SPECTATOR'S NOTE BOOK.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9300, 28 December 1895, Page 4

SPECTATOR'S NOTE BOOK.

Mi- H. Jackson of Te Aute, wants a name for the colt by Quilt, from Calamity, who, if I remember right, has already a son racing called Disaster. I mention this, so that that suggestive name may not be selected by tho3e who may see its appropriatnes3. Of Misfortunes we have already had a number. Adcemity comes to one's aid to keep up the connection on the dam's side. Calamity was unlucky while racing, as her name implies. She usually jumped well, although she had more than one Mishap or Contretemps. A few name 3 I would suggest for some of Quilt's Srogeny are — Counterpane, Coverlet, iolster, Quilter, and—the stock at my commnnd is about exhausted. I don't say that any of these will fit too well. I have just asked a friend if he can assist mc. I give his reply : —" I always thought it a bit of a calamity at school wh"en I received a " quilting." The Rev. T. De Witt Talmage recently preached in Brooklyn a very eloquent sermon on the horae, and some of the sporting papora have given prominence to extracts from hi 9 discourse, during which he paid great tribute to and advocated the better treatment of the noble animal. In its production the rev. gentleman maintained all should strive to keep up to the highest standard of excellence for use and spesd, fast end good horses being a3 essential as fast trains. In this connection I may remark that, amongst the cloth, I have mot some of the very hardest of riders who would ba all the better to ponder over their rev. brother's good advice. The departure for England of the great racohorse and successful stud horse Trenton, in company with another undoubtedly good race performer Carnage, ie one of the events of the week that calls for more than passing notice. The son of Muaket and Frailty proved himself not only a game and highclass racehorse, bnt a really first-class sire, and by his own deeds and those of his {>rogony is entitled to be rated quite as lighly as any horse foaled south of the line. His stock have been running successfully and prominently in all the best races in the colonies, and being comparatively epeaking a young horse, there is no reason why he should not become one of the most celebrated sires in the Old Country. He is likely to go on leaving stock with better ■vvear and tear leg 3 than did his sire—indeed the second genwation of the Musket family is an improvement upon the first in that respect. Trenton's chief trouble was hia feet. But for tin's he would have shown even to greater advantage than he did. Some of those who had to do with training Trenton—and perhaps no one is so well qualified to jndge as Mr Dan O'Brien, who owned both horses— believed that he wa3 every bit as good as the mighty Carbine. It is somewhat singular that Mr O'Brien did not look to Carbine to accomplish great things as a two-year-old, but he was such a sluggard, and did not show any wonderful gallops in private, that it was hard Co say what he was capable of. Trenton in his trials as a two-year-old also did not show to advantage ; indeed, in his first race, the Auckland R.C. Welcome Stakes, Wood Nymph, Tetford, P.evolver, Krupp, and indeed nearly everyone of the starters were more fancied on the day of the race, and for some time prior thereto Carbineer was considered a good thing. The stable lad, Dawson, was put up, and Trenton, after a good race, squeezed homo by a head from Krupp, backers receiving for each £1 investment a £27 10s dividend. Six weeks later U?ly Buck and Carbineer were the favourites for the Midsummer Stakes, but again Trenton triumphed over Krupp by a head, and baokers received a dividend of £S 14a. So far the great qualities of this colt were not discovered, or at least not appreciated. The fact of Mr G. G. Sle&d purchasing Trenton and taking him South, for a wonder, did not bring him more into favour with the public. They had not taken kindly to the Muskets at that time in the South Island, believing more in their homo-bred cattle in Canterbury. Liverpool, the C.J.C. Welcome Stakes winner, and Lady Evelyn, who was the runner-up in that race, and who had scored four times in the interval, winning thrco races in succession, including the Middle Park Plate, and afterwards the Dunodin Champagne Stakes, were preferred to Trenton in ths Canterbury Champagne Stakes. He, however, cleverly silenced his more fancied opponents, paying the nice dividend of £5 17s 6d. Is there another instance of a two-year-old winning his first three engagements and beins so little fancied by the public on each occasion? Thore has certainly been no great horse in the colony within my recollection whose ohance3 of success wore thought so little of at two years old. This is saying something, but the beat proof of this is the fact that he Avas an outsider each time he ran. Mr Stead sold Trenton cheaply enough to Mr O'Brien when he accepted liOsfl for him. The elevonth hour scratching of Trenton for the C.J.G. "Derby after being made a favourite for months before wa3 not relished by those who had at last begun to think him a good one, but it was reported that he was none too sound at the time, and it was not till the autumn that he faced a starter as a throe-year-old. This was in the Dunedin Cup, in which it was not intended to start him, as hs was not thoroughly strung up. Ho had, however, done a great gallop at Riccarton all the same, a gallop that somewhat surprised his owner, who, tempted by tho long price obtainable about his colt, decided to send him to the Forbury. It is thought that tho gallop had found a weak spot in Trenton's armour ; at any rate he was, perhaps, none the better for it. Nevertheless he finished second in the race under notice to Vanguard, thon five years old, and who is said to have run the race of his life on that occasion. It would take up too much space to follow Trenton throiigh his turf career, bnt at the Autumn Meeting of the Canterbury J. C. he put down such horses as Russley. LocMel, and Nelson in the Challenge Stakes. After thig he was eot ready for an Australian caropaign. After winning the V. R. 0. Melbourne Stakes, beating Sheet Anchor, Ringmaster. Bosworth, Cyclops, and others, he ran third in the Melbourno Cup in a field of thirty-five, carrying 7st 131b to Sheet Anchor, 7st 111b, and Grace Darling, 7st 121b, heads only separating the trio in the fastest two miles up to that time. By winning The Royal Park Stakes, two milss, woight-for-age, beating Dunlop, First Chester and leonomy, and the Canterbury Plate of two miles "and a quarter, weight-for-age, beating Nordenfeldt, the A. J.C. and V.R.C. Derby winner,'leonomy, Ringmaster, Dunlop, and Cyclops, his running suggested that Mr O'Brien Jiad bad luck to lose the Melbourne Cup and miss something like £24,000, which, had heads been the other way between the trio, would have bsen his portion. Racing with possibilities like this sticking out is quite as alluring as coing into mining in the expectation of some day unearthing a fortune. Trenton changed hands after this, Mr D. Cooper, now in England, purchasing him for £2500 from Mr O'Brien. Trenton's feet continued to give him trouble. He was lame when he started in the Spring Stakes at the Australian Jockey Club's Spring Meeting as a five-year-old. "Trainedon, he ran a great race in the Melbourne Chip, carrying 9st 51b into second place behind Arsenal. 7st 51b, who beat him a neck in a field of twenty-eight. Mr Cooper missed a fortune. The Royal

s Park Stakes fell to his lot two days later, r and Trident on the third day of the meeting '. beat him in the Canterbury Plate. This i- was Trenton's last race, and it may be said 0 that he was more or less troubled with his s feet throughout his career. A summary of . his racin™ shoW3 eight wins, three seconds, r one third and once unplaced for thirteen 1 starts. He was purchased for the Hobarti villc Stud by the late Mr Andrew Town, aud f at the break up of that stud was secured - for 3000gs for the St. Alban's Stud. t> Carnage, who accompanies Trenton to the f Old Country, was foaled in 1890. He ran nearly c last in the o<tkleigh Plate at his tirst essay, amongst horses of all ages ; unplaced in the s Hopeful Stakes at the V.R.C. Autumn Meete ing ; second to Salutation in the unplaced t two-year-old race at the same meeting ; won c the Federal Handicap, beating ten others; !i at the A.J.C. Antnmn Meeting the Chaint pagne Stakes, beat Bessie Macarthy, i Projectile, and eight others, and ran second v to Bessie Macarthy in the Third Biennial . Stakes at the same meeting. At three-years-t old was unplaced in the Caulliold Guineas, but won the Victorian Dorby, putf ting down the Guineas winner, The c Sailor Prince, Pounamu, Patron, and f seven others, and registered a big performr ance in the Melbourne Cup, when Tarcoola i beat him half-α-lcngth. There were twenty - - eight horses behind him. His saddle broke f during the race, or he would have won, 3 at least, so most people think. The victory . he achieved over Patron, The Sailor Prince, and others in the Spring Stakes was a meritorious one. In the V.R.C. St. Leger he was beaten by Patron in a false run race, and The Sailor Prince beat him in the A.J.C. ' St. Leger, but that he was a real good colt ' cotildbejudgedfromhisperfonnances, and the I estimation formed of him by the Australian t handicappers was such that he was placed 7 well at the top of the leading handicap ' events for which he was entered. His List • victory was in the Essendon Stakes, a mile c and a half at weight-for-age, in which he beat 3 Patron and others. It is probable that had • he been given more time he would have * shown to greater advantage still, as the v Nordenfeldt family improve greatly with age. 8 Carnage should make an excellent sire. » "Sunshine foaled a dead foal to Van- * guard. Mare since died of blood poisoning." fc Thus runs a telegram to hand on Monday & from the owner, Mr H. N. Harrison, of One B Tree Hill. It is years since I saw Sunshine, 1 who was a particularly handsome chestnut " filly, win her first race, the Produce Stakes, at Rangitikei. She was a very nervous f young lady, and in that respect some of hsr 1 progeny took after her, notably Water--3 bury, who won many races on the 3 flat, over hurdles and between the flags | in New Zealand, including the Grand f National Steeplechase of 1893. This • gelding is the best the daughter of Day 1 Dawn and Annie left, though most of her c progeny could gallop, and on one occasion ? three of her stock started in one race, viz., " Waterbury, Niobe and Epsom. There were » sixteen starters, Watcrbury and Niobe 9 finishing first and second, while Epsom was v just beaten out of a place. This was in a Maiden Plate. Sunbeam won a number of ' hack and handicap races, and was a useful » little mare. Mr Harrison has some of the * mare's progeny still, and I believe has a fulls brother to Waterbury from her, two years ? old. j