view raw text
AFTERMATH OF THE NEWMARKET SALES. Use That Will Be Made of the Tully Stud Horses by the British Government. Wlien the final transaction of the Newmarket Decemlier sales had imssed into history. "The Special Commissioner." Mr. W. R. Allison, always an interesting writer when iu the right mood, gave the following sketchy description of certain attendant features in London Sportsman of December 4: "The final flare-up in connection with the sales was sensational indeed, and the diners In the coffee-room at the Rutland Arms on Thursday evening would not have been more startled by a bomb explosion than they were when Colonel Hall Walker, who was downstairs in Mr. Tattersalls room, sent up to tell me that the government had accepted his offer of the Tully Stud and Russley stable. This was alxiut nine p. in., and our resident earreapeS-ent. who was present, could hardly he |x-rsuadeil to iM-lieve the news, but having quickly verified it he rushed to the telephone to communicate with The Sportsman oflice. Naturally there was a grea*t deal of murmuring over the belated decision. Tor many people had stayed specially for tin- fifth davs sale, and much money had lieeu held over for hiiviug some of Colonel Hall Walkers lots. I myself had an absolutely unlimited commission to buy one of them. The colonel is not to blame in any way, but ministers might surely have decided earlier. "for in that case a good deal more money would have been spent during preceding days. "Still, no one could help being gratified by the governments decision, which finally recognizes the national value of the British thoroughbred, -and will lie gall and wormwood to Mr. Hogge, M. P., and his accomplices. There is. of course, no idea of breeding light horses from the Tully mares. They are taken over to assist in retaining and maintaining our bloodstock, and from time to time thev will produce colts which, in due time, will develop into high-class stallions to be located at the Kusslev depot, and from there distributed throughout ,.»e country. The yearlings can be leased in some cases and in others sold, and it is quite certain that such a stud can be carried on at a profit. Why, at this moment, as I am writing, I have received another cable from America to buy several of the mares. In fact. I have instructions from five different huv-ers. and there are plenty of other people here similarly circumstanced. Mr. Welsh whose name is not Walsh had held himself iu check yesterday with a view to today, and I think Sir Gilbert Green-all would have been another good buyer. However, he has obtained some solace by securing the good mare, Gera, which Is sure to breed him some good winners, for the old Lady Sterling breed may be confidently relied on to do this almost with certainty. Then there is Mr. Livock. who had instructions to buy several of the Tully mares, and I know Mr. J. B. Joel wanted Lady Lightfoot. the dam of Prince Palatine. Indeed, one hardly realized until today what a lot of unspent money was available for this sale. Mr. Willey wonld doubtless have been a buyer, but he managed to get a good mare all the same in Accurate. Sir Thomas Dewar, too. wanted more mares. Altogether it looks as though the Tully stock and horses iu training wonld have made a big total indeed, and the government is indeed lucky to have obtained the lot for nothing. "There were not a few people who refused to believe the news when it came in. and declared that Col. Hall Walker and the government had been made the victims of a practical joke by some audacious forger: but practical jokers, if any survive in these days, would hardly subject themselves to the pains and penalties provided for forgers of a telegram, and tlie idea w*s hardly worth a moments consideration. "It is legitimate here to recall the fact that I was the first to publish the offer which Col. Hall Walker had made to the government, and it was distributed by The Sportsman to the rest of th» press. Tlie exact terms of the offer were corrects stated, though I did not mention at the time that it included the valuable collection of pictures at Tully. There have been numerous inquiries today as to the appointment of a manager, bnt as Col". Hall Walker offered to manage the studs himself in an honorary capacity it seems in the highest degree improbable that anyone else will lie appointed. Our government has for our sins adopted some of its schemes of social reform from Germanv. but there would be no harm in a studv being made of the management of the Imperial Stud. Graditz. ami there are several people in England who could give full information. R. Day among others. Of course. Count Lehndorff and others did not buy costlv thoroughbred mares for Graditz with a view to their breeding remounts. Tlie object all along has been to maintain a stock of really high class thoroughbreds from which sires of the future could be produced, and that, no doubt, is what Col. Hall Walker, at any rate, has in view, and it is all the more important because bloodstock breeding, should the war go on much longer, will be a too costly occupation for any but the very richest Individuals— if any rich remain after half-incomes are absorbed in economy taxation. Apparently rich men in possession of settled estates are often deadly poor on account of the charges imposed on the estates and the tendency of rent to go constantly lower. "It may be thought that the undoubted success attending this weeks sales will encourage breeders to carry on, but the success is of a nature that augurs ill for the future of our bloodstock without the government support which it has now so opportunely received. "While I am writing I have received some further conformation of the re[ ort as to a manager of the new scheme, though there can be no use at present in mentioning a name. No doubt Purcell. the Tully stud-groom, will be retained, but it is quite premature to discuss details which have not been settled and are not likely to be for some time to come. The whole idea is so new in England that with characteristic insularity many people look askance at it. and this may in a large measure have been the cause of the governments delay, but all these doubts and clouds will disperse before long, and the tremendous stroke in favor of the maintenance of our Ust bl.iodstock. which it has fallen to the lot of a hybrid government to strike, will then he fully appreciated. The kings supixirt of the tnrf and bloodstock breeding has hitherto been the all-important factor, but now we have the tuition itself definitely concerned, and it becomes therefore a sure thing that though individual breeders may lie pauperized and frozen out. the future of the priceless British thoroughbred, our oue genuine moiioply, is assured. "Now as to any deductions that may " be drawn from the success of this weeks sales, it must be carefully noted that but for Mr. James Buchanan. Sir Thomas Dewar. Sir Gilbert Greenall. aud Mr. F. Willey home buyers would have been quite in the background, and only a few lots were knocked down to these gentlemen. All the other purchases of any importance were made for America. Australia or France, and there was an incessant run throughout the week on the various forms which are necessary for export purposes. All the while bloodstock has been going out of the country by private contract, ami there are certainly not "half as many horses in training at Newmarket now as there were at this time last year. Several owners, as I stated the other day. have shot a certain number of their yearlings, not to mention those that have been castrated, anil if this condition of affairs does not justify, and, indeed, necessitate state interference. I cannot imagine what would do so. For a year or two American and colonial competition might still keep us in a fools paradise on aeount of the prices given, and these would rise higher as the supply diminishes: but tjie rapid diminution of that stock, as bred by individuals, is a lied-rock certainty in the present economic condition, and that is where the far-seeing policy of securing at least one great stud for the state conies in. Nearly all the Tully mares would have gone abroad hail they come up today. We were, in fact, within measurable distance of being bled white of our thoroughbreds, and this would have happened quite as quickly as it did in America when the aati-gamblers stopped racing there. America, howev, has so thriven on the war that she is able to expend big sums now in replenishing her bloodstock: but we —when shall we ever be able to launch out again and buy if we let our mares g« now Alreadv there is talk of sending a number of Enblish mares to lie sold in the United States of America, and Mr. Sievier is understood to lie arranging details out there, while I know that Jovner is interested in a similar scheme. Where would it all end but for the timely assistance of the state, thanks to the patriotic gift of Col. Hall Walker? "I dwell on this subject because it Is so da- sirable that people should not be mislead by tlie glamor of this weeks sales. They will realise the i I.isition better when they see the next Stud Book statistics ami see the number of mares that have l«e n cported. However, the taking of the Tully Stud by the government gives a solid foundation of hope for tlie future, and I only hoi e that it i will l o managed in tlie future as ably as it has been in the past, "Now as to the sales, I have already said that the groat bulk of tlie substantial purchases was for abroad. The British Bloodstock Agency took many lots for Australia. Mr. Welsh and Mr. W. F. Smith were acting for American buyers — the latter gentleman for two clients. 1 myself bought for two American breeders and one Russian, and even Mr., «. . Edmunds made some purchases for Australia, •.lint T«-sio look a lirst-rate mare for Italy, and _L,wc can say of the bloodstock exodus is that i 7l catalogue was. after all. not a heavy one, while iU- withdrawal of the Tully and Russley lots made , the last days business unusually brief. This was fori una te fur the owners of the few remaining lots that were worth attention, for a good deal of the surplus money was bid for them, and it would not have lieeu had the Tully mares been offered. Thus 1 found it quite impossible to buy Gera, and still more so to buv Messalina, a fine Cicero four-year-old mare, in foal to St. Amant. I bid what money 1 had over for her. but that was no use, and after a brisk competition Mr. Welsh got her for 1.350 j guineas. He is rather dis|Hised to think he gave too much for her. but that is by no means my opinion, for she is a good sort and certain in foal. ••From tlie same stud, a few* lots earlier, Mr. K. . Willey had bought old Phroso for 200 guineas, very cheaply, for though eighteen years old she is safe : , in foal to Cylgad, ami she is also the dam of four , good winners. It is a foolish thing to be prejudiced against buying healthy old mares, simply on ae-eoitut ! of their age, and this 1 proved years ago in the case of Lady Villikins, which produced Marcovil when she was eighteen, two years after I had sold her to the late lhike of Devonshire. lhroso is an extraordinarily well-bred mare, being by Galopin out of Ethel Agues sister tj . ; Martagon — nothing could be better. It is likely thai Cylgad will prove to have been the exact horse for her. as he has such ample size and bone, and , the combination of Cyllone and Martagon should I suit really well. Mr. Willey looks like getting together a quite first-class stud, and we may see ! him send out a Derby winner before many years are over. One of tlie absurdly cheap bargains of the week may have been the three-year-old filly Queen Laura, ■ :•. sister to Alep|io, which was sold for a mere trifie on Thursday. She comes of the same immediate i family as Bayardo and Lemberg, and therefore, of • course, traces to Queen Mary through Blink Bonny. • Some day. if well mated, she will be a valuable "■ br oilman-. But as to bargains, there were doubtless " many, while a good many mares realized more "■ than full value. Personally I cannot but think Auspicious at 220 guineas an astonishing purchase, for this three-parts " sister to Star Shoot is but ten years old, dam 1 of two winners and certain in foal. How it came : alKiut that this daughter of Gallinule was sold so 1 cheaply " passes human comprehension, for no one would have been surprised to see her make 1000 guineas. Now I would fain review the sales more carefully, • but I had forgotten about the lack of light in 1 trains now — though I should have remembered from last time and I simply cannot read my own notes on the catalogue before me. One can 1 but say, therefore, that despite the final fiasco the - geueral business result has been satisfactory, and 1 even that fiasco must have come as a boon, and 1 a blessing to Newmarket hotels and lodging-house • koe|»crs, for there was a full attendance on Thursday " night in anticipation of the next days sale, . anil the news of the Governments acceptance of f Col. Hall Walkers offer was not received in time e for anybody to get away home, as most of them 1 certainly would have done had they known earlier. • Mr. Tattersall bore the disappointment with becoming - resignation, though the withdrawal must have 8 meant the loss of at least 2,500 iiounds to his firm. • The .sales today lasted only about two and a half hours, and were far from being interesting in the later stages, but the ring side was well attended throughout.
