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POLYMELUS ENGLANDS PREMIER AGAIN. The stallion Polymelus for the third time running lias wound up the season at the head of the winning list. This is, of course, excellent testimony to his merit as a sire, but by no means a record. His paternal ancestor, Stockwell, for example, headed the list for three years in succession from 18H to 1SG2, and subsequently improved upon that performance by coming out on top from 180-1 to 1867, inclusive. But for being relegated to second place in 1SG3 by his old rival. Newminster, which beat him by something like 1,500 pounds, the mighty chestnut would have had an unbroken sequence extending over eight seasons. As matters stand the record is held jointly by St. Simon and Hermit, each of which figured at the head of affairs for seven consecutive years, Hermit from 1880 to 1SS6 and St. Simon from 1S90 to 1890. In earlier days there was annually a keen struggle for supremacy among such famous old-time sires as Orlando, IJirdcatcher, Touchstone sire of Orlando and Melbourne. But for the latter the line of Matchem would nowadays be extinct, and since his time its fortunes to a great extent have hung on the slender thread of Barcaldine. Fortunately, however, the latter, in an all too brief stud career, sired a number of good race horses, which, like Barcaldine himself, did well at the stud, among them Wolfs Crag, Winkfiold and Marco. Wink-lield. by the way, did not win much on the race course owing to something being wrong with his back, but he sired excellent stock, among his get being the sensational Cambridgeshire winner, Winkfields Pride. It is to the Marco branch of Barcaldine that Mr. Buchanan owes his unbeaten "War" Leger, Hurry On, which is by Marcovil son of Marco. Polymelus, this years champion, goes back via Cyllene and Bend Or to Stockwell, and Chaucer, the second on the list, is a member of the St. Simon family, while third, but belonging to a different branch of Blacklock to St. Simon, comes Sunstar, which goes back to the "terrible Bishop Burton bay" via Speculum. Fourth stands another descendant of Beud Or in Radium, which was one of the 1SS0 Derby winners last crop of foals. Fifth comes another of the Cyllene Bend Or family in Captivation, thanks mainly to his two big Irish winners. Captive Princess and Lis-nalinehy, while sixth on the list is another of the. Bend Or line via Orme in Orby, which wound up the season in a bhize of triumph by aid of Eos and Diadem. London Sportsman.
