LA RUE

Observer, Volume XV, Issue 821, 22 September 1894, Page 5

LA RUE

The other day I commented on the enterterprise shown by Mr C. E. Abbott in purchasing the American standard-bred stallion, La Rue, undoubtedly the pick of the stock brought over by Mr Lopez, and as grand a specimen of the American thoroughbred trotter as has as yet found its way to the colonies. La Rue is a beautiful bay horse, 16 hds lin high ; his conformation is a model of perfection, his trotting action and style of the very highest class. The breeding of this young stallion shows strains of such excellency that it seems impossible to over-estimate the probable good results which should follow his mating here. The Breeder and Sportsman of San Francisco says of his progeny at Stockton, that they 'cannot be excelled for size, pure trotting action and speed.' One thousand dollars was refused recently for one of his yearling fillies. The leading lines of La Rue's pedigree read thus: — Sired, by Campaign out of Clara D. (sister to Honesty, 2-25^) by Priam. Second dam, Western Girl by Chieftain (sire of Defiance and Caro). Campaign, La Rue's sire, was by Electioneer (sire of 145 trotters in the 2.30 list, including Arion, 2-O7f) out of Lily 8., by Homer, (son of Mamoriuo — Patchen and Sally Chorister). Mr Abbott has decided to piace this promising young sire at the service of breeders, and La Rue is to stand at the White House stables, Otahuhu; ±'5 5s is the fee fixed, which must be considered a reasonable one. Other particulars can be obtained either from Mr Abbott, 83, Queenstreet; or Mr M. Edwards, White House, Otahuhu.

. Artillery will very probably go to America. Brigand is going on nicely in his work at Napier Park. Nellie will never perhaps have such a chance to get home in front in & pony field again. Bluefire is doing well, and is already being looked on as a good thing for the C.J.C. Derby. Queen of Sheba's running in the ! 'ponies' on Saturday showed her a bit above the rest for pace. Au Revoir has been backed for more money than any other horse in the N.Z. Cup all over the colony. 1 Spectator ' thinks it will take Mason all his time to get Magazine well by N.Z. Cup time. He is very gross. ' Yattenfeldt ran disappointingly at Ellerslie. He stretched Lottie's neck a day or I two prior to race day in a trial over seven furlongs. ! The V.R.C. Derby colt Dreamland has resumed work at Ballarat. As he is a light-flesher colt, it is not thought the short spell will do him much harm. Mr K. Blaikie's handy little volume of New Zealand Cup horses' perf ormances is to hand. i Pcotfree has been doing useful work at Ellerslie, and when weather has allowed advantage has been taken of it by his trainer to push this Cup candidate along. The old horse is looking well. The Spring Stakes w.f.a. 1^ miles, at the A.J.C. Spring, was won by the Goldsbrough horse Brockleigh. Buenalf was second, and Paris third. -Time, 2min 40sec. Brockleigh appears to have had an easy win. Isaac won the Trial Stakes at the A.J.C. Spring, from King Orry, Blarney Stone, and six others. Isaac has been backed for bic money for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, and his connections will be well pleased at his winning form. The Epsom handicap proved a surprise, the outsider Uabba winning. Thirty horses started. None of the favourites were in it. Bungebah was interfered with twice in I the race. Uabba is by Splendor, whose gets of late have been coming to the" front. D. McLeod, New Zealand and Melbourne Cups.— Advt.

14 to 1 has been accepted about . Lottie -iafethe N.Z. Cap daring toe week., ' Doris is booked to leave this week f or' Napier in view of Hawke's Bay events. To-morrow (Friday^ the 21st) final payments are doe for the Hawkes' Bay Guineas. Glaucus was shipped to his new owner -Mr T. Brown,. New Plymouth, on Monday last. Casket's indifferent running in the South so far does not make his Cup chance look very bright. Mr McKinnon has a promising colt in Horia, and later on I expect to see "him returned a winner. Saracen and Prime Warden fought out the finish for the Timaru Cup last week, the former getting home hy half a head. The Gaming Bill received royal assent last Monday. All persons betting totalisator odds are now liable to prosecution.. ' A little mild excitement was caused this week in racing circles over the St. Kilda case. Byers won. The South Australian Derby was run on the 3rd inst., being won by Mrs E. Y. Carr's Monastery, by the Englishman- Priory. Time, 2min 50sec. Anniversary, beaten every time on the track when training by St. Vincent, proved the better when racing, showing that track form is often a delusion. Sepoy furnishes another example of the remarkable shrinkage in pony-flesh during or after the trip across the briny from Auckland to Sydney. Sepoy has managed to squeeze into the 13—3 class. Although Pegasus' chance in the N.Z. Cup cannot be said to'be enhanced by Saturday's running, yet he is a colt susceptible of so much improvement, that it would be unwise to go too much on that one performance. Speculators at Ellerslie last Saturday could hardly have won a * pile ' even if they picked all winners. The day was remarkable for small dividends. Those who predicted that outsiders would get home were altogether in the wrong. Malabar and Fishmonger treated Aucklanders to as fine a finish for a steeplechase as they could wish to see. Malabar was a different horse to when he raced last, or the race would not have been voted such a moralf or Fishmonger. Mr M. S. Laurie's little Malua filly Lady Marion is only .a handful, but all there is of her is game. In point of condition she certainly had the best of the other runners being so forward, but beating big horses is in itself a distinction. Ingorina and Ben Godfrey have 1 gone into Williamsons' stable. Ingorina iaftorsde combat just now, and Ben Godfrey appears out of form, so that their new trainer's skill will be brought into force at the outset to bring them into winning vein. Last Friday a commission was executed by Mr B. Blaikie for Pegasus' owner in favour of the Nelson colt for the New Zealand Cup. £1,200 was accepted at 100 to 7, shorter quotations being refused. Three-fourths of the money being taken from Southern men. Kean's mare is a tough'n. No horse was ever more aptly named than she -bread and butter. Lottie has been the solitary breadwinner of the stable for a considerable time, and she has heaped it up pretty thick attunes. I congratulate Mr Kean on having so consistent a piece of horse-flesh. There is no doubt it will take a good one to beat Lottie in the N.Z. Cup with the light weight she has to carry. I think her form on Saturday, considering her impost and the heavy going, entitles her to rank as. a more than probable 2-miler, although the race was I only 1£ miles. Forma did not make hacks of all the two-year-olds in the September Stakes on Saturday. Lavinia made it rather a close thing at the finish. Both are. good fillies, and under other circumstances with the Tasman. filly more forward, the account might have been reversed. Grenadier's friends have deserted him. Here we. have a real, good-looking colt, and when going on the track, as pretty a mover as one could wish to look at. When it comes to racing, the colt will apparently have none of it. He can gallop, I know. What's that if he won't ? . ' Ajax,' in the Sydney Referee, tells how Ivimy (who has gone into Alec. Taylor's stable, and who will ride Mr Jones' horses) was asked to shave off his moustache, a la the English jockeys.' 'My troubles about wearing a blooming moustache', says Ivimy, and stx # aightway gets shaved. Bonnie Scotland is going to prove a good one. Sydney files of last mail, commenting on his condition, reported the colt as still .being big, and therefore capable of much improvement. Altho' it does not often occur that a colt wins both Derbies, A. J.C. and V.R. C., I shall expect Mr Gollan's colt to go near winning^ the double. Pegasus ran in his usual game style on Saturday. Lottie was a long way ahead of Major George's colt in point of condition. I suppose the recent backing of Pegasus for the N.Z. Cup had something to do with his beingmade so hot a favourite at Ellerslie. I certainly fancied Pegasus would carry the weight better, but, as J told my readers last week, I did not reckon he was any too forward. The A.R.C.'s ill luck in the matter of weather last season became proverbial towards the finish. This' season's opening day, last Saturday, was as bad as any, in that way,under which the AJR;C. have yet raced, bar perhaps, the Winter Meeting. I hope when November comes ronnd, sunny skies and good going will be the order. . '