TURF GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 253, 23 October 1909, Page 13

TURF GOSSIP.

iEs WHALEBONE.)

Frank Wootton has been retained, at a big fee, as first jockey to Lord Derby and Mr G. Lambton's stable for next year.

The prominent American racing man. Mr August Belmont, i 3 forming a stud iv France. He has sent four mares there as a nucleus.

In America three horses are credited with having won over as two-year-olds, viz., His Highness (1S.11), £21.S80; Domino (1893), £24,017; and Colin (U)OT). £JT,1!)O. Domino and Colin wore undefeated at the age mentioned. Last year Sir Martin won eieht races, and was second In eight others, his winnings totalling £13,745.

Ivaloschp, one of the more recent nclditions to the stud of Raron S. A. Oppenhelm, at Seblenderhan, was stolen from tup paddocks at the beginning of last week. The thieves were followed by the mare's owner in his motor car and tracked to Munster, where Kalesche was found in a stable, and the thieves were handed over to the police, to whom they confessed that they had tried to tiring away another mare from the stud. This is the second occasion on which the stud at Schlendcrhan ha? been visited by thieves, for some years ago Miss Gorse was carried off liy gipsies, to whom condign punishment was meted out and the mare was recovered.

Herbert Jones, on being asked after the race for the English St. Leger if there was an excuse to be made for Minoru's defeat, frankly remarked, "None whatever: flnd I think the horse, in view of tn-day"s running, was a lucky animal to win the Two paid so much attention to a horse as MiMarsh, and he deserved all the good things sold about him for winning the ntces he did. I have never missed a morning riding the horse at work since Newbury, and when I fulfilled my engagements elsewhere have had to travel many hundreds of miles to do so, and then return. Of course, I am very much disappointed at the result."

A conference of the premier jockey clubs of the Commonwealth was held In Sydney on October sth, to consider the question of purchasing from Messrs W. C. Yuille and Company, Melbourne, the rights of the Australian Studbook. The Australian Jockey Club was represented by Messrs Adrian Knoi (chairman), E. K. Frazer and A. Hooke; Victoria facing Club by Messrs R. G. Casey (chairman), Afrar Wynne, and E. M.inlfold; Queensland 'Turf Club, by Messrs C. A. Morris and P. J. O'Shea; South Australian Jockey Club, by Mr R. M. Hawker; and Tasmunian Racing Club, by Mr T. Lyons. After due consideration negotiations for the purchase of the work were practically completed, and in future its compilation will be carried on by the A.J.C. and V.R.C. in conjunction. The Turf authorities In the other States have extended their support generally to the A.J.C. and V.R.C. in the matter. The Federal registration of racehorses was also discussed 2at2 the 2 conference, and the scheme is in suc-h shape that all required is its confirmation of the details of management, and which will be dealt with at a conference in Melbourne during Cup week. Then the scheme will be brought into operation.

In a comparative argument concerning entrance fees, '"Spearmint," of the "London Sports Supplement," says: "It is not out of place to " sive a hand ' to the French authorities for their consideration to owners. In the Municipal Prize we have a on May 4, WOO, was oniy 4aovs. That small p3.ymt?n't entitles iin owner 'to keep his than a month before the day of decision. I know of no English race of any value— apart from handicaps—in which the same, or any similar, rule obtains. What I do know is that for a lOOOsovs run last Thursday (the Durham County Produce Stakes) a man could not keep his horse in after July 7—of last year—without being Involved In a charge of 17sovs! Then take the Hurst Park Lennox Plate of ISOOsovs, run yesterday (Saturday). Any horse kept in this race after March 30 of this year involved his owner in a charge of 2530v5, and if he retired him on that date his liability was losovs. Of course, neither the Stockton nor the 'Hurst Park people ar° peculiar in this direction, and before long I hope to print an exposure of the cunning way in which the English owner Is hit in his pocket on every available occasion by executives with souls that never soar above dividends."

Touching upon "l'entente" in turf matters, a London scribe says: "Judging by the results of the racing forays iuto France this season, it would not have prejudicially affected French interests had all the leading events on the Gallic programmes been free of birth bar. As things now run across the Channel, a horse has to be foaled in France to be entitled to entry in the majority of the races —a measure of restriction that does not obtain here. At one period In this particular, but it faded away like the whine of a tactful beggar when his wall falls on deaf ears. A cordial understanding has long existed between the English and the French turf authorities, hut the I>reak down the birth barrier. They gracefully raise it on occasions, but the events open to foreign horses are few in numbers If rich in worth. And as for any troubia about handicapping foreign horses, I cannot recall a French handicap that is not. confined to French-born thoroughbreds. This is a very easy plan of escaping from a difficulty that for 20 years and more has pestered our handlcappers. 'Enemies?' queried the despot on his death-bed. 'Forgive my enemies? I have none. I did not permit them to live.' The French authorities have gone even one better than our despot. They have no handicapping troubles with foreign horses because they do not permit them to come into existence. Once upon a time there was bother in this direction. l>iit it is years since even the Grand Steeplechase of Paris and the Grand Autpuil Hurdle Race were handicaps. They nre now welght-for-age races with small penalties."

No doubt future generations will look back upon Juliet and Instep as two of the best brood mares ever Imported to Australia (says a Melhourne writer). The descendants of both harp left n lasting lmpresslnn on the Australian thoroughbred, and their blood will be highly prized for many generations to come. Their stud records are pretty well known, but little has been heard of the achievements of O-men, whose record as a brood mare is little Inferior to that of either Juliet or Instep. Omen was bred in England in ISr.l, and as a three-year-old Mr E. C. Gwyline (afterwards Judge Gwyiine) hrousht her to South Australia. Her dam was considered of little value in England, and shortly after she bred Omen she was sold and nut to halfbred horses. Nevertheless. Omen was n great success from the outset. Her first two foals were Stormy Petrel, who died early and Flying Cloud, who was "f little use; but The Sign, by Muscovado, won the Adelaide St. Lejrer. Mr Ow.rnne did not keep Omen long, as he passed her on to Mr Hurtle Fisher, and It was with Fisherman that Omen was mo=t successful Her first two foals to Fisherman were Finely Heron and Pea Gull, who won the Aseotval'e Stakes and Oaks in successive years; and Sea P.nll also put the V.R.C. Derby to her credit. Sea Gull was very hard worked as a two-year-old, and at that age she ran a dend lieat for third place with Panic in the Adelaide Tup. which wns at that time a Sea Gull bolted before the race and got rid of her rider, lint evidently 'her eariv | racing did her little harm, as she was a j great success at the stud. As a matter of I fact, the family, as at present established I owes its existence almost solely to her del I scendants and those of her sister. Lady j Heron. Their half-sister, Zillah. by Stock- ! owner, was the only other filly out of Omen to breed for any length of time, and she wns the dam of Lockleys. who was probability. If any. inferior to Pride of the Hill's as a. three-year-old, although, or course, they did not meet at that age. as Pride of Another of Zillali's sons was Tubal Cain, the sire of Coriolanus, who was lucky to ] beat Commotion In the Cuampion Stakes [in ISB3.

rl f . T n e i mOn<, -\ Va!nt, of the Ge ™an Derby, decided on the classic heath at Horn, hjla been increased by the Hamburg Itenn Club from «S SU vs to SttSfeovg for the winner, In Bcldltion to the £230 reserved-for the breeder of the winner. In the event or. the breeder being a fiscal stud, the premium i J'l bestowed on one or other of the KituT bCBt cl4lw

The lottery system connected with rao ing seems to have become a tine ar* in Germany, for last Sunday's gathering on the new racecourse at Gruenewald, In the immediate vicinity of Berljn, contained on .he programme a lottery race, the tickets for which went with the sbepenny tickets taken by the general public as the .price or admission to the more democratic portion of the heath. The tickets were numbered, and the holder ot the winning fob or number drawn had his choice of claiming the winner for nothing or receiving a Bum of £l:> 0 from the owner, a sum which represented half the stakes.

With regard to horse racing, the fear of a jockeys' union need not keep the eport*' man in suspense for a single moment, says an English writer, in commenting on strikes in sport in the Old Country. The recent strike of stable lads in France does not enter into the question. Horse racing !s a sport high above the bare possibility of a. contretemps such as that now agitating fcr>rbali players. Tie stewards of the Jockor Club are the most autocratic constitution la the world of sport, and they could dispel even the suspicion of a union by a single breath. Whatever it may seem, horseradnjr is not a sport devised for the amusement ot the general public; it. is in the hands of the owners of the horses and the stewards of the Jockey Club. It Is an owner's hobby to keep and race his horses—he is under no obligation to the public, and it really does not matter to him if the public keep away from the racecourse. The position and.the duties of the jockey are too clearly defined to admit of any misunderstanding. There is a recognised fee—£3 for a mount and £5 for a win—payable by an owner to a jockey, but it is open to the jockey should he not be retained by that owner, to refuse the mount. The fee mentioned Is seldom if ever adhered to; much more is paid, but never less. In the case of the tirst-clnss jockey, it is the usual thing- to' offer a very substantial sum if he will ride the horsei and there are several jockeys' to-day. who** income in this way must.be £5000 a yew. The Jockey Club settles all disputes.. '

The following letter from a "Country. Cleric" recently appeared In the Sydney "Daily Telegraph":— ' Although not a frequenter of raceeoureee,I, like every lover of the noblest animal, must have read, with pride and pleasure the excellent feats performed by cur aristocrats in horses, comprising the. best Wood, bone, and breeding in the Commonwealth. While the air is so charged with raciqe matters in Sydney and country during the present metropolitan spring carnival, one's mind must necessarily turn to the moral advantages (or otherwise), from a public standpoint. I learn from my sporting friends, four days' racing are held in Sydney during the spring. meeting, and from the report of your paper, I notice the attendances on the first and second days were , approximately 30,000, or say, an average of 25,000 each day, would aggregate IOO.OOQ attendance on the four days. " ' food for thought. I understand the betting, with the -bookmakers ..was • oxceptlonalljheavy, and a fair average would be £1 per' head per race'(win'or lose). "* There are twenty-four races during • meeting, which, if the toUlisa-tor were InK stalled (on basis Indicated), would mean that £1,200,000 would pass through the' machine In four days, out of which- the Totalisator Bill, provided the Government; were to receive fpr charities, such as ,oI<T age pensions, the poor, the- - ■destitute and the infirm. 5 per cent, - or a total" useruT" sum of £120,000 for four days', earnings forthe State. Thirteen race meetings are' S'eia yeSrly at" Eandwickj so, guided by these flgnres, the' handsome donation of over one and a hftlf millions sterling would be handed "to our State Treasurer, through the medium of an' honest machine (unconsciously), by a charitable sporting public, in lieu.of extrayagaaOyeontributing to the support of the bookmaker fraternity,"who have'been over-fed* by a generous public; -who-do not-recelve-a fair equivalent ~in odds tn return,, fott)!,, •under the present/circumstances a!re .'compelled to accept the bar-rons* terms; irhlle - on the: other hand _an 'honest machine Wouia' establish the public's true -estimate-of-the-chance of a horse winning, regulating the price according 'to the support of the public on their different fancies. Outside of' Hand wick there are pearly.sixty Including suburban, Associated Pony Clubs, and trotting, held In* this State during' taV year, and it is Impossible for one to estl--mate the enormous amount of -reremi*whlch would be.paid.tnto the coffere-of th*. State during the year, and, -as Charity is part of our Christianity, ' verily,' I sajr" it behoves every-churchman^-to weJcome ■•- change by the introduction of the totallsjju tor—an honest machine for an holiest people; and not, as heretofore, -work "hand-In-jrlove" with the bleeding bookmaker, and assist-- him -to ■ continue his ■ "practice -of draining the sporting public. Trusting that some abler pen than mine, more acquainted with the sport of kings, and racing matters generally, will take up this long-looked-for improvement, and stir our legislator* - to pass a measure ap acceptable, to tljfl.; electors, and a bill' -which would ornament the statute book of-this State. "—■*

Vajneouverites are. sccustonied to. aotee; things on a biff scale, and. that is probably i one reason why the new racecourse and, country club at Brighouse Station, ' Lola Islnnd. is being- constructed on such '«- magnificent scale. To those who have not. been priviHeged to call at the site of Minora club recently, the amount of. work which"; has been -done there will prove amazing, - and even to tbose who have-been there with- - in the last fortnight every day .brings *.. big chance in the appearance of things. SOLID MILE OF STABLES. Just picture a solid mile of stables. That is what the country club has erected, fon - the accommodation of the horses which.., will compete at the first race meeting ever held over a mile track In Canada, west ol - Windsor, Ont. There is a whole mile ot ■ stabling built In bos stalls 10 feet by 12. - These stables are in keeping with everything else about the club. They are electric lighted, and have every sanitary con.- ; venienee. The grandstand will be the biggest «tand' lv British Columbia, and the clubhouse, which will be built at an expenditure of about 2u,ooUdols. or 30,000dois, wHI not" only be the first structure of the kind in , .. Western Canada, but will have 110 superior anywhere in the Dominion. While primarily the new British Columbia Thoroughbred Association, which has the construction'of the new track in hand, hae designed the grounds for racing, the club will foster a variety of other pastimes, not- , ably polo cricket, golf, tennis, lawn bowlins, steepler-.hasing, and similar recreations which are followed extensively hereabouts. Up-to-date golf links, the superior of any on the coast, will be laid out, while the ti'iinls courts, bowling greens and other playing flelds will be the best.

ENGLISH RACING IDEALS. The American idea of horse-racing iviU be dispensed with at Minora c;ub. lieMfr elation has named the track appropnate y en in"h 'i i"tor tile kinir s t qji'U jjcruy w m~ uer, and rue club will be conducted on the lines of the various English Jockey cubs. The Woodbine track at loronto is conducted along similar lines, and it is the stronghold of the sport of kings iv America. At Woodbine fashion and wealth are uppHrniu*t The "overuor-general and the llen-lcuaut-"ov.-rnor attend the daily matinees during "the spring and fall meetings in stale, with the vice-regal :i:;eudauts In full livery while tlie bett and most representative elements of the population »f Lhe Uuei-u City of Canada are enthusiastic devotees of the sport. Miuoru club is bein- built and financed entirely by lucal capital, and though American investors have eunVavoured Io purchase their way into the club they have been turned dawn. dominate the new institution, which shonld prove t'j be a lasting credit to their enterprise. The expenditure on the track for this year will represent something like 100,000 dols., and every dollar of it lias been subscribed locallj.