GOVERNMENT HORSE-BREEDING DEPOTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1222, 2 August 1895, Page 23

GOVERNMENT HORSE-BREEDING DEPOTS.

Some time ago tlie French correspondent of the London Field gave some particulars of an official visit the Minister of Agriculture paid to some of the stallion depots. He says :

" At the Haras Dupin, where all the sires purchased by the Government are first sent before being assigned a station, a great feature was made of a parade of thoroughbred sires, which included three winners of the Grand Prix (Bruce, Clamart and Ragotsky), three winners of the French Derby (Zut, Chene Royal, and Ragotsky), Krakatoa (sire of Dolma Baghtche"), Border Minstrel (winner of the Goodwood Cup), Humewood (winner of the Cesarewitch), Boissy (winner of the International Steeplechase at Auteuil), and two other French-bred horses, The Condor and Mourle. Much stress was laid upon the fact that the maximum fee for any of these horses was L 4, and it was pointed out with great truth that the use of these government depots consisted in placing good sires at the disposal of small breeders for very low fees. But at a subsequent meeting of the Council of the French Haras, which, how- | ever, is only consultative, it was resolved ! to advise the Minister to raise the maximum fee from L 4 to Ll 6, the reason adduced in favour of this change being that the low fee now charged is unfair upon private breeders, who cannot afford to compete with the State. I do not, however, think that i there is any force in this argument, for as all these thoroughbred sires of any valye cover at fees ranging from L4O to L2OO, their services would not be utilised by small breeders under any circumstances. The latter are now encouraged to get good mares, with the certainty of being able to secure the services of suitable sires, and it does not seem wise policy to discourage them by raising the fees, the probability being that the Minister of Agriculture will see the matter in the same light and decline to put the proposal into force. He will be the less inclined to do so now that the surplus resulting from the pari-mutuel enables him to purchase stallions of good class without trenching upon the ordinary estimates of his department, and how large this surplus is may be gathered from the "fact that at the last meeting of the committee appointed to apportion it nearly L 105.000 was divided among various hospitals and other charitable institutions. A sum of L. 20,000 was given for building a hospital for children to be treated by the new method discovered by Dr Roux for the cure of diphtheria, and L4OOO is to go for erecting a much needed hospital for jockeys and stablemen at Chantilly, while sums ranging from LBOOO to L4O will be paid over to some fortythree other hospitals and benefit associations. When one reflects that this surplus has been earned in little more than a twelve-month, and that the odds which the pari-muhiel yield are, after the 7 per cent, commission has been deducted, nearly always larger than can be obtained in the ring, some idea may be formed of how large a margin of profit is made by the bookmakers."

Kahurang'i, who is engaged in the Grand National Hurdle Race, was shipped to Lyttelton in charge of his owner, Mr T. Scott, on Monday. W. Higgins, who is to ride Kahurangi, also accompanied the horse.