FRANK MAOMANEMIN'S STABLE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 208, 19 July 1894, Page 8

FRANK MAOMANEMIN'S STABLE.

Rar-eter in the day I look through the , training establishment of Frank Macmanemin, the trainer and lucky owner of St. Clements. His stable is at present a small but very select one, and if ability and straight dealing will push a man along, Macmanenrin’s string should grow year by year. He musters two nice two-year-olds in his stable, a Tasman— Bubina colt and a Tasman —Hazel filly, in addition to which there is that champion sprinter St. Clements ; that sterling old steeplechaser Fishmonger; St. Patrick, a horse that will worthily represent St. Leger; Belmont, j.and the pony Lady Marion. I am first introduced to the two-year-olds, and their condition reflect the highest credit on their trainer. The first animal shown me is the brown colt by Tasman from Rubina, which Mr Kidd purchased at the last Wellington Park sale. I think Mr Kidd did a wise thing when he purchased this full brother to Florrie. The youngster, who is so far unnamed, has a rather small headpiece, which has an appearance that warrants him as a kindly tempered colt. Although young, he already has plenty of racing points, is just the correct size for a two-year-old, and if appearances go for anything, he could certainly come early. He is perhaps a bit small in the girth, but I have seen many horses smaller than him, and taking him all round he fills the eye most favourably. All Rubina’s progeny have shown marked galloping abilities, and this youngster should be ho exception to the rule. Florae’s record is something to point to, and Launceston is no bad one, and respecting Rubina 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 i lb to Nelson and idb to Mitrailleuse, and cut ont the six furlongs in a little over imin i6sec; Later in life, after a very successful career, she carried 8.0 to victory in the C.J.C. Great Autumn Handicap, beating Captain Webb, Sou’-wester, Lady Emma, Nelson, Administrator and Wapiti. She was as game a mare as we ever had on the New Zealand track, and the sort of she is throwing augurs well for her chance of becoming one of the gems of the stud book. The Tasman —Hazel filly, which my host obtained al last year’s Wellington Park sale for 73 guineas, is also here. This youngster is developing a great gasskin and second thigh, and looks more like a horse that, has been raced than a beginner. She is as pretty as a picture, and although small is a remarkably businesslike looking parcel. She carries herself capitally, and shows good budding muscular development. We know what a great ,performer her sire, Tasman, was, and how out of his 61 starts he won 31 races, ran second on .14 occasions, finished third five times, and was unplaced eleven times. Hazel during her turf career was ah exceptionally fast mare. She won the D.J.C. Maiden Plate, one mile and a quarter, in zmin iBmin, beating a field of six when she was a three-year-old ; won the Consolation Handicap ■at Christchurch in the summer, and won -the Great Autumn Handicap in the fine time of zmin 371 sec, and so broke the New Zealand record. In that race she beat Occident (the Otago Cup and Forbury Handicap winner); Freedom (the Dunedinand Otago Cup victor); Blizzard, Palliser and Moraine, &c. Not bad ones those I The filly my host has in hand shows us nice galloping power latter in the day when she, in company with the

Tasman —Rubina colt, are taken down to Ellerslie and given good steady work. St. Clements is shown me in his box, and he looks in the best of fettle. He’s a great horse over his own distance, and I can’t help wondering over the remarks I have recently heard about people being willing to back St. Kilda to beat him over five furlongs. If such a match were arranged I know where my support would go. Old Fishmonger occupies an adjacent box, and he appears to be doing famously. He is not being worked with a view to Christchurch, and I think it verv unlikely that he will undertake the journey. The fact is Fishmonger is averse to sod banks, and the fact that he would have to negotiate sod banks eight different times at Christchurch will unfavourably affect his chance of going for Southern Grand National honours. It was a sod bank that threw him out of our Great Northern. It will be remembered that he blundered and pretty well went through the sod wall before the double, and when he galloped up to the last-named obstacle he was labouring in the forelegs in a manner that told those acquainted with the horse that his show was over. If that wall had not gruelled him, as was the case, he would probably have got over the hill jump, and then Bombardier would have had to fight hard for a' win. Fishmonger stripped for that race in the best of condition, and the opinion is general amongst the Ellerslie people that no horse ever did a better preparation than the Izaak Walton gelding did for our last Great Northern. St. Patrick is in the next box to Fishmonger, and I regard this animal with a friendly eye, for I had the double pleasure of forecasting and bucking his opening wins. He’s a good cut of a horse, and if treated fairly in the handicapping line he will .put many more wins to his credit. One thing is clear, and that is that it will be grossly unfair to handicap him on his flukey victory over St. Kilda in the Winter Welter. It was the-big start and nothing else that gained him that race. The last animal I look at is Lady Marion, and she is wintering well. She looks in blooming health, and although not a bad racer I very much doubt whether she will ever be able to stay.