TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 8 July 1903, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY.

A WANDER ROUND WINGATUI.

To a lover of the thoioughbred nothing gives greater pleasure, afier witnessing the horses work in tho morning on the track*, to have a stroll round the various stables ankl paddocks and look over the animals occupying them, some of them being old friends and others new equine acquaintances. The old friends one is pleased to sos enJ9ying excellent health, the young one* gradually improving under the watchful care of their trainers, and at last, but not least, to be introduced to some aristocrat ical l 3-bred yearlings, on whom one is a-*ki»d to pass judgment or give opinions whiifi may oi may not coincide with the traiitera' ideas, but, nevertheless, in the lattoi event, does mot cause him any great uneasiness. To go through the above experience one has firat to get to the racecourse and «tnble3 before enjoying the pleasure of putting in a day on the breezy downs on wliich tho Wingatui tracks are laid out. Trains leave at all hours which arc more or less inconvenient, but the moit inconvenient ono of aU is the 4 a.m. goods train, from which one has to leap as it slows down whilst passing the racecourse. To catch the latter one haa to be astir very early, or else stay up ail night, to be on hand, in time to catch it. I remember me dark morning, whilst waiting at the station for an intending tout — who did not, by .the bye, turn tip at the rendezvous, — a policeman momentarily fin shed a light on the writer at about 30 yards range, tm)3 then approached, probably foreseeing an important capture. I forget now whether the man in blue approached in single file or echelon, but I immediately formed a eouarc and prepared for the fray. At two or thr» 5 e fpaces the enemy surrounded me and then •fired off— a gruff "Good-morniffig," ventured ■the opinion that it (the morning) WA3 cold, and sheered off. The game "wasn't worth baggincr. became, with a perceptivity worthy

of a SiicrJock Holme's, the man in blue promptly recognised that I had 110 locomotives concealed about my peison. That being so, I subsequently found myself safe and sound at Wingatui.

On® day last week I journeyed to Wingatui, and after viewing the work, which was of a veiy mild order, I wended my way towards J. Ja'Giuncss's stables, and on arrival the inmates of the various boxes were kindly stripped for my inspection. The first box we entered contained the New Zealand Cup candidate Pampero, and tho son of St. Olair is a? present in splendid health and condition. He was undergoing his morning toilet, and I was ipennittod to examine tho foot which was injured fil Wellington, where the horse overreached and burst the quarter of his near fore foot. The quarter is now thoroughly healed, and the only disfigurement about Pampero's foro legs are a couple of sin-ill windgalte. The foot which yraa injured prior to tho la<t New Zealand Cup has grown down again, and altogether the horse look 9 like standing a Cup preparation with ordinary luck. He is nice and big in condition diiU firm-fleshed all over, in addition to wh.ch he is moving soundly and pleasantly in hia work. In the next Cup Pampero has a racing weight which should prove a luxury to him, and if he sees the post there is little doubt about him being handy at the business end of tho trip. Blackstone, the big Australiau-bred eon of Graf ton and' Coneisicnce, was next visited, and he is gradually filling out and furnishing into racing condition. He is one of the biggest thoroughbreds I liave ever seen, and would probably'measure -well over 17 hands, powerfully built all over, and possesaes splendid bone, measuring 82in below the knee. i*hc colt was recently in the market, but sus-picious-looking hocks probably prevented \>uyer3 from being desirous of acquiring tlie fashionably-bred youngster. Many an owner has ere now been practically forced to keep a horse in his stable which he was desirous of colling, and it has frequently turned out that they had beco trying to get rid of a Cup horse. If such proved to be the case it would only fairly compensate the colt' 3 owner for the lose he sustained through losing the services of the Projectile colt Fingal, who undoubtedly would havo proved a good stake-winner but for tho accident which ended hia racing career. Blackstone, ib appeals, got cast whilst being shipped at Sydney, jand unfortunately developed cpavins in both his hocke; but it is to bo Ivopod he- will manage to wax a race or two for his popular owner before he terminates his racing career. I»a, the rising two-year-oM full cister to Vladimir, ■was in the next box. and discovered to be looking bright and healthy. She is a ccmpactlv-huilt and shapely young lady ; a Tich bay, with black points, and showing a liberal growth of maoi© and tail, the filly at onco vriru? the admiration of the viator. She possesses bigger bone than Vladimir did at the same age, and looks like glowing into a bigger hor.«e than the latter. In fact, it may be said that the filly displays Vla'dimir's quality without hi* defects. She is better beiow ths kneo than tho winner of the C-J.O. Stewards' Handicap, and has a more attractive headpiece.

Going on appearances, with this filly's assdotanoo the popular Zetland spots ara likel to bo teen in the van "at the conclusion of some of our two-year-old ■events next season. Crown Imperial, the rising threo - year - old son of Lord Roeslyn and the St. Leger mare Tiara wiw th« oext horse 'to be visited, and on the rugs being removed he iras found to haye furnished a little since he was last seen in public, despite the fact that he k at present suffering from his teeth, one of which I carried away as a memento of the visit. The con of Lord Rosslyn has not grown "up a great deal, ibat 'hais lengthened and improved across the back «nd quarters. He is a very ehort-cannoned horse, and, being well let down behind, looks like going fast; but his efforts under silk m a two-year-old were not particularly brilliant, although it must be eaid they were of a promising nature. Sychem, the son of Lord Rosslyn and Pampero's dam (Mistral), next came under observation, fie has grown up, ' but has not lengthened a great tieal since the autumn, and will not be co lengthy a hoTee as Crown Imperial. In his two-year-old engagements he was troubled with his feet, bat still managed to display form wliieh caused him to be asked to give 81b to Treadmill on the last day of the Riccarton spring meeting. This hs failed to do, end was divided from the hero of the C.J.C Autumn mooting by Gladponie. Sychern somewhat resembles Dilemma in appearance, and promises to furnish into an attractive-look-ing three-year-old; but whether he will stay and develop Cup form -remains to be seenTiie yearling half-sister to PamjHro, by Lord Ros«lyn, who occupico another box, is a fine cut of a filly, but built on coarser lines than tho deter to Vladimir. She is a whole chestnut in colour, with a star ami' streak on hrr face, and promises to grow into & fine big mare. All Mistral's stock nave displayed pace, and the filly under notice does not look the least attractive of her progeny. The filly does not look so forward as Vladimir's sister, but the latter is one of the compactly-built come-early eort that flourish as two-year-olds in the spring of the ye-ar. The last box entered contained the Wallace — Faraway filly, which forms the latest addition to the stable. She is bigger all round than the other two-year-olds in the stable, and has the biggest arms I pver noticed on an untrained youngster. A bay in colour, with a brca'd blaze down n head which is a trifle coarse-looking, tho nenr hind fetlock white, and a bushy grey tail is the general appearance of a very promising-looking young lady. She has developed all round since she was seen under the hammer at the lael sale of the Elderslic yearlings, and now stands about 15.2 high. Sire has an exoelldnt set of Irps, possessing good flat bone and feet, and apart from her head fills the eye very favourably. Lop ears arid a slightly Roman nose somcwl at d'Otraet from Iki arpearauoo ; but the former did not s=tof> Spade- Guinea and Cruciform from being good winners, and th-t-jr presence is not likely to hinder the fcal.'oping powers of the Faraway filly. M'Guincca, who, by tlra*way, broke and handled the since world-famous horse Carbine, told me that tho filly strongly reminds him of the Mnsk-et horse through her mannerisms and easy-going disposition. She inherits a double strain of Musket (which has proved successful in Vladimir) • and St. Simon, and is :onseqtieptly bred on most fashionable and highly-desirable line-. Tho inspection of thus fiily terminated the m list of horses at present' in the stables, and a tealthier lot one could not wish to see, and on tins whole the stabk'a outlook for next eeasou 13 very promising, particularly if th© rising two-year-olds fulfil

their present promise. M'Giflnew has aiot had the best of luck with his two-year-olds during the past couple of seasons, as both Vlatliinir and Sychem, whilst displaying excellent form, managed to find something a trifle better whilst fulfilling their spring engagements. An adjournment was here made for luncheon, and afterwards came an interesting conversation (chiefly supplied by my hosty about bygone cracks of the turf. A pouchprized ornament in tiie sitting room ia one of the first shoes ever worn by Carbine, which i 3 nicely mounted on a shield covered with the rose-and-black stripes which the famous horse carried when racing in Mr Dan. O'Brien's colours. After -discussing the deeds of Carbine, the conversation turned on pa3t New Zealand Cups, and it may be news to know how handy horses trained by M'Guaneeß have b*en in somo of them. The first horse trained by him after coming to Dunedin was Wolverine, and he duly landed the much-coveted stake. Dilemma next ran second to St. Hippo, and the Rubezahl Siorse was unlucky in bumping up against such a tip-topper as the son of St. Leger. In Rosefeldt's year Dilemma made his second try for the stake, and was sent out a good second favourite to Response. In the race Beadonwell fell, and greatly interfered with Dilemma, who, however, managed to finish ek>3e up to the placed horses. With Fulmen the stable ran second to Tirant d'Eau, and the previous j year the Castor horse was sent out a strong favourite and finished fourth. The next i horso ecnt up was Pampero, who was strongly fanciad for the race, but burst one of hia feet a few Bays before the event came up for decision. It -will be seen that though fiomo of tho horses trained by M*Guincas have been beaten ihoy have not been disgraced whilst competing for ,tho Riccarton two-miler. To successfully train a horse for a twe-milo journey is a test of a .trainer's ability, and expressing the hope ihat the little bit of luck which -was mi&smg in past years will be prominent in the future, the writer withdrew, after sponding a very pleasant three hours, and act out for home.