The second in a series of articles reviewing full brothers with 20 or more offspring {worldwide} as shown on the Classic Families (CF) database.
The timeframe being reviewed covers the 30 year period 1930 – 1960.
One of the few threesomes of brothers that attained the 20 or more offspring criteria were ADIOS EXPRESS (1954)/CAPTAIN ADIOS (1952)/DICK ADIOS (1953) – Adios/Shy Ann. Full brothers from the fine broodmare Shy Ann who was the fourth dam of Beach Towel. Captain Adios was imported into NZ by (Sir) Roy McKenzie as a 4yo in 1956 after having won the Fox Stakes and Review Stakes at two in USA. He died prematurely four years later having already left 49 winners and several successful sires and dams of classic winners including four NZ Derby winners. His winners included – Jay Ar, named after Sir Roy’s father (ID Pacers G/F), Great Adios (NZ Cup/NZFFA/Easter Cup), Deft (dam of champion juvenile and sire Noodlum) and damsire of NZ Derby winners – Bachelor Star, Game Adios, Main Adios, Noodlum plus Main Star (GN Derby)[all except Noodlum were out of Adio Star], Cute Van (Tas Pacing C/S), Leading Light (Ak Cup), Olga Korbut (NZ C/S – 2), Via Veneto (GN Oaks). Dick Adios, stood in NZ/Australia siring top horses of both gaits including Adaptor (Miracle Mile), Son of Nancy (Hunter Cup), Adios Bear (VIC/NSW Trotters Derby, Aus Trot C/S), Benora (NSW/VIC Trotters Derby), Raider Adios (WA Derby) and was damsire of Rockleigh Victory (WA/SA/Aus Derbies). He sired 164 winners in Australia and 201 overall. Adios Express was a good performer in NA and stood at stud in Australia where he left 66 winners including Nixon Adios (WA Derby). In total he produced 163 winners worldwide.
Siring brothers of note, at least one of whom stood in NZ during this period included :
OUR GLOBE (1933)/SPRINGFIELD GLOBE (1934) – Globe Derby/Ayr. Bred by Edgar Tatlow, from his outstanding champion Globe Derby, these were two of twelve sons and daughters out of NZ mare Ayr. All won or eventually produced winners with Springfield Globe leading the way. An ID Pacing G/F winner/Champion (on points), he won the NZFFA during his time in NZ, standing at stud for six years in NZ before returning to stand in NSW. Among his 299 winners were NZ Cup winners Adorian/Mobile Globe, Aachen (SA Cup), Creighton (NZ Derby), Defiance (WA Cup), Hunter Cup winners Mineral Spring (VIC Derby) and Sheffield Globe – twice, Perpetua (NZ Oaks), Tactician (first pacer outside North America to better 2 minutes in a race; ID Pacing G/F, NZFFA), Thelma Globe/Victory Globe (AK Cup). As the best of Globe Derby’s broodmare siring sons, his damsire credits included NZ Cup winners Cairnbrae/Invicta and AK Cup winner Scottish Command. Our Globe stood at stud in Tasmania after taking out three Interdominion heats during his career. The vast majority of his 158 winners raced in Tasmania where he was overshadowed by Tatlow’s imported Raider and younger brother Springfield Globe.
FLYING SONG (1946)/GAY SONG (1937)/VICTORY SONG (1943) – Volomite/Evensong. This trio of sons of Volomite were from one of the greatest broodmares of her era in Evensong. Volomite, a grandson of Peter The Great, was a multiple times leading American sire. Flying Song time trialled in 1:59.0 US before coming to NZ as the fastest exported son of Volomite. Successful as a sire with 218 winners in NZ/Australia – Inferno/Le Chant ( NZ Trotting FFA), Pipiriki (Tas Pacing C/S), Stylish Major (ID Trotting G/F), he topped the trotter’s sires list in 1967/8. Flying Song was broodmare sire of Forto Potenza (Messenger), Highland Flight (leading trotter), Manaroa (6 ID heats), Manawaru (Easter Cup), Matai Dreamer (GN Derby), Trusty Scot (NZ Cup/FFA), Westburn Vue (Breeders Stakes). Gay Song one of the first 100 pacers to run under two minutes in USA and a successful sire/broodmare sire. Victory Song another full brother was one of many successful sons and daughters of Evensong. He trotted T1:57.3US and proved extremely successful in the breeding shed – sire of Noble Victory (Yonkers Trot) and damsire of Speedy Count, Speedy Scot.
FLIGHT COMMANDER (1946)/RED EMPEROR (1945) – Light Brigade/Airflow. Light Brigade was imported in 1940 as a 3yo by Sir John McKenzie where in 15 starts over five seasons he recorded 5 wins and 4 places. A leading sire on four occasions (leading trotting sire on thirteen occasions) and leading broodmare sire on eight occasions. These two sons were from an imported mare in Airflow, a trotter who won nine during the Depression years, dam of 12 foals. To U Scott, she left Aerial Scott (ID Trotters G/F, Rowe Cup), his brother Highland Air (Ak Cup) and Scottish Air as well as good performers in Slipstream (Spencer Volo) and Air Command (Light Brigade). Red Emperor, rose to Cup class in NZ but did most of his stud duties in Australia siring 53 winners including Fair Emperor (SA Cup), Dusky Bay, dam of Arapaho (NZ/AK Cup) and Gala Girl, broodmare of year 1969/70 (dam of Mighty Chief – Dominion Hcp, Fab, Boy Friend, Selwyn Hanover). Flight Commander, also made NZ Cup class and spent most of his siring career in Australia where he produced 86 winners being damsire of top Australian pacer Adios Court (Hunter Cup).
CLAN MACTAVISH (1948)/NOBLE SCOTT (1940) – U Scott/Widow Volo. Noble Scott was born in NZ of wholly North American parents – U Scott (sired 410 winners, leading NZ sire on nine occasions and broodmare sire on ten occasions) and Widow Volo, both imported by Sir John McKenzie. U Scott was dual gaited and won 11 of his thirty starts in NZ including an ID Pacing heat. A moderate performer in Australia, Noble Scott was leading Australian sire on six occasions (1957 – 1962) siring 301 winners. His best performer was James Scott (ID Pacing G/F) and sire of 248 winners. Noble Scott’s younger full brother Clan MacTavish sired 99 winners including Deep Tan (NSW Derby).
BYE BYE BYRD (1955)/KEYSTONE WAY (1965) – Poplar Byrd/Evalina Hanover. A champion racehorse and sire, Bye Bye Byrd was the first horse to win more than $500,000.,his grand dam Adieu was a full sister to Adios. Leading sire (stakes) in USA 1973 and 1974, Bye Bye Byrd went on to become damsire of the great Niatross, On The Road Again, NZ based sires Devils Adversary/Frugal Gourmet and Australian based Windshield Wiper. He was elected a Hall of Fame Immortal (USA) in 1982. Keystone Way, younger full brother to Bye Bye Byrd sold at the Harrisburg Sale by the Armstrong Brothers for $78k to the great horseman Joe O’Brien. He suffered a sesamoid injury and was acquired for stud duties in NZ where he left 56 winners (37 pacers, 19 trotters) and was damsire of good trotter Sundon’s Way (Bill Collins Trotters Mile) and pacer Surmo Way. Relocated to Australia in 1978 where he produced a further 14 winners.
HENRY T ADIOS (1958)/MEADOW AL (1956) – Adios/Greer Hanover. Adios, America’s then leading sire provided many sons to the Australasian breeding scene. They included Meadow Al, 2yo Pacer of Year and Fox Stakes winner. He stood at stud in NZ (45 winners), Australia (90 winners) while worldwide his tally reached 194. A siring success, among his better progeny were Al’s Holiday (Noel Simpson and Jack Litten’s fine pacing winner in NZ/Aus), Mister Karamea (WR 2/3yo), damsire of the outstanding Luxury Liner ($1.7m, NZ Cup/FFA, AK Cup twice, Easter Cup, Truer Memorial), Alpine Fella (NSW Derby). Henry T Adios, was Adios’s leading stake earner, Little Brown Jug winner, 3yo Pacer of Year. He was sire of Silent Majority, winner of 36 of 47 races and damsire of Hazel Hanover, dam of leading NZ sire Holmes Hanover and full brother Michael Jonathan. Henry T Adios grandson was Abercrombie, sire of Artsplace who together with his sons has continued the Adios siring line.
THOR HANOVER (1959)/TRUANT HANOVER (1960) – Adios/Trustful Hanover. Another set of brothers by Adios, the winner of 43 from 87 starts, sire of 589 with 79 in 2 minutes. A winner of the Messenger – 3c at Roosevelt, Thor Hanover was imported to Australia by Noel Simpson. The most successful Adios import to Australia being the leading Australian sire of earners and individual winners (Gammalite – multiple Gp 1 winner including AK/Hunter/WA/4 SA Cups, ID Pacing G/F; Rip Van Winkle – QLD/NSW Derby, Aust Pacing C/S ). In addition, he has proven to be a broodmare sire of excellence. His Adios brother Truant Hanover’s claim to fame in NZ was as sire of Dullard Cup/ID Trotting champion Hano Direct and damsire of NZ Cup/FFA winner Bee Bee Cee and Australian champion Popular Alm (Hunter Cup, 2 Winfield Cups, Miracle Mile, Aust Pacing C/S).
PLAY BILL (1959)/RIGHT TIME (1956) – Good Time/Billie Burke. Play Bill was by Good Time, the winner of 78 races from 112 starts including the Little Brown Jug and a prodigious producer at stud. Sire of Best Of All, Columbia George, Race Time, Timely Knight and damsire of Most Happy Fella, Hot Hitter, Nardins Byrd, Warm Breeze amongst many others. As a two year old, Play Bill won the Goshen (Historic) Cup. Standing briefly in USA before coming to Australasia, he stood in NZ and Australia leaving some 150 winners in total – Commissioner, Golden Moose, Lord Moose, Shy Castle (NSW Oaks), Swift Princess (NZ Oaks). His full brother Right Time was a top flight pacer (1:57.1US, $213,867) and successful stud sire in USA.
GAMECOCK (1959)/TEMPEST HANOVER (1964) – Tar Heel/Terka Hanover. The brothers dam Terka Hanover was a full sister to the well performed Bachelor Hanover, a leading sire/damsire in NZ and half sister to 2 minute sires Dancer Hanover/Thorpe Hanover. Their granddam The Old Maid was a half sister to one of our greatest sires in Light Brigade. Retired following a race injury, Tempest Hanover left 120 winners in NZ, 66 in Australia and one in the United Kingdom. They included Frisco Frost (SA Cup) and he was damsire of Malaz, Tempest Tiger (Messenger), Goldrush Girl (Queensland Oaks). His brother Gamecock, was a top pacer and 2:00 sire in USA.
BRAD HANOVER (1965)/BULLET HANOVER (1957) – Adios/Barbara Direct. A further stallion from the Adios production line to stand in NZ was Brad Hanover, out of multi producing mare Barbara Direct. He topped the sales average for colts and fillies with his first crop at the National Yearling Sales. Fifty two NZ winners included Gina Marie (GN Oaks), dam of Gina Rosa (GN Oaks, Nevele R Fillies, Breeders Stakes) who left Allstar Blue Jean (1:48.4US, $969,901) and among his damsire credits were Nardinski (NZ C/S – 2, GN Derby) and Neroship (NZ/AK Cup). Standing at stud in Australia, Brad Adios (foaled in NZ – QLD/VIC Derby, Aust Pacing C/S) was the standout among his 44 winners. His older brother Bullet Hanover, winner of a Little Brown Jug, fastest 2/3yo and 2/3yo Pacer of his Year in US, proved a successful sire/damsire.
Part III of the Brothers In Arms series will review the later 20th century period 1960 – 1985.
Peter Craig
1 February 2017
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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