SPORTING ITEMS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9155, 12 July 1895, Page 2

SPORTING ITEMS.

" Weekly Press and Referee."

NOTES AND COMMENTS. [By Hotspur.

The acceptances for the Gisborne Park Steeplechase Meeting are not yet in, but t he adjustments seem to have been allotted with care, and I should expect a good number of the entrants to face the music on Thursday next. Should Bombardier have recovered from his Ha/vke's Bay Steeplechase exertion, he seems to mc to have a pull over his opponents in the Hurdle Race; with him absent Disturbance or Pani may account for the prize. Worth is leniently treated in the chief iteeplechase, but perhaps D maid M'Kinnon will be able to bear his goodly impost to the front. Swivel may be worth following in the Winter Oats Handicap, and the light weights read best to mc in the mile flat race; Bull Dog, a N rdenfeldt four year-old, is the one to my fancy. In the Huuters' Flat Engoakuri is as likely as not to score, and The BUhop, who in a mo-t proficient f encar, may not find 13st 7lb too much to win the Hunters' Steeplechase under. The Sydney 'Bulletin says:—"A big effort is to be made by the V.R C. to prevent bogus entries for The nomination by wire of a well-kn iwn performer always brings down the weights of the remaining horses and es'ablishes false market, prices. Lately an owner was fined for not scratching a horse which he had never entered." The A.J.C. is also moving in the same direction, the following notice having been issued in connection with the making of entries at that office:—"l. That their entries must be made on the forms provided by each club, and in all canes the proper paymants made by separate accounts. 2. Th it the secretary of tbe A. J.C. will not hold himself responsible for any errors that may occur in any entry form filled up by an "fficial of the club. 3. That each entry must be accompanied by the specified entry fee, or the secretary will not hold himself responsible for its acceptance." Here the telegraph is, for the most part, depended upon for the making of entries. It would, however, be very desirable if the system tho leading Australian clubs are bringing into vogue were adopted in New Zealand. ...

The Victoria Amateur Turf Club has received 43 entries for its Grand National Steeplechase, and two more than that number for tha Hurdle Rice. Mutiny and Keith's trio are encased iv the crosscountry race, and Couranto, with Keith's three, in the Hurdle Race.

Except the Wellington Park Studmaster, Mr T. Morrin, there is no other Now Z aland nominator for the V.R.C. Maribyrnong Plate, 1595, but Mr O'Brien has his two recently-acquired Abercorns engaged. There are seven young Carbines encaged, half a dozen Trentons, three each by Ei Blade, Escutcheon and Nordenfeldt, and with lesser contributions, the house of Musket i« well represented.

A comparison of the adjustments made for the last Sydney Cup and those for the forthcoming Melbourne Cup is in'erecting, as showing what advance in or retrogression some of the entrants have made in handicappers' estimate. Patron and Havoc were allotted the same impost; in each, but Carnage has been dropped Sib from last autumn, while Brockleigh. The Admiral, and The Possible have been let off 21b, 31b, and lib lighter in the Melbourne Cup. Bessie Macarthy has also a tingle pound less assessment in the Melbourne Cup, but The Harvester has gone up from Sat 121b to 9st 3!b, a reasonable increase for a three-year-old. Devon has lib and Ruenalf 41b less than they were asked to carry at Randwick. Atlas is the one on which the greatest difference is made, for whereas at Sydney 6st 101b was his apportionment, he has 2at more to put up in the Melbourne Cup, and he is one of the best favourites for the race. Bonnie Scotland has 111b, Dreamland 01b, and Chesterman 13ib more in the Melbourne Cup than was assessed them by the A.J.C. handicapper, when they were to ran as a year younger.

As indicated a fortnight back would be the case, the Canterbury Jockey Club has decided to increase the stake offerings at its next Spring Meeting. The latest additions resolved on amount to £180 as follows :—Riccarton Welter, from £120 to £150; Stewards* Handicap, from £250 to £100; Shorts Handicap, from £33 to £50 ; C iterion Handicap, from £150 to £200; Epsom High Weight, from £120 to £150. The conditions for several of the events in the next season's programme have been altered, tbe tendency being to make payments easier for owners.

Having sustained his brilliant character for four seasons, Isinglass will retire to the stud with credentials which very few

of his contemporaries will be able to show, for it is seldom indeed that an English champion has such a long career on the *-«rf as has been that of the son of Isonomy. Cirbine and Isinglass will indeed, of all the fashionable sires in the Old Country, be alone able to show perfo'-minces extending over a long period. W ■ are not informed whether Isinglass fulfilled his second Ascot engagement, but if he did he was also 9ure to win, and I think it is safe to say he has only been beaten once.

Fi-w, on analysing the credentials of the contestants that wenn ont. for the Hnwke's Biy Steeplechase, will dispute the assertion that it compri»ed the bast field of horses that has ever competed for a crosscountry prizs in the colony. The hero ot the struggle, like "good wine, needs no bush "; nor does Libsrator. What better pair in the past could be pointed to? The giant Roscius has proven himself as a cut above the ordinary; and one seldom comes across a II • c cub for the big jumping game than Tiritea—well bred he is, with any amount of power, a thorough stayer and, now that ha has taken to going straight, hard to beat in any company. Mutiny is e»tima'-pd at but 71b from the top weight in the V.R.C. Grand National; this may be considered a. flattering impost, still I am satisfied there is no better of his inches in the colonies than the courageous little chestnut. As jumpbig is the great essential in a jumper, B imbardier cannot be classed with those mentioned, yet, to paraphrase Go 'don's lines, "He cares not for rap*, and goe3 till he drops," so that if he is long at gaining; proficiency, should he get out of the habit of crashing into the fences, the upstanding son of Brigadier would be more than useful. Of those remaining to make up the field of fourteen Booties is a good second-classer, and Kapua has done sufficient over hurdles to indicate that he has only to acquire cleverness and the facility to surmount the mixed obstacles to shine between tbe flags

The fact that only four finished in the Hawke's Bay S eeplechise might be construed by some to inability on the part of the majority. That reasoning, however, does not hold. The failures included some of the safest of conveyances, and in point of reality the three that followed Norton home would at the outset have been regarded as much mor*» unlikely to get the course than any of the heavy diri*ion. To the going, which was heavy and treacherous, with the strong pace set, the falling may be Attributed. Liberator, the top weight and favourite, was not of those that was brought to griot by the nature of the course, ami it is the opinion of many that witnessed the race that, but for the unfortunate accident that necessitated hi- being pulled up, he would have pressed Norton very hard for supremacy—if he had not actually beaten him. Whether that be so or not Liberator, by his bold display, added another wreath to his crown of laurels, and it may well be said that when he cleared the double covered with blood he was also covered with -glory. The bursting of a . blood vessel may-be a trivial affair ; let us hope it is in Liberator's case, and when it is borne in mind the horse continued on his journey after the mishap with seemingly undiminished power, the conclusion is that the affair is not at all serious. It may, however, be thought judicio <8 to ease up Liberator for a bit to allow him to gather fresh strength. That would appear to be the wise procedure.

Norton's victory at Hastings marked his first success over a country away from Riccarton. It has to be observed, however, that he has not started on many occasions, and from being a bad traveller he was never at his best when he did enter the lists in the gathering* in the North Island. lam referring to the time the horse was the property of M> Rutherford, for I understand that, now the big chestnut havinggot quite used to flitting about from place to place, he is as coatented away frost as he is at home. My opinion of Norton has always been that as a weight carrier over formidable country he challenges comparison with any performer we have had. It is, indeed, a pleasure to congratulate Mr Gollan on hi* association with his horse on his latest achievement. The result of the last Grand National would, I am quite convinced, have been the samo that it was had Mr Gollan steered Norton; and far from his riding a bad race in Auckland I thought at the time, and still hold to tho opinion, that no horsemanship could have brought Norton home iv front of Liberator ia the Great Northern Steeplechase. The chances were all against Liberator registering the perfortnauce he did; but had he made any mistake lam pretty sure Norton would have been od the premises. Mr Gollan, to my idea, rode a judicious race at Ellertdie in not showing the way to the unknown quantities.

The subjoined cable shows what differ ences the Victorian bandicappers and the

C.J.C. weight adjuster have made on performers engaged in the spring Cups :— Melb. N.Z. Cuilfi'd. Cup Cuo. Cup. 2milss. 2 miles, limil-a. S. Hdoo .. 910 .. 9 8 „ 9 9 'I h« Hos«iMe .. 813 .. 810 » Sll HesbiH viacirthy 811 .. Sl2 _ 9 1 Pounamu .. 87 ». 8 4 .. 85 Bonnie Scotland 8 7 .. 8 3 .. 8 4 S.pio-h .. 8 2 .. 8 3 .. 8 1 t£oy-lßoao .. — .. 8 0 .. 8 1 Odculator .. 610 .. 612 .. — There is very little difference between tbem; tbe V.R.C. official declares The Possible as the best of Mr Gollan'a lot, whereas the N.Z. handicapper estimates the mare as the better horse, placing her at 101b from St. Hippo, while in the Melbourne Cup she is in receipt of 131b. Thia is the greatest discrepancy between the Melbourne and New Zealand Cup handi cappers' treatment of the horses both have to deal with. The telegraphed account describes tb.3 Napier Steeplechase yesterday as having been a splendid struggle, and from the fine lot of competitors it can well be understood to have been such; the more especially as, unlike Norton's race, the event was free from accident of any kind. Apart from the fact tha' Liberator wouil, of necessity, after the bursting of a blood vessel, be hardly so fit tor the contest as could be liked, the holding naturo of the ground was against him; these considerations being taking into account, it is no surprise that he failed to make the required concessions ,to such good animals as Tiritea and Mutiny. The winner is a bit better than I gave him credit.for, to be able to defeat Mutiny, but the weight in the heavy ground would tell more on the latter than on his big adversary.