Limerick (horse)

Limerick was a brown or black New Zealand Thoroughbred gelding who raced in Australia. He raced from a two-year-old to a seven-year-old, recording 29 wins from 6 furlongs to 2¼ miles, with regular jockey Maurice McCarten winning 22 races.^[1] McCarten migrated from New Zealand in 1923, a renowned master of race tactics, and won many major races.^[2]

Limerick
Limerick, after winning the 1929 All Aged Stakes
Sire	Limond (GB)
Grandsire	Desmond (GB)
Dam	Medley (NZ)
Damsire	Varco (GB)
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	1923
Country	New Zealand
Colour	Brown or black
Breeder	Harry Knight
Owner	Harry Knight
Trainer	F.D. Jones
Record	59: 29, 12, 2
Earnings	£38,729
Major wins
Chelmsford Stakes (1926, 1927, 1928) Warwick Stakes (1927,1928,1929) Rawson Stakes (1927,1928) AJC Spring Stakes (1927, 1928) Craven Plate (1927) AJC St Leger (1927) AJC Cumberland Stakes (1927) Hill Stakes (1927,1928) AJC Plate (1927) AJC Kings Cup (1928) Chipping Norton Stakes (1928) All Aged Stakes (1928) AJC Autumn Stakes (1928,1929)

Breeding

Limerick was by Limond (NZ), sire of the winners of nine Derbys in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the winners of 25 Southern Hemisphere classics and leading sire in New Zealand 1930-31.^[3][4] His dam, Medley (NZ), also produced the classic winner Ballymena.

Breeder and owner^[5] Harry Knight was originally a large wheat grower owning one of the largest farming properties at Racecourse Hill, Canterbury, New Zealand, before turning his attention to thoroughbreds.^[6]

Racing career

Limerick raced between 1925–1931 an unsound horse on occasions raced for six seasons winning 13 major races in succession between 1927–1928, including rare triple wins in the Chelmsford Stakes and Warwick Stakes^[7] and also won the coveted 1928 AJC Kings Cup at Randwick, defeating Valparaiso and Winalot.^[8][7][9] Limerick throughout his career defeated rival champions Windbag, Amounis, Mollison and Gothic. His racing colours were black and white stripes, white sash, red cap.^[10]

Trainer Fred Jones was from New Zealand.^[11]

Limericks's racing record consisted of 59 starts, with 29 wins,^[7] 12 seconds, 2 thirds and 16 unplaced runs.^[12]

Image gallery

• 
  Harry Knight (left), Fred Jones (middle) & Roy Reed.
• 
  Front cover of the 1926 Tatts Chelmsford Stakes racebook.
• 
  Starters of the 1926 Tatts Chelmsford Stakes showing the winner, Limerick.

References

1. "Limerick Tabulated Breeding". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
2. "McCarten, Maurice Thomas Joseph". adb.anu.edu.au. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
3. "Limond Breeding". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
4. "Limerick Breeding". www.studbook.org.au. Australian Stud Book. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
5. National Library of Australia (4 October 1935). "H.A.Knight Dead". No. P 7. Examiner Launceston Tasmania. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
6. "Henry Arthur Knight". livingheritage.lincoln.ac.nz. Living Heritage Lincoln University. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
7. Max Presnell (23 August 2013). "Veyron has ghost of Limerick on his side". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
8. "Chelmsford Stakes". homeofracing.com.au. Home of Racing. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
9. National Library of Australia (19 April 1928). "Kings Cup Remarkable Effort". No. P 25. The Capricornian Rockhampton Qld. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
10. Arrold, Tony (1980). Champions. Tralca Sydney NSW. pp. 126–128. ISBN 978-0959445800. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
11. National Library of Australia (5 July 1923). "F D Jones Team Coming". Evening News (Sydney, Nsw : 1869 - 1931). Evening News Sydney. p. 2. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
12. "Limerick Career Race Starts". www.racehorsetalk.com.au. Racehorsetalk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.