view raw text
SCEPTRE AND HER DAUGHTERS The arrival of Sceptres fifth foal is an event of firstclass importance When the famous mare was bought for 7000 guineas by Messrs Somerville and Rupert Tattersall at Newmarket last July there were many who wondered shall we say whether sue was in foal She had been barren In 1910 to Cicero and in the following season to Marco so that there was some justification for the doubts that were en ¬ tertained when she came into the sale ring As time went on those doubts were however satisfac ¬ torily resolved and the mare is now at the Durdans with a bay filly by Cicero with which she is to be mated again this season seasonAll All Sceptres products have been fillies and all have been bays although three are by chestnut sires the first two Maid of the Mist and Maid of Co riuth by Cyllene and the youngest by Cyllenes son Naturally ones first inclination is to assume that Sceptre is a pure dominant for boyness acconU ing to the Mendolian law The proof is not yet positive enough however Both Cyllene and Cicero throw off the bay factor very freely In his last season in England Cyllene was responsible for fif ¬ teen foals eight were bays six chestnuts and one Tagale a gray Cicero in 1009 was credited with seven bays and four chestnuts and in 1910 witli five bays and six chestnuts Obviously therefore further evidence Is required before we can assert with confidence that Sceptre is a pure hay hayIt It is perhaps worth while noting that the foal born last Friday evening If inbred to Bend Or with three free generations and to Hampton with four If therefore she is definitely inbred at all and the mere pedigree cannot be accepted as con ¬ clusive testimony on that point it would appear that it is more likely to be to Hampton There is an indication in her conformation that the foal has inherited some of her characteristics through Per ¬ simmon for Mr Somerville Tattersall tells me that the youngsters fore legs are of the Persimmon type inasmuch as she is inclined to be a little over at the knee an excellent fault especially as Sceptre herself is rather inclined the other way wayAny Any disappointment that may have been occasioned by the fact that the new arrival Is not a colt IB counterbalanced by the reflection that this filly will in dne course assist her four halfsister at the stud The date of her birtli is that of the Roman Ides and as she is by Cicero named after the great Uoman orator there is as Mr Tattersall suggests a strong element of appropriateness about the time of her advent Both mother and daughter are 1 am pleased to hear getting along splendidly During her early jears at the stud Sceptre had the reputa ¬ tion of being none too generous in her treatment of liar foals On this occasion she is behaving admir ¬ ably Perhaps she had hitherto been coddled too uch Since she came into the possession of her present owners she has been treated as an ordinary individual and now she is behaving as one oneIt It may be recalled that Sceptres four other daughters were sold at Newmarket last year for 14550 guineas For Maid of the Mist Waldorf Astor gave 4500 guineas She had at foot a filly by Torpoint and was covered by St Frusquin to which she should foal at the beginning of May I understand that she returns to Torpoint this season Acting on behalf of Barou Alphouse de Rothschild Leopold de Rothschild gave 4000 guineas for Maid of Corinth The then threeyearold filly by Isin ¬ glass since named Coronation was purchased by Mr Tesco for 1050 guineas and went to Italy where she won a small race in the autumn 1 be ¬ lieve she has returned to England to be mated with Marco which has had several good winners in Italy Sceptres fourth produce a filly by Car ¬ bine was secured by Sir Hnlton for 4800 guineas arid is now shaping well in training She is named Queen Carbine What the value of Sceptres fifth foal would have been if a colt I should not like to say but it Is quite obvious that as a filly she is worth a lot of money Indeed at 7000 guineas Sceptre was a cheap mare It was announced some time ago that next year she is to be mated with Swynford Special Commissioner London Sport ¬ ing Life March 20
