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Neil McCarthy Was First Buyer of Tudor Minstrel -Californian Sold Half-Interest To Leslie Combs, John W. Hanes NEW YORK, May 11.— Breeder Leslie Combs IT., en voyage to England aboard the S.S. United States, today cabled the publisher of Daily Racing Form from the mid-Atlantic that he had "failed to give full credit to Neil McCarthy" for the acquisition of the stallion Tudor Minstrel, sire of Kentucky Derby winner Tomy Lee. Before leaving for England, Combs announced at a press luncheon in New York that arrangements had been completed for the importation from England of Tudor Minstrel, who had been purchased by a syndicate for an estimated 00,000. Combs failed to make reference to the fact that McCarthy had arranged the purchase. Combs cable corrects that oversight. Following is Combs cable: "In the confusion of the luncheon in New York with reference to Tudor Minstrel, we failed to give full credit to Neil McCarthy, who originally purchased Tudor Minstrel some two years ago but the horse could not be delivered at the time. Mr. McCarthy continued to try to purchase the horse and did get him last fall for delivery at the end of the 1959 breeding season. After he purchased the horse he sold John W. Hanes and Leslie Combs one-half interest and with Mr. McCarthy we will import the horse. "Meanwhile, with Mr. McCarthy we organized a syndicate of our friends to breed to Tudor Minstrel, trying to assure him* a good book. Tudor Minstrel will stand at Spendthrift Farm when he arrives in this country, with Mr. McCarthy and Hanes and Combs reserving a substantial interest." McCarthy, nationally prominent attorney, has imported many famous horses including Solar Slipper, Arctic Prince and Royal Charger. His associates in the Tudor Minstrel syndicate, in addition to Combs and Hanes, are George D. Widener, Mrs. Gene Markey, Walmac Farm, Dr. Elsie Asbury, C. M. Baxter, Max Bell, C. J. Devine, John W. Galbreath, Greentree Stud, Louis Wolfson, George M. Humphrey, Mrs. George Greenhalgh, Paul Mellon, Mrs. Burnett Robinson, Mrs. Parker Poe, Joseph M. Roebling, Mrs. Marion duPont Scott and William Haggin Perry.
