COLONIAL HORSES IN ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2359, 11 May 1899, Page 35

COLONIAL HORSES IN ENGLAND.

Newhaven's success in the City and Suburban has set all the Australian writers going on 'the subject of colonial horses in England. This is what "Milroy" says: — "It was little thought when Mr Saville imported little Ringmaster into England from Australia that so many Australians would dare follow tho pony son of First King and tackle the worldfamed English racehorse on his own ground with the success that has resulted. The late Hon. James White bred several of his. picked mares to English time with the patriot io object of winning the Derby, but t^e three untried colts he sent over were failures, though Singapore's sister, Mons Meg, upheld the prestige of the famous Kirkham stud hv winning the Ascot Gold Vase and running well in a couple of other fairly important engagements. Ringmaster did exceptionally >yell for Mi Saville, but his four wins were in poor company, lie being always cleverly placed. He did not, however, do much foe the prestige of the Australian thoroughbred. Lady Betty, who followed Ringmaster and Mr White's youngstors, won the Ellesmere Stakes for Mr Cooper, but little notice was excited by the Australians until bonny little Paris made his appearance in the Northamptonshire Stakes, which he fairly ran away with. After his success Australian horsea were shipped at fairly regular intervals until our contribution to the old country numbered 33. Australian exportations to England, as far as I can remember, were Mi* White's four untried two-year-olds (Mons Meg^ KirkhtCm, Narellan, and Martindale), Ringmaster, Chicago, Lady Betty, Plutarch, Merman, Malua, Old Clo, Tornado, Survivor, Form, Georgic, Ebor, Sprig o' Myrtle, Newhaven, Paris, Acmena, Daimio, Amiable, Aurum, Coronation, Auriferous, Essex, The Grafter,' Sailor Boy, Battalion, Raven's Plume, His Grace, Manazona, Resolute, and Syerla. Of these the dozen last named have yet to run, and the half a dozen fillies sent from Kirkham to Captain 'Scott are not included in the- list, as they are unlikely to be trained. Chicago.;— one of the best — could not be trained, and Plutarch ran once or twice, but did not display any of the pace he showed here. The pace and staying power of Paris brought the Australians into notice, and Merman rather opened the eyes of English sportsmen when he worried down one of the best stayers, The Rush, and won tho most important long distance handicap in England — the Cesarewitoh. Georgic lias done excellently for Mr H. C. White by winning the rich Prince Edward Handicap and tho Cambridgeshire. Form also won a race for the squire of Havilah, and Maluma. when ■ihe struck form demonstrated to the English, racing men that they could breed sprinters as well as stayers in Australia. Little Acmena kept up the prestige of Australia well in several races, and old Ebor is looked upon as' one of the smartest steeplechasers in England, while Sprig o' Myrtle has won a coupla of unimportant jumping races in his old age after having put in years of battling in India. Tornado. Old Clo, and Coronation J'ave yet to win their oats, but Daimio wae an abject failure over the iumps that are fashionable in England. Thus, including Plutarch, there has only been five failures out of 20 Australian horses that carried silk in England, and three out of the five were untried before they left here. Old Clo, Tornado, and Coronation need not be written off as failures yet awhile. They have not been fully proved. It is a good average to get 11 winners out of a possible 20; and Survivor might be included among the successes. Con' sidering our little score are opposed by six or peven thousand racehorses, they have dona wonderfully well to win the number of important stakes they have secured. Mont Meg, Merman, Georgic, Form, Ebor, Sprig o' Myrtle, Paris, Acmena, and Survivor were bred in this colony. Maluma, Ringmaster, and Newhaven were bred in Victoria, the latter pair at St. Albans. Barring Aurum, Newhaven was far and away the best horse that has left these shores, but except for one little flash last year lie never gave a shadow of that form ho showed when he won tho Derby and Cup, uDtil he presented a good horse like Survivor with 191b and beat him In tho City and Suburban Handicap"