Phar Lap – The Untold Story by Graeme Putt and Pat McCord (Highly recommended read)
“I have travelled in very many countries, but I have come to the conclusion and can prove it on paper that New Zealand is positively, absolutely the best country in the world for breeding thoroughbreds.” Andrew Robertson, Auckland Star
James Roberts settled down in the stunning French settlement port of Akaroa, south of Christchurch. Surrounded by the beautiful rolling hills of the Banks Peninsula, he was appointed Provisional Engineer. In June 1860, his wife Agnes gave birth to Alexander Frederick Roberts, better known as Alec. James’ decision for Alec to be educated in England forced his son away from his family for over a decade. Alec Roberts boarded at the picturesque Malvern College in Worcestershire only a few years after it had been founded in 1865.* Alec pushed open the heavy oak door to his senior dormitory. A letter lay on his desk. For the past six months, letters from home painted an increasingly bleak situation. Recognising his mother’s writing, ripping open the envelope, Roberts anxiously started reading.
* George Ranald Macdonald for the Macdonald Dictionary of Canterbury Biography project, 1952-1964 – Canterbury Museum
**Elizabeth was better known as Bessie and named after James Roberts’ mother (Putt McCord). Agnes was named after her own mother.
Stunning Banks Peninsula looking towards Akaroa
It sometimes became unavoidable in his government role as Provisional Engineer for James Roberts, while making decisions, to give advantage to one interested stakeholder over another. In doing so, he attracted political enemies, levelling the usual accusations of favouritism and collusion. Many of these slurs emanated from Provincial Commissioner of Akaroa, Richard Rowe, a man seen as one of the most loathsome men in the region. Unfortunately, these claims started taking a hidden toll.* Alec Roberts’ education was cut short with his father’s descent into alcoholism. This eventually resulted in James Roberts losing his job and separating from Agnes and their daughters. Following his mother’s urgent plea to come home, Alec Roberts returned to a gravely ill father, mother and sisters in despair and their family almost to the point of destitution. James Roberts died in February the following year, only 58 years old.
* After writing a boastful letter of self-congratulations on his election to the Canterbury Standard, the Standard took the extraordinary measure of reply by describing Rowe’s behaviour, “…it shows a vulgar and ignorant mind exulting in its own vulgarity.”
**James Roberts received a show of support and testimonial from the 13 most prominent men in Akaroa, including his cousin John Watson. Roberts also faced stiff opposition over his decision to keep the Little River road open at great expense. It is interesting to note the board was chaired by Hugh Buchanan. A close friend of the Roberts family and would later marry Lucy Lyon Roberts. AKAROA MAIL AND BANKS PENINSULA ADVERTISER 25 FEBRUARY 1881
After a decade of private education at Malvern College, Alec Roberts presented as a refined English gentleman more than any image of a Footrot Flats sheep farmer. He purchased his first farm just north of Akaroa, at Takamatua before expanding to 3,000 acres at Le Bons Bay. Nearing thirty, Roberts married Ethel Moorhouse, daughter of Thomas and Kate Moorhouse in 1889 at St. Mary’s Church, Merivale. They held their glorious reception in the grand home built by Ethel’s uncle, famous South Island politician William Sefton Moorhouse. His magnificent 21 room residence now belonged to his sister Lucy (Ethel's aunt) and her husband, influential politician and Waimate horse breeder, John Studholme. It is easy to tell, just by their wedding guest list, Alec Roberts married into a very well connected group of family and friends. Celebrating their nuptials were many of the most powerful families in Canterbury. A guest list including a few sitting members of Parliament and council, and owners of the most important thoroughbred studs in Christchurch. As far as well-connected goes, this is about as good a list of Christchurch’s who’s who assembled in one spot in 1889. These family friends and relatives of Ethel’s assisted Alec’s elevation in South Island social circles. It is also these political connections, or children of these powerful pastoralists and politicians, who later prove invaluable to Ethel and Alec Roberts during their most dire moment of need.
Alec Roberts continued upsizing his farming interests near Hickory and later a new estate at Westerfield, expanding his run to 5,000 acres by 1907.* With the financial backing from stock and station agents Wright Stephenson and close family friend and politician Arthur Rhodes, Roberts purchased the 30,000 acre Treviot Station at Miller’s Flat in Central Otago.** After initially thriving, the Roberts started running into severe financial difficulties. Falling into a state of disrepair, Treviot’s demise pushed Roberts into alcoholism. Many farmers in Otago found themselves in the same boat from a combination of rabbit plagues devouring feed and outbreaks of sheep scab destroying their flocks. Declared “mentally defective”, Alec Roberts was committed into a gothic house of horrors near Dunedin, Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, in mid-1917. Luckily, Roberts would be treated by health innovator Truby King.*** Saved by King’s radical reforms in mental health and particularly his more humane cures for alcoholism, a second stroke of luck soon ensued. Thanks to their good political connections, the Roberts were able to fortuitously offload their debt-laden Treviot Station as a Soldier’s Settlement for £90,000.
* 90 kilometres southwest of Christchurch.
**90 kilometres west of Dunedin. Phar Lap – The Untold Story by Graeme Putt and Pat McCord.
***Sir Frederic Truby King (1858 – 1938) became one of New Zealand’s great health reformers. King is best known in New Zealand for creating the Plunket Society and raising the health of New Zealand children. He still had his faults being a strong advocate of eugenics and opposed to higher education for women, but in the case of Alex Roberts, he was a Godsend.
Come meet our lovely
staff: Don’t be fooled, they can all bend a tyre iron
Clearing all debts in one fell swoop, the relieved couple, still salvaged enough to purchase the 300 acre Seadown Stud and a beautiful house in Park Lane, Timaru. This allowed Alec Roberts newfound freedom to concentrate on just his horse breeding. Always incredibly frugal and probably made more so by his near bankruptcy and brush with New Zealand’s Mental Health system, Roberts ran his stud on a minimal outlay. This included his purchasing of sires and broodmares. If your aim was winning a local picnic race or opening a riding school, he may have had the right idea. If planning to produce the world’s greatest racehorse, you would not be using Alec Roberts’ parsimonious method of thoroughbred breeding as your template. Up until his purchase of Night Raid, Roberts yearling results at auction were consistently below the auction's average sale price.*
*In fairness to Roberts, he was possibly better known in racing circles than one may imagine. Not only did Alec and particularly Ethel Roberts have very good political connections, they also enjoyed good racing connections. Ethel’s cousin Joseph Francis Studholme took over directorship of the New Zealand Shipping Company on the death of racing powerhouse Sir George Clifford in 1930. (New Zealand Herald 12 May 1930, page 8). It should be noted that when Ethel’s father died in Tasmania in 1903, although his estate was only £160 at probate, it was all bequeathed to Joseph Studholme. The Studholmes had long been associated with Canterbury racing dating back to the first New Zealand Steeplechase in 1859. (Oamaru Mail 19 April 1919, page 1) Michael Studholme and his sons Michael and Edgar were important Canterbury racing administrators at Waimate Flat Racing Club as officials, stewards, and judges and also closely associated with George Clifford, George Stead and John Reid and his two sons “JB” & “JF” of Elderslie Stud.
The Buchanan brothers operated a thriving sheep farm out of Little River (on the road to the Banks Peninsula). Alec’s younger sister Lucy Lyon Roberts married Hugh Buchanan in 1890, possibly after being Alec’s guest at their wedding the year before. Hugh Buchanan’s brother Jack, President of the Banks Peninsula Racing Club, owned the prized stallion of New Zealand breeding, Martian. Andrew Robertson had long extolled the excellence of Martian’s progeny, especially his fillies. From the moment George Stead imported his mare Otterden, in foal to Bend Or sired Martagon in 1899, Martian proved himself to be something very special. By the time Jack Buchanan purchased the five year old Martian from Stead, he had already been a reasonable racehorse but was about to do something extraordinary at stud. Martian’s stud career counts among the greatest and most influential in New Zealand and Australian thoroughbred breeding history.
Martian sired 1916 Melbourne Cup winner Sasanof, 1926 second place Naos, and brilliant weight-for-age champions The Hawk, Danube, and Reputation. Apart from Sasanof, ten Melbourne Cup winners can be traced back to Martian through his mares.* Small wonder Andrew Robertson was such a vocal advocate in using them. This opinion, along with his wanting to use St. Simon mares with a Bend Or sire line was also well known. If we are joining the dots, Robertson personally knew and advised professionally or in conversation, Alec Roberts, Ian Duncan, Hugh and Jack Buchanan and most of the reputable New Zealand breeders.** He was also acquainted with the bloodstock agents and auctioneers operating in New Zealand and Australia including his friend Ken Austin. There was also Paddy Wade’s former trainer, George Jones. Originating from Palmerston North, Jones had in his stable at one time Sasanof, Nigger Minstrel, Commendation and Night Raid. There is also Bob Heron claiming to be the most influential person in Alec Robert’s decision to purchase Night Raid. He certainly places himself in the thick of it.
*Two directly – Marsa (Nightmarch 1929) and Left (Wotan 1936). Then there is Lovelock (Skipton 1941), Martian Princess (Sirius 1944), Caress (Light Fingers 1965), Stardancer (Galilee 1966), Marsa (Kensei 1987), Battleflag (Doriemus 1995), Minsk (Rogan Josh 1999) and War Scare (Brew 2000) all carrying Martian’s blood.( http://www.pedigreequery.com/martian) One of the greatest Australasian mares, Winx has Martian on the dam side of her bloodline. There was also Soldier’s Love the dam of Strephon. By the time Martian died in 1927, just in New Zealand alone, his progeny had collected over £240,000 in stakes. (Auckland Star, 26 July 1927, Page 8 - Similar to the story of Dan Patch and Will Savage where Savage died a couple of days after his beloved horse, so too did Jack Buchanan pass away only a couple of days after Martian.) Sasanof –besides the 1916 Melbourne Cup, winner of the 1916 Chelmsford Stakes, 1917 Great Northern Derby and 1918 New Zealand Cup. Nigger Minstrel won the 1924 Great Northern Champagne Stakes and Rosehill Guineas. Commendation won 1925 Wellesley Stakes, 1926 New Zealand Derby Stakes, Hawkes Bay Guineas, 1927 Great Northern Derby and the New Zealand St. Leger.
**Should be noted Hugh Buchanan died in 1916 and Lucy Buchanan in 1918
According to a "Sporting Globe" story, Bob Heron told racing writer R.J. Daldy in 1939, it was he who assisted in the purchase of Night Raid from Paddy Wade in 1924 for 700 guineas. Then Alec Roberts had his Park Lane neighbour Bob Heron and salesman for Pine Gould Guinness secure Entreaty for just £15/15 and ..."if you pay her grazing fees." Heron managed to claim a few more zingers in his story, stating he had the opportunity to buy Phar Lap for £25 and was also offered to Harold Preston and he too rejected the foal. Heron claims it was he who also auctioned Phar Lap at Trentham in 1928. It does remind me of some of my daughter's prep grade friends. One had a father who had been to the moon, he was a plumber while another had a grandmother that witnessed the crucifixion of Christ. Bob Heron's story was met a week later in the New Zealand press, particularly in Otago, where articles of thinly disguised WTF appeared questioning the veracity of Heron's telling of the tale.* Considering it has so many factual errors, Heron becomes a very unreliable source.
* https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189140548?searchTerm=bob%20heron%20phar%20lap
When looking for a mare to match with his newly imported sire, Alec Roberts sought either a Martian or Winkie bloodline. By the mid-1920’s New Zealand was awash with Martian mares and considering Martian was owned by his sister’s in-laws, Roberts would have no shortage of choice. Washdyke trainer Pat Hogan assisted him to procure the Winkie (St. Simon) sired Entreaty for closer to £95, rather than the reported £15.* Without either taking away from Alec Roberts or giving Andrew Robertson undue credit, this breeding mix had long been publicly advocated by Robertson for over a decade. The breeding of Phar Lap closely follows Robertson’s pattern of purchase and breeding choices favouring Bend Or sire lines serving St. Simon sired dam lines. The chances of Entreaty throwing up a good foal was always on the cards.** At the heart of all breeding choices remains a huge dollop of dumb luck in picking one horse over another. While you can look back and trumpet yourself as a bloodstock oracle, more often, two years on even the most expert owners, trainers and bloodstock agents are swearing and muttering about their choices.
*Winkie, sired by William the Third which was in turn sired by St. Simon. Through the dam side, there is yet another cross back to the grandsire of Bend Or, Stockwell and therefore Pocahontas, one of the main progenitors of large hearts in thoroughbreds. Winkie sired Pilliewinkie winner 1923 AJC Metropolitan, 1925 Melbourne Stakes, Fisher Plate, Dunedin Cup and 1926 Australian Cup. Behind the classic Melbourne Cup in 1925 with Windbag and Manfred tearing neck and neck to the post, Pilliewinkie ran third.
** William the Third won the 1901 Newmarket Stakes and 1902 Ascot Gold Cup and was considered to be one of the best stayers in Britain. From Galopin-St. Simon-William the Third-Winkie to Entreaty, also stands out as a very strong bloodline. By the mid-1920’s, possibly influenced by Robertson’s advocacy of Cyllene and more particularly the Moses brothers importing Valais, this mixing of a Bend Or sire line with St. Simon bloodlines continued gaining ever greater popularity in Australia. Winkie’s half-brothers were also very good horses. King William won the Ascot Derby in 1911, Pelliwinkie, won it in 1913, Battle-Axe the 1908 and Roseland 1914 July Stakes, Roseworthy 1913 St. James Palace Stakes, Majestic picked up the 1913 Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berin in Germany, Navovian the 1916 Prince of Wales Stakes at Newmarket, William the Fourth in 1909 and Old Bill won in 1919 King Edward VII Stakes, trained by legend Frederico Tesio Rembrandt won the 1912 Group 1 Gran Premio di Milano, Sprig of Orange won the 1921 Liverpool Spring Cup, Trois Temps 1914 Jockey Club Stakes and then the best of the lot Willonyx, only out of the money twice and claiming along the way in 1911 the Jockey Club Cup, Ascot Stakes, Chester Cup and finally the converted Ascot Gold Cup. Then in Australia, there was Entreaty’s half-brother to Winkie, Pelliewinkie winning the Melbourne Stakes, Fisher Plate, Dunedin Cup, Australian Cup and finally third behind Windbag and Manfred in that extraordinary 1925 Melbourne Cup. The other bloodline connection to Robertson is Winkie’s sire, son of St. Simon, William the Third. Andrew Robertson was very well acquainted with this bloodline having almost been beaten by another son of William the Third, William the Silent when he came second to Allendale’s Lavendo in the 1915 Caulfield Cup.
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