TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 11 July 1925, Page 25

TURF NOTES.

(By "WHALEBONE."! j

Damages of one farthing each were Lwarded the plaintiffs in the action for ! ibel against the proprietors of the "Lon- | '. lon Evening News," by a special jury in | he King's Bench Division recently. [ 'udgment was entered for this amount j vithout costs. The plaintiffs were Mrs. Vrthur Bendir, who owned Condover in | 024; E. Harper, the trainer; H. Beasley, be jockey; and Mr. W. B. Purefoy, : nanager for Mrs. Bendir. The alleged ibel was contained in an article which ippeared in the "Evening News" of April .7, 1924, commenting on the running of Condover in the Lincolnshire Handicap on .larch 20, 1924, and the Newbury Cup on April 12, 1924.. Condover finished welfth in the former race, and won the attcr race easily. The plaintiffs comilained that the comments in the "Evenng News" article made very injurious •eflections and imputations against them laving regard to the horse's contrasted performances. The defendants denied :hat the words complained of bore or .vere capable of bearing the alleged or v defamatory meaning. They also said ihat the words were true in substance md.fact, and as expressions of opinion hey were made in good faith and withDtit malice on facts which were matters jf public interest. Among the yearlings catalogued for sale in Sydney in the autumu of 1924 (says a Melbourne writer) was a chestnut colt by Absurd from Lady Ball. He was not, however, sent up for public competition, having been purchased privately by Mr. E. A. Connolly from his breeder, Air. W. G. Stead. In due course the youngster was named Horoscope, and before being raced was added to the lißt of geldings. Mr. Connolly tried Horoscope to his satisfaction and backed him once or twice in his usual spirited style, but had no luck with the chestnut. Since becoming the property of Mt. H. Masterton,- Horoscope ha 3 confirmed the good opinion held of him by his former owner. There was an indication of stamina in the way in which the gelding answered the question put to him on Saturday, and was in keeping with his form at Bandwick in April, when he won a mile nursery. Horoscope's dam is by Demosthenes (son of Desmond) from Sunlight, by the Orme horse Birkenhead, from Bonheur, by Seaton Delaval (son of Melton) from Cha rente, by Nordenfeldt from La Dauphine, by The Dauphine from Brasselis, by Panic. It will have been noticed that Panic's name crops up fairly frequently in these successful Stead pedigrees, and it makes a solid foundation wherever it is met with. Panic claims a part in the "tables" of Los Gatos, Poetaster, and Preposterer, as well as Horoscope. Mr. Mas ter ton's smart two-year-old also has Musket influence to assist him. Ho gets this through Nordenfeldt. Despite his sire, Horoscope seems to be something like a stayer, even though he may not achieve Derby distinction. In order to carry out extensive alterations and improvements to the Epsom racecourse and the Epsom stands (says "London Sporting Life") the Epsom Grandstand Association have agreed to purchase for £57,000 the freehold of Epsom Downs from the trustees of the lord of the manor. After the purchase has been completed the Association proposes to enlarge the rings and enclosures by moving the railings on the north side of the racecourse 20ft to the southward; to build a now club stand with weighingroom, offices for the clerk of the course, and dressing-room for jockeys on the sito of the present Barnard's No. 1 stand; to erect a new permanent Barnard's No. 1 stand on the ground hitherto occupied by Langlands' No. 1 stand. The Association have agreed to sell to Mr. Stanley Wootton for £35,000 tho training grounds on the Walton Manor estate, including Six-mile Hill and the adjacent woodland, but not including any part of the Derby course. In view of the fact that the proposed alterations and improvements may technically infringe certain rights enjoyed by the public over Epsom Downs, the Association, with the object of compensating the public for any loss it may sustain, has agreed to make over to the Epsom Urban District Council for public use and enjoyment, but not for building purposes, a portion of the Warren estate, consisting of rather less than five acres of field and woodland. At tho forthcoming nice'ing of the shareholders of the Associ-.s i.n it is proposed to raise new capital to the extent of £100,000. If the four-year-old gelding Game Guard was a human being, and decided on a career of crime, he would give the inhabitants of Sydney a lively time (says the "Sydney Sun"). He is a beautiful specimen of a thoroughbred, and is a good track galloper, but his trainer, T. \\*. Foley, has his work cut out to keep him out of mischief, instead of getting him ready lo race. The gelding resents being locked up in a box. He opens ordinary locks on stable doors as easily as he eats his feed, so special locks itml cluiins bad to be procured. Game Guard not only dislikes being locked up himself, but on several occasions, after freeing himself, he has undone the locks on all the doors in the stable and let the other horses out for a frolic. He would then go to the gate of the yard, and after opening it, chase the other horses in the stable into the street. Not being satisfied with letting them out, he would hunt them miles away from the stable. Recently his trainer decided tc buy some thick wire and build a special yard with it to keep the gelding out ol mischief. He embedded the posts deeplj in the ground, then put the wire rounc them about Gin apart. To make sure o him the wire was then brought down wards and twisted over each strand Game Guard was taken into the com pleted yard and securely locked in. Hi stood quietly while his trainer was pre sent, but as soon as he Avas out of sigh! the gelding caught each strand of whin his teeth, and bent them up aud dow until they snapped. When he had mad a hole big enough he wriggled out an walked away. The son of Linguard an Dame Daisy does not go to tlie troubl of eating his way through his bridle o halter when he is tied up, but catche the knots in his teeth and undoes then then tries to do the same for any othp horses that may be tied up near him. IT is a splendid horse to ride, and has wo nine prizes as a hack at suburban show in as many attempts. His trainer state that the geldinsr has been ridden by lad I and ladies in tho shows, and when lie i ! before tho judges he knows what i expected of him. As soon as the ordc to canter, trot, or walk is given, h immediately carries out tho commant Thiß, Foley says, is a big factor in hi success.

f Zinovia, the Cambridgeshire winner, has recently thrown twin filly foals to Tetrameter, which is rather bad luck for her owner, Mr. Michalinos, though, of course, twins have been kuown to win races. Shenley Stud Farm in England, the property of Mr. Walter Raphael, is for ! sale. The winners bred there include St. I Wolf (winner of the Newmarket j Stakes), Louviers (winner of the NewI market Stakes and second in the Derby), jTagalie (winner of the One Thousand Guineas and Derby), Louvois (winner iof tho Two Thousand), Sanctum (winner of the Cesarewitch), Allenby (winner of the Newmarket Stnkes), and Bettiua (winner of the One Thousand). There were possibilities of a tragedy, judged from the viewpoint of backers, at the York meeting in England in May. The Aga Khan ran two horses in tbe Londesborough Plate, namely Diacquenod and Juldi. There was a declaration in favour of the first-mentioned, and he was in chief demand. Moreover he won, but it was only by the narrow margin of a neck that he defeated hla despised stable-companion. Sones was hard-pressed to hold the filly in check, but he succeeded, although backers of the winner experienced a rare fright. Had both the Whatcombe horses run on their merits there is little doubt that Juldi would have won. Another big stake that looks certain to go to Victoria is the Australian Jockey Club's Derby of 800090V9, to be run in the spring "(says an Australian writer). Tho Victorian colt, Manfred, is as near a certainty as possible, and the only thing that may beat him is the New Zealander, Mimetic. This colt was beaten by Gloaming and by another two-year-old" in New Zealand in a sprint race, but when it comes to a long race he may do a lot better. A lot of good that will be to us to see a Victorian and a New Zealander fighting for £8000 of our money. The English "Racing Calendar" states that F. B. Rees appeared before the stewards nf the. National nunt Commit! <-c re ntly on the report of tho stewards • the Hexham Spring meeting. After heaiing the evidence produced, the stewards severely reprimanded Rees and cautioned him as to his future conduct. It will be recalled that the Hexham , stewards had their attention drawn to • the condition of Rees while riding Kirkharlo in the Northumberland Handicap [ 'Chase, and after instructing tho . medical officer to examine him, and having interviewed him themselves, they ■ found ho was under tho influence of . drink, and not in a fit state to ride. I