CRACK NEW ZEALANDERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 55

CRACK NEW ZEALANDERS

About the first recollection I have (says "Milroy") of New Zealand horses in Australia goes back to Calumny and Lurline, two fine Traducor mares who came across and won races here in the early "seventies."' Mata was, I believe, a great horse, too. Not until Martini-Henry carried off the Melbourne Derby and Cup in 1883, however, did the Maorilanders invade these shores ia anything like force. After MartiniHenry won the double nearly every New Zealand horso of note, as well as selected yearlings, was sent to Australia. For a time New Zealand was the fashion, but a few facers had the effect of cooling the ardour of exporters and buyers, after which came a lengthy lull. The introduction of Musket blood to Australia was due to the late Hon. James White, who purchased Martini-Henry, when ho was a foal in the old New Zealand Stud Company's paddocks. Martini-Henry was out of Sylvia, an Australian mare, whose value Mr White knew through her sons Goldsbrough and Robin Hood, and it was on account of Sylvia alone that he was induced to give 1800 guineas for the foal, who came to Australia when a weaner. Though Mar-tine-Henry carried off the great southern double, he was not the best three-year-old in Australia, for Le Grand was his superior over any distance from six furlongs to three miles. Nordenfeldi and Matchlock, who were by Musket out of Australian-bred mares, followed Martini-Henry across the Tasman Sea, and were purchased by Mr White. Neither lasted very long. Nordenfeldt won both Derbys, and went wrong ; then Matchlock took his place, and, meeting very weak fields, won both St. Legers and the Champion Stakes. After Martini-Henry had won in Melbourne, and Sir Modred carried off the Metropolitan, and beat our horses at w.f.a., the craze for " New Zealand blood " sot in with a blaze, and all the best horses tho two islands for years produced came here. Of course there were scores of failures, but Trenton (a son of an Australian mare). Sir Modred, Welcome Jack, Carbine, Cuirassier, Mitrailleuse, Manton, Russley, Nelson, Medallion, Maxim, The Possible, Strathmore, Zalinski, Carnage, Havoc, Lochiel, Niagara, Bonnie Scotland, Hova, Thunderbolt, Loyalty, Sl.epniak, and Too Soon were fine horses. Malua was better than Sir Modred, Abercorn as good as Carbine and bettor than Lochiel, Maxim, and Manton, three veritable champions in their country. Cariyon and Trident were masters of Nelson, and Lochiel, though still a top-notcher. was not quite as good as Melos. Welcome Jack was one of the best horses that ever left New Zealand, but was never in condition here, and though Trenton at nearly level weights was beaten by Sheet Anchor in the Melbourne Cup, the son of Musket should have wdn that race. Australians have been very heavy purchasers of untried stock in New Zealand. They got Strathmore, the best three-year-old of his time, Havoc, an extraordinarily grood stayer, Cravat, a Metropolitan winner. Carnage. a Derby winner, and Hova, a w.f.a horse from there, but as a set-off scores of horses purchased at high figures were not worth the cost of passage across the Tasman Sea. Albeit on the whole Australians have nothing to regret in buying the choicest New Zealand horses, for we got, Lochiel, Medallion. Carbine, Nordcntcldt, and Trenton, whose success at the stud more than compensated Australia for many bad bargains.