AUCKLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2004, 21 July 1892, Page 28

AUCKLAND TOPICS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Auckland, July 19. Mr Ormoud's two mares, Lullaby and Martyr arrived to-day. Waterbury, Idalia, and Rupee could not bo shipped, but will arrive next week. Owing to the diminutive stature of the two which have come to hand, Cuirassier, the big son of Musket, I think will be put on his mettle to get stock likely to do him credit from either. I am pleased to hear that Kins Cannibal, by King Cole, whom I reported as^badly hurt last week, is not so seriously hurl; as was at first imagined. He was about taking walking exercise to-day, but goes very gingerly. I understand it is quite truo that John Rae takes Mr Bobbott's horses to Australia. Rumour hath it that the handicappers are too severe on his horses. I should be afraid to judge Mr Bobbett too hastily, but I think Mr Gooseman, the trainer of Cyuisca, would or could give a very fair opinion of Morion, who gave the daughter of Nautilus on the second day such a severe stretching up the straight at our autumn meeting. No, Mr Bobbett's reasons for trying Australia are too thin ; he had more than the ordinary run of luck last season, so he should not give that as an excuse. Mr Evett, I understand, joins us permanently in August, when I feel sure all sportsmen will welcome him. The boxing match last evening between O'Brien and Saxon had to be postponed owing to the weather. The former is a firm favourite. Mr L. D. Nathan, owner of Satyr, who ran in the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles, has given instructions if he is so seriously hurt as represented, and 'not likely to be able to race again, to shoot him at once. Satyr being a gelding, perhaps he is right. Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing the few choice matrons collected by the Messrs Dqder Brothers, of Devonport. The novelty in connection with the Messrs Duder having engaged in racing is, I may state, the fact of their having purchased a mare out of the public pound for £7. Richard Duder tells me she showed a lot of quality, and they first put her to the Traducer horse Mangel, by whom she produced a- fine colt called Nigger, who won numerous races including the Takapuna Cup, also several hurdle races, and is now being hacked by Mrs Major Mair (nee Miss Sperry formerly of your city), fehe was then christened Kit, and mated with Anteros, and produced a filly which now forms part of the stud, and was named Rosie. Kit was next put to Musket, and, on that splendid old judge, Major Walmsley, seeing her, he at once pronounced her a daughter of Pacific, and no one is more capable of forming such an opinion as Major Walmsley, for he had every opportunity of seeing Pacific's stock, as he bred largely from him to Hark Back. Kit produced Bell to the Toxopholite horse, and she proved a splendid cross country mare in New Zealand, and won amongst other races the Great Northern Steeplechase. In 1886 Bell was sent to Australia, but after running in one steeplechase she hurt herself, and was turned out, only to be stolen and turned into a 'bus horse. After being advertised, and the detectives put to work, she was discovered in a pound and identified. Kit next produced a filly to Ingomar, called after the dam Kate, and although on the bmall side, she is a capital fencer, and has won more than one steeplechase. The last offspring from this little Pacific mare, which was originally purchased for £7, is a fine bay gelding by Brigadier called Bombardier, and I believe we shall hear of him this coming season. " Follow me into this paddock," quoth Mr Richard Duder, "and see what stock the little Pacific mare threw." A fine colt, who by way of introducing himself propped a two-rail fence,- was the first we viewed. "What's the breeding?" I asked. "By Brigadier from Rosie by Anteros, from Kate by Pacific, from dam bought out of a pound." A fine, well-grown, shapely colt, too, showing Auteros in colour and jumping proclivities, to say nothing of PaciOc iv the way of getting " leppers," as everything he sired jumped naturally. At his heels followed a strapping big bay with a blaze, who (lew the rails like at bird. " What's his breeding?" "Ah, that is the lost son of the old mare Kit, sired by Brigadier," said Mr Duder ; and I could see by his voice that she was, as he put it, " a great pet," and had he her full pedigree she would be a mare of great value. In the adjacent paddock both Lady Belle (by Brigadier from Belle) and Kate (by Ingomar from Kit) weie enjoying themselves, with their covers on. Consorting close by were two equine specimens that would and could hold their own against the best thoroughbreds in Australia — Cuirassier and Brigadier, The former is about as handsome and as well made as could be desired, and after he has had a couple of reasons at the stud he will develop into a. masculine stallion after the style of his sire. Brigadier has already assumed the stature, gross forehead, and neck of old Musket. He is most like old Musket of all his sons, and the pity is ho does not get fair play, as his services have been thrown away for* the last two seasons. We then moved to the recreation ground, leased by Messrs Duder Brothers, and here I found an old friend in Dolosa, heavy in foal to Castor. What a, beautiful brood mare she should make. She will be mated with Brigadier next year. A brown mare, Anna, the daughter of Musket and Florin, showed unmistakable signs of being in foal to Nelson. Anna is very different from some other Musket mares, inasmuch as she shows no coarseness like Carbine's sister, but quality and any amount of breed-

ing. Old Bell was the next to be interviewed* She is a bag of bones just out of a Melbourne pound. She is heavy in foal to Cuirassier. This poor mare's short sojourn in Australia I have already described. Messrs Duder Brothers feel deeply hurt at their pet mare being stolen and turned into a 'bus horse by Australians, but I assured them that was nothing new. One of our leading coursing men lost a splendid greyhound over there through the same cause, anyhow. On bidding them " Goodbye," and thanking them for their kindness, I felt that they deserved better treatment