Month / July 2019
July 31, 2019 February 5, 2020 by W.P. Howey
Arrowfield Stud Dispersal Wednesday 16th April 1924
Featured Image: Front Cover (Leather Bound) and Sale Promotion for the sale in 1924
I acknowledge the great gift of my good friend Bill Moses for this treasured copy of the sale catalogue.
Introduction (by the combine selling agents H Chisholm & Co. and William Inglis & Son Ltd)
The dispersal of the famous Arrowfield Stud must rank as the most important sale of its kind that has ever taken place in the Commonwealth up to the present time, for Arrowfield, which is one of the largest studs in point of numbers we have, can also boast to shelter in its luxuriant paddocks some of the best brood mares in Australasia.
It was founded some fourteen years ago by its present owners, Messrs W & F A Moses, who prior to acquiring Arrowfield, had been successful breeding thoroughbreds at Combadello, near Moree, in a small way. The Messrs Moses, when they bought Arrowfield, had no other projects in mind than the establishment of a first-class stud, and no expense of any kind was spared either on the bloodstock or property to bring this to a successful issue. Continue reading →
July 23, 2019 by W.P. Howey
I was greatly enjoying the company of Alister Fraser and Paul Frampton at Scone Races on Monday 22nd July 2019. Alister was a busy committeeman of the club (one of very few) and Paul had just won Race 1 with rank outsider 'Tann Hills'. Paul, originally from England, regaled us with his fascinating story of attending the very recent Royal Ascot Meeting as a privileged guest in a private box in the Royal Enclosure. Alister almost trumped his tale with a description of his own foray a few years earlier when his mare 'Ortensia' competed at Royal Ascot. She did not win on that occasion but Alister had witnessed 'Frankel' succeed on Day 1 and 'Black Caviare' frank her own fame on the final day. I was suddenly reminded that the success of 'Ortensia' was a Scone legend in its own right. Alister's elder brother George had stamped his laurels as the official breeder of 'Shocking' who succeeded in the 2009 running of the Melbourne Cup.
July 1, 2019 September 17, 2020 by W.P. Howey
'Caranna' and the Cobcrofts
Featured Image: Denise and John Cobcroft at a Sydney ball in 1974
See also: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/brien-cobcroft-equestrian-olympian/
Picture: Rick Stevens Caroline Overington The Australian 12:00AM November 1, 2017
Stop Press: The Everest 2019
Fully franking the enormous contribution made by the Cobcroft family to Australian Racing and Breeding was the brilliant success of 'Yes Yes Yes' in the 3rd. running of 'The Everest' at Royal Randwick on Saturday 19th October 2019. In a white hot field of sprinters the 3yo winner recorded a track record time of 1 minute 7.23 seconds.
Tony Arrold writes in 'The Australian' (21/10/19) that 'Yes Yes Yes' is the third living foal of Sin Sin Sin, whose moment of glory was the 2008 Wellington Boot (1000 metres) in country NSW before thudding to earth to finish last of 12 next time out in the Group II Magic Night Stakes in Sydney.
Subsequently a winner over 1000m at Albury and Gundagai, Sin Sin Sin is a member of a prolific winning speed family developed by the prominent NSW Cobcroft family through the likes of Group I Randwick Galaxy winner Salaam, stakes winning Hot As Hell and Hell It's Hot, the dam of In Her Time, a Galaxy winner in the third running of The Everest.
Johnny fought hard to make sure the great grand-dams Vistaed and Vista Anna were returned to the General Stud Book all those years ago. It all seems eminently worth it now although Johnny is no longer around to savour the moment(s).