SPORTING NOTES,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11400, 18 April 1899, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES,

By "Mazki'iVin tub Witness.

GIVE THE MAKES A .CHANCE,

It is n fact noticod by all who have had much experience of horso breeding, writes '" Milroy,'' that very few :mares are invested with sufficient vitality to throw a good horse to any stallion that they may bo mated with, there have 'been instances whore marcs have been the dominant power, no matter what her mate, was, but they are few and far between; therefore, lioi'ko buyers and breeders always look to the stallion to supply what such a large percentage of mares lack—vitality. However, the want of vitality in the. majority of marcs is caused by breeding every year, or nccausc the sap has'been squeezed out of them in the training stable before they started as breeders. The lessons of years should not bo forgotten by buyers; Wo havo had abundant proofs of Hie value of inures that woro raced very little or not at all, and of the value of the first and second foals. The dams of Chester, Oranbrook, Carlyon, Tempo, Grand Flaneur, Acme, Chestcriiian, Morpeth. Navigator, Trident, Dreadnought, ' A 7ivian, Sir Hercules, Lochiel, Trenton, and many oilier famous racers and sires never raced, while the dams of Abercorn, Medallion, Projectile, Antseus, Hova, Paris, Gipsy Grand, Patron, Robinson Crusoe, Nordcnfeldt, Sir Modral, *nd Carbine did little or no racing at all. Of course, by going thoroughly into the subject the above lists could bo swelled enormously, but I havo dotted tlio abovo instances down entirely from memory. Even the above list is suffi* cient to show tho value or a mare having ail -her natural strength in her when she goes- to the stud. The training stable is an- excellent means of developing embryo weaknesses. The Druid gives us an instance of a good mare who could go last and carry 15st to hounds with ease. She worked for it dozen seasons with, hounds, and though neither she nor her direct progenitors, nor tho young stallion with whom she was eventually muted, ever had a splint, curb, or side 'bone, her foals had as many as a horse could conveniently carry. Count Lehndorft is in. favour of racing mares before breeding from them, but the English and Australian turf ealedars and the stud books are against him, aa is common sense. There have been instances of great turf performers being' successful brood . mares, but they are few, while the number of famous racers that have been abject failures at the stud is appalling. The dam is one of the features that a yearling buyer should give the greatest consideration to, and he should regard her great turf deeds as nothing and pass her over; but lie would be wise to stop at an untried mare who has been peacefully reared in a good paddock and is innocent of the tricks, temper, and hysterics that »re so often generated in a training stable.