SPORTING NOTES.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7770, 26 January 1891, Page 2

SPORTING NOTES.

By Spectator. Gillie, a New Zealand pony, at the Oakleiffh Park Meeting, won a 35sov race. Whimbrel is reported to be improving, by the Caultteld tout " Flashlight. ,, Ringmaster is ia the private sale list in England. Mick O'Brien, the Australia jockey, is said to be recovering from asthma. A returned visitor says that £5000 has been refused for Cuirassier in Australia.

Mr F. Bell's br g Waiter wou a 2580vs Hurdle Race at Cranbournfc, Victoria, on Che 7 tb. George Lalng rode him. T-eddy Week 3 and his shipment of horses arrived safely in India, not a single horse having succumbed on Che voyage. Professor Llchtrwark is reported to be doing very well down South, giving lessons on taming horses. " One Who Invests.," writing to the 2Veu> Zealand Times on totalisator management, suggests thai the stewards should at their meeting this week see that the totalisators are in thorough working order,. as he claims that something went wrong with the working at the last meeting. " Pendragon" in the London Referee says in an article on the Slavin-McAuliiTe fieht that it was a cut and dried affair, and be takes a lot of space to tell the. story in. Siaviu has issued a writ against the paper for insinuating that it was a " schlenter *' battle.

The New Zealanders have very little to complain of in the Newmarket and Australian Cup handicaps, though Carbine, with lOst 121b at the head of affairs in the Australian Cup, has * big burden. I shall have something to say on those handicaps next week.

■ The Auckland correspondent of this paper mentions that the Nordenfeldt — Quida filly, purchased by Mr Stead at the Wellington Park Sale, ia"ia the list." Mr Stead purchased the fijily for an Auckland owner, not for himself, and it would seem that she is for sale again. At the Wyndham raoee recently the running of old Rewi was considered suspicious, and Jaraieson, his jockey, was cautioned, and the stewards determined to report the facts to the V.R.C. "Dlbmed" asks very sensibly, "Why did not the stewards themselves take action 1 "

Mr Dan O'BrienJon Jan. 15th sent threeof his thoroughbred mares, Rose and Black, Rubina, and Mxronray, and his old friend Tasnian, to Auckland by the W&katipu. They are to be looated at the Wellington Park Stud. Tasmania, Hazel, and several others will probably follow later on.

The Bv&ney "Bulletin, asks : " Does anyone (remember having heard of one Henry Searle, who held the sculling championship of the world some*time ago?" It appears that soon after that wonderful young mail died Australia foroot all about .him, as the S.B. remarks "as fully forgotten aa if he had been drowned with Pharoah'e boefes in the Red Sea."

The RTStena of shoeing horses with tjowhide, introduced about the time of the first great exhibition in London, is again oomlng into vogue in Europe (says an exchange). This shoe is much lighter than the iron one, lasts longer, requires no eaulka, never slips on polished pavements, and, it is said, preserves hoofs from splitting. My Wanganui correspondent writes *.—• " It was a rather strange coincidence that Foxton and Montrose should run first and second two consecutive years for the Rangitikei Handicap. The heavy going evidently suited Foxton, otherwise I think Montrose would have turned the tables on him." The Canterbury Trotting Club received capital entries for their meeting, which takes places place on Friday, January 30th, at the A. and P. Association's Show Grounds. There Are no less than 165 entries for eight events, which is a best on record for. that club. Escapade and Honest Ned have been eeen on the cracks Iα India. The former signalled his first appearance by bolting two miles with his jockey. The climate of the Rajah has evidently wanned the temper of the son of Puriri and Escape. It must be over twenty years since I saw the latter bolt and get over or through a wire fence with George Walker of Aramoho, Wanganui;. Escapade's disposition cannot be put down entirely to climatic changes. According to "Old Torflfce M In the Sporting Review, Hilda and Cissy were both ■tinted previous to racing at the Auckland Summer Meeting. The same authority in concluuinsr a notice of the AucklandßachigClub*Meeting, says: "I can only hope that next Chriitmas we may hare as good a meeting, only with better weather. Then I think my long hoped-for wish wfll be accomplished, i.e., that the Auckland Racing Club will take the premier position in New Zealand." How would my confrere place the Canterbury and Dunedirt Jockey Clubs? I nave not seen Dan O'Brien since the weights for the Australian Cup and Newmarket Handicap made their appearance, but I hear he is not over pleased at the weight Whimbrel has received as com* bared with some of those that have met and beaten, his colt. It is probable that Freedom, Florrie, and Little Arthur will leave-here OB or about the 27th for Melbourne, though when I saw their owner on Monday he had not definitely settled about leaving. The following is from a Wanganui correspondent:—" Billy Higgins, the well known jock, bad a day out at the Athletic Sports at Ford ell on Boxing Day, scooping the pool by winning the Maiden, 100 yds, 220 yds, 440 yds, Half-mile and Mile. At the Turakina Caledonian Sports on the 12th Inst some very good hammer-throw-ing was done by the Glasgow boys, Bob throwing.the 161b hammer 114 ft sin (6ft handicap); Willie (scratch), 108tt 10in; Jimmie (10ft handicap), 107 ft Bin. The latter is only about seventeen years of age. ■ The colt foal from Nautilus, byfLochlel, is a most promising youngster, id I thought as he and another, which I took to be by Stonyhurst, stretched their necks in order to look over the field gate leading into Ted Cutts , paddock as I rode past the other day. I have seen no stud matrons looking so well as the dam of Cynisca, Pygmalion and Co. this year, and no foal in better order than the son of the Prince Charlie—Nellie Moote horse, who will not do badly if be gets them all as full of promise. Mr Goodeon, the young settler in the Hawera district, who purchased a number of thoroughbred mares and foals at the recent sales in Auckland has, I regret to learn, thus early bad a mishap amongst them. After getting them all safely down by sea to Taranaki, and after reaching the last station by rail, to see the Ihgomar foal from Carbine s sister, JLady Mersey, break its leg was deuced hard lines. • Mffliarry Markey was down at Biccartbn oa Saturday Highland on Monday tookfaack with him to Ashbttrton Mr Dan O'Brien's mares Vanity and Waterwitch, the latter with a colt foal t-o Taaman. He also took away Aquarius, fche Apremont—Waterwiteh three-year-old gelding, who is to be turned out for twelve months. The mares will not go North, but Will be served by Johnny Faulkner. I have heard cemplainte before now about the want of proper nttlnro for the

convenience ofonmereof stock who have occasion to make use of the Mornby station? On Monday old Waterw.tcb got down between the truck and the aiding, owing to the wans ot propsr staging iSances, and she knocked h«aelf, alout deal before being finally gob into Some'ownera become strongly attached to their horses.: Dan O'Briea wasas taueb concerned about the shipping of bin old friends Taaman aud RubTna to Auckland, and particular!? about the former, as some people would be about the departure of their dearest relatives. At the last mitmte beseemed a good deal touched, and though only sending the game son of St. Albans—Zillah, to new Quarters, it was evident that there was more in the parting between those old friends than met the eye.

A strange story comes from the late Craribourne races says " Diomed ' ia the SwfrHng Standard. Cohen, WOO rode the winner of the Selling Race, was suspended for a month for disobedience at the post. The allegation is that oae of the stewards who satin judgment on the jockey had a horse in the race which bad been pretty heavily backed. This is one of the matters the revising sub-committee of the Rules of Racing should take In hand. Any steward interested tea race has no moral right to adjudicate thereon, and this is one of the shortcomings that certainly requires dealing with, by our turf authorities. The day before the C. J. C. Mid-sum raer Meeting was the one chosen on which to receive the acceptances for the Hornby Welter, Midsummer States, and Craven Stakes, and a more inconvenient time could not well have been chosen. The race cards can be got out oa very short notice, but the usual plan of having them on sale the day before cannot well be followed this time; besides, people like to have some idea before the actual day of the race what horses are likely to he seen out, and people who live in the couutry like to know early before making μp their I minds to come to town, or to send their i money for investment, as is now a com- ! moa occurrence. There are numerous reasdns to advance in favour of an earlier date being fixed—none in favour of so late a one. Mr WauUyn will »o doubt, arrange so that matters will work more satisfactorily during the next season. The dates Of Closing of entries were all fixed prior to his appointment. Some of the New Zealand papers have been running away with the idea that the Sylvia Park sale was the greatest on record in the colonies, but this is all a mistake, as has been shown by Messre W. and C. Tuille, auctioneers. The following from the Melbourne Standard will interest our readers:—" On December 31st, 1877, Mr W. C. Yuille disposed of the Jiaribyrnong stud on account of Mr C. B. Fisher, and of 100 lots submitted on that occasion an average of considerably over £500 per head was realised, while the aggregate amouut taken at the sale was £83,000.' Among the lots disposed of were:—Rose of Denmark, 20o0gas: Sylvia, 2780gns, Sunshine, 1680giis; Sunrise, 2050gn%; Lamorna, 1050gns; Fireworks, lTOUgus; Piscator, lOSOgns; Chrysolite, aud there were several others that realised 800, 900, and 1000 guineas. It will be observed, therefore that while tn the price given for Nordenfeldt the record has not been exceeded, yet in the general results of the Sylvia Park sale, it was far surpassed by the Maribyrnong." John Corlett, of "Plnk'un" fame, oa the starting question, remembers twentyseven years ago seeing Mr McGeorge, the starter, nearly an hour trying to get a start in the Derby won by Maccaroni, and then left one of the horses, Tambor Major and Wells, hie jockey, the horsvsabsolutely refusing to join his horses. In the previous year matters were still worse, and Admiral Roue declared that if Lord Stamford h sd objected to the start fire minutes earlier the race must have been declared void. Oα this occasion, the horses were btarted in front of the post, all with the exception of Ensign, who would havo got the race even if he had been placed second, third or forth. As he was not officially noticed by the judge, nothing could be done. On this horse Lord Stamford, I believe, stood to win £150,000." "Heteka" (truth) in the Sporting Standard is responsible for the following story : —" When the Maori king, Tawhiao, made his ifirst trip to Auckland, after the war, he was taken to Sylvia Park as one of the sights, and here he met Musket, and had hie great racing qualities explained to him. After a few moments' reflection, Tawhiao, turning to Major Walmsley, said," Friend, Til buy your horse; name your price. The Major jokingly asked the king if he would give £100 for him. " Ob ! no," said Tawhiao. surprised at the largeness of the figure. I could buy two English wives for that." TheMajoraskedhimif iJoOwas within the limit of the royal treasury ; but, the keeper of the exchequer said that he could only muster £26. The king for a while was perplexed. A£ last, turning to the Major, he eald, " Friend, do you like my wife there " (pointing to Pohaere, who was of the company). "Here are J£2Q; take Pohaere, and give mo your horae." But the queen declined to be bartered away, ana so the bargain was never closeij." At no time in the history of this colony were there such favourable opportunities for securing mares for starting a new company as the ones which presented themselves during the last week Of December, 1890, and the first week of this year. Some of the beat known of our stud .masters in different parts of New Zealand did not fail to take advantage of the occasion of adding to their studs, while several young capitalists, with suitable pasturage, hare made a start. Altogether, at the present time New Zealand Is producing very largely both North and South, and I have no doubt that such buyers, for Instance, as Mr Goodaon of Hawera, would find the ownership of a few thoroughbred mares quite as payable, if not more so, than the breeding ot cattle, and bis particular district has t>eoome famed for stock of all classes, some of the best sorts for the Indian trade having been reared at his Waihi homestead. The great difficulty appears to be in getting a sale for • thoroughbred stock in district* so far removed from the leading ports, but as New Zealaud becomes more widely advertised and better known, buyers from other colonies will find their way into its more scattered parts. This is the way in which a Northern paper talked before the sale of the Silvia Park Stud. In its issue of NovemberSth appeared the following pa?:—"The Bank wants £13,000 for the stud. This is far above their value," &c, and again, "Talcing a fair valuation of the stock, no one going into the thing as a speculation would like to give much more than £9000 for them, though Nordenfeldt has been pu down by some enthusiast as being worth more than half that sum." This is what may be termed blowing cold. Now this is what the same paper had to toy after the sale : "The Sylvia Park Stud m now dispersed, never, we are afraid, to be re-formed. That it should never have been allowed to, &c, &c When the Bank offered it to Colonel Carre for £13,000, some of the monied men in Auckland should have accepted it at once, even as a speculation." now this sudden change of front does not look well by any means. It is too much like the alter game. For the Turakiua Jockey dub's Meeting te be held on January 29th (next week), Mr J. E. Henry bad a big lot of backs to deal •with.- Wairua, by Somnu* from Wairureka, heads the liefc In the Handicap Hurdle Race with list 131b, Jupiter list 111b, and Whalebone list 21b, coming in order. Omaha, Anna's fcaltaistfer, Iβ top weight in the Flying Handicap at 9it 41b, Oakland 9st, Despised Bst 131b, HaiatnOe Bst 121b, Waihan Sat 101b, and a long string, finishing up with several in at 6st 4lb. In the chief event, the Turaklna Handicap, 1J miles, Oakland 9sfc 21b Iβ placed at the head of affairs, Despised, Haiamoe. and Jupiter coming together on { One mark at Bst 101b ; then follow Sunbeam B*t 81b, Waihau and Christmas £rt 71b each., Ben Bole Sst. Kimberley and Waltoma 7st 101b each, Ngatokorui , and Durns 7st 81b each, and Hoktpai at fist 21b is the lowest weighted of abode a dozen others* In these fields some as excellently bred animals as are to be found i» *he-eeloay are«egsged, ye* thetr qualifications entitle them to run as hacks, and as the prifces offered at this end other , meetings about the same part of the country are better than we see small fields running for in this island, 16 must he con- : eluded that racing is not going ahead down this way. Hack racing has got quite as big a hold in the Taran&kl, Wanganui, and Napier districts as trotting in the Canterbury and Otago provinces. Harry Lalng fought forty-four rounds with Owen Sullivan, and the referee stopped the battle at that and awarded the match to Laing. "Smiler," in the Sydney Referee, says that L&ingtoould not have finished Sullivan in a week, and this Is how he winds up:—" Many persons who witnessed the contest were disappointed. Sullivan certainly did not flghp up to his form, but he showed that he is still as gatiae under - punishment and as determined as of old. . Laing, on the other hand, displayed fche well-knotrn New Zealand falling, via., wans of pluck. He had not the heart to go in and deal punishment to Sullivan even when he had the Barrier man dead in the fifth round, and there was no doubt, in my

mind, that the Irishman carried more pluck in his hair than the New Zealander carried ip his whole body. It's strange, but nevertheless true, that nearly , all these New Zealanders are rank quitters of the most jwonotraoed type." " The well known New Zealand failing, viz., want of pluok, and the last sentence are gross libels on our countrymen ; Latag is uOta New Zealander, however. " Smiler, In the same issue, accuses " PendragOn" In the London Referee of dealing with the SlavlnMcAuliffe fight, in an unfair spirit, but he has laid himself open to be charged With displaying a want of the quality he detects in his brother scribe.

In view of the near approach of their Midsummer Meeting, the Canterbury Jockey Club have been going iv for improvements and repairs at Riccarton. Large double gates have been put up at the end of the picket fence leading into the saddling paddock and scraping sheds. It is hardly an improvement though having the gates swung to a scop several inches above the ground in the centre of the track leading into the enclosure. Some playful animal will be sure to get into trouble over ifc one of these days. The second stand is being overhauled and repaired, and a concrete floor takes the place ol decayed timber at the tops of th,e staircases, and altogether muoh needed improvements are being effected. The main grand-9tand has ale© been made more anug than formerly. At the back where the blind shutters are, a strong draught wan frequently experienced to the dlscomforturo of the occupants, and the ladies have often complained about it. The shutters have been refitted and the defect remedied. These are the chief improvements, but I understand that the committee will not stop this until more ate carried out.

Thr> old shilling stand condemned last week by the Canterbury Jockey Club is to be pulled down, and with the t i ruber a range of stalls are to be put up not far from the old horse yards, which are the most unsightly and primitive I ha ye seen on a colonial racecourse. The stalls will be protected from the southerly winds by the belt of pine trees now fairly well grown, and will open in the direction of the course, lam told. Tα have made them more nnug still would have been to h&ve faced them the other way about. It is estimated that £150 will provide 100 stalls. Fifty more will be put up later on. Other contemplated improvements may be looked for soon after the Summer Meeting. It is the intention of the committee to add aome fourteen or {fifteen boxes to the present lot in the saddling .paddock, and it has been suggested—and the suggestion seems to be generally favoured by members—to have the scrap* ing sheds at right angles, or to have them running parallel with those already in use. I hope those of the committee who have not yet had an opportunity of considering the matter will, when the time comes, interest themselves, for it appears to mc a mistake to erect any more boxes inside the paddock, already quits small enough. There is plenty of room outside, and a convenient lot of boxes could be erected at the lower side entrance to the eaddliug paddock, either by running them along the fence and fronting towards the course, or by forming a kind of court yard which would be perhaps the better plan as it would be free from the prevailing winds, and I venture to say would be inosc appreciated by those who have horses working at Riccarton. And yet another addition is talked of, and that is a lunoheon room in What is known as the carriage paddock. I suppose In due course the railing round the course wilt receive a coat of paint, and a bouse will be erected for the caretaker, and—'well, perhaps the committee have as many improvements under consideration as they have funds for carrying them out. For years the Sylvia Park Stud was well advertised in the North. No opportunity was ever missed by the popular managing -director, Mr Thomas Morrin, of showing notable visitors over the etud, and it soon achieved such a name, that to have visited Auckland and not seen Sylvia Park and the horses there, would have been looked upon as a slight ou the place. Why, the Aucfclandera looked upon Sylvia Park as the old identities of Taranaki look upon Mount Egmonfc. Said one old fossil to mc some years ago, when I visited the place for the first time, "Wall, what he think of our mountain ?" just as if I hadn't seen it often from the other side. It was the same in Auckland. The visitor had to see Sylvia Park. ''Have you eeen Sylvia Park yet?" his landlord would ask It he happened to be staying at the Imperial. It is a moral that this would be one of the first questions put to him after his room had been engaged. If he didn't happened to have seen that delightful part of the country it was soon arranged that he should; and won't the cabbies miss the old shop. Why, I should imagine that some of the old stands will already be almost deserted. Yes, the Aucklanders took more pride in Sylvia Park at one time than the old Taranaki settler took in his weather guide, Mount Egmonc, if that were possible : but still the stud had to go, and the old place may next Monday oe sold to be used as a dairy factory or something of the sort. Well, hardly has the stud been dispersed when tho formation of a new stud is being talked of, Just like Auckland, bat there is very little chance of a public company being formed there I fancy. Unless Messrs Morrin, O'Brien, Nathan, and some of the leading stud owners throw in together there is not much prospect of & Start being made. From present indications it would appear that things are shaping that way, but the purchasing or leasing of land on which to carry on operations is just now a drawback to a company being started in Auckland.

The New Zealand Trotting Association has been doing ice business inaquiel way, but it owes a good deal to the assistance rendered by Mr Sydney James, Secretary to the Danedln Jockey Club, whose hearty co-operation it has enjoyed for several months The associated clubs now number no less than fifby-two, and these do not represent the total number of dobs who look upon trotting aa a sport worth encouraging. As most of the clubs affiiliated art Southern ones, it will be thus seen what a hold trotting hae taken in this Island, and it is satisfactory to find that it has been so well brought under control in a short time. The rales of the New Zealand Trotting Association are now used from one end of the country to the other, and if to one member more than another belongs credit for the position the Association has taken, it is Mr J. S. Williams, the chairman ; and Mr A. I. Rattrayhfts done much service since his appointment as secretary, and when the proper time comes will no doubt be suitably rewarded, as the Association should be getting stronger financially. So far it has been all uphill work, and the receipts have been all absorbed in expenses ; bat shortly I hope toeee it in a position to give prizes annually to the owners of the best record-makers over vanoua distances. Suitable medals bearing the Association's statnp would not cost a great deai and would be much appreciated especially by owners of stud horses; indeed between the various agricultural and pastoral associations, fermera clubs, and the New Zealand Trotting Association steps might be taken to further popularise breeding for the trotting tracks. I have over and over again advocated class trotting races, ana, I think, the Canterbury clubs at least might set the example by instituting them, say eacheivingone race of this description per mmetlnfz. They can well afford to do bo, and there are bo many kinds of class races that there is no difficulty in the way of making a start. lam sure a class trot bay for all horses not having & better wincing record than three minutes to the mile would produce a big entry, especially if the prize was made a fair amount. Conditions could be Inserted euch as only giving three fourths of the amount in the event of the three minutes or six minutes, as the case might be, not being beaten. I offer the above as suggestions to the powers that