THE BUYING OF YEARLINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2398, 15 February 1900, Page 40

THE BUYING OF YEARLINGS.

What are the prospects of tho yearling sales Y is a question which must bo already engaging the thoughts of brecdeis for sale, says tho Australasian, and it adds: We are afraid the breedois have no chance of getting any such prices as were realised in the old days, when the rich men of Australia were possessed of an ambition to win the important, races of the year. We shall have no such sales as that first one ai St. Albans, when Mr James Wilson got 5000gs for five yearlings. Brrodcis do not expect such an exceptional result as

this, but they may be sympathised with ove*' the beggarly support given them la=t March, when colts like Sport Royal and Mallon did not raise a bid of lOOgs. In this case the men round the ring who would not buy were the sufferers, and Mr Redfearn kept a couple of colts that would bring a thousand guineas at the least if auctioned to-day. We still have plenty of rich men in Victoria, and some of them patronise the turf, but they do net seem inclined to take the risk of losing a few hundreds in pursuit of a Derby winner. Of course, there are exceptions, but not many. The majority want a made horso they can see their way to winning handicaps with right off. We could instance a few rich Australians who would like to win a Derby and stand on the lawn watching the winner decorated with the blue riband, but they do not care about taking the monetary risks which must be taken before a man can become the leading figure at Flemington on the first day of a spring meeting. The risks are great, no, doubt. Mr Brodribb, when he gave 4600gs for Titan in April, 1890, looked to be btvying a certain Derby winner, but his purchase had cost him about £10,000 by the time he was beaten in the Guineas and was too lame to start in the Derby. This was an exceptionally expensive case, and there is a deal of kudos attached to winning a derby, but the class of rich owner who would buy three or four every season in the hope of some day getting a classic winner has almost become extinct. Not quite extinct, because we could instance a few men who still buy every year, but they are very scarce, and in Victoria especially the majority who own horses are men who want to make them pay. The jockey trouble probably has something to do with the dread of buying yearlings. When you get your good horse you want a good man to ride, and competent jockeys who can be trusted are very hard to come by. So great lias this trouble become, that we see leading stables putting up their own boys whom they can rely upon to do their best, even though it be very little, rather th«>n trust to a "fashionable" jockey who may be riding in the interest of himself or his friends rather than in that of the owner who is paying for him.