THE THOROUGHBRED HOMES OF AUSTRALIA 145 



to-day. He is a most versatile sire, producing as he does sprinters, stayers, 

 Cup and Grand National winners. With Comedy King at Noorilim is the 

 imported Spearmint horse Spearhead, a highly-bred young English horse who 

 is just starting his stud life. 



Some ten miles away on the Melbourne side is Chatsworth Park, where 

 the Redfearn family bred many good horses in days gone by. The V.R.C. 

 Chairman, Mr. L. K. S. McKinnon, on Woorak's retirement from the turf, 

 established him at Chatsworth at the head of a very select lot of mares, but 

 dispersed the stud in 1921. Chatsworth is now owned by Mr. Hildyard, who 

 is gradually establishing a stud there with the imported Quaestor, by Cicero, at 

 the head of it. The hunting enthusiast, Mr. A. T. Creswick, whose years sit 

 lightly on him and who yet takes tea with the best of them over the stiff post 

 and rail fences the Melbourne Hounds hunt over, has a nice property at 

 Negambie. Here, at the Nook Stud, is All Black, an imported son of Gallinule, 

 and whose daughter Desert Gold is one of the best of the Australasian Turf's 

 fair sex. White Star, an own brother to the English Derby winner Sunstar, is 

 also at The Nook with a wonderfully choice collection of mares, who are 

 bound to produce more than their share of winners. Not far away Mr. Winter 

 Irving keeps some half-dozen very select mares, and he has already added to 

 the valley's reputation by breeding good horses 



This year death removed Mr. J. V. Smith, a familiar figure from the 

 horse-breeding world of Victoria; he has left his sons to carry on his breeding 

 operations. Only recently the stud was moved from Bundoora, where it had 

 been for many years, to Kuarangi, a rich valley property near Dhurringle. 

 Wallace, who was at Bundoora for several seasons, was undoubtedly the best 

 horse Carbine left behind him in Australia, and the Messrs. Smith are happy 

 in the possession of a number of well-bred mares by him. The stallion now 

 in use is Ethopiam (imp.), a son of Dark Ronald, and this year will be his 

 first at the stud. Toolamba is another valley stud of recent origin, owned by 

 Dr. S. A. Syme. He has a prospective stud success here in imported Lanius, a 

 very well performed and staying son of" Llangibby, whose progeny are just 

 starting to race this season. The New ZecJand-bred Broadsword is also at 

 Toolamba. and siring useful horses. 



All the successful Victorian studs are not to be found in the fertile 

 Goulburn pastures, for one of the most famous of them is situated some 20 

 miles the other side of Melbourne. This is Mr. E. E. D. Clarke's property. 

 Melton, which he keeps almost entirely as a private stud, only selling a few 

 yearlings each year at the sales. Melton shelters that wonderful horse The 

 Welkin, one of the most successful stallions ever imported to the colonies. 

 Another importation is Cyklon, by Spearmint, who was bought by Mr. Clarke 

 quite recently. This year Melton has achieved something in the way of a 

 double-barrelled record, for The Welkin is at the head of the Winning Sires' 

 List, while Mr. Ernest Clarke tops the names of the Winning Owners of 

 Australia. 



Other Victorian breeders, in Messrs. Philip Russell, Major Alan Currie 

 and the Hon. Agar Wynne, have all established studs on the Western Plains 

 of Victoria, and are breeding their share of winners; v/hile Messrs. F. W. 

 Norman, D. J. Bourke, H. F. Creswick, A. S. Chirnside are also doing their 

 bit in the production of the Victorian Thoroughbred. 



Most of the breeders above named send drafts of yearlings annually to 

 the sales held in Melbourne during March by Messrs. W. C. Yuille & Co. and 

 Messrs. Adamson, Strettle & Co. The number of yearlings sold by the two 

 firms falls a long way short of the number offered in Sydney, but they are 

 remarkably successful. 



