicaps and two BTC Newmarkets. He is best remembered for his epic battles with Charlton Boy with the pair being placed in the same race an incredible 14 times.

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lass was a daughter of Wallace who was sent to NZ where she had great success producing three stakes winners in Bon Ton (New Zealand St Leger, Great Autumn Handicap, Hawkes Bay Guineas), Eligible (New Zealand St Leger, Hawkes Bay Cup, Auckland Plate, Trentham Gold Cup), and The Toff (Auckland Plate, Great Northern Foal Stakes, Great Northern St Leger Stakes, Canterbury Cup, New Zealand Derby, GG Stead Memorial Gold Cup). This line is responsible for Talking

by Magpie who won six stakes races in the 1930’s including both the AJC and VRC Derbies. He was to become an excellent stallion producing 15 stakes winners including Cox Plate winner, Amana and AJC Derby winner, Main Topic. Another descendant was High Society who won the 1961 Doomben Cup and Tattersall’s Cup. Another good Qld horse was Mode, a tiny filly that was a crowd favourite and won the QTC Oaks before downing boom Sydney galloper, Planet Kingdom in the Grand Prix Stakes. She beat Tails in the Brisbane Cup, but sadly died when foaling in her first season at stud. Alf by Masterclass more recently won the 1998 AJC Sires Produce. watch video in text mode

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nother daughter of Wallace called Cleis was to produce three stakes winners in Oakleigh Plate winner, Cielo, VATC Debutant Stakes winner, Spica and Adelaide Guineas and SA Stakes winner Lesbos. Her legacy was strong in Qld and her line produced the Melbourne Cup winner, Basha Felika, and Mighty Avalanche who won the 1984 Oakleigh Plate and went on to become a good stallion, eventually moving to Qld and siring 15 stakes winners. These included Gem Of The West who won the Doomben Slipper and AJC Light Fingers Stakes, Blixen who won the Sandown Guineas and Qld Derby and VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, Valance.

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ily was another daughter of Wallace who produced a stakes winner. While not his best daughter, she did produce the 1921 Launceston Cup winner, Sand Dune but her line was to give us two wonderful gallopers in Dark Felt by Spearfelt who won two Hotham Handicaps and the 1943 Melbourne Cup, but most importantly another horse who was to hold the title of Australasia’s highest stakes winner in the famed Gunsynd. He won 22 stakes races and was considered our greatest miler. At stud, he produced six stakes winners but his legacy is best remembered through his daughter Ammo Girl who produced the great Emancipation, herself a winner of 16 stakes races.

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ossip is another daughter of Wallace that deserves special recognition. She is another who went to NZ where she produced two stakes winners with her first being the NZ champion, Bobrikoff by Finland. The gelding won 14 stakes races on both sides of the Tasman. In NZ, among his wins were two GG Stead Memorials and the Auckland Cup, while in Australia he raced for only one season winning the AllAged Stakes, Autumn Stakes and Rawson Stakes in Sydney. Her other stakes winner was Tete A Tete by Royal Fusilier who won the Jackson Stakes, Great Northern Champagne Stakes and Railway Handicap. Her legacy is strongest in NZ, but has returned to Australia in recent times. Among her descendants are Peterman by Le Filou who won five stakes races in NZ including both the Wellington and Great Northern Derbies. The superstar Sobar by Sobig won both the Caulfield Guineas and Caulfield Cup in 1972, while in Australia Goleen by Gosh won the VATC One Thousand Guineas and the AJC Flight Stakes in 1984. The most significant of the families that owe their heritage to Gossip is the family of NZ Oaks winner Froth

by Faux Tirage who is responsible for such remarkable horses as Brew, Interstellar, and Horlicks in NZ. In Australia this family is known for horses like the top 2yo

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General Nediym by Nediym who won the 1997 Magic Millions, which is fitting for this January edition, as well as eight stakes races including the G1 Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap. At stud, he was to prove a wonderful stallion siring 45 individual stakes winners including the Lightning winner, Regimental Gal. This family is responsible for other stakes winners like Niconni and Military Plume who both went on to good careers at stud. Nicconi remains one of the best stallions in Victoria and is the sire of one of our great sprinters in Nature Strip.

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eloise is another daughter of Wallace whose influence is diminishing, but she was the third dam of the great Whittier who we have talked about before but won 14 stakes races including the VRC Derby and Caulfield Cup double as a 3yo and is one of only a handful of horses that ever won the Caulfield Cup twice, being victorious in 1922 and 1925. In terms of champions, another that traces to a daughter of Wallace is Winfreux who sees his fourth dam as Triodia by that great stallion. Interestingly Triodia had also produced a Tasmanian Derby winner in Ganelon by Bright Steel, but the family has arguably never produced one better than Winfreux who we have also mentioned previously in other editions. Winfreux won 21 stakes races from 1200m to 2000m including the Qld sprint double of the Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke in 1965, a year when he also finished second in the Doomben Cup. Piastoon by Piastre is another of our past stars who owes their legacy to a daughter of Wallace, this time in Vira who was his second dam. Piastoon won four stakes races including the Brisbane Cup, AJC Metropolitan and Sydney Cup. Reticence is another of the Wallace daughters who left a line that gave us an exceptional racehorse. This one was Royal Sovereign by Chatsworth II who is the only horse ever to have won the three Eastern States’ Derbies in the QTC, VRC and AJC events.

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irkmaiden by Wallace leaves a legacy that continues to be very current.

Kingston Rose formed part of the important Haines family operation and produced three remarkable stakes winners in Prince Of Kingston, who was born in the USA and won the VRC Metric Mile, Rose Of Kingston winner of nine stakes races including the AJC Champagne Stakes, VRC and Australasian Oaks, and AJC Derby, and Spirit Of Kingston who won the Black Opal Stakes, Edward Manifold, VRC Oaks and both the STC Rosehill and Canterbury Guineas. Spirit Of Kingston produced Portland Player by Theatrical who won the 1996 VRC Derby while Rose Of Kingston produced the outstanding stayer, Kingston Rule by Secretariat who still holds the record of the fastest time for the Melbourne Cup by winning in 1990 edition. This line also produced a good Sydney horse of the early 1990’s in Ghost Story by Memento who won four stakes races and more recently the dual Memsie Stakes winner, Behemoth by All Too Hard who graces the cover of this month’s edition.

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ed Streak is another of Wallace’s stakes winning daughters having won the 1904 VRC Oaks and later the Adelaide City Handicap and VRC Bagot Handicap. She produced two stakes winners who oddly only ever won one stakes race each, but both were what we would consider G1 races today. Red Dome by The Welkin won the 1920 Newmarket while Redshank by Thrice, a son of The Welkin, won the 1925 VRC Oaks. Redshank was to go to NZ where she foaled a son of Manfred in Red Manfred who won 10 stakes races in that country. The Red Streak line though is responsible for the brilliant Baguette by Rego who counted the 1970 Golden Slipper among his 14 stakes wins and he is still spoken about as perhaps one of the greatest 2yo’s we have ever seen. He trained on as a 3yo winning the Newmarket, Doomben

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10,000 and even a George Main Stakes over 1600m. Baguette went on to become a good sire producing Dark Eclipse who won the 1977 Golden Slipper, and other top liners like Hit It Benny, I like Diamonds, and Romantic Dream. A son of his in Crown Jester was to produce two Golden Slipper winners in Guineas in 1997 and Rory’s Jester in 1995. Rory’s Jester of course went on to become an outstanding sire producing 73 individual stakes winners and continues to play an important role in the Australian thoroughbred. The Red Streak family has also given us horses like Cabochon by Edmundo (5 SW including the AJC Epsom and QTC Stradbroke), Spinning Hill by Dolphin Street (12 SW including two Manikato Stakes and a Lightning Stakes), Danglissa by Danzero (4 SW including the AJC Flight Stakes) and Sebring by More Than Ready (4 SW including the 2008 Golden Slipper).

Sebring went on to become a top stallion who died when only 13yo but still having produced 68 stakes winners including horses like Criterion and Dissident.

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ven though many other daughters of Wallace have made an impact on breeding, the last one we will mention is Silver Shoe. She was rather fatefully out of a mare by Multiform called Golden Slipper. Her family includes Sweet Embrace by Todman who won the 1967 Golden Slipper Stakes. Clang by Bellotto is another and he won the 1995 Silver Slipper before going to stud where he produced the 2002 Golden Slipper winner, Calaway Gal and other notable horses such as Black Piranha who won two Stradbroke Handicaps and Clangalang who won the 2003 Epsom and AJC Derby. Strategic by Zeditave is also from this line and he won the 1996 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley as well as the Silver Slipper. He also went on to become a good stallion producing 25 stakes winners including G1 winners Meurice, Mistegic and Platelet. We can rest assured that Wallace’s legacy will continue for many generations to come, and most critically through that great 2yo race, the Golden Slipper.

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EURYTHMIC

BEAT CARBINE’S STAKES RECORD

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urythmic is the horse that finally took Carbine’s crown of Australasia’s highest ever stakes winner. It is fitting that we mention him here when looking at the influence of Carbine’s greatest Australian son in Wallace. Eurythmic was a son of Eudorus who was brought to Australia by JE Brewer on behalf of owners, Messrs Robinson and Clarke. He won eight races from 31 starts in the UK before coming to Australia, although none had been past 1800m. Despite being nominated for the Caulfield Cup, Eudorus proved a quality sprinter later winning the Futurity Stakes and VRC All-Aged Stakes. At stud he had moderate success outside of Eurythmic with his best being Eusebius who won the Caulfield Guineas and VRC Derby.

Eurythmic was out of a Bobadil mare called Bob Cherry who raced only four times but won a good race as a 2yo at Moonee Valley. Interestingly Eurythmic was her third foal, and he also came from the third crop of the stallion’s produce. Her first two foals were also by Eurodus. The first, a filly called Miss Eudoris won seven races from 30 starts in the country while Nivelle, her second foal won seven races in all including three in Sydney. Bob Cherry’s fourth foal was Bob Capture by Capture

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who won ten races in Perth. Another daughter by Eudorus called Margaret Morris was later to produce Lominga who won the QTC Cup and St Leger.

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heir dam was Ardea by Wallace who was unplaced from six starts. She had one stakes winner in Bobadea by Bobadil. He won the 1911 VRC Loch Plate which was a race that was won by Trafalgar the following year. A full sister to Ardea in Danaide produced the outstanding filly Furious by The Welkin who won eight stakes races including the AJC Sires Produce and Champagne Stakes as a 2yo, and the VRC Derby and Oaks as a 3yo.

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urythmic was bred by Noel Thompson of Yarraman Stud near Scone in NSW. He was purchased as a yearling at the 1918 Sydney sale by Ernest Lee Steere of Perth for 310 guineas. The colt was sent to WA and trained by John Kelly. Eurythmic remained in WA for his two and three year old seasons. As a 2yo, he was beaten at his first start on 19 October over the 800m of the Initial Stakes at Ascot. A third as the 6/4 favourite over 1000m followed, and the colt then broke his maiden when he turned the tables on Eragoon who had beaten him in his first two starts, over 1000m in the Nursery Handicap again at Ascot. Eurythmic then won the Karrakatta Plate before an unplaced run in the Claremont Handicap when first up in March the following year. He then won the WA Sires Produce to end his 2yo season. As a 3yo he won eight of his nine starts including wins in the WA Derby, Perth Cup (where he dead heated with Rivose), CB Cox Plate and St Leger Stakes.

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urythmic was then sent east to be trained by Jack Holt. He proved that the WA form was as good as anything in Australia by dominating the racing season. The local Melbourne punters did not think much of the WA champion when he arrived and he was unwanted in the market as he lined up for the Memsie at his first start in the East as a 20/1 outsider. The 1800m of the race was all it took to convince the parochial crowd that a new star had arrived as Eurythmic went on to win his next four starts which included the Caulfield Cup where he started the 6/4 favourite.

He blotted his copybook in the Melbourne Cup finishing fourth behind champion Poitrel in the 1920 Melbourne Cup. He turned the tables on Poitrel on the Saturday in the CB Fisher Plate before heading for a spell. The Autumn saw Eurythmic go through undefeated in his six starts that included the Sydney Cup and Cumberland Stakes in Sydney.

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s a 5yo, Eurythmic again started off his season by winning the Memsie, although this time he started at 5/4 on. A shock loss in the October Stakes at 7/1 on behind Tangalooma was followed by wins in the Caulfield Stakes, Herbert Power and Melbourne Stakes. He was weighted with 65.5kg in the Melbourne Cup, the same as that carried by the record holder, Carbine. The crowd still supported him heavily sending him out the 5/1 favourite. Bad luck dogged the champion though as his regular jockey Frank Dempsey had a fall in the Maribyrnong Plate early in the day and had to replaced. Trainer Holt managed to secure a top line replacement in William ‘Midget’ McLachlan but Eurythmic was to get a starting strand caught in his

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mouth which checked him. Worse still, he suffered terrible interference at the 800m mark which ended his race as he injured a pastern and was pulled up. At the time, McLachlan said that the champion was cantering and would have won easily had the trouble not happened. Eurythmic is certainly not the only great star to not win a Melbourne Cup, and the 1921 event went to Sister Olive, the 3yo filly. Eurythmic was given a break after the Cup and returned for an Autumn which ensured his place in history. A win in the St George Stakes over 1800m saw Eurythmic line up for the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield over 1400m. He was asked to carry 66.5kg but he was a heavy favourite at even money. He duly won the race beating Wish Wynne and taking his stakes money past the £29,626 record set by Carbine some thirty years before. Eurythmic had only one more win that season, in the CM Lloyd Stakes.

As a 6yo he returned to win the Memsie and Caulfield Stakes but that was followed by six straight placings before the curtain was drawn on a remarkable career. In all, he raced 47 times for 31 wins and an Australasian record of £36,890 in prize money.

Eurythmic tragically died suddenly from heart failure at the start of only his second season at stud at Guildford, WA without leaving any progeny of note.

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1987 SYDNEY CUP

MYOCARD VS MAJOR DRIVE

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he 1987 Sydney Cup might not have seemed the most outstanding event.

Nevertheless, it was destined to go down in racing folklore, largely because of the characters involved. It is fair to say that by 1987 the once proud tradition of the Sydney Cup was starting to diminish. It was no longer the premier staying event that it once had been when the likes of Wallace, Wakeful, La Carabine, Trafalgar and Eurythmic graced the turf. A decade before Reckless had become the last dual Sydney Cup/Melbourne Cup winner, and it was not to be until 2004 when Makybe Diva won the Cup that another horse was to win both.

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he 1987 event was not without a star attraction and that came in the form of the boom 3yo Myocard trained by the outspoken Dr Geoff Chapman and ridden by a glamour jockey in Mark De Montford. Coming from NZ, Myocard had taken Australian racing by storm and had taken his prizemoney over the $1 million mark with his last start win in the AJC Derby where he beat My Precious Lad and Joindre by five lengths starting as the odds-on favourite. He had won his last three starts, and before the Derby had won the Rawson Stakes at Rosehill beating Our Waverley Star and Bonecrusher by margins of three lengths by three lengths, followed by a win in the Tancred Stakes this time beating Our Waverley Star and Foxseal by margins of 2.25 by 5 lengths. Myocard had been heavily backed to start as the 13/8 on favourite even though he was not ideally weighted for a 3yo carrying 53kg.

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he only other horse in the field under double figures was Major Drive who opened at 7/2 but had drifted to 7/1 by the time the race jumped. Major Drive was trained by John Meagher and ridden by Greg Hall and was certainly no slouch having won the Chairman’s Handicap at his last start carrying 54kg and was up only half a kilo in the Sydney Cup. He had won by 1.5 lengths having come from ninth on the turn over the 2000m at Randwick. Top weight in the race was Foxseal who was trained by Rick Hore-Lacy and ridden by Shane Dye. Foxseal had won over $500,000 in stakes having won the G1 Brisbane Cup over the 2 miles in 1985. Other runners in the field included Rising Fear who was to go to Brisbane to win the G2 PJ O’Shea Stakes in the winter, and Lord Reims who had won the Adelaide Cup earlier in the year, and was to go on to win another two, and also the Caulfield Cup in the Spring.

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wo of Australia’s largest owners though were involved with Major Drive. He was owned by Lloyd Williams and his wife, as well as Kerry Packer and his wife. Packer, who was Australia’s richest man, was a huge punter. It was rumoured that he had gambled more than $100 million on the Autumn Carnival that year.

He was sure that the 3yo Myocard was the likely winner and wagered heavily. It was with mixed emotions that he saw his own horse, Major Drive overpower the youngster in the Cup. Jockey Greg Hall recounts the story of his meeting with Kerry Packer for the first time in his autobiography, Ride To Win (Melbourne Books 2003). Just before the race though Hall was taken aside by the stewards telling him that there had been a multi-million dollar plunge on Myocard and that they would be watching his ride. Hall rode a wonderful race, and was later invited to Packer’s home for celebrations. He was invited into Packer’s private office where he was told that the mogul’s late father would have been proud of him, despite Packer having lost $7 million on Myocard.

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