Around the Stables.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 208, 19 July 1894, Page 7

Around the Stables.

J. B. WILLIAMSON’S ESTABLISHMENT.

[By

Borderer.

Being out at the Ellerslie course last Thursday and meeting with Mr J. B. Williamson, who was there supervising Ivy’s work, I took advantage of his invitation to look through his stables. Mr Williamson’s establishment bears no distinguishing name, but the Emerald tinge of his nomenclature might easily produce a suitable title. Such names as Killaloe, Ballyhooley, Shillelagh, Aughadowey (nice name to pronounce that, for the bookmakers), and. Parnell smack strongly of the Emerald Isle, and a biblical tinge is given by the quartette of horses bearing the names Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. But however peculiar the names, the horseflesh bearing them are good enough, and “J. 8.,” as his intimates call him, may forcibly demonstrate this during the coming season. The first occupant of the stable that is shown me is a colt by The Dauphin out of Fair Lilian, and I believe he is as yet unbroken. He strikes one as a niceish, lengthy strong colt, and although his breeding does not incline me towards him—for I am no lover of The Dauphin —I must admit he possesses a fairly businesslike appearance. The next I am shown is a colt -by St. Leger—Orina, by Captivator —Rangi, and a fine-looking promising horse he is. Blackfriar looks comfortable enough in his box, and it does not require two glances at his shoulder to tell he has St. Leger blood. He is by Doncaster’s great son out of Blackbird. This is a nice cut of a hoise, with good, well formed strong legs and a decidedly jumping look about him. And whatever jumping ability he may possess is bound to receive due development in this stable. In the next' box I find Marechai Neil, and when stripped he looks a perfect wreck. The roughened, jagged condition of his coat betrays cold, and my host tells me the horse always appears to be half frozen. Why this should be so, goodness knows, for his box is a warm, comfortable one, and a double allowance of covering is allowed the Marechai. There is evidently something wrong with the horse, but he is in clever hands, and may be expected to come out-of his trouble all right. Ivy I know well, and she requires no introduction to the sporting world. She is doing all the work allotted her, and all going well may spring a surprise or two on us during the spring. She is a bit of a clinker on the training track, but as a rule fails to run up to expectation on the race track. A sister to Lord Dunluce is another occupant of the stable. She was only taken in hand on the first of the month, and promises to _ be a very decent mare. Although a bit backward, she shows signs of improving, and taken all round is a well-built one. We know what her sire, St. Leger, is, and although the dam, Lady Antrim, was never raced, she comes of a great running family, being half-sister to Mitrailleuse, Revolver, Coral, Ricochet, Lady Alice, Braemar and Cambria. The next one shown me is a clinker without a doubt. This is a splendidly formed colt, by Howitzer out of Pastime, upon whom has been bestowed the name of Aughadowery. He is a two year-old, and shows great gaskin and second thigh for his age. Here is another that may see the jumping line, and whatever may be his future I’m certain that pace and stamina will not be wanting in him. Whichever way you look at him. he impresses you most favourably, and when the race track sees him I will certainly bear him in mind. The Taranaki Hack Derby will e his commencing point. Derry looks in perfect health, and is wintering in very comfortable fashion, and in a box further on I find a half-brother to Eve, who bears the appropriate name of Adam. He is by Castor out of The Jilt, and he has his sire’s back to a nicety. He is, rising three, and is very even in conformation. He is a very handsome colt, and I am inclined to predict that Williamson will get many a good gallop out of him. The next box is tenanted by Abel, a rising three-year-old by Hotchkiss out of Aida, and consequently a half-brother to Impulse. This fellow has a fine back, looks sound and strong in the limbs, and barring the head is a taking looking colt. In the headpiece, he has the brand of his dam’s sire, Leolinus, in the shape of a pair of most uncompromising lop ears. But they don’t gallop on their ears, so this should not be any bar to one liking looks.

The inmate of the next box proves to be the chestnut colt by Judge Beldin out of Lady Byron, the Childe Harold mare, which Mr Williamson purchased at the sale of Mr Hordern’s trotters some back. The appropriate name of Judge Byron has been bestowed upon him, and I understand that he is to be put to stud work. He is a splendidly evenly built horse, and on breeding he should have pace, seeing that his sire ha-; a record of 2min 31 sec, and that his dam cut out a trial three miles in 7-nin }2sec. He was reckoned the pi..k of the basket presented by Mr Hordern, and on his blood lines he is fit to mate with any mare. His dam, Lady Byron, was one of the fastest and best-tempered trotters on the Australian 'side, and her three mile trial in y.jzsec is a well authenticated one, and shows that she has great stamina as well as pace. His sire, - Judge Belden, came from a horse that sired the great Alfred S., the champion roadster of New York. The appearance does justice to his aristocratic breeding, and his owner should experience no difficulty in getting a large number of owners of mares to put their animals to him. Lord Dunluce looks very forward, and is in tip top condition. He is handsome, and at the same time gives you the impression that beneath his pleasing exterior there is a tower of strength. This colt should have a most promising future. Gay Deceiver is an old acquaintance, and he is fine looking animal to look at, but like his name he is a very gay 4 deceiver. We now reach the end stall, and “ J. 8.” remarks, “Now you know the lines commencing : —The pick of the basket, the stall at the top,” and consequently I look forward to something good. But he’s an inveterate wag and when the door opens my vision of a hummer resolves itself into a big placid draught entire who apparently wonders as he blinks his eyes at us why the honour <— of a visit should be paid to him. Aftfer looking at an Ingomar—Zip, and a pony by a son of The Dauphin called Traducer (Sacrilege !), we look at Killaloe, Parnell, and Salute, who are all turned out and rugged in one of the home paddocks. Ballyhooley, the half-brother to Mangere, . comes in for some attention, and I learn from my host that he is a capable jumper. In Despised’s old box I see a chestnut yearling gelding by St. Leger out of the Anteros mare Jessie. This youngter appears to be rather backward. In a paddock close by the house I meet Eve and old Shillelagh, and the mare is putting on fat in a way that is eloquent of want of work. Out in one of the outlying paddocks I am shown something like a racehorse. This is Orestes. He is a beautifully bred horse, being by Nordenfeldt out of Clytemnestra, who was by Blair Athol out of a daughter of Irish Birdcatcher and Mickleton Maid, by Maid of Lome by Whisker. Orestes’ dam Clytemnestra was a very unfortunate mare, and was never given a chance of being represented by her stock. In 1872 she foaled a bay filly in England by Findon, who was sent to Spain, and consequently the youngster’s subsequent career is unknown. The chestnut colt she foaled to Victorious in 1874 was killed by a kick, and the bay filly Moira, which resulted from her mating with Scottish Chief in 1879 was sent to Belgium. In 1880 she had no return, and in the following year she missed to Scottish Chief. That brings us to 1882 when she had her first New Zealand foaling, a bay filly by Musket, which, however, had its career cut short by the strangles. In 1883, 1884, and 1885 she missed to several horses, and in 1886 she threw a bay filly to the serving of Musket or Ingomar, which .afterwards bore the name of Iphigenia. This filly was as fast as the wind, but once again the mare’s bad luck stuck to her, for Iphigenia was such a mad headed brute that she could not be trained. She’d pretty well come off the paddock and run six furlongs in about “ sixteen,” but her temper prevented her being trained. In the year following Iphigenia’s foaling, Clytemnestra missed, and in the year after, 1888, she produced Orestes, the colt I started to write about, and I’ll guarantee that if he were taken in hand he would be a great horse. In appearance he resembles to a certain extent his dam’s sire, Blair Athol, for he has the regular Blair Athol blaze down the face. Although doing nothing but running, about in his paddock, in which he remains all night, Orestes, when stripped, looks half in training so finely do his muscles stand out. That he is a fast horse his gallops around the paddock convinced me, and on breeding he should surely have pace. His dam was a fast mare before she met with the accident

which necessitated her going to the stud, and her daughter, Moira, was a fast filly. As for Clytemnestra’s sire, Blair Athol, everyone knows of his Derby and St. win of 1864, and that he sired Prince Charlie, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas; Scottish Queen and Cecilia, both winners of the One Thousand Guineas ; Silvio, of Derby and St. Leger fame, and many other great horses. When Blair Athol was sold in 1872 the figure of 12,500 guineas was paid for him. Orestes’ breeding is good enough for anyone, and as I look at him the thought passes through my mind what a pity it is to see such a fine looking horse doing absolutely nothing. I may say that at one time of his life rheumatism nearly v carried Orestes off, the illness being so bad that he had to be lifted off the ground. The way he gallops around his paddock at the present time shows, however, that there is no trace left of his old ailment, and as I said before it is a thousand pities that such a fine looking horse should be kept idle.