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From Narromine to a horse that chased Vain
On Derby Day in 1968, I tuned into the radio to listen to Vain win the Maribyrnong Plate (1000m, Flemington). As much was I was excited by Bill Collins’ gushy call of the great colt streaking away to win by eight lengths, hard held, with Pat Hyland clinging to a clump of mane to keep his balance, my interest was elsewhere.
At the 2YO barrier trials, run earlier in the spring at Flemington on a Sunday in front of a big crowd (oh, the memories), I took meticulous notes and marked my horses to follow; taking particularly interest in the new sires. One horse that caught my eye was an impressive trial-winning performance by raw, leggy colt by first-season sire, the imported Bluescope (USA).
The colt, named Big Scope, had run third behind Vain (by Wilkes (FR)) in the Debutant Stakes (900m) at Caulfield; before that he also chased home Lone Wolf (by Lupus (GB)) in the Maribyrnong Trial (1000m, Flemington).
On Derby Day, he was outpaced and green, but he kept trying and hit the line hard, although Vain was in another race.
On the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival, Big Scope backed up for his fourth run in five weeks, in the 1200m Flemington Stakes. The colt relished the extra trip, and careered away with a most impressive win by six lengths, with Lone Wolf in his wake. Trainer Artie D’Alton declared prophetically: “If Big Scope can win that easily, how good is Vain?”
Big Scope’s dam was Illawong, a Deville Wood (GB) mare, who went on to produce two other brilliant Stakes winners, also by Bluescope – I’m Scarlet (Theo Marks Quality, Canterbury Stakes, Northern Slipper Stakes and Expressway Stakes) and Tumberlua (Villiers Stakes and Keith Mackay Handicap). I’m Scarlet sired three Stakes winners in Western Australia.
Unfortunately, that hard early racing took its toll on Big Scope and he didn’t reproduce his spring juvenile form, but he, along with another smart pre-Christmas youngster, Bluedora, did much to boost the profile of Bluescope, who went onto sire two Doomben 10,000 winners in Bengalla Lad and Blue’s Finito.
And where does this reminiscing all lead? To race one at Narromine on Monday and the easy winner, Crooked Smile, trained by Tracey Bartley of Sniper’s Bullet fame.
Crooked Smile had been beaten into third place at Gilgandra at her debut, but the 3YO filly is headed for better things than the outer bush circuit.
Her pedigree suggests that, too. She is the first foal, by Encosta De Lago, of the top-class racemare Skewiff (b m 1997, Mookta–Centrullah, by Century). Skewiff, a hardy, but talented mare for trainer Darren Weir, won the 2004 Group 3 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m, Flemington) and the 2005 Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m, Flemington). She raced until she was eight.
Skewiff’s dam, Centrullah, is a granddaughter of Big Scope’s dam, Illawong – a study of her pedigree on the Stud Book website took me back more than 40 years.
(In 2007, The Thoroughbred magazine published a story about cantankerous old Centrullah and her then yearling colt by Beckett (IRE) – view that story).
Skewiff (pictured) was sold at the 2006 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale for $450,000, in foal to Encosta De Lago, to agent Jamie Walter.
Breeding lines:
Bluescope (USA) (b h 1958, Helioscope (USA)–Blue Jeans (USA), by Bull Lea (USA)) – his granddam, Blue Grass (USA), by Blue Larkspur (USA), won the Kentucky Oaks.
Illawong (br m 1958, Deville Wood (GB)–Plea, by Confessor (GB) – Illawong’s granddam, Constant Hope, was a daughter of dual Melbourne Cup hero, Peter Pan.
On Derby day 1968 I was also tuning into Flemington on a weekend off school but probably at Randwick. A very good segue? into my hero at that time Tobin Bronze, who either won or ran 2nd in the 1965 Derby.
A nice journey into the past. I have moved on to breeding and have been searching for descendants of the great TB and his mother Amarco. Even thought of buying one if I could find it at the sales. Any ideas gratefully appreciated.
A good story
Dave
Hi David,
Thanks for the note. Tobin Bronze also was a hero of mine at the time. I have vivid memories of sitting with my brother at Moonee Valley when he won the Cox Plate at his final Australian start. A few years later, my brother visited TB on a farm in California where he was only covering a handful of mares. The best link to his dam line is through the Bletchingly mare Egrette, whose dam Jewel Bronze was a sister to TB. There was a nice filly from the Egrette line passed in at this year’s Melbourne Sale – by Ferocity out of But One Regret. This pedigree might give you an indication of where the breeding mares are from that line. Here’s the link: http://www.inglis.com.au/sales/horse/339-34/