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i ; : . J 1 , , j ; s - ! 1 - , t . , ! " 1 1 1 , AT THE LOWEST STAGE OF DEPRESSION. Telling Portrayal of the Present Condition of the Bloodstock Market in England. Again and again I haA-e A-rittcn of late that there never Avas sucli a chance as the present for investing capital in bloodstock, and for the simple reason that most owners and breeders are at the lowest stage of depression and wanting to get out of their property if they possibly can for any price in reason. "Ill take miy thing you can get for him!" said the owner of a Avell-known stallion to me this week, and that is the attitude of the majority of unfortunates Avho have been caught in the politico-racing "slump." To buy privately from such people is an easy task, but it does not follow that prices at public auction will bo so bad, for the new buyers know that they come in on the bed-rnek; they Avill bid against one another, and there will be no resen-cs. Often Ave have seen good sales indeed Avhen there Aras a general expectation of securing bargains. I mentioned on Saturday that there is a demand in France for some good English stallions "at Avar prices," and Mr. Maskers Maiden Erlegli has been inquired about. They ask why did he haA-e no foals last year?. The ansAA-er is simple that he A-as not put to the stud until last year, Mr. Musker having given him a years vacation before making the change from post to paddock. Maiden Erlegh lias finite a number of excellent foals uoav, and they Avill add materially to the attraction of Mr. Muskers sale and to their sires value. Bay Ronalds Value. I should imagine that Ambassador is another of the stallions suited exactly to the French market, for he is one of the best of Dark Ronalds sons, ami both in England and France this year the Bay Ronald line of Hampton is going strong indeed through Gay Crusader and Magpie in this country, and through the stock of Macdonald in France. Vet Ave are told by "The Times" leader Avriter that handicap horses are not AAortli keeping in training! It may be granted that Hampton developed from a selling .plater, through hurdle stages and handicaps, into a Aveight-for-age performer, but his son, Bay Ronald, Avas a handicapper pure and simple, and made no show to speak of in Aveight-for-age company. Collar beat him pointless for the Ilardwicko Stakes at Ascot, and Merman Tan right aAvay from him and The Rush for the Jockey Club Cup. Still, Bay Ronald Avas an honest trier and Avell proved on race courses. He then developed the best of all qualities for a stallion, viz., that of being able to sire stock better than himself ; Moreover, his sons, Dark Ronald and Macdonald, have already advanced the improvement stage a stage further in their stock, and if Bayardo has not yet got a son better than himself, it is because that Avould be almost impossible. Gay Crusader, however, is quite good enough to go on Avith, and It is granted to him to haA-e a decently continuous racing career, ho may yet develop form equal to that of his sire. All this faAors the stud prospects of Ambassador, Avhich, in his true merits, avus at least the equal of Son in LaAV Avhen in training, and the latter, which is also a son of Dark Ronald, is one of the most sought after of all the young sires of the day. Melton Marcs. A groat feature of Mr. Muskers catalogue is the number of mare by Melton many of them quite young ones that it contains, and also the proportion of other lots by good sons of Melton. Now Sielton AAas a great horse, and a superlatively-bred horse. Had he never gone to Italy he might haA-e ranked as another St. Simon here, and, eA-en as it was, ho did Avondfcrs Avhen Mr. Musker brought him back. It used to be a simple affair to pick tAvo-year-old Avinners Avhen the first of the Musker-bred Meltons came out. You simply had to Avrite "Mr. Muskers Selected," and you never made a mistake. IIoAvever, I Avill go more carefully into the mammoth catalogue another day. Suffice it for the present that buyers must not bo frightened by its magnitude. They Avill get all the more chance to satisfy themselves. Horse Supply. Writing of a big catalogue, I am reminded that our army council AAould have been only too glad to be troubled by any number of horses as far back as August last year, Avhen the horse supply was giving them "the graA-est anxiety." It may surprise Mr. Wells and people A-ho do not understand the necessity for horses in Avar to learn that at the time mentioned Ave AA-cre obtaining 8,000 horses monthly from America, Avhich number Avould have been increased if possible. The home supply was, even at that period, "almost exhausted." In these circumstances, all army and divisional commanders Avere strictly enjoined to keep the "wastage of animals as low as possible." Wastage in war, it Avas stated, is mainly due to a Exhaustion or OA-erwork. b Insufficient and indifferent forage, e Indifferent shoeing. d Contagious disease, especially skin trouble. An effort Avas being made "to increase the rate of purchase of horses in the United Kingdom." Now is it not amazing, on the above showing, to find that, some ten months after the above statement of the situation as regards horses, the supply of Avhich from America cannot now be what it Avas, an effort is being made to decrease the home supply of horses, so to speak, cutting it off at the main, viz., the thoroughbred source? It is possible for ephemeral reasoners, such as that precious "Breeder" of "Times" invention, to argue that bloodstock of this year Avill be useless for the breeding of army horses for this Avar. Similarly avg haA-e all heard of the gentleman A-ho said, "Why should I do anything for posterity? Posterity never did anything for me." I think, hoAA-ever, it is agreed by all save the most exceptionally selfish beings that Ave AA-ork for the future even harder than Ave do for the present. Bad Reasoning. "The Times" correspondent would presumably argue that it matters nothing what becomes of the children of the nest year or two, because they Avill not be of military age. It is manifest, however, and is Avell recognized that extra caro of children is especially needed at present to make good so far as possible in the future the wastage of the ivar. The position in regard to horse-breeding and rearing is precisely the same. It is more important uoav than ever it AAas, the stock having been so dangerously depleted. And yet tins is the time selected for the stoppage of racing, though the prime minister admittedly understands its vital importance to the horse-breeding industry. It is difficult to imagine how sane men can have deliberately brought about such a national catastrophe, for catastrophe it is, and an irreparable one, too, unless the goAernment engines are reversed and the racing program quickly reinstated. More Exports of Bloodstock. As I write the above there comes in the news that the exceptionally fine four-year-old Athe-s ling litis been bought by John DaAAson for an American breeder. 1 have more than once described Atheling as the finest of all Desmonds sons and he is a right good one, too, as he has shown in public in his tAAo-year-oId and three-year-old seasons, also in his only race this year. Moreover, he is rarely bred to make a stallion, being by Desmond Wood Daisy, by Cyllene, her dam. Mountain Daisy, by Ayrshire Light of Other Days, by Balfe. This is the valuable branch of No. 2 family, from which Prince Soltykoff bred so many good Avinners, and it is to be noted that Hurry On, the champion of last year, comes of the same family. John DaAvson is also buying several mares for the same destination as Atheling. StraAvs sIioav how the Avind blows, and there Avill be a general clearing out or shooting of bloodstock if the present ruinous situation is maintained. This morning I have been asked to obtain a freight quotation for 100 head of bloodstock to Australia. So runs the Avorld aAvay!. Vanishing Bloodstock, "I shipped my yearlings on Friday. They bought my band again." Thus Avrote J. B. Joel on the second inst., referring to the shipment of his yearlings to the United States. This is the third successh-o season in which ho has sent his young stock out of the country and Avhen Ave call to mind Aviiat great Avinners lie Avas breeding before the A-ar, Ave need no great imagination to realize the damage that is being done to this country by the restric-1 tlons on racing. Ordinary breeders have no such ready foreign market as J. B. Joel, otherwise every Atlantic steamer Avould be carrying out as many yearlings as it could accommodate. It is evident that an occasional disappointment Avill not stall off American buyers, for it must have been a serious IiIoav Avhen North Star III. got a bowed tendon before the Kentucky Derby. Ilow-, ever, it is generally safe to anticipate that For-1 tune docs not run counter to you for long if yon keen on buying .highest-class stock. So much is this so that I haA-e known many cases Avhere buyers have been positively encouraged by initial failures and haA-e on the other hand, been deterred from trying to repeat the experiment Avhen they have draAvn a prize at the first time of asking. I have rarely known a case Avhen a man having made a success in fine Avay did not forthwith proceed to try another, just as Mr. Fairie, having bred Bayardo by mating Galicia Avitli Bay Ronald, then proceeded to send her to Cyllene, the result being Lemberg. Then he sent her to Spearmiut, afterwards to Radium and next to Cicero. The obvious mate for her. seemed to be Dark Ronald, while he was in the country, but the Bay Ronald success AAas never followed up. There have been singularly few cases in Avhich a breeder has mated his .mare repeatedly Avith the same horse AVhen she has once bred a great Avinner to that horse. W; Allison In Loudon Sportsman. -
