The fifth in a series of articles reviewing the leading Australasian maternal families. Family numbers are as shown on the Classic Families (CF) database. Due to the extensive size of these families, only brief mention can be made of some of the more prominent family members and/or items likely to be of interest to Australasian readers.
N3 RED DIAMOND
Red Diamond was one of three foundation mares used by Willowbank Stud, Riversdale, Southland founders J Stevenson and JJ McMath – the other two being Harolds Rest (N6) and Topsy (N7) whose stories will be related in later articles. Willowbank Stud’s young stock and broodmares were sold at bargain prices and dispersed widely throughout Southland following its 1928 Invercargill sale.
Red Diamond was registered when four years of age by Jack Grice (Ben Grice’s older brother). She was by Prince Imperial (sire of Lady Clare NZ Cup, broodmare sire of Michael Galindo, Dominion Handicap) from a Blackwood Abdallah mare. Her only race day success was her first start (Gore RC. 1911 Labour Day Trot) and once bred from produced Red Star, Diamond Child and her sister First Water who all founded successful families. It was First Water and her progeny, which really set the Red Diamond family alight.
FIRST WATER (1921 Harold Rothschild/Red Diamond, foaled at Willowbank Stud, 2:20.7; £497½; three wins; fifteen foals, twelve winners. Breeders : J. Stevenson & J.J. McMath, Riversdale. All foals bred by H. Hunter snr, Wyndham.
First Water’s sire Harold Rothschild was a line bred Childe Harold (Rothschild/Harolds Rest) homebred stallion foaled at Willowbank stud by Stevenson and McMath. Auckland Cup winner Harold Junior was one of his forty nine winners and he was broodmare sire of First Water’s Auckland Cup winning progeny Ned Worthy, her dam being Red Diamond.
In First Water’s inaugural racing season (1925/6), she notched a win at Invercargill as a four-year-old. At five, recorded two wins at Gore and Hutt Park while her final start as a six-year-old produced a £100 placing at Addington. Her three successes and the same number of placings came from seventeen races contested before being retired to stud producing her first foal at seven. She had seven Classic Progeny including four Classic Winners while five daughters bred on to create very successful families.
First Author, first foal (Author Dillon, 1928), was purchased as a foal at foot together with First Water by Henderson Hunter senior, Wyndham. She was unraced, leaving a number of fillies who bred on especially First Moko whose descendants have included Freyberg, Malaz (NZ Sapling Stakes), Model Hardcraft (Timaru Nursery), Good Too (Dunedin Handicap).
Aqua Bond (Worthy Bond), winner of six races left May Grattan whose descendants include All Promises (AUS/QLD Oaks) and Trout Stream that leads directly to the Southland bred ‘Matai’ branch. Standouts include : Matai Dreamer (Kindergarten, GN Derby, NZ Championship – 4), Matai Mackenzie (Welcome Stakes, NZSS – 2, NZ Championship – 2, GN Derby), Matai Bret, Black Irish (Aust Pacing Championship, ID heats (2), Fremantle Cup), Helena Jet (Southern Belle Speed Series), Angelina Jolie (Delightful Lady Classic – 2f ).
Nell Grattan (Grattan Loyal), recorded nine victories racing from three to nine years of age (Wanganui Cup, Mason Hcp). She and her daughters bred on especially Mighty Imp’s descendants including Blue Water (Nevele R Fillies), Clancy (Hannon Memorial), Oneinamillion (QLD Derby), Winning Blue Chip (NZ Derby); Barynya (TAS/VIC Oaks); Mighty Queen and daughter Mighty Lass, Australian bred family of winners; Mighty Song, winner of eight to whom Best Deal Yet descends (QLD Derby) and Tactics, winner of eleven (New Brighton Cup) – dam of numerous winners including multiple Derby winning youngster of 1960’s Tactile (six Derbies including GN/NZ/NSW/VIC/SA, Welcome/Kindergarten Stakes) and Deft (won ten races; dam of champion 1970’s juvenile and later successful sire Noodlum, Sapling/Welcome Stakes, NZ/QLD Derbies). This branch of the Nell Grattan (Red Diamond/First Water) family is responsible for wonderful horses such as Blacks A Fake (see later), Olga Korbut, One Dream, Its Ella, Some Legacy, Tact Tate.
Rocks Ahead (Happy Voyage), won sixteen races and was a sub 2:10.0 performer (2:09.4). Her wins included Addington’s Dash/Speedway/Heathcote Handicaps, Oamaru Presidents Handicap and Forbury’s Dash [dead heat]/Flying/James Handicaps (all told six wins at Forbury). Rocks Ahead was unplaced in 1938 and 1939 NZ Cups. She left seven winners including good pacer Navigate (eleven wins, Ollivier Hcp/Hannon Memorial) and Dominion Hcp/Worthy Queen Trot/ID heat winning trotter Barrier Reef (thirteen wins).
Rocks Ahead also left Rendezvous (two wins) who founded her own award winning branch of the Red Diamond/First Water family. She was acquired from Southland by Roydon Lodge Stud for breeding purposes. Her filly Dismiss (Nelson Winter Cup) established a family that became a breeding goldmine for the Chins (Luk – trotters, Onn – pacers). Luk Chin’s trotters descend through Dispense (eight wins, ID heat), including Gorbachev/Djokovic (Cambridge Trotting Stakes – 3), Lysenko, Lady Caballo (NZ Trotting Stakes – 3), Fayanni (GN Breeders Trot twice, Thames Trotting Cup), Kasyanov (six wins then sold to Australia; nine wins, Chris Howe Cup, second D Trotters final) and many more. Other trotters not raced by Luk Chin descending from Dismiss include Godsun, Earl of Clevedon, Lord Burghley. Dr. Onn Chin raced pacer Feverish from this family (1:50.4US at Meadowlands in early 2001, then fastest mare bred in NZ). Gavin Chin (Mosgiel pharmacist and cousin to Onn Chin) together with Brian West bred Lazarus.
Good pacers descending from Dismiss were Disband for Chin Bing Foon (Luk/Onn’s father), won fourteen races in NZ including ID heat/third in 1965 Forbury final to dead-heaters Jay Ar/Robin Dundee and Black Duke (thirty four wins, 1:53.7TT in Australia). Rendezvous’ fillies have left ID Pacing champions Rondel from Light Rendez (Thames/Franklin Cups)/Smooth Satin from Suyin ($1m, NSWSS – 3c, Chariots of Fire, Ben Hur, Miracle Mile), as were The Private Dancer (Tatlow Memorial), Precious Rose (Delightful Lady Classic) and Rare Touch (NZ C/S 3), Light Buffy from Light Heart (SA Trotters Cup twice), to name a few. This branches latest latest Gp 1 performer’s being 2019 Bathurst Gold Tiara 2f winner Michelle Lee Mac and Gold Bracelet 3f winner No Win No Feed.
Salamis (Quite Sure), raced once (unplaced), was a very productive broodmare. Among her descendants are Bitobliss (1:51.8, Kilmore Cup/Legends Mile twice, Smoken Up Sprint), Born To Trot (NZ Trotting Stakes – 2), First Mate (USA Fireball series), Markalan (NZ Trotting Stakes – 3, Trotting C/S).
First Water’s male progeny :
First Lord, an entire, recorded ten wins (Heathcote Handicap twice, Wairarapa Cup at Hutt Park, Auckland’s September Handicap/FJ Smith Memorial). First Lord become a successful sire both in NZ and Australia—Cardinal King (numerous feature races in NZ, clean sweep winning all three legs 1968 Yonkers International race series), Lord Mina (WA Cup) and broodmare sire of Idolmite (Hannon/Barton Memorials both twice, New Brighton Cup), John Craig (NSW/SA Derby).
Indemnity by Dillon Hall, like brother First Lord, recorded four wins (Nelson Cup). Ned Worthy, like Aqua Bond by Worthy Bond won seven races, winning the Winton Juvenile – 3 at his first start, Wyndham Juvenile – 3, 1940 Auckland Cup (trainer Bob Townley, driver Bill Doyle, Bill Tomkinson’s son in law).
Minor winners produced by First Water include First Royal (3); Dark Water (4); Equery (2, one at Greymouth under saddle); Assault, one win from only two starts at Wellington; Paratrooper (1); Oasis (1).
Red Diamond’s descendants contain major race winners among their many classic performers included in the various founding branches of the family. The greatest product of the Red Diamond family is four time ID Pacing Champion Blacks A Fake; seventy two wins of which forty three classic race wins, ten group ones including Victoria/Hunter Cups, Truer Memorial, QLD Pacing Championship twice, 1:53.7, $4.5m, three time Australian Harness Horse of Year, twice Grand Circuit Pacing champion. His wins included 27 at Albion Park, six at both NSW and VIC Metro tracks, three at Hobart and two at Globe Derby (raced but did not win in NZ). His dam Colada Hanover was Australian Broodmare of Year in 2007.
New Zealand Cup winners : Marlene, Thunder, Just An Excuse (twice)
Derby winners :
NZ – Tactile, Noodlum, Winning Blue Chip
GN – Tactile, Matai Dreamer, Matai McKenzie
NSW –Tactile
QLD – Noodlum, Oneinamilion, Best Deal Yet
SA – Tactile
VIC – Tactile
Hunter Cup : Blacks A Fake
Miracle Mile : Smooth Satin
Interdominion Pacing Champions : four time champion Backs A Fake (runner up twice) from six attempts; Rondel; Smooth Satin
with several Harness Horse of Year Awards in Australia (Smooth Satin 2002, Blacks A Fake 2007, 2008, 2010). Smooth Satin (2002) and Blacks A Fake (2008, 2009 equal with Mr Feelgood)) were Australasian Grand Circuit Pacing champions.
Dual Oaks winning daughters from this family include One Dream (NZ/AUS plus NZSS – 2f, Caduceus Club Fillies, Nevele R Fillies), All Promises (AUS/QLD), Dance Of Life (VIC/QLD, Barynya (TAS/VIC) as well as Awaywiththefairies and Benemerenza.
The fastest family members are Derby winner Oneinamiillion (1:49.3US, second ever NZ bred in 1:50, 22 June 1998, Colonial Downs), the only 1:50 family member and in Australia, NZ bred pacer Freyberg (1:51.0 at Menangle in 2016). Lord Burghley is the family’s fastest trotter (T1:54.1US). The family millionaires number two : Blacks A Fake and Smooth Satin.
Next Edition : Harolds Rest (N6)
Peter Craig
17 April 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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