RETURN OF MR G. G. STEAD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 58

RETURN OF MR G. G. STEAD.

'' HIS SUCCESS ON TEE AUSTRALIAN I TURF. I { (From Our, Own Cokbespoxdent.) | WELLINC4TON, September 27. j i Mr G. G. Stead, whoso wonderful success j on the Australian turf this month has been t the subject for very general congratulation ' amongst New Zealanders, returned to the I colony from Sydney by the steamships Moeraki to-day. To-night's Post says:— " Such a fine record as that which ilr | Stead's string achieved — &ight wins m nine- ; starts, all the races being contested by ' large fields, and each prize being consider- ' able — has never before been approached by \ a New Zealand sportsman in Australia. It ' 13 doubtful if so good a performance has J been put up by the horses from any one Australian stable at similar meetings. Under the circumstances, an interviewer ] thought it would be especially interesting i if he got Mr Stead to talk of his experi- ! euces and impressions." ! Mr Stead, however, when waited upon was diffident, and not inclined to speak, but eventually he made some interesting and instructive remarks, the substance of which I is given as follows: — "Yes, we had a very j enjoyable time indeed. Our party consisted I of Mr and Mrs W. H. Turnbull, Mr and j Mrs Harold Johnston, Mr and Mrs George Gould, and Mr and Miss Stead, and I am certain they all enjoyed themselves from the day they left until they returned this morning. Our Sydney friends were exceedingly kind. Of course, we were all pleased to see New Zealand horses win, biit I quite j . recognise that I was exceedingly fortunate I in visiting Sydney in what in racing pax- i I lance is known as a bad year. I think and hope thai my four horses are all fairly high-class, but I am not foolish enough to i look upon them as champions." But the times were wonder/ul, interjected the interviewer— the Derby , for instance. "Yes, that was very good/ said Mr | Stead, "but it is not altogether a reliable ] test of merit, as time so much depends on ! I atmosphere, the state of a course, and the i way in which a- race is run. Then, again," continued Mr Stead in reference to the good record put vp by his horses, >% I must ; say I was fortunate in having my horses ali tiained to the hour, the credit of which, ' i of course, is due to my trainer (Mr R. J. J | Mason). Thry were well ridden by Hewitt, [ ! who has now an Australian record as a I jockey. He rode seven out of my eight winners." " You naturally must feel proud of so fine a performance being put up by horses of your own breeding?" quoth the reporter. '' Yes, it is true I bred the four horses myself (Nightfall, Noctuiform, Sungod, and Isolt), and I feel proud of their s>reat success; but, all ihe same, as I have already ' indicated, there is a good deal of luck iii j horse racing, and I wa« foitunAte> in having , four good horses in Sydney in a bad year, i What particularly pleased me was iho I generous manner in which the Sydney public i received my horses. 1 am &ati.-fied that ' they appreciate a good horse Irrespective- | of the State from which he conies. Isolt? I Yes, 1 bred her dam (Bc'.licent), and I won ihe Oaks and Derby wiUi her, and I also j v.on ihe Oake with T~-ol('s grs>nd-ckm, Enid, j 1 won the Derby n ith Multiform (her sire), i and I also won the Derby with her grand- ! sire. Maxim. Further. I imported Multi- ! form's grand-dam on the dam's side, ami j also his grand-clam on the other side. <n addition to which I imported I^olt's grand- ' sire (Apromont). so that I think I may fairly claim that Isolt is home-biod. I must, however, imjjresg ufiou ogee- pojg '

that it is a. mistake to imagine our New Zealand hoises are- superlatively better than those bred in Australia. It must not be forgotten that I have been sending horses to Melbourne and Sydney from time to time since 1878, and I have more than once come back without winning- a single l'aea. I again assert that my successes was moie due to a. series of fortuitous circumstances than to tho supposition that the horses are better than those that can be. bred in Australia."

The interviewer remarked that the Australians seemed to be very favourably imprescd with Multiform as a siro. "1 think it is generally known," remarked Mr Stead, " that I reserve Multiform for the sole use of my own mar-es, but I was pressed before I left Australia to waive my rule. I have dono so, and on the Moeraki there are now four brood mares — Acrasiai (winner of last year's Melbourne Cup), Portland Night. Novitiate, and a mare owned by Mr ' Hamilton Osbornc. I shall also lake four New Zealand mares in addition this season, and it will be interesting to see bow the enlarged scope rfius given to Multiform will result."