TUFTS OF TURF.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9014, 29 January 1895, Page 3

TUFTS OF TURF.

* *» Weekly Press and Referee." By the Editorial .Scissors* In an interesting article on jcckeyauii the London Sportsman says:—Jockeys are like the horses they ride. They are either stayers or sprinters. A combination ot these qualities falls to the lot of a few only, • and in each family we can count ths members upon the fingers of two hands. Fred Archer once said that Fordham and John Osborne could both teach him a lot In a two mile race; " but" he added, " I don't fear either of them on shorter courses, and that's where most of the moneyis to be made nowadays." Mo doubt; poor Fred was right, but though Derbies, Legers, and every other class of race fell to his lot he was "daddy" only at the short course game, and not mousvrch ot all he surveyed when it came to a long-distance trial in which contemporary veterans opposed | him in whom the art ot patience was more | fully developed.

Mr D. O'Brien's luck in Australia (says "Terlinga" in the Attatralasian of January -sth) is as bad now as it was good ia the days when he obtained such splendid pieces for Carbine, Trenton, Gatling, Town f_oor, and Duukeld. * That defeat of -ioyalty by Patron as a three-year-old meant a lot to Mr O'Brien. If Loyalty had not started and been beaten he would> have been sold for between three and tour * thousand guineason the following-Monday, and hd has not earned a thousand pounds since. As long as he keeps sound there is a chance of Loyalty winning a good handicap over a mile, but, like Carnage, he has undergone a retrogression, in the course of a year; Breeders must wish to see the luck of such a good buyer change tor tho better, and I, tor one, shall rejoice when the New Zealander starts winning races.

Ou the subject of tipsters, "G. &.'*. writes as follows to "Rapier":-—I have heard a good story from Newmarket which, will amuse you, as I know you aro always Interested in the tricks Of tbja tipping fraternity. Of course you are aware'thatat Newmarket tipsters of every class abound, and they aeenifto numerous. The small, Ifrnnrano punters believe that uuy one who lives at that famed racing town must know "all the 'good things,' aud the tipsters ingeniously play upon that immense delusion.' Their favourite dodge is to proclaim either that they were once in the stables and were obliged to relinquish the position through increasing weight, or that they are actually employed as stable lads, -ridiug in the gallops and trials. In the latter event they urge upon their clients absolute secrecy, stating that if their employers knew that they were sending 'Information' away they would be immediately discharged. . A short time' auto a punter In a northern town received a circular from Newmarket signed by two persons, who alleged that they were In the employment of a . well-known trainer (whom they named), that they rode in his trial, and that, consequently, they were able to supply * information' of inestimable value. Written on the circular was tbe name of a horse trained in this stable which they said was 'good' for a forthcoming big handicap, and, making no charge, for this intelligence,, they desired to be 'put on the odds' to 2s V | The punter was a somewhat guileless Individual, and he had a few sovereigns on the horse indicated at a nice price, and —to make the story more wonderful—it won. Then, In his great Innocence, he thought he had luckily discovered a mean* of obtaining information by which he could enrich himself, and be sent his Up. Btiers a handsome present. That was all right and proper; for a punter of a sweet and generous disposition, when he has backed a winner, feels an impulse to distribute some portion of his wealth j but, alas! this punter did more. The idea dawned upon his mind that It was expedient for him to rundown to Nowmarket and personally ratify- « connection which had been so ausplclouly begun. He did <so without heralding his approach, eager to make acquaintance wRh the two budding-Archers who had sent him such a good tip, and who *xod» In al the trials,' &c. He visited the address named, and found that one of those distinguished jockeys was a man with a wooden leg weighing about 17at, and the other wis an equally massivejiavyt jwrt'of person who'mltrht be trusted,. perhaps 1 when sober to ride an elepnanfcl Thmarfi our cherished illusions shattered one by one as we near the Inevitable goal. But I think it was'too bad ot -the man with the wooden leg, don't you I"

Two thqusand eight hundred and .sixty., seven (2867) is the exact number of UngUsli, racehorses that hare been stripped to ran daring the past season',; says a London" writer on December sth. Of these twelve * hundred and fifty-five (1255) were two-year* k - olds, against six hundred and eight (608) -' running in "Thormanby'e year.". Blair Athol, Gladiateur,. Galopln, Kfsker, Ormonde, and Isinglass I take as the only., really high type of Derby -winner we hay* * had during the thirty-four yean einea 1860. Going slightly beyond that year, w« had The Flying Dutchman, Voltigeur, Teddlngton. West Australian, Wild D&yrell, and Blink Bonny, at least ac good a half dozefir almost in successive years, and at any rate in a'fourth of the time. In The Flying Datcbman'&year, two hundred and sixty- , feur {28i) ran only. Less than a,thousand.foals were.bred to ova present three thousand, and the fees o£ < the best sires—there were then 170 to some 409 now—were a sixth of what they and now,. - . -',;'',*.- The st4ble clothing ofc» horse should h bear distinct relation to the eoiswt eeaaon ol the year, whatever that seaiott' may be (saya an authority In Uife 24«e Stock Pe»hapß,aearnle,modern, grooms clothe the animals wdejr $h»l& care too heavily in summer rather thaa too lightly in winter. Summer. eloUilnjt should be of the lightest character, just sufficient to keep fiiee off and dtutifrom "accumulating in. the coat. In wiater, oa the other hand, the clothing should be such as to keep the horse comfortably warm without excessive "coddling." A superabundance of clothing is likely ley lead, to colds, due to sudden' change of temperature when the animal to »teil#fd7 and brought Into the open outer phere, especially if the work heha« Iβ perform be Insufficient to maintain tt» normal heat, of the body*. . , ',