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SCEPTRE AND HER FUTURE PRODUCE. I hear that Sceptre arrived safely at The Dur-dans, on Wednesday last, and that she is looking well and certain in foal to Cicero due to foal on March 2. She will stay at The Durdaus throughout the winter, and, jf all goes well, be mated with Cicero again. When Messrs. Tattersall bought her there were not a few critics who expressed doubts about her being In foal, but these doubts have fortunately proved to be groundless, and it is now beyond dispute that the mare was sold well within her value. Were she put up for sale again she would certainly realize considerably more than she did, for I know that Lady James Douglas, who was the last bidder but one when Messrs. Tattersall bought Sceptre, very much regrets that she did not go on. and Is now more thoroughly resolved in having a stud of the best possible mares than she was at that time. It is in a high degree probable that Sceptres foal by Cicero, if it lives and thrives, will turn out better than cither of her two daughters by Cyllene, though Maid of Corinth was in the top class as n two-year-old. Cicero may not have been as good a racehorse as his sire, but he was good enough to establish Ills credentials as a sire, and he briugs in through his dam a second touch of Galopin and Hampton, together with the priceless Paraffin branch of No. 1 family. Bred as she is. Sceptre is not suited to a horse of outside family like Cyllene, and it is satisfactory to know that another No. 1 horse, Swynford, has been selected for her for season 1913. The Paraffin lino seems to go on from strength to strength. Prince Palatine being its most recent champion, and Cicero has done so well with his two-year-olds this season that there is no question about his being a worthy mate for Sceptre. His dam is bred on the same lines as that wonderful matron. Glare; indeed, it was in consequence of the racing successes of Glare that Lord Rosebory mated Uluminata with Ayrshire, the sire of Sir Daniel Coopers filly, and as a result bred Gas. Glares dam, Footlight, and Uluminata the dam of Gas were half-sisters, the former being by Cremorne out of Paraffin, and the latter by Roslerucian out of Paraffin. Sir Daniel Coopers other first-class mare, Float, is three-parts sister to Glare, being by Sheen son of Hampton out of Footlight. Classic winners have come from all three sources, and Lord Rosebery has obtained good results by breeding in to the Paraffin family, through the two branches of Uluminata and Footlight. With this object in view he, some years ago, purchased from Sir Daniel Cooper, Serpentine, by St. Serf out of Footlight, and now we see that good two-year-old filly, Charmian. by Cicero, Rosalba, by Velasquez out of Serpentine. Clodlus. another good winning two-year-old, is by Cicero Turpitude own sister to Rosalba, by, Velasquez out of Serpentine. There was always sin immense store of vital energy in Sceptre, but it was somewhat sluggish in turning on its power, so that she did not get fairly under way until the latter stages of a race. The produce of her alliance with a horse of the Paraffin family is likely to have just the initial dash which was wanting in her case, and the Cyllene blood of Cicero should contribute sufficiently to the stamina. Vigilant, In London Sportsman.
