NOTES ON HORSE.BREEDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5336, 23 December 1878, Page 2

NOTES ON HORSE.BREEDING.

As promised you, I have hero a fow facts re. garding the career of the late celebrated English sire Melbourne, g.,t by Humphrey l/linker. His owner ever regarded him« one of the haudsomcst, strour'est, and fust est horses ever stripped in Em-land. Melbourne was taken off the course at 4 years old, sound in wind, limb, and full of running, and put to the stud. From his performance, pedigree, and size, his subscription list soon filled at the highest figure tueu going, and none but picked matrons of the Harem were allowed to be mtroduced to the Premier of the Harras. His list continued full for a few years, when he became nearly impotent (but never incompetent), so much so that his noble owner, who was a great authority on the English turf, determined (with re. luctance) to sell him fur the foreign market (anything good enough for the colonies), when, fortunately for the turf, the late celebrated trainer, Mr. John Scott, of Maiton, requested to havo the charge of Melbourne for a year. lie got him, and put him into slow training work on short cemmons, and thus w&aUd him down to skin and boneß, and kept him so for eight months. Then he brought him up again, with more oats and less work, into blooming condition. By this change he hud gained new flesh, new' blood, and a fresh supply of vital spermatozoa, and ever afterward proved a fruitful siro, until his death, getting his gre.itedfc winners when well up in his teens, and nearly in his last season he got the credit by many racing men of being the sire of Thormanby, Mr. Merry's first Derbf winner, ISGO, who was one of the gam est of horses, having been out in public as a two-year-old seventeen times, and beat more horses than any horse of his day, and who has also proved a first-class sire. Much could be said on the great merits of Melbourne as a sire, yet it is questionable if the too early use of this horse has not told on the constitution of many of his stock, as fow of his sons have long retained a hign name as sires. Even West Australian, one of the handsomest and best of horses, was strongly patronised, yet sold to foreigners at ail early age, was a very deli-cate-coustitutioned horse, anl hiß stock proved only good at short distances. I can well recollect of hearing in conversation, that Mr. John Scott always upheld that West Australian wsb one of the best horses hu ever trained, and was so singularly fortunate for weeks before his Derby race, he was so unwell (although kept dark) that until 14 days before the race, it was almost determined upon to scratch him. Again, after 10 days of his Leger victory, he could hardly turn in his box. Blink Bonny, also by Melbourne, was tbe only mare that eve won the two blue ribbons of the turf, viz, the Derby and Oaks, since Sir Charles Banbury's niaro lileanor, year 1801; and she would beyond all doubt have cclipsed even Eleanor's performances, by adding the St. Leger to her laurels, had she not suffered from such severe metallic pressure, forintffO days aft er her defeat by Imperieuse, she ran a race at iha samj meeting, same distance and weig it, in four seconds les3 time than Imperieuse di l the Leger in ; and why Blink Bonny was ever brought oat to ran for the 1000 guineas, iu the half-trained condition she was, with a long shag jy coat of hair on her back, can only be explained by her oivnor. For this race John Scott brought oat Imperieuse iu the pink of perfection, and defeated blink Bonny (who did not even get a place). Previous to this race, Blink Bonny was nearly, if not quite, first favourite for the l'erby and Oaks, but her disgraceful defeat sent her down in the hotting to CO to 1 for the Derby; at whbh price she remained until theday. Excuse thisrligression. Blink Bonny was a very delioate constitutioned mare, so much so that she was invariably- trained walking, and ridden by a feather weight. On her first interview with Stockwell, the unquestionable emperor, she gave to the turf Blair Athol, who never appeared in public until he carried off with ease the Derby iu 1864, against the best lot of three-year-olds that were perhaps ever got together at Epsom. This is another instance of being put too early to the stud, for, like Melbourne, he was taken off the course at four years old, sound, and full of running, and although patronised from the fitst as fully as any horse alive, yet he failed to get many, if any stayers until he got Craig Miller, Leger wiuner in 1575, when well up in bis teens. I cannot leave the Melbourne strain without adding Miat Young Melbourne was a very soft horse, and from his best son. The Earl, I fear that delioate constitutioned non-stayers will predominate; yet size, strength, aad spoed may be looked for, also good looks and temper, which the heads and countenances of all this family unmistakably pourtray,— are too much, in my humble opinion, the head of mares. Much could be written on the subject of heads, one of the most delightful studies of the whole frame in any form of animal construction, and is oue of the truest breeding, disposition, or character. * ( \Ybo» amongst the sons of Adam/' does not admire the neat little jaunty he:id, poised on the graceful necks of Eve's beauteous daughters, with the meek, loving countenances, in con* trast with tho bold, lofty head and bearing of the Lords of the Creation. >low, the heads of horses are as beautifully pourfcrayed; and as for a sire to have a head shaped liko a dam's, is more openly to be condemned, and more out of character, thau for a bull to have the soft, mild eye of a cow, and want tho curly hair on tho head, or a mountain Scottish black-faced tup to be without horns. Shortness of time prevents me adding recollections of freaks of temper in horaes, for the consideration of racing men, but these will appear upon some future occasion. ** X • TCatpATIKI.