SPRINTERS AND STAYERS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 29 May 1913, Page 4

SPRINTERS AND STAYERS.

Under the heading “Sprinters and Stayers,” a correspondent, contributed a most interesting article, to “Sport.” That stamina is an essential attribute to a first-class sire the writer states that statistics go far to prove. D England since 1834 forty-three winners of the classic races have proved themselves really good sires. Of these two, Bona Vista" and St. Frusquin, won only the Two Thousand Guineas, and the Tatter proved he could stay by running Persimmon to a neck in the Derby. Curiously enough, Vista (dam of Bona Vista, Sir Vista and Velasquez), won the Great Metropolitan (two ■ miles two furlongs) and Great Yorkshire (one mile six furlongs) Handicaps, and shared with Lily Agnes, Alice Hawthorn, and Beeswing the distinction of being among the four great brood mares -who-had previously proved themselves great stayers. We may assume that Bona Vista possessed talent, if undeveloped, stamina, which he transmitted -to Cyllene, especially as two other, sons of Bend Or, Martagon and Redium, developed into Cup winners. Gallinule, Desmond, Missel Thrush, and Sundridge are a similar case, Dallinule comes of the No. 19 family, famous fop its staying. powers, and. was by Isonomy (Ascot Gold Cup), dam by. Hermit (Derby), granddam by Skirmisher (Ascot Gold Cup). Illhealth "prevented his proving himself a stayer, but. he showed his latent stamina by siring two winners of the Caesarwitch. and two of the St. Leger. Desmond was son of a Cup winner, and his dam won the Oaks and Manchester Cup (then one mile six furlongs). Missel Thrush never ran, but his dam won the St. Leger. Sund-: ridge had for paternal grandsire a winner of the Caesarwitch winner 1 Here we have five presumed nonstayers who all owe their stud success to inherited stamina. The writer divided the handicap winners into two classes —those- of one mile and a half or over, and those of one mile and an eighth or less, and classified th e sires as follows: —Over the longer distance A—First class sires— Parmesan, Hampton, Rataplan, Isonomy, Musket, Rosicrucian, Kingston, Barcaldine. Vedette, Tlie B -—Second class sires—Dutch, Skater, Leamington, St. Albans. Florizel IT.. Masque 11., Hetman Plutoff. Chanticleer. Faugh-a-Ballagh, . Child wick, Rosebery. C—Third class sires— Chippendale, Brutandorf, Day of Algiers, Moss Trooper, Queen’s Birthday, Albert Victor, St. Gatien, Sheen, Chaleureux, Lecturer. In handicap events of nine furlongs or less the horses that were estimated to b e the best were:—A—First class sires— Isonomy, Amphion. B—Second class sires—Touchet, Buccaneer, See Saw, Lanercost, Marco, Alarm, Peter, Eager, St. Florian. C —Third class sires— Paulet, Wolf’s Crag. Winkfield’s Pride, Oberon, Longbow, Trappist. If from this list we remove the names of Isonomy, Marco. Amnhion. Alarm. Lanercost am l Winkfield’s Pride, winners at one mile and a half or oyer, the contrast becomes much more marked. N° winner of thp Lincoin Handicap, Stewards’ C/up, Portland Plate of Great. Eastern Haridican has ever become a first class sire, nor has any. Cambridgeshire winner but Se e Saw greatly distinguished himself at the stud. If we except Lanercost, Claren and Isonomy, who all subsequently won the Ascot Gold Cup, and Marco, who won over the T.M.M., at Newmarket, Buccaneer was the only really good sire that won a mile race whose nam e I cannot find in the list of longdistance. winners. To sum up. since 1884. ninety-three winners of great races became distinguished sires. Of these eighty-one won an important race of a mile and a half or over. Sterling, Chaucer and Master Kildare (one mile three furlongs), and Adventuress and Royal Hampton (one mile two furlongs), are not included in the above list. Not only do the stayers excel in numbers, but their stud merit is infinitely greater.