AUSTRALIAN STUD STROLLS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2320, 10 September 1881, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN STUD STROLLS.

f j?SOIALL7 WBITTEH FOB THB “ WBEKIrT PK353.”3 [Bt Sib Lahxcelot,] IX.—Mamre.

When the Canterbury Middle Park Company sustained such o severe loss by the death of old Tradueor, they determined to despatch Mr George Outts, their manager, to Victoria to secure a successor to tho son of The Libel, How Mr Outts fulfilled his mission and selected Ki.ig of Clubs (a sou of Ace of Club?) to occupy Traducor’a vacant box is now a matter of racing history in New Zealand, and seeing that another son of Ace of Clubs, out of a mare who was originally imported to Maori land, was lord of the harem at the Mature stud of Mr O. T. Roberts, I determined to journey thither one dav shortlv alter my visit to Fornhill, and jud ff fl for myself what class of horse Julian Arena! was. On ray arrival at the South Creek Railway Station, a short distance from Penrith, I found Mr Roberts’ buggy in readiness, and a drive of a couple of miles brought me to Mamre, where Mr Roberts himself cordially welcomed me. After a refresher wo directed our steps towards the nice little training track on which tho small team of , icehorses Mr Roberts has in work take their i- lily gallops —a track of one and a quarter r.-.llcs in circumference, with a straight ran of v.ireo furlongs, and which has for ever become famous in racing lore from the fact that it was here (when Momro was owned and occupied by Mr J. 8. Smith) that Grand Flaneur took those preliminary gallops which wore the harbingers of his future excellence. Grazing in tho vicinity of tbe track were Merrylegs, Sunshine, and Jane Avenel. Merrylegs is an aged (the ages given are at time of writing —July) daughter of Yattendon out of Quickstep (dam of Nimblefootandthe Q.uaok, both Melbourne Cup winners), by Lugar (imp.) out of Esplanade (imp.), by Cotherstone, and is a small short-legged bay mare, in foal to Julian Avenel. Sunshine is another short-legged 'un by Misty Morn (an imported son of Weathergnge), out of Eulalio, by Little John (imp.), out of tho Barb’s dam, Young Qulnare. Bee is in foal to Julian Avenel. Jane Avenel has only recently quitted the turf, where in the blue and straw of Mr Ivory she proved herself a good second rater, winning several up-country events. She is by Julian Avenel, out of Maid c! tho Lake, by Kingston, and no doubt when iu condition is a very handsome mare, but she was so ragged and poor that I saw her at a groat disadvantage; in fact Mr Roberts has, like Mr Oox, been compelled to hand feed his stock during tho winter. Further afield was Maud, whom Mr Roberts lovingly refers to as the gamest specimen of horseflesh he ever saddled. She was foaled in 1872, and is by Kelpie (imn.), out of Miranda, by Pitstord (imp.)—The Shrew, by Callender (imp.) In her day she was a capital performer on the turf, her nearest approach to a good thing being as a throe-year-old when Thyra boat her a head for the Glen Innes Cup of IGOO sovs. She shows quality all over, with a beautiful straight back, but a very plain head, and Mr Roberts was so pleased with her last foal by Yattendon that he declined to part with him. Maud is in foal to Julian Avenel, as also is Princess, an aged dame of 21 years, by Little John (imp.) out of Tomboy, by Marquis out of a Oamerton mare. This mare, it may be of interest to New Zealanders to mention, is dam of Rangatira, whom Mr Waddell eome time back imported to New Zealand, and who is, I believe, now at tho stad in Otago. The only other occupant of this paddock was Lady Emily, by New Warrior oat of Cinderella, by St. John— Cinderella by Rous’ Emigrant, who is in foal to Maribyrnong. We retraced our steps towards the house, in a paddock adjoining which I was introduced to the pick of Mr Roberts’ collection —Tiara, by Yattendon out cf QE.D. (imp.), by Blair Athol out of Q..E.D-, by Kingston. She is a handsome, snort-nocked dark bay, with a white face, and was foaled in 1874 at Fsrnhill, and sold vs a yearling for 140 guineas. As a throe-year-old she won the Trial Stakes at Hawkesbury, but her bad feet militated against her training on, and Mr Roberts having determined to put her to the stud, mated her with Julian Avenel, to whom she produced The Exeter, who has proved himaalf a right good’un by his two-year-old performances during tho season just closed, and whom I shall refer to presently at greater length. Tiara’s yearling bay filly, by Kelpie, realised 165 guineas at the last Eandwiok sale. Running with the daughter of Yattendon was another descendant of the famous stallion in the shape of Young Gossamer, by Yattendon cut of Gossamer (imp.), by Marsyas—Gossamer, by Irish Birdoatcher. She too was bred at Fernhill, and purchased by her present owner for 160 guineas. In a stockyard adjoining were a bay filly foal, by Julian Avenel out of Tiara; a bay colt, by Maribyrnong out of Young Gossamer; a brown filly by Malta out of Sunshine ; a bay colt by Sterling (brother to Sweetmeat) out of Bronzewing (a granddaughter of New Warrior) ; and abay colt by Sterling, out of Maud. All the Sterling stock wore very big youngsters, and showed hoops of quality, as did also the Tiara filly, who takes a good deal after her mother, and is a rare quartered young lady, while tho Maribyrnong—Young Gossamer colt was rather leggy, but his head was beautifully neat. Close by ware two nice yearlings, a cbesnut colt by Yattendon, out of Maud, and a bay filly by Kelpie—Young Gossamer. We now retraced our steps towards the loose boxes adjacent to the house, stopping on the way to have a look at a very neat two-year-old colt by Maribyrnong—Lady Emily, whom Mr Roberts had in work till recently, when ha wont lame in the stifle, and is now enjoying his utinm cum. dig, A visit was now paid to the box containing the principal object of my pilgrimage, Julian Avenel, who was led forth for my inopeotion. Ho is a shortlegged ohesnut, standing 15.3, with white fore feet, near hind foot of the same color, a white blaze on his face, and a white star on his withers. His good head is well set on to a short neck, he has a lengthy forehand, notwithstanding the fact that not long ago his withers were knocked down through an accident, his girth is of good depthj, his cannon bones nice and short, and hia power behind all that can be desired, but his tail lools badly set cn, owing to the accident above alluded to having injured it. He was bred by Dr. Bathe in Victoria in 1868, got by Ace of Clubs (imp.) from Mary Avenel (imp.), a mare brought to New Zealand in JS66 by Mr Hatfield, and who, on the death of her importer, found her way for sale to Melbourne, where Dr. Bathe purchased her, being of opinion that she was one of the grandeot bred mares ever imported to the colonies. Julian Avenel appeared several times as a three-year-old with moderate success, and as a four-year-old at Eandwiok won a four-year-old Handicap. He then went back to Victoria, in which colony he added to his laurels, and then returning as a six-year-old to Now South Wales he won tho Flying Handicap (one mile) at Hawkesbury. Mr Roberts then put him to the stud, but ha has had fow goed chances, which is much to to regretted, for I consider him ono of tho best of the many good onas I have looked over during my Australian stud strolls. His present fee is the moderate one of 10 guineas, and it is matter for congratulation that such a good judge as Mr W. A. Long mated all his imported mares with him lost season, and if ha do not get something first-class out of such highly-bred matrons I shall be greatly surprised. It was now the stable hour, and wo proceeded to tho boxes occupied by the horses in training. Tho first I taw was West Country Dick, a throe-year-old son of Cheddar (imp.) out of Vattondon’s daughter Hussy—a bay standing over a lot of ground, but with coarse shoulders and light back ribs. Ho ran third to Somerset and Rapid Bay in the Flying Handicap ut the lost A J.O. Autumn Meeting. Emulation io a bay two-year-old by tho imported Blair Athol horse, Epigram, out of Eraaute, a daughter of Panic, and in the colors of his breeder, tho Hon. J, P. Ball, ran third to Tho Exeter and Rupert for the Sapling Stakes at tho same meeting. Braidweed is a very plain upstanding bay five-year-old, by Maribyrnong out of Nollio Brandon (full sister to Lady Emily), whose principal performances have been winning a four-year-old handicap at Randwiok, and the Free Handicap there last New Year’s Day Moating. His full brother Jester, a six-year-old, occupied the next box. This horse won the principal events at Goulburn and Newcastle last year, and recently competed successfully at Dubbo and Paramatta. His neighbor was a neat chestnut two-yoar-old filly by Julian Avenel out of Young Gossamer, who has just been broken in, and next to her was the pride and hope of tha “ blue, pink sleeves and cap,” Yna Exeter, a dark brown two-year-old by Julian Avenel, out of Tiara. The most remarkable points about him are his small and handsome head, his long deep barrel, and hia short cannon bones, while he is extremely well let down. He ran unplaced in the

Maribyrnong Plate, third in the Tattorsalls Two-year-old Stake* to Flora and Shipka, third to The Gem and Etna in the Claret Stakes at Hawkeabury, and at the A.J.O. Autumn Meeting was unplaced in the Nursery Handicap (six furlongs), won by Wheatear. and the Substitute Stakes (oil furlongs), but won by Somerset, won the Sapling Stakes (fire furlongs), in Imin 5 secs, beating seven others. To this youngster, one of tho first of Julian Avenel's progeny that has raced, Mr Roberts looks unhesitatingly to lay the foundation of his sire’s fortunes as a stud horse, and such a high opinion does ho entertain of this, Tiara’s first foal, that last year ho refused Mr H. Prince’s offer of 400 guineas for him. The only other occupant of the stables was Sportsman, a three-year-old, by Braidwood’s full brother. Fisherman, out of a daughter of the Melbourne Cup winner, Archer, who was being trained with an eye to tho cross-country business, and who from his size and symmetry should yet make his mark over tho sticks.

This concluded the business portion of my visit and wo now returned to the house, where a chat on the pedigrees and performances of tho animals we had just interviewed was followed by a sumptuous tea, to which I did full justice, and which was accompanied by many an anecdote by Mr and Mrs Roberts (the latter of whom is a daughter of the veteran sportsman, Mr T. Ivory) of doughty deeds performed in the past by so many wearers of the blue and straw of the owner of Sterling and Sweetmeat, and followed by an inspection of the gold oup which Sterling appropriated at Wagga in 1876, and a silver trophy won by Dag worth’s sister A 1 at Parramatta in 1872. And all too quickly the time slipped away till the clock warned me that I must leave to catch the train at South Oreek, and bidding farewell to the proprietor of Mamre and his good lady, I took my seat in his buggy and the iron horse was soon whirling me on my road to Sydney.