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HAMPTONS MALE LINE FLOURISHING. Success of Flavus in Australia Recalls Prejudico Against Chestnut Hamptons. Writing of Flavus, sire of the recent winner of the Australian Cup, I am reminded that he is not only one of the last of the Hamptons, but that he is the only chestnut son of Hampton which, so far as I can call to mind, makes a good stallion. Before any of us had come to know about Mendclism in reference to heredity of color, there was a dim theory or prejudice on the subject and I well remember how a chestnut Hampton was not liked so well as a bay and this was an argument against Keve dOr before she won the Oaks, for she was a chestnut daughter of Hampton. It was quite a misleading fancy, as we now know, for Hampton, his sire, Lord Clifden and his grandsire, Ncwmin-ster, were all impure dominants, so that no reasonable inference could be drawn from the color of Hamptons stock as to whether it would be good or bad. It is different where sons of pure dominants, such as Galopin or St. Simon, prove to be impure dominants, for I have often thought that tho chestnut stock of these are right off the male line of tho grandsire and assimilate many characters besides mere color from their chestnut ancestors. Even so, however, it does not follow that they should not be good. Persimmons best son was probably Zinfandel and St. Frusquin never sired a better daughter than Koscdrop; but both of these were chestnuts and, it may be added, wholly without any St. Simon characteristics. Nor does it follow that a pure dominant son of St. Simon is for that reason a better stallion than an impure dominant. The case of Florizel, Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee is on this point curious, for all three were impure dominants, but proved to be vastly better stallions that their brother Sand-ringham, which is a pure dominant, never having got a chestnut. Sandringhani has had plenty, of chances in the United States, but never approached the top class as a sire, j Tho Value of tho Strain. However, the old-time mejudico against chestnut Hamptons was clearly unreasonable. Imt It probably accounts for Hampton stallions of that color not being given much chance at the stud. Fortunately for Mr. Reginald White, ho was actuated by :.o such fads when he got hold of Flavus, which is a chestnut horse by Hampton Aloara, bv Albert Victor; foaled in 1895 and exported in 1904, Flavus had a long and successful career on the turf in England, and ho has proved to be a thoroughly good sire at the Meiton Stud in New South Wales. The pedigree gives a good combination of Touchstones best sons, Newminster and Orlando, in tail male of sire and dam, and whereas Hampton was a son of a grand-daughter of Rataplan, Albert Victor, the maternal grandsire of Flavus, was a son of a "aughtei of Stockwell. Of course, Flavus is an old horse new, but he may last two or three riioro seasons. Certainly in England and Franco the Hau.p-ton line has caught on strongly of late years, but mainly through Bay Ronald, wiiose sons, Bavardo, Dark Ronald and Macdonald, have done such "great things. Other Hampton horses, however, are not forgotten, for Gorgos is keeping the fame of Ladas alive in France, as are Requelanre, Troutbeck and Long Tom in England. Forfarshire, Braxted and Mereutio worthily represent the Royal Hampton branch of the family. Mention ought, of course, to be made of Symington, by yrshire son of Hampton, for lie is an undoubtedly good though not altogether lucky stallion. On the whole, good though the line of Hampton most certainly is, and flourishing though it is, the representatives of It now at the stud are far from numerous, and the recent death of Bayardo constitutes a most serious loss. Bayardo, however, has not left himself unrepresented, and ho will have good winners to remind us of him f-jr years to come. W. Allison, in London Sportsman.
