ROUID THE STABLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8670, 12 September 1891, Page 6

ROUID THE STABLES.

|BY phaeton.] G BUG IB WRIGHT'S. Though Geow Wright, has taken up his quarters at thettiiet retreat at Kohimarama, where he and |p select team of horses are secure from tlf;prying eyes of racecourse watchers, the Iroficient young Scotchman has not > barvef his /gates against the turf scribe, and mfing known my desire to pay; a visit '"'to hfi establishment, lie at once extended mi a most hearty invitation. Saturday! las was the day selected for my journey, and he beautiful spring weather served to ; n: ke the drive to the seaside retreat one " the most enjoyable 1 have undertaken i my stable visitations. Industry has til way been a characteristic in George Wright, 31 drive up to the main stable I find him, sieves rolled up, busily engaged himselfii see ig to the comfort of his charges. After a lliorj chat Georgo hies away to the other enl oft the stable and the invitation to produtj m] note-book comes with the remark, " tere, have a look at this fellow first." I lave seen the occupant of the box before, bujfor the instant I am nonplussed to guess lis identity. It is Lcolantis, who, I find duing his enforced retirement has altered aljost beyond recognition. The son of Leolinu|\vas a very lathy customer as a thrce-yeanld, but his respite from active training hakllowed him to furnish greatly, and he is tow a really line-looking horse. Leolantis Its not carried silk* since he was sent out to base Medallion andCrackshot in the last Aukland Derby, after which race it was found gat his off fore-leg, just above the fetlock, baity some means received a knock, and it was fund necessary to throw him out of training, pie is perfectly sound now, but his joints afevery unsightly, and may cause some troubll though his trainer remarked that they fid not affected him in the past. My text interview was with St. Hippo, the wo-year-old son of St. Legcr and Hippoii who I found still retains his babyish &oks. He has grown a good dealin fact! fancy a little too fast for his trainer's liking for he must be fully 10 hands; and in order ti give him time to mature, he will not, I u&erstand, be seen out before summer. Cis.y was located in the next apartment, aid tho daughter of Musket bore unmistafible traces of having done a good deal ®|work. A couple of months back the sistelto Trenton made so much music when galloping that her trainer began to thirl that she had developed into a confirmed roarer, but under the treatment prescribed by Mr. Halstead the ailment lists been almost removed, and though shestillniakes a slight noise, it docs not her trainer say&pparcntly affect her galloping powers. Old Xilda, looking as gay as a two-year-old, was She next to whom I paid my respects, and •(hen 1 ran my hand down her legs, and fouifl them altogether free from blemish, the thdght came to my mind that the sister to Artillew merits a place amongst the division from rvvhich the winner of the approaching Nev Zealand Cup will spring. The old mare is h great buckle, considering that she was thravn altogether out of training from April til July this year, and in the two months thai will elapse between now and the day on which the big Southern race will come up for.lecision at Riccarton, there is every prospect of Wright having her thoroughly string up to concert pitch. Adelaide, the tivo-year-qld daughter of Nordenfeldt and Victoria, is a mere pony in stature, and will, I fancy, have to win her laurels as a two-year-old under light weights. Brown Alice, the daughter of Nordenfeldt and Ouida, is si very ■'different cut of a filly. Standing about 13.1, and showing a deal of that propelling power so characteristic of the Musket family, the daughter of Ouida stands out as a most promising young lady, and that she has satisfied her trainer as to her abilities, proof is, I thuk, to be found in the fact of her name figuring amongst the acceptances for the C. J.CJ, Welcome Stakes. Roie, the three-year-old .daughter of St, Leger and Hippona, was in another apartment, and I was much struck with her improved appearance. She has': furnished into a really line mare, and I should say that her record on the turf will not conclude with her solitary victory in the 'Juvenile Plate last season. Cynical, who went amiss last summer, has just been taken up; but Rataplan, the disappointing half brother to Nelson, who also. " burs' up" list season, I noticed was still being indulged, and he will not be put in training for some ;ime yet. Tulloch, the three-year-old son of Sword Dance and Welcome Kate, and Lord Raven, by Leolinus—Lady Ravcnsworth, are also in the paddock at liresent, but they may be expected to go into active training before long. '1 lie horses disposed of, Wright escorted me round his training ground, which it did not take me long to discover receives the utmost care and attention. There are two gallops,' the inside being the ploughed track, and the outside one the grass. The former, which is as near as possible Gi furlongs, and is made up of a kind of "sandy loam, is one of. the finest tracks that could be found anywhere, and to bring this galloping ground to such a pitch of perfection it is quite certain that neither time nor money has been spared. However, Wright very wisely considers that money so spent is money saved, for, as a result, his establishment is kept pretty free' of the unsound division, and this, too, it is worthy of note in the face of the abolition of shoes, all the Kohimarama team being galloped barefooted. In another portion of the ground there is an impromptu pavilion, laid down with sand, where the horses can indulge in a roll after their exercise, while further afield an enclosure has been formed where the two-year-olds, free from control, are allowed each flue afternoon to enjoy the sunshine. Altogether, George Wright has brought the Kohimarama establishment up to a high state of perfection; and with the tackle in his hands, it will be surprising if the horses under his charge do not succeed in capturing a fair percentage of the "good things" during the season of IS9I-92. WELLINGTON PARK.

As the afternoon was still young when my inspection of the Kohimarama.team had concluded, I determined on a drive over to Wellington Park along with George Wright, in order to see how the yearlings were progressing, and also to have a look at the foals sired by the imported Castor, the first of whose progeny this year grace the celebrated breeding establishment. As 1 he faithful Kennedy rounds up tho yearling cults into the enclosure adjacent to the boxes, it is not hard to discern, that Mr. Morrill has a clean bill of health, for all the youngsters bear traces of being in the most blooming condition. " What do you think of this fellow?" quotlis Mr. Morrin, as he stands at the head of a dun-coloured brown colt. There is 110 mistaking the identity of this youngster —the Nordenfeldt-Frailty colt —for he towers above the lot of his companions. He is growing and furnishing into a grand fellow, and in every respect lie is as taking to the eye as his brother, for whom Air. Spencer Gollan last season paid 2025 guineas. He possesses a beautiful head and neck, great shoulders, and when m this is added a back as level as a billiard table, followed up with the quarters of a draught horse, my readeis will be able to picture a horse like the illustrious Trenton ; and therefore should his brother. Zalinski, manage to land tho V.R.C. blue riband for Mr. W. R. Wilson there will, I predict, be some great bidding for his possession in January next. A racy-looking gentleman is the chestnut son of Nordenfeldt and Yattacy, and one who, I predict, will come to hand very early. His dam, I may remark, is a daughter of Yattendon and testacy, who in turn wan got by The Marquis from Lady Exeter by New Warrior; and as his pedigree is polished up 011 both sides with' a strain of tlio famous Stockwell lie should certainly prove a racehorse. The colt by St. Leger from Vivandiere is an inimenso youngster for his age, and shows a great deal of power, while he is topped with a back that should certainly not feel the effects of a heavy impost. The Nordenfeldt —Steppe colt is at present scarcely so taking to the eye as some of his companions, but the next few months will, I opine, see a very great alteration in him. A very compact youngster is the result of the union of Nordenfeldt and Biatica, and I shall predict that he will some day be found equal to the task of recording a smart thing. i Bianca, who is, I lhav' remark, one of the mares secured by the 'New Zealand Stud Company at the break up of the Terrara stud, was got by Black Eagle from Bessie, by Angler from Scraps by Lord of the Hills. _ The colt by lugomar from Onyx is something after the same cut as his half-brother Nordenfeldt was at the same age. and as lie moves lazily about does not make so favourable ail impression us some of his companions; but, still, these youthful sluggards very often mature into great horses —to wit, Nordenfeldt. . . , As Kenticlly proceeds to ijnvo 111 the allies, George Wright puts the abilities of the party to the test by remarking, " Now, see it you can pick the best '1111," and we all direct our eyes to the entrance to the enclosure. Sylvia's daughter by Ingomar is the first to gallop through the gateway, followed by Victoria's and Albatross' _ youngsters, and then comes a sweet-looking brown nlly, which we have 110 difficulty in at once distinguishing as the gem of the collection— the daughter of Nordenfeldt and Ouida. She is unquestionably a beautiful filly, and as alio shows plenty of power combined with symmetry, there seems every prospect of her keeping up tlio record made by her relatives, Artillery, Bahsta, Hilda, and Hazel. A few months back, the Sylvia filly appeared to bo growing upward a 'little too much, ; but as she has now filled out, she presents a much more 1 taking appearance. Albatross' youngster is

almost tit' "dead spit" of her brother Alderallot, for whom the Victorian sportsman, Mr. A. R. Blackwood, recently Rave 500 guineas.. She •is unquestionably the most powerfully built filly of the collection, and is full of promise. _ A •chestnut filly by Nordenfeldt from Victoria will be a' much bigger young lady than her sister Adelaide, submitted at the last sale, and I was quite: prepared to learn that she had an excellent certificate for paddock galloping. A sturdy filly is the daughter of Brigadier and Gannet, aud as the latter threw Brigand in her first season, this youngster springs from a winning family on both sides.

• Altogether, the collection of yearlings this season at" Wellington Park is in every respect as fine looking a • lot as in previous years, and as the establishment will this season, be very powerfully represented in Australia, its fame is likely to be well maintained. In a beautifully sheltered paddock, I found. Necklace, Vivandiere, and Victoria who were each followed by. chestnut foals sired by Castor. So far as can be judged at this early period, the son of Zealot has acquitted himself remarkably well. The youngsters show plenty of size, and, as if to fix their identity, lie has put the indelible brawl of his own blood-like head upo i each of his gets. Mr. Morriu is, I may remark, still adding to the completeness of his establishment. At the time of my last visit a stone stable was being built for the accommodation of the stallions, and Hotchkiss, Castor, St. Leger, and Tasman, are now all located in their new quarters ; and now the erection of a complete suite of apartments for the yearlings is in a forward state. The building, which will be of a most substantial character, is being built of concrete, and will nine roomy apartments for the accommodation of the youngsters. In order to afford shelter for the mares and foals, Mr. Morrin has also had a belt of native trees planted, and when these advance to maturity Wellington Park will have had the finishing touch put to it to make it one of the most picturesque estates that the eye could wish to see.

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS. A MELBOURNE CUP Til'. Discoursing on the approaching Melbourne Cup and the favouritism shown for Megaphone's chance since Carbine went amiss, " ISiumquam Dormio," in Melbourne Punch, says " A Great Colt—a Very Great Colt, indeed (for they are colts at four years old), is Megaphone, the bay son of Newboldand Sound. But until he displays his ability over two miles of ground I will not stand him as being able to concede The Admiral a couple of pounds in the forthcoming Melbourne Cut). lam furthermore morally certain that, everything-being equal (a very wise proviso, indeed !), lie will fail most lamentably in an attempt to fight out the last furlong of that race against Greygovvn. seeing that lie is allowing that _ Friar of Orders Grey no less than 01b. Again, Megaphone may bo a very brilliant animal; but so, also, is Melos, and, moreover, Melon is an improved stayer, meeting him (at- his very worst age) at an advantage of 31b on the weight-for-age standard. No, no! Pass Megaphone this year for the Melbourne Cup. I would pick ten before I would give him a show. 'What ten?' Why—

Melos, Cuirassier, The Admiral, Vengeance, Tantai.i.o.n, G'Natioo, Grey gown, Laverock., Bel ior.no, Whakawai That's a kind of a ' ten markec' on a Chinese bank ticket—is it not? What's that you want to know—' what is the solution of the problem? or is there any solution to it?' Oh, you can bet your boots there is. I haven't built those horses up in that fashion for nothing, I ean assure you. But you are quite correct in dubbing it a problem. It is a problem," and as such only capable of being correctly solved by remembering Euclid's axiom that the three angles of a triangle are equal always to two right angles. And so endeth my dissertation 011 the probability of the placed horses for the approaching Melbourne Cup."

Till: VICTORIAN TOTALISATOR. BILL. The Totalisator Bill recently introduced into the Legislative Assembly of Victoria includes the following clauses : — This Act may be called the Totalisator Act, 1891, anil in the construction of this Act racecourses shall not mean any racecourse carried 011 as a proprietary racecourse. The totalisator shall, when used under the auspices of and with the permission of any racing club duly recognised by the Victorian liacing Club upon any publi". racecourse approved by the Governor in Council, be exempted from the provisions as to lotteries and earning contained in any Act now in force in Victoria, and 110 place used for .the purpose aforesaid shall b-> held to be a place within the provisions of.the said Act. No totalisator .shall be used fur a longer period oil any such racecourse than eight days at any 0110 meeting. No club shall charge more than 10 per centum 011 any moneys placid. in the totalisator under : a penalty not i exceeding fihOl) for every day that such higher charge is urule by .such club. All moneys so improperly received shall lie forfeited to the " Support- of Charities Fund." The secretary of every such club shall, within 11 days after the last day 011 which .such totalisator has been used, cause to be lodged with the Chief Secretary a return duly audited by an auditor to bo approved by the Chief .Secretary and s\Yurn to as correct by such auditor and by the secretary or manager of such club, showing "what-have bean the gross and net profits respectively of such totalisator at such previous meeting. One quarter of the net profits arising from the use of any such totalisator shall lie paid to a fund to be known as the " Support of charities t'liud," which shall be disposed of annually by a vote of the Legislative Assembly for charitable purposes. Any person wilfully making a false declaration shall bo liable to bo prosecuted for perjury, and any person wilfully making a false audit or neglecting to make the return mentioned in . .leli clause shall be liable to a tine not exceeding £500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.

Inheritance, a full sister to the defunct champion winner Le Grand, who was purchased at the yearling sales last season by the lion. Mr. Wallace, made her debut 011 the turf in a Nursery Handicap run at Caulfield recently, but she started a hot favourite with the confidence of her party, she cut up badly and finished unplaced. " Oackshot," the Melbourne correspondent of the Canterbury Times, writes : — "Now that Dreadnought has 'gone hung,' I'll stand Melos to beat all those—including Megaphono—engaged in the Melbourne Cup who have over list lib to carry. Strangles have been very rife ill Australia this season, and at the local Stud the visitation has been of such a severe type that three youngsters died, and most of the others only pulled through after a very hard struggle.