BIG PRICES FOR RACING STOCK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2279, 13 November 1889, Page 3

BIG PRICES FOR RACING STOCK

"A horse! A horse I my kingdom for a horse I " — Shakespetc.

' Our Victorian correspondent writes : — The talk about horse-flesh edges every topic ont of con vers* tion m Melbourne this week, and a leadiog morning paper published tbe other day some interesting •tatlstics respecting celebrated English racers. We are told, foe instance, that the celebrated "H-milt" won £150,000 In slakes and beta, and earned an equal •mount st tbe stud. That is a thing of the past* But there are two horses ai present on tbe turf upon wbloh even greater expectations have been raised. The Dake of Portland's " Donovan ' has already won for bla owner £40,000 m ■takes alone, and " Ayrshire " bas totalled £36,000. It Is not, therefore, surprising the price of blood stock has gene up, Half a century ago £300 was considered an outside price foe a well bred colt. Now, £2000 is not at all an uncommon prioe at a Middle Pork sale, and as muoh M Five Thousand Guineas nas been refuted for a yearling. Five Thousand Guineas ! Think of tbat for a foal twelve months old. Forty-seven yearlings In one nia averaged £1280; whilst the total value of one yeas old foals lo England at the present time Is computed at £800,000. These figures will serve to explain why as muoh as Twenty Thousand Guineas have been paid for a stallion.