The seventh 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.
N4 MILLIE C
MILLIE C (1906 Wildmoor/Tufts mare by Ha Ha), 14.2 hands, no brands, white streak under saddle, off hind foot white, few white hairs on forehead, no other white or distinctive marks, black points. Bred by John Tuft [Christchurch] and owned by Mrs M Cotton, Upper Riccarton. Registered 3 May 1910; 2:17.0, £322; seven foals, four winners. Bred by AW Rutherford, Brookdale (Mara), WJM Hopkins, Christchurch (Acron, Nyallo) and all others by G Edgar, Christchurch.
Millie C’s sire Wildmoor was by Wildwood who was inbred 2×3 to Electioneer while his imported dam Amlet added a further cross to Electioneer. Of the twenty two foals that Wildmoor sired, nine were Classic Progeny including the mare Country Belle who won the 1915 New Zealand Cup before founding a strong branch of the Bonnie Belle family.
Her dam the Tufts mare by Ha Ha was said to be out of a mare called Meliora but this claim is doubtful. Millie C’s owner Mrs M Cotton was the wife of T V Cotton senior who was also the trainer – it appears he also trained gallopers. In October 1911, Millie C was sold by Mrs Cotton (Sockburn) to T Cotton sen (Sockburn) which appears to have been a transfer from wife to husband. Following that in April 1912, the trotting mare Millie C was sold for £145 at auction to J Tuft i.e. her ownership reverted back to that of her breeder.
Millie C raced as three/four/five year old for Mrs Cotton twice winning under saddle over a mile at five (NZMTC Dash Hcp; New Brighton TC Telegraph Hcp) for her with a further win at six for Mr Tuft in the NZMTC Farewell Hcp, a mile in her best time of 2:17.0. She undertook a further five unplaced starts in 1917/18 season having left her first foal in 1914. Millie C retired with a record of thirty five starts, three wins, three seconds and five thirds for earnings of £322, 2:17.0.
Millie C left seven foals, four of whom were winners :
Mara (1914f, Harold Dillon, unraced; third dam of :
- Thunder, NZ Cup, Easter Cup twice, ID Pacing consolation
- Aachen, SA Cup, record twenty consecutive wins in the nineteen fifties, twenty seven wins from thirty two starts; sire of Richmond Lass. VIC/SA/NSW Oaks, ID Pacers Final; dam sire of Warrior Khan (NSWSS – 3, QLD Pacing Championship/Winter Cup), Profile (SA Trotters/Dullard Cups)
- Lawrenny, VIC Derby
- fourth dam of The Pride, TAS Pacing Championship; Lochcan, SA Oaks
- fifth dam of Gay Sands, SA Breeders Plate
- sixth dam of triple trotting Derby winner Flame Up, VIC Trotters Derby, Rosso Antico/NZ Trotting Stakes – 3; Surfing Safari, AUS Derby, VICSS 3c/4h
- seventh dam of The Red October, AUS Oaks; Silver Tail Adda, WASS 2c/3c
- eighth dam of Blucolla Tigerpie, TAS Oaks
- ninth dam of Forever Gold, 1:51.7, $700,593, QLD Oaks, ID heat;
Acron (1919c, Logan Pointer), 2:03 3/5 – Auckland FFA mile flying start, beating NSW pacer Realm by neck in NZ/Australasian record time (Happy Voyage year previous set record at 2:04 1/5), record stood for decade, £6,375, GN/NZ Derbies, Champion Stakes, NZFFA twice. Failure at stud, sold for 21 guineas
Nyallo (1921f, Great Audubon), (2:17.0), £110½; dam of
- Taxpayer, Sapling, NZ Derby
- third dam of Ryal Minstrel, Welcome Stakes, NZ Derby
- fourth dam of Peerswick, Welcome Stakes; Armbro Jodie, NSW Oaks
- fifth dam of Saucy Star, ID Pacing Consolation; Fur Elsie, NSW Oaks; Paleface Bubble, Harold Park Cup twice, Treuer/SA Cups, NSWSS – 4; Lord Whizzz Bang, SA Trotters Derby, ID trotters heats (2); Kentuckiana, Chariots of Fire; Double Agent, QLD Pacing Championship, Treuer Cup, Miracle Mile
- sixth dam of Majestic Manwarra, SA Derby
- seventh dam of Tirols Sallance, Caduceus Club Classic – 2f; Charlie Machsheen, VICSS – 2c; Beach Romance 1:49.3US; Lovers Delight, ID heat/second Pacers Grand Final
- eighth dam of millionaire earner Mysta Magical Mac; Zitura, Southland Oaks
Auditress (1922, Author Dillon), (2:18 2/5, £294); dam of
- Marlene, Auckland/New Zealand Cups
- fourth dam of Intricate, SA Breeders Plate
- fifth dam of Pappy McCoy Tatlow Memorial – 2, SA Breeders Plate, WA Derby; Mighty Hurricane, SA Derby; Khmer Jitsu, SA Derby
- sixth dam of Smooth Performer, NZ Oaks, Nevele R Fillies, dam of Franco Sequel, SA/AUS Derbies, grand dam of Tell Me Tales, VICSS – 3f/4m, 1:49.3 at Menangle
- seventh dam of dual NZ Cup winner Just An Excuse, 1:55.6, $1,035,068, Messenger, Taylor Mile, NZ Cup twice, NZFFA, ID heat; DB Bopper, 1:50.0US, $683,917, QLD Derby; Major Catastrophe, WA Pearl – 2
- eighth dam of Sell A Bit, 1:51.2US, $937,346; Second Wind, 1:49.4US, $616,396, Taylor Mile; All Spirit, 1:50.3US, $511,505; Spirit Of A Shark, 1:48.4US, $580,555
Sir Arthur (1923, Author Dillon), 2:12 ½, £1,875, Manukau Summer Cup
Stella Pointer (1925f, Logan Pointer); third dam of Gretna Hanover, Adams Memorial, dam of :
- Smooth Gretna, NZ Oaks
- grand dam of Bachelorette, NZYSS Aged Pace
- third dam of Likmesiah, NZSS – 2c, NZ Derby; Mighty Cullen, 1:50.2US, $643,448
- fourth dam of Milson, Cardigan Bay Stakes
- fifth dam of Yvette Bromac, Nevele R Fillies
Millie C is a leading NZ family as proven by its three winners of four NZ Cup’s (Marlene, Thunder, Just An Excuse twice) together with a number of classic performers included in the various founding branches of the family. Other major race winning performances include – Derbies :
NZ – Acron, Taxpayer, Royal Minstrel, Likmesiah; Flame Up (NZ Trotting Stakes – 3T)
GN – Acron
AUST – Surfing Safari, Franco Sequel,
QLD – DB Bopper
SA – Mighty Hurricane, Khmer Jitsu, Majestic Manwarra, Franco Sequel; Lord Whizz Bang (Trotters)
VIC – Lawrenny; Flame Up (Trotters)
WA –Pappy McCoy
Miracle Mile : Double Agent
with several age group award winners throughout Australasia.
Oaks winners from the family include The Red October, Fur Elsie, Armbro Jodie, Smooth Gretna, Smooth Performer, Forever Gold, Lochcan and Blucolla Tigerpie,
The family has four on the 1:50 list in Spirit Of A Shark (1:48.4US, bred in NA, exported to Australia), Beach Romance (1:49.3US), Second Wind (1:49.4US) and the QLD Derby winner DB Bopper (1:50.0US) while the families quickest in Australasia is Ive Gottalife’s 1:50.7 at Menangle (2015). The family millionaire’s are dual NZ Cup winner Just An Excuse and Mysta Magical Mach.
Next Edition : Topsy (N7)
Peter Craig
8 May 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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