Amid the Thoroughbreds.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 262, 1 August 1895, Page 4

Amid the Thoroughbreds.

[by

borderer.]

A TRIP TO WELLINGTON PARK.

MR MORRIN’S XMAS OFFERINGS.

Twice every year sporting writers have the pleasant task of strolling over the famous Wellington Park breeding stud for the purpose of noting the goodly contingent of youthful equine aristocrats that Mr T. Morrin disperses at Xmastide to keep green the names of the great sires and dams located at his Park. Such visits are always keenly enjoyed by the unfortunates whose task it is to collect racing gossip and stable news, and supply race-goers with “ tips ” ; for the Master of Wellington Park is a generous host, and what is more to the point, he is in a position to show you some of the most aristocratically-bred parcels of horseflesh to be found anywhere in ,the Australias. A turf writer’s life is not always cast in pleasant places. He is called upon to anticipate racing results, and when h<» does get on the mark his readers murmur, “ Pooh, only a piece of luck,” while in the event of his selections failing to score, his

-clients revile him in unmeasured terms, and place his ill-luck on a handy memory shelf which they may easily reach in the event of further anathematical language being required to help digestion. The turf writer tells a trainer or an owner a pieee -of unwelcome truth and his writing retreat -is hurriedly invaded by individuals who assure him with unnecessary vehemence that he is a malicious pervertor and a stupendous fraud. The knowledge of certain little vagaries peculiar to turf men is ■necessary to the financial happiness of the more or less blind army of backers, and it is the unpleasant duty of the turf writer to point them out. In return, the parties affected deem it their •duty to inform him with a quite unnecessary supply of electrical language that he is a blundering blither er, supplied with a considerably smaller supply of reasoning ability than is found in the common or garden variety of idiot. . A racing professor is informed (through the apparently safe avenue of type and printer’s ink) that one of his horses did hot show correct form at such and such a meeting. The paper containing the observation is barely on the streets when that Master of (racing) Arts spreads himself over your •office, and in language more forcible than polite intimates that you are a colossal exaggerator, with the brain of a one-eyed mosquito. This is a digression, but it may explain why we hail with satisfaction a run over a breeding •estate like Wellington Park, where highly-bred •equine babies regard you with honest eyes and note with gratified interest (and an occasional Kick) the favourable criticism passed on them. There is a refreshing absence of guile in baby racers, and one praises their beauty, ’.ecoids in print their promising appearance, and inside one short year wins or loses (generally the latter) many shekels over their f urf deeds. Yes. it is a

treat to spend a day away from the bewildering study of handicaps, the placating of wild-eyed office visitors, and the misleading sights and confidences of the training track, and in no quarter is the treat so varied as at Wellington Park. Last Saturday I visited the home of St. Leger, Castor, and Co., at the invitation of Mr Morrin, who assured me he had one of the best, if not the best, batch of rising yearlings he has ever offered at the January sales. Before describing the numerous parcels of racing mystery • shown me during my visit last Saturday, let me say that Mr Morrin does not-deviate from the path of Truth when he claims unusuaf excellence for his latest horse crop. Taking the yearlings individually and collectively they certainly beat the last two Park harvests. In one or two instances, or four to be accurate, the rising yearlings of 1896 are a bit small, but when you are dealing with thirty-six youngsters it is a wonderful percentage to find thirty two grandly grown and well-nigh perfectly proportioned colts and fillies. This year the Wellington Park bunch is unusually forward, and in view of the season we have experienced the wealth of growth to be found in Mr Morrin’s yearling boxes is remarkable. Excluding a quartette of late St. Leger fillies all the youngsters are so splendidly grown as to excite comment even in connection with the Park Stud, where the undersized business is practically unknown. The present lot are to my own knowledge collectively superior to those of 1893 and 1894, and men who possess a longer acquaintance of. Wellington Park than I do are confident that in no year has so good a batch been grown on the slopes of Mount Wellington. For general uniform excellence the writer has never seen their equals. While among them some half dozen certainlyrank in the very first flight, yet all show

such an abundance of racing points in conformity with their choice breeding that critics will find it hard to pick out a single disappointing one. With the exception of the four late St. Leger fillies alluded to every member of the batch is well muscled, strong, and lusty looking.. Mr Morrin’s establishment has been dealt with so often by more eloquent peris than mine that I can afford to pass over the beauty of the estate and the appropriateness of its surroundings for the work of its owner. It would indeed be hard to find a more suitable spot for a breeding farm,, or one so complete in its appointments. With naturally drained meadows, abundantly provided with sweet pasturage, the best blood it is possible to procure, and a studmaster versed in the art of successful “ nicks,” it would be strange if shabby youngsters passed through the Wellington Park gates, and it’s odds on that the New Year sale will not disclose anything unworthy of the Stud’s high reputation. Last Saturday’s visit was made in company with my confreres of the daily Press, and after the stallions of the stud had shown off their paces our host took us through the yearling stables, the inmates of which number just three dozen. .St. Leger, the Premier sire of last season’s winning list heads the poll with 11 descendants (5 fillies and 6 colts), Cuirassier comes next with 10 (6 fillies and 4 colts), Castor has 9 youngsters (5 fillies and 4 colts), and the Musket horse Hotchkiss stands lowest in the tally with a quintette (1 filly and 4 colts). The returns quoted total 35, and a filly by Brigadier from The Jilt brings the record to just three dozen. Last year the total was 27, and the year before 31, while the 1892 catalogue showed a main of 20. Compared with the results of the last couple of jears, the present, figures show that St. Leger and Cuirassier

have advanced most in the number of gets. Two years back St. Leger a solitary representatives, last year he had a couple, now he has eleven to represent him. And as his breeding mates in the present productions include Sapphire (dam of Bluefire and Mannlicher), Bangle (dam of Casket), Aida (dam of Impulse and Abel), Hazel (dam of Hazelmere), and Balista (sister to Artillery and Hilda and half sister to Strathmore), there is every reason why the son of Doncaster should keep well up in the list of winning sires. He had no youngsters to help him in achieving the position of premier in this year’s stallion list, so when his present running representatives are supplemented by the yearlings under reviews his opponents should find it hard to shake him from the top of the tree. Cuirassier’s total (5) at last year’s sale has been doubled, and it is pretty safe to prophesy big things for Trenton’s brother now that he is receiving the assistance of such mares as Bianca, Albatross, Ouida, Radiant, and Rose of Wellington. Castor has one youngster less than was the case last year, and Hotchkiss lias two less, while his main shows a decrease of eight compared with the figures for the 1894 sale. Coming to the youngsters themselves we first looked into the boxes devoted to Castor’s Progeny, and leading off with the fillies, box No. 1 disclosed a beautifully built daughter of Cissy the handsome sister to Cuirassier and Trenton. If ever a mare was entitled on breeding and good looks to throw clinkers, Cissy is the article and there’s no question about the young ’tin Castor has given her. Bay in colour and marked with a star this filly has a great' range underneath, a level back, is well coupled, has fine/quarters, and

a promise of great development over the loins. Last year Castor gave Cissy a colt foal, Day star, and the coming season will show what the nick of Zealot’s son on a daughter of Musket is capable of. A glance at the Stenning string in work at Ellerslie proves that Cissy threw a slippery one in October of 1893 and her second foaling should show up equally well. Daystar’s sister is quiet and sensible to a degree and should give rise to keen competition next January. The price of the Castor —Cissy youngster at the last sale was 280 guineas. Box No. 2 holds a Castor —Pungawerewere filly, chestnut in colour. She is later in her foaling date than the Cissy youngster whom she resembles very much in the dignified contempt she displays for intruders. This yearling represents the first mating of Castor with the daughter of Golden Grape and Atalanta. “ Punga.” gave a proved one to Nordenfeldt in the shape of the Auckland Cup winner Crackshot and we are led to believe that her Hotchkiss pledge of affection, Osculator, is several cuts above the ordinary. Besides the pair named she has produced amongst others' the Musket horse Tetford, Deadshot’s dam Katipo, West Australian, Brigadier, and Puwerewere. lam aware that Pungawerewere’s Dunedin Cup of 1876 was a trifle unexpected and that while on the turf she was not too reliable. Although she had the pace Punga was not always willing to shoot it out, but her little failing in this respect has not been transmitted to her progeny as witness the readiness to gallop on the part of Crackshot (a Canterbury and Auckland Cup winner), Tetford (a Wanganui Cup victor), and St. James (Dunedin Cup) to say nothing of Brigadier’s sound racing. Punga.’s latest offspring is very evenly balanced and has a steady business-like appearance. Box No. 3 contains a Castor—Welcome Katie filly

and therefore a full sister to Leda and half relative to Ben Godfrey and Tulloch. The Zealot horse throws them big to the daughter of Musket and Dundee's Katie, both Leda and the 1893 colt (purchased by Mr W. Adams) being on (he large side. The filly of this year is all brown and is one of the biggest youngsters of the whole establishment and in point of quality as good as the most of them. She has plenty of length, is well ribbed up, with good quarters, and is splendidly let down. Her dam was never raced, but her pedigree is good enough to dispense with turf achievements, for was she not sired .by Musket from a Dundee mare that goes back on the dam’s side to Phyrne one of the pearls of the English Stud Book. In the next box we come across a daughter of Castor and Victoria and consequently a full sister to Planet. This filly has Castor’s head to a tick and though perhaps not quite so lengthy as the others shows substance and muscular development much above the average. In conformation she resembles her dam, the Feve mare Victoria, and though not a very big one has lumps of quality and stands on well cut supports. Her back is straight and the quarter development promises well. At the ’94 sale a Hotchkiss —Victoria filly quitted at 50 guineas and should the lot under review be obtainable at anything like that figure it will be a bargain. The remaining Castor filly claims Lioness as dam, but she was in one of the out paddocks and was not produced. That completes Castor’s daughters. Now for his colts. The first to be looked over was a retd clipper and seeing that Carbine’s sister, Lady Walmsley, is his dam it would be a piece of insufferable cheek oh the youngster’s part if he did not show up.in a fashion worthy of such blue-blooded descent. Up , to now Lady Walmsley has been unlucky in her

visitings, but after several failings she had the luck to hold to Mr Morrin’s pet sire, Castor, and that holding has resulted in a very pretty piece of horseflesh. This young gentleman - occupies a box famous in the history of Wellington Park, for it has housed all the top-sawyers. When I visited the stud this time lasts year, the Castor —Cissy colt, Daystar, was the occupant of this box, and I remember noticing some pencil marks on the door which proved to be a sum totalling of 7,600 guineas. That represented the sum of money paid up to the end of 1894 for the youngsters who passed the first year of their lives within its walls. The 280 guineas paid for Daystar brings the tally up to 7,880 guineas, and when 1896 opens a further respectable addition should result. If he proves worthy of his box the son of Carbine’s sister will do, and though I am not going to pick him as the clipper of . the Park lot, there is ground for saying that he stands pretty well up in the list. He is a very promising looking rangy brown colt, clean limbed, with fine head and neck and good barrel. His looks approach perfection, and the breeding would pass that stage were it possible. This youngster forms the first of the Turf Nomenclature'Comi petitions promoted by the Sporting He vie vt - ;'of which more anon. On looks he will" be'more than worthy of the best name suggested. The Lady Walmsley colt’s next door neighbour is a son <>f Castor and the famous MusketI—Locket 1 —Locket mare Necklace (dam of Swordbelt, Miss Letty, > Collarette, and Cravat). This colt is bay in l colour with white hind feet, and should develop into a very powerful racer. He is a very larize and well furnished youngster, with, good flat legs, big joints, and altogether has an appearance of great power and stamina. Last year the Messrs. Duder, Bros, gave 200 guineas

: for a filly resulting from a similar mating, and this year’s youngster, being a colt, should get up to and beyond that figure before Mr Philson allows his hammer to fall. Like most of the Castors, the Necklace colt has a pleasing amount of dignity about him. Coming from such a dam hp ' should also possess a big allowance of pace tp counteract his placid, dignified demeanour, for Necklace unquestionably was one of the best mares that ever sported silk in New Zealand. Castor on Hilda is reponsible for the colt occu- . pying the next box, and a rare good or ) e this youngster is. Northerners are familiar with the fine work shown on the racing track by Hilda. It will be remembered the daughter of Musket j —Ouida was put to Castor rather late just after she was taken out of training, and missed to him, but her next effort to the Zealot horse was successful, and the last sale saw the result, a brown colt, purchased at 135 guineas. That youngster is now learning the rudiments of. his education in Chaafe’s stable, and has been nampd Antares. In all probability his brother will prove a better quartered animal than Antares, although it cannot be said the latter has any marked failing in that direction. This yearling has a nice length, a bold shoulder, and strongly marked driving capacity. The last of the Castor colts is from the Musket—Rosalie mare, Lady Wellington. He is a trifle on the small side, but is very evenly made. The Cuirassiers. I he sons and daughters of Cuirassier were next inspected, and right well has Trenton’s brother acquitted himself. Right through, the ten youngsters sired by him show power and stamina. C drassier’s partners last season included such good ones as Ouida (dam of Artillery, Balista,

■ ■ Hilda, Hazel, Strathmore, and Brown Alice), Albatross (dam of Merganser. Elswick, etc.), Bianca (dam of Kempenfeldt, The Shrew, . Maid of Athol (dam of ‘he Musket horses' Krupp, Soudan, Cannon, and Scots Grey, and the Nordenfeldt fillies Norsemaid and Tartan),' • and headshot’s dam, Katipo. Mr Morrin has ■ every reason to be satisfied with the worn Cuirassier has for his stock promise to grow into racers of the lasting, wear and tear type. > There is not a meanly built youngster in the lot, and when they get to business their sire should find very worthy representation. Cuirassier will, in my opinion at least, be one of the foremost stock-getters ere long, and his services will.be eagerly sought after once his youngsters get fairly going. This horse does not throw light stock, but at the same time coarseness canhot be charged to him. His descendants are sturdily built, with any amount of determination, and altogether they promise to turn out, lasters. As regards Cuirassier himself it may be said he grows more like his sire every day. He is a grandly built horse, look at him as you will, with wonderful propelling power, great muscle over 'his loins and quarters, and a set of legs like steel bars. He was a brilliant racer in his day, and his briliance would have sparkled to an even greater extent had he not been just a trifle gross. At any rate he was seldom in that state of fitness ' requisite for the proper display of his powers. His first descendant introduced to our notice was \”hn all brown filly out of that fine looking mare Bianea, by JBlack Eagle (son of Yattendon and Camilla) out of Bessie, by Angler (son of Fisher- ; inan and the Oaks winner Marchioness) cut of Scraps, by Lord of the Hills (imp.) —Ragpicker, : who was sister to, Sylvia. Bianca threw well to Nordenfeldt in the shape of Kempenfeldt and The Shrew, and with a horse like Cuirassier she should produce something worth racing. Her filly last year (by Hotchkiss) was a particularly smart looking youngster, but Trenton’s brother now shows a better one, albeit present looks give the young’un a somewhat nugget ty appearance. She has, however, any amount of growing space in the right direction,.and will cut a vastly improved figure when sale day comes round. The St. Leger —Fleurette mare, Rose of Wellington, > , shows a strongly built filly to the same stallion. This' young lady has the colour : and intelligent head of her sire, and strikes you as a filly of fine lines and racing-like conformation. . Both sire and dam have youth on their side, so one is not surprised to find the offspring fulLof resolution and lustiness. Rose of Wellington’s first foal (True Blue), has shown sufficient dash in his two-year-old work on the Australian side to justify big hopes concerning his career. On looks, at all events, the mare’s second effort should not fall short of the one she put forward to the serving of Hotchkiss, who sired True Blue. In the next box we are shown one of the best youngsters in the stable, a determined looking filly out of Albatross, the dam of Teksum, Lochness, Merganser, Elswick, and Goosander. Albatross only ran in one race as a youngster, meeting with an accident which threw , her out of-training, but the speed of her blood has found good outlet in her progeny, all of whotp have shown rare pace. Certainly Goosander has not yet come out of her shell, but she can gallop, as her track instructors know. Albatross’s latest youngster has three white feet and a blaze. She shows splendid character, possesses great quarters, closely set shoulders, good legs, a level backhand is low and rangy. In short she bids fair to possess all the points of a high-class racehorse. Gannet (daughter of Albatross) is represented in the adjoining box by a very level brown filly that suffers a little in comparison with the Albatross young-, sten Tbe Robinson Crusoe—Radiance mare, Radiant, has a pleasing, compactly built, brown filly and Cuirassier’s last daughter claims as dam that great mare Ouida, who was got by Yattendon and goes back on the dam’s side to the same blood as The Barb. The stud book shows (or should show, for it's lamentably behind the times) Ouida to be the mother of a long list of winners, and , with Cuirassier’s help her list should receive many an important addition. Like most of the gets of theson of Musket — Frailty, the filly under review is a great big brown with lots of driving power, good shoulders, and legs of iron. She has the appearance of developing into a filly capable of a lot of hard campaigning. The first of Cuirassier’s quartette of colts has for dam the Maribyrnong—Paraguay mare Maid of Athol. This colt takes after his mother in colour and 7>will show a dark grey coat and blazed face by Christmas time. He has nice flat legs and will be a good sized raking fellow with plenty of length. This colt is three-quarter brother to : Krupp, who ran well as a two-year-old and passed away when people were reckoning his C.J.C. Derby chance second to none. A Cuirassier— Katipo bay colt is built on powerful lines and bears a resemblance to Crackshot the speedy half-brother to Katipo. This youngster is well furnished and should grow into a very deep yearling. Tasmania, the rather plain half-sister to Tasman, has thrown a brown colt and though the yearling is smaller than most of the other Cuirassiers he is cast on very compact lines and shows an admirable disposition. He is more than decently quartered and shows nice development over the loins. The Lilac colt is also brown in colour, end though anything but lengthy in the beck manages to s'and over a fair spread of ground. That finishes the Cuirassiers and a finely put together lot they are. A Quintette by Hotchkiss. The sire of last season’s crack Northern two-year-old (Forma) has only five yearlings to represent him at the appr aching sale. Four colts and one filly comprise the Hotchkiss contingent, but the number if small is of select ‘ quality, and should his solitary daughter develop into a Forma he should be more than satisfied. Bridal Rose is the partner that has given Hotchkiss hi« filly, which is ches nut in colour and as active as a cat. She is not large,but is compactly /..built and is all quality. Weazel, the dam of St. ' Mary, has given Hotchkiss a brown colt that

shows a nice barrel and cleanly cut legs. The Nordenfeldt —Yattacy ware, Yattaghan, has a neatly-turned inqui.-itive-looking colt, and Qu en Cole (by King Cole out of Rosalie, and therefore half-sister to Derringer) has a strongly built colt who may be trusted to show power and endurance if he lives to carry colours. The next box revealed one of the plums of the establishment, viz , a full brother to Forma (our crack youngster of last year) and to Uniform the colt that may carry off the next C.J.C. "Welcome Stakes for Mr G. G. Stead. Forma was knocked down at 200 guineas and Uniform at 230 guineas. This latest result of a Hotchkiss —Formo mating will keep well up to those figures, and even at a considerable increase he would be worth every dollar. His oreeder is intensely proud of the colt which takes rank as one. of the two best youngsters in the collection. Even at a time like the present when he should be in the rough, the colt impresses onlookers with the fact that he is a racehorse, so bloodlike is his bearing. He has a short level back, powerful quarters, and well set shoulders. His eye is full of intelligence and his determined style of moving is a certain sign of courage of a high order. This colt will race eafrly and whoever obtains him should have a dangerous, candidate for juvenile honours. By the New Year Formo’s colt will show the furnishing of a two-year-old and is certain to realise one of the top prices of the sale.

St. Leger’s Representatives

• The remaining boxes of the stable contained the stock of the premier sire of last season, and though some of St. Leger’s daughters are on the small side his half dozen colts are real hummers, particularly the Sapphire youngster whose appearance is simply superb. The daughters of the Doncaster horse are out of Puwerewere, Brown Alice, Lady Evelyn, and Aida. The filly from the last named is full sister to Impulse, the New Zealand Cup hero, and though small is a very neat parcel of horseflesh. The Brown Alice filly is another late one, in fact she is a Christmas foal so one cannot wonder at her being backward. These fillies are on the small side but they have plenty of time before them and we all know how the St. Legers improve with age. In the matter of his sons the Doncaster horse has a splendid record for six better colts could not be found in any stud in Australasia, and two of them (the Bangle and Sapphire youngsters) are perfect pearls. The first colt shown us was a big upstanding chestnut out of Lyrelinus. This yearling has a marked resemblance to his grandsire, Thormanby, of whose blood he has a double cross. He is half-brother to Bugler the New Zealand Cup candidate and will grow into a very powerful horse. The full sister to Lyrelinus (Valentinia) has produced a big raking chestnut with a blaze and two white fetlocks. This colt has tremendous length and should prove a stayer judging from his present build. Hazel’s colt is of similar colour and shows strength and endurance in every limb. The Bangle youngster is also chestnut in colour with white markings on the hind fetlocks and the same colour is plentifully spread over his long face which reminds one forcibly of the prints we see of Stockwell. Bangle is a full sister to Thunderbolt, Necklace, Chain Shot, and Necklet, and though she may be said to lack size her yearlings show no failing in that direction. Casket is proving Bangle’s ability as a brood mare and with the help of a horse like St. Leger there is room for the belief that she will improve several notches on her past work. Balista’s yearling has his dam’s colour, a very dark bay, and is built on different lines to the majority of the Legers. He is more on the nuggetty side, but is clean limbed, has a nice kindly head, and possesses a good barrel. The next box brought us to the end of our inspection, but its contents gave us some cause for lengthy deliberation. We were looking at Bluefire’s half-brother, a perfectly proportioned bay colt whose limbs and general conformation foretell great deeds on the race track. This fellow is away above the average, right Up in the cup class unless all signs fail. He is a grand big colt that may not come to hand early, but when he does come he will be no racer of one or two seasons but a stayer whose deeds will gain in splendour as time gives age to his finely moulded limbs. Sapphire’s son is bloodlike to a degree, has a level, short coupled back, beautiful head and neck, great powerfully developed quarters and second thighs, and is in fact a picture of the high-class racehorse. No description could flatter him. He is beyond the need of fulsome praise and stands, in my idea at least, as the top sawyer of the Park. Sapphire’s son, the Formo colt, and the son of Castor and Lady Walmsley are three yearlings whose careers cannot fail to bring them fame. The brood mares were not inspected last Saturday, but I may remark that the first foaling of the season will be by Sunrise (Rama Rama—Awatea) who is expected to foal to Castor about a week hence.

Mr John Murray, M.L.A., the sponsor for the Totalieator Bill in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, speaking at the meeting held by the V.R.C. to consider the betting machine question, wound up his advocacy of the totalisator by saying, “ The totalisator kept the money invested on racing in the country. It did not wear diamonds and red ties, nor did it take trips to all parts of the world.”

Tattersail, Oxenham, and all the other consultationists, have again been told to “ move on,” this time from Brisbane. The Bill for the Suppression of Gambling, passed last week by the Queensland Legislative Assembly, makes it unlawful “to establish, commence, or be a partner in or to manage or conduct any lottery or to sell tickets for such lottery or print or advertise the same.” So Tattcrsall and his fellow Apostles of Luck will have to find another spot for the drawing of Monster Melbourne Cup Sweeps. The Act will not, however, affect the working of this year’s Melbourne and Caulfield Cup gambles, as it does not take effect until the let of January, 1896.