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VANDERBILTS FRENCH STUD FARM. Great Things Hoped for from the Progeny of Prestige and Maintenon. The French correspondent of London Sporting Life, writing of Mr. W. K- Vanderbilts Haras de Villebon. mar Poissy. France, mentions the facl that the recent English pur. -liases have arrived safely ;it the ta iii. Tli - briHM.iuarcs now tin :e are forty-hie in number. There arc five aires a I Villebon. At the • •imuieiicement. Mr. Vandcrbilt relied ta the nii.-lcu- of Ins stud on the marc- be brought from the United State-, among Iliein being Ella Pinkcrton, Electric Light*. He— ic thy Raaorer, Louise V bv Luke Blackbunii. and Kxilona by r-,!. .,ut ..f" Hop. by Harry of the Went. His tir-t -l.ilMou. Kllsmere. by Hanov-r. out of Klla Pinkc • ion. was horn ar Vlllehaa la MM. It will be remembered tliat the late .Mr. MacdoaaM, win. •raa killed in the Salisbury railway accident, was at the time tie- director of Mr. Vanderbilts stud farm and manager of his racing stable in Fiance. He a an slit mn Preach stallions. Alpha by Fripon i am! Iiiniiore bv I.e Hardy;, bul neither an far kM sod anything of great sate. Last c.n- ii.»ecr. two young horses at high p-.inii-c cie wiihdiawn worn I be tint and sent to illeboii. Tli.e are Prestige and Maintenon. It ii. ay be said at one- thai meet sanguine hopes ta |he fern, ale icpo-cd in this pail and it is M pecia.lv for tbem -tint the reeeal acquisitions bar been made in England. It is claimed with some timW of reason taut Prestige in the beit horse ■ foaled in France since Gladiateur. and his career on the turf was particularly brilliant. Maintenon is a big framed horse that came to hand late, and some of his achievements as a three-year-old will bear close examination. He is by I e Sagittaire, out of Marcia. by Marden. and with such a pedigree he is just the stamp of horse to distinguish himself at the stud. Prestige began his duties this season, the niares that he served being Hessie, Fxilona. Golden Diana by Bend Or. Louise N.. Buela by Bramble. Sainte Callatine. Harmonica II. by Hanover. Dido by Stuart. First Sight by Isinglass, and Sa-lamho. Maintenon has also been given a few mares, these including Frederica by Fripon. Nettie by The Bard, and Clatterfeet by Strathmore. We shall look forward with great interest to the result of these unions. With the new blood that Mr. Vandcrbilt has now introduced at Villebon, he should add to his turf triumphs very materially in the near future. His horses at present in training number about fifty, and are under the charge of the American trainer. William Duke, at Saint-Louis-de-Poissy. George Bellhouse is first jockey to the stable. There are no old horses of any note, but the two-year olds that are likely to do well next year as three-year-olds are Northeast, by Perth, out of Nordenfield: Foresight, by llalm-i. out of First Sight; Schuyler, by Meddler, out of Louise. N. : and iambalseull. by Saint Damien, out of Graeieuse. The juveniles are a very fine lot. principally by Halina and Illinois II. In some of these it is to lie hoped Mr. Vanderbilt will find consolation, and also compensation, for the misfortune that compelled him to withdraw Prestige and Maintenon from the turf at the height of their all-conquering careers. I think his stable will be worth following next season. W. K. Vanderbilt has no fewer than eighteen eligible* to the Orand Prix of 190S. Schuyler is one of the most promising. This colt is also in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.
