"SPECTATOR'S ' NOTE BOOK

Press, Volume L, Issue 8596, 25 September 1893, Page 2

"SPECTATOR'S ' NOTE BOOK

I have heard good account* of the first of Medallions progeny. "Fine foals is the general verdict of those who have seen tb F™ur of the yearlings by Artillery sold on the 2nd September are at Middle Park, and each of the purchasers of three of the number have been offered liberal advances on their Investments. # The running of Skirmisher in the Timara Guineas has brought that colt more into favour for his more important spring engagements. His Derby prospects, at least, look bright. St. Hippo is still firm favourite for the New Zealand Cup, and there were enquiries for more money at hundreds to fifteen than were forthcoming at the latter end of last week, Auckland backers principally. Mr Nathan's horae ie being most genuinely supported. ~ . _,' r Some statistics were provided by Mr J. H Hankins, the chairman of the meeting, showing the amounts given by each to.the Metropolitan Clubs as compared with the amount given by the whole of the country clubs in each district, and, though the source from which they were taken was not stated, there can be no doubt that "Pentagraph'*" figures in the Webbxt Press and Rbferee formed the basis ol the calculations made. In the Wellington districts ie was shown that {he Metropolitan Racing Club gave mtore money ! during the season than all the minor clubs put together, but in Taranafci the Metropolitan aid not s?ive so much m stakes as the leading country clubs of the_ district, while the whole of the clubs give more than double. In Hawke's Bay the ISi apier Park Racing Club gave for the number of days racing held proportionately as much as the Metropolitan Club of the district, though taking the Napier Park Club as a country club—and it was represented at the meeting—the subordinate clubs or Hawke's Bay gave last season just one and a half times as much as the governing club. In Wanganui the proportion was nearly two to one in favour of the country In pasfriog the first resolution asking the Metropolitan Clubs of the colony to proceed with the election of delegates of

country clube aasoou as possible, the Conference followed in the footsteps of the conference of clubs held last month in Ashburton, and virtually assented to the recommendations of the Metropolitan Racing Clubs. In the face of this the passing of the second resolution, which was tantamount to an objection to the constitution of the Board of Control, iudicated clearly that those present were not satisfied with the basis of representation they have been asked to accept, though unless the resolution can be read to mean that each club should be entitled to send a delegate to ihe Riving Parliament, what the Conference of Rtciug Clubs really want is not conveyed in the report of the proceeding-?. It seems unreasonable for minorclubs, many of which have only recently come into existence to expect to Dβ placed on exactly the same level as the Metropolitan Clubs, and if that is what is aimed at the existing Metropolitan GluDs are not likely to agree to any such proposal, nor should I think that such a desire is shared in by a majority or the subordinate clubs of the colony. Country clubs desire that the Governing body of the colony should be thoroughly representative. That has been one of their requests in the past, but I am afraid that the delegates, who passed the resolutions referred to failed to take into consideration that they, could not poeo as thoroughly representative of .^β" 4 !"'"" ments of the country clubs at least for the Wairarapa and T.-ranaki Metropolitan districts. I fancy that after the next Conference of the Metropolitan Clubs at which the couutry clubs will be represented there will be less heard of these grievances. Some are real and vexatious, some again are imaginary, while other charges acaiusfc the Metropolitan Clubs can be traced to disappointed and selfish men, who are not working in the true interests of sport but for themselves, and the sporting clubs of tho colony should bo careful not to ally themselves with clubs which are not Worked on purely sporting Hues, and which consequently are running amuck against the Metropolitan bodies for the purpose of achieving their own ends, which summed up means £s. d. A reference to the statistics published in recent years in this colony would clearly indicate the clubs which "have been Riving the smallest amount in stakes in proportion to totalisator receipts. Where the shoe pinches some of the clubs, is in the Metropolitan Clubs endeavouring to see that all profits are given in stakes, and making improvements, and payiug legitimate working expenses. The runniug of the Riccarton aua Yaldhursfc trained horses at tho Australian Jockey Club"s Meeting now in progress and which commenced on Saturday, revived some of the interest which in former years attached to the gathering. In Auckland there is ever great interest taken in leading Australian events and particularly ,in racing on the Sydney side of our sister colonies, and there " the man in the street" can toll you more about the merits or demerits of the horses running twelve hundred miles away at an important j gathering than he knows about what is going on at Ellerslie, a few miles from the city. The fact is the punter up North has been educated to doing business on foreign events, whereas in the south the game interest is never displayed by backers unless some locally-owned horse of more than average quality is to take part. Then one will meet with a few enthusiasts who are prepared to follow the fortunes of the local owner. Such was the case on Saturday, and as a number of North Island pencillers wore returning from the South Canterbury meeting, and were prepared to do business, there was an unusual amount of speculation. Mr G. G. Stead's horses came in for the most support at starting prices, some of the raetallicians limiting their liability to from ten to twenty to one. Mr O'Brien's colt Loyalty came in for very little support, strange to say, though there were a few who stuck to the fine soil of St. George and Fair Nell.

The results, I may say, wereknown in the the leading centres of New Zealand the same evening the names of the placed horses in three of the events having been aent through before 6 o'clock in the afternoon, while the names of the placed horses in the concluding events came through before 8 o'clock. This, I believe, is the first time that all the winners at a meeting in Australia have been known in Chmtchurch the same evening as the events were run. It was known early that Mr Stead's fine little filly Ich Dien, who, by-the-way, is by St. George from Ravens wing, was second to Jeweller in the Trial Stakes, and it was a stroke of bad luck to run up against a fancied Melbourne Cup candidate in a race of this description. The only consolation for Mr Stead ia, thafc it was he who imported Jeweller's sire Splendor (without the v please). To show the estimation hi which thie horse, who is a four-year-old, was held, prior to the meeting, it may be mentioned, that he was handicapped ab 9*t 51b in the Clarendon Handicap at the Hawkesbury Meeting, being asked to give 91b to Anta3us. The conditions of the race were for horses that had never won a stake of lOOsovs. Jeweller won no races as a twc-year-old, but last season annexed no less than ten events, all under the stipulated value. His weight in the Caulfleld Cup is 7st 121b, and in the Melbourne Cup 7st tlb. Why Stepniak was preferred to Loyalty in the Spring Stakes by New Zealand backers is not difficult to understand. Stepniak had shown that he could compass the distance, while Loyalty's capabilities were not known, and besides, many thought that the Challenge Stakes winner, in view of more important engagements at the V.R.C. Meeting, might, not be thoroughly strung up. The result only goes to show chat a really good three-year-old at weight for-age even so early in the spring, mu*t have a pull over older horses. The fact that the two New Zealandere finished first and second and the time done indicates that the form of the pair shown afc the Autumn Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club was of the best, and further convinces more than ever of the excellence of Merganser. As to the names of all the horses that started in the race, we are left in ignorance, further than that Loyalty was first, Stepniak second, nnd Oxide third, that Camoola was first favourite at 7 to 4, and that Cremorne, who has been handicapped to be quite at the top' of the tree amongst Australian racehorses, was second in demand. There were four other runners, or in all nine of the horses that were nominated. A contemporary gives Cusdin as the rider of Loyalty, but I may remark that Cusdin was on Stepniak. Loyalty does not incur a penalty tor the Melbourne Cup. The victory of Trenton's son, Trenchant, in the A.J.C. Derby must be particularly gratifying to New Zealanders, and to Mr T. Morrin, the Wellington stud master especially, as that gentleman bred Trenton, owns his dam, Frailty, and his full sister Cissy, and has h\s full brother Cuirassier as one of the Sultans of hie stud at the present time. Trenton has already given evidence that he will become a great sire. Delaware, another of his gets, was third. Trenchant ran unplaced as a two-year-old. He is In the V.R.C. Derby and was in the Melbourne Cup with 6st 101b, but his weight will now be raised to 7st 61b.

After the unwelcome intelligence that Melinite had igonela'tne a few days prior to the meeting fe>v 'expected to hear of her starting in the Eosom Handicap, and the mare, who would doubtless have been backed for some money on the day was almost neglected, though a few followers of the " yellow jacket " accepted starting price, thinking that if it was good enough to start her there might be a chance of her pulling through. Melinite is an unfortunate mare, in that she is always In trouble of some kind. She would no doubt have now been at the efcud had she not-slipped her foal to Maxim. Mr Stead will, I believe, put her to the stud this season. The victory of Mr S. H. Gollan'e filly, Bessie Macarthy, in the A.J.C. Oaks, makea the second "ladies* race , won by the New Zealand sportsman since going ia for racing in Australia, Tlraillerie, the half-sister to Bessie M'Carthv, who is by Ingomar, having won the V.R.C. Oaks. Trenton supplied the runner-up in Pearl Powder, who, though a three-year-old, must not be confused with Mr Gollans older mare of that name.

The victory of Ich Dien in the Spring Maiden Stakes was achieved against nine others, and there must have been some merit in the performance for " the trier' could not extend her at the finish. The Trier, as a matter of fact, was second. The stake was worth 200sovs, so that each of the New Zealand owners who bad horses running have scored with the exception of Mr Hungerford.X Launceetoa got sixth in the Metropolitan in a field of twenty-three. An accident pat the favourite, Brockleigbvout of court, and Pharambnd, Salutation and Little Bernie also came to grief. Paris.who is in the same stable as Launceston, was a 30 to 1 chance. In this race Aureus, who is a four-year-old son of Grand Flaneur and Mr Stead s mare Auray, was second. The other events have little interest for Naw Zealandeffc, though Recruit, now about thirteen yearsold, appeared amongst the starters, and was able to lead the field for a greater part of the journey. To summarise the doings of the first two days' racing New Zealand may be sflid to have played a leading part. Mr G. G. Stead owned Splendor and Trenton, the sires of the winners of the Trial Stakes and Derby. be3ldee owning the runner-up

in the llret-mentioned race. Mr Motrin owns Frailty, tho dam of Trenton, and has Cuirassier and Cissy, tho sisters of that horse, now at Wellington Park, and Frailty is by Goldsborough, the sire of Brockleigh, winner of the Handicap, In which Little Bernie. by Cheviot, ran Recood. Then Loyalty is owned by Mr O'Brien, and his sire, St. Goorcco, by Mr Thomson, and his dam by Mr Gal an. StcpnUk, who was second, is by N..mlcnfeldt. who was bred in t.ho colony, out of Steppe, wlO i 3 now in Mr Morrin x stud. AntißUß> winner of the Kensington Handicap, was got by Sir Modrcd. now in America. Mr Stead own* Auray, tho dam of Aureus, who was third in th*t cvonf., and second in the Metropolitan Handicap. Mr Gollan owns Bessie Macarthy, winuer of the Oaks, also her dam, aud some more of the progeny of tho same mare, while Mr P. Campbell, of Chmtchurch, imported aud owned Ingoru&r, tno sire of tho fllly. Ich Dien, winner of tho Spring Maiden Stakes, is by St. George, who, before mentioned, is owned in Canterbury, from Ravenswinc, who ia a full sitter to Fair Nell, the dam of Loyalty. Colo*sue, who was third in this race, is by Welcome Jack.