TUFTS OF TURF

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 82, 8 April 1891, Page 3

TUFTS OF TURF

Aucklanders will have a surfeit of outsido race-meetings during tho nexb few weeks. Nexb Saturday, Tattersall's Club hold their annual meeting on the Takapuna course, and the four Saturdays fo llo^ meetings will be held ab Avondale, Otahuhu (Onehunga Racing Club), the Lake, -and Mr W. Walters' course, Papakura, to say nothing of the Dargaville Meeting on the 17th and 18th April. J. Rae has made another addition to his ■string in the shape of tho gelding Lonely. He is by Cap-a-pio, and has won several races in and aboub the Waikato. The Hawke's Bay Jockey Club made a profit of £460 over their recent Autumn Meeting The Committee of the Club are in communication with Mr S. Powell to acb as a paid starter. . . In regard to the gelding Impulse, it is related that he came into Mr S. Bradley a hands in this way : Mr Bradley happening to be presenb, two years ago, at the safe of tho Wellington Park yearlings, though with no intontion wnatever of being a purchaser, he took a fancy to the neglected St. Leger colb.'and upon bho impulse of bhe moment— hence the horse's name—made a bid, with the result that it was knocked down to him for 50sovs. Having bought tho youngster, Mr Bradley was not the man to do things by halves, and although he had nob much faith in Impulse's abilities, he spared no expense in feeding and training him, with the result already known. Antelope has run her last race, and her future mission is the paddock. Sim is stinted to Nordenfeldb, and the union Should prove tho happiest results. A te'egram from Christchurch says tho New Zealand Trotting Association have refused the application of the Canterbnry Plumpton Park Company for affiliation as a trotting club, on the ground that there were already enough clubs holding trotting meetings in the neighbourhood of Christcburch in proportion to the population.

Auckland Tattersall's Club hold their annual race meeting on the Takapuna course nexb Saburday. The acceptances and entries received for tho gathering promise an interesting afternoon's sport. The first race starts at half-past one.

Acceptances and entries for the Avondale Autumn Meeting- close on Friday night. In regard to Derritt's disqualification for one month ,'it the hands of t.ho Canterbury Jockey Club, tho " Referee " states it ivas for suspicious riding on Primo Warden in the Sockburn Handicap. Tho colt was a warm favourite, and his only getting third after running so strongly at least half way up the straight seemed to the stewards so poculiar that they requested Dorritb to interview them, with tho result that ho was sentenced to stand on tho ground for a month. Iti is stated the general verdict seemed to bo that Derritt deserved his punishment. The nominations for the Canterbury Jockoy Club's Champagno Stakes of 1892 havo closed with a subscription of 56. This number is the best on record in connection with tho race, tho nexb besb to it having beon in 1887, when 53 were entered. The Middle Park Company contribute seven, MrD. O'Brien five, Mr G. C. Stead four, the Hon. J. D. Ormond four, and Messrs Rathbone, of Napier, and Thomas Morrin three each. Cruchfield, the winner of tho Easter Handicap ab Chrisbchureh, pub up a now mile record for Now Zealand. He ran tho distanco in 1.42. A race mooting is to bo hold on Mr XV. Walters' course ab l'apakura on the 9th May. I notice among tho final forfeits for the A.J.C. Champagne Stakes, bho name of the Auckland-owned colb Dancer (by Sword Dance—Vivandiere). This is evidently an oversight on the part of the owner. A Melbourne cablegram states thab the committee of bhe Victoria Amateur Turf Club havo raised tho added menoy of the noxb Caulfiold Cup to 3,ooosovs. Mr D. O'Brien has sold bhe disappointing Whimbrol for -CBOO, The son of St. Albans and Curlew will, in futuro, bo trained by J. Nicholson at Flemington. Tho Canterbury Jockey Club hold a special meeting on Wednesday afternoon last, ab which it was decided to disqualfy Primo Warden for six months, in consequence of the way in which ho had boon run ab tho late meeting. It was also rosolved to advertise for a paid handicapper at a salary of £150 a j r oar. Tho Canterbury Jockey Club made a profit of £180 over thoir Autumn Mooting on Easter Monday and Tuesday. \Y. Clifford, the well-known horseman, goes to Australia on a holiday visit alter the Wellington Autumn Meeting. The details from Melbourne of Jobusito's death are somewhat peculiar. Tho horse was being sent .on a trial gallop of two miles on Mr S. G. Cook's private course at Sandringham to see if ho had any chance of annexing bhe Sydney Cup. lie went well for six furlongs, when Mr Cook motioned to the lad on his back to increase tho pace. The whip was applied, and immediately tho horse appeared to burst a blood* vessel. Ho concluded the two miles, and on pulling up was bleeding profusely from bho nose. Water was syringed up the nostril, and this stopped the bleeding, bub appears to havo sonu the blood back into the brain. The son of Darriwell was got back bo the stable, but rapidly bocamo worse, and noxb day Mr W Allan was sent for, but his veterinary skill was of no avail, and the animul died apparency in great agony bhe same day. Right up to tho last moment he kicked vigorously. In referring to tho Sylvia Park sale, tho "London Sporbsman" has tho following interesting paragraph anent Stoppe, the dam of Too Soon, Russley and Lady Norah : ■—Another name that abbracts attontion in the sale is Steppe, who was sold for 200 guineas. The facb bhat sho was foaled as far back as 1868 will account for this low price. Sho caino into tho world the year after her famous half-brothor, Kormit, had won tho Derby. Sho is a weedy, little mare, bub on tho racecourse sho contrived to do something to be talked about. She ran for the Windsor Stakes ab ono of tho Newmarket Autumn Meetings, and was somewhat easily beaten by Bello of Holywell. Following this race thero wero four matches on bho card, and bhose being run off, the numbers went up for tho Middle Park Plate, and, to the general surprise, Steppe waa one of them. There was a capital field, including Hannah, Corisande, Albert Victor, Both well, Digby Grand, llipponden, and Blenheim. Thero was ono animal in tho race bhab bhe bookmakers could nob lay againsb, and thab was Steppe, againsb whom as much as 1,000 to 5 was offered. Such a shoub as wenb up from bhe ring when sho was seen to gob lirsb one favourito and then another into brouble bas seldom been heard. Finally she had only one to dispose of, and thab was Alberb Victor, who was ridden by Morris. For bwo or throe sbrides he also" seemed to ba in difficulties, and he had bo be hard ridden bo prevent Steppe from bringing efT bhe mosb forlorn hope bhab was ever known on Nowmarkob Heath or anywhere else. Followers of favourites had a mosb disastrous bimo ab the Canterbury Autumn Meeting, as only bhree popular fancies gob home during the bwo days' racing, and bhese paid insignificanb dividends, amounbing bo £6 3s altogether.