The Australian Thoroughbred 169 



PETROLEUSE, by Oxford (son of Birdcatcher) out of Hartshorn by Mountain Deer. 

 TITANIA, by Orest, out of Lady Queen Mab by Lambton. 



I cannot remember all the rest of the consignment, but there were native mares 

 at home just as good as they were. Of course Carbine, out of Mersey, was the great- 

 est performer Musket ever got, but he was no such sire as Nordenfelt, out of Onyx, or 

 Hotchkiss out of Petroleuse. He got Wallace out of a sister to Melos but, outside of 

 him, most of Carbine's get were delicate and did not train on. Nordenfelt headed 

 the list of sires in 1892, but died in the following year. Trenton, owned by Dan 

 O'Brien when he ran in the Melbourne Cup (and he and Commotion were the only 

 two horses ever to be twice placed for that event) was sold to Andrew Town af six 

 years old and at his death became the property of William R. Wilson of Geelong. 

 Through the victories of Aurania, Aurum and others of note, Trenton became premier 

 sire of Australia in 1895 and held it for five seasons, even after he had been exported 

 to England, being the only stallion to hold supremacy for that period, as against four 

 seasons each for Yattendon and M aribynong ; and three each for Chester and Musket. I 

 sa\y old Trenton in England three years ago and my wife said he was a long way the 

 most majestic-looking old horse she had ever seen. I think it a great pity he was 

 ever sent over to England for he has not done any too well there ; and in Australia he 

 got race horses from mares that had never produced decent selling platers to any other 

 stallion, being the only horse in Australian history to get winners of over 18,000 

 in a single season. This looks like small money, as compared with the returns from 

 some of our American sires, but is explained by the fact that they have no winter 

 racing in that country, which is all the more to their credit. The old saying that "A 

 merciful man is merciful to his beast" is just as true today as it was on the day it 

 was first uttered. 



Musket was strictly a male-line horse as much so as Goldsbrough was a female-line 

 stallion. Musket's daughters are very inferior broodmares, Industry (sister to the 

 Oaks winner Pearl Shell) being about the best of the lot. On the other hand, Tren- 

 ton, Nordenfelt, Carbine and Hotchkiss, have all had one or more seasons where they 

 have had above $40,000 to their credit. Add to these the moneys won by the get of 

 such fairly good sires as Escutcheon, Musk Rose, Medallion, Cuirassier, Brigadier, 

 Jacinth, Tranter and horses of that class ; and you will see that Musket is still ia 

 potent factor in the Australian stud. Just which of his descendants is now the bet- 

 ter sire I am unable to say, but am of a belief that Wallace, by Carbine out of Me- 

 lodious by Goldsbrough, is as good as any of them if not the very best. He certainly 

 was one of the best weight-for-age horses ever seen anywhere. It is singular that 

 Musket's daughters have not produced any better than they have for they were nearly 

 all large and roomy. I brought three of them from Australia to America and I 

 ought to know whereof I speak. I wish they had been by Goldsbrough. Now there 

 is a fam'ily of thoroughbreds that Americans do not know much about, being an off- 

 shoot of the famous Tramp who won the Doncaster Cup of 1814 when it was run at 

 four miles. As Goldsbrough headed the list of sire's in 1886, through his son, Arsenal, 

 winning the Melbourne Cup, I append his breeding. 



