MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 21, 26 January 1898, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

It is quite evident that Captain Russell owns a smart filly in Tigress, for there was a lot of merit in her defeat of Conqueror in the inaugural race for the Wellesley Stakes at the Hutt on Saturday. The telegram states that near the winning post a dog rushed across the course and her rider had to pull his mount out. Tijjredia, the dam of Tigress, was a beautiful mare when racing and it will be remembered that she won the Great Northern Derby at Ellerslie in 1885 in the colours of Captain Russell. This is really the first defeat Conqueror has met with, for in the A.R.C. Royal stakes he was severely kicked at the post and therefore could not do himself justice. G. Wright evidently believes in breaking in his juveniles early. The Hon. 11. Mossman's colt by St. Leger—Yattaghan, which the Ellerslie trainer lias in his hand, was being ridden at headquarters on Monday last.

Nominations for all events of the Otaliuhu Trotting Club's Summer Meeting close on 4th February. Mr J. Crozicr, the well-known South Australian sportsman, is on a visit to Auckland. The North New Zealand Grand National winner St. Simon is not to be allowed to eat the bread of idleness any longer. His owner now has him in work again in real earnest at headquarters. Lady Cuisine is the latest local aspirant for hurdle honours. She is stated to have shaped well over the "small sticks" at Ellerslie on Monday last.

The Wade races will be held on Friday next, January 28th, in Mr T. Lees' paddock. Paterson and Co. will run a special coach, leavingDevonport at 8 a.m., returning after the races. Return fare, 7s Gd. The Maori leaves at 7 a.m., returning at 11 p.m. Return fare, 3s. There is no doubt they turn out some very fast so-called hacks on the West Coast of the North Island. The latest recruit to racehorse ranks from that quarter is Aquatic, a four-year-old mare by the defunct Natator. Wellington was chosen as the place for her appearance, and on Monday last she won the Metropolitan Handicap, the six furlongs being compassed in the lightning time of lmin 14isec. Curassow, the colfc by Cuirassier —Albatross, which Mr Stead bought as a yearling in Auckland, is in work at Yaldhurst. This horse is now four years old, and he has not yet sported silk. The Melbourne " Sportsman " describes Hotchkiss as the best son of Musket at the stud in Australasia.

T. Quinlivan, senr., tfie well-known trainer, lias, after some months of suspension, been relicensed by the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. It is rumoured that C. Jenkins, the well-known northern horseman, has been offered a retainer by Mr Stead. A number board purchased in England by Mr P. Campbell for the Canterbury Jockey Club will arrive shortly. The Australian starting machine having proved successful at Maison Laiitte, in France, is to be given a trial on an Italian racecourse.

Mr Evett will compile the weights for the Avondale Jockey Club Autumn Meeting. The horse Wallace nominated for the Newmarket Handicap is not identical with Mr W. R. Wilson's champion of that name. He hails from the Kiverina district and possesses a good local reputation. Five-year-olds have proved successful in the Newmarket Handicap on ten occasions ; whilst four-year-olds have earned it off eight times, three-year-olds Jive times, and six-year-olds only once, the aged division being conspicuous by their absence from the scroll of fame.

Mr W. H. E. Wanklyn, who has returned from a trip to Australia, thinks that tlae totalLsator will not be introduced into Victoria just yet, but that it will not be long before it is legalised in New South Wales.

Word comes from the South that the famous sprinter Goldspur broke down at the Gore Races. Subsequently he was sold for £40 to a Mr Godfrey, who, it is stated, will treat him to a rest extending over twelve months. Goldspur's brilliant career lasted practically six months, and it is claimed for him that New Zealand never possessed a quicker beginner. Wait-a-Bit appears to have recovered from the effects of the .abscess in the head from which life was suffering when be ran in the Melbourne Cup. The Malua horse has been entered for the Cauliield races, to be held on Saturday next. The owner of Saltador, who was brought out at the Awahuri Hack Meeting, refused an offer of £200 made for the horse by the Hon. J. D. Ormond at the Manawafcu Meeting. Mr Messene considers the son of Voltigeur the best horse he ever owned. His performances of late stamp him as a good one. At the Newmarket (England) bloodstock sales, held last month, a filly foal by Carbine from Simonetta (by St. Simon) was knocked down to Baron Wiener yon Welton, an Austrian buyer, at 350 guineas. The English Turf has received a notable recruit in Mr Horatio Bottomley, the wellknown financier. This gentleman, it is said, intends to race on an extensive scale. Already he has purchased Northern Farmer for 2,500 guineas, Count Schomberg for 5,100 guineas, and Le Blizon, a yearling colt by Xaintrailles from Sunny Queen, for 1,650 guineas. Melos, who has been doing stud duty for several seasons at Widden, under lease to the Messrs Thompson, has been returned to Mrs W. Gannon of Sydney, who owns the son of Goldsborough. It is stated Sydney racing men are of opinion that Amiable has been fairly thrown into the Newmarket Handicap and that if she returns to her form of eighteen months ago she will take a lot of beating Spencer, who is a three-year-old son of Carbine and Silvia, is said to be one of the best-looking horses in training at Caulfield. He is.engaged in the Newmarket Handicap with 7st 71b.

The Australian contingent of racehorses in England will shortly be reinforced by Survivor and Tornado, who have been purchased on behalf of the well-known Australian sportsman, Mr W. T. Jones, by Mr T. S. Clibborn. Survivor and Tornado, who have recently earned distinction by their respective victories in the A.J.C. Metropolitan and Summer Cup, leave for the Old Country this week by the steamship Thermopylae in charge of W. Allsop, and Tattersa'll's Cup winner, Old Clo', goes by the same vessel. The racehorse Olaf, by Malua from Thelma, changed hands a few days ago in Melbourne at 300 guineas, but remains under the care of R. Batty.

Of the 35 Australian. Cups that have been contested, 11 have been won by three-year-olds, seven by fogr-year-olds, four iiy five-year-olds, hve by* six-year-olds, and eight by aged horses. Trident earned the biggest weight to victory of any three-year-old (Bst 71b). The following remain in the First Caulfield Futurity Stakes of 3,ooosovs, seven furlongs :-—Aurum, Wait-a-Bit, Bundook, The Tola, Resolute, Cordite, Beau Bruinmel, Spectator, Pintire, Strathjoy, Ormuz, Diffidence, Eugene, Bobadil, Vigilance, Holster, Donalda, Norway and Westward Ho.

The non-betting honorary stewards of to-day (says a Melbourne paper) seldom know enough about racing to ht them for their positions, and on the other hand, that much more numerous class, the punting stewards, are apt to know a bit too much for the good of the sport. The intermediate requirement is a trio of stipendiary stewards—good, solid, experienced men— who know practically all the inns and outs of the game, and who, while prepared to entirely abstain from wagering, are, from experience, even better up to every move in the racing world than either tho"se who have never bet in their lives or those who must have a dash at something on every race to satisfy an innate desire to gamble. ■ The racehorse Trentham, who was once in the St. Albans stable, has returned to Melbourne from Perth and is now under the care of Mr James Redfearn at Cauliield*

A heavy fine was imposed some weeks back in England on a baker for allowing his premises to be kept open and used for the purpose of betting with persons resorting thereto. . He was ordered to pay £400 and 17 guineas costs; while his assistant was fined £37 and costs.

At the sale of Mr R. Lebandy's racehorses in England, the well-performed Count Schomberg, by Aughrim from Clonavarn, was purchased by Mr Horace JJottomley for 0,100 guineas.

At the Newmarket blood stock December sales Mr John Hare gave 2,500 guineas for the three - year - old colt Northern Farmer, by Laureate 11. from Smock Frock, by Town Moor. The next best price was 1,650 guineas, paid b} r Viscount d'Harcourt, for the brood mare Hurry, by Hampton from Kattlewings, followed by 1,050 guineas, given by Mt R. March, for two*year-old filly Mrs Delaney, by St. Simon from lamay, by Isonomy. Our London correspondent writes:

Mr Spencer H. Gollan's The Possible has twice -engaged the attention of the handicapper since his arrival in England, but on both occasions that his weight lias been adjusted he has been scratched. Whether it is that objection was found to the imposts apportioned the horse or whether he is not yet in sufficiently good training I am not quite certain, but I fancy that the latter is the correct cause of his scratching". For the Cheveley Cup. the first of the new Welter races on the flat, decided at Newmarket last Wednesday, The Possible, was weighted at 9st 101b, and Merman was weighted at list 41t>.... Bom, however, were scratched, and The Rush, carrying top weight (list Gib), started at 5 to 1 on, and won in the corns monest of canters.