SPORTING NOTES.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7782, 9 February 1891, Page 2

SPORTING NOTES.

By Speotatob. Bob Derrltt rode three winners on Saturday. Charlie Stratford is looking after Tarra at Caulfleld. Sir. George {Chetwynd says The Deemster is the coming English Derby colt. Nellie Gray has gone Into Sheenan's hands. Tarra is reported to be going to Queensland. Tupaki was third in the Trial Stakes at Willfamstown (Vie) At Calcutta, Honest Ned ran second to Moorhouse in the Trial Stakes, a mile, run in lmin 45& sec. When the mail left Calcutta the betting teas 6 to 4 against Bravo and 4 to 1 Recall for the Viceroy's Cup in India. It was rumoured pretty freely on Saturday there were dead 'uns in more than one of the races run at Riccarton. Bungebah is first favourite for the Newmarket Handicap. Greygown i 3 a dangerous horae in the Australian Cup. 1000 to 40 was taken about Pygmalion this week for the Newmarket Handicap by a local backer. Mr Martin Taylor writes us a defence of a bookmaker's prices. He laid 20 to 1 Cynisca a week before the Wellington Cup was run. Mr W. Finlinson, the well-known Dunedin bookmaker, was present at the C.J. C. Meeting on Saturday. Mr Nathan, of Wellington, was also there doing business. A small profit was made over the C.J.C. Meeting held on Saturday. For some time there has been a loss on this fixture. Miss Axe was bought by Mr Sherwin alter the Disposal Stakes for £14, and she will in future run in his trap. Balderdash seems to have filled out very much since he trotted last. He is getting heavier and thicker-looking with age. At the Sydney Turf Club's Meeting W. Hatfleld was second on Maud in the 150 soys Hurdle Race. At the Canterbury Park (Sydney) Meeting, on January 24th, J. Kean's Dolosa was second to Ralston in the January Handicap, 1£ miles. Sunlight was very fit on Friday, and it will be ft long time before he puts up a better record than smin 48sec in saddle again. Apreznont had a good innings at Wellington, and he claimed Prime Warden and Sultan, the two last winners of the Midsummer Stakes as his own. Little Shamrbckwon a stake of 15080V3 at Williamstown on the 26th, for which he started first favourite in a field of seven. Mr J. Chaafe'e Achillea, ridden by Bremmer, won the Pace Welter at the Warwick Farm N.S.W. races recently. Mr W. Lyons, the erst Auckland bookmaker, looking well, passed through Christchurch oa Tuesday en route for Melbourne. At the Victorian Amateur Turf Club's Meeting Escutcheon was last in the Anniversary Handicap. Orangeman with 12st 111b was unplaced in the Steeplechase. The best dividend paid over a trotting race in Canterbury for a long time was that on Nellie on Friday last at the C.T.C. Meeting, viz.,*£s3 9s. Dudu was sent as far as Wanganui after the Wellington meeting in charge of George Mathews, who will ride her at the Egmont meeting should she be started thereat.

At the Ballarat Miners' Meeting Hollyback was second in the New Year Handicap, and Alt Keith won the Trot with Zepp, his recent purchase. Oakleigh. was third.

Messrs Crozier and Gill, two well-known Australian sportsmen, were present at the C. J. C. Meeting. Mr Crozier expressed a very high opinion of Maxim which horse he saw during the week. The grey mare Primrose showed a great dash of pace in the Electric Stakes at the C.T.C. meeting. She covered part of the journey quite as fast as Victor; but she cannot keep going at her top pace for any great distance, apparently. EUen, the Ashhurton mare, is a runner, and a fast one at that. Had one of her hind fetlocks not given way, she would have got home in the Two-mile Maiden race in something under smin 403ec. It was unlucky for her owner that she failed, as she was paying a nice dividend. ! Last week I reported that Prime Warden was backed for several hundreds 1 for the Dunedin Cup at the short price of i 100 to 24. It looks better for the takers now; bat the odds have not shortened materially since his victory on Saturday. Mr Wanklyn has* been warmly congratulated on the management 'of the Midsummer Meeting of the C.J.C. at Biccarton. The starting was again good, and Mr Boyle deserves all the praise he has received. The absence of a mounted Clerk of the Course was not seriously felt. A trotting match for £1000 has been arranged to take place at Blsternwick Park on the 19lhof the present month, between Mr F. Robins eh m Mystery (a pacer), and Dr. G. M. Slate's br g Valentine, an imported trotter, mile heats, best two in three. At the Hobartville yearling sale, held on the 22nd of January, Mr Keys bought) the hlgheet-priced trotting colt at 205gns. There were ten of the gets of Childe Harrold and Honesty sold, and the lowest at the Show Grounds on Friday last was verr fast, and quite a number of horses put In the shade all previous efforts in public or private in the matter i*bay yearHnar colt by Grand Flaneur from Auray, Mr Stead's Decent Australian nurch&se realised 23d guineas at the Hobartville sale, Mr J. Monaghan being fch lt P on the 10th inst. Billy Murphy and Jim Burge foueht thirty rounds before the latter won, and Murphy's sameness was marked. Burge is the heavier man by some lOlbs, and now talks of fighting for the featherweight championship. The C.J.C. at their ordinary meeting on Monday had uader consideration further improvements Iα connection with the totalls&tor houses on the Biccarton course, and Messrs Gre34on and Hood Williams were deputed to make a report thereon to a future meeting* Thus "Diomed " on a brother scribe :— "I was sorry to see my old confrere, " Augur," looking so unwell at Caulfleld on Saturday. He has been granted a three months'spell, and we all trust that he may return to work thoroughly rejavenated. The slavery and worry of a journalist's life tells its tale on the best of us." i

La Bose was unplaced in the Amateur Welter Handicap at the Victoria Amateur Torf dab's Meeting. Xα the Toronga Handicap, won by Sfceeltrap (7st 615), Boseley (9st lib) was second, And Little Shamrock (Set 31b) third. Pretender (7st 101b) was unplaced. The race was won by a neck, and the time for the six furlongs returned as lmin Ij&aec. Apropos, brought Dock from Melbourne last week by Mr F. Paneti, Is looking very much out of condition, though she is as sound apparently as when she left us. Mr Paneti intends to remain in New Zealand, having sold oat his interest in hones in Australia before leaving. Hβ intends

keeftfjpg Apropos as a brood mare. She was Served by a horse called Raoul in November lasfc. - • * Victor did a mile Trial before the Canterbury. Trotting Club's Meeting in 2min SOsec, on the track on which he performed on Friday. There is a difference in going alone aad having to get through a field* But for the form displayed by Lady Warbeck, Magpie and Victor would have each gone out well backed for the Electrio Stakes on Friday, but it looked & good thing for Lady Wasbeok after her form in the Addington Plate, and she went out a level money favourite, but making several mistakes she was beaten out of a place. I had a look at Sextant's only son the other day when out at Yaldhurst. He was running by the side of his damRainbow—who has improved very much in appearance since I saw her last. The have seen this season, but I did not like his understandings, which are of a very light order. He has been called zodiac. Rainbow., was stinted to Maxim last eeason, and she promises to make a useful stud matron. The following is from the Caulfield training notes in the Sporting Standard .— "Dan O'Brien's colt Whimbrel is a regular attendant, and is gradually improving, although not so fast as his friends would like. Dan is having a fine range of brick stabling, with all the modern improvements, built, and they will be ready for him when he arrives from New Zealand shortly with Florrle and Freedom, two first class performers over the other side."

What a "dead bird" Parnell was for the Pony trot at the Show Grounds last week. It is said that his actual height is Hi hands, and he covered his tw) miles in 6min 3e§secs; very Rood for a little 'an, I don't suppose a pony can be found In New Zealand of his inches to beat him. Yountr Bob Ray has him now. He paid £50 for the little fellow after he wan his race.

Calista, at £200, the price Raid to have been paid for her by Dan O'Brien, is a cheap mare. Her best time in public so far, is omin 22seconds for the two miles, and on that she has been handicapped here. It is certain that she could not have done anything like so good a performance on Friday, as she was not ready. Victor, on the other hand, was very well, and though he did not win, he did his two miles in SminlSsec, and would perhaps have done better had not pursuit of Lady Warbeck been hopeless. In the mile race he was timed to do 2min 33sec by several private watches, about which lam quite satisfied there is no doubt.

In consequence of the mare Primrose being left out of the cards In two of the races at Addingtqn on Friday last there was some confusion. Horses carried numbers not corresponding with the numbers on the machines, and in the harness race, the Lincoln Plate, Polly Plum carried No. 7 saddle cloth, whereas her nnmber on the machines was No. 8, and and some backers who sent money to put on No. 7 thus lost their money. This kind of bungling Is vexatious, and goes to show how careful tickers should be, as mistakes will occur at the best regulated meetings. It is unfortunate for the Club that the mistake should have been made, but it would have been better not to have touched the numbers at aIL Primrose could have been placed last on the list on the machine, and then no one could have gone wrong. I regret to learn from Jack Hnxtable that he has had to give up work again. He came down here after the Auckland Meeting under engagement to Dan O'Brien, but his head has been so often bad, and his memory becomes so defective, that he has decided to go home to hie parents in Auckland for a spell. He says the Auckland Racing Club treated him well out of the Distressed Jockey Fund, but as he has not been able to work, he has no money beyond what Mr O'Brien gave him to pay his passage North. I think this only requires to be made known for his friends to show a little practical sympathy. From a private letter from Sydney I learn that Burnside, the Berlin gelding* eoldby Mr Boag to a representative of Mr Anthony Hordern of Sydney, has been greatly admired there, and Mr Hordern himself is highly pleased with the horse. The same authority says that the disease of " Pink Bye " lately reported in these columns as having broken out in New South Wales, has carried off a great number of horses, and when the mail left more were dying, and for the time the horse market is paralysed people being afraid to purchase. Working horses have been much troubled with this disease, which thoroughly prostrates them, and the only thing to bedone is to stop working them at once, and keep them warm and well nourished, and it seldom remains on them longer than three weeks. At the Calcutta second extra meeting, held on December 13th (says " Augur") Cupola (a brother to Gardenia), and the New Zealand-bred horse Escapade ran a deat heat in the Fort Stakes, and afterwards divided the stakes. This is considered to be Cupola's best performance in India. The beaten division comprised the English horses Lord Harry, Lutzen, and St. Swithin, and the Australians Cyclops, Lady's Maid, Success, Bugler, Sir George, Entally, Minnehaha, and Yale Tide. The Corinthian Stakes went to the English mare Stepaside, who beat the Australian horses Barrister, Vidette, and Traveller easily. In the December Stakes, Moorhouse, with odds of 2 to 1 on him, was beaten by another Australian, Miladi; Knightsbridge, Marquee, and the English representativesGlddy Girl and Lord Harry, finishing behind the pair. A writer iv the Sydney Daily Telegraph says : There is scarcely a day passes but what someone ask* mc, "Why do you not more fully comment upon the outrageous cases of pulling witnessed everywhere?" And he goes on to explain that the law of libel is co severe that sporting writers dare not freely express opinions. This is only one half of the reason ; the other half that it is almost impossible to prove your charges. Suppose in a field of ten horses only two are "on the lob," it is more than likely that the owners of the other eight are " standing in " with them. You see the eight stiff 'uns giving an artistic exhibition of how not to do it, and you draw attention to ft. Where are you going to get your corroborative evidence from I Not from the owners of the eight stiff 'uns; not from the stewards, who are pro; bably mixed up with some of the owners of the horses. Unless a case is so flagrant and barefaced that the stewards are bound to take notice of it, it Is far better for the sporting scribe to hold bis whisht. Mean* while "roping"is carried on to an an* believable extent.