SPECTATOR'S NOTE BOOK.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9306, 6 January 1896, Page 2

SPECTATOR'S NOTE BOOK.

Response, who put up such sensational gallops at Riccarton as a three-year-old, who, in fact was every bit ns fast in private as her dam, Bis Bis, when she put up her half mile record, must have cost Mr O'Brien a good round sum, since he purchased her as a yearling in Sydney. Altogether he has had to put up with a good many disappointments over this lady, who has on several occasions just failed to land decent stakes. In the Australian Jockey Club Handicap she appears to have been overtaken just as victory seemed within her grasp, and beaten by Mr H. C. White's three-year-old Fort, who is evidently a fair one, while the same owner's Scotch Lassie got up and made a dead heat of it for second Elace. In the Australian J. C. Summer Cup lartini-Honry's son, Mahee, and Fort fought out a great race, Response finishing behind the pair in a Jeld of seventeen. Splendor's daughter, Ordnance, cut out a merry six furlongs in the Villiers Stakes, equalling the record held by Ascot Vale, Walwa and Volcano in Australia. In that event she had behind her Castor and Necklace's four-year-old daughter, Collarette, who has frequently shown that she is endowed with a lot of pace. Splendor also sired Newcastle, the winner of the Christmas Handicap, who put down Ordinance and Scotch Lassie. In the December Stakes Mr O'Brien's two-year-old colt Mosaic, by Aber-corn-Moonstone, could only get third to Cranbrook's son Huret and to Lochiel's son

Lo Var. It is a noteworthy fact that on the same afternoon as Ordnance won at Randwick, her half brother Straightfire landed the Hopetoun Cup at Caulfield. Crossfire, the dam of the pair, was, in her time, a capital performer. From the extended pedigree of Anita, winner of the Auckland Cup, it is seen that King Quail is her sire. The name of that game little horse, who himself won, amongst other races, the Auckland Easter Handicap, Dunedin J.C. Handicap, Wanganui Cup and Rangitikei Cup, does crop up occasionally in connection with a winner ; but the son of Yattendon never got chances of much account. Anna, the dam of Anita, was got by Musket from Florin, who was by Traducer from Rupee, and therefore Anita is bred the right -way to go fast as well as to stay. Her owners, who race under the assumed name of Mr R. Burke, have won a

ot of races of minor importance with the game little mare and her half sister Annabelle, and I notice that they have a speedy two-year-old in Lady Ann by St. Leger from the same mare, who is doing more to keep the name of Rupee green than any of her descendants. Anna never raced, but her fullsister, Lady Florin, was a good mare, and she should ere long breed something good. There could not be a better combination of blood than Yattendon and Musket, backed by Traducer, on such a successful line as that from which Rupee springs. It was a son of Yattendon and Rupee who gave us Merrie England, one of the best horses at two and three years old that we have seen for some time, and though Anita may not be more than a useful mare, she appears to be a consistent one. The best two-year-old of the season may or may not have raced yet. There are a few to make their first appearance in the autumn, but only a few. It would be hard to say which of all we have seen out so far is really the best. As a rule, unless one or two stands out well ahead of all the rest it may be concluded that there are no smashers. At any rate that has been regarded as a safe way to sum them up, so rarely does it occur that there are a lot of really good two-year-olds seen out in one season. Early spring running led us to suppose that Mr Ormond possessed some flyers in Daring and Defiance, and that in Armilla, St. Paul, St. Elmo and one or two others they had something out of the common up Auckland way. At the C.J.C. Spring Meeting we were introduced to Mr Stead's Bombshell, Mr Stephenson's Marlin, Mr M'Giness' St. Ouida, and Sir George Clifford's Dalliance, and one or two other smart ones were seen there and at Auckland. Mr J. D. Ormond's Australian purchase Trentalto has also demonstrated that she can gallop, but as yet it appears to mc that it is a fairly debateable question as to which is the two-year-old of the season. Possibly some of those, which have not shown winning form may do so in the autumn, but, so far, we have not seen a champion amongst them. At the same time I think that ten better two-year-olds might be selected from those we have seen race than could have been picked out in any previous year. This i 3 due to the increase of races in which the juveniles can compete. St. Paul, the full brother to St. Clements, who won the Great Northern Foal Stakes has the gift of going and is evidently a game one. Satanella, who was not raced herself or who, to be correct,was raced but little, is earning a good name as a winner producer. Her full sister, Hippodamina, or, as she is now known, Speculation, has left a few winners also. It is probable that this mare would have nicked well with St. Leger, had she visited that siro.

The time occupied in running the different stages of the Auckland Cup journey is instructive, showing as it does that the pace was slow for the first mile and a quarter, and fast for the last six furlongs; indeed it was by no means a true run race up to the time when the horses The Possible, Pegasus, Folly and Impulse fell, and judging from

the position occupied by Anita five furlongs from home, she beat those of her opponents that stood up for pace from that point home. Opinions are divided as to whether she wonld have won had there been no accident, but however that may be the running of St Hippo possesses some merit. Seeing that ho struggled iuto his place under the impost of 9st 9lb the performance is one that will be pointed to hereafter. St. Hippo will always be referred to as St. Leger's champion son,'as ho undoubtedly deserves to be. It is a rare thing for a horse that has once gone wrong in his understandings to be patch-d up sufficiently to do strong enough work to win a two mile race under such a big impost, and the supposition that St. Hippo was not just as well as could have been wished has a good deal in it. St. Hippo's connections, however, thought that ho would pull through and supported him strongly straight out and through the totalisators for a lot of money. Indeed had he won the pencillers throughout New Zealand would have had a pretty hard knock.

The breeding of Lorelei, winner of the two chief, handicap races at the Manawatu i Racing Club's Meeting, should be made special mention of. Her sire, Cruiser, is a son of Robinson Crusoe and the Fireworks mare Radiance, and her dam, Laurel, is by Young Gownsman (son of imported Gownsman and Diajanira) from Baj'leaf by Peter Flat from Sharkie. We have in Lorelei a mare springing from a successful family. Bayleaf was a full sister to Laurel who left Mr Dan O'Brien's good horse Fishhook. Cruiser raced fairly well in his time and Laurel, dam of Lorelei, was one of the best mares on the West Coast of the North Island as a four-year-old. In that year she won seven times out of eight starts, and ran as frequentty as three times a day. Last season Lorelei started twelve times and won five events, the Feilding Handicap of 200 soys and Oroua Handicap, of lOOsovs, being the most important of her victories. She is evidently improving with age, and her victories must not be looked upon in the light of lucky ones. What a number of mares have been successful in leading handicap races this season.

It should be unnecessary to more than remind readers that the 'Wellington Park yearlings sale is to take place on Saturday. I predict a successful sale.