TURF TOPICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 136, 15 July 1914, Page 5

TURF TOPICS.

Tlie jumping brigade at present in work at Eiccarton is being kept up to the collar, for scarcely a morning passes without something of interest occurring with the lepping candidates. So far falls have not been much in evidence, which to a great extent must be attributed to the excellent condition of the schooling ground. This is regularly harrowed and rolled, and so long as it is subjected to this treatment there is little likelihood of the ground becoming rough and broken, which formerly used to be the case.

Martel (O'Connor), Overton (Douglas), and Rejection (Levi) were com: panions in a task over four flights of the schooling hurdles at headquarters this morning. The trio fenced together until the hurdle at the top of the straight was reached, where Rejection struck the obstacle heavily and dislodged his rider, who received a kick on the head. Fortunately, his skull cap prevented any damage being done, and he escaped with a light shaking. Martel and Overton finished up by giving a satisfactory display.

Obligate (Macintosh) was given a round over the big fences. After baulking a couple of times at the sod wall he finished up by giving an indifferent display. Combination, with Macintosh in the saddle, was a trial at the steeplechase fences, but refused after several attempts to jump. He finished up by going a round over the Jiurdles. Merry Valet is showing of lameness in one of his hind .legs. He is believed to have given it a slight strain while racing at the recent Rangiora fixture. He is to be treated to a few days 7 rest. The Clanranald —Lady Annie gelding Glenfinnan, who was recently purchased by the Melbourne sportsman Mr S. A. Rawdon, was shipped to his new quarters to-day in charge of G. Maxim. The Treadmill horse Autumnus, who has been enjoying a couple of months' spell, has-been put into work again by E. Cutts. Autumnus's knees and joints have received a light blistering, and on appearance there is every possibility of his standing another preparation. The Riccarton trainer D. Roberts is at present handling three rising three-year-olds. They are a chestnut gelding by Glenapp from Remorse, a bay filly by Glenapp from Clytie, and a bay gelding by Boniform from Assegai. The Remorse gelding and ttie Clytie filly are a pair of well-grown youngsters, with plenty of bone and substance. They have just been broken in, and are ready to commence work. The Boniform gelding is also a big, upstanding customer, who should not fail to gallop fast. I understand the trio are for sale.

The well-known (horseman, F. Plynn, is rather seriously indisposed with an attack of pleurisy, which may prevent him donning siik at the Wellington meeting. There are more two-year-olds in work at Ellerslie this season than has been the case for many years. Reports credit several of them with being much above the average merit.

It having been found impossible to train San Pluie, she has been returned to her owner, Mr J. Palcu, of Waipukurau, who will send the daughter of San Fran and Rain to the stud.

The American-bred pacing mare Bonny Jenny, who went wrong last Easter, has been recommissioned by her owner, Mr A. J. Lawrence. The annual conference of representatives of the New Zealand Jockey Clubs will be held in Wellington to-morrow. The order paper is an unusually heavy one, and includes no less than 70 noti 3 of motion.

Many past contests for the C.J.C. Winter Cup have been annexed by horses that have come directly out of the ranks of hack company. This fact may have something to do with the support now being accorded Ruapani for next month's contest. Many of those who saw him race at Gisborne formed a high opinion of the Multifid gelding's ( ability, and he is sure to be well fancied for any event he may start in at Riccarton.

The Yhaser Silver Shield, who claims ei-j-gements at Trentham, derives his ik.me fiom the fact that his forehead bears a perfectly shaped shield. At Wellington yesterd-- - the annual conference of • delegates from country racing clubs was held in thei Society of Accountants rooms, Mr A. Bruce presiding. Siuce the previous annual meeting a ballot has been taken among country clubs on the question of forming a Country Racing Clubs' Association. Twenty-eight favoured the proposal, and only two opposed it. It was decided to form an association, and the following officers were appointed: — President, Mr A. Bruce (Thames); vicepresident, Mr A. Murdock (Kumara); executive, Messrs E. W. Alison (Auckland), F. J. Lysnar (Gisborne), H. Van A.sch (North Canterbury), and G. M. Proctor (Oamaru). In the event of Mr Hunter's Bill being passed, it was decided to support the restoration of totalisator permits to those clubs which lost them as a result of the Racing Commission's recommendations. Your Majesty, the sire of Princess Dorrie, the winner of The Oaks, has been sold to go to the Argentine. Mr J. B. Joel has now disposed of two of the best horses lie ever owned, for he also sold Sundridge to go to France. Should Armagh traiii on to his mentor J. Williamson's satisfaction, he will be brought to Riccarton for the Grand National Meeting. All going well with the Siilvadan gelding afterwards he will probably be taken across to Australia in the spring. Tom Payten has, at the moment, 92 horses in work at Randwick. Of the number 16 are yearlings. The New Zealand light-weight, C. Carinont, will ride for Payten and his patrons during the approaching spring. The two American-bred horses, Van Coronado and Lovelock, in J. Conway's stable, are gradually getting into racing trim. So. far the best of them has not been seen on the New Zealand tracks, but they can both be relied on to do much better next season.

After a sflort sojourn in Queensland, A. Cox, the well-known trainer of -trotting horses, has returned to Christchurch and he now has a fair-sized team in hand including Te Kuiti and Mayflower. The irgjt<|ing horses aad, racing gear

owned by the late J. R. Charlton will be submitted to auction on Saturday next. Goodwin Park was scratched for all engagements at the Grand National Meeting at 11.5 a.m. to-day. A new rule regarding the amateur concessions has been adopted by the New South Wales Trotting Club, which reads that in races of one mile and one mile and a furlong horses trained or driven by an amateur may be allowed a concession up to 3sec on a performance put up by a horse ridden or driven by a professional; in a mile "and a-half race the concession may be up to 4sec; and in two miles events up to ssec. It will be observed that by the use of the word '' may'' the actual concession, allowed is discretionary with the handicappers. A Sydney writer states that the pedigree of that great pacer Denver Huon is usually given wrongly as by Huon Junior, a daughter of Leila. Leila was by the imported Arab, Amur, from a mare of The Italian, by Lord of the Hills. Lord of the Hills was sire of Glencoe, who won the Melbourne Cup for Honest John Tait in 1868, and maybe it is from this ancestor that Denver Huon gets his marvellous -staying powers. Young Leila, the dam of Denver Huon, is by Honesty (imp.), who for many years held the Australian trotting records for one, mile and two miles with 2.30| and 5.10 respectively. TEMPLAR.