Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW AND Licensed Victuallers' Gazette. With which is incorporated the Weekly Standard Thursday, October 5, 1905. NEW ZEALAND V. AUSTRALIAN HORSES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 813, 5 October 1905, Page 6

Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW AND Licensed Victuallers' Gazette. With which is incorporated the Weekly Standard Thursday, October 5, 1905. NEW ZEALAND V. AUSTRALIAN HORSES.

Now that most of the New Zealand horses which competed at Randwick have returned home and the general chorus of rejoicing at their success has subsided, it is worth while for a moment considering the respective merits of the racehorses bred in this colony as compared with those from the Commonwealth. That our representatives did really brilliantly there is no gainsaying, and it would seem that as far as this season is concerned the best from New Zealand are perhaps a little better than the champions on the other side. But it does not do to immediately jump to the conclusion, as so many have done, that the Australian racehorse is immesurably inferior to. those bred in this colony, because such a contention will not bear serious investigation. To commence with, it must not be forgotten that our champion Achilles was bred in Australia, as wqre Ghoorka and Red Gauntlet, both good winners last season. On this subject the well-informed writer “Milroy” has the following in a recent issue of the “Sydney Mail”: —

“I have no recollection of any of our big performers going from here to race in New Zealand. I wonder how Abercorn, Melos, Dreadnought, San Fran, Wakeful, Amberite, Aurum, Abundance, Emir, Maltster, Cocos, Newhaven, Wallace, Camoola, The Admiral, Trident, La Carabine, Great Scot, Lord Revenue, Gaulus, Patron, Malua, Brakpan, Bobadil, Projectile, or Quiver would have got on had they been taken to New Zealand when in their best form! I fancy they would have done quite as well as the cream of Maoriland has in Austraha. Though, as before remarked, only odd Australian-bred yearlings, and cheap ones at that, find their way to New Zealand, yet during the last dozen years this State has sent, down two champions in Achilles and Gipsy Grand. Last season there were 34 Australian-bred horses racing in New Zealand, and they won 57 races, valued at £10,555. Against this Gladsome, a New Zealander, in Australia, won nine races worth £4294. All the other New Zealanders that ran in Australia last season won among them 15 races, worth £2292. Included among the latter is Martian, who was sired in England. His share of the spoil amounted to £637, while Grand Rapids, Dingo and Nightfall won £1159. When discussing the relative methods of New Zealand and Australian horses, this fact should not be lost sight- of; the best Australians have not been tested on New Zealand courses, while with a few notable exceptions the Maorilanders, who have succeeded, were champions in their own country.

‘ About the first recollection I have of hew Zealand horses in Australia goes back to Calumny and Lurline, two fine Traducer mares who came across and won races in the early “seventies.” Mata was ; I believe, a great horse, too. Not until Martini-Henry carried off the MeL 5?? r xv e rby . l and , Cu P in 1883 > however, did the Maorilanders invade in anv+hing [ike force After Martini-Henry von that double nearly every New Zealand horse of note, as well as selected yearlings, was sent to Australia. For a time New Zealand was the fashion, but a few facers had the effect of cooling the ardour of exporters and buyers, after which came a lengthy lull. The introduction of Musket blood to Australia was due to the

late Hon. James White, who purchased Martini-Henry when he was a foal in the old New Zealand Stud Company s paddocks. Martini-Henry was out of Sylvia, an Australian mare, whose value Mr. "White knew through her sons, Goldsbrough and Robin Hood, and it was on account of Sylvia alone that he was induced to give 1800 guineas for the foal, who came to Australia when a weaner. Though Martini-Henry carried off the great Southern double, *he was not the best three-year-old in Australia, for Le Grand was his superior over any distance from six furlongs to three miles. Nordenfeldt and Matchlock, who were by Musket out of Australian-bred mares, followed Martini-Henry across the Tasman Sea, and were purchased by Mr. White. Neither lasted very long. Nordenfeldt won both Derbys, and went wrong; then Matchlock took his place, and, meeting very weak fields, won both St. Regers and the Champion Stakes. After Martini-Henry had won in Melbourne, and Sir Modred carried off the Metropolitan, and beat our best horses at w.f.a., the craze for “ New Zealand blood” set in with a blaze, and all the best horses the two islands for years produced came here. Of course there were scores of failures, but Trenton (a son of an Australian mare), Sir Modred, Wei come Jack, Carbine, Cuirassier, Mitrailleuse, Manton, Russley, Nelson, Medallion, Maxim, The Possible, Strathmoye, Zalinski, Carnage, Havoc, Lochiel, Niagara, Bonnie Scotland, Hova, Thunderbolt, Loyalty, Stepniak, and Too Soon were fine horses. Malua was better than Sir Modred, Abercorn as good as Carbine and better than Lochiel, Maxim, and Manton, three veritable champions in their country. Carlyon and Trident were masters of Nelson, and Lochiel, though still a top-notcher, was not quite as good as Melos.' Welcome Jack was one of the best horses that ever left New Zealand, but was never in condition here, and though Trenton at nearly level weights was beaten by Sheet Anchor in the Melbourne Cup, the son of Musket should have won that race. On the whole, honours are about easy between the two colonies.”