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ROCK SAND BLOOD IN AUSTRALIA BY F. L. McKENNEY. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., August 23. Interesting gossip about thoroughbreds in Australia was brought here by passengers arriving on the Oceanic liner Sonoma. Winter sport was in full swing when the big steamship left Sydney, with most of the feature racing on the steeplechase and hurdle programs at the various race courses having been decided. The Grand National Hurdle was won by the Sands of the Orient horse Sandule in a good field. Sands of the Orient was bred in the United States by Major August Belmont, raced with success in England and now is one of the leading sires south of the equator. He is by Roc: Sand, sire of Tracery, Friar Rock and other famous horses. The people "down under" are especially enamored of Rock Sand blood, as it is of the staying sort and they like nothing better than a keenly contested race at a long route. There is a marked similarity in the pedigrees of Sands of the Orient and Tracery, as each is by Rock Sand- from a mare of Bend Or descent. Sands of the Orient belongs to the Agnes family, as .do Ormonde, Kendal, Desmond, Martagon, Sceptre and other great horses. Orienta, dam of Sands of the Orient, is a half sister to Octagon, which sired Norman III. Tiie good old American-bred horse is appreciated in Australia, as is shown by remarks of horsemen down there about Henry of Navarre, slro of Orienta. The Australians characterize Henry of Navarre as a "celebrated American performer, hard as nails, for which no distance was too far." Henry of Navarre is a member of the No. 20 family, which is well known in Australia and New Zealand by reason of the stud success of Traducer, imported from England to New Zealand,
