 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1944
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
1944 NEW ZEALAND DERBY STAKES
"It was my lucky day, the day I bought Roulpard," said Mr A W Moore, owner and breeder of Air Marshall.
"After several tries, I finally made a deal with her owner-breeder, Mr A Rice, of Clarkville, one Sunday early in December 1938, for the modest sum of £10, with a contingency of £10 if she should breed a foal. She was mated with Jack Potts, and produced a filly foal. The next season she missed to the same sire, but produced a colt foal in the third season. The next was a miss to Springfield Globe, but she foaled a filly to that sire the following season. She was then mated with Light Brigade, and now has a beautiful colt foal at foot to that sire, and has been mated again with Jack Potts. I said I was lucky because Mr Rice had tried to breed from the mare with several horses."
"The first foal Roulpard bred for me, a filly, was registered as Mona's Isle, and was running along nicely when she met with an accident. She was then mated with Springfield Globe, and now she has a filly foal at foot. The second foal, a colt, was the 1944 Derby winner Air Marshall. The third is a yearling filly, and the fourth a colt foal at foot."
"Air Marshall was always a kind, docile colt, a bit playful, but never did anything mean. He was always a lazy track worker, and the driver had to show him a waddy now and again or he would walk, and not too fast either. He always ran an honest race, both at trials and races proper, but I could see he needed a more experienced man than I to finish his preparation for a hard-to-win race like the Derby, and C S Donald was my choice of the man for the job. I took him to the Belfast stable on Friday, October 13 (Black Friday), just four weeks before the Derby, and while Air Marshall was in Donald's care he occupied the same 'suite' as the 'old mare,' the Auckland and New Zealand Cup winner, Marlene."
"Air Marshall is by Jack Potts-Roulpard, by Logan Pointer-Rose Dillon, by Harold Dillon-Roseshield, by Rothschild-Wilwood mare. Air Marshall has blood in his veins of a straight row of four leading sires, and is bred to go fast as well as stay. Owing to Air Marshall being a late foal (Boxing Day) he was not entered for any of the two-year-old classics," concluded Mr Moore.
Full Result
1st: A W Moore's AIR MARSHALL. Trained by C S Donald, Belfast and driven by R Donald.
2nd: F Fine's WORTHY GOLD. Driven by A Holmes.
3rd: F A Bridgen's JOSIE DELL. Driven by M Stewart.
4th: BEXLEY'S PRIDE (bracketed with the third horse).
The winner won by a head, with three lengths back to third.
Times: 3:21 4-5, 3:22, 3:22 3-5.
Also started: Admiration; Bohemian & Little Warmie bracketed; Impartial; Jackie Guy & Prince Dale bracketed; Renown's Pride bracketed with the second horse; Slavonic.
Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 22Nov44