NOTES AND COMMENTS

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9604, 19 December 1896, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

£Br Hotspur.]

It was, of course, ordained that, with the large influx of population into Western Australia, there would be a boom in sport, for, however fascinating the search after golden riches may be, the average colonial will not be satisfied with such recreation alone. He must have some racing, and with the introduction of some high-class performers and many that are not specially gifted, the West Australian Turf Club is launching out, and good prizes will be distributed at its gathering, which takes place on the opening day of the New Year. The Perth Cup, two miles, is endowed to the extent of £600. No fewer than fifty-three nominations were taken therefor, quite a number of familiar names appearing in the list. With Havoc included, ha has been placed in the post of honour with lOst, being followed by The Merry Boy and StraightSre, who made such a good fight with Cremorne in the Caidfield Cap, at a difference of 81b. It is improbable-that any of the three will take part, inasmuch as the Australian Cup winner, if he is going to stand a preparation, would hardly be subjected to the test at this time of year, and the negotiations for the purchase of the other .two have fallen through. The Newmarket victress, Laundress, too, will not likely be among the runners, but the Queensland horse Newbold, similarly weighed at 9st 51b, is already on the scene, and Trentham, 9st lib, has been sold by Mr Wilson specially for service at the Perth meeting. Le Vex, Bst 151b, is

regarded as possessing a chance second to none, and Destiny, with four pounds less, is likewise highly esteemed. The St. Albans colt Cydnus is set to carry Bst 101b. ...- In the A. J.C. Summer Cup, to bejrun on the 28th inst, Response was awarded-« 3lb, being placed next in order of weight to T-ne 3_lu_; __t, 101b. * Mr O'Brien did not appreciate the compliment paid his mare, and she was scratched as soon as the handicap was made known. Following Response were Newman, Brockleigh and Rackarocr, each 9st, tha last named being promptly withdrawn. The Merry Boy was given Bst 31b, and Tire very highly estimated at _io less, being asked to concede a couple of ponnds to the Metropolitan winner, Projectile. Sabretache, Sortie and Cartridge are each on the 7st 21b mark. I_ojec-ile did not run at all last season and may be past training, but it struck mc at once on reading the handicap how nicely he was placed, and turning to the awards made for Tattersall's Club Cup, to be decided the same week, I found a vast difference in the treatment of one, who as a four-year-old was a really good performer, and who, it he runs, may show a return to form, like Cremorne. The distance for the Summer Cup being a couple of furlongs shorter than Tattersall's Cup would be a better course for Projectile, yet for the two miles journey he is near the top oE the list with Bst 71b, Tire having 7st 41b. It is not only as wards these two, however, that there is a marked difference in the adjustments, for in Tattersall's Cup Brockleigh is tep. weight and Response is in receipt of 81b instead of, as in the A. J.C. race, conceding something. Sabretache has 7st 31b and Sortie 6st 71b. True Blue was not engaged in the Villiers Stakes, the short distance event at the A.J.C. Meeting, yet is in the Carrington Stakes, run at Randwick under the auspices of Tattersall's Club a week later. He is right out by himself, too, in the handicap, from his lOst there being a drop of a stone to Steward, who, with 9st 51b, is in pride of place in the Villiers. At all distances then it would appear that the son of Hotchkiss is regarded as the champion of New South Wales, for it is questionable had Hopscotch been entered whether he would have been asked to concede tbe Epsom Handicap winner more than that allowed by True Blue. In the Villiers Wakawatea has Bst 121b, being let off with slb less in the Carrington. As a four-year-old Mr Hungerford's gelding got third in the latter race with Bst 61b. I should question his doing as well this time with the lib, more even though the opposition be not as formidable, for I rather fancy Wakawatea wants a lot of racing to fit him for a big task. Cartridge has 7st 51b in the first event and 7st 61b in the second, while Sortie has 7st 6lb and 7st 21b respectively. There were fourteen acceptances for the A. J.C. December Stakes, the two-year-old toberacedecidedonßoxingDay. Mr O'Brien's Patriot stands out as the best performer of those engaged, and he would appear to have in Fleet Admiral, who ran well forward at Fiemington, and Burleigh, who attended him home on his last success, his most dangerous opponents. Mecca, by Abercorn —Moonstone (dam of Malachite) reads well in breeding lines, and so does War God, who is by Carbine from The Drummer mare Hera. The December Stakes is run over five furlongs. The goodly number of thirty-two remain in the D.J.C. First Eclipse Stakes after the declaration of the third forfeit on the sth inst., a dozen only dropping out en that date. It would be much more satisfactory, however, could it be imagined that the whole fleet stood their ground from the intention of owners to compete. But lam constrained •to think more than one nominator has become liable for the full subscription through inadvertence. The late Mr H. Horsford's nomination has, it is patent, only remained in through some oversight; so too, there is little doubt, has Happy Dream, and I do not suppose Mr Sherwin had any intention of keeping alive the engagement for his whole team. There are others in the same case. Mr Stead, who paid forfeit for throe, has still four left in. The fact that Blue., Fire constitutes one of these, favours the idea that the bright particular star of a couple of seasons back is going.to stand a preparation. Another of the Yaldhurst quartette, Musketry, has also been on the Bholf for some time, and failing. Blue Fire would be a capital representative of the older division. The crack of this season's two-year-olds, however, it is that stands out as the most reliable of the Canterbury sportsman's little lot. Gipsy Grand has been kept in, which may indicate that he gives signs of standing. St. Paul and Armilla, also engaged, are representative of our best three-year-olds. Wakawatea's name still remains, but it does not look like as if he would be a runner. The Tapahui Racing Club would, I ween, be studying its own and the best interests of sport if, instead of drawing the programme out over two days it was a single afternoon's sport. This is the advice I tender to lall clubs who have a limited sum to offer in stake money. The £300 odd that it is proposed to distribute at Tapanui on January 28th and 29th wfiuld cut up into quite a number of items of an attractive character if given on one . day, but tbe stakes must necessarily be pal try when the sum stated has to be divided into sixteen parts. There can be no question it is good stakes that draw good performers, and it is the competition between such that makes the attendance, for it is a well ascertained fact that folks would rather witness a single stirring contest than a whole succession of one-sided events. The programme for the Horarata Meeting appears in the Calendar, and is set down for the twelfth day in the New Year. Except that the trotting events are each, increased iii value, and that the W e lt er Handicap has wisely been made an open event, the items are the same as last season. A good deal of the support to the Hororata gathering comes from Ashburton, and I trust the train arrangements will this time be such that visitors from that quarter will be considered. As it was last time, the Ashburton train just missed fitting in with the race train at Rolleston by five minutes. I have no doubt the indefatigable engineer of the gathering will endeavour, at all events, to get the matter properly arranged. Things are very quiet about Riccarton just now, there being fewer horses in work than for a long time past. And with Lady Zetland retired and Saracen temporarily indisposed there is some truth in the assertion made by a leading trainer that,' among the lot that are now daily exercised, there is not what can be designated a first-class performer. A morning on the tracks therefori. isnptvery engrossing, though to be sure it is far from uninteresting. The Racecourse hotel team is, of course, very weakened by' the loss of the two stars specially mentioned, but M. Hobbs still commands the strongest string. 'The morning I was up they were only doing easy work, but I was much struck with the two-year-old, Bloomer, who has grown greatly since I last saw her and she is going to be a big raking mare. A good gallop hy Marino, who beat in turn Rustic and Diploma, was one of the features of the work. Derritt has the Roman-nosed son of Nelson looking in fine buckle ; he has lost almost entirely the scratchy action in his slow paces which used to mark him, and I have not much doubt he will do good service this season. He is now in his best year. The unnamed Adulation filly in the same stable had a spurt up over a couple of furlongs. She was an influenza patient at the time of the C.J.C. meeting, but has now thrown off the ailment. A neat mover she is, and smart, too. Pactolus and Salvo Shot galloped a fast mile, there being nothing between the pair. I prefer the younger brother, whom I take to be a hardier customer than Salvo Shot. The two-year-old Maybud skips along very prettily, but does not cover much ground at a stride. The earliest workers of all were Quiltiri and Belligerent, and they ran together a fast mile. The latter ia not yet thoroughly seasoned, but will, or I am mistaken, make quite a useful handicap performer. He is a lot like his full brother Artilleur. Quiltiri is going in fine style. Cutts has only Montecute and a couple of two-year-olds in active work, and is not troubling to beat records in the early rising line. Barmby is in easy pace work, and so is his two-year-old full sister Miniature, but I was sorry to learn that the owner of the two has had, temporarily let ns hope, to stop working Bisley. The Middleton contingent consist of Skirmisher, Wedlock and three two-year-olds. Vulcan; the giant of the youugsters, is shaping up and will make an imposing looking' three-year-old—and I have great hopes of him. It is peculiar to find not a single jumper in Lunh's lot. Barnardo is being indulged in a spell, which is to be a lengthy one; he is taking his rest in the Middleton paddocks. The Ma.ham stable has but few occupants at present. One

of these is War Dance. I saw the old fellow stretching himself out over a round, and he is very free from soreness. The adjoining boxes to the Masham ones, Stewart's, are tenantless, and so is I Free Holmes's stable, both these crosscountry horsemen having gone for Christmas to the West Coast with their whole avail- I able force. It is wonderful how Vogengang ! keeps going with such a leg as he is the . possessor of; he does not, however, seem J to get any the worse, and I trust, for his owner's sake, he will stand long enough to win another stake or two. Tofa, by. Artillery—Farewell, is in work again. The sale at a hack price—assuming the 40gs as cabled, to be oorrect—of Carbonado, tbe stallion by Hotchkiss from Onyx, senhome by the New South Wales studmaster, Mr S. Hordern, may have been cabled from London as a warning to rash colonists j intent on placing their blood-stook on the ! English market. But whether such was the case or not, the intimation ef Carbonado's disposal at the absurdly low • price stated, will probably have the effect of squelching any idea of sending further instalments of Musket stock to the land from whence came the original progenitor of the famous line. And really there is hardly need to say it has been quite evident that the export trade in stallions from the colonies to England was being overdone. ; England is the real home of the thoroughbred, and if, maybe, some j particular line of blood may have become decimated and could be strengthened by im- I portations from without, the studs do not want to be flooded with even the best stock that we can supply. But if a halt will have to be called in the exportof stud horses' to England, there seems to mc ample room for, and a fair wospect of some first-class colonial performers doing well on the turf of'the old land. The good deeds of Paris and the large measure of success that has attended the operations of the American contingent this season, speak somewhat eloquently of what might be achieved by such as Euroolydon, Lady Zetland, St. Paul or Multiform. The American horses were not by any mean., a wonderful lot, and estimated through Paris our best must be very considerably in advance of them. The prices realised for one of thei stables of Americans, quoted in last week's issue, may, it can be supposed, be taken as a guide of what is thought of them. And it must be borne in mind that they were sold just at the tail end of the season after haying gone through a lot of racing. Mack 'B'riggs and Wishart, three-year-old-geldings, brought 2200gs and 2000gs respectively and a two- ! year-old gelding 1200gs, while for a mare six years old, and who is practically done : for racing, over IOOOgs-was given. Judging by this there are great possibilities for the colonial racehorse in England. Of late years the race for the Auckland Cup has been prolific of surprises, and there j is ample room for such in the forthcoming event, seeing that after two: or three have been named no favour is being shown the rest. Probably before the day the position accorded St. 7Paul and Mahaki may be assailed, but just.at present, when/any discussion takes place on the event one or other is named as the probable winner. So handsomely has St. Paul comported himself this season that ifc is am_.ll wonder he is greatly fancied. He is certainly well burdened with weight, but the outlook ia that the field will be much weaker than usual, forcing the. conclusion that bis chance of scoring looks particularly bright. While this is so St. Paul would have to be fetter than Itake him for to give weight and a beating to Mahaki, who I would take to win could he be brought pinkto the .post. That is, however, a consumation one could hardly calculate on. It requires a sound horse to stand a thorough preparation for an Auckland Cup, for the. Ellerslie tracka and course are of adamantine /character at this season of the year. Mahaki, as is known, does not meet the standard as regards soundness, and the fact that'swimming has been resorted to n his case portends that if he has. not suffered from the effects of the hard ground, .there*.. a fear ion that head. Still if he gets to the/pOTt I think Mahaki may be depended upon t^,Mye/the best a race. Fabulist is dnbl_ia_a-i-unlikely starter. On his 0. J.C. -form he, would not be dangerous. His Riccarton displays, however, must be quite dis ._ regarded, for he manifestly ran much below i his The infirmities of Day Star are not the sort to pass away with work soch as to fit* him for a Cup contest. The glamour of Lotion's Hawke's Bay performances are now dimmed and Mahaki must hold him quite safe. Epaulet not being able to stretch Euroolydon when in receipt of over two stones, does hot make his chance look one that is to be highly regarded. Pegasus claims notice from the fact that he is a former winner 6f the prize. But on this score Anita is entitled to much more respect; at the same timo she is not going over well in her work, and if she has a tempting weight she must needs be herself to have any prospect of being again enrolled as winner. Mantle is the most fancied of the light weights. I am inclined to think the betting market this time foreshadows somewhat accurately the result, and that the final issue.will be between St. Paul and Mahaki.

The Takapuna Jockey Club is making a

new departure this season in that its summer meeting will extend over three days. The dates selected aro January 29th and 30th and February 6th. The programme appears in the Calendar this week, and it will be found that a very attractive bill of fare has been prepared. Altogether the sum of £1465 is set down for distribution, the Cup being decided on the first day, it being endowed as heretofore to the extent of £200.