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THE TURFS PROSPERITY IN AUSTRALIA If Australia makes as great and wellsustained progress in national development as its nice clubs and breeders of the thoroughbred have done in their individual spheres then the federation is due for a prosperous future The Australians love of n good horse has become proverbial and today both on the tracks and in the stud their champions are helping1 to add to Australias prestige as a nation of horsemen horsemenNowadays Nowadays the importance of the turf in develop ¬ ing the endurance and stamina of the blooded horse and as a consequence leading to the weeding out of the unfit has become recognized Even the great ¬ est antigambling fanatic must allow that the best method to produce thorough specimens of the army remount is to secure a thoroughbred strain The cavalry charger bred from a thoroughbred sire Is likely to last through engagements which would break down Ills more plebeian brethren When young horses finish their turf careers the best are taken for stud farms where the thoroughbred reigns su ¬ preme The remainder perhaps equally good though less brilliant are purchased at a lower figure and used for breeding establishments where the highest types producedPrize of the saddle horse are produced Prize money in Australia Is allotted liberally Take only two clubs the leading ones admittedly as examples The Australian Jockey Club in Sydney has now the lead which Its name implies and for the 19101911 season will provide in added money over 250000 The rise in prizes has been both gradual and speedy In 1873 the club added 18700 In 1898 this had grown to 111750 in 190C 156125 was the total and now four years later the sum lias wellnigh doubled The Australian Jockey Club makes Its weightforage races the star fixtures rightly believing that the best is entitled to prime consideration and thus its Derby has 20000 al ¬ lotted Other weightforage races have 10000 7500 and 5000 provided Handicaps are not for ¬ gotten however and the Sydney Cup carries 15000 the Metropolitan 1750O and so on The Victoria Racing Club will give away 234750 next season Pride of place is assigned to the Mel ¬ bourne Cup with 30000 the Derby has 15000 and other events are in proportion These are not the only clubs to provide large prizes The Caulfield Cup for instance is worth 15000 and in New Zealand a similar state of affairs prevails Alto ¬ gether some hundreds of thousands of pounds are given yearly by the racing clubs throughout Aus ¬ tralia In large cities and In the country too the races still hold pride of place as a holiday resort and thousands of people unite In cheering the winners of the big races racesThese These amounts show the sound condition of the Australian turf It is most important to remember that in each case the sum mentioned is not guaran ¬ teed but added money The amount represented by entrance fees acceptances and so on go to swell the stakes thus it is that the Derby at Randwick is really a more valuable prize to win than the Derby at Epsom in England For most of the important events the original entry can he made free and even the acceptances are not high when the valuable chances are taken into consideration considerationThe The attention given to weightforage races is a healthy sign it encourages owners of a promising colt or filly to pass over the twoyearold events and thus reap a goodly harvest later on Twoyear old racing has been much criticised by the men who know and undoubtedly many a fine youngster has been ruined by a grasping policy which causes him to be traineil for race after race before he is really set setOwners Owners and breeders mutually favor big prizes for twoyearolds the former because it brings them a quick return for their outlay the latter on account of the stimulus it gives to bidding And as owners and breeders make up the important section of rac ¬ ing clubs must perforce follow out their wishes wishesSuch Such big prizes niean bigger sums expended on yearlings Tills year was a record In both aggre ¬ gate and average Sydney is now the headquarters of the industry and the sales constitute a fixed part of the autumn meeting held at Randwick dur ¬ ing Eastertide buyers assembling from all over the commonwealth Some thirtyrave years ago when the sales were started by T S Clibborn then and until recently secretary of tlie Australian Jockey Club the figures were not Imposing ImposingIt It is only within the last twelve years that big money has been forthcoming The sales of 1898 brought 42380 or anu average of 300 for 117 year ¬ lings The fivefigures total was first reached in 1900 when the aggregate was 56255 and the aver ¬ age 370 Five years later this changed to 119 005 and 705 while in 1907 the amounts had sud ¬ denly jumped to 210540 and 720 But this years results amazed even the most optimistic for a total of 374375 was obtained for 385 yearlings the average being 970 970During During the week horses in training broodmares etc are also disposed of and taking these into consideration the returns for blood stock sold publicly during the week in Sydney totaled well over 500 000 Of the yearlings 8750 was the highest price recorded but fourteen of these sold went for over 5000 The best record was shown by an Austra ¬ lianfoaled sire Malster a son of Bill of Portland which got so many good horses during his short sojourn in the commonwealth Thirtyseven year ¬ lings bv Malster realized 106205 or an average of 2870 and at the close of a brilliant career on the Australian turf Malster only brought 6770 His new owner has been well repaid on his purchase Tlie highest price he obtained for a yearling in Sydney Is 15250 paid for Orcus a brother to the wonderful horse Poseidon Like many another high priced yearling Orcus was not a success and while eating his oats with hearty relish declined to win races
