TURF GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 135, 6 June 1908, Page 13

TURF GOSSIP.

During the first fortnight of the present season in England D. Maher won 13 of the 36 races in which he rode.

They are very strict in England over the training grounds, and recently J. Linton, head lad to Mr. S. Loates, having been reported to the stewards of the Jockey Club for exercising horses on closed ground, was fined osovs.

The King's disappointing colt Null! Secundus has been sent to the stud.The failure as a racehorse of such a well-bred animal — he is by St Simon — Nunsuch— Is one of the most remarkable incidents in turf history.

The ruling Turf body in Germany, the Union Club, recently published a notice in its weekly "Calendar" prohibiting owners and trainers from giving horses a gallop in public, and declaring that horses must not be eased until they were absolutely beaten.

The Jockey Club of the United States have decided that in future minors shall not be admitted to American race tracks unless accompanied by their parents There will obviously be some difficulty in "enforcing this new regulation, since .proof of age will be necessary.

The American-bred colt Norman 111. is still favourite for the English Derby White Eagie being next in demand. The latter will probably be ridden by L. HewittThe King's colt, Perrier, is still in the quotations, though at a much longer price than earlier in the season.

An application by W. Bullock, the wellknown Irish jockey, was made to the stewards of the Irish Tort Club recently in respect of riding fees due to him by Mr. Croker for last season, and fn the result Mr. Croker was requested to pay Bullock the amount claimed, less £150. the retaining fee received by tie jockey.

A Continental writer says that the Australian jockey, F. Bullock, will not have much liberty In Germanj as recently the special trains brought np from Graditz to Hoppegarten forty horses destined to carry the colours of Imperial Germany and Baron Oppenheim and Mr. Haniel have a second call on Bullock's services.

When Mr. J. B. Haggin's stables at his Elmeudorf Stud, near Lexington, Kentucky, were burned a few weeks ago, 31 thoroughbred mares, 11 with foals, at their sides, were destroyed. The value of the stables was £2000, and the provender £1000. It is reckoned that the value of the bloodstock destroyed was at least £25,000.

In commenting on the first appearance in the saddle of Pike, the Australian rider an exchange says:—A certain amount of interest centred in the first appearance at Gosforth of the Australian light-weight jockey, J. E. Pike, who had been preceded by a tall reputation. He is an extremely small boy, and his first mount, Salamet, in the Bentinck Stakes, hardly gave him a chance of showing his capabilities Salamet began slowly, and only ran into third place oc sufferance.

The French Government stallions, many of whom are winners of the Derby and other important races, serve thoroughbred mares for a fee of £4, and serve halfbred mares for a fee of 12/; but only mares whose owners are domiciled in France are accepted. The breeders rely on the Government to a certain extent for the sale of their stock, which has a guarantee of quality, for they have supplied the stallion, and their inspectors have approved the mares.

Cyllene, who was recently sold in England for exportation to Argentina, leaves among his progeny one that will begin her racing career possessed of a unique record. This is the now two-year-old daughter of Sceptre. Mr. W. Bass gave £25,000 for Sceptre, and £30,000 for Cyllene, so that if money alone could ensure merit the youngster in question would be an absolute wonder. Yet she may turn out worthless —such is the lottery of breeding.

He would have been a proud sire if he could have read the sporting Press, and one hopes for his sake that the equine intelligence is comprehensive enough to make interesting communication on the occasions when nose rubbings are being exchanged in token of old friendship. If racing needed a justification it might be found without difficulty in the improvement that St. Simon has made as a sire in the quality of thoroughbreds all over the world.—Pall Mail Gazette.

The New Tork Jockey Clnb have adopted the following resolutions:—That all jockeys holding licences from The Jockey Club are notified that their conduct and habits when absent from the racecourse are under strict scrutiny, and they are warned that keeping bad company win be promptly and severely punished by the stewards. It is further resolved that a copy of this resolution be sent to each jockey and to each trainer holding a licence from the Stewards of tbe Jockey Club, with an explanatory note to the trainer, saying that bis cooperation in enforcing the above resolution is expected by the*sTewards of the Jockey Club.

The most fortunate English jockey of the I moment (says "John Bull") is Martin, and his success is the more deserved and advantageous, seeing that it comes upon the eve of his return from the Austrian Turf. Both his Lincoln Handicap and Newbury Cup successes were cleverly, if not easily, gained, and yet in each case the good fortune was that Longcroft was in inefficient handling — or, rather, in the contra! of lightweight boye under whom til the morning of the race. Moreover, until the moroibg of the race. Greening was to have ridden Roseate Dawn, being "jocked off" In favour of Martin at the very last moment.

Interesting statistics have been compiled regarding the career *t the stnd of the recently-deceased St. Simon, whose stock 5l2 E the years frotn 1888 to *&» a.gnxeeated, apart from place money, 52»,45150Vs In ntoe of the years St. Simon headed the hst of winntat sires, his most successful ??— t s 1^ 6 - when ne was credited with 59,.,050t5, thanks principally to the brilUant performances of St. Frusquin and Persimmon. Amongst other valuable races, St. Frnsqnin and Diamond Jubilee won the r 1». usand Guineas; Semolina, Amiable. La Fleche, and Winifred the One Thousand ■Guineas; Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee the Derby; Memoir, La Fleche, Mrs. Bitterwick, Amiable, and La Roche the Oaks; and Memoir, La Fleche, Persimmon, and Diamond Jubilee the St Leger; while the following sons of St Simon won "ten thousand pounders":—Eclipse Stakes, St. Fnequln. Persimmon, Diamond Jubilee, and Paw Dale; Princess of Wales Safcea, at ?w train and St. Denis; Jockey CHO faateßon «nd riatrrßWitiillr'T-

(BY WHALEBONE.)

The death of the well-known English jockey, H. Custanee, has been announced. In many respects Harry Custance was one of the most remarkable horsemen that ever lived. Not only was he an accomplished jockey who wrote his name thrice on th» Derby scroll of fame, but he was the one jockey who had the honour eleven years after he had scored with George Frederick in the Blue Biband on Epsom Downs of starting the field for the great classic wou by Lord Hastings' Melton. He was not only a champion on the flat, but a splendid horseman across country, well known in the shires and with the Lincolnshire packs. Indeed, in ISTI he had the honour of piloting the King—then the Prince of Wales— for three days when His Royal Highness was on a visit to Custanee's employer, Mr. Henry Chaplin, at Chauntry House,-Lin-coln. Mr. Chaplin was the Master of the Burton, and asked the jockey to look" after his Royal guest. This he did tatisfactorily, though at one big drain which Mr. Chaplin and Custance had been the only, pair to jump, the latter for a moment for- ■&£ got the responsibility of his charge, and had just time to turn round and tell the Prince that it was a very treacherous place. "Luckily," declared Custance, "the Prince did not chance it, and the only two others who did make the attempt fell victims to it* dangers."

Custance was at one time with the late Matthew Dawson, then private trainer foe the great Scotch ironmaster, Mr. - James Merry. In 1860 he rode with mnch success for the stable, being ou the backs of over 40 winners, of whom the greatest' was. of course, the Derby winner Thormanby. Tin t year there were many other, smart • three-year-olds, including the Wizard, Honor, Notbonrne, Umpire, and High Treason, but Thormanby—who, as things turned out, was a lucky mount for Custance— was the best of the lot. The latter jockey, ' ■had ridden. Ttio'rmanby "in all his "work, but on the morning of -the- Derby -he-- was informed by Dawson that a jockey-named J. Sharpe had been fetched from Russia, for the purpose of steering the crack. " Tass Parker, the fighting man, who was employed at Russley to keep away IKe "touts, was sent to Brussels to meet Sharpe,--to-brlng .the latter to Epsom, and see that he was at the proper weight at that time, Bst 71b , for colts. Everything went well until the* morning of the Derby. Sharpe and,~hi3" "minder" arrived atjßHUsn, and Kent outff for a walk, wherein to da a bit of wasting. ParEer haH strict inetructions not-to lose sight of his charge for fear the latter might get drunk. _ Oa returning to his rooms, Tass, tired out, went to take a bath. Sharpe did hiihselt well on brandy, with the result that- when the course was reached Custance was.. to!d to put on Mr. Merry's first colours on Thormanby. Sharpe got up on Northern Light. In the race the latter lost Mr. -Merr>; won £85,000 over that success; distance's reward was £100 and a lecture-by- Mr* Norman Buchanan, who trusted such. a. sum of money would not turn the lad's head or tempt him to go wrong! It Tras the only present the jockey got from the Scot during the three years he rode for the latter.

Touching on the victory of Perrier in-th« Newmarket Biennial Stakes, a writer in the "Sporting Times" pens the following:—la our early days, and for many" years afterwards, a race of the utmost importance was the Newmarket Biennial. It .was looked upon as a sort of dress rehearsal for the Two Thousand Guineas "and 'Derby, and the betting on those races was often materially influenced by what was seen in it. Of all • races, however, as a guide, it has proved the most misleading; the form shown. & it having invariably been reversed at Epsom. Though horses that have been beaten in the Biennial nave many times carried off the Derby, the winner never. We scarcely know whether to congratulate the King or not on the victory of Perrier. It would "have been a poor look out if he had not won, as on form, without counting the improvement he has made, he had at the weights a stone in hand. In beating Olympus, for instance, he did no more than Royal "»"'" did in the Gimcrack Stakes. Perrier has grown into a grand horse, and apparently. Is quite worthy to take the- place of hie great sire Persimmon. There is neither rhyme nor reason for opposing him for the ' Derby because be has won the Newmarket Biennial; but, all the same, a gruesome history attaches to the Biennial winners as far as the Derby is concerned, and -we are almost superstitious enough to wish that he had not won, or rather that he had not run. As matters stand, the history of the Newmarket Biennial may not ba lacking in interest, and we trust that the time has come for the lnck to take a turn,

Our American cousins (sayß an exchange) have at length succeeded in capturing" the three great classic races of the English turf, the last of which—the Two Thousand Goineas—recently fell to the prowess . of the transatlantic bred colt Norman"Hi/ The first important American invasion of the English turf was made in 1857 whea Mr. E. Ten Broeck brought a powerful team across, and, among other races secured the Goodwood Plate, 1858, and Goodwood Cnp, 1861, with Starke. The second memorable visit came In 1879, when Messrs. Pierre Lorillard and James K. Keeue, both breeders and keen sportsmen, essayed to win the classic races, and, in 1881. when Iroquois, the property of the first-named, won the Derby, there were great rejoicings throughout the United States, and the classic victory was accentuated when the great son of Leamington annexed the St. Leger; while Foxhall, who carried the livery of Mr. Keene, was successful in the Grand' Prix de Paris, the Grand Duke Michael Stakes, -the Cesarewitch. and the Cambridgeshire. In the meantime Mr. August Belmont, a scioa of an old sporting family, and head of the Neff York banking firm of August Belmont ?? d Messrs - £orill*nl, J. R, Keene, W. C. and E. Crofcer have eci»>wtv tLSVJ? 16 rrW*. but the Best Mr. Lorillard could do run sp&nd with. Sachem in the Derby, OSS**- woi by Shotover, while Mr. Keene's Dis-givee II filled third place behind Diamond, jubilee and Simondale, in the race for the bine ribbon. 1900. The following year Mr. w. C. Whitney purchased tbe English-bred VolodyoTskl to win the Derby, and, ridden by tarn American jockey, L. Reiff, the colt proved equal to the task; while last American-owned Orby, piloted b.v JsJSffi . easily proved his superiority qver.Ms/PPP"'- ■::■- ---nents, and placed the coveted. to the credit of Mr. K. Crotero-aysrgeK-of the One Thousand Gofiieas.- toitomiae so fast on the heete WjJ": : £f Newmarket a couple oj vearawoTetthe behert of the Jockey Club, bince turn Uie -Boss." as he was known Iβ SET■'York, has had the ulhfMtlmt oC emdtng in Oifcy, the winner of last JM«% IDrrty, and be lee csptaud ft* Ope Thau jstad Gnineae witi Octtt* '