TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 160, 8 July 1922, Page 18

TURF NOTES.

F. Wootton "was in good form at the Wye Steeplechase Meeting, in May, his record for three mounts being two firsts and one third.

French racing charities have benefited by gifts of 2000fr from Jimp. Edmond Blanc and 3000fr from M. Ambatielos, to mark recent successes of their horses.

Morvich, which had hitherto been hailed as "America's unbeatable three-year-old,'' was eight lengths behind Whiskaway when that horse won the Carlton Stakes on June 17. It was the first defeat of Morvieh's career. Hβ carried 8.11. Vvhuskaway (7.10) assumed the lead at barrier rise, and" was never caught.

Kear. which won the Prix dv Cadran, was the best three-year-old in France last season. He gave Bullock the easiest of rides, and pulled up without being the least distressed. English racegoers hoped that Ksar would have been seen out in the Ascot Gold Cup, but Madame Edraond Blanc had decided to kcop the colt to racing in France.

"The Wizard" wrote in the "Sporting Times," on May 13, as follows:— "Apropos of the victories of those close relatives —Silver Urn and Silver Image— Mr. Clarence Hailey (who was responsFole for transferring another of Queen Silver's progeny in Silver Jug to India) told us at Newmarket this week that her owner has great hopes of wirning the ne>:t Viceroy's Cup with the Irishbred mare."

j Lord Manton, who died suddenly in England a few months ago when hunting" had a number of high-priced liarsea in training with A. Taylor, but his eldest son has no intention of going in for racing for some time. A query aa to the racing intentions of the present Lord Mantoii was productive of the reply that he was not going to keep any horses in training, or run any for three or four years, but was keeping on most of the breeding stud—fifteen mares and Leraonora.

TV. H. MoLachian. who has left for another trip abroad, is a much-travelled horseman. His first trip from Australia was with the trainer-owner Dick Wootton, who weat to South Africa, accompanied by 2-5 horses, including Queen of Sheba, Zue, and Vocalist. Many of the jockeys in South Africa were Ka-ffire, and MJcLaehlan thought he could bluff them in a race, but he was not long in, finding out his mistake. In one of his first races over there he came round the turn in his favourite position on the raile, behind a couple of horses ridden by niggers. "Pull out! Pull out!" he yelled. A nigger turned round with a grin, and pulled in on the rails. McLachlan never tried bluffing the niggers after that.

The Dublin writer, Blackthorn, in recently discussing the late Mr. R. Croker, who owned Orby, said he was obstinate and not a little whimsical. He raced Orby when his trainer advised him not to on account of the hard ground, and the horse returned to the paddocik with his feet bleeding. He insisted on mating the great mare, Rhodora, with her half-brother, Orby, and when the result of the mating was decidedly unsatisfactory, sola 'Rhodora in disgust. He had an exaggerated idea of the capabilities of the horses he bred, and when they did not win, a change of trainers generally followed. The writer I quote says that a couple of years ago Mr. Croker met his boys leading in his horses from the training ground, and, stopping each boy at the entrance to the yard, inquired": '-"What's that?" "So and So, sir." "Take the bridle and saddle off it, and let it out into the field,' , and so all, or nearly all, the horses in training were suddenly "turned out," but whether permanently or temporarily is not stated.

G. Duller, the leading hurdle race jockey in England, informed a representative of the "Sporting Life" at Cheltenham, on May 10, that his ride on Dinah Morris in the Stayers' Hurdh Race on that day would bring his career as a jockey to a close. In any case, tlie Epeom horseman will refuse any further engagements for the time being, it being his intention to devote the whole of his time to motor racing, iritk a view to creating records for a special class of car in which he is interested. Duller, who ie an expert driver, will take daily practice at Brooklands prior to his attempts to break records. Should the new undertaking prove as successful as anticipated, it ie practically certain that Duller's race riding will in future be restricted to machines instead of horses. Duller is no stranger to track-riding, and, although no car record etande to his credit at present, ho established new figures motor-cycles at Brooklands in pre-war days, and'only recently, unofficially, beat existing times. ' "

Lord Coventry, the "grand old man" of the English turf, and the doyen of present-day sportsmen, recently" celebrated h ls eighty-fourth birthday Lord Coventry is the senior rcembfr of the .lockey club, having been elected in 1860. His lordship registered his racing colour* as far back as 1858, and in Ma, of ftat year won his tirrt race with" a hors* f£* XV * nderer > «*** ran in the name of Mr. Morton." The most important flat race to fall to his lordship was tTie Cesarewitch of 1864, his horse, Thalestris, winnms by a head from Gratitud* Lord Coventry has always shown preference to National Hunt c-port rather than to fiat racing. He ~ a incd notable successes in the Grand National with tne Tedd.ngton Errbkm and Emblematic, in 1863 and lse* respectively

Recently several letters appeared in the English Pr«*s re the destruction of the good horse Submit. This prompted writ/; eß \ n - thC borßets Wto write io the "Sportsman"' a£ follows :- An » much controvorsv h a « appear** 1 the papers lately re the end of mr horse. Submit, I should be -lad if you would . low m , , 0 make th * %£s£ otVr hort or "o" *° .JP* anon, r!]Orse ' in^e^mc P Te 0n ndm