TALK OF THE DAY.
By Sentinel.
AN APOLOGY Musket proved himself such a great ; pillar of tbe New Zealand 1 Stud Book • that one reads with regret that a contemporary has thought fit to decry the famous sire by stating "he never sired a fireti class filly, and none of his mares ever | produced a first-class, horse." . Such a I statement k not altogether true, and when a horee like Musket has enriched oui- ! equine world with so many great sons his shortcomings are swamped in his general , merit as a sire. The staitement quoted above is partially true, but ie unjust, because it gives prominence to a fault and overlooks, or is ignorant of, the fact that j come of his best bredi daughters did not appear on the turf, and in their cases had vpry little opportunity to make good at the i stud- Many of the fillies credited to ' him in the etud never appeared on the ; turf or are otherwise mentioned in the I records beyond the statement chat they i were foaled. Perhaps they did not get j beyond that stage of their existence ; but ; s»till sufficient material is left to dispute the statement that Musket neither left a good mare nor that his daughters left a j high-class racehorse. Of course, a highi claes racehorse is understood to be one that has made his mark in w.f.a. events, or has , proved a good handicap performer The j best-known Musket mares that have raced ' are Mitrailleuse, Hilda, Cissy, Necklace, ' Necklet, Rose d'Ar<gent, Lady Florin, Volley, Pearlshell, and one or two others, who failed 1 .o achieve success on the turf (probably through r.o fault of their own), . but who subsequently made good at the etud. Mitrailleuse was a winner of many races, and if she was not entitled to be considered one of the best, <sho wai- at lea«,t a frequent winner of handicaps for 6e\e- ' ral seasons. Hilda (Musket— Ouida) won the A.R.C. Champagne Stakc-s, the Auckland Guineas, the A.R.C. Eaeter Handi- ] cap (1£ miles). A.R.C. Autumn Handicap ' (li miles with 10.0 in 2min 14seo), Hawke's Bay Cup, amd in several other ] races showed winning or otherwise excellent form during the five years she was on ' the turf. At the stud she produced Ful- ' men, a great stayer and' good horse, of whom the best was not seen on the turf. He dead-heated in the New Zealand Cup ' with Ideal, and otherwise displayed good form. Hilda also produced Antares, winner ] of the Auckland Cup, and aL«o Maude, the dam of another Auckland Cup winner in Mahutonpa. Cis«y (Musket— Frailty) won the A.R C. Welcome Stakes and the Auck- ' la.n<J Gumeae She only appeared once as ' a three-year-old (evidently pom,!? amks), . but was undoubtedly a hiirh-class per- ' former at four years, when she won seve- ' ral «ood races under big weights and ran | third in the Auckland Cup U Crackshot i and Hilda. At the stud Cis<3f produced ' Altair, winner of the C.J.C. Derby, Mid- , summer Handicap, Champagne Stakes, New Zealand St. Leger, and was generally ad- > : mitted to be a first-class racehorse. Cissy ' also produced Daystar, winner of the ' Hawke'e Bay Guineas, Hawke's Bay Cup, ! [ A.R.C. Easter Handicap ; Janet, Sant j Ilario, and San Remo Necklace was a good performer, and produced Collarette (dam of Collarit), Cravat, Armilla, Jewellery, and Coronet. Percussion produced I Projectile (winner of the A.J.C. Metronoli- i tan) and Fulminate. Volley won the Caul- { field Guineas, A.J C. Champagne Stakes, ' Uie V.R.C. St. L-ger Stakes, beating i ; Meloe, to whom *he ran second in the 1
A.J.C St. Leger and! A.J.C. Derby. Locket threjv Bangle (a -winner and dam of Casket), Necklet (a winner and dam of Pendant) Musket Maid produced a good horse in Waiuku, a New Zealand Gup G winner and great performer over all disI tances. Vivandiere produced a Cup winner in Canteen, despite the great tax that wag put upon her productive powers, and m 15 . addition left quite a small host of useful Id sorts Happy Land produced Hova (second in the Melbourne Cup and winner r of the Newmarket Handicap). One or two a- others could be named, but a conclusion I will be made with Industry, who pioSuced g two Melbourne Cup winners in Gaulus and The Grafter If Musket missed fire with his daughters there is not much doubt the second generation has more than made = i good the deficiency. His sons have sired ~ j greait. producers, am? those who are inI dined to throw a stone at the memory and I merit of Musket 6houk? remember that _ I the sires who have been a great and unqualified success on both 6ides of the house in the first generation are extremely rare. Some of the great horses in England have achieved immediate success to a certain ex- | I tent, but they had a much greater field to I I exploit than had the son of Toxophihte. ' j Still, if Musket did not achieve the greatest 1 ■*• • possible success at the stud with the female branch of the tribe enough has been, shown ' to demonstrate he did not disgrace him- j i self. :
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Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 52
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860TALK OF THE DAY. Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 52
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