TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 25, 29 January 1921, Page 14

TURF NOTES.

(By The crack jockey S. Donogh-ue did cot com; from a family associated with horsee. His father was an ironwork"]-. Karly in his farwr Donoirhue was at Kingtsclere with ■/. Porter. Tie ran α-way arid drifted to France, from which country he wenv. to Ireland, ■nhere he ■*i 3 licensed as a jockey. an<t roi'e there with a deal of piiccese befere hp decided to Fettle in England. In October laft the President of the Argentine Republic vetoed the ;iropos«i law sanctioning the renewal for another ten years of racing at Palermo ißueno* Airei) on Thursdays. The Jockey Cliib had no intention of making any profit out of the Thursday meetings. as the vetoed concession provided that after the payment of expenses the cluS would hand over the balance of to a fund for the housing of the work ing classes. Tn future Trorses Imported Into India from Australia or »w Zealand will not be registered under the rules of t!» p Royal Calcutta Turf Club unless satisfactory evidence of identity is produced. Mrs. W. Viau. widow of a prominent Canadian Taring man, is launching ont as an owner in America. She was recently credited with living £4000 for an untried two-year-old by Wrack from Star Gift, and the price she paid subseqnentlv for two good racehorses in Audacious and Knfilade wa3 reported to be £10,(K)0. KirSlade is a high-class sprinter, and Audacious ia in the first flight of handicap horse?. The limitations in train services in Victoria, caused by the shortage of coal, ha? frronrpted the Government in that State to flup-pend all racing for the remainder of the month. As many nnionists are staunch supporters of racing, they will feel the hoid-up just as muc.i an .any other section of the community. j Anions the rare meetings affected are j those of the V.A.T.C. for the 15th and 24fh inst., Epsom. Yarrawonsa, Warrnambool. Pandown Park, Woodend, Moonee Valley. Williamstown, and a larsre number of country ones. But tS* restriction will have one good effect—it will give the rank and file of supporters of race meetings the opportunity to conaider their financial resources. From Melbourne comes word that John Stevenson was killed on the railway line between Cheltenham and Mentone rccentlv. The police ascertained that Stevenson had been exercising the racehorse Pahda at Mentone, and had left it temporarily in charge of the gatekeeper at the Latrobe Street crossms- He returned for the animal about S o'clock in the night, and was apparently etruck by a down tram wiilat crossing the rail-way line, being carried for a difitance of fifty yards. The deceased was once well known as :i jocKey, and among other races won > '<■ Melbourne Cup on Auraria and the Cham; pion Stakes on The Harvester, and o> ■ late years followed the profession oi a trainer. -Tohn Stevenson was at one time a very eucceesful backer of Bars* After hU principal sncee.sees m the saddle he visited England for a short term. i who died on August 3JJ ' aged TO. left estates now valued i©r Kckeresriir* fortune calls to mind ior- ' tein«'left by other notable profession*! • nuing men." UsuaJlv those who have left kree amounts are men wio Have re-tired'from tho gam- aifcer a run ot ' luck and liave applied tlierr energies ' and knowledge in other speculations aJrf ■ investments. The most, notable cases ' are those of:—Mr. C.<>orge Herring, a 1 onerous benefactor of hospitals, left ' £137115-2. Mr. WUliam Peach, who : I became a partner in Messrs. Steel, P^ 1 ' I and Tozer, of the Phoenix Steel Worts. Sheffield, and loft £532.619. Mr. Joseph ' of Baj-narj Castle, £ 123ft5-- ;- ' Mr. Georgfi Cooper, of CTiceicr, who djed ■' in harnetJs on the Brighton Racecourse. ' £- 7 SS"<ir> Mr. James (yGcmnor. '' £l-21,090! Mr. Waiter J Spindier, Mr. Henry Wii'.iam Uuph. of Yarmouth, £33.0u. Mr. Robert Shield. on<- time a partaier wit* 1 the late Mr. O'Connor, £24212. Mr. r Thomas Charles Williams, of Sisrews- ' bury ('-Parson Williams"). £163314. H Mr.'Robert Topping, of Topping and 'SpindleT, £43.1'JS. Mr. Ciaries Hfb'|bert, of Nottingham. £10.1.498. J It is always a pleasure to drop across 'someone who doe? noi believe that all " our capable jockeys and good horses ' came to an end at least twenty-five J years ago— of course, trainers are better than ever they wore previously. Tonch"ling on this, I "notice the 1-ondon -writer • Ba\-ardo docs not subscribe to tie idea " I that jcK-keys in Poland were never r i worse than, at preeent. TTe writes: *! ,- From time io time tiie question_ of °i j<x-keyshlp forms a prominent subject of discussion, and often of controversy. r It is fimny how. year after year, we are . ttokl that' the jockeys riding nowadays i i are 'rotten' when c-i-mpared with euch 'and suoh a generation. Immediately a 5 ! jockey a nrisrake. and. by an Jerrorof judgment, throw* a race away, ,iJie old shibbfilexli is trotted out again. .''One naturally hesitates to make invi"jdious and nhilc I am not 1! _-oin:_' to .-ay that out present L-racic 1 r ; .l>-rs are snpormen by any means. 1 ' think that Donoghue. 1-Vnnk Bullixi and '" .Ine ('JiUdti would hold their own with of ilio jo»".koys 1 havo sc.'n i;i law 1 ili»ca<ltfs. perhaps with th<_> exception of I'Slonn. Mahor. and Kraak NVoutton. 1 j who uia> ocain *;o lirm'y r citablisliprl his supreniai-y. luis a per- ' jfootlv balanced w:it. >;>len.ii<l hanJs. an,l I '';- a tin,' juiigi' of pa..'r\ Moreover, he is '•■never acl.'cp." and i< invariiiily >ac of : t quifkott a\vay from tht- gate. In- ' clcod. he is, in my view, a natural horse- ' I man. and that, embodies everything ' i which is to make a ican an r | artist in his profesidon. Tt is a great ■ j compliment to J:im that he has been i <>ns:iire<l to ride a.s tirsf jcx-key for lx>ni ? J Derby next yuar. evon if the ret;uner La -jnfvt on such a princely efulc as tiiat lj which hr receive.] frum 1 1 ).- miUionairH • tina-Mi'ipr. Jajih's White. I'r.ink l:-.:lK>'k •" has ridden tJome migniftient. linishc* th.~ »>ea.-or. and i- ono >>f tic rnn-t powerf-.: ;» I and resolute horsojiu-n of t.lie day. HI 1 will be the first jockey to Mr. (lilpinV t■! stable. Joe Childfl has no superior f.ir ; patience, jirdgrut'"nt of pa*t.°, and the ability to seize the crucial opportunity, t There is no jockey whom I preftr over lia long course."