KIRKHAM'S KINGS—AND QUEENS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 46

KIRKHAM' S KINGS— AND QUEENS.

When Kirkham stud -was sold off by order of Captain Scott about 18 months ago, Mr Harry Mackellar bought Gos;oon and a few mares for - himself and started breeding on a limited scale at the famous equine nursery, but, writes "Milroy," he has now finally decided to sell off his mares and foals, he having sold Gossoon to Mr Hordern some time ago. When -these mares are sold the old Kirkham stud groom, Henry Bellingham, will leave Kirkham, after having seen 50 years' service on the place. The first thoroughbred stallion the late Mr James White gave into Bellingham's charge was Martindale, then known as the Mainbrace colt. He wai by Maribyrnong from Mainbrace, and he won, among other races, the Wagga Cup. After Martindale, thoroughbreds came in quick succession to Kirkham. After Chester had won him the V.X.C. Derby and Melbourne Cup in 187? and Democrat had captured the Sydney Cup and Great Metropolitan Stakes in IS7B, Mr White began to buy and to race in earnest, and the first crack that appeareel in a young race was Richmond's ill-fated sister, Palmyra, who carried ofF the MaribyrnongPlate in 1879, but afterwards sustained injuries that necessitated her destruction. Her brother, Segenhoe, followed in her footsteps in the Maribyrnong Plate cotirse in 1881, and then the Kirkham stud may be*^aid to have made a fair start, and from then until the break-up sale in 1893 Bellingham was a busy man. Chester was duly installed lord of the harem,, and a batch of mares were brought from England to mate with him. Princess Maud. Moonstone, Episode. ' Lily Hawthorn. Trafalgar, The Solent. Rusk. Phillina. Mpbcea, Lady Vivian, and La Princess camp out to take up their duties at the stud in 13S1-52. and, with the exception of Lily Hawthorn, every one of them threw winners. Princess Maud gave the stud Acme, the first of, the Cheaters to win fame over a distance ; while Moonstone mothered Uralla and Carlyon : Trafalgar, Dreadnought ; Rusk. Rucloloh; PHllina Philip Augustus and Prelude : Malacca, Singapore and Mcns Me:j ; La Princess, Cranbrook ; Episode, Chp.stcrman : while Lady Vivian was sent all the way to New Zealand to Musket, and retrmed with the flying Volley. Meanwhile, Australian-bred mares were playing most important warts at Kirkham. Before the advent of the English mare? Mr White had purchased heavily at the yearling r-ales here, and -among |as reirlinx nurchsses in 1877 was a brown filly by Gold"?broush out of Brown Duchess, bred by the late Mr John Tait. She was named Cinnamon, and was trained but found worthless, so she was handed over to Bellingham and put to Chester. In 1882 she missed, and in 1883 was delivered of a dead fcal ; but in 1884- she threw a chestnut colt to Chester that was destined to make the Australian turf world ring, r.s he was no le?* a celebrity than the mighty Abereorn, who won 20^ rrice^ and iji3,858 in stakes dtiring the four years he was on the turf, and to win the greater part of this money he had to put dovn such smashers as Maxim. The Australian Peer,,Me!os, Niagara, Lochiel, Minton, and Carbine. There was a salaxy of fnlont for one horse to have beaten over all distances ! Great colt though he was. Melos never beat Abereorn m a weighl-for-age race (he bpat him once in a handicap), though the son of Goldsbrough manaerod to down Carbine on two occasions at weicrht-for-age — over three miles and a mile and a-quarter. Carbine once beat Abereorn in a hmdicap. having much the worst of the weie.ht. (ccoor ling to weigh t-f nr-aare) ; bin, they met six times at weight -for-age, and enih wan thr^e race?. Aiter Abercom came Dreadnought from Kirkham, and to this dayj I h argued that he wa,~ the best three-vear-old thai ever nte an oai in A ni'-.raha. Cnrbine once tried to givp him 71b over weight for-a^o, Einfl ivLig beat?') in ■» hack canter, Rnlp-' fasbiQ 1 thr> son of Chester up over the last 50 yard« Ciibhie pflr-rwards beat him over seven furlmo-* at weight for ape," but lie ot lv rrvm-n:r*"l it by a short head, after Dreadnought had been left badly at the post. Over a fliMfince ('J'ree ini^-). however. Carbine proved l>is master. Titan was +he next o_reat horse Belliiiprham roared at Kirkham. .iJe won 13 race". wni-Hi £6970. and. though a cpldinw. feVhed "6003S nt thp brenk-un of Mr 'VhitpN raoine; stun. Trial's sisier, Trieste, won Tiiup rares, worth G2 pc i4. md went into Mr Hordprn's- sincl •>( t^e ETirkhim b ; -enk-ur> for a bio; fiquro. Upside's the cracks dwelt nunn. the following r.nt->ble racehorses were raised ah Kir V' am : W/irpaint. .Autonomy, Cocos, Coil. Co^Httv. Ca-moola. Donation. Spipe, Volcano Rt- / v-n'ho' 1 i OranbrooV Rus kinite. Cornqui**'. T T tter. Vanilas. Chp=;termau. Dporiiin. AV""*r'f>o T i i Tnlnnt^us Mndra,s, Escanadp Morjfc" CM* to Philip Aueustus, T T ralln Carlvon. T.Hioanl. Afnns Mea, S ; usaTT~re, Projpn) 'Ip, Miv^puve. Solon Precaution, Vigorous, Vivim. Vollpv Pr2lu.de, A n me. Acmeua, Ttudoloh. and Mahee. Such a crowd .is Ihi'-i is quitf sufficient to show the gi-fa* vain? of H>e JTirkbam blood, and the wonderful mrt it hm plnvecl on our rncecniiT«". All thp=p, and a prp.at many others nf l"<wr nole hsiv? been through Henry RelHnqharrVs Vmds, but hp doubts mud' whether oup of (here* with tho exception ot Abereorn. showed so much promise as a rparlina; as does a r-olfc by Gossoon out of Warpaint's dam, Wheel of Fortune, now in his charge.