TURF GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 43, 20 February 1886, Page 4

TURF GOSSIP.

[By Hippona.]

Next Wednesday, the Dunedin Cup comes up for derision, and it can bo safely said that never in the annals of the race has there been so little interest attached to it. This, of course, is solely attributable to the foregone conclusion that the event is looked on for Nelson, and judged in the light of his recent brilliant running, I cannot see anything to stop him from winning from end to end. If we aro to be treated to a surprise, it would appear to mo that it will fall to either Derringer or Necklace to accomplish it, and although private report reaches me that the lastnamed is having tho best of the colt in their work, I certainly prefer Derringer of the two, for ho con be depended on to finish home, while in the races Necklace has run over n distance of ground in public, she has lacked this very necessary element. The field that will contest the race is sure not to bo a large one, and the final payment of lOaovs, which falls due on Monday night, will probably see half-a-dozen drop out. Tho following are the names of the horses at present engaged in the raco :—

Bt lbs et lb. Ta9man .. ..9 7 Russley ..7 7 Turquoise .. 810 Captain Webster 7 5 Nelson .. ..8 5 EvortonLad ..7 3 Loohlel .. ..8 0 Derringer .. ..7 2 Fu6illa_e.. .. 7 10 Patrician .. ..6 0 Lady Emma ..7 8 Rubezahl .. .. 512 Hermitage ..7 8 Jnpiter .. ..5 12 Necklace ..7 8 Warbeck .. ..5 9 Leon .. ..7 8 Scraps-lly.. ..5 7

Cablegrams from Melbourne this week inform us that since the withdrawal of Nordonfeldt from tho Champion Stakes, Sheet Anchor occupies the position of favourite, 100 to 25 being wanted about tho Melbourne Cup winner, whilo Sardius is quoted at 100 to 30. For the Australian Cup, Matchlock heads the quotations at 100 to 14.

in the Wanganui Cup, the highest weight accepting being under Bst 101b, it has been raised to that, and the others in proportion. Pasha's weight, including the 51b penalty ho incurred by winning the Wellington Racing Club Handicap, is9stlllb, Waitiri's Sat 31b, and Salvage's B_t. Tbe last-named and Armourer are already in Wanganui. With reference to the purchase of Neleon " Sir Launcelot" writes in last week'b " Referee ":—Major George returned hero on Tuesday, ln the course of a conversation I had with him he informed me that while it was quito untrue that the bookmakers endeavoured to purchase Nelson, ho had a bona fide offer from a horse-owner of £4,000 for Nelson, and a subsequent offer of £2,000 with another horse thrown in. The would-be purchasers wore, howovor, informed tbat £10,000 would not buy tho hcrse till after the Dunedin Cup was run. It would appear from the following, which I clip from tho last issue of tho " Australasian " to hand, that the Hon. W. Robinson's team are on the improve: —Mr F. I. Dakin has beon sending Liverpool and Winchester along stoutly, but the latter makes no pace till he gets thoroughly warmed to his work. His companion, howevor, moves very nicely, and as tho brace wound up good work by covering half a mile in 54sec, the next four weeks may put them in such heart as to cause the Hon. W. Robinßon to start thorn during the Autumn Meeting. Thunderbolt's occasional lameness was extremely perplexing to his trainer, who has discovered tho cause thereof, vre , tho colt striking himself when galloping. He has been given a slight rest, and the irritating cause is not likely to trouble him again. Vanguard has alio been on the track.

I loam from Napier that Mischief has proved not te be in foal to Musket, and it is thought if the daughter of Albany can stand another preparation, she will be pu into work again. A recent issuo of the " Tasmanian Mail " contains'the following:—" A lettor has been received in town from a gentleman in Melbourne stating that Denmark had been sold for 600 guineas, his destination being New Zealand. In consequence of the dearth of steeplechasers in Maoriland, it is quite likely that the horse would be wanted for there, but the purchase figure is rather high to make tbe statement read like fact. The well-known jumper Faugh-a-ballagh haß been purchased by Mr P. Butler. The price paid was 150sovs. The New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase Meeting has been fixed to be held thia y6ar on the Christchurch course on the 22nd July. " Act.eon " had a look over Nelson after his return to Christchurch from Wellington, and this is what ho says of the son of King Cole's condition:-"He certainly looks a perfect picture, and as fit as hands can make him. The superfluous flesh he had on him at our Metropolitan Meeting lias been taken off, and his muscles stand out prominently all over, most noticeably in his hind quarters. He seems to be in excellent heart, and looks as healthy and well as it ia possible to wish for. Mr R. Bay's horse Leon, who was damaged by colliding with a post at the Wellington meeting, has had to be left in the Empire City. The force with which he ran into the post smashed the right os frontis, driving the eye completely into tho head which haß swollen to such nn extent that it was found impossible to operate on it.

W. White, the disqualified jockey, had several mounts at the Wel*'ng';on Racing Club Meeting. Ho weighed out to ride Grand Duke in the Wellington Cup, but previous to tbe start Mr P. Campbell laid an objection against him riding, on account of his having been disqualified. The stewards woro immediately called together to consider the objection, but as they had not been notified by tho Canterbury Jockey Club of the disqualification, they allowed White to ride.

" Hippo," who paid a visit to the Napier course last Saturday morning, writes : — The Poet has improved much since New Year's Day, and is looking and going woll. Minerva went very short ond sore. Soudan, who was sent with the two-year-old Merlin, —Repo gelding, teaching him to jump off, is looking very well. Pearl, who went by herself, was going very well and strong. Rifleman I do not think, from tho look of bim, will stand a severe preparation again— that is, to be wound up really fit for a good race. Denbigh does not look as bright as I should like to see her; she looks rather haggard and dull on it, but went a fair gallop this morning with Bonny Blink, who is looking fairly well. Mangahone and. Rifleman did slow work together. Mangahone has not improved much, if anything, since be won the Maiden Hurdle Race in' the spring. I thought then he would have filled out into a biggor horso ; he ia not doing well. The Laird is in physic, and did not show out, but he is looking as well as I have ever seen him. At the recent Wellington Racing Club Meeting, it was suggested that the stewards should instruct the totalisator managers to pay on the first horse, bar Nelson, for the Cup race, but the suggestion was, very properly, not carried out. •'• Mazeppa " publishes the following list of phenomenal totalisator dividends that have been paid since the introduction of the machine into New Zealand :— £306—0 n a hack race at Napier. £259 -on Louie in the 1882 Kapler Handicap. £251—0 n Kalo ln the 18S5 Shorts Handicap at .Auckland. £139-ou Tristan in tbe 18S5 County Plate at Cromwell.

Write- "Olympus:"—lt's no iise mincing matters. The common talk at Flemington —and what everybody says must be correct —is that the V.X.C. handicapper handicaps the men not the horses. lam firrhly of opinion that had any othor trainor than F. F. Dakin had charge of Liverpool he would I have been given half a stone less; and I am ' also very firm in the faith that had Malua ' belonged to the Hon, VV. Pearsdn, and been located with Commotion, Opal, Glimmer and Co., he would have got the samo weight that was apportioned tho veteran last yoar, viz., lOst 41b. If this state of things lasts much longer he will be a foolhardy man indeed who entrusts Mr Dakin with a horso j to train for a handicap, and tho Victorian I turf will perforco loso ono of its brightest ornamonts. It was only tho other day that somo racing clubs in New Zealand wero negotiating with bim to accept the handicapping in Maoriland. It would give moro satisfaction to Australia if he received such an appointment in Victoria, His abilities for the position are undeniable, while his coroer in the colonies has proved that, like the Chevalier Bayard, he is " Sans puer el sans reproche." There was the novelty of a hunt after wolshers at Eleternwick Park (Melbourne) recently. A punter on the flat laid odds on Ace for tho Selling Race, after which tho mon refused to pay. Ho stuck to them, however, when in ordor to escape, thoy jumped out of the frying-pan into the fire, by scaling the fence into tho onclosure. Tho victijniaed backer followed in hot haste, and the thieves were promptly arrested. Taken before the atowards, they were at once bundled on to the road, where a rough reception awaited them ; in fact, the police at laßt had, for mercy's sake, to go to the rescue of the welshers. The Administrator (saya "Martini") haa completely and literally broken down, his legs being so bad that he can hardly stand. This is hard tuck for Mr Tnncrod, who ha^ had, in the roan, as game a little animal as ever went to the front at the start and was there at the finish. Let us hope that tho horee will be himsolf again at tho finish. Adelaide papers record that C. Quin, a well-known jockoy, has left South Australia to try his fortunos in New Zealand, The English colt Metal, imported to Calcutta by lord William Berosford.won both tho Maidon Race and tho Viceroy's Cup at tho Calcutta meeting. In the former he met several Australian horses, and he won easily, but he had tho best of the weighte, for though within a fow days of four yoars old according to English time, he carriod only 7at 91b, while such moderates as Sir Grevllle and Sunnylocks carried Bst 131b and 9st 71b respectively. At ono timo Ringwood wasconsideredMetal'smoßtdangerousfoofor the Viceroy's Cup, but the son of St Albans was not himself, and as the English colt had the lenient weight of 7at, odds of 5 to 4 were readily laid on him, and ho won easily, running the two miles in 3m 375. Sting was second with 9_t., and Sir Groville was third, while Statesman and Ringwood never showed prominently. Tho Hurdle Raco ended in a dead heat betweon the Australian Shotovor andGoldfindor, and tbe former walked over. The English horso Barnacles mot several Australian horses in tho Trial Stakos, but ho didn't got a place, Trafalgar, bred by tho Hon. W. Pearson, being first, Regulator Becond, and Somerset third. A notable circumstanco in tho betting ring at a recent Victorian meeting was the appearance of a blind bookmaker, accompanied by a doaf ond dumb clerk. _ Tho modus operandi of thoso two individuals was very singular. The blind man called out the wagers, and when one was accepted he spoke to hia doaf and dumb clerk by means of the manual system, and tho latter immediately ontorod tho wagor in his book.

Only a short timo ago Tom Coffey's stablo was in capital luck (writes " Augur.") With St. Lawrence, Tho Broker, Acolyto, and othor., ho could scarcely go wrong, but tho tide has changed now, for nothing soems to go right. First ho lost tho services of Tho Broker through an accident, thon St. Lawrence fell doad, and on Wednosday night that vory promising filly Girolla was takon ill, and diod on Monday morning. She was by St. Albans, and was one of tho grandost fillies in Australia. Up to tho day boforo her death sho had done well upon the training ground, and hor frionds wore very fond of her chance for the Newmarket Handicap. It is not often that a horse is allowod to run in England at a wrong age, but such a caso has recently como to light. Tho London " Sportsman " saya :—Tho recent running at Shrewsbury and Sundown Park pointod so strongly to thosuccoesof Pattern for the Opon Hunter's Flat Raco at Sundown Park that in a field of four ho was finally backed at ovon monoy. The verdict waa in hia safo custody a long way from homo, ond tho taking of odds in running on tho part of a certain clique of bookmakers could not fail to awakon foolings of suspicion, so that tho question was naturally askod whothor ho had carriod tho proper weight. Capt. Middloton passod tho scalo without tho slightest protest on the part of tho ownor of tho aocond, and for a quarter of an hour tho backers of Pattern breathod freely. But it waa then noted that a trader from tho hardware district, who cannot bo accused of giving anything away, was vory bußy in taking odds, and when ho offered to accept 2 to 1 in the paddock that Pattern was disqualified, matters looked serious. All sorts of rumours were then circulated, and ono of them was to tho effect that Pattern had been foaled on December 31, and should have actually dated aa a yearling when ho was only a day old. An objection founded on these grounds was subsequently lodged. We are sorry to add that a very strong caso exists, as tho "Stud Book " says that ho was foaled in '79, which will make him six years old, whereas he has run all this yoar as a fivo-yearold, and carried the weight apportioned to horßes of that ago. Bred at the Yardley Stud, he represented Sir John Astley thrice as a two-year-old, and then disappeared from view until last April, when, in tho entry of Mr Y. R. Graham, ho was qualified as a hunter at Four Oaks Park. In the same month he won a race at Fackingten, and was also triumphant in the last days of May at Southwell before passing into tbe hands of Captain Middloton. The latter gentleman had no reason to think that Pattern waa of wrong age, and won four races with him before the vißit to Kempton Park."