Menin Gate.
This coming weekend 12 Breeders Crown finals will be contested and one foundation breeder, James Alfred Roberts, could win them all.
Roberts was the owner of Fairlawn Stud Farm in the Ringwood, Bayswater area, in 1881, the first major standardbred stud farm in Australia comprising three imported stallions, eight imported mares and over 100 colonial-bred mares.
Stallions that he imported were Boccaccio (sire of Australian 2YO mile record holder King of Bronte – sire of famous stallion Bronte), Pioneer and the grey Len Rose. Stallions he bred include Huon Junior and Globe (damsire of Globe Derby).
The best performed representatives in the individual finals that have horses bred or owned by Roberts are as follows:-
3YO Trotting Fillies - Princess Phoenix
2YO Trotting Fillies - Nieta
2YO Trotting Colts/Geldings - Illawong Byron
3YO Pacing Colts/Geldings - Match in Heaven
3YO Pacing Fillies - Nikkibadwagon
2YO Pacing Colts/geldings - Pacing Major
2YO Pacing Fillies - Partyon
4YO Pacing Horses/geldings - Menin Gate
3YO Trotting Colts/GGldings - Maori Law
4YO Pacing Mares - Delight Me
4YO Trotting Horses/Geldings - Illawong Armstrong
4YO Trotting Mares - Charming Lavra
A 15,000 word biography of James Alfred Roberts has just been released on the Classic Families website (www.classicfamilies.net) – just click on Free e-Books.
James Roberts owned Tilda C USA and Sylph USA, both Australian mares’ mile record holders, conducted trotting meetings at Boccaccio Park (now Hampton) and was an inaugural trustee of Elsternwick Park, Australia’s first track designed specifically for trotting.
Also recently added to the Classic Families website is an alltime list of 1:55 trotters (NZ-bred) and 1:55 trotters (Aust-bred) to supplement existing alltime lists of 1:50 pacers (NZ-bred), and 1:50 pacers (Aust-bred).
For those seacrhing for some addiitonal pedigree pointers to finding a Breeders Crown champion there are complete lists of every Breeders Crown champion showing sires, family and damsires on Classic Families.
