W. W. ROBINSON IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 93, 5 May 1892, Page 4

W. W. ROBINSON IN ENGLAND.

The special commissioner of the London Sportsman recently set his readers a puzzle, which was to find out the horse Mr. Dan Cooper would choose for the mating of Mons Meg, by Martini —Malacca, when eleven actually selected “Brag,” by Struan—Bounce. An old wellknown Auckland cricketer and general sport, familiarly known as “ Billy Robinson,” was one of the successful competitors, and the special commissioner shows his appreciation by remarking that it was gratifying to have so many answers to the problem sent in, and still more so to find that at least nine out of ten showed a really intelligent study of blood stock breeding. He also publishes Mr. Robinson’s letter in full, which is as follows :— Dear Sir, —The likely horses that I can think of to suit Mons Meg in England, are the following, in the order I should use them, of course, on pedigree lines above: Brag, whose pedigree contains Fisherman, Melbourne, Pantaloon, Touchstone, Blacklock, and Pyrrhus 1., a horse that is in many pedigrees that have nicked well with Musket abroad. I will mention one, Frailty, whose yearling by Musket, son of Nordenfeldt, has just been sold for 2200 guineas, and thus topped theN.Z. yearling record. Frailty’s last year’s yearling made 2025 guineas, and every one of her progeny have been winners of big races. The second horse is Breadknife, on account of West Australian, Sheet Anchor, Melbourne and Touchstone. The third, Duncombe, through Melbourne, Brown Bess, Longbow,Touchstone, Pantaloon, andßlacklock. The fourth, Foxcote, through West Australian, Brown Bess, Sheet Anchor, Touchstone (3 times), Pantaloon, with two out-crosses of Stockwell. These two last horses, like Mersey, Carbine’s dam, have the name of Brown Bess (Musket’s grandam) in their pedigrees. Hambleton, Fullerton, and Torpedo, might be used were the others not available. And now for a horse that was bred in Australia called Chicago, if healthy and well, I think he would mate with Mons Meg best of all. In the first place, he was a brilliant horse at all distances, but best, probably, from 7 furlongs to I-J miles. In the second place, he is full brother in blood to Frailty, the most successful mate Musket had. I may here mention Mr. Cooper had two of her stock, Trenton and Niagara. With regard to the combination of blood in the two pedigrees. The first-named is Sylvia, which will breed into Fisherman closer than through Brag, and though you don’t get Melbourne, yon get two of Sheet Anchor in Chicago. Both Sylvia and Juliet are names to swear by in Australia and New Zealand. Juliet’s daughter Chrysolite was mated with a son of Fisherman, and the produce, Onyx, is dam of Nordenfeldt, the premier stallion in Australia at the present tune. The combination of Musket on Weatherbit has been lately proved by Ragimunde. There is also a combination of Orville and a great amount of Whalebone in both pedigrees. The strongest reason of all, is the wonderful success that this family has had with Musket There are several horses in England that I should like to see Mons Meg mated with, if it were possible to experiment - such as Surefoot, Peter, Amphion, and other horses with brilliancy. I have noticed that most of Musket’s brilliant stock have come from the Birdcatcher family. Yours truly, W. W. Robinson, 29, High-street, Wellingboro’ February 24th.