IMPORTANT ADDITION TO THE THOROUGHBRED STOCK OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 310, 2 July 1896, Page 7

IMPORTANT ADDITION TO THE THOROUGHBRED STOCK OF NEW ZEALAND.

When Mr J. O. Hayward left New Zealand for England at the end of last season, taking with him the Musket —Rosalie stallion Derringer, it was generally anticipated that he would return with another horse by way of a change of blood. He kept his own counsel, so that no one knew exactly vzhat particular strain of blood he would go in for, although he must have noticed that studmasters, especially those in the Rangitikei and Wairarapa districts, wanted the Stockwell strain to mingle with the Touchstone blood, which is so much evidence in those districts. A few weeks ago a Wellington sporting scribe received a letter from Mr Hayward, the latter stating that he was bringing outa St. Simon stallion. We doubted the wisdom of this, but it appears from the English papers that the horse Mr Hayward has purchased is the brown horse Gold Reef (1888), bred by Mr Simmons Harrison, who sold him as a yearling for 830 guineas. An advertisement in one of the Home papers announced that the horse would be sold without reserve by Messrs Tattersall in the Park Paddocks at the Newmarket First Spring Meeting, April 29th. As Gold Reef left the race-track quite sound, it is just on.the cards that he may be raced in New Zealand. We are proud to welcome the importatation of any high-class thoroughbred stock to New Zealand, and as the horse is to be advertised in this journal we will quote his pedigree for perusal:—

! The Baron Irish Birdcatcher lhe Baron Echidna ■ Stockwell — Pocahontas Glencoe x Marpessa . o i § TcdrUno-ton Orlando •Q ° Miss Twickenham Marigold a Sister to Ratan O Singapore Dtr. of Melbourne j ™o«=d j o Thormanby | g Alice Muley Moloch ice; Hawthorne Rebecca t L» g Delhi w P* Weatherbit Sheet Anchor Miss Letty Q Beadsman g ! § Medicant Touchstone g (5 Medicant . Lafly M Carew Bay Middleton Madame Dtr- o f Priam i Eglentine . Defence S, Diversion iJeience £ I Folly 5 | | Stockwell The Baron O: Pocahontas I o Camerino B Sylphine Touchstone 3 Mountain Sylph 0) —- p. Knight of Nutwith Pineapple Pocahontas I Evergreen Orlando Pine Heresy

The following is a list of Gold Reef’s performances :—As a two-year-old he started on eight occasions, and won three races. His victories were the Maiden Two-year-old Plate of 147 sovs, five furlongs, at the Kempton Park July Meeting; the Manor Plate of 100 sovs, six furlongs, at the Windsor August Meeting; and the Fortythird Triennial Produce Stakes of 485 sovs, run over the T.Y.C. at the Newmarket First October Meeting. As a three-year-old he started in three small races and was unplaced. As a four-year-old he won the Visitors’ Plate of 100 sovs, five furlongs, at the Newmarket Craven Meeting, and a Handicap Plate of 137 sovs, five furlongs, at the Newmarket July Meeting. As a five-year-old he started eight times and won three races : the Selling Stakes of 152 sovs, five furlongs, at the Newmarket Second October Meeting; the Selling Plate of 100 sovs, five furlongs, at the Newmarket Houghton Meeting ; and a match for 200 sovs, run over five furlongs, at the same meeting. As a six-year-old he started eleven times, and won three races: the Bestwood Park Stakes Handicap of 465 sovs,five furlongs, at the Nottingham Spring Meeting; the Selling Plate of 100 sovs, five furlongs, at the Newmarket October Meeting ; and the Winter Welter Handicap of 157 sovs, five furlongs, at the Manchester November Meeting. Last year he started nine times, but failed to catch the judge’s eye. Still, he must be'a good legged ’unto stand five season’s of racing.

An English writer expresses the following opinion concerning the American racehorses at present running in England : —“ American horseflesh is a bit puzzling. We hear that they are suffering from want of acclimatisation, the difference of tracks, or what not; but there is something behind the American that keeps him behind. ‘ Ooachy’ looking as a rule, perhaps, we do not often see a better turned animal than Astolphe ; but one might paraphrase the celebrated epigram of Voltaire as far as he is concerned, and write, ‘ The mischief of these good-looking people is that they are cowards.’ His trainer said, ‘ I wish he was as good as he looks.’ And one would echo the sentiment as regards some other importations from across tbe water. They do get home nowand again, but one suspects that some of the horses are resting, or that it is a very slow-run race. The average American horse looks like a ’chaser or a badly put-together hackney ; but one day we will have them all spokeshaved down to resemble racehorses.”