TURF GOSSLD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 11

TURF GOSSLD.

Slieve Gallion's downfall in the English .Derby was costly to at least one of that colt s admirers, who the day prior to the race wagered 6000 to 4000 "'on" in one hand. At that stage, Orby and Galvani were at 15 to 2 each.

The "Special Commissioner" of the London "Sportsman" was on? of the critics who must have been considerably surprised by the result o£ the Derby. After Oray had run a mile unci a-half race at Baldoyle on May 24, he scouted the idea of that coit beatiug Slieve Gallion, aud, furthermore, expressed his helief that the latter was superior to Polar Star. He regarded Galvani as Sliere Gallion's most dangerous Derby opponent, but thought ►jiit mc latter only had to escape accideut to win.

Dealing with the starters' troubles at New York tracks, a writer In the "Sports of the "Times'" makes it apparent that u« does not believe good jockeys are overnumerous in that part of the world. Ho says: "It is an indisputable fact that to-day we have not more thau three or four boys competent to handle a horee at the post, to control him, keep him in hand, gather nim, and "get away" with a field, or near it with a sluggish mount. This is demonstrated start after start, yet only the official starter is blamed for it."

Recently a rider in England lost a rac-° by looking around at a critical moment, and in commenting upon the occurrence, a writer in the English "Sporting Times" breaks into poetry as follows:

Oh. Harry Watts, young Harry Watts, Say, have you never read The story of that wife of Lot's, Who once turned round her head To look behind, and so became A lifeless chuni of salt? Aud jockeys who attempt the same Get punished for their fault

The "Sportsman" says that several of His Majesty's horses in training and brood mares will shortly be offered for sale by auction, and the sale will be an important one. But this must not be taken that the King intends in any irvay *o withdraw his patronage from horse-racing. On tho contrary, His Majesty's love of sport is as keen and bis appreciation of the practical good which it does to the country as emphatic as ever, and he has not the intention of withdrawing from the turf, but he is of the opinion that there is too much of one blood at Sandringham, and has determined ot make a change.

Up to date the following are the respective totals credited to tlie leading winning stallions: Gallinule £6332. Orme £-1(517. Love Wisely £8349 10/, Desmoad £2841, Pioneer £2522. St. Frusqnin. £2164 5/. Son o' Mine £2030. .Pietefinaritzburg £1!>-!S 10/, Speed £1675, Jaqucmart £1560 1(5/. Mnrtagon £1523 10/, Count Srhomnerg £1-157. Boeage £1435, Laveno £1366. Cyllen.» £1340, Isliugton £1290. Melton £10!>7, and Spneschal £1052. Curiously enough, Isinglass, who finished third in the winning list last year with. £16.211 10/, has not sired a -winner of an English flat race 'this season. Isinglass' case is about on a par with that of Multiform, who did not have a winning two-year-old out last seasou.

In the English House of Commons -Mr. Bottouiley intends to ask the Secretary of State for the Home. Department whether his attectiou has been drawn to the fact that since the passing of the Street Act a system has spniug up whereby men and women employed iv factories are olfeied special facilities for betting by means of bookmakers' agents employed iv the works; whether' his attention lias been called to a rereut statement by the Rpv. B. Gregory, preaching at the Safford Mission, to the effect that in one factory the foreman acted as bookmaker, with the. girls as clients: and whether, having regard to these facts, he will consider the desirableness ot amending or repealing the Act.

According to the London "Sportsman," they have most aristocratic jockey riding in England, as 11. Randall is the son of a Kuight. The paper mentioned says- "The victory of Brother Bill iv th-o Trial Selling Plate at Newamrket was followed by the victory of Billy Boy in a Selling flate a couple of hours later, and the fact that Randall rode both winners i≤ a matter fo:- congratulation, because this was the jockey's first appearance in the saddle since nis recent indispostion. His mother Lady Knndall. paid her first visit to a racecourse this year, and it is easy to understand how pleased she was when Brother bill got home. Sir Henry Randall bought Brother BUI in the sale paddock at Sewmarket last year for <>30 s s, and he sold him alter the race for G2ogs."

A special cable tn an Indian paper <*ives some particulars of the running of the English Derby. John Bull led at the start, but after a quarter of a mile Slieve Oallion took command, followed by Benzoaian, Galvani, All Black, and Orby. On coining into thp straight, Orby closed up passing his field, and took the lead at the lieml. TVool Winder, who had befu rnnldug up ground fast, challenged the leader on nearing home, but Orby mainthat Orby was ridden by .1. Keiff."hut later advices show that Wool Winder was piloted by Madden, and Slieve Gallion by Hl£gsi The raeo was robbed of some of it's interest by the withdrawal of the French Derby winner. Mordant 11.. and also of Onadi Haifa. The latter, however, ran unplaced in the Trench Derby, and registered a very disappointing performance.

Mr. John S. Brunton, a well-known Australian owner, whiie en route to England, where at present he is sojourning, paid a visit to Bu-enos Ayres. the capital of the Argentine Republic, and was present at the meeting of the local jockey club, held on March SI. At the reunion, which was held in the "•off" season, the sum of £3(H«) was distributed iv priz.?-money over seven races. The Argentine Jockey Club intends including a race worth £20.000 in the programme for the meeting to be held iv connection with the centenary festivities of the Republic in 1010, and such a valuable stSae may induce some Australian sportsmen to visit that country with a few horses. Mr. Brunton says "the race track is sandy, the Olds are sent of: at a [lying start, and the riding war, generally bac'.: but the principal club gives away £25,(100 annually in prizemoney, a condition of affairs attributed to the totalisator."

"There are those who hold betting a sin." writes "Hubert." in th« "Sunday Chronicle," in commenting on" what t>l charslotprises "The Wave of Puritanism" m connection with the outcry about livin" statuary. "One has no fault to and wi."" them so long as they :ire content to refrain from committing the sin. But, holding betting to be a sin, they strive to make v a crime, and thus to suppress by leal enactment one of the strongest and most universal instincts of human nature. The day is coming—nay. probal>ly is hard upon us— when the sportsman will be prohibited to shoot a partridge and the physiologist restrained from dissecting a guinea-pig Depend upon it, this attempt at meddiiu" w*"h a popular entertainment, permitted l>v the police, who have full power to deal" with indecency, is not a thing apart—it is no isolated phenomenon. It is a ripple upon a great wave of seutimentalism which is sweeping over our country, and which i< heavily fraught with menace to the freedom aud the amenities of English life."

(BY WHALEBONE.)

Respecting the lowering or the Flemington fences, that once brilliant-rider .Ta? bcoliie, says:—--In the old days at Ballarat, a horse was often schooled for two years before ho was started in a race In the making they were not taken to the course and raced at fences straight away. The progress was something aftf-r the style adopted in Ireland. They wore made to jump small things without a man on their back. Then they did some point-to-point work. When Scobie began changing Blue Mountain into a 'chaser, he would get on him and go straight from his honse to Burrumbeet, taking everything that came in. the way. Whea Blue Mountain had done this two or three times a w«ek for a while he was taken

to Dowiiug Forest, and given a go over the fences at racing pace. Seobie's idea is that if horses were trained as they used to be trained they would be able to negotiate the last fences as well as the first; hut he hates two-mile races, in which they go pell-mell from the start. Over three miles—or more—the jockeys would get a chance to show whether they could ride, and the horses v.-ould have to be trained. And he would have the 'crouching' style of riding strictly barred in. junior ins races."

India is rather famous for producing farcical steeplechases (says the '"Asian" of June 1). and only last spring there was a chase at au up-oountry meeting which had to be declared void owing to none of the competitors being able to get the course. At Quetta last Saturday there-* was another example of what a "steeplechase slionld not be. In the Khalifat Chase, there were four starters, two Australians, viz., Mr Rimmiugton's Samphire and Mr Harvey-Kelly's lan. n.sd two Arabs, Captain Cassel's The General and Captain Ready's Joey. Our correspondent says: "Samphire got well away, and was soon leading by twenty lengths, which he gradually increased to more than fifty; after jumping the last fence he could not be persuaded to enter the straight, so was turned round and galloped round the cricket pavilion, after which he made his way home all right, and notwithstanding his little excursion, won by more than a furlong from lan, who fenced well,/but was as slow as a hearse-horse. The General ran out after jumping the second fence, but was brought back and completed the course somehow. Joey, the second time round, showed that he wasn't 'taking any,' and was walked home."

A mounted policeman caused considerable trouble at Hurst Part. England, a few weeks ago. While the Open Plate was being run, Beesborough challenged, and quickly had Carnegie bea-ten, and the race in hand. In front of the stand, however, a mounted inspector of police suddenly got in the way, with the. result that a collision occurred, and the unfortunate jockey, Templeman. was hurled backwards from his corse and lay on the course, an inert and pitiful little figure, whilst Carnegie went on and won. Then followed a scene of pandemonium, which beggars description. Instantly crowds surged anon the course from all quarters, and surrounded the fallen jockey, whilst mounted police charged the. mob and tried to keep tuem at bay. The whole course was swarmed over in a moment, and men climbed upon the members' rails in hopps of obtaining a view, some of them even, dropping over into the enclosure, from which they were instantly ejected. The jockey wns carried to the paddock, where he received medical attention, whilst the inspector came in for such a booing and hooting as is not often heard on a racecourse or anywhere else. The doctor's report on the jockey's condition was fairly favourable, he having escaped serious injury. A certain owner and trainer of racehorses iv the Xorth-country of England has always been noted, not to say dreaded, for his cleverness in training horses—. his cunning in winning with them at good prices. But he once made a mistake. He left very early one morning for a race meeting, and handed a little bunco, of telegraph forms to his housekeeper—a dear_ old dame who could be trusted. "Now, 'ook here." he said.' "You must hand in these wires at two o'clock exact" ly— not a minute before and not a minute after. Just wait till the girl at the counter teils you it is two o'clock." So h> went away smiling, and he smiled more broadly when the good, thing duly came off at 10 to 1. He was so pleased, indeed, that he paid over to three of his crenies. whom he had declared on at a sovereign apiece, the full odds. But no cheque came on Monday ..morning, and it didn't arrive on Tuesday, so our liero, who had a "parcel" to lift, took a train journey to his bookmaker in Lon"Well?" he queried, beaming the while, "What about that cheque?" "t haven't received it yet," replied fhe bookmaker. "Received it! What do- you mean? Didn't you get a wire from mc, last Thursday?" "I'll admit that." "Well, what's the matter?" "Nothing, only you seem to have been over cautious, You didn't mention the name of the horsp." The other bookmakers, who had been wired to, had exactly the same story to tell, and the post office confirmed it. And tlin worst of it was, the other fellows wouldn't refund. Says an English exenange:— Occasionally we . have referred to the sharp practices resorted to at "flapping" . ireetings. When the Scottish town of Kilinarnoek could boast of its annnal racing »' carnival the prizes offered were very tempting for the owners of useful "flappers," and • the town was yearly the scene of transactions which would have made a Hottentot blush. An owner, who hailed from the county-or Ayr, had a couple of smart performers enteied for one race at the Kilmarnock gathering many years ago. Of course a "declaration" was out of the question, anrl while it was common knowledge that he held a strong hand, it was a matter of mystery which card he intended to play. The mystery was intensified when, the ' prices fluctuated like a spring tide. "Ehere • was a rush to back one of the candidates • msido the paddock, while the same candidate was an "any-others'' chance outside the ring. The race was run off without the mystery being unravelled, and it was discovered that the Ayr owner had run his horses first and second. The uumbers were duly hoisted, and 'paying over" was proceeded, with outside the ring. The Ayr owner's commissioners came into the ring, after settlement, with besming countenances: bnt, hey presto! a eequei falls to be recorded.. The first horse was found to be about a stone short of its allotted weight and was promptly disqualified before the "all right"was shouted inside the "ring." The bookmakers inside the enclosure underwent a remarkable change of countenance They too, had to fork out to the Ayr'owner's commissioners. ° It nee'l scarcely he added that the l«ad, haa been cexterously extracted from the double in the one race!