i8o MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES V 



Soon afterwards he went to Watson's stable, and after 

 a few weeks' exercise it was found that he had gone 

 wrong in his wind. He was a most beautiful horse, 

 and such a catastrophe was sad indeed, but on my 

 representation of the case Mr Stead agreed to take 

 his old favourite back and to send Sir Edgar Vincent 

 Screw Gun instead. This also was quite a good 

 horse and won a One Thousand Sovereigns race for 

 his new owner, thus terminating the incident amicably, 

 if not profitably, for Sir Edgar. 



Multiform on return to New Zealand became one 

 of the most successful stallions out there, and his 

 son Noctuiform not only carried all before him in the 

 island, but also went over to Sydney and won the 

 A.J.C. Derby in record time. It was then that I 

 again tried Mr Stead if he would sell, for Sir James 

 Buchanan was a buyer. He did not want to sell, 

 except at 5000 guineas, and with permission to run 

 three races in New Zealand. Again the bargain was 

 made, subject to the colt winning them easily and 

 passing sound afterwards. 



All this happened, and Noctuiform landed in this 

 country in splendid shape. He never won a race, 

 but I blame neither the horse for that nor New Zealand. 



Noctuiform's failure, however, effectually stopped the 

 demand from here for Australasian horses. All the 

 same, who ever saw the Grand National won in better 

 style than by Moifaa ? 



I am not saying that failures in a sense did not 

 come also from Australia. There was Survivor, a 

 good winner out there, who was being brought home 

 by the late Mr W. T. Jones, and I had an option on him 

 at 2000 guineas. This son of Lochiel had an excellent 



