Wellington Park in Winter.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 207, 12 July 1894, Page 4

Wellington Park in Winter.

BUDDING EQUINE ARISTOCRATS.

[by

BORDERER.]

Continuing my winter visits to Auckland’s breeding establishment, last Saturday saw me at the premier stud farm of the colony, Mr Morrin’s model Wellington Park establishments. The 500 acres which comprise the Park are wonderfully suitable for breeding purposes, and the management of the farm is, needless to say, beyond the region of unfavourable comment. The soil is nice and dry, and the hilly nature of the paddocks serves both to naturally drain the 'place and what is equally to the purpose, to make the youngsters surefooted and build up their quarters to stand the wear and tear of the training track. As one walks the far-reaching acres of the Park the youngsters are-seen galloping full tilt down steep hills and picking their way as skilfully and as accurately as mountain goats. Wellington Park is a wonderfully interesting place, and one that can be visited and re-visited with never failing interest. Respecting the stock Mr Morrin has in hand, I may here state that they are all wonderfully forward and although seen at a very unfavourable time of the year they cannot -fail to impress one as one of the finest crops the Wellington studmaster has yet raised from his beautifully-bred mares. * There’s not an unsatisfactory youngster in the crowd and half a dozen or so stand out as regular top sawyers that will certainly realise big figures at next year’s sale. Mr Morrin only requires the attendance of Australian buyers to have a big sale, and those self same buyers may be assured that Mr Morrin will have some yearlings, to see whom a long journey may profitably be undertaken. In the matter of serving the Park sires have come out this year with flying colours. Sixty mares were put to them, and of the fifty home matrons which Mr Morrin had served, there has not been a single miss I Good work that, and something that should make breeders well satisfied with Castor and company. The four stallipns have been given equal chances, 15 mares having been put to each member of the quartette, Castor, St. Leger, Hotchkiss, and Cuirassier. But I had better commence , with the growing young stock. Last year Mr Morrin had ' 31 yearlings to catalogue. This year the number will be twenty-eight —at least that is the number growing at the Park. The first paddock Mr Morrin takes me over is reserved for fillies, and the youngster that first comes under notice is a Castor—Vi vandiere, and consequently a full sister to Three Star. She is a well made brown filly, ticked with grey hairs, and gives great promise of growing into a big mare. The result of this mating last year was a bay filly, which fell to Mr Gooseman for i2ogns. This nick should be a good one. Vivandiere’s second son and daughter, The Dancer and Vivat, are not bad ones, and Three Star, although I am not a very keen advocate of his, shows • that the nick with Castor results in the production of more than serviceable stock. The youngster under review should be able to -gallop (if fate is kind to her) seeing that her dam is a Musket mare, and the mating being with a descendant of Stockwell’s on the male side, should be something good, seeing that it shows Stockwell on Touchstone. Standing close by Castor’s daughter is a Castor -Balista, bay in colour and very well put together. Balista, on breeding, should please anyone, being by Musket from Ouida, by. Yattendon from Gulnare, by Little John from Gulnare, by Young Johanna from Deception, by Theorem from the imported Cutty Sark, which brings the blood back to Soothsayer. When on the track she was a very fast mare, having won the A.R.C. Trial Stakes, one mile, beating Cinderella, and four others in imin 44£sec, and the A.R.C. Stewards’ Handicap in imiri 43sec. She is full sister to Artillery and Hilda, and half-sister to Strathmore, 4 Hazel and Brown Alice. The unipn of which the filly under notice is the result should be something good seeing that it gives us a mating of Hermit and Stock--well blood with Yattendon. Trotting close to Balista’s daughter is a tremendous filly whose breeding proves to be Castor out of Necklace. This youngster is bay in colour, and if promise goes for anything she should grow into a big yearling. This mating did not prove far out when it resulted in Collarette, and the mare threw something fair when, with St. Leger’s help, she got Miss Letty and produced Swordbelt when put

to Sword Dance. Whether Necklace had good foot when she was in the trainer’s hand may be judged by her four-year-old ability to cut out six furlongs in imin and a glance at the performances placed to her credit. On breeding, looks, ' performances, and everything else, Necklace is a beautiful mare# By Musket out of Locket, by Thunderbolt out of Keepsake, by Daniel O’Rourke and back to Hampton though the granddam, is aris- ' tocratic enough in all conscience, and as for Necklace’s performances a glance at her record shows that she beat Fusilier and Krupp in the-A.R.C. Nursery; won the Mare’s Produce Stakes, beating Krupp, Carbineer, &c„ in imin ; ran second as a three-year-old in the Derby at the Auckland SummeflVleeting ; won the Tradesman’s Plate Handicap and the Publican’s Purse at Ellerslie in the autumn; cut out the six furlong Newmarket Handicap in the summer when a four-year-old in imin and besides winning the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap and the Forbury Handicap, was only beaten by a short head for the Dunedin Cup. Last year the brown colt which Castor and Necklace produced brought the respectable figure of losogs. The next filly inspected proves to be a late Castor —Frailty foal who, backward as she is, commends herself most favourably to me. She has got Castor’s Back to a'nicety, and will decidedly be a finely timbered young one when her first year has passed. In colour she is bay, like last year’s result of the same mating, i and whether her dam can put forth good ones, provided the sire be good, finds answer in the life of Trenton, Niagara, Cuirassier, Zalinski, Havoc, and Co. And talking of Niagara reminds me that Ike Foulsham, the Melbourne trainer, is said to have a very warm place in his heart for him and he always maintained he was the best horse of his year, and that is no small recommendation from a man like Foulsham, seeing that Niagara came in the same year as Abercorn, The Australian Peer, Carlyon,' Cranbrook, etc. According to Foulsham, who trained Niagara, the horse was never anything like at his best. Under the circumstances he considers Niagara’s two dead heats with Abercorn were really marvellous performances/. Foulsham is positive he never had a gamer horse in his charge. Of this quartette of fillies the Vivandiere and the Necklace are the biggest, but I must say I like the late Frailty filly. A little further away stands a young lady with a good resemblance to St. Leger, and she proves to be the result of a mating between Bangle and Doncaster’s great son. This filly fills the eye most favourably, and on breeding she certainly should-be a good one. Bangle has shown she possesses the Muskqt qualities and mated with a sire like St. Leger she should certainly throw something a good deal more than fairish. In the past she has been put to The Dauphin and Castor (to whom she threw Casket, whom I may remark in passing is worth a New Zealand Cup investment if Southern sportsmen are to be believed), and it is very certain that being put to St. Leger will not detract from her chances of throwing a racehorse. While on the track, Bangle showed that she had good running abilities, and her relatives are not me~n in that direction. She is a full sister to Necklace, Thunderbolt, Chainshot, and Necklet, and also claims half relationship with Medallion. A smallish filly stands close by, and proves to be by Castor out of the imported Madcap, and consequently a half-sister to Morion. Thisxis the first time Madcap has been put to Castor, her former matings having been with Musket, Captivator, and The Dauphin. She gave Ophelia and Gypsy when put to Carbine’s sire, and when she gave Morion to Captivator she did not disgrace herself. Madcap’s sire -was Trumpeter, who also sired the flying Lady ' Elizabeth; Casse Tete, a Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase winner: and Queen’s Messenger, a Prince of Wales’ Stakes winner. By Castor’s aid, Madcap should produce something satisfactory, and although her youngster is on the small side at present, time will doubtless work wonders. Hotchkiss shows a chestnut filly out of Yattaghan, Yattacy’s daughter. Yattaghan showed fair racing ability when on the turf, and having been mated with Hotchkiss, she should be able to transmit some pace. All There’s sister Valentina shows a shapely bay filly by Castor; and Hotchkiss on Tasmania has produced a brown filly who bears unmistakeable signs of the Musket breeding. Last year this union gave a colt, and the filly which will be put up this year will be found a decidedly handsome piece of horseflesh. Tasmania comes from a great racing family and with the

help of a Musket horse she should be given a great chance. Her sire Manuka, who was by The Peer —Waimea, possesses a very fair record, considering his short racing career. He only started in three races, the Canterbury Cup and Derby and Christchurch Plate, and won them all. Tasmania’s dam, Zillah, was also the dam of Tasman, and was got by the imported Peter Wilkins. The appropriately named Lyrelinus (by Leolinus —Lyre) shows a handsome filly by Cuirassier so that this matron has been successively mated with Nordenfeldt, Hotchkiss, and Cuirassier. Leolinus mares do not throw non-racers, and mated with a horse like Cuirassier the progeny should be very valuable. Although Lyrelinus never raced, her full brother All There has established a racing name on Australian courses, but seeing that her pedigree shows Stockwell, Yattendon, and Thormanby blood there would be small room for doubt even if we had not All There’s record to point to. As was the case last year the union of Hotchkiss and Bianca has resulted in a filly, and a fine big filly it is. This youngster is well forward for her age and should develop into a big filly. After looking this one, over one cannot fail to be impressed with her possibilities and there is a tendency to put a distinguishing mark opposite her name when taking a list of the occupants of the paddock. Nordenfeldt and Hotchkiss are the only horses to whom Bianca has been put, and it will be remembered that her mating with the former brought forth Kempenfeldt. The filly in question makes Bianca’s fifth foal, and I am very sure it will be by no means her worst. The Leolinus —L’Orient horse, Radames, sires a nice filly out of the Anteros mare Weasel, and Quadrant’s sister, Radiant, shows a nice filly by Hotchkiss. A Medallion —Sapphira youngster shows a nicely shaped body, and on breeding she should surely be a niceish one. The last youngster in the paddock over which we are walking is a chestnut filly by Hotchkiss out of the grey mare Maid of Athol, who should grow into a great filly. Musket on this mare gave Snider, Krupp, Soudan, Cannon, Kotuku and Scots Grey, and by Nordenfeldt’s aid she produced Norsemaid, and the grey filly Tartan. I predict this chestnut daughter she has got by Hotchkiss will prove an important addition to the roll. Fur- z ther afield we come to the colts’ paddock, and here I see some clippers. The first we look at is a bay relative of Tulloch’s and Ben Godfrey’s, being by Castor from Welcome Katie. This matron was never raced, but her pedigree shows great lines of running blood. The youngster, who is splendidly shaped, is full of Touchstone blood, and if breeding goes for anything he should undoubtedly be a racehorse. Standing close by him is a chestnut colt who should grow into a big horse. He is by St. Leger out of Crackshot’s sister Puwerewere, whose first foal it is. Puwerewere’s dam, Pungawerawera, was a fast and stoutly bred mare, and amongst other wins placed the Dunedin Cup to her credit when on the tuff. Put to a sire like St. Leger her daughter has been given a great chance, and upto the present the result of the mating is up to the most sanguine expectations. Katipo has produced a fine brown colt to Cuirassier, and he promises to become a big one. Katipo being by Tregeagle IL, from Pungawerawera, is half sister to Tetford, Krupp, Brigadier, Tranter, St. James, Crackshot and Puwerewere, and her colt looks like growing into a powerful shapely j earling. Last year Katipo gave an 80 guinea colt to Brigadier, and Cuirassier’s youngster should be well ahead of last year’s result. Lilac by Leolinus—Leila, has a chestnut youngster by St. Leger bearing a unmistakable likeness to his sire, who should be a good one. and a big brown colt is the product of a Hotchkiss—Sunrise mating. Last year Tasman was mated with Rubina, and gave a handsome brown colt which Mr Kidd wisely gave 225 guineas for, and a similar mating this year has given a chestnut colt who is every whit as handsome as Mr Kidd’s youngster. This full brother to Florrie is unusually promising, and is sure to command attention at the coming sale. Rubina was an exceptionally fast mare, and all her progeny have shown undoubted galloping ability. As for herself, take her two-year old performance when she won the Midsummer Stakes at Ellerslie, beating the great Nelson and the flying Mitrailleuse, and the Nursery Handicap at the same meeting, in which she carried 8.10, gave 1 lb to Nelson and lolb to Mitrailleuse, and cut out the six furlongs in a little over imin i6sec. Later in life, after a very successful career, she carried 8.0 to victory intheC.J.Q. Great Autumn

Handicap, beating Captain Webb, Sou’wester, Lady Emma, Nelson, Administrator and Wapiti. A gamer mare was not running on the New Zealand turf in her day. Florrie’s r recent performances show what sort of stock Rubina gets when put to the son of St. Albans —Zillah, and her present youngster should be every bit as good as his relations. Castor gave Moilenaabay filly last year, which Mr McLeod obtained, and the result of the same union shows this year a well developed strong brown colt that should grow into a big one. The dam was never raced, but the breeding, by a son of Yattendon from a daughter of the great Panic, should please purchasers. A Cuirassier—Aida union has given a nice looking brown half-brother to Impulse, and a grand looking brown, who takes my fancy greatly, is introduced as a Cuirassier — Ouida colt, and consequently a halfbrother to Artillery, Balista, Hilda, Hazel, Strathmore and Brown Alice. This youngster looks a clipper. Ouida went early to the stud, but we know what sort of racers she has produced, and if the young one we are looking at only equals his half-brother Strathmore, who was undeniably the best colt of his year in Australia, the buyer who obtains him shoul never have cause to repent his purchase. This youngster is very smart in the paddock, and is one of the best colts at the Park. Standing next to him is the pride of the farm, a beautifully evenly made bay colt by Castor out of Cissy. Good breeding that, and a nick that should prove a very happy one. Cissy (by Musket — Frailty) showed a clean pair of heels when as a two-year-old she won the Welcome Stakes at Ellerslie in the summer : ran second to Corunna in the Great Northern Foal Stakes and Champagne Stakes and won the Ellerslie Handicap. When another year had passed over her head she reversed the Northern Foal Stakes and Champagne decision by beatnig Corunna for the A.R C. Guineas. At the same meeting she won the Spring Handicap, and when four years old beat a large and well bred field in the race for the A.R.C. Prince of Wales Handicap. Her other runs were equally creditable and showed she has the Musket abilities well developed in her body. The colt she has produced to Castor does her every credit, and when Mr Morrin sets the youngsters galloping over the paddock, this colt shows fine pace and beautiful action. I don’t know whether to regard it as an omen, but when I inspect the youngsters later in the day, when they are housed in their boxes, I find Cissy’s son in the box which has sheltered all the Wellington Park top sawyers. On the door of this box can be seen some pencil marks, which if looked at turn out to be a sum which totals up to 7,600 guineas. That represents the sum of money which has been paid for the youngsters that have passed the first year of their lives within its walls. When Cissy’s son leaves the Park, that sum should see an important addition. A colt that also attracts me very much is a grandly shaped brother to George Wright’s pet Forme. Last year he thought it good enough to give 200 guineas for a chestnut filly by Hotchkiss —Formo, and when next year’s sale comes round he may be advised to pay attention to the colt which Formo has this time presented to Hotchkiss. Wright already has Forme and Forma, and if he takes this colt and bestows a similar name on him.he won’t have the worst of the trio by a long way. Merganser’s dam, Albatross, shows a beautiful colt whose sire is Cuirassier, and he can certainly hold his own with the best of the Park young ones. Merganser was by Nordenfeldt Albatross, and a colt by Cuirassier out of the same mare needs no further praise. The last of the colts is a Castor—Hilda, and he is more than a fairly good one. I may say I like him immensely. To sum up the colts I think the youngsters by Cuirassier — Ouida, Castor— Cissy, Hotchkiss —Formo, Cuirassier—Albatross, Castor—Hilda; St. Leger—Lilac, and Castor —Moilena, are the pick of the male division. And of the fillies I prefer the Castor —Necklace, M edallion —Sapphire, Hotchkiss — Tasmania, Hotchkiss—Bianca, and Castor— Frailty youngster. Having finished with the young stock Mr Morrin invites me to see the Park brood mares, and we visit a finely grassed paddock where half a dozen mares are feeding apd showing unmistakeable signs of approaching maternity. The first is without doubt a lady, being no less a personage than the great Carbine’s full sister Lady, Walmsley. This daughter of the famous pair, Musket and Mersey, is heavy in foal to Castor, so the outcome of the union should be some-

thing decidedly good. Bangle is carrying a St. Leger foal, which should be surely worth something. The grey mare Vivan- T ' diere has again'been put to Castor, so Three Star (whom I may remark in passing is thought good enough by his connections to remain on the other side with a view to the Melbourne Cup) must have pleased Mr Morrin. A fine looking mare is Vivandiere, with great massive quarters; and bearing good traces of her Musket blood. The Nordenfeldt —Ouida mare. Hazel, is in foal to St. Leger. Balista carries a foal to the same stallion and Brown Bess, Derringer’s sister, is in foal to Castor. Lyrelinus bears the mark of St. Leger’s handiwork, and Cuirrasier will sire Radiant’s coming foal. Hotchkiss has given foals to Weasel, Lady Sterling and Formo, and Castor has again successfully served Cissy. After the result of their last union Mr Morrin was right to again mate this couple, and if the next foal is as good as the present growing'one, the Wellington Park studmaster should be well satisfied. Cissy is a grand mare, „with all her future before her, and Mr Morrin rightly attaches great importance to .her. Full sister to the great Trenton is something of a recom-_ mendation, and Castor cannot complain 1 of the opportunity given him when this handsome matron is mated with him. Necklace, who also bears a foal to the son of Zealot—Lady Yardley, a fine specimen of a brood mare, and the Leolinus mare Lioness also carries a foal to him. Hilda and Pungawerawera are the two remaining mares that have been put to him, and Brown Alice, Sapphira, and Frailty are heavy in foal to St. Leger. The last matron I’ looked at is Rubina, who bears a foal to Cuirassier. Before I leave the Park my host shows me the Sultans of his harem, and I am glad of the opportunity to see Castor, of whom I had heard a lot. Mr Morrin is ; evidently proud of this horse, and after looking at him I cannot wonder at his pride. The reports I had heard of Zealot’s son had not prepared me for the handsome horse placed before me. He is as pretty as a picture, with a handsome kindly looking head and fine sloping shoulders. His back is lengthy, and as level as it could well be. For quality and taking appearance he is hard to beat, and the saying respecting “ Handsome is that handsome does,” look at his performances. When England saw his two-year-old efforts he started eight tiipes, and was returned the winner on half a dozen occasions. Then when another year had passed over his head he, started thirteen times and won on ten occasions, four of the victories being accomplished in succession. When four years of age he won the Liverpool Cup of 2ooosovs, carrying'7.B ; rah second in the Northumberland]Plate at Newcastle ; finished third in the City and Suburban at Epsom ; and at Doncaster ran fourth in the Spring Handicap. At five years he passed into Mr W. R. Wilson’s hands, and Mr Morrin being-in Melbourne at the time of his arrival there in company with Eiridspord, had the judgment to secure him. Castor’s pedigree should be good enough for anyone seeing that it contains twelve English Derby winners, six St. Legers, four Oaks, and four Two Thousand heroes. A recommendation this that should satisfy the most fastidious. After Castor had shown me his paces, St. Leger was brought out, and he has filled out considerably of late. Although not so handsome as Castor, who reminds one of those fanciful old English pictures of well nigh impossibly beautiful thoroughbreds, Doncaster’s son shows heaps of quality and looks what he is, one of the most successful sires we have got in these 4>arts. He takes rank this year as the second successful sire of the colony, being topped very little by St. George. During the season 1893-94 he sired seventeen winners, whose earnings totalled up to the respectable sum of /'3336. He was a cheap horse at the 4oogns which marked the fall of the hammer at the clearing sale of the New Zealand Stud Company, at whose headquarters, by the way, he was never given a chance, being overshadowed by the great Musket, and after hi* death by Nordenfeldt and Sword Dance. Blit since those days he has fought his way to the front, and showed what great abilities he has in the direction of getting racehorses. His breeding is too well known to require comment. Hotchkiss was the next stallion brought into the ring, and, . after comparing his condition with that of twelve months back, one readily believes that the quick way in which he grew necessitated au early attachment to stud duties. He has a tremendous top, and has grown into a great horse all “Wl Fine leg, with great boa, ,up-

,r ? •- -■ .. ... •\ port him, and although' a big one, .he is by no means coarse, and is as active x on his feet as a circus horse. Which < remark reminds me that the stud groom at the Park has his stallions trained in a manner that is wont to remind one of the tan circle of the circus. The sires obey every movement of his hand, and are evidently on the best of terms with him. Cuirassier is another active one that cavorts around in circus like Style, and his handsome body fills the eye most favourably. A great massive horse this, * showing great muscle over his loins and quarters, grand bone, and a splendid set of legs. The racing nature of his lineage is undoubted, seeing that he is by Musket from Fraility, and therefore full brother to Trenton and Cissy, and a half-brother to Ike Foulsham’s pet, Niagara, and Mary and Zaliniski. Cuirassier has been given a great chance at the Park, the mares put to him being all picked ones. My visit closes with a glance at Tasman, who is booked to take up stud work in the Waikato. He will be good enough for the work, but whether the work will be good enough for him is another matter, and with that thought in my mind I take my leave of Mr Morrin’s perfect stud farm.