TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 149, 24 June 1911, Page 16

TURF NOTES.

(By -WHALEBONE.) Sir William Bass paid £2j,000 for Sceptre, ami she won for him in slakes in season 1903 no less than £12,033, among her successes being the Jockey Club 'Stakes. The throe daughters of Sceptre sold recently realised 10,4. r )0 guineas, so that Sir William has already realised over £23.000, and he still possesses the mare and her first-born, of the .Misi. It is understood that Sceptre and Maid of the Mist are to be sold on July 10. There are quite a number of people in tliis Slat.'. *uys a 'Sydney writer, who hold t.he belief thai we shall eventually we the totalisator at work on our race' tracks. It is to be hoped that such will be the case. There is no doubt but ■what the machine is tint best for the public. It may not be so for the big bet-; tors, hut Wfi do nnt want that class. Their room is far better than their com-: pany, u> use an old saying, as they are of no use to anyone, and many in the j past have been proved guilty of most improper practices. The machine might nlso brinfi about a reduction in the numbers of those gentleman who "live by the game.' .

Pundridge, (lie sire of Sunstar, is a eire whose foe has jumped up in remarkable fashion. In 1905 and 1900 it was £!); in 11)07 and 190S £.'SS was his fee-, then it went to £98; while this season it was raised io 200gns. Sundridge is a horse 'believed by many students of breeding to liav« a great future. The leading strains of blood in his pedigree, are those of Vedette, Newminsler, and the- two full-brothers, 'Stockwell and Rataplan. The eminent German authority. Count lichndorff, lias described Sundridge. as the best-looking horse he ihas ever seen. He tried to tray him, but would not give the £25,000 required iby Mr. Joel. Since then the horse has been sold to a French breeder, and leaves England this year.

The best two-year-old seen out in Johannesburg this year is Nobleman, a colt by the Carbine norse Greatorex; and the filly Dancing Wave, also 'by the same sire, is rated next. There was some doubt as to which was the better of the two until they met in a six-fur-longs race at Johannesburg towards the end of April, and the colt :beat the filly decisive!}-. Devinco, al3o by a Carbinu horse, Dundonald, is another mentioned as a very promising youngster, and a (writer in the "Sporting Life of South Africa" selects Nobleman, Dancing Wave, and Devinco aa the trio most likely to tight out the. next Derby. I notice that at a sale of yearlings in Johannesburg *A\p. progeny of Greatorex realised good prices, four averaging 302gns., while five others were passed in at prices ranging from 160gns to 420gns. At the same sale a colt by the Australian-bred: horse Chesney was sold for 275gns.

Thus a Sydney writer: "We continue to hear growl 3 from owners and trainers as to the uncertainty of getting a "fair deal" from riders. Whether all such -doinp.laints are iwejl-grounded I very much doubt, but at times there are certainly happenings which go a long way towards justifying an owner's suspicions. For a considerable time past rumour has made free with the names of some jockeys as riding to suit their own interests more than those of their employers, but the A.J.C. is kept well informed in such masters, and it is certain 'that body would have taken action long ere this if there had been anything definite to go upon. Racing has a (tendency to |make Jmost people suspicious, and many have a faculty for seeing a '"dead 'un" in nearly every beaten horse they back, but though it would be nonsense to deny 'the existence of non-triers at registered meetings in the metropolitan area, it is improbable they are nearly as numerous as contended by losing punters. It is an old axiom that "familiarity breeds contempt," but it is fairly cetrain that most of our jockeys still have sufficient fear of stipendiary stewards to cause them to refrain from taking undue risks.

A short time ago we said that there was no more misunderstood man than Mr. Jack Joe], says the "Sporting Times," and that as far as racing was concerned he ran his horses on much the same lines as 'Sir Joseph Hawley and iMr. James Merry. They played the bold game, and would never have given the state of the ground as a reason for not running a horse for a big stake. Mr. Joel, it is stands a heavy stake on Sunstar at good odds for the Derby, one of his bets being a double event of 7000 to 100 the Two Thousand and Derby—poor bookie! And yet in ■face of all this he did not funk it when 'he had his hors<> on the Bpot and ready to run. although the ground was very hard. Sunstar is v.t this moment the most valuable thrpe-year-old in England, "but for all that Mr. Joel said, "Never mind the ground; run." We love a bold policy, and love to see it well rewarded. The horse simply "lolloped" in first, Ibeing one that, like Isinglass, would make a race of it with a donkey, and there was no theatrical display. "You will bp very anxious when you feel his legs to-morrow morning," we said to Mr. Morton. "Naturally," was the reply: "but he is so sound." "Brother Solly" took a bet of 3000 to 2000 about Sunstar after the race. "But they offered it again," he said more anxiously.

I clip the following from the "Indian' Planters' Gazette": — The old English bedstead was a formidable, affairs, and a good story is told' of little Billy Pierse, the famous lightweight jockey, who thought there was i no woman in the world like his good ; wife (who could pull down bpr end of j the scales with her Billy and Ost. of dead ; weight in the other), and no racehorse like one Borodino, which Billy often rode to victory. One night Billy went over to dine and sleep at the house of his best patron, a Mr. .Toli/T; and, hearing a noise in Billy's bedroom at 2 a.m., ths host went in and found a queer littlp, figure in a long nightgown that trailed on the floor for yards behind him, while the wearer vainly tried to climb up into the great towering wooden bed which Billy swore was more like a grandstand on a racecourse than a bed. '-"What's all the trouble about. Billy?" asked Mr. JolirT. "Oh!" replied Billy, "my wife put ■up one of her nix-furlong night-dresses for mc by mistake, and as half a furlong one does for mc, and you've got such dencedly high bedsteads' here, I'm hanged if I can get into this 'un. Give mo a log up please!" This was done with Q3 much solemnity as though the Loger boll waa ringing; and whon Billy vas tucked in »afo imd snug ho said: | Abv-JoUff, you've teen very kind to mo.

so by way of inn kin' a sootable return I'll nut you up to i dead certainties— but mind they goes no further—my wife is till' best woman in the world, and Borodino's the best horse. (Jood night, iSir! -, Said the late Charley Head, I he wellknown English bookmaker: "The two must hitter experiences of my life were oiu-u when 1 won £800 from a man describing himself on his card as Major in the Royal Artillery, and 1 suddenly saw. when il was too late, that he was wearing a paper collar." And the other? we asked. ••The other? Charlej- had been betting with, as he imagined a wealthy Herman Huron, and had won a lot. of "money of him. Head, always a hotter winner than a loser, saw the Baron after the races in front of the rooms at Newmarket, and greeted him in his best winning-account manner, with. "I hope you have had a good day, Baron?" The baron with a most affable smile, and in a self-satisfied manner, answered: "Haf you not heard ze news; 1 ha/ taken what you call ze nok!" And Head said lie told it in such a manner that lie felt convinced that he was speaking the truth, nnd he was.

The peculiar part in connection with many cases of alleged sti f i" running is that so few seem to be noticed ut the exact time of occurring, even by people backing horses under suspicion. They have no fault to lind at the conclusion of the race, but later they hear some alleged authority giving his views, and they are convinced they did not get a run. Which reminds mc that on one occasion 1 heard a well-known trainer ridicule the suggestion that lie did not get n try with one of his horses; but then he evidently started questioning himself as to whether this was not possible, with the result that a few days later he was confident he was taken down, and could tell you exactly what the boy had done to bring about the horse's defeat. This, notwithstanding that immediately after the race, in which he had probably never takem his eyes off his own horse, he was quite satisfied with the way it was ridden. Suspicion, more than actual fact, plays a> prominent part in connection with many tales of alleged misdeeds on the Turf.

In connection with racing it is inadvisable for any owner to make what, at the time, he believes to be definite announcements, says ii Sydney writer. When be thought Comedy Kings defeat iv weight-for-age races was out of the question, Mr S. Green definitely stated that Comedy King would not be entered for the Melbourne Cup, let nlonu run iv It, but consequent on his horse's defents at Ilaudwick he changed his mind, and Comedy Kins figures among the Melbourne Cup nominations. The V.X.C. hundicapiier would probably have preferred Mr Green to adhere to his original Intention, as the most recent form of Trafalgar and Comedy King will put him in something of a quandary when adjusting their weights. There are still a great many followers of racing who believe thut Comedy King is v age for two miles, but the handicapper bus to deal with the actual fact of the latter giving the imported hoise 111b and a beatIng over the distance named at their last meeting. However, Mr Menzies may look at it that Comedy King was not himself on the third day of the A.J.C. meeting, and prefer to take Essendon Stakes and A.J.C. Autumn Stakes" figures for .it. Consequently it is possible that the difference between their respective imposts may not be as groat as anticipated. Trafalgar was weighted at 9.9 for the last Australian Cup, and the probabilities are he will receive something like that in the big spring handicap.

Some time ago I drew attention to the fact that so many horses who are strongly inbred to Poeahontas are roarers, says an English writer, but I did not maintain that this is solely due to Poeahontas having once been a roarer, or that the ■more or less strong accumulation of her blood is the direct cause for the prevalence of roarers among her progeny. What I wanted io explain is that any strong inbreeding of this kind is bound to weaken the constitution generally, and the nervous system in particular, and that horses strongly inbred to an individual have a natural predisposition to become roarers if roaring had occurred amongst their ancestry.

Most constitutional diseases of this kind nre inherited, and so is undoubtedly roaring, but nevertheless the occurrence of roaring is also due to external influences which, can only operate upon a horse which possesses an inborn —that is to say, an inherited—predisposition to roaring.

I have not the slightest doubt that In the majority of cases the occurrence of roarinrr is entirely due to the too early exertion of the respiratory organs iv youngsters bred from roaring parents, or from stock which is known to produce roarers without being roarers themselves. In my opinion, the outbreak of the innate evil can be prevented if owners would not allow any two-year-olds to be trained in whom there is even the slightest suspicious sign of their becoming roarers. There can scarcely prevail any doubt that the premature exertion of the respiratory organs is the chief external intluence which furthers the outbreak of this inherited evil. As n rule, roaring ■makes itself noticeable during the first half of the second year, and youngsters which even imake the slightest siioukl not be trained at all in their second year: the rest might,—l shall never say it will —give the respiratory organs the chance to reform and to develop normally, whereas exertion during the ! most critical period of organic development is bound to drive the evil into its extreme form.

A study of stallion lists will often reveal some interesting contrasts (writes '• Chiron"), and odg of the most striking is that found in the supplement to the last volume of the " General -Stud. Book." Two highly-bred relatives, Bayardo and Carpathian, arc advertised. Bayardo is standing at :500 guineas a mare, and his list is full, but Carpathian is still seeking patronage at 0 guineas. Bayardo was Uie best performer of his time, and, ■thanks to the glamour attaching to his numerous victories, lie can command his huge service-fee finite readily. Carpathian, who is a young horse, by Isinglass is as well bred in every respect as Bayardo. and possibly just as fine an individual, but he did not race owing to an accident, consequently his services fro begging. Jardy was sold to go to the Argentine for £30,000, and his stock there axe carrying al! before them. 1 suppose his fee, providing he is available to public breeders, would be somewhere in the vicinity of that charged for Bayardo, yet his full brother, Myxam, who was a good performer in. Fiance, cannot

command more than IS guineas in England: and l'ipistrellos who claims full relationship to Flying Fox and Flying Lemur, is standing , in Ireland at half that fee. .Neil Gow, who was at least the equal ■of last season, has seen the lasi -of the racecourse, and he is standing this season at a fee of !)5 rruineas. Spearmint is still at 250 guineas, and William the Third's list is also full at 50 guineas lees, and that g-reat stayer, the "White Knight, stands at £14f). Carbine, who had only live live foais to represent him last season, may be availed of at OS soys.