STUD NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 15

STUD NOTES.

AUSTRALIA'S GREAT SIRES. BY PHAETON. The records of stallions as winningrroducir.g parents invariably provides interesting reading for those who closely follow the thoroughbred family at the stud. In a recent issue, of the Australasian " Snowden*' pens an interesting article thereon, from which I am enabled to compile figures. It 3 interesting to relate in connection therewith that, notwithstanding the extensive importations of horses I from England during the past 20 years, a colonial-bred sire (Maltster) fops the list of winning stallions. The following arc the figures down to the credit, of stallions who did duty in Australia: — £. I Maltster, by Bill of Portland— Barley 280,234 ration i imp. i. b. v Golopin— Maid Munan 250.2*) Wallace, by Carbine—Melodious . . 216.143 The welkin (imp.), by Flying Fox . Crowberr.' 231.401 Linacre. by Wolf's Crag— Lismaine. . 228,697 Coinedv King (imp.), by Persimmon --tragedy Queen .. .. 197.886 Bobadil. by Bill of Portland—She. . 165,553 Posit amp.), by St. Simon— Pong* 163,297 LfOohie (imp.), by Princo Charlie— Nellie Moore .. . . .. 113,836 MIND OF THE RACEHORSE. In a recent issue of the Australasian Dr. btowart McKay, of the Sydney University, pens a most interesting article on " The Mind oi the Racehorse," from which J take the following eseorpt: —"I have not tho slightest doubt about a horse being able to comprehend, but. I do not consider that the racehorse's brain has advanced pari passu with his looks. An ant. or a bee is infinitely superior in intellect to a. racehorse, while a raeced Arab pony has forgotten more than the best, racehorse ever knew. The racehorse is a mere dunce when compared with some mules, who could almost get a, univerj sity degree for the cunning subtlety of their I brain. I think the outstanding feature of the horse's brain is his possession of a good ■ memory, this often results in a fictitious I appearance of reasoned action, when half | tho time it was not his objective brain that j was working, but merely his automatic, winch wo have called his subjective brain, and others designate as instinct. I think that the racehorse has a very limited, but a sufficient, mental power for the use that he i? put to. I think that he probably ha" loss than the horses of 70 years ago. because . thev had some Arab blood in them. It is [ not tho intellectual aspect of the racehorse's I nervous sy»tem that he have to worrv about | -.-tint has not changed much: it is the cells ; that govern his movement" and regulate his I heart th°t have changed in recent years, and | it is the change that is leading to his obvious degeneration when we come to re- \ card him from a. utility point of view, ! because staying power is quite rare." I THE &LEDMERE STUD. A rumour cot into circulation to the effect that the French-bred horse Epinard was likely to bo located at the Sledmero Stud, but this ins been contradicted in positive terms by the owner of the Sledmere Stud. It is mentioned that there are no sires at the Sledmere Stud, which, of course, means that the stud is carried on without undue preference being given to any particular sire. The policy pursued has brought j a golden return to Ladv Sykes. for yearlings f from Sledmere sold during the past six years I have realised no less a sum than 259.220gn5. THE HORSE'S ACTION. An English writer,, in tho course of an interesting comment, on the action of horses, says:—"No horse can extend bis forearm really well until he learns to make a fixed point of his head and carry it in the right position. To many racehorses this is a natural trait. Others, handicapped also by wrong angles in connection with the shoulders and forearms, remain blunderers all their lives. On occasions, however, they may be able to show a good turn of speed over the minimum racing distance. But no horse whose .muscles are working in a wasteful manner is able to stay, since his output. of fatigue product" is very much greater than I when each muscle fibre performs the maxi- : mum. amount of work with the minimum ex- ( nenditure of energy and the least possible breaking down of the essential muscle fibre contents. Round action is not necessarily a disadvantage to n horse if he has length behind the saddle, for here the free play of lii» lumbar arch is a very helpful factor. But a. chert-backed horse, with fine vertebrae in his loin, was never seen in the. very firstclass unless he had good extension of the forearm. St. Simon was a model in this respect. DAUGHTERS OF SPEARMINT.' A. perusal of the English Stud Book shows that marcs sired by Carbine's son Spearmint aro putting up an attractive ■ rex „rd as matrons. In tiie Old Country this year daughters of Spearmint had winners credited to them who captured stakemoney- to the extent of .£17,530. | Nowadays we do not hear much concerning j artificial impregnation in this Quarter of the I globe, but it i- still freely resorted to in ' America, Ladkin. who defeated tho French ' champion Eninard, it is stated, is the result j of an experiment in that direction, .and he ;is a most vigorous horse. Messrs. A. B. | Hancock and Simms, two of America's leadi ing breeders, are credited with being strongly i in favour of artificial impregnation. THE TURF IN ENGLAND. A CHAMPION HORSEMAN. C. Elliott, who once again has headed tho list of winning jockeys in England, is ono of the .younger brigade and ha.9 only been I before tho public a few years. Elliott 4 I few years ago was taken on as a stable lad I at Mr. J. Jarvis' stables in Newmarket. His i present great position is duo to himself and ! the trainer named. Elliott could not have j succeeded unless ho hud been a really 1 good jockey, remarks an English writer. | Elliott rodo his first classic winner when ho i got Plack home in the One Thousand Guineas. Ko has ridden winners of other J very important races. He rodo Golden I Myth when he put up his wonderful record, winning the Gold Vase and the Gold Cup at Ascot, and tho Eclipse Stakes at Saudown I Park on thst fino horse. His legs are short. but his arms long, for his height. He ride:i very .short and sits well down on his horse. He does not climb up the neck of his mount, but drives him along, usinj his long amis well and his legs admirably. He does not use the whip unless it Is absolutely essential. He may be England's champion jockey for a long time. Elliott is the yon of an agricultural labourer at Newmarket, and once again the fact is demonstrated that a boy need not be born in a racing stable to become a, champion jockey.