THE WAIRARAPA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8557, 10 August 1888, Page 3

THE WAIRARAPA.

[from ourown correspondent.] Whenever, during my occasional visits to the Empire City, I can make time to have a run into the country, I invariably do so, and having, at the Hutt steeplechases, met some good sorts from Mas ter ton, I hied me, on the earliest opportunity, to have a look over some of the racing stables there. I was extremely fortunate in the weather during my two or three days in the locality, hence I saw as much of what there is to'be seen as possible. My first call was on an old Canterbury friend, Mr Prideaux F. Tancred, who has a lovely estate near Clarevllle. I was accompanied by two old identities of the district, Messrs A. Elkins and J. Macara, who happened to be driving there, and the occasion was made a general muster, as we found a host of visitors that Sunday afternoon, amongst them, two or three wellknown M.H.K.’s, out on a respite from their legislative labours. Mr Tancred has just recently formed a very good training^track in one of his paddocks and was showing it, to these gentlemen, when we arrived. Hitherto he has trained his horses on the Tauherinikau course which, since the Wairarapa Jockey Club have raced near Greytown has acted as the trysting ground for the Peatherston Jockey Club. Albert Lyford is Mr Tancred’s trainer, and it was bere that that game little son of the Premier, in the shape of Administrator, has undergone his several preparations for racing. Now, however, having a good track close at homo he has the double advantange of seeing the work done under his own eyes as well as under Lyford’s. The track is about three-quarters of a mile round and the turns are excellently rounded off. The land was formerly a timber swamp, and the cost of making the track has been much greater in consequence. Grazing in this field were some good mares whichare kept there in excellentcondition. Amongst them is Fair Agnes, dam of that once champion hurdle-racer Master Agnes. She was accompanied by a chestnut foal to Black Rose, a clever-looking customer, in many ways resembling his half-brother by Cassivelaunus. The mare is this year in foal to the Premier, who stands here. Another good one is Princess Koyal, full sister to Administrator and Consul, being by Premier out of Princess Mary. She is stinted this season to Puriri. The yearling chestnut filly (by the way Mr Tancred’s establish m eatis renowned for that colour), from Pair Agnes by Black Rose is a fine, well-grown one, thickset with good shapely quarters indicating strength and staying power in no small degree. Toe six-year-old mare Mksdeal by King of Clubs—Gossip is taking a refit andwill be assigned to stud duty this season, and a three-year-old filly by Bundoora— Mireille dam of that speedy Mirella, is also resting for a while preparatory to her next season’s engagements. If appearances go for anything, she should be a fast one also. Talebearer’s full sister Gabble has bred a nice bay yearling filly to Premier, which, though rather on the small side, is very compact and neat. That clever pony First Water by Premier —Ruby, whose racing career was a consistent one, is running out since having completely broken down, and she is the pet of the establishment. The horses in training are a sister to Revoke, that nice colt Orator, Forester, and the Hornby—Btibery gelding. The Spy, which are all looking well. The latter has developed into an immense horse and if put to cross-country work should be a useful one. The two stallions were then trotted out separately. Administrator looks very well and hearty, and the Premier has likewise been well treated and shows it. What a picture he is. It is little wonder that the judges at the respective Exhibitions have always placed him first on the list, as the old horse carries - himself splendidly, even when seen in the offseason at a disadvantage as far as coat and condition are concerned. When I saw him he was badly requiring the attention of the farrier, but despite this, paraded himself before us like a nobleman. A friendly shooting competition was raised after we had inspected the stabling accommodation, the new patent “ flyers ” being used in lieu of pigeons or glass balls ; and they were found very satisfactory. Mr Tancred gave us a sample of his shooting powers by bringing down all his “ birds,” while others of us made fair averages.

The next day I was due at Mr J. C. Vallanoe’s place, Kahumingi, on the Taueru river, about fourteen miles to the north-east of Masterton, but on the way I gave a look in at Mr B. Cave’s establishment at Opaki, for the purpose of seeing an old favourite iu the shape of Piscatorious. I found him looking as well as a horse can look, and seeing him saddled and ridden, proved what an excellent temper he has. He has been of right good service in Hawke’s Bay. and it took money and a lot of it to procure him for the Wairarapa district. The doings of his son, Kingfish, on the other side have been ot too recent date to require recapitulation from me, but the fact of the son of Piscatorious Yatterina having been sold at 700 guineas at Sydney, and four figures having since been offered for him, proves the opinion he has been held in in Australia. Indeed, Piscatorious himself has been nibbled after repeatedly by buyers from over the water, but it has been thought advisable to retain his services here, and as the double strain of Touchstone blood, which he has, is so much approved, as to give good seasons ever since he has been relegated to the stud. Some of his youngsters in the Hawke’s Bay district are reported to be very promising; so the Wairarapa folk have it in their way to improve the bread of their horses.

Passing the Masterton-OpaM racecourse, en route to Kaliumingi, we had a look in. The new course is, so far as land is concerned, all that can be desired. It is just abit too far —about four miles—from town, but the trains from Wellington arid the South of the Valley stop at a crossing not far from the course, so that drawback is diminished. The buildings are decidedly primitive, but it is contemplated to improve this shortly, and the Secretary, Mr T. M'Xay, who was my pilot on this occasion, showed me that the necessary funds were to be procured shortly, when all will be done that is required. A bridge over the Ojiaki stream on the road to the course is bemg proceeded with now, making the approach less difficult than it was before. A lovely drive along the Taueru Valley, past the late Mr Gillingham's property, brought us to Mr Variance's in whose hospitable quarters we were put up. Situated between beautifully grassed sloping hills, with the road passing in the valley below, the traveller cannot help feeling that he has entered into a promised land such as is rarely seen in this Colony. It is not, however, without its drawbacks, as it is here that the rabbit pest has proved such a constant source of annoyance and expense to the owners of the soil. When it is considered that all fencing done in this locality has cost at the least .£BO a mile, having to he made rabbit-proof, and that the expense of keeping the rabbits in check amounts to many hundreds a year for each owner, it can be seen that sheep farming in this lovely country is not all “ beer and skittles.” Far from it. On Mr Vallancc’s place alone, which comprises about 30,000 acres, a whole pack of rabbit dogs has to be kept, and the system of poisoning by phosphorus is not conducted without great expense. There is some satisfaction, however, in knowing that the pest is at last under control, and it only requires the constant care that is shown to keep it in check. The horses at Mr Vallance’s are looked after by that well known cross-country rider W. Mould, and are a very choice lot. Some of them were out when wo arrived, but were brought up for inspection. Foremost among them is the mare Bose d’ Amour dam of I’asha, who having missed last year to Tattler was sent this season to the New Zealand Stud Company’s favourite, Nordcafelt. The result of this nick, which was an expensive experiment, will he anxiously looked forward to, but to my mind the trouble and expense ware not warranted in this case seeing what a success her mating with The Mute has been. Of course Mr Vailance’s belief in the Musket breed is great, and induced him to risk tho attempt, but I should have

preferred following up so successful a combination, seeing the consistent way in which Pasha is upholding the credit of this splendidly framed daughter of Traducer and Golden Drop, who, it will be remembered, was one of the best of the Giauciu family. The old mare looks the picture of health and is showing in foal, so that her. trip North was not a useless one. Her daughter Ruth by Patriarch is running with her and though not so big or roomy as her dam, is a nice shapely mare and has a good-looking brown colt foal at foot, by Crawford Priory. A full sister paid the last debt to nature only recently. A very game and nicelooking brown filly, named Rumour, by Tattler—Rose d’Amour lias only recently been turned out, she having broken down in her coffin joint, and Boaz, whose name implies his connection to Ruth, by the Duke of Edinburgh, is also out of work at present. In a paddock nearer Masterfcon there are some choice youngsters running on good pasturage, suitable for the culture of young stock, by reason of the country there being of limestone formation, on which, it is always admitted, young horses thrive better than anywhere else. Amongst these are a bay yearling filly by Duke of Edinburgh, out of Queen Coil by Diomedes, a brown filly by Tattler —Ruth, a bay by Lord Mandeville Rose d’Amour, and the chesnut mare. Queen Coil, with foal at foot, by Crawford Priory. Of the four yearling fillies I seiected'the Duke of Edinburgh—-Queen Coil one as my pick, and though the Rose d’Amour filly is a good looking one, hold to my opinion that the other is going to make a racer. She stands over a lot of ground, with short legs and well-shaped quarters, and moves with an amount of freedom that denotes speed when put in training, and asked a question. But there is a second Pasha who is now undergoing his early preparation at the hands of Albert Eoskings, whose place is near the Opaki racecourse. He is two years of age, and is by Duke of Edinburgh out of the old mare Rose d’Amour, and for size and strength is a picture. Low set, strong quarters, with deep barrel and nicely eloping shoulders, he shows that he t-au hold his own even now, though he had only been in work a few weeks before I saw him. To Albert Hoskings is generally given the praise for bringing out Pasha in the way he figured as a colt, and it is to be hoped that the same results will follow this colt’s career. Other horses of Mr Yallance’s are running on a different part of the estate, amongst them Mark Twain, a four-year-old gelding by Yoltigeur—Queen Coil; Freebooter, the hurdle racer, by Barbarian—Coquette, by Bay Middleton; Signor, by Danebury— Undine, and others, in auctioneers’ par lance, ‘'too numerous to particularise,” but as it happened, my stay in the Taueru was limited, so I had to content myself without seeing them. Yoltigeur is doing stud duty here still, and well, too, as his record proves him to bo a sure getter. The son of King Cole—Eenella, dam of The Mute and Maribyrnoug, by FishermanRose de Florence, by The Flying Dutchman, is not a horse to be despised by any means, and it is now seen that he can get some realy useful performers, as Erata and Cupid have both, proved themselves good in their proper places. His hoof, which it will be remembered split in a race at The Hutb recently, is now nearly well, but Mr Vallancedoss not contemplate putting him in work again yet. Still to take a horse from stud work and get him fit enough to compete in a Nelson Cup is not bad work, and he may be pulled out again before long. Returning to Masterton I again fell across my f riend Mr J. Macara, well known in this island as the leadingcoach proprietor in those good old coaching days which are gene, alas! never to return, Mr Macara is one of those lucky individuals who like the owner of Piscatorious, took advantage of the opportunities for making money on the road, and who now are enjoying the competency which they secured by battling bard against all sores of drawbacks, which were strewed numerously in the pathway of carriers aud coach proprietors between Wellington and the Wairarapa. Having secured a lovely property near Masterton, Mr Macara’s great delight is to breed a few nice things in the racing line, which he follows tip as a bobby rather than for profit. On this place, which he manages himself, he has an excellent training track not, however, used much of late as he has greatly reduced his stock. His old favourite mare Sweetheart by Bishop of Osnaburg from an Arab mare has given him a good few fair ones, and he has in training for • the local Champagne Stakes of the next season a nice-looking bay colt from her, and another by Lord Mandeville out of Romp, which he purchased recently. Minnie Palmer, by Danebury—Sweetheart, is a nicely quartered filly, which has the appearance of being a fast one. Rollo, Sweetheart’s five - year - old colt, who lowered the colours of Waitiri when she was contesting the Wairarapa Cup, is another of his and appears as sound as ever.

Socially, Masterton is one of tHo nicest to wn s it has been my lotto visit in this island. The people are large-hearted and free, and the cares of business do not seem' to weigh upon them greatly. I am much indebted to the courtesy of Messrs Mack ay, and Elkins, of the Club Hotel, Macara and other friends for some very pleasant outings during my stay there, and shall look forward with pleasure to a repetition of the trip. For his fund of amusement and anecdote commend me also to the gentleman who acts as official timekeeper at the local race meetings, and who on one of these occasions getting excited at the result of a race, put his finger through the glass of his watch, when ho should have stopped it in the usual way. This is the same gentleman who, when accused of addressing a letter " 0/ G. B , Esq./' to an individual whose initials . are “J. C. 8.,” explained that he thought the person in question had been promoted from the saviour to the almighty ruler «of Masterton, thus expressing in a roundabout way his opinion of the said gentleman's bombastic manner.

At Carterton racing has all hut died out. I qualify my remark as I am led to believe tnat there is a possibility of Mr T. Kay, who owns the course formerly used there, call the T.aratahi course, getting up a meeting there under the auspices of the Carterton Jockey Club, but at present the residents at Carterton are content with the meetings atOpaki and Grey town. On the way to this latter place I paid a visit to Mr B. Kimberley, who owns Grand Duke, the nicely made son of Perkin Warbeck— Wild Eose, who has a number of useful mares which have visited him with good results. The little fellow has thickened out since he came to the North Island, and looks a strong, hardy horse when roaming about his owner's place. Of course while at Greytown I could not resist the temptation which was offered me of a visit to Mr W. J. Williams at Kaiwaiwai, Lower* Valley, where I came across two old favourites, viz., Tim Whifiler and Bennington. Tno latter is a fine* big upstanding horse, as quiet as the rest of his sire’s progeny, while little Tim is as fresh as ever, though he as only recently recovered from a nasty barbed wire accident, by which his chest and fore legs were very much damaged. Hero also is Discretion, by Towton, out of Cassandra, a mare who has thrown such grand sorts as Hailstorm, Prudence, Rifleman, Resolution, Stiletto and many others, and still carries her age well. She is this season in foal to Tim, and when it is remembered that her racing days were at the time that Yatterina was about, it will prove she is no chicken, twenty-four summers having passed over her. A nice-looking Southern Chief mare, Konlni, is in foal to Remington, as also Mr Walter Armstrong’s brown mare Bess by Kakapo. That grand mare Senorita by Kakapo, was suffering from the effects of au accident in which barbed wire had ever so much the best of it, and I learn since that she had to be shot. Me Williams was dressing her wounds with sheep dip when 1 saw her, and he told me that he_ uses no other lotion or medicine for his animals but Little’s sheep dip. After dipping his sheep he empties the dip and dresses all his stables, cowsheds, fowlpens, pigsties &c. with a plentiful coating of this useful mixture. He drenches his horses with it if suffering from worms, gripes, or any

internal complaint; ho dips his fowls m it periodically, causing their plumage to grow as bright and healthily as possible; no fact is is his only remedy for one and all ailments. Ha even gives his pigs ah occasional dose of it, which is benefi-jial to them. The remedy is so simple yet withal so probable of success, that I have mentioned it for tho benefit of others who may be as, I confess I’waS, somewhat sceptical oh the score.

Tbe evening I spent at Greytown was in Mr W alter Armstrong’s company. An erst, cross-country rider himself, he has always taken a great interest in matters of sport, and we conversed away freely for a length of time. On his way home he suggested looking in at a dance in the Town Hall, and there, attired very nicely and behaving themselves like Christians, were a number of Native girls dancing away to their heart’s - content, and fairly outstripping their white friends in .excellence <?f time and step; pleasing to see the friendship existing between the representatives of the two races. One dusky maiden was fairly revelling in a waltz with a young Englishman, and when near where I stood,. she said " Wait minute,” and left him to sit down. Quietly taking off her new boots and putting them aside, she took his arm as if nothing had happened, merely remarking as they resumed the dance, Kahori de boots,” amid smiles of satisfaction at being released of their encumbrance.

At Peatherstone, I called at G. Preeth’s stables, where he has the Traducer sire Treason, out of_ Lady Jane, standing. The chesnut is looking in rare form, and judging by a colt of his running in a paddock close by, is a sire calculated to get good big cross-country horses. Freeth. has also a fine stamp of a hunter by Annanias, out of a Sir Watkyn mare that would be a power in the land if Horrie Lunn had him in train ing for a while. Treason is remaining in this district during the forthcoming season, as he has already a card full of mares to attend. Ha is the sire of Erebus Poppet and others, and is worthy of respect on those grounds.

Since my return from Wairarapa I have had an opportunity of looking over Willie Davis’ training establishment at M’Nab’s Gardens, Lower Hutt, where he has Cupid, Sylph, Rifleman, and Reputation in work; and I also saw Mr M’Coll’s nice little racer. Fabrication, and an immense two-year-old colt by Somnus out of a strong lump of a mare. This youngster will be as bjg as any hunter nowdoing duty if he goes on growing as he has started, and his jumping powers are said to be enormous. I have also had a look at the Island Bay course once during my stay in Wellington, and can testify to the attention that has been paid to it by the present Secretary, Mr G. Donne, who, thoroughly understanding his work, does it with a will, and the result is that the course is this winter in better condition than it ever was before, the top dressing it received since the last meeting having given it a nice, springy, even surface. It is to be hoped that so much having been done to it, tbe Wellington folk will have the vim to keep up the popularity of the place by holding some good races there this next season. *