1 68 'The American Thoroughbred 



had some sixty race horses on board and the son of Angler and Chrysolite was the only 

 one saved. Robinson Crusoe won the Sydney Derby and the Champion Race at 3 

 miles ; and was the sire of two good brothers Trident and Navigator each of which 

 won a Derby and a St. Leger, and Trident won the Champion in all but record time. 

 Nordenfelt headed the list of Winning Sires in 1892 and was the biggest thorough- 

 bred horse I ever saw. He was 17 hands high, no taller than our Longfellow, but 

 a heavier horse in equal flesh by at least 150 pounds. His back looked like an island. 

 Two sisters to Martini Henry and one to Nordenfelt were shipped to England to be 

 mated with first-class sires, but none of them produced anything above the selling 

 plater class. Robinson Crusoe was strictly first-class, as a sire and one of his sons 

 Sunrise has gotten more winners of races in each year since 1888 than any other 

 stallion on the great South Continent, but he never figures better than twelfth on the 

 list because his get win their races away out on the back blocks, running for small 

 purses. 



MUSKET is the next great horse in Australian history. He was bred in England 

 and foaled in 1867. In 1870 he won three Queen's. Plates and the Ascot Stake? at 

 two miles, declaring himself as a noted "sticker" even at that early age. At four 

 years of age he was the contending horse in what was probably the most desperate 

 finish ever run on Ascot Heath. It was for the Alexandra Plate, a few feet over 2^ 

 miles, in which he carried 126 pounds to Rosicrucian's 132, and was beaten a head, the 

 third horse Dutch Skater (who won the Great Metropolitan and Doncaster Cup of 

 that year) being beaten over sixty lengths. No such ding-dong finish as that had been 

 seen since Camarine, by Juniper, defeated Rowton (St. Leger of 1829 and imported into 

 America) for the Ascot Cup of 1832. Next year Musket shouldered his five-year-old 

 impost of 132 pounds and won the Alexandra Plate easier than Rosicrucian had done in 

 the previous year, after which he retired to the stud where he got Petronel, winner 

 of the Two Thousand and Doncaster Cup in Bend d'Or's year ; Dan Godfrey, never 

 trained but a fairly good sire; and Gisela, dam of Hambledon (by Standard) who 

 won six Queen's Plates and the, Doncaster Cup of 1885. Musket had just concluded 

 his first season when his owner, the eccentric Lord Glasgow, died of a brief illness. By 

 the terms of his will, all of his horses were to be retained by his heirs unless they saw 

 fit to kill them. They could shoot just as many as they liked but must not sell one. 

 Just then Major J. S. Walmsley, of Auckland, New Zealand, arrived in London with 

 orders for Thomas Morrin, of Sylvia Park, to purchase some mares and stallions. 

 Morrin was an iron-monger, a native of Canada and about as genial a man as could 

 be found at the antipodes; and he had given Walmsley carte blanche to purchase the 

 best stallion and twelve mares that he could find. Walmsley knew that a horse that 

 could not stay two miles could not win any of the big handicaps in Australia and, as 

 Musket had been a noted "sticker" he wanted him for premier of Sylvia Park, but 

 the terms of the will were in the way. They finally got around it by Mr. Walmsley's 

 payingi,750 for a ninety-nine years' lease to Thomas Morrin. Some of the mates 

 that accompanied him were superbly bred and among them were : 



MERSEY, by Knowsley, out of Clemency by Newminster, afterwards dam of Car- 

 bine, who won the Melbourne Cup of 1890 with 145 pounds up. 



MACKSICKAR AND L'ORIENT, by Knight, out of Garter, who ran second to Vauban 

 in the Two Thousand Guineas. 



ROSETTE, by Lord Lyon (Derby of 1866), out of Rouge Rose (dam of Bend d'Or, 

 (Derby of 1880) by Thormanby. 



RAMBLING KATIE, by Melbourne, out of Phryne (sister to Flatcatcher) by Touch- 

 stone. 



DUNDEE'S KATIE, by Dundee, out of Rambling Katie. 



FLEUR ANGE, bred in France, by Consul, son of Monarque. 



