A VISIT TO ELDERSLIE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 439, 22 December 1898, Page 15

A VISIT TO ELDERSLIE.

[By

Petronel.]

A brief time at Oamaru was all that business vouchsafed to me, but during my short stay I was enabled, by the vicarious duties of Mr Jack Sewell, to pay a thoroughly enjoyable visit to Elderslie, the North Otago breeding establishment. Calling on Mr Sewell, a walking encyclopedia on matters sporting, he kindly arranged my visit and agreed to take me out to Mr J. F. Reid’s stud farm on the morrow, and next morn ing, with Mr Morris Evans as an agreeable third, we travelled through some splendid country behind Mr Sewell’s cream colored pony, a nag as cute as a waggon-load of Simian gentlemen, and one with a c ecidedly humourous turn of mind. The journey to Elderslie. about eight miles from Oamaru, lies through some of the best land of a most prolific district, and a man with but the scantiest acquaintance with matters agricultural could not fail to note the general promise of abundance adorning the face of the country. With just a little more rain “ right now,” as the Yankees say, the country would be “ sound as the goose,” a remark also hailing from across the Herring Pond, and such crops would be assured as those which filled the granaries and pockets of th,e farmers in the “ good old times.” May the rain fall and the excellent promise of the present become an accomplishment of the future! As we bowl along my companions point out the prominent places of the country. To the left, stretching away for miles, is Mr W. Holmes’ estate, whei’e so many Clydesdales have been bred, born, and reared, and where Ayrshire cattle of equally proud records and sheep of high degree have first seen the light of day. To the right is Mr Menlive’s extensive property, also a home of the Shire horse, and away and beyond the hdls is the Ard go wan Estate, lately cut up and leased by our paternal- Government. By the way, I may note as an instance of domestic legislation that in one small hamlet we pass there are two hotels almost side by side, and that for miles around the licenses of other hotels have been extinguished. Soon we are in sight of Elderslie, and as we near our destination our four-footed intelligence department sweeps round a turn on “ his own ” and travels at a sprint up to the gate leading to the stables. Well, Elderslie is a delightful place, and as a home for the thoroughbred must be recognised as one admirably adapted for the purpose. The many paddocks are all suitable for rearing yoang stock, the pasturage ■ is excellent, and there is a splendid water supply, as the Waireka runs through the property. Mr J. F. Reid and his brother, Mr Douglas Reid, very quickly got us under weigh, and in a very short time we were passing the time of day with Mr Dan Foley, one of the stud-grooms, and Gipsy Grand. The son of Gipsy Grand was running in a small pad dock with a pretty high fence, a good safeguard, for his highness evinced a keen desire to break something, Jack Dewell being, perhaps, the special object of his attentions. Gipsy Grand has developed into a fine fellow, and judging from the strong lot of his foals I saw running about later on, I do not fmcy his stud career will be anything but a big success • He may be put into work again presently, I believe, but I would not like to lay odds on such an event happening, for he if too good a horse to be played with. He has got some splen. id f ale, with any amount of bone and strength, and if ail goes well with them they cannot disgrace their sire. Stepniak is a very “ big little” horse, with wonderful loins, rare good shape, and a set of legs as sound as they were when the son of Nordenfeldt won the Canterbury Derby of ’92. We had a good look at Stepniak, who is a well ' mannered gentleman of exceedingly graceful carriage, and then made a move to the paddocks where the mares and foals were enjoying the luxuriant, feed. In the first enclosure Corolla (the dam of Gold Medallist), Ich Dien (by St. George—Ravenswing), and Bellicent (by Maxim—lris) were leisurely passing away the sunny hours. Corolla and Ich Dicn have visited Gip?y Grand, and Bellicent has been stinted to Stepniak. Mr Stead’s three mares were looking wonderfully well. In the same paddock was the New South Wales mare by Patrol —Firearm. She has visited Stepniak, and though not a mare i o go into raptures over, the result of the union should not be disappointing. Ihe three-year old daughter of ‘Whirlpool, by Stepniak, was also in this paddock. Owing to an accident, she was never raced, but she should undoubtedly be of great service to the Elderslie Stud. Chestnut in color she is a fine, roomy mare, with good length, and I will predict that her progeny will be no mean cattle. A tramp through a very .healthy looking paddock of oats and down the road leading to the stallion stables and we are amongst a larger group of mares and foals. The first to come under observation are Vaultress, who has a fine brown colt by Stepniak, and Tempest who is also accompanied by a bay son of Stepniak. The latter youngster is a taking customer, and as the daughter of IN ew Holland— Tornado won, amongst other races, the Dunedin Cup of ’93 his career looks promising. Of a verity, his dam is a fine brood mare. Next comes Illusion, by Apremont out of Fallacy. A smart looking mare is Illusion, and she has by her side a smart filly foal by Gipsy Grand. Further along we come to Lady’s Maid the dam of Vanilla and. Vandyke. Lady’s Maid also has a filly foal by Gipsy Grand, then in a cluster are Reel, by Medallion out of Pibroch, a nice brown mare with a big brown colt by Gipsy Grand; a chestnut sister to Lady Emma with a foal by Beadonwell, Emmalea a sister to Brisa with a foal to Musketry, a bay mare by Medallion— Hugenot with a foal by Apremont, a sweet mare in Seashell (by Chainshell out .of Nautilus), Iris (the dam of Bloodshot and Bellicent) with a pretty filly foal by Gipsy Grand, and Britomarte, who has a grand chestnut colt by Gipsy Grand. The full sister to Euroclydon is growing into an extremely fine matron, and her latest offspring is certainly a credit to his dam.

A little distance away were Ambush, by Vanguard out of Fairy Maid, a really good dam ; the brown mare Fairy Maid, by Albany out of Titania, and dam of Tolstoi; and the dark brown matron, Cobweb, by Le Loup—Titania. The two first-named have foals by Gipsy Grand, while Cobweb has a youngster by Stepniak. All three have this season visited the Nordenfeldt sire. Another walk to a further paddock and we are introduced to Rosespur, by Hotspur out of Rosemary. The speedy Goldspur’s dam is looking very well, and has with her a good-looking young Stepniak. Close together are St. Florence and Royal Salute (by Artillery out of Titania), each with a foal by Gipsy Grand. By herself is Mr Stead’s Australian mare, Marion. Motto’s dam is in blooming health, and her foal by Stepniak is very promising. The same mating has been followed this season, and if Marion’s next foal is as goodlooking as the one with her now, Mr Stead will have no cause to grumble. I much admire the full-sisters, Ranee Nuna and Whirlpool, by St. George out of Watersprite. Ranee Nuna has a filly by Stepniak and her sister a filly by Gipsy Grand. Pibroch, by Lochiel out of Fallacy, has a very nice Stepniak colt, and Huguenot, by Apremont from Martyr, has a filly by the same sire. Pibroch is the dam of Reel and Skobeloff and of a very nice brown filly lately sold by Messrs Pyne at Christchurch. Of Ranee Nuna, tluguenot, and Whirlpool I can only say that they are grand mares ; later on their progeny, I am sure, will gain fame for the Elderslie breeding establishment. Looking at the mares I have mentioned took considerable time, and I am only sorry I could not see some of the famous draught stock. But I did not leave Elderslie without having a brief inspection of the St. Leger—lch Dien two-year-old colt. He is a brown fellow and of a nice stamp ; his fore legs are a bit straight for some people’s fancy, but that does not stop them from galloping (vide Multiform). The St. Leger colt’s companion is a brown gelding by Stepniak out of Illusion. He is not by any means a bad one, and I think he will make a racer. He has a nice set of limbs and a good body. During our rambles we covered a good bit of ground, and Mr Jack Sewell, who has become a votary of the laze-inducing bicycle, though not played out, seemed to desire the rest he had undoubtedly earned, so we rather regretfully bade adieu to our hosts, yoked the fiery steed, and left the Elderslie stud farm. Truly is it a place to spend a happy day. May all luck visit it during the coming year. During my excursion to Oamaru, “the whitestone city,” I just had time to look up Mr O. R. Wise, the owner of Ilex, Lobo, and Glenore. These fhree jumpers are all the horses at present in the hands of George Robertson, who trains and rides for Mr Wise. Both owner and trainer are rare good sports, and the latter has acted as mentor for Mr Wise for the past twelve years, and during that time he has won a few races. I had a look at Ilex, by Le Loup—Susie, in his box. The old warrior was looking fit and well, and who knows but what he may win an Auckland Grand National Hurdles yet? He will win a race or two before then, I have no doubt. Lobo, by Le Loup — Winifred, is a nuggety-loosing customer, and I expect he and Glenore, who is by First Lord out of Young Alice, will have something to do with the finishes of the hurdle races to be decided at the Forbury at Christmas. Glenore looks every inch a hurdler, and I should imagine that he has a bit of pace. At the last Palmerston Meeting he won a treble, annexing the Palmerston Cup, the District Handicap, and the Flying Handicap. That was undoubtedly his day out. Mr Wise is a devoted coursing man, and in his kennels 1 saw Favonious, who has grown and thickened since he left Auckland, and a nice litter of pups by Shylock out of Pretty Maid. A slut and a dog take much after “ good old Shy,” and Mr Wise has a special penchant for the lady. These two are brindles, the others (all dogs) are all fawn and white.