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UNZUES ARGENTINE STUD » Special Commissioner of London Sportsman Tells of His Visit. 1 Pesoribes FInp Foals by Tracery at Sou tli American Breeders Great Establishment ♦ William Allison, the special commissioner of the London Sportsman, has recently returned to England from a trip to the Argentine. In the following article he describes the great brooding* establishment of Senor lnzue and the foals by Tracery quartered there : I always look forward with special pleasure to my visit to Senor Unzues splendid stud, and there was the added attraction this year that there were many colts and fillies by Tracery to be seen, and six of them yearlings foaled to English time. Moreover, it is always pleasant to renew acquaintance with the cherry stud groom. "Johnny" lloran, who has been there some thirty years. Wo started at 9:15 a. m. on Wednesday, by the, International Express, which is made up largely of sleeping cars, and moves along more speedily than do most Argentine trains. Anyhow, it took little more than two hours to reach Men-odes station, where we found a motor waiting, and in consequence of the prolonged dry weather the road from there to San Jacinto was immeasurably better than I found it in the last two years. Indeed, we had quite an easy and comparatively smooth run over the eight miles or so. and were soon noting the familiar emus called ostriches interspersed among cattle in the park-like grounds. LIKE AX ENGLISH PARK. I suppose I ought to describe the whole property as an estancia, but it takes on a considerable resemblance to an English park when you come within about a mile of the house. Sonor Unzue was there to receive us, and there was plenty of time to go out before lunch and have a look around. He has been reducing the number of his brood mares considerably, and intends for the future to keep only about thirty of the best. There are at San Jacinto ten yearlings by Tracery bred to Argentine time and six bred to European time. That is to say. the former lot would rank as two-year-olds in England, having been foaled in the latter half of 1922. I have more than once tried to explain how stock foaled in the Argentine to English time have an advantage over our own, for tho simple reason that if they be January or Eehruary foals they can be turned out with their dams, night and day, amid herbage that is at its best, whereas ours at the same period of the year are necessarily boxed up to a groat extent, and cannot have recent herbage in the first three months of the year. It is simply a proof to demonstrate that our rule dating ages from January 1, instead of March 1, as it ought to be, is contrary to the proven way of nature. ADVANTAGE OF ARGENTINE YEARLING The Argentine yearling, bred to European time, is strong and robust by the time the winter comes in the middle of the year, and it Ls not a severe winter like ours. Then, after enjoying another summer in his own country, he can be sent over to Europe in time to take advantage of the summer here, thus avoiding a second winter altogether. It would be vastly different if we tried to breed stock in Europe to Argentine time, for such stock would be foaled here in the autumn or winter and not have decent grass or sun for six months. We sat while the yearlings wore led out for inspection, and I need hardly tell people familiar with Tracerys stock that they made a goodly show. Most of them are typical of their sire, and of tho colts bred to European time, I liked best the white-heeled dark bay from that famous mare Ocur-rencia. by Val dOr Meltona. He is absolutely good all over, with rare quality and plenty of size. He was foaled on Eebruary 28 last year. A typical Tracery colt is the brown from Miss Spendthrift, by Wildflower. her dam Aura, by Empire. Then there is an excel -lent own brother to the yearling El Cacique, by Tracery from Indiccita, by Val dOr. He Is not quite sj much of a Tracery as I-ady Bulloughs two-year-old, but lie is a good one, all the same. GOOD-SIZED TWIN. The fourth colt is a shapely son of Viena, by Val dOr from Margay. by Martagon. her dam Hawthorn, by Albert Victor — Hawthorn Bloom. He was a twin, but seems to have grown, and done well all the same. . Of the two fillies foaled to English time, one, named Sabandija. is of excellent quality She is from Candorosa, by Val dOr from La Marseillaise, by St. Mirin, her dam. Gavotte, by Saxifrage. The other is also a good filly from- a Val dOr mare. Salida, but sh- is rather straight on her front joints, and is not likely to be sent to Europe this year. I saw also two two-year-old fillies bred to European time. One of them is a sharp-looking. deop-girthed daughter of Viena. by Val dOr, rather on the small Bide. The other is a well-grown one from I • urroncia. and her groat merit is obvious, though she may be rather straight on her joints. It will l o soon, therefore, that we are likely t i have plenty of Tracery runners in Eir-;lai:d tinting the next few years, for it must be remembered that there are already four Tracery two-year-olds in Europe and five yearlings, while there will be foals by him this year at San Jacinto to English time, arid some too in England and France from mares recently imported. As is well known, the horse was brought back to England last year before the beginning of the Argentine rf ffiW It may not be g aeratiy known that the foaling season for Argentine time eejeaaeences In June. Of course. 1 was interested in the Tracery yearlings bred to Argentine time, for they are likely to keep the flag flying in that country. There are four beautiful tillies. all from Val d Or mares, and I think the beat of them is Trastada. from evasion, sister to 0 urroi.eia. and herself a gr* d winner. La Suerte is quite a true Tracery, and the tap- root of her is Mother Superior, ancestress of Minoru and Grand Parade. Bettor still. I liked the well grown and -shapely Turbu-lenta. which .« closely related to El Cacique. Among the coltu is a real beauty in Cin-Chon, whose dam is Bud. by William the Third from Sweet Hilda, by Tepper and Salt, her dam Boyne, by Doncaster — Shannon. There is a grand dark bay colt of the same family, his dam being by Sundridge from Bud. Gran Copete is another fine lengthy colt from Gran Cosa, by Val dOr, and tracing to the ever-successful Meltona. Then there is a good colt from Straftalina. which traces to StrathfleeL A chestnut colt from La Gamez, by Val dOr, is half-brother to perhaps the speediest colt in the country. The succefs of Tracery with Val dOr mares has been striking, and it was on the ground of make and shape, as well as of breeding, that Senor Lnzue decided on this being the best possible scheme of mating. It was now almost time to go and see he stallions, of which Papanatas sire of 1 alospavos now occupies the leading position, and a perfectly beautiful horse he is. Old Val dOr, though he has been blind for ten years, is not in the least inconvenienced by that defect. He came out looking almost as fresh as a four-year-old, and his back has dropped little if at all. They put ten mares to him last season, and nine arc believed to be in foal. A newcomer is Spike Island, by Spearmint-Molly Desmond, and a good sort of bene he is. He may be displaced later on by Town Guard, but I do not think he would be if he were mine, though doubtless Senor lnzue is quite right in believing that his Tracery mares will be best suited by a horse of Marco descent. At all events, the reverse cross has boon amply proved successful in such horses as Papyrus and Triumph. We lunched wisely and well before driving out to see the brood marcs and f als, and be it known that there are thirteen Tracery foals — that is to say, born in the latter half of 1925. They are living out night and day with their dams, and presented a really alluring spectacle. It wis a great sight, that of these really grand mates in the best of health and condition, with foals looking as well as sunshine and good food can make them. EIGHT COLTS AND EIVE FILLIES. Of the thirteen by Tracery eight are colts and live fillies. My readers may not be interested in them, but it is important for the credit of the horse that he should be well represented during the next few years in tho Argentine a.s well as in England. 1 put a special mark against the filly by Tracery — Irrison. by Val dOr — Meltona; the filly by Tracery from Petulance, by Peppermint, ler dam Splendid, by Sheen— Ornament dam of Sceptre, and the filly by-Tracery — Dorancia. by Val dOr, her dam Pctulancia above mentioned. Among the colts 1 not.-d the typical Tracery from Kuperta. by Winktields Pride, her dam Tranmere. by Ayrshire : another true Tracery, from La Infanta, by Val dOr. from Reiae dee Prea, by St. Mirin. But these not- B are Car, indeed. from bfllng; comprehensive — indeed, it would be ridiculous to attempt a description of all these good foals. I have merely mentioned a few that caught my eye a.s samples of the rest. Senor Unzue returned to Buenos Aires with Bf. after this — to me — truly enjoyable day which is my last before sailing on the return voyage.
