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CROKERS HORSES AND IRISH ESTATE. Orby and Rhodora Both in Thriving Condition — More Marvels from Rhoda B, Sporting Lifes "Special Commissioner" has been [aspectJag the Irish breeding farms, and in his account of Richard Crokers fine Glencairn estate gives the interesting information that Orby has entirely recovered and can be raced this year if desired. That part of his letter relating to Rhoda P.. and wawrlf eannot fail to be gratifying to those who still better* that then are American lines of breeding worth consideration. His description of CleacaJfB and its horses is as follows: "Mr. Crokers splendid establishment at Glencairn lies two or three miles beyond Dundrum. On one sine the estate is liounded by the Leopardstow u l.i. e eaane, to tlie west He tlie Dublin mountains, which on .Sunday were, and still are. for that matter, more or les eovered with snow. Mr. Croker is at preeeal in Egypt, but he expects to be home again in about a fortnights time. YYe were shown round the stud and stables by Murphy, the stud groom, and by Allen, who now trains Sir. Crokers horses. I need scarcely describe the buildings. Snfliee it to say that they were constructed by the estate staff. If unpretentious, they satisfy all requirements. The t oxes are light and airy, " and are desfarsed on good scientific principles. our old friend. Orby. was one of the first of tlie horses I saw. There i- ;in impression abroad that he la done for ;h a race bWMe, ;tu l even that his days are aaanbered. Let aae at ■ state that last years Dei by winner is not only well but doing good work every dn. . If Mr. Croker wants him to run this year, lie will lie rcadv 1o do so. The rejMirts circa la ted regarding his illnesses were either entirely devoid of foundation or greatly exaggerated. One of afa forelegs gave way when he met with aM ib feat at ! .iverpool. but that mischief is ap patently repaired. The setae appears to be in geed heart. He Shows all the quality and the power that so Impressed some of us when be was stripped in Hie paddock .it Epsom. In a neighlioring box stood Rhodora. Orbyt half-sister. Disquieting reports Lave abo sees drcalated regarding "is daoghter of St. Frusquin There is no truth in them. Rhodora i sound I Imwjh, and thriving as well as her bmsI ardeml adaairera eesjM wish. She has grown sfcsee last rear, sad now staada i good in.iv one lebked at her in ber hex. it was impossible not to be -truck by her splendid quarters and her wonderful backs. She Is indeed a grand type of mare, tad »ilh ordinary luck is sure to make a big name for her--, if daring the iiwslin naa— "The mare Bboda I... which is the dam of Orby and Rhodora, neetjis destined to take her place a* "in- of t i ureal thoreaghbred q as. At Glencairn there is a wemaVrful two-year-oM lilly out of ler. :.nd .i still mare wonderful yearling .-..it. The font r i- I»J Aineiicns :ind tlie latter bv I.cterlin Th • lilly is named Alabama and the Celt Battler. Both are destined to make bletOIJ mi the turf If bniks are anything to go by. I have never seen a tw | ear -old at this period of the rear that aside a bigg t impression on me thm Alabama. A dark rhestnot. she t. minds me rather forcibly of Pretty Polly. She has greed uwerters, rrari liones. nplen did depth .f girth, and with it all a beautiful dli posit1. hi ami rtre quality. Alreadj " ■ staada felly ii; lands. A lot of tine engagement* bare been ■Me for her. and miles- I am greatly mistaken, she will be making a big stir in lacing rlrel S be lore the usiai 1« 1 all over. Thee as to the yearling .-..it Battler. He is a ihesliial and distinctly of the Gallinnle type, with Hire- white tog* asd a white blaze on his lace. A most shapely onngster tt ami leotxi, lit; u £Uw4 mM k JVMiUevcful*. amount of bone. His forearms are extraordinarily powerful ami so are Ua bocks. He Will assuredly go far, and already ngehe jw-oplp have visions of seeing another Derby winner return in triumph to Ghiicairn. Here. then, are four successive foals out of Rhoda B.: orby. Rhodora. Alabama and Battler; verily, a marvellous record. She is now bearing tribute to Clonmel. being due to foal at the beginning of April. Not often does a young and untried sire get such a chance os this. We saw him lat.r in the afternoon nt Cflrrlckmines, which is at the southern end of the estate, about a mile and a half from the GlPilcairn stables. All the intervening land belong* to Mr. Croker. so that if he wish, d he could lay otit a race course that would satisfy the exacting demands of the English Jockev Club. But he is content with the so-called cabbage-patch— a paddock that affords a straight six furlongs, and quite a respectable course on the turn. Anyway, it served well enough as a training ground for Orby. Whatever its deficiencies may be, it provides r ally splendid going. It is. perhaps, scarcely necessary to say that the land hereabouts is on the limestone. Indeed. I am beginning to wonder whether ther.- is rtny land in this country that is not limestone. Anyway, the paddocks at Glencairn are covered with beautiful herbage. I am told that it is land for which a dairy farmer would willingly give to an acre. Th ■ estate already extends to over 400 acres, divided into paddocks, varying in size from six to fifty acres. The home mares number sixteen. Two of them — St. Hylda and St. Imn. both by St. Simon— have gone to The Heath, Queens County, to visit Fariman. "If Cloinnel, by Florizel 1L. out of lernor. by Bend Or, has still to make himself as a sire. Americus. which returned from a two-years sojourn in Italy last autumn, has already a thoroughly established reputation. Last senson he was at the top of the winning sires In Ireland. A marvelously speedy horse himself, he gets very speedy stock. YYe saw him in his box. Good at all points, he is a wond-rful horse to follow. Bred in America, his pedigree is rather a curiosity, for his grandsire and grandam were brother and sister. Standing at a fee of C4S. he cannot but be r garded as a cheap sir-. YVhen Alabama has shown what" she can do on a race course, there will probably be a rush to obtain subscriptions to Americus for next season."
