SPORTING ITEMS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9843, 28 September 1897, Page 3

SPORTING ITEMS.

"Weekly Press and Referee."

OTAGO. DrjNEDrN, September 13. Perfect weather was experienced for the Dunedin Jockey Club's Hunt Club Meeting on Saturday week, and the course was in prime order. The attendance was smaller than usual, many preferring to see the interprovincial football match. Rebel and Roslyn wero the only ones out of eight starters in the Huntera Hurdle Race to carry their handicap weights. All the others being ridden by professionals, 101b extra was carred by each. I mentioned in my final wire to the Press that McGiness's stable could win the Kensington Handicap with whichever it choose, and also that there was a doubt as to which would be sent, Maremma or Lord Rosslyn. At the finish Maremma was taken out, and the other follow won. Ho won easily, being nicely ridden by H. Mcllroy, whose return to formin the saddle is a pleasing thiug to note. But Lord Rosslyn might have had a contract on hand to dispose of Venus had she got away on equal terms. When the tape rose Hipponous whisked round, and not only put himself completely out of the race, but interfered with Venus, the colt's flare-up causing her alarm which took the peculiar form of making her dwell on the mark. The other three got a big start of her—forty or fifty yards. Godfrey rushed her up, however, and she got to a reasonable position as they approaohed tho five furlong post; but she then had to catch and tackle Lord Rosslyn, and that was of course an unfair job, seeing that she had no time to recover herself. The upshot was that after a game effort Venus was beaten a length and a quarter. Possibly she would have been beaten in any case, but •with an even run from the start Lord Rosslyn would have had to reduce his time by, I should say, about Ssec to have won. Venus is a smallish mare—that is, short on the leg, but she is well made in all respects, and shows marked liberty and nice action when moving. I hardly take her to be class enough to win a New Zealand Cup ; still, she is fast and stays well, as one would judge by her looks and her style of galloping, and if not good enough to win the Cup she may very likely succeed in a less ambitious undertaking. Mr R. Taylor, her trainer and owner, proposes to continue her training at Dunedin, where he is pretty well known, having lfved here before he settled in Tasmania. The Winter Hurdle Handicap proved to be quite a one-horse race for Mr McKewen's Belmont. Tho Maiden Hunters' Steeplechase was a miserable failure. Through the mistakes of the other starters Captain finished alone, Dunraven being mounted later on, and ridden in for second money. This Captain, a Waikouaiti hunter, is a good horse of his class, but one horse doesn't make a race, and it was a disappointment that neitherof his opponents stood up, and made him show what he could do. The Shorts Handicap came next, and for this Arlinewas made a warm favourite, and she once more pulled through without mxich trouble, but she had to keep moving to stall off the challenge of St. Ouida. Venus made a good run in the straight—or perhaps the truer statement is that she was staying on better than the others—and thus got third place, close up. The Hunt Club Cup was run on the middle track with but four starters. It was a race full of incident. Masterpiece got off first, but was passed by Nat, who led over the first fence, where Comeaway baulked, though he managed to get over on the second attempt. Nat, while in the lead, turned a somersault over the second fence of the log double in front of the' stand, giving Mr B. Wynu-Williams what seemed to be a terrible fall, though he and the horse immediately uprose, seemingly none the worse for the capsize. The mishap caused Rebel to run off. He went back and got over all right, but by this time Masterpiece had secured a strong lead, and, though Rebel made up a lot of this in the next half mile, he struck heavily the back fence, and thereafter was clearly beaten. The outcome of it all was an easy win for Masterpiece, who owed his success largely to J: Cotton's excellent riding. Comeawav fell at the last hurdle, so there was no third to place. It should be noted that Cotton had to carry 101b extra, making Masterpiece's weight list 71b. The Welter promised to be a good race, but that hope was not fulfilled. Musket took the lead for a couple of furlongs when he was passed by Jane Eyre, who romped home the easiest of winners from Lady Somnus. [The above miscarried and did not reach us in time for last issue.— Ed.J September 20. It is an open seoret that Mr McKewen was not bidding for himself when Fulmen was knocked down to him, and I am pleased to know that the colt at once went baok to his old quarters at .St. Clair. Casket was looking in good health when sold the other day but had gone amiss after a gallop a few days previously. The fast, but hitherto infirm and unprofitable gelding, Rancour, has been put into work again... He is in Loughlin's stable.

The flags at the Forbury were at half-mast on Saturday, and many of tho riders wore crapo bands, tokens of mourning for the death of Dr. Jeffcoat.

The Gore course is being improved,

Clarissa (St. Clair—Dione) has produced a filly foal to Pccident, and Red Ensign (dam of Red Lancer) is vifiting Mr Crossan's stallion. The Guy Fawkes mare, Prima Donna, died the other day while foaling to the same horse.

When the jockey W. Sharp died it" was understood that the Wellington Racing Club was standing tho expenses of the funeral, but, on the bill being presented, that club disclaimed liability, Mr Lyon saying that he had guaranteed the proposed funeral in Wellington up to £5, but that the corpse had been taken to Dunedin. There being, therefore, a stick-up, Mr W. A. Smith, out of pure sportsmanlike feeling, shouldered the responsibility of canvassing for subscriptions in order to get the debt paid, and he informs mc that he has just about finixhed the job, having collected £9 out of £9 7s 6d, the cost of freight, cab hire, and cemetery expenses. I consider that Mr Smith and the subscribers to his list deserve thanks for saving the sporting community of Wellington and Dunedin from the reproach of putting an indignity on the memory.of this, jockey.

Lord Rule, by Emmason from Home Rule, is described as one of the best colts ever bred in the Maniototo district.

J. McGinness altered his mind at the last moment about going to Timaru, remaining at home.with Fulcrum, Lord Rosslyn, and St. Ouida. These horses are, however, all right, and doing whatever ia required of them in a satisfactory manner. It is commonly understood that in the trial given to Mercer's horses prior to the S.C.J.C. Meeting Britomart beat Black and Red, and if that be the case it would have occurred to tho owner after the first day that he had missed the Cup by going with the wrong one ; but the Rhodes Memorial result on the second day would tend to give the idea that after all the horse was the better of the pair over a distance. It is a point that lam not very sure about. The one thing that is proved is that Britomart still has pace enough to win races. Her motherhood has not spoilt her for the turf. Backers here supported this stable pretty freely for both day's events at Timaru, backing the two in the Rhodes' Memorial, with a preference for the mare.

There was also sound backing for Hippomenes in the Cnp, and though he went down the party came strong for Marlin the second day, making her, indeed, first favourite as far as the dividend was concerned.

On the whole, however, the bookmakers beat the public on the two day's business. Double Event, though by no means a skinner, was a good friend to the fielders in the Cup. I know one of the men who backed Double Event and laid all the rest, and he says it was splendid racing at Timaru.

The incident of the week has been Peter Grant's arrest on Thursday. The detectives walked into his office in the Arcade on Thursday, and in a quiet and gentlemanly but at the same time business-like way, intimated that they wanted the proprietor on a oharge of keeping a common gaminghouse, and also required possession of his books. Grant went away quietly in custody, and the officers took the books as " instruments of gaming," but made no demand for the money in the office. The accused was subsequently bailed out, and appeared at the Police Court on Friday morning to answer the charge, Fredk. Broi>,d and Wm. Wtielnn Vinj* *Uo nh*r£«s.l with •»---«i»tio__6_.»ir «hk_.to ran a __i___fc_o___. Xfc*

police asked for and obtained a remand for six days in order that the Stipendiary Magistrate might take the case. Mr Sim, counsel for defendants, assented to the application, and said that if he could not attend on tho day named a further adjournment for a week would, he understood, be agreed to by tho police. The question was raised as to whether the police had power to sei/.e the books. Inspector Pardy claimed that he was acting within his rights, but ho consented to give tho books back in the meantime if Grant gave an undertaking to produce them at tho hearing and also to refrain from altering them. This undertaking was given, and a remand was granted, hail being allowed iv Mr Grant's own bond of £10 with respect to each of the persons accused.

September 21. I hear of (lie death of the Le Loup horse Galtee, winner of the Geraldine Cup and other races.

T. Buddicombo was taken ill on Sunday with brain fever, and he has two doctors in attendance.

W. Pino has broken up his stable. Aldershot has lieen sold to an Oamaru sport, by whom he has been entered for tho Kurow races.

Quickshnt IT. has returned to his Taieri owner. The Winchman has been sold to Mr J. McKewen, and Ooldspur has been bought by Mr H. Goodman, who lias arranged for the first call on Pine's services as jockey.