Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 215, 9 September 1903, Page 6

(BY ASHBY.)

Awahuri, now in Australia, is located at J. Sieley"s stable, Rosehill.

Solo has rejoined F. Stenning's team, and looks lusty after his retirement.

St. Edith, who is by St. Leger.from Priscilla, has produced a colt to Cuirassier at Sylvia Park.

Acceptances for all events in connection with the Avondale meeting close on Friday at 9 p.m.

Lavadel was brought up from Waiuku on Monday, and joined W. Towiisend's team at Avondale.

Cay airy, whom Irwiu is training, has been suffering from a severe cold, but is now on the road to recovery.

Mr Pittar has, in Gilt, a rare good cut of a hunter, well up to w-eight, a grandlytopped horse, with the best of legs and feet.

Mr Hugo Friedlander is expected to arrive in Auckland shortly, with a view of watching his youngsters make their debut at Avondale.

Mr J. ChadwicU left for the South by the Takapuna on, Monday, in order to be present at the Ashburton and Gcraldine meetings, for the latter of which he is handicapper.

W. Tozer, who trained and rode the trotters Durbar, Peri Huon, and Peter, successfully, last season, has had K.D. placed in his hands to prepare for the coming meetings, and is expecting another shortly.

Atlantic, who will be remembered as a most proficient hurdler, was to be seen out on Sunday pulling round the family in a buggy. . He took no broaking-in: being just hitched up, he. went away at once at the trot, giving no trouble.

J. Thorpe had his most forward youngsters under the barrier on Monday. They were jumped away from it twice, spurting half a forking. ■ Etyeh was remarkably smart out, and the other three tried—including Kilmarnock—shaped as well as could be wished.

The gorse growing on the take, off side of thp sod wall at Ellerslio -has marie great strides, and is now making a big difference to the look of the fence. This, together with the boarding up of the ditch bank, has given the fence a much more attractive appearance.

E. Davies has in hand O.tamoa, a brown gelding who is a full brother to Kaiwakaroa. He is of medium size, with four white feet, and looks as though ho might make a useful jumper. The same trainer is expecting Snapshot to arrive on Saturday from the West Coast.

Several alterations have been made in the paddock nt Alexandra Park. The removal of the big tin shed, that used to occupy so much space, near the inside totalisator. being a decided improvement. The entrance to the saddling paddock from the stand enclosure has also been made more up to date.

Tahae. who won the double at the Huiit Club sports on Saturday, is a mostpromising gelding, by Kegel from Mysterious. He has plenty of size and is a good free strider. Seeing that he has only been tip a short while, tliere is room for considerable improvement in his condit'on, and when this i? effected, I shall take him to make a bold show in the timber topping, department.

C. Weal has had a further addition to his string. The newcomer is a three year old full s'ster to Drum Major, by Cuirassier from Hune. This filly has size and quality, and is one to catch tfae eye at once, as a fine, rnky, loose made sample, that should be able to keep up the family prestige. She is «Wned by the gentleman who races as Mr Lndlow, and was picked up for 35 guineas at -Messrs Duder Bros.' sale, which was held at J. 8., Williamson's place.

F. Moran, who rode Reliance in his only victory over hurdles, is giving the game a spell. He is at present employed in Mr J C Smith's bond. Moran put up a good performance jot the Thames when, after winning the steeplechase on Evermore, he got on Gipsy Lass and, taking her once round, fancied he had secured second money. It was found, however, on weighing in that there was.a pound deficient, afTd iivermore thus secured the whole stake.

The Pakuraoga Hunt Club will hold a Polnt-to-Point Steeplechase on Saturday. Eemuera railway station is the appointed rendezvous, from where those competing wi I be take* to the starting place, and shown the points they are to make. The °"L selected is sn excellent one, the Xle of Set can be seen by the spectators. There are three prices kindly donated by Mr and Mrs p'Rorke and Mr Morrin,' ..„-'-■ --• -

Defamcr, who has carried Mr Selby for ten seasons on end , , is a wonderful horse. He is now in his 25th year, and looks good for several seasons to come. During the ten years that Mr Selby has ridden him he has only been down upon one occasion. I happened to be with him at the time, and can vouch for it being a real horse trap, composed of a qut.-K fence and that curse of the couutry, barbed wire. One fall in ten seasons wneu ridden by. a man who rides as straight as tho, crow flies is a record that will take a lot of wiping out.

Th-e weights for the minor events at Avondale duly made their appearance yesterday. In glancing over the adjustments, iaii stands out as well treated in the Maiden Plii-te, while Cyrus seems harshly dealt with in the Hack Handicap. No doubt they ace a very poor class in the last-mentioned event, but, it must be remembered that Cyrus has started on several occasions, and the nearest up he managed to get was third. With these two exceptions Mr Evett appears to have done his work carefully, and good acceptances should result.

A good many two-year-olds were Introduced to a crowd for the first time at the Hunt. Club races. All behaved themselves most sedately, amongst them being three of Messrs Nathan's, under Gallagher's care. This trio bore a very attractive appearance as they cantered down past the stand. Amongst the others out X noticed Battieaxe's big younger brother, whom Bae was keeping, a watchful eye upon. The Hotchkiss—Nellie filly in Franks' stable, whom her trainer allowed to slftp along some three furlongs in company with the Hotchkiss—Mantle colt. The filly by Wallace from Lissadurn was also in attendance, and is fast making into a shapely young lady.

There are at present 120 horses iv worn at headquarters. This number is somewhat below what there has been, several hunters having , been tak«n out of work now that the season is over. The active brigade is divided up as follows: —F. Macmanemiii heads the list with 15, Williamson running a good second with one less. Thorpe has 12, Rae 9, 8, Weal 7, K. Heaton 6, G. Wright 5, ,'onway, R! Hall, Mobberly and W. Gall 4 each, J. Chaafe, sen. and jun., 3 apiece, W. Smith having a like number; D. Morriglian, J. McHngh; P. Chaafe, an<l T. Cotton 2 each; while Ross, Barr, llyland, Irwln, Absolum, and Munro .each have a. single candidate. The remaining five are trained by their respective owners. Th-use figures are taken from the book containing the names of the horses for which, track fees were paid last month.

After the steeplechase at the Hunt Club's meeting the stewards held an inquiry into the riding of Taranaki. Boxer was fast catching the chestnut, and when about a chain from the post got up within half a length of him. Taranaki then swerved out and interfered with Boxer badly. No action was taken by the stewards, who were rightly very averse to marring a really sporting gathering by any unpleasantness. Had this happened at Ellerslie, with professionals up, the chances are that the second horse would have been awarded the race,

"Martindale," in the "Town and Country Journal," writes: "It is not often that a trainer has in his stable a Israee of such excellent mares as Marvel Loch and Faithful. Such is the ex-Jliulgee trainer's (T. Scully) good fortune. They are both in the Epsom Handicap, and I think it would puzzle even the trainer to say which is the better of the pair. The handieapper, when he framed the weights, gave his verdict in favour of Marvel Loch, as he made her allow the Metal mare 31b. Both won their races on Sa-turday at Randwick ■■ in easy fashion." Referring to.the above, I saw a letter only yesterday from Sydney, written by a keen judge, selecting Marvel Loch as the probable Epsom winner.

The following thoroughly 'Muriean item appeared in last week's Sydney "Referee":

—"Lovers of trotting are worked up over the performances of Lou Dillon. She is a mare, and one of the got ot Sydney Dillon. Starting the season at Cleveland, 0., without a record, she lias broken all trotting records except that of Cresceus, and is bat a half-second behind the mark in question. It is believed that Lou Dillon will hew closer to the two-minute mark than any ■trotter has yet done. She is owned by C. ; K. G. Billings, of Chicago. That she did not break the world's record (2.2 i) held by Cresceus for two years was said to be due entirely to the wind. As it was, she went the mite in 2.23."

Old Dingo is surely a most distressful horse. He has no sooner got over a poisoned leg than he manages to jam a bit of scoria into the sole of his near hind foot. However, the injured, part is now ruending, and he should be doing slow work again shortly. Whilst looking at the injured member, his trainer remarked, "What a nervous horse he is!" This reminded me of a yarn that I once heard a trainer who resides not a hundred miles from Greenmeiiiiows, Ilawke's Bay-, deliver with all sincerity. We were discussing how horses soon get to know a race day, wh-en the trainer in question sprung the following on ug: —"Well, 1 have had a shaky one or two, but the worst case i ever had was a big brown gelding that was to me shortly befo«e a meeting. On the morning of the races I sent him out for an hour's walk before breakfast, and.afterwards fed him myself at 7 a.m. At I went to give him a swallow or two and a small feed. Imagine my astonishment when, -upon unlocking his door, no horse was to be seen. 1 questioned the lad who had charge of him, and he swore that he locked him up all right ati breakfast time. I was in the act of tui'nim? round to leave the box, when I saw a sparkle in the straw—the nag had buried himself, and one.optic was all that he had left uncovered. Even this would have escaped me if .the sun's ray had not struck it and made it glitter."

Tliere are several improvements sadly needed at Ellerslie, if the Auckland Racing Club's officials intend maintaining the niosi popular centre of racing in New Zealand in keepiig with the times. Perhaps tlie most urgent of these is to remove the numberboard from its present position. As now situated, those who patronise tlia bookies' corner, or prefer to picnic on the hill, can see nothing, the angle of view preventing thorn l'roiii Vetoing so. This style of numberboard is specially devised so that it can be read equally well oil both sides. At present only one side is of any use whatever, and, , as I have pointed out, many cannot see even that. Most people arc.agreed that the correct; position for this structure is at right angles to the corirse, near the stewards' stand. The judge's bos that has done duty iiii to the present might surely be pensioned i# and a modern one erected in its place. The fence dividing the. paddock and the course reminds one of a difficult piece of jniisii:— it is all up and down. Surely a neatly painted irou or a combination of wood &ud fron fence would be more in. keeping with the surroundings. Again, the arrangements for the outside public to cross the course from the bookmakers' corner are not so handy as might be. There are two or three small gates on ejther side, the widest of which is not more than four feet, and will rarely open to half that extent, A gate made by* the sliding back of two panels from a centre post would preveut much crushing, and, having only one siich gate on either side of the course, would sav-s the policemen a lot of trouble. If anything is to'be done—and the total expense of. puttin" these matters right should not be such as to prevent their accomplishment—now is the chance, while the ground is soft and the sprjns meeting still giving breathing time.