The sun., 1909-02-14

success Of all the colonial nags and though
he is getting on In years Che was foale1
In 1885 he holds his own fairly we'll
During the last season he was twefth
In the list Of winning sires, with thirtAen
winners Of twenty-three races, worth
Es.S75. and among them was GAds,
one Of the most genuine stayers of the
day, though found TO be little Ilart
OF class when he attempted to race against
the cracks In the Doncaster cup. Spear
mint is OF course Carbines best Der.
former, but We are quite at sea when con-
fronted with the statement that he was
the best horse Of this century. lie NAV
have been, OF course, for the century
10 not very old as yet, but wo should hest-
tate long while before placing him an
superior 10 Ard Patrick and Sceptre.
TO say nothing OF Pretty Polly, and we
should like much 20 know th6 evidence
on which this bold statement Is made.
We know that Spearmint won ths
Derby and Grand Prix de Paris easily
enough, but he was not a great two-yelr-
old on his public performances, and he did
not win his three year-old races by any
great margin. In the Derby he beat
Picton by length and half, and at Paris
oe Mh ss Storm n Il thrd ipn 6s Of Be IS:
subsequent St., Leger Storm was only
sixth to Troutbeck, who had run third
to Spearmint at EPSON. 1t Ia true, how
ever, that the White Knight and Radium
we're among the unplaced lot in the Derby.
and their subsequent form speaks highly
In favor OF Spearmint. As Pretty Polly
mint. We suppose the statement is based
on a trial with her; but Pretty Polly failed
TO beat Bachelors Button in the Ascot
Cup Of 1909, and as she had beaten him
In the Jockey Club cup Of the previou.
October 1t In possible that she was not
s..stA .kA ks.A
three and four-year-old. We do not think
that We are prejudloed on the subject, but
even IL We are told that Spearrnint yas
better than Pretty Polly we shall incline
TO the idea that Sceptre and Ard Patrick
are the best horses which the present
century has given us so far. But no
matter whether Spearmint's form was
+ 9es Of 1902, the fact remains that he was
Il probability good deal in front ofthe
h erage Derby winner, and that he Ia
likely to get good stock. He began stud
life at terribly high fee but one sup
poses that any fee Is justified 80 long as
how 1t is most satisfactory that Carblns
can be succeeded by such a high class
horse. Trenton has not been altogether
a success at the stud. and yet he has sired
some very fair animals since he came 20
this country, Of which the dual Alexandra
Plate winner Torpoint is a long way the
best. Torpoint is very handsome, too,
and Is remarkable for 9uality-a remark
which cannot be made about all the
colonial horses which have been sent 10
this country. He should have big stud
career before him, though on this point
10 is never safe to assume too much. The
horse is a great slayer. however, and it /.
should be an easy matter to find suitable :
mares for him.
what one would like to see would be
an importation of sound. young Aus
tralian or New Zealand mares TO mate
with the best English stations. and one !.
Is inclined TO think that II such could be .
bought reasonably they might do great
breed Of thoroughbreds. Two American
sires were fairly high in the last seasons
list, Octagon and Americus. Octagon
was in twentieth place. owing 10 the
victories Of Norman III. and Americus
(who b now In Germany four places
lower, with eleven winners Of twenty
races worth over G8.oO0. This is not a
bad record, but hitherto American siresa
have not done well in this country ant
1t is a fact that most Of their stock that
We know are short Of staying power.
Moreover there is prejudice against
American blood because Of the fact that
good deal OF it comes originally from
sources which cannot be traced. The
same thing can be said of English blood.
with the difference that the blots in the
pedigreee OF English horses are. broadly
speaking, a hundred years further back.
From the breeders point Of view colonial
blood should appeal more than Ameri-
can, and doubtless mares by these colonial
horses will be very valuable at not dis
tant future =.