A YOUNG BRIGADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 54

A YOUNG BRIGADE.

| Multiform's reputation as a sire has been \ partially hid under a bushel of late, principally because he has had but few of his stock on the turf. In the days of Noctuiform. Nightfall, and company the son of Hotehkiss loomed large in the public eye, tut force of circumstances brought a comiparatively lean season or two. The unlucky Boniform is a first-class colt, and, with Sunglow and Sweet Angelue, Belped • to bring about a revival which may get a. further boost before the present season closes. Next year, if - all goes well, Multiform will have come well-bred representatives under silk, and amongst them are a batch of »ewily-na<med juveniles which figured in last week's nomenclature list. One of these (named Formedon) is a bay colt by Multiform— Otterden, and consequently a brother to Boniform, Sunglow, and Sungod, and half-brother to Martian. The racing merit displayed by Otterden* produce is sure to arouse considerable interest in their young relatives' debut under silk. A colt by Multiform— Drought has been named Sunburnt (perhaps this name could be improved by the deletion of tha final letter), and from the breeding it is evident that Mr G. G. Stead has not lost faith in the strains whioh produced Noctuiform and Nightfall, despite their failure to make good at Home. Drought is by imported Mostyn from Nightmare, the third dam of Noctmform ; and a filly bred on similar lines to Sunburnt is Formless, who ie by Multiform ou/t of Dreamer, a. daughter of Trenton and Nightmare. Dreamer and Drought form a couple of the latest additions to the select band of brood mares at the Grasslea stud, and were bred by Me J M 'Donald, of New South Wales. A colt from Problem by Multiform has been named Acrostic, and it will be interesting • to note whether fee -ill j>ro~«. Weir «. worthy relative to Solution. Lord Kelvin is a colt from Sans Pet*r, a daughter of Soult and Forme, and is consequently inbred to Pulchra, from whom have descended such good winners as Cruciform, Multiform, Uniform, St. Clalr, Lady Evelyn, and others. Vice-admiral ie a. son of Multiform, and Rattler a slater to Seahorse. With the exception of Seahorse*, Moonga produced nothrn«r of any great unto, and that ie somewhat remarkable, as Goldborough mares are amongst tihe moot successful matrons in the Stnd Book. Frailty, for instance, produced Trenios

•aid company. Happy Valley (Wallace — ] Faraway) has a colt by Multiform which has been dubbed Montiform, and he is indeed an attraotivelv-bred youngster. Faraway was got by Bill o' Portland from the Musket mare Happy Land, half-sister to St. Leger and the dam of Hova. Three strains of Musket tacked to a successful St. Simon strain should bring grist to the mill, c! though Faraway's stock have been somewhat unlucky. Yet another member of the Nightmare tribe is a Multiform colt named Elite. He is from Class (Wallace — La Tosca), a sister to F.J.A., a winner of the V.R.C. Derby and South Australian Derby. Other Yaldhurst yearlings are White Crane, a colt by Royal Artillery from Stresa by Orvieto, from St. Mildred by St. Simon; Crown Derby, a colt by Royal Artillery— Saucer, by Sorcerer from Angola by Macheath, from Angelica, a sister to St. Simon; Royal Arms, a colt by Royal Artillery, from .Barley Bree by The Cardinal, from Barley, the dam of Makter; Actress by Royal Artillery — Edna May, by Multiform from Helen Faucit by Castor, from Cissy, a sister to Trenton ; Nanda Nevi, a colt by Golden Knight from Britoness, a daughter of Stepniak and Britomarte, a sister to Euroclydon; and laly White, a filly by Martian from Cruciform. The above-mentioned lot are a beautifully-bred team of thoroughbreds, which' axe destined to do battle for the yellow -end-black ; and, all going well, the YaldhuTst stable should be particularly forxnidtable in the juvenile events to be decided in th.c near future. The youngsters will not have the tuition of R. J. Mason, but ■the latter has left behind a young man •who fiaa been his lieutenant for several years, and it will be interesting to note if the horse makes the trainer or the trainer makes the horse. With such material to operate on it would indeed be unlucky if a success was not achieved. THE WAIMATE MEETING. The Waimate Racing Club's meeting forms one of the most attractive fixtures held outside the metropolitan areas, and the gathering, which is booked to take place on the 19th inst., with ordinary luck should enable the club to create a record from both a sporting and finanoial point of view. The entries for the various events are unusually large and quality is freely represented. The Waimate Cup has attracted a field of 17, which includes the Dunedin Cup winner Armamento and other notables, suoh as Cross Battery, Sea King, All Guns, Speculate, Lady Landon, and other fairly well-performed horses. The Harvest Handicap has filled with a field of 20, and the Stewards' Welter goes one better. Without exception the other races on the card have also filled m a pleasing manner, and the trotting events We attracted large fields. Judging by j the lengthy list of nominations, the Wai- j mate Club has achieved the first step towards a highly successful gathering, and it« patrons should be well repaid by a visit to the forthcoming meeting. • TH& RIVERTON MEETING. j The Riverton Racing Club has issued a programme for its Easter meeting, when £700 will be given away in stakes, and the many well-endowed events should command the attention and patronage of hoTseownere. The principal events on the first day consist of the Great Western Steeplechase, of lOObovs, three miles; Riverton Handicap, of 60sovs, one mile and a distance; Flying Handicap, of 40bovs, six furlongs; and Farmers' Plate, of 4Csovb, one mile. On the second day's card the Riverton Steeplechase, of 60sov« f two miles; Easter Handicap, of 80sovs, one mile; •Aparima Handicap, of 40sovs, six furlongs; and Farewell Handicap, of 40sovs, six furlongs, form the chief items. The balance of an attractive programme is made up as follows:— Hurdle Race, of ZOsovs^one ; mile and *-balf ; Maiden Plate, of 30sov^ one mile; Handicap Hack Steeplechase, of 40sovs, two miles; Distriot Hack Race, of 35sovs, six furlonge; Handicap Hurdles, of 85SOVS, one mile and three-quarters; President's Welter Handicap, of 35sovs, seven furlongs; District Haok, of 40sovs seven furlongs; and Visitors' Hack, of 30sovs cix furlongs. Nominations close on April 1, handicaps appear April 8, and acceptances fall due on April 15, when entries for the Maiden Plate must be made. SALE OF OYLLENE. This well-known sire has been disposed of by Mr W. Bass for the laxge sum of £25,000,' and he is to take the place of the recently defunct Pietermaritzburg at the Oja de Aqua Stud in the Argentine. After fulfilling his engagements at the stud for the present season he is to be shipped to South America. Cyllene, who is by Bona ) Vista out of Aroadia, was foaled in 1895, j and was bred by Mr C. D. Rose, who, it may be recalled, sold -him for 30,000 guineas in May, 1905, to- Mr Bass, who has since had .the benefit of his services at the stud, I where he had been for two seasons before becoming the property of that gentleman. As a racehorse, Cyllene proved himself to be one of the best, and had he been entered for the "classics" there is little doubt his same would have been enrolled among the winners of one or more of^ them. At the etud he has been successful, among the most notable of those claiming him for sire being Polymelus and Bella Vista, the foraier of whom will be remembered as the winner of many valuable and important races, among them the Duke of York Stakes and the Cambridgeshire Stakes in 1906. Since he has been at the stud Cyllene's get have earned over £50,000 in stakes, and he is the eire of Cicero, who won the Derby for Lord ; Kosebery in 1905. In the season of 1907 ] twenty-eight foals were eired by Cyllene. one of whom is a filly from the famous mare Sceptre, now in Taylor's string at Manton, and whose debut during the coming flat-race campaign will be invested j with much interest. ENGLISH HORSES IN AUSTRALIA. The last few years have seen a number of English horses brought; out to Australia as racehorses. Referring to this, the Australasian says: — At the time Mr W. R. Wileon practically opened up the Australian trade in racehorses with England by sending home Merman, it was a rare thing for an. English horse to come here to race. W# had Panic sent out by "Bruni" to .Mr Blackwell, of Tasmania, in the early eixtis-F. He ran second in a Melbourne Cup with lOst. Nemesis, drowned ox killed soon afterwards on the City of Melbourne, won the Metropolitan of 1876, and a few others, such as. The Englishman, raced with some success, but turf men. until they saw Merman, Maluxna, Paris. Newhaven, etc., doing well in England, would not hear of imported torses for racing. Ten years ago Pesiiano

showed the erroneousness of this idea. Then came Sir Foote, Playaway, and others. Now it ie quite the fashion to buy up young horses in England and send them out here to race. Provided the price is not exorbitant, the speculation should pay. If they fail at racing, the importations may do well at the stud. What effect on the breed all these St. Simon horses will have remains to be seen. There can be n6 two opinions about the modern English horse being faster than the average Australian. Some years ago that keen observer, Mr Joseph Thompson, wrote "Terlinga" :—"lt: — "It is no use sending Australian sprinters here. Outs are better than yours. Good stayers are all right. We have not got many of them." There you have the position in a few words. These English sires are likely to dominate the position, and they will cause time records to be beaten, but if breeders neglect the good old hard strains Australia's reputation for breeding sound weight-carrying horses that can get a distance may be damaged. We must say we do like to ccc the names of Panic^Yattendon, and Musket in a pedigree. We hope the name for soundness and stamina will never be lost to Australia. As far as type ie concerned the talk about deterioration in the thoroughbred ie all nonsense. Thirty years ago B£in of bone was considered rare. Now 9in is not uncommon. Anything the old horse of the sixties could do over a distance the Carbines, Aberoorns, and Wakefuls could eclipse by seconds. We are all right so far, and in comparison with other countries we do not sin to excess in sprinting—but there may be trouble ahead. THE NEWMARKET HANDICAP. In referring to the race for the Newmarket Handicap, "Terlinga" says : —"After he came to Melbourne Scotland gave some trouble with hie feet. At one time* O'Connor was very anxious about him, but after having him shod with leather the soreness wore off, and before he ren in the Futurity Stakes both Mr S. O. "Wood and O'Connor were quite satisfied that Scotland wee sure to get to the post for the Newmarket a sound horse. Scotland's performance in the Futurity under 9at 81b was sure proof that he was a much better horee than he had ever been previously, .and he looked more like a 'horse' than he had ever done before. For my part, I never had any doubts about his winning the Newmarket after that race, and this must have been the general opinion, or Scotland would not have started such a favourite. It was a first-class field, but, after standing very quietly- during all the delay, caused principally by Traquair, Scotland jumped off well and praotioally led all the way. Fille Fogi and Ourrandooley looked to keep with him for about two furlongs, and Hood was niggling at the favourite before he got rid of Burton's colt. After that the only danger was Grenadier. At a little over half a mile Grenadier, in the centre of the course, was going comfortably, but directly he challenged Scotland and Hood asked the favourite for an effort, the latter drew right away, and won very handsomely. Grenadier would have won any ordinary Newmarket, but on this occasion he met something out of the common. Munietet ran prominently all through, and when they passed the Maribyrnong stand it looked long odds on "Her getting a place, but Akim Foo was running through the second division at this time, and he just beat the New Zealand mare."