THOROUGHBREDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19373, 8 January 1925, Page 4

THOROUGHBREDS.

DETERIORATION IN ENGLANDAUSTRALIAN’S IMPRESSIONS. (Feom Otra Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December 31. One of tho most prominent racing men in Australia, Mr R. Wootton, who has just returned from a. visit to England, expressed tho opinion that the class of horse in the Old Country had deteriorated during the past few years, especially since the war, and the Derby winner (Sansovino), for instance, was only a fair performer. There was no outstanding horse, either staiyei or sprinter, in England at present, and, although he could not offer a reason for the deterioration of tho class of thoroughbred, the opinion was general, and the Hon. George Lambton had declared, “The horses are not so good as they used to be.” Sansovine could not be regarded as a better horse than, say, the Melbourne Cup winner Artilleryman, while there was no really outstanding two-year-old in England just pow. Mr Wootton declared that Bolet Satan, which ran second to Charley’s Mount in the Cesarewitch recently, carrying Bst lib, and which had been purchased by Sir Samuel Hordern, of Sydney, to be raced under the care of J. Scobie in Australia, was just a good staying horse, about tho same class as David. Although it was difficult to form an idea, Mr Wootton thought that Gloaming, in his best form, would win good races in England. _ Phalaris seemed to be the most popular sire in England at present. Mr Wootton said he was pleased to see that tlxo half-brother by Phalaris to his five : year-old (by SterneWay—Silver Wand) had topped the prices at the Doncaster sales this year, bringing 9700g5. Two fillips were sent out from England by Mr Wootton, and they reached Australia a few weeks back. One is by Torlesk, out, of Memo, and the other is by Sindrian, and they will be put into training with a view to racing before they are retired to the Racing in England was flourishing, added Mr Wootton, and there was now more money in tho game than ever before. Englishmen, were great sportsmen, and raced purely for the love of the game, but ho believed that it would not. be long before they would have to seriously consider the business side of racing, as was the case in Australia. Taxation of wealth was a big question, and that was one of tho factors which ho thought would bring about a change in the present conditions.