SAFCTATOR'S NOTE BOOK.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 8271, 23 November 1895, Page 4

SAFCTATOR'S NOTE BOOK.

It is a golden rule, not always closely observed, to follow horses that have been showing public form rather than those that have been held in reserve. Horses that were raced out more or less frequently and recently, before the C..T.C. Metropolitan Meeting, showed up the best in the actual contests.

I am informed that in one of the four cities of New Zealand in which a good deal of betting goes on at totalisator odds a bookmaker scooped in £600 during the carnival week in Christchurch by laying the odds. As the favourites went down badly the bookmaker went up. Altogether the bookmakers have had a good time. Most of the Auckland pencillers had. a complete " skinner " over Euroclydon. Quiltiri at times is slightly inclined to show string-halt. Kapua, who springs from the same fountain head, is decidedly affected that way at times. Liberator has been more or less troubled with the same nerve affection for a long time. People used to wonder how Ladybird, the winner of the Champion Stakes, New Zealand, managed to gallop so well when she exhibited string-halt so markedly when walking and when not more than half extended. Mrll. O'Connell, late of the Commercial Hotel, Hawera, has removed to Palmerston North, having taken over the Club Hotel there. Mr O'Connell was an active participator in sporting matter. 1 ? in the Hawera district, and is not likely to be any the less enthusiastic in the district in which he now resides. In reference to a statement in a contemporary re Te Whetumarama and what he was sold for, I may say that -the horse was purchased by mc on account of the late Mr W. F. Neilson from Messrs Stent and W. H. Gibson and went immediately into the hands of Mr D. O'Brien. The price was £325. Te Wlietu, as he was called for short, was bred by Mr W. Gibson and sold to Mr J. Stevens, of Rangitikei, for a small sum, and in quick succession passed through other hands, Messrs T. V. Brown, B. M'Caul, A. Nathan and Messrs Stent and Gibson each racing him in turn. In consequence of leg troubles Mannlicher has been thrown out of work," and it may be some considerable time before he races again. It will be a pity should the son of Maxim and Sapphire be prevented from seeing the post again, for we have not seen the best of him lam sure. Remembering that he was not foaled till November 19th, Mr Stead must have thought very highly of him to send him to Australia for the A.J.C. Derby. Most of the best three-year-olds we have had in this colony were early foals. Two or three months makes a considerable difference to horses intended for early racing, and Mannlicher has been racing at a disadvantage, but all the same Was a more matured appearance than some of his compeers. Mr Stead, I believe, will send some of his horses to Auckland for the Summer Meeting.

There is much satisfaction amongst those move immediately concerned,viz.,the trainers and jockeys, at the decision arrived at at the recent Conference, that the fees derived from jockeys' and trainers' licenses, and fines, —which now belong to the Trainers' and Jockeys' Provident Fund—" be earmarked and specially invested by the Metropolitan Clubs in the namee of tiuistees." This, it is hoped, is but a preliminary step. A large sum in the aggregate has accumulated amongst the clubs, or at least so many of the clubs as have not used the money for other purposes, and now that it is necessary that all clnbs must deal with the money in one way, the fund will grow rapidly. The question naturally arises : How is the fund to be administered ? Since the introduction of starting machines and capable starters, fines have been less frequent than formerly, but the object of licensing trainers and jockeys was not only for the purpose of bringing them under proper control but to keep the- fund going. The fees are, as it were, compulsory insurance premiums, and all who contribute thereto should know that, under certain conditions, they will be entitled to benefits. The question as to how the money is to be dealt with is a large one, but unless there are heavier calls on the Funds than there have been in the past, I should say it will not be necessary to charge jockeys and trainers so much as they have to pay now for licenses.

If there had been no time taken for the Canterbury Cup so much would not be made of Lady Zetland's achievement in running second to Euroclydon. The game little daughter of Perkin Warbeck 11. and Forget-me-Not is not a Merganser or a Lurline, though, with fiuroclydon out of the way, her time would have had to go up, and as she certainly finished within a second of the winner it is doubtful whether one of her sex has such a time performance over this particular distance to refer to. I have no records which show it. lam informed that M. Hobbs, the trainer of Prime Warden, expected that horse to beat all previous records for the race, and it is just possible that he would have done so had he been ridddh out, but, as I have always maintained, Prime Warden was never good enough when at his best to cope, at weight-for-age, with a clinking gqpd three-year-old over so long a course. Even allowing that Enroclydon established a world's record for the distance, if I were asked to .«iy which of his two performances was the better one, I should say his New Zealand Cup by all means, for in that race-he had to fight his way through a field of horses, and he beat them all in the last half mile. Half a mile from home Kingan had to ride him hard to keep with his field, but he responded gamely, and three furlongs from home Kingan became confident that the son of Gorton would win.

An American paper refers to what it terms the " vexed and ugly question of racing horses short of work, a practice that one sees in vogue almost .every racing day of the year, but against which there is no rule or turf law." It then asks the question: " When you come to think of it, is there so very much difference in pulling a horse to lose, and racing a horse when he is ' short' and in no condition to win ? " This certainly is a wide question, but there is a difference. Horses short of work are raced with every intention of winning, and do win at times, and no owner can guarantee that his horse is perfectly fit. Experience goes to show that many horses are raced into form, and Carbine was an example. He was a much better horse after he had had a fevr races out of him. Some surprises resulted I see on the first day of the Wellington races. Waingongora, the winner of the Grand Stand Handicap, is a daughter of Torpedo and Cascade, who ran well last autumn in minor events. The Miser, fresh from the hack ranks, and who won at Otaki on the 12th inst., is a son of Puriri and that good mare Germaine. How often by running second—just getting beaten —he disappointed his connections last year ! He has made amends now. Then Leda, like Chaos, has improved since being trained by her owner. She is a handsome daughter of Castor and the Musket mare Welcome Katie. Old Couranto has soon repaid his purchaser, Mr V. Harris, whose luck is evidently "dead in " just now. However, that owner received a wire saying that Couranto was very sore and might break down in the race. Mr S. Brown's run of luck with Warrington, who won the Flying Handicap, will be generally well received. Nearly all the "good things"" wired to Christchurch went down. The acceptances and general entries for the Dunedin Jockey Club s Spring Meeting taken as a whole are very fair. Of the seven left in the Spring Handicap Hurdle Race I am disposed to favour Clabekce's chance most. Next to him'l take Osman. Of the Maiden Plate candidate* Kowai is

perhaps as fast as any of them, and bsing a three-year-old is favoured in the matter of weight. His condition, too, i.-» good, but I am afraid he may not stay it out, and as Salvo is more forward in condition than Cole*>ct;k he will pi-obably j«t>vc (he Ijesfc of those tnune.l north of *tic Waituki, and SsAi»vt», though by no means a good one, may prove good enough to cops with the best of the southern lot. Eight- remain in the Otazo Cup- The Ashburton stable, have two left in. Prime Warden and Lady Zetland. Prime Warden always runs, better over a mile and a half course, and as. the s;oiug should suit him ami he may be mvrc forward than he was .-it Riecaiton I shall not be surprised should li« prove the better of the pair. Marino anil Silver fSpec arc in the same stable also. Should the going bo soft, Marino Mill l»e better suited than on hard going, and may run a decent race, but, though the daughter of Artillery did not run well on her last appearance at the Forbury, I think she will do so this time. I am, however, inclined to think that, should Barmby be sent out to do Kattle, he will take most beating of the Canterbury trained lot, and I take Silver Spec as the next best from that quarter. Let them both be well and I feel sure that Gipsy Grand is quite the equal of, if not a better colt, than Kuroclydon, and I fancy that he will win this race. Barmby anil Silver Spec are those I give place preference to over others. The Dunedin Stakes ha 3 six engaged. Bombshell with his penalty has quite enough to do, for he had not much to spare in the Welcome Stakes from Marlin, whom he outstayed. Remembering the family, I am inclined to question whether Marlin will stay before she gets age, and I think that should Bombshell be beaten it will be by St. Oitida, who finishes well and who, if free from soreness, will give a good account of herself. With Dalliance, the C.J.C. Nursery Handicap winner, Tiara, who ran fairly though somewhat green at Riecarton, and Cuirassina, by Cuirassier —Rosarina, engaged, there should be a good race. Rosarina has thrown several smart ones, and her daughter, who has not been seen out yet, may have the gift of going. The Federal Handicap has secured an acceptance of fourteen. Barmby, Euroclydon and Marino are in the Cup. Should Marino start fresh I think his chance •will be better in this race than in the Cup, and next to him Golden Fleece, St. Clements, and Saracen, are to my liking. The race, however, has a very open appearance. The prices of those entered for the Selling Race are not named, so that I do not know what weights they will have to carrj*. Van Buren is likely to be in at a low price, and so is 'Fkexohy, and one or othei - may be worth following. It will require a fair one to beat Irish Girl in the Selling Two-year-old Race, but I should not be surprised should Pitch and Toss and Cuirassina prove her superior. In the St. Kilda Welter, Stockfish, Maremma and Salvo are those I prefer. On the second day Gipsy Grand should beat Euroclydon in the Onslow Plate. The latter has apenalty of lOlbs for -winning the C.J.C. Derby and Canterbury Cup. Bombshell, Marlin and St. Ocida should hold their own with the older horses in theMusselburgh Plate. On the third day the Glasgow Plate should be won by Gipsy Grand ; St. Ouida and Bombshell next best.