SPORTING NOTES.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1744, 22 September 1879, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

By Sinbad. I recently paid a visit to Middle Park, and found since I was there list a great many improvements have been effected. In the first place, a new and commodious building has been erected 120 ft long, containing twelve good roomy loose boxes. These are for the first part occupied by the English mares. There is a passage running he whole length of the stable, whereby the occupants of the boxes can be fed and watered through an opening at the head of he box. The convenience and economy of labor attained by thi3 arrangement I spoke of last season, when describing another range of stabling just built by the Company. After a look at Aglaia and her Traducer colt foal, I had a peep at Casta Diva, the filly by Traducer out of Opera. The Company have, I think, wisely determined to relegate her to the stud, where, judging from the appearance of her sister Sonambula's stock, she should prove a succtss. In the next box is a two-year-old chesnut colt by Castaway from Opera. He has a beautiful forehead, but, like many of the family, is scarcely so good about the thighs »nd quarters. Like most of the two-year-olds at Middle Park, he is in work and doing well His neighbor is a cheonut filly by Castaway from Moss Rose. This youngster is like most of her relatives, a pood-legged one, and reminds one Homewhat of Ngaro. St. George was in his old box, and was looking the picture of health and vigor. He has grown a good deal since the autumn, and is as he promised to be, a beautifully symmetrical colt. He has been doing a lot of useful work, and aeema nice and forward. Indeed his condition—as well as that of all the youngsters at present in work at Middle Park—reflects great credit on the indefatigable George Cutts, who at present must certainly have bis hands full. Orange Lightning, in the next box, has been blistered, and the Company have shown good judgment [in not putting him in work till further on in the season. This will give the horse a good rest, and I have no doubt he will run a good race or two in the autumn. I was next sh6wn the Castaway-Sonnambula colt. This two-year-old is the biggest—as he is certainly one of the most racing-looking —of the lot in work. He stands nearly sixteen hands, with lota of power, and stands on a rare set of legs. Prom his appearance I should say he would bo likely to perform better as a three than as a two-year-old; but Cutts tells me he goes in very nice form and shows pace. Take him alcogether, I should think he was as likely to make a racehorse as any of the youngsters in work, though for T. Y. courses I raiher prefer the filly by Albany out of Miss Flat, in the next box. This filly, which very much resembles her dam, is neat all over, and will be as hard to beat over her own distance as her mother was. With another good-looking two-year-old filly by Castaway from Sweetbriar, the list of those in work is complete. After paying a visit to old Traducer, who seems to grow more juvenile looking every year, we went across to a paddock adjoining the homestead. Here were the imported mares Elenrange and Charm, each with filly foals at their side by Traducer; the handsome Idalia, with a colt foal by the same sire, and Red Rose with a useful-looking filly foal by Papapa. All four mares and foals were looking well, the pick of the basket, so far as the foals went, being, it is scarcely necessary to say, the Idalia colt. This youngster, like his three elder brothers, is always doing pipe-openers on his own account round the Eaddock, and moves like a minature raceorse. His yearling brother, who is running with six others in another paddock, is very handsome. In point of color and appearance fenerally he is more like Betrayer than Sir Todred, !bnt is a much longer colt than either was at his age. The others consist of a chesnut colt out of Charm, a bay colt out of Hammock, a bay colt from Maria Theresa, a bay filly out of En Avant, a chesnut colt from Rupee, a brown colt from Elenrange, and a chesnut colt out of old Opera. All these are by Traducer, and are an uncommonly nice lot. The Hammock colt, though perheps a little light in the bone, is a particularly promising youngster, as-also the colts from Maria, Pleurange—a beautiful mover—and Rupee ; while the En Avant filly is a very symmetrical young lady. The progeny from Rupee, by the way, should be worth attention, as Dollar's stock are performing well at home, as indeed have those of Consul, the sire of Fleurange. Close by were Hammock, En Avant, and Streamer, all shortly about to foal to Traducer. The last named mare, it may be recollected, lost her f ial last year. It is to be hoped that she will be more fortunate this season, as I look upon her for make and shape as ranking next to Aglaia of the lot that came out with her. In another paddock at the back of the stables are more yearlings from colonially-bred mares. These consist of colts by Castaway from Sweetmeat (imp), by Albany from Beckey Sharp, by Korari from Eglantine, and fillies from Norma by Traducer, and from Red Rose by Daniel O'Rourke. The last-named I like as well as any of her companions. In the next paddock is Maria Theresa, who, I am sorry to say. is not in foal this year, and the wellbred Beckey Sharp, who is in foal to Papapa. Grazing close to her was Sonnambula, looking well and hearty, and a very fine filly by Daniel O'Rourke out of Raupo. the dam of Mata. This filly was purchased by Mr W. Reeves at Mr Redwood's last sale, and I think he certainly exercised much judgment in his choice, for she is well-grown, and remarkably well shaped mare. I believe it is not the intention of her owners to run her at all, but to send her at once to the stud. Passing a two-year-old filly by Castaway out of Cascade, we crime to Watersprite by Traducer, out of Waterwitch. This fine mare, it may be recollected, went amiss just before the Derby, for which she was greatly fancied, and was afterwards secured by the Middle Park Company, who in this sister to Natator possess a really grand mare. She is now five years old, and in foal to Leolinus. The whole of the brood mares and foals spoken of above are looking exceedingly well, and from the appearance of the youngsters that will come up next for sale I ; think they will realise prices satisf actor j| to the company. I hope they may, for there can be no question that the Company are sparing|rio expense to make their property complete in every detail. At the annual meeting of the Dnnedin Jockey Club, held on September Bth, it was resolved that the committee should have power to adopt the new weights as soon a 3 they are finally adopted by the Australian clubs. In reference to the above, I see that the A. J.C. and V.R.C. have both passed the weights as recommended by the members of the conference. A meeting of the Amberly Race Committee took place on Friday last, when a very satisfactory balance-sheet was brought up and adopted. A considerable sum of money wa3 subscribed in the room towards the forthcoming meeting, the date of which was fixed for the 16th December, on which day the races were run last year.

The weights for the Geraldine Handicaps appear elsewhere. On paper I like best the chances of Maritana, Dundee, and Libeller for the Cup and Publican's, and Lone Hand, with twelve seven, ought to be a moral for the Hurdle race. The general entries and acceptances are duo to-day (Saturday). The annual meeting of the Wellington Eacing Club was held last week. I hear from a correspondent that the financial position of the Club is not at all satisfactory, and that it is hardly probable the stakes given at the annual fixture will be on anything like aa large a scale as that of last ye i r hear that Perkin Warbeck ia to stand this season at Sam Powell's, near the racecourse. Perkin Warbeck. who is a very handsome horse, is without doubt one of the most faßhionably-bred animals we have, and the success with which the Adventurers are now runniDg in England is a strong recommendation in his favor. Perkin himself was a very fair performer in his day. His advertisement appears elsewhere. A London telegram informs us that the St. Leger was won by Kayon d'Or. This colt is the property of Count do Lagrango, and is by Flageolet out of Araucaria. As a two-year-old he won the Glasgow Stakes at New-market-Honghton Meeting, the Clearwell Stakes at the Newmarket Second October, a two-year-old Sweepstakes of 500 sovs at Doncaster (beating Charibert, who defeated Mm the previous day in the Champagne Stakes); also the Levant Stakes at Goodwood. He ran second on several occasions in good company, and finished third to Ruperra and Gunnersbury in the July Stakes at Newmarket. His three-year-old career has not been quite so successful, but he has always run well. The hitherto undefeated "Wheel of Fortune was scratched for the St. Xeger,