view raw text
NOTED SIRE OF FIFTY YEARS AGO Interesting Details in the Racing and Stud Career of Adventurer, Son of Ncwminster. In the Racing Calendar for 1856 the names of two horses, both of them winners of classic races, appear for the first time as sires; two horses whose successes at the stud were abnormal and the rivalry between whom during the sixties was an object of deep interest to those who followed the history of the thoroughbred closely. Eagerly were the returns of the winning sires scanned at the end of each racing season to see whether Stockwell or Newminster headed the list, and it would perhaps not be very easy to say now which of the two has made the greatest mark on the thoroughbred. For if Stockwell was the sire of Lord Lyon, Blair Atliol and Doncaster, Newminster has Hermit, Cathedral and Adventurer to set off against them. Arguments on such a subject are, however, not of much service and may be left for those who delight in them. Adventurer, by Newminster Palma, by. Emilius, her dam Francisca, by Partisan, out of an Orville marc, was foaled in "1859. He was a bright bay with black legs, standing about 15 hands 3 inches; was very speedy and full of quality and showed a great deal of the Newminster stamp. His pedigree is a fine one, for he has three, crosses of Orville; one on his sires side through Banter, the dam of Touchstone, and two on his dams side, her sire Emilius being by Orville, while her dam was his granddaughter. There is a double cross of Alexander son of Eclipse as well, and Whalebone, Whiskey and Walton are also in the pedigree. Adventurer made his first appearance on a race course in the Kingston upon Hull Stakes at Beverley. This was a race for all ages over six furlongs, and the two-year-old won easily by four lengths, beating Helenius, which was favorite, Rap-paree and five others. It was his only win as a two-year-old, his next best performance being third to Longshot, 3 years, 103 pounds, and South-minster, 2 years, 84 pounds, in the Zetland Handicap at Richmond. This was for all ages over the straight half-mile, an abomination now happily done away with. He was only out three times as a three -year-old and only showed to poor advantage; but on the following year he began to show the stuff he was made of. He began well by winning the Londesborough Plate at the Doncaster spring meeting, in which he carried the confidence of the public and started favorite., ADVENTURERS CITY AND SUBURBAN. His next appearance was in the City and Suburban, in which some rather sensational incidents took place. There were twenty -three runners. Gardener and Catch Em Alive, the latter of which won the Cambridgeshire later in the season, were, first and second favorites, .with Adventurer xtextt -in demand. Noble, who rode Adventurer, was so anxious to get off that he took no heed of Mr. McGeorges remonstrances, so was reported to the stewards and suspended from riding for six weeks. But there was trouble at the "other end" as well as at the starting post. He won by a neck from Umpire, and J. Adams, who rode the American horse, lodged an objection for cannoning. This, however, was overruled and Adventurer won his first important race. He ran five times more that season, his most important wins being the Great-Northern Handicap and the Flying Dutchmans Handicap at York, and Her Majestys Gold Vase at Ascot. The latter race he won by a head from Wingrave, with Atherstone third, two lengths off. He only ran once in 1804, viz., in the Fitzwilliam Stakes at Doncaster, where he started the outsider of the party and "won in a large field. This was his last appearance ou a race course and in 1865 he went to the stud. He was located at the Sheffield Lane Paddocks, where he stcod for many years. It was a famous establishment once in its day was Sheffield Lane, and many good horses were turned out from it. It was entered upon something over sixty years ago by Mr. Andrew Johnstone, then the master of the Dumfriesshire hounds, and in his hands it became famous as the birthplace of many a good winner that swelled the glories of the Middleham stables. After a few years had passed Mr John Johnstone joined his brother, and shortly afterward the late Sir Robert Jardiue joined the confederacy; the horses running in the nomination of Mr. J. Johnstone. SIRE OF G00D-I00KING PRETENDER. It is rather a curious coincidence that as one of the first horses wired by Newminster was Musjid, a Derby winner, so among the first foals of his son Adventurer was the winner of the Two Thousand and Derby, the good-looking Pretender. He was the sixteenth foaf of Ferina by Venison Partiality, and was bred by Wm. Sadler. As a, two-year-old he had a solitary win in the North of England Biennial at York. But his three-year-old career was full of stirring incidents, of which those who saw them still love to tell. They tell how gamely he wore down his opponents in the Two Thousand, and of the close race for the Derby which Wells thought he had just won on Pero Gomez. "Ive just done you, Johnny," said he as they returned to weigh, and Osbornes reply was characteristic: "I think it was a dead heat." On the course many people thought Pero Gomez had won. "Well done, old Tom Dawson," said one of the hangers-on of the race course to that astute trainer. "Well done be d ," he replied, with some temper, "Im only second." "Look at the number board," was the reply. And there it was "plain for all folks ,to see." and Tom Dawson, equal to the situation, went to lead his horse in. Then Sir Joseph Hawleys curious objection to Messrs. Weatherby not to pay the stakes because Mr. Sadler, who nominated the horse, died before the race, was another sensation, the origin of which is still shrouded in mystery. For Mr Sadler saw Pretender win the Derby! Then how Osborne had to ride htm to get heme a neck in front of the moderate Island, which looked like pulling- off a good thing for Sir Charles Legard for a few strides in the Groat Northern St. Lcger. This was the last race Pretender won, though ho ran well more than once. Fiualiy he went wrong in his wind. Privateer, though not a classic horse, was another good son of Adventurer. His dam, La Fa-vorita, by Thormanby, dum Miss Armstrong, had no fewer than six crosses of Sir Peter Teazle and four of Orville. He was a big upstanding horse, measuring 8 inches below the knee. His best performances as a race horse were at Goodwood, where he won the Drawing Room Stakes and the Racing Stakes. In the former he had good horses behind him in Passaic and Roysterer, and In the latter he beat Passaic and Wandering Nun. In the following year lie won the Great Northern Handicap at York, carrying 119 pounds, and beating Ridotto and useful band. He was fairly successful at the stud. Yard Arm being one of his sons. Borneos dam was Lady Lucas, by Tynedale Lady Ripon, second favorite in Caller Ons Leger. Borneos best performance as a two-year-old was in the Clcarwell Stakes, in which he ran third to Harvester and Condor He caught the jiidncV eyes once, but the opposition was only moderate, and as a three-year-old his performances were only moderate. His Manchester Cup victory of the following year was a fine performance and places him above mediocrity. ISHMAEIi BEST SON OF ADVENTURER. But in all probability the best of Adventurers sons was Ishmael. His dam Lena, by Stockwell Sclina, was stoutly bred, there being, two crosses of Alexander and one each of Whiskey, Walton, Whalebone and Master Henry in the pedigree of her dam. Ishmael failed to score as a two-year-old, but in his first appearance the following year he "stretched the neck" of Scobell in the Epsom Grand Prize and Ithe latter only just got home by a half length. He won the Great Yorkshire Stake at York, where he had Cameliard and Tristan behind him. The course was like a bog and the way Ishmael went through the deep ground was worth going a long way to see. He won the Liverpool July Cup and the Ayrshire Handicap in 1881, and in the following year the Ascot Stakes, the Ascot High Weight Plate and the Newcastle Handicap were the principal races that went to him. He also won several Queens Plates. Among other horses that finished behind him may be named Fetterless, Limestone, Thebais and Hagioscope. He hit his leg when running in the Duke of Westminsters Plate at Chester and as the injury was a serious one he was at once put to the stud, where, however, he was not a great success. The fame of Adventurer as a sire will, however, depend more on his daughters than on his sons. Agility, Apology, Polonaise, Wheel of Fortune and Bal Gal were sufficient to make the reputation of any sire. Almost invincible on the race course, they have bred some good winners, to wit: Oberon, Es-terllng, Aperse, The Devil to Pay, and Fire Damp among others. It is a curious thing how some horses make their names as the sires of mares rather than of horses, and perhaps Adventurer is one of the most notable instances of it. Ishmael, as has already been stated, was perhaps the best of his sons. He was a good looking horse with great substance. His shoulders were well placed, his ribs well sprung, and his quarters beautifully turned, and so far as anyone could see from his outline he was admirably adapted for a high-class stallion. It is true that he had not a good chance at first, for he went to the Sheffield Lane paddocks, which were full of mares of Adventurer blood. But when he had a chance he was never the sire of anything better than platers, and not of many of them that were returned as winners. So we may sum Adventurer up by saying he had no son as good as himself and that his daughters far surpassed him. Voltigeur, in Bailys Magazine.
