Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW AND LICENSED VICTUALLERS' GAZETTE. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Thursday, May 3. 1900

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 510, 3 May 1900, Page 10

Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW AND LICENSED VICTUALLERS' GAZETTE. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Thursday, May 3. 1900

THE NATIONAL NOMINATIONS.

The splendid entries for the two big races to be decided at the Winter Meeting of

the Auckland Racing Club must have surprised the must sanguine supporter of the club. In the Grand National .Hurdle Race, and in the Great Northern Steeplechase, the number of horses engaged largely exceed any previous records. In the Hurdle Race forty are nominated, and thirty-eight have been entered for the big Steeplechase. Last year the nominations for both races only numbered forty-eight. This year the aggregate is seventy-eight. Such a result is not only satisfactory to the Auckland Racing Club authorities, but it is pleasing to everyone connected with the sport of racing. For the Grand National Hurdles several novices at the jumping game have been entered. Record Reign, Cavalier, Strathbraan, Tiki, The Hempie, Tukapa, Acone, Cuirasette, and Gobo, though known well enough on the flat, are at present unknown quantities over the sticks. Some of them may be proved jumpers by the time the National Meeting comes along, for they have been entered for fixtures which come off prior to the Ellerslie gathering, Amongst the known and tried hurdlers we have Social Pest (a Grand National winner), Bellman, Drum Major, St Simon (winner in ’97), Shylock (last year’s winner), Troubadour, Blackdust, Favona, Dummy, Nor’-West, Torpina, Tim, and Voltiguer. With the old stock and the new leaven Mr Evett has the material wherewith to furnish an excellent handicap, and we believe that a big field will be the result of his adjustment. Amongst the novices there are several good and sound horses,

and if they have had sufficient schooling they ought to make a very respectable show against the tried veterans. In the Northern Steeplechase we find Dummy and Muscatel —both winners of the race —and the former, like Blackberry, a winner of the Grand National Steeplechase, Nor’-West, who was rather unlucky to be beaten by Dummy last year, Rhino—who, however, is probably a light of other days—Blackdust, Ruby, Venture, and Kanaka. There are a lot of strangers amongst the nominations, but in this race, too, there is, undoubtedly, splendid material for a fine race.

ANOTHER ST. SIMON STALLION.

Everybody interested in the bleeding of the thoroughbred will be ready to congratulate

Mr Thomas Morrin upon his acquisition of Phoebus Apollo for the Wellington Park Stud. The all-conquering St. Simon blood has made its mark in Australia, and therefore it was only natural that New Zealand’s leading studmaster should endeavor to obtain a sire possessing the fashionable strain. In purchasing the son of St. Simon and Polynesia, Mr Morrin has gained a fit mate for his fine collection of brood mares. He has Musket blood in plenty, and of the finest quality, and therefore great things may be expected from the alliance with the St. Simon strain. Phoebus Apollo was an average performer on the English Turf during his active career. He held his own in first-class handicap fields, and proved that the Barcaldine blood, inherited from the dam’s side, was invaluable. That has been well demonstrated lately in Australia, for La Carabine, winner of the Australian and Sydney Cups, descends from a Barcaldine mare. The pedigree of Phoebus Apollo reads as follows: —

The pedigree is worth studying, for it contains the stoutest blood in the history of the English Turf. Phoebus Apollo has a great future before him. He is only seven years old, and he comes to an establishment containing the best collection of brood mares in the colonies. As the Simon stallion arrives in Auckland about the beginning of July he will be here in good time for the season. The result will be eagerly looked forward to, but it must in any event be successful.

I PHCEBUS APOLLO (1893). 1 7 *< d o 3 d5 OQ *c c * ■5 p □3 W h J O Ph 1 f 'i P Vedette I Flying Duchess Voltigeur Mrs Ridgeway Voltaire Martha Lynn Birdcatcher Nan Darrell Flying Dutchman Merope Bay Middleton Barhelle Voltaire Velocipede’s d’m King Tom IO Adeline Hathaway Pocahontas Economist Fanny Dawson Glencoe Marpessa Ion Little Fairy Cain Mir gar et Hornsea Lacerta Solon 1 ■ Ballyroe West Australian Daughter of Melbourne Mowerina Birdcatcher Het’n Platoff m Belladrum Bon Accord Stockwell Catherine Hayes adventurer Birdcatcher m. i Macaroni Molly Carew Sweetmeat Jocose Gladiator Lollypop Pantaloon Banter Wild Dayrell Alma Ion Ellen Middleton Flatcatcher Miss Gilmour