NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9365, 14 March 1896, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

By Hotspur. It is in consequence of his early departure for England that Mr Boyle has resigned the position of starter for tho Canterbury Jockey Club. Mr Boyle's friends in the sporting v.orld are legion, and all Avill Avjnh lu'in a pleasant sojourn in the Old Country. The post held by Mr Boyle has fallen to good hands in Mr R. Pipar, who .may be confidently expected to give the' utmost satisfaction. The contract let for the erection of the members' stand at Ricearton stipulates that the work be commenced iinnif.dlately after the Easter mooting, and that it be finished and ready for occupation at Grand National time. As has before been slated, the stand in to occupy the site of the present offices. The ground taken up by the building Avill. of course, be A-cry considerable, and it Avill be necessary to remove tho totalisat-or house to a position further back. The present Press stand is to be placed on top of the scrapinj? siitdn for the use of trainors aud jockey.-. A Avriter in the San Francisco Brzedsr a:nl Sportsman, in shaking inunmeasure.l praise. of the Australian starting machine, say-i that, comparing the manner in which the horse;-, bshavol when behind thi» barrier and Avhon in the hands of a starter in the open, shows that the jockeys are to blame when able to break aAvay. Thus does the paper conclude its comments :—The jockeys' excitement arouses the horses to similar nervousness. Fines are no terror, even " set down " does not frighten into better conduct, the " best of the start : ' is paramount, and so long as an opportunity is presonted there will be an eagerness to get off, irrespective of consequences. With a barrier opposed that opportunity is not offered. Horses, as Avell as riders see that attempts to break aAvay will be futile, and enforced docility takes the place of reckless endeavour. The tin-owing of St. Hippo out of training means I should suppose that he has finally bid adieu to the turf. It were almost a. pity ho Avas not retired altogether when he, perforce, had' to forego his Australian Cup engagement. Since his being put into commission tho second time he has done nothing to disgrace his great reputation gained as a three-yoar-pld, yet on its being found it was long odds against his standing a thorough preparation, the judicious course seemed to be to nlloAV him to leaA-e the racing arena garlanded Avith his great triumphs. As has been said, he has not sullied his fame in the public displays he has made this season; indeed the performances he registered at the Auckland Summer Meeting only Avent to show what a first rater he was, as, obviously, the horse was far from the St. Hippo of old. There is every reason to suppose St. Hippo will make a name at the stud. All the essentials for a successful sire belong to him, his blood is of the best, he has great size, is symmetrically proportioned, has a robust constitution, and a sweeter tempered animal it Avottld be hard to find.

The fact that James Kean was not unwilling to part with Pegasus when he had the Auckland Cup winner in Taranaki, wonld imply that he is not enamoured with his 100g3 bargain. At that figure Pegasus did not appear to be Avell sold, at the same time a racehorse that cannot win races is dear at any price. Kean will have, I fear, to go a long way before he picks up another Lottie. It Avas essentially a turn of luck that gave the Egmont Cup victory to the Auckland trainer by the aid of Yattenfeldt, and, if the circumstance that brought him success was deplorable from the fatality that occurred, the friends of Yattenfskit's owner Avere very pleased to sec that his excursion to Taranaki wai rendered profitable. A Christchurch gentleman who saw Idolator run in the last Australian Cup supported him for the eA-ent last week, pAitting £2 on at starting price. There has been a good deal of speculation in Christchurch over the V.R.C. events. For tho Newmarket Handicap Maluma was more heavily backed than any other, and her victory took a good bit frt»m the bookmakers. Some of the losses, however, Avere recovered oA-er the Cup, for which Wallace, Hova, Lord Richmond, and Dreamland found support. Wallace Avas looked upon as such a good thing for the Leger that it was reckoned his price would be such that he was not worth backing. The discomfiture of the Carbine colt did not, therefore, benefit the ring to any extent.

The resolve of the Canterbury Jockey Club to in future assimilate the totalisator dividends at its meetings has been to meet the request of a large number of investors, many of them owners of horses. When the totalisators were all housed in one building —tho present outside totalisator house—the whole of the investments on each horse were added together, and a like dividend paid to inside and outside investors. A return to that system Avill have the advantage of relieving the strain that is sometimes put on the outside machines from lawn investors, caused by the assumption that a particular fancy will pay more outside. The Two-A-ear-old Handicap, on the second day of the V.A.T.C. Autumn Meeting, fell to Flash, by Enfilade—Frou Frou, after a punishing finish with the Carbine colt Bundook, Avho was conceding 311b. Lochiel'a son, Spindrift, was favourite at 5 -to 2 against, the winner going out at 6 to 1. Flash is half brother to the Champion Stakes winner, Wellington, and his dam was twenty-two years old Avhen he was foaled. The Autumn Cup was an easy thing for Lord Richmond, a brother to the Australian Cup winner Broken Hill, who figured in the betting at 12 to 1. Elswiek avos thought to possesa a good chance, but was early in trouble, and his display was a great" disappointment. At tho meeting of the stewards of the Masterton-Opaki Club on February 29th to discuss tho situation in regard to the refusal of the Metropolitan Club to pass the autumn programme with the sanction of the totalisator, the chief talker would seem to have been the parliamentary representative of the district, a Mr Hogg, who, beinfj one of the deputation that went to Wellington to wo into the matter, was

present by invitation. Mr Hogg knows about as' little as regards racing as about ?.om2 of the subjects he essays to speak on in the Honse. He presumes, however, a knowledge of Avhat the Government's intentions are, if the particular club iv his district is not given whatever it seeks from the Wellington Club, its head. Everybody in Wellington, Mr Hojjg is reported ;u saying, with the exception ot the stewards of the Metropolitan Club believed that the Masterton Club was being disgracefully treated. Even the member for Watrarapa had said that be belieA-ed Masterton av_s being badly dealt with. Unless he {Mr Hogg) Avas not mistaken in the Premier the latter gentleman would stand firm, and the action of tbe Metropolitan Club would rebound upon itself. Members of the Metropolitan Club seemed to resent political interference, and it ay.is a question now Avho hid the upper baud, the Premier of the Colony or tne Metropolitan Club. On the motion that the club's meeting bs postponed until further notice—a motion that was curried—Mr Hogg said he would guarantee if this were done the Masterton mzeting would be the first held in the Wellington proA r ir.ce at AA-hich the totalisator Avould be used. He thought the action of the Metropolitan Clul>3 had been so autocratic that if the matter were again reviewed by Parliament these Clubs would receiA'e very little consideration. An oracle right enough, in his oavii estimation at all eA'ents, is this Mr Hogg. The Calitornian sportsman, Mr Macdonough, is to be commiserated Avith over Ormonde. Not only is there a dat'ly diminishing prospect of his ever getting any return from the fortuna he expended to procure the "horse of the century,"' but he must have sunk more than a trifle in the incidentals of keeping the costly failure. After getting Ormonde to his American home, Mr Macdonough entered into an arrangement that seven of the most fashionably bred Palo Aito mares should be put to the horse, and that as a result of the union the stud supplying the mares should take the filly foals and Mr M.icdonough the colts. There were but tAvo foals, a colt and a filly, and now Avord comes that the one that went to the owner of Ormonde is dead. Mr Macdonough has noAV only a single representative of his horse, a yearling named Orestes, this being the sole one of the age by Ormonde.

Weights for the Amuri Turf Club's Meeting appeared this Aveek. On form I cannot see that ArliUeiir is entitled to concede Aveight to Silver Spec ; indeed, it should be the other Avay about, and I must prefer the filly to the top weight in the Cap. Social Pest I thought Avas the makings of a gond performer, and lie, St. John and Silver Spec read to mc the best in the chief race. The last-named has naturally, in the Aveak field, been awarded the post of honour for the first hurdle race. Should she be asked to take part she should win. In Silver Spec's absenc-j Undesirable Bill might be the best. Foresight must have sadly deteriorated if unable to secure the six furlongs race ; Alcosti3 and the highly-bred NiiA-ana are the ones naxt to tho top Aveight that I like. The Pahau Handicap should ao to one of the Masluuu pair, Fire King or Mona.

It is quite likely, I should think, that there Avill be a good visiting force to the Marlborough Hack Meeting. Lesnder is, to my fancy, the pick in the Hurdle Race. Ssa Serpent, Disraeli, and Bona Fide read well in the Riverlands Handicap, and Hillstone and Bloodstone appear a likely pair in the Welter. For tho Flying Handicap I p!ac3 reliance on Voltaire, Bona Fide, and Vaseline.

The divided honour between Quiver and "Wallace in the Champion Stakes is not the first dead heat that has been Avitusssed OA r er the three miles, such an unusual ending—for a race of this sort —having occurred in 1865, the judge being unable to separate Tarragon and Volunteer. On that occasion, hoAvcver, the dead-heaters ran off, A'icfcory resting with Tarragon. The Champion Stakes Avas established in 1559, and the winners since -Commotion's second year—since Cat Muskets .have ma-la their pre.ssnce felt—are: — Yr. Winner. .; _p _ Jockey, s - _ .=■ _ .5 < r 2 to H 1336 Matchloak .. 5 712 5 Hales .. 5 43i--18'.7 Tr'dsnt .. 3 712 3 Hales .. 5 52i 1833 Aben-orn .. 3 712 3 Hales .. 615 i I_*9 Carbine .'. 3 712 6 O'Brien.. 556 1390 Meios.. ..4904 Harris .. 551 1291 Carbine ..5954 Ramatre.. 6 32J 1832 Ktrathmore .. 3 712 6 MeQowan 653 1833 Gamoola .. 3 712 7 Huxley .. 539 1334 Po:-tseu .. 5 9 5 7 Dawes .. 5 23* 1595 Ths Harveiter 3 712 5 Steven3on. 5.45 i iqc/.l Quiver .. 4 9 0» » Kttridg-e c ? ,, .. 3 7 12/* Holmes.. *>'** That Wallace should have been the favoured candidate on Thursday last was only to be expected after the gallant fight he made in the Australian Cup. It may be put doAvn as the irony of fate that, though the colt Avas successful—Avas at all events not beaten —his backers lost money over him. He ran a great race in no mistake, and when this is said it, of course, implies that Quiver likeAvise covered herself with glory. It being generally alloAved, indeed, that three-year-olds have somewhat of a pull at the scale Aveight, the filly's performance Avill be appraised the most meritorious in many quarters. And the history of the race bears out the contention that the three-year-olds* have an easier task set them than the older competitors. In the earlier contests the race was principally confined to the older division of horses, but since 1867, leaving last Aveek's race out of count, nineteen three-year-olds have prevailed in the twenty-six years. Without, hoAvever, drawing invidious distinctions bet-.vee.n the daughter of Trenton and son of Carbine, both can be extolled as exceptionally brilliant performers, and the race for the championship of 1896 will be long looked | back to as a memorable fight, in Avhieh a world's record for three miles was estab- ] lished. Auraria's display behind the deadheaters Avas disappointing and the filly is evidently out of form. Hova has long enjoyed tbe reputation of being one of the speediest horses in Australia, and of being a good stayer as well. He fully sustained the good character he made for himself last Saturday, when both the Aveight-for-age events fell to him. A year ago he put down Wallace in the All Aged Stakes and this time he again, and in more easy fashion, settled the pretensions of the crack tAA'o-year-old. The son of Ingomar had a harder task with Quiver in the Loch Plate, and in proving her master has added to his fame. With its picturesque surroundings and not situated too far from Christchurch city, it is not. much wonder that the Little River convincing ground has become a popular resort with race goers, and if the gatherings be only judiciously managed the reunion will certainly become one of the most looked forward to in Canterbury. The executive has, I understand, been working for some years past under difficulties, the treasurer not being able to boast of surpluses. Still many of those who journeyed to the last meeting clearly entitled to a passport of admittance were made to pay up, and there was a good deal of grumbling, and naturally so, in consequence. The club should see" to this on future occasions, and noAv that they Avill doubtless be in funds I would adviso them to launch out a bit, and a £100 Cup next season would lie a great draw.

The racing at the meeting on Tuesday was the best ever seen at Little River. Right through the piece exciting finishes were witnessed. A good start was made in the Hurdle Race in which Hero and Mero had a capital set-to. The first-named, Avho Avas favourite, seemed to have all the best of the struggle at the home turn, but Mr Holmes's mare "fighting every inch of the Avay forged slightly ahead at the rails, and kept the advantage to the post. In the race for the chief prize Relliceut gave some little trouble at the post, but eventually the field Avas got aAvay on even terms. The turns seemed to trouble Artilleur and he AA-as a iong Avay astern as the lot raced doAvn the back, Magazine taking command. Mr Campbell's horse AA-as going so Avell with half a mile to go that it looked odds on him ; when, however, Beiliccnt raced up to him he Avas at once apparently in trouble. Mr Stead's filly went A-ery Avide entering the straight and lost some ground ; but she AA-as soon again at Magazine's throat-lash and the pair ran home locked together, the judge being unable to separate them. The honours of the race clearly belonged to Mr Stead's filly. The endiug of the Flying Handicap Avas just as exciting as the Cup, St. John and Fire King crossing the line together. The judge's verdict Avas a nose in favour of tho first named, but many near the box thought that the outsider had prevailed. Artilleur broke down in the race. It was particularly unfortunate for the stable to thus have the "boss" horse knocked out and his companion, Fire King, just miss getting the award which carried with it a substantial return.

For the Sydney Cup, Wallace has been avrarded 2ib less than Carbine received as a tm\?e-year-old. The son, I take it, is AA-eil in, and there is nothing among the heavy Avcight division, except Quiver, that I would as soon stand as he. Challenger is surely badly used in being placed so close to Wallace, Avho also reads well in only bein_ asked to concede 51b to Waterfall. Nada, Fort, and Toreador arc leniently treated, and if the Inst n-uncd is as good as represented, he has an excellent prospect of distinguishing himself.