SPORTING ITEMS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9363, 12 March 1896, Page 2

SPORTING ITEMS.

41 Weekly Press and Referee." ROUND THE WORLD. Port sea's brother Kirk by has broken down; Hanover- head« the winning sires in the United States this .season. A TattcrsaH's Club has been formed at Newcastle with a membership of 85. John A. Goldsmith, who was one of the best reiriFrnen in America, died in New York on December loth. Cascade, a horse imported from Australia, kroke ids leg when taking part in a hurdle race at San Francisco and was shot. Elton, a son of the Sir Modred horse Sweet William, won the Cootamundra Cup and Town Plate on February 12th and 15th. The Victorian cross-country rider, Douglas, was on the winners of the sis' jumping events at the recent Launceston and Hobart meetings. The crack two-year-old of the Pacific Slope is Mr W. 08. Macdonoug'n's (owner of Ormonde) Santa Belle, by the English sire St Serf.

The Melbourne tipster who operated under the name of " Dan O'Brien " has been convicted of being an arch swindler, and is now doing time at Fentridge. Martindale, by Martini-Henry, sent home by the lato Hon. J. White to run for the Epsom Derby, it appears is now in Ceylon, where he recently broke down badly. News has been received from India stating that Fortunatus succeeded in winning the Metropolitan, a mile race, in which he badly beat the English horse Sprightly. He also won the Merchants' Plate. The San Francisco Breeder and Horseman Bays : —The wonderful showing of Australian horses in this country should act as an incentive to breeders in using stallions bred in that country. At a sale "of Rancho del Paso, San Francisco, yearlings on December 20th, a colt by Sir Modred realised 170gs, and a filly 155gs ; a filly by Darebin 55gs, and a like figure was given for a Maxim filly. Pilot Boy, who cantered away with the Frst Hurdle Race at the V.A.T.C. meeting under 12sb 21b, was handicapped at 13st 71b for the second day's event, but Mr Oxenham declined the engagement. The first of the stock of the imported horse Far Niente (by Galliard) to win in New South Wales came to the front at Kensington a couple of weeks ago. The dam of the performer in question Reve dOr, was by Trenton. Miss Anthony, a candidate for Grand National honours, came down in a steeplechase at Plumpton on January 18th, meeting with injuries that will likely preclude her being seen out again this season. Mr T. J. Widger, Wild Alan from Borneo's pilot, who was riding, got a nasty shaking. A Sydney paper says:—Racing in West Australia seems to be going ahead. Mr J. H. Smith, the secretary of the West Australian Turf Club, said recently that about £15,000 was put through the totalisator at the club's principal fixture, and the club made a profit of £2000, the Adelaide plan of issuing £1 and ilOs tickets being adopted. At the Anniversary only £3000 was put through, but this was a one-day meeting. The Australasian says :—Several cases of " ringing in " were spoken of in connection with the Christmas and New Year's holiday meetings in the country. An alleged case of the kind was before the V.R.C. committee on Monday, when the Yarra Glen stewards asked the committee to endorse the dis?ualification for life inflicted by them on W. ngeverson (owner), W. 11. Lowan (trainer), and the bay gelding Eltham, late Exile, late The Clown. The disqualification was duly endorsed. Says a contributor of Man of the World of January 22nd:—Ladas, it is understood, will cover ten mares of Lord Rosebery's this season, and hiß public subscription will be limited to fifteen at 200gs each. His first year's earnings, therefore, will amount to the very respectable sum of 5000gs. This is almost to a shilling what Lord Rosebery himself earned for twelve months' work as Prime Minister of England. Ido not think, as some do, that twenty-five mares are too many for so young a sire. Ladaa is five years old, and next year he will be equal to forty mares. Nearly all the sons of Hampton do well at the stud, and two of the successes of last season wore Sheen and Royal and one of the pair may be at the hqacl of the list next year. Ladas will make a beautiful sire.

The Australasian says :—Some Caulfield trainers have again resorted to the oldfashioned plan of galloping before daylight. Sooner or later the practices will result in a serious accident, and then the V.A.T.C. may prevent the possibility of moonlight gallops by adopting the A.J.C. plan of not opening the tracks until after daylight. When a man has a dickey-legged favourite whose weakness he wants to keep secret then there is some sense in galloping in the dark, but it generally happens that in these moonlight trials—done for the sake of secrecy—the trainer deceives himself as well as the touts. The touts at Caulfield must be an unusually observant lot of men judging by the dodges trainers resort to in their endeavours to hoodwink them. But after all I expect the touts always get the strength of any gallop of importance in time to back it if they want to.