BITS OF TURF.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 23, 28 January 1891, Page 3

BITS OF TURF.

Whilst attending the Spring Meeting of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, Mr P. Butler purchased a four-year-old pony—by Vasco di Gama, or The Mute, out of lona —from Mr McLean, which will probably be taken to Australia. The issue of the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup weights quickly had the efiecb of promoting business. Bungebah and Marvel have been installed favourites at 100 to 5 each, Tekaum being next in demand at 100 to 4. Ginger, Greygown, and Newton have been pretty freely supported at quotations given below, and Investigator has been the medium of a good deal of speculation. There is no straight-out wagering on the Australian Cup, but in doubles Groygown and Melos are principally picked, the price being 1,000 to 5. The following is a list of the horses actually backed, the prices opposite each being still on offer : — Newmarket Handicap. 100 — 5 agst Bungebah. 100 — 5 Marvel. 100— a Teksnm. 100 — 3 Coorarnin. 100 — 3 Merriment. JOO — 3 Megaphone. 100 — 2 —- Investigator. 100 — 2 Greygown. 100 — 2 Ginger. 100 —2——Newton. 100 — 2 Too Soon. An attempt is being made to revive coursing in Auckland. At the request of the Committee of the Auckland Racing Club, and a number of lovers of the leash, Mr Percival communicated with Mr Sydney James, Secretary of the Dunedin Jockey Club, asking for all particulars concerning the coursing meetings held at the Forbury racecourse with a view of forming a Plumpton at Ellerslie. I understand the reply received from Mr James is of a favourable character, and an important fact is that the gatherings held have been a financial success. Along with one of the leading coursing enthusiasts in Auckland I _ was shown over the Forbury Plumpton while in Dunedin some fourteen months ago by Mr James, and everything was so arranged that it in no way interfered with the course, training tracks, etc., while the cover for the hares was all that could be desired. A Plumpton could easily be formed ab Ellerslie on the same lines, and being quickly reached from town I feel certain coursing would soon find its way into popular favour. The Committee of the Auckland Racing Club and the coursing men who bare been assisting to promote

the formation of the Plumpton meet shortly to consider the whole matter. George Wright leaves for Dunedin on Friday with Hilda and Cissy. Nominations for the Whitford Park races close on Friday night next. Mr P. Butler's speedy colt Thackeray has again had the misfortune to split hia hoof. Joseph Thompson, the well-known sportsman of Melbourne, is building a big , race ti-ack afc San Francisco. His first outlay will be §100,000. Despite the unfavourable weather they had to contend with, the Auckland Racing Club will come out over the Summer Meeting with a profits of at least £1,000. Mr M. O'Shanassy's Singapore, who is reported to be looking lusty and well after his two months' leave of absence from the Flemington tracks, is again in work. M. O'Brien, the well-known Australian jockey who has piloted Carbine in many of his victories, is improving in health, and expects to be able to ride at some of the autumn meetings. The stallion Chester is now permanently settled at Pvandwick, under the care of T. Payteu. This season the famous- sire served only eight mares, half-a-dozen thoroughbreds and two favourite carriage mares belonging to Mrs White. There can be little doubt, says the •' Australasian,"that if the New Zealanders had had the courage to keep the Sylvia Park stud in existence, Nordenfeldt would have fully maintained the reputation of his sire, and enabled the directors to have declared liberal dividends every year that his yearlings were submitted to auction. The newly-formed Otahuhu Trotting Club have put forth an excellent programme for the inaugural trottina , and pony meeting, which is fixed to take place at Potter's Paddock on Saturday, 21st March. The leading item is the Handicap Trot of 60 soys., and there is also a Maiden Trot of 408OTS. Nominations close with Mr C. P. Mark on Friday, 28th February. The Helensville Racing Club hold their annual meeting on Saturday, the 7fch of March. The programme consists of seven events, the leading being the Helensville Cup.of4osovs. Mr S.J. Moncrieff, of the Kaipara Hotel, Helensville, is the secretary; and Mr E. D. Halstead, the handicapper, will receive Auckland entries at Mr Adams' office. The Canterbury Jockey Club hold their Summer Meeting next Saturday. An interesting feature of theday willbothe Middle Park Plate, six furlongs, in which Crackshot, Florrio and Mr Stead's Palliser are among those ongaged. Crackshot having incurred the full penalty, concedes Florrie 311b. The Midsummer Handicap may be won by Freedom, who is nicely handicapped with Bsh 41b. Some owners become strongly attached to their horses {writes " Spectator"). Dan O'Brien was as much concorned about the shipping of his old friends Tasman and PvU-' bina to Auckland, and particularly about the former, as some people would be about their dearest relatives. At the last minute he seemed a good deal touched, and though only sending the game son of St. Albans— Zillah, to new quarters, it was evident that there was more in the parting between those old friends than met the eye. This is from labt Friday's Canterbury '•Times:"—"lt was reported in town, after the appearance of the acceptances for the Wellington Cup, that Freedom's name was included in the list without the consent of his owner, and a few hours later the colt was scratched. We communicated with the Secretary of the Club on the subject, and Mr Lyons promptly replied that the telegram accepting for Freedom is signed by Mr O'Brien. If Mr O'Brien gave no authority for the despatch of this message he will now know how to proceed." The Hon. S. A. Stephen, who had charge of tlte Hon. J. White's ho rses in England, and has jusfc returned to Sydney, writes : — "As regards racing in England, it is certain that horses ore trained differently to what they are in Australia, and if I were to express my own opinion I would say that they get most of their condition by running so much in racing as they do. They are raced into form. I also think that in Enpland the horses gallop faster than ours. They are bred and trained for pace. They are always on their fcoes, so to speak, and it ia a most exceptional thing to find any horse whatever that can stay." It will be frosh in the minds of my readers that at the Spring Meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club Mr J. Maitland, owner of Ma Boughal, entered a protest againet Ringtail, the winner of the Maiden Plate, on the ground that the horse had won a race ab an unregistered meeting. The protest duly came before the stewards, but was dismissed, but on what grounds the conclusion was arrived ab waa nob fully made known. The case has again been re-opened by Mr Maitland writing to the Auckland Racing Club anenb the matter, and yesterday afternoon the Committee very properly decided that Ringtnil ehould have been disqualified by the Takapuna stewards. The Club having paid the euake to Ringtail they will again be called on to pay a second time. At the monthly meeting of the Auckland Racing Club yesterday, it waa decided to endorse the disqualification of three months passed by the Gisborne Racing Club on the mare Satanella, and her jookoy, James Benson. Ib waa also decided that all horses, owners, and jockeys who took part at the Matamata and Hunga meetings on the 26th and 27th of December ehould be disqualified. The following programmes were passed :—Paknranga Racing Club (February 28), Te ■ Puke Racing Club (February 5), Waiapu (March 13). The Helensville Racing Club's programme was passed subject to certain alterations. The return of English winners shows (writes the " Sporting Life ") a very greafc tailing off to the credit of Galopin, and as in years past he has stood «o very high this retrograde change has caused a good deal of wonder. However, Galopin has never been a rery regular sire, either as regards the size and shape of his produce, or in getting a continuance of great merit. Hβ is the sire of some of the greatest of their day, to include Corrie Roy, St. Simon, Donovan, Galliard, Fulmen, Oberon, Galore and Galloping Queen ; but in such a list, and ib cannot be greatly extended, there is a lob of difference, as St. Simon could have given Oberon about 4sb, and what a lot of disappointing Galoping there have been of a class much below Oberon's. Ib looks as if Galopin might ab all times get a great horse, bub he might not, and in the midab of the doubb breeders are bound to use. Hia son, St. Simon, has been a remarkable stud success, and he was out of a mare—Sb. Angela—of no very great note, and nothing to look ab, though his sister, Angelica, is the dam of the Blue Gown, about the fourth besb three-year-old of the year, and also of Ayrshire, which proved her to be a gem of the first water. That grand and good mare Corrie Roy has not distinguished herself at the stud yet, bub she was nob sent to the paddocks until she was seven, and slipped her first foal, consequently her oldest could be but three. It was no great wonder that Mr Douglas Baird gave 4,000' guineas for Allegra, as she ia a younger eister to Atalanta. The Newmarket July sales of 1889 were indeed remarkable for the sale of Galopin's daughters, as besides Allegra, Little Sister was sold out of the Bishopton etud for 1,800 guineas, but there was still another Galopin mare sold at this time— namely, Lesbia, then six years, for 1,000 guineas. Mv Matthew Dawson's Galvanic is about aa nicely bred as anything in the "Stud Book," as she i 3 own sister to Fulmen. A very fine-bred mare is Margery Daw, by Galopin out of Lady Margaret, by Marsyas, her dam Calcavella by Birdcatcher, and she has produced two that could go a bit for the Whimple etud. namely Lovegold and Old Coin,

" Early Bird," of the " Sydney Referee," thinks the winner ot the Newmarket Handicap will come from Bungebah, Too Soon, Marvel, Victor Hugo, The Spot, Bendigo, Magic Circle, Greygown, Matador, Enuc, Cooramin, Fiancee, Toaatmaster and Lavender.

At the annual meeting of the Australian Jockey Club, it was sugg6«ted that a stipendiary steward should be appointed to watch the "stiff" running at Raudwick and elsewhere, but no action was taken. One member of the Club, MrG. E. RussollJones, stated that at the late A.J.C. meeting, , in one race in which 14 horses started, 13 were " squared " before the event was started, and the same was the case on all the other courses —at Moorefield, Canterbury, Rosehill, Warwick Farm, and so on. This state of things was known to all visitors to the saddling-paddock — that was, racing men ; why could nob the stewards see it ? The chairman, in his capacity as the chairman of the A.J.C, should do all in his power to cleanse the turf, to get rid of the blatant swindling trainers, owners and hangers-on who at preeenfc were such a disgrace to it. What, he said, he asserted, was but the opinion ot every honest racing man in the colony. Mr F. C. Griffiths, the Chairman, assured Mr Jones the difficulty was that beyond their own sight they could nob get people to come out and give evidence. There's where the Committee failed—that people who knew of this vice would not help them.