THE STUD

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 478, 21 September 1899, Page 13

THE STUD

MR S. H. GOLLAN’S BREEDING ESTABLISHMENT AT MANGATARATA. [By Oub Napieb Cobbespondent.] Napieb, September 15. It was with pleasant recollections of a previous visit to the birthplace of the last New Zealand Cup winner (Tirant d’Eau) and heaps of other well bred and good performers at the racing business that I the other day betook myself again to the picturesque locality of Mangatarata. That old campaigner, George Smith, was in attendance at the Waipukurau Bail way Station with a nice conveyance, between the shafts of which was a good-looking, nice stepping son of Wilkin —one of those sort who run up in the collar and take hold of the bit as if the only object he had in his life was to successfully demonstrate that, as a trotter and trier, the descendants of the American trotting stallion comfortably uphold their own and give away a bit when compared to those who are not to the manner born. My pilot proved conclusively by the manipulation of his charge that age has not withered nor deteriorated his power and talent in the handling of the ribbons. As the sons of Scotia say in the South Island, Smith has been a wheen of years amongst ponies ; for he was going well and strong in the line when I was a boy—and, alas ! that is a day or two ago. His experience of, racing and all connected with the pastime in the sixties are of a most interesting and instructive nature, and I only wish I had the space at my disposal to fully dilate upon the deeds and doings of this old timer—one of a class who, unluckily, are fast becoming relics of a great and bygone past. Unfortunately, Mr Gollan was away enjoying the exhilirating influences of golf, but Fountain Lunn, who may be described without being accused of fulsome adulation as “ one of the best,” took me under his wiog, and his obliging, courteous attention to me made my all to short stay a most enjoyable one. Jet d’Eau, Captain Webb, and Bonnie Scotland are the Lords of the harem, and the trio looked in the perfection of health The former is without doubt one of the finest stallions 1 have seen for a very long time, and with the exception of being just a trifle mean in the gaskin, is as near the acme of perfect development as it would be possible to get in a living representative of the genus racehorse; besides being so well bestowed with good looks he proved that he could gallop, and this important and desirable feature he has been able to transmit to his progeny in a very strong and marked degree, for his son, Tirant d’Eau, though of no size, showed by his capture of the New Zealand Cup that he had both pace and stamina, and one of his daughters, Jadoo , has over and over again clearly given evidence that her heart is in the right place, and her feet are no strangers to the art of galloping fast and well. The deeds of these two alone should most certainly maintain the prestige of the handsome good tempered Jet d’Eau. Captain Webb, the Natator —Fame stallion, has appearance, breeding, and pace to recommend him, and no one can wonder at this when you analyse his pedigree which comprises the Traducer —Camden, King Tom, Flying Dutchman, Painter, and Antidote bloods. This strain should most assuredly be productive of something extra good, and you have it in Captain Webb. Like his half brother Jet d’Eau he is the personification of aimiabiiity, and this is a worthy and much sought after credential in a blood sire.

Bonnie Scotland, the remaining member of the triumvirate, is a rare compact, well balanced parcel, and as his breeding is undeniable—being by St. George (full brother to the greai Chester) —Fair Nell (Apremont—ldalia), a full sister to Ravenswing, Enid, and Mount Ida (Ravensplume, by Carbine from Ravenswing) —was a good winner in the other colonies, and is now a resident in the Mother Land. The speedy Ideal, by Dreadnought from Mount —Ida, also claims relationship to Bonnie Scotland, and his full brothers, Loyalty and Saracen, were no dunces in the possession of pace. Coupled with his own talents and his connections’ form, his progeny should be endowed with abilities in the racing industry of no mean order, that is to say if successful and well-bred ancestors are any key or guide to go upon. Freds, Maxim’s daughter from Fair Nell, and consequently half sister to Bonnie Scotland, was a great mare, and if Musket mares are associated with Bonnie Scotland, I am sure they would produce something removed from the ordinary. The yearling contingent consists of fourteen members, and taking into consideration the very severe wet winter that they have had to battle with show out attractively. Bonnie Scotland’s bay daughter, from Lady Hamilton (Nelson’s full sister), is greatly in the. rough. She has not long been weaned which makes her look as if she was missing the maternal solicitude that is so essential to the well being of the juvenile racer, but I have no doubt that her guardian, Lunn, will soon, by his careful attention, make her feel her loss less keenly. Only a pony in build and stature is the dark brown colt by Bonnie Scotland from Iphimede (Nordenfeldt —Iphigenia), but he has got nice drooping quarters, well set shoulders, and a comely well proportioned outlook. I like the Yattendon-Musket strain, and look for good results from this offspring of the above pair. Forlorn Hope’s (by St. George or Artillery from Escalade, by Apremont—En Avant) dark brown daughter with two white hind feet by Captain Webb has a taking attractive appearance.

Those massive, though not carty, hind-quarters of her sire are her chief features, but though this part of her structure is predominant, she has several other taking points, and is withal a good framed, well set up, good to follow young lady. A dark brown filly claiming Captain Webb and Kie-Kie (Lord of the Isles—Toi) as her sire and dam, is a good even cut of a juvenile, with nice legs and feet. The Traducer, Painter, Yattendon (two strains, through I ord of the Isles and Sir Hercules, sire on the maternal side), and Diomedes blood that permeates her system must be looked for to assert its superiority when the time arrives for this youngster to don suk. She is got the right way, and can be looked for to show pace and stamina. _ , A good framed sort is Captain Webb s dark brown daughter from Leonie (Leolinus Amohia) but she was not looking as gay as some of her comrades, and was thereby unfavorably handicapped when compared to several of them. She is well come by, for her dam is a full sister to Tigredia, dam of Tigress and Impregnable, and the Traducer, Painter, and Antidote nick, weaved into the Touton, Leolinus, and Ravensworth blood, must, if accredited running strains be worth following and mixing, be the embodiment of all that is desirable. One who shows her breeding is the chestnut filly by St. Leger from Freda. If anything, a bit on the leg, but her appearance suggests that she will grow down, and then the daylight under her will not be so apparent. A well-balanced shoulder, good neck and rein, aristocratic head, heaps of liberty, sweeping quarters with fine pins, are the principal attributes that strike the eye in this high-lineaged young lady. Captain Webb’s and Bonnie Idee’s (Nordenfeldt —My Idea) white-marked chestnut daughter has great back and hind-quarters, deep girth, a fine intelligent head, well set on to a racy-looking neck, and nice sloping shoulders. Her movements are of the machine-like style, for she was good and complaisant enough to favor me with a sample of her proficiency in this line, and if her efforts are to be taken as a criterion of her future abilities she will prove a troublesome customer to take on when the period arrives for her to take her position under the starter’s direction. A black colt, by Captain Webb from Seraph, < soon won me over to his eide, for there is no doubt he is the makings of a good one. Angle him as you like, the verdict was always the same —a real good one. His back is like a board, well sprung ribs, plenty of heart room, shoulders of the beat, hind-quarters like a Clydesdale, but with no sign of coarseness, and the whole surmounted by a bold determined head. That double strain of the Traducer blood works out well in him, for it is widespread, and its transfusion with the Thormanby and Painter blood has all to do with his fine appearance. Lbchiel’s half sister, by Leolinus — Princess

Helen, has a representative in this enclosure, a chestnut filly by Captain Webb, one of the great quartered, well bodied sort, neck nicely placed on good shoulders, and bloodlike head. She is a bit light below the knee, but horses have often before performed well even when their anatomy has been deficient at this point. The stout strains which flow through her should tend to offset this failing, for pluck ofttimes overcomes many so-called shortcomings. A gocd-looking chap is the dark brown colt by Captain Webb from Famoa (Nordenfeldt —Tres Deuce). He is a rare developed customer, with good bone and fine open feet, ai d his disposition is of the kindest nature. The double Ir, dueer notch that is to be found in him, allied with the Musket, Painter, nnd Yattendon blood, is sure to prove a 1 appy combination, for without doubt his ancestors were of the strongest running strains. The brown, white faced colt by Captain Webb from Lady Florin (Musket —Florin, by Traducer —Rupee) is of the kind that will improve with age, endowed as he is with a great loose frame. This sort of youngster, as is well known, always requires time, and it is any odds that he will not be hurried along, for the controlling powers at Mangatarata are thoroughly conversant with all the precepts and practices that are required in the successful manipulation of all kinds and conditions of horses. Half-brothers of this youngster, in Wanklyn and Ballinger (by Dreadnought) were good stamps of horses. Like the previous number, he has the two Traducer strains running through his composition. A beautifully tinted parcel next lines up for inspection. This is Bessie McCarthy’s daughter, by Apremont, in color a bay with white face. An exceptionally fine filly throughout, well set up, nicely proportioned hind-quarters, showing great power of leverage, grandly moulded fore . end, strong, well-set back, and deep girth. Like all the French-bred stallion’s get, her legs present a tough, hard-wearing appearance. The chestnut son of Captain Webb and Tireuse is a well favored lot, though he has a head that would look more in place on one of the gentler sex. In appearance he greatly favors Tire, being a compact, evenly-built sample. The last of the yearling fraternity is a bay white-faced half sister to Daphne and Jadoo (Captain Webb—Violet), one of the large mas sive sort, who moved along in a very pleasing style. Her dam, Violet, is one of the Primrose tribe, and that mare has never yet thrown a bad one, no matter what sire she was mated with, » and, as regards.consistency, it would be a difficult matter to pick a pair who could head off Jadoo and Daphne in the possession cf that qualification; and, judging by appearances, it is quite reasonable to expect that Captain Webb’s daughter will prove as tough material as her two game and plucky relatives. Half-a-dozen two • year • olds were scattered about the place, and my guide soon had me making their acquaintances. Two of this number were bred at Mr Douglas’ r J e Mahanga stud farm, the remainder being home productions. The filly by Quilt from Vieta is a well-de-veloped mare, brimful of quality, and a good adverlieement for her sire. Quilt has also another of bis offspring here—a dark brown gelding from

Aio. He looks none to well, and is but a pony in height. A brown gelding, with a well defined white star (by Captain Webb from Lady Florin), is of the strong active breed, with good legs, strong back, and well coupled. The brown gelded half brother to Jadoo and Daphne has a most prepossessing appearance, with his fine lithsome quarters, well set legs, good ribs, and courageous head, prettily marked with a white face. _ . ’ . A great strong chestnut gelding, with two white hind feet and white face, claims for his parents Captain Webb and the Nordenfeldt mare Cartouche. A great barrelled, well let down, drooping quartered fellow he is, with one of those backy suggestions of strength and ability to carry a tidy weight, and not feel the effect in the least. A nice, kind looking head, nicely set on a perfectly modelled neck, makes him a pretty picture, truly. He is good to come at, as he is to follow, and if his galloping is on a par with his appearance he will prove a hard knot to overcome when the time arrives for him to take his part in the argument that ensues re the distribution of stake money. Princess Helen’s dark gelded son, by Captain Webb, has his sire’s massive quarters, back, and ribs. His legs are well and truly set, and his appearance throughout is one of a most captivating sort. Not a big one by any means is the three-year-old unsexed son of Lady Hamilton (Nelson s full sister) arid Mousquetaire (Nordenfeldt — Frailty), but be has a skin full of good points He has just been handled, and I was told that he takes to his education amenably. Mangatarata (a four-year-old son of Mousquetaire and Princess Helen), Riverdale (Cap-a-pie from a Dundee mare), winner of the Ladies’ Necklet at the H.B.J.C. Winter Meeting of ’9B, and Wanklyn (Dreadnought—Lady Florin) do service as station hacks, and the well-bred lot get through their tasks creditably. The firstnamed was my mount during the day, and the pleasant ride he gave me made me wish that the time of my stay was longer, so that I could better enjoy his company. There is no getting away from the fact that these well-bred hacks give you the sort of a feel and grip that the common or way side contingent are not capable of transmitting to one. I had almost forgotten to mention that old Silence (Mute —Marie Antoinette) is still in the land of the living, and he is sometimes pressed into doing duty in the hack line. A couple of horses that last season were running on the estate, Satyr and Armourer, have passed over to the majority, and so has the Puriri mare, dam of Tally-ho (the ’chaser). I hat racing disappointment, Scotia, was enjoying the company of the yearlings, and seems to thrive well in her idleness

In a paddock by themselves were a couple of geldings which had just been emasculated. One is a yearling by Captain Webb from Fair Nell, a nice racy looking parcel, with good quarters, fine limbs, and evenly-proportioned frame. His companion is a two-year-old brown, by Jet d’Eau from Bonny Idee, and a nice fellow he is, with a good, hardy, wear-and tear appearance, and those good substantial pins that his sire gives to his offspring. 1 The brood mares are nineteen in number, and consist of the following : —Fair Nell (in foal to Captain Webb), Tireuse (with foal at foot by Jet d’Eau), Princess Helen (not bred from last season), Lady Hamilton and Iphimede (in foal to Bonnie Scotland), Fair Nell, Leonie, Castonet, Bonny Idee, Violet, Lady Florin, Kiekie, Overture, Escalade, Miss Dargon, brown mare by Carlyon from Namoa (all in foal to Captain Webb), Folorn Hope, Seraph, Lady Tim —dam of The Frenchman —(in foal to Jet d’Eau). Namoa missed to Captain Webb. Paca and every one of this number looked in the enjoyment of perfect health, and show conclusively that they are well cared for. For their attention to me, I have to sincerely tender my thanks to Messrs Smith and Lunn; and it is no figure of speech to say that my trip to Mangatarata was a most enjoyable and pleasant outing, and I hope to be able for many a year to have to chronicle many such reviews and criticisms as I have got away with on the present occasion regarding the blood stoek on Mr Gollan’s estate.