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Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 40

by Aprcmont—ld alia. Eon a lias boon a veryshy breeder, and since producing Eocene- in 1009 Hymcona is her only other produce to iigure in the Stud Book. Tho well-known New South "Wales trainer T. Payten has retired, and sold his extensive stabling- to a bloodstock firm. Payten followed tho lalo M.. Fenneily as trainer to the Hon. James "White's stable, and amongst his l.iosfc notable winners were Abercorn, Ensign (who boat Carbine in the Derby). He afterwards trained for the J. B. Clarko Syndicate, and since it dissolved some years ago has continued to saddle up good winners for several of the leading patrons of tho turf in Australia. T. Payten has also bred a few good horses, notably Great Scot, a son of L-ochiel, sent to England, and subsequently purchased by the Russian Government.

ii. H. Hewitt is reported to have been riding in quite his old form during the Auckland meeting. He was not far from his old form when he beat J.O. Shea on Egypt, when handling The Toff in the New Zealand Derby, and he also outrode Deeley on Mullingar when they fought out a battle for second place behind Ardenvhor in the New Zealand Cup. „Doeley and O'Shca are rated as two of the best riders in the Dominion, and, going by the book, Hewitt wa3 quite in the same rank when riding at the New Zealand Cup meeting of 1916. He, however, ha-a lacked that pinch of luck which blinds some- to the faults of a jockey riding winners, but which _ are sometimes unfairly magnified when one is not experiencing too many smiles from Dame Fortune. The Martian—Grand Opera rising two-year-old colt has been named Rossini. Grand Opera threw three colts in Soldiers' Chorus, Tannhauser, and Cherubini as her firat contributions to the Stud Book, and then came three fillies, which have failed so far to achievo any great distinction on the turf. In fact, they are comparative failures, although the youngest" in Bacarolle may do something to kill the reputation of softness which has gathered round Grand Opera's daughters. Tho next colt is Rossini, who was a fine, raking yearling, sold at llOOgs to Mr G. D. Greenwood, and he looks likely to be as good or better than any of his brothers. Their breeder, Mr'J. F. Buchanan, is evidently not a believer in the opinion that continuous mating with one sire makes the saturation which leads to deterioration, as he has bred Grand Opera to Martian every season since ISO 7. The result of the New Oaks Stakes gives classic honours to a filly who gained them in much the same manner as that which gave "Blue Ribbon" honours to Aboyeur instead of Craganour. In both instances the first horse past the post lost the stakes owing to being the offender in a bumping finish. My Dear, the filly going on record as the winner, was got by Beppo from Silesia, by Spearmint from Galicia, by Galopin. Beppo was got by Marco from Pitti, by St. Frusquin from Florence, a sister to Gravity, the dam of William tho Third This success should arouse more than usual interest in the North Otago district, as tho imported stallion i 3 a grandsoa of Marco and another stallion in the same district is Winkio, a son of "William the Third. Strongford, the filly first past the post in the Oaks, was got by Swanford—Gneiss, by Rocksand —Aboyne, by Hampton.