SPORTING ITEMS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9943, 24 January 1898, Page 2

SPORTING ITEMS.

"Weekly Press and Referee."

"SPECTATOR'S" NOTE BOOK. It has been known for some considerable time past that the Wanganui Jockey Club contemplated celebrating the jubilee of racing in their district in a manner befitting the occasion. With that object in view, ■takes to an amount never previously given were added to the autumnal programme, and efforte are being made to ensure the presence not only of leading horses, bat to attract the leading sportsmen of the colonies to visit the district and share in the jubilations. The meetings, and particularly the autumnal ones, of the Wanganui Jockey Club are of a popular character, and the coming one will no doubt eoltpse all corresponding gatherings since the occasion whan the club came out with the first handicap race of "a thousand pounds " ewer run in New Zealand. That was a big advertisement for the district., and did mmch to revive the interest in the sport, but at no time in the club's history have rao/ng matters been so flourishing as they are. to-day. The entry for the Wanganui Jubilee Cup of 800sovs is not so large as waa that for the " thousand pounder " of 1880, when Betrayer won, nor indeed as for tteveral cup races since; but nevertheless the quality of the horses is of the best to be obtained in the colony. The Auckland crack St. Paul, and thei Auckland-bred bat Taranaki - owned Waiuku, who has fought so many battles with his younger opponent, are both in the list, and so also is the Canterbury-owned but Auck-land-bred Uniform, who may later on be quite the equal of, if not superior to, both, when he has been raced into condition. Indeed, from his spring running it may be judged that he represents quite the front rank of handicap form. Then we have such horses as Day Star, who should come out better than he has yet been this season, Blarney, who won the Wanganui Cup last year, Lorelei and Zanella, who nave both been in winning form lately in Cup events, Antares,, who got home in the Auckland Cup, ana St. Crispin and Daunt, respectively Great Northern and Wanganui Derby winners. Then there is Boreas, who has proved himself good over short courses, while Sedgebrook is another. Eton and Swardfish are also a likely pair, hitherto seen to advantage in minor handicaps, that may not unlikely stay over a cßntance. It is on the cards that Irish Twist may again stand training; and r.nch as he, Golden Plover, Leda, Douglas, /Defiant, Daredevil, Tire, and Cceur de Lion, and some of those from the hack ranks in Crusoe, Sundial, Lady Spec, Ooardfish, Klima, and Legion of Honour help to make a fair field ; the three-year-old division being represented by the useful Tirant dEan, the quality-looking Coronet, Toa, who is a likely colt, and Lady Spec, a recent winner. Shan will, of course, be a fairly wide margin between the oracks and the lightweight division, but the material is provided for a good contest, and Mr Evett has now to try aad please the owners of the thirty-two tfiat have been entered. In the Cameron Handicap, which has taken the place of the Flying Handicap, there are twenty-five horses entered, only nine of the number in the Cup. Good sprinting form is well represented in the list, and this race also should prove a very interesting •ne. The handicaps are not dee till on or about February 16th. On Saturday I looked in at the Canterawry Jockey Club's rooms, and there, fresh from his visit to New South Wales and Victoria, met Mr Wanklyn. It was purely for a holiday trip, and not in any way connected 'with business, that the secretary of the C.J.C. had been away, and it was quite a mistake to include him amongst those who had returned from Melbourne as quickly as possible to escape the hot weather. The thenaosoeter had gone up from 104 to 109 in the shade daring the few days he was in Melbourne, but ne had not felt the same inoMkvonieace as some visitors. In Sydney he net Mr Clibborn, the secretary, and Mr Daogar, the chairman, of the Australian J.C., and, ef course, visited Rand wick, where improvements continue to be made. The powers that be in New South Wales are nsore hopeful of getting the totalisator than ] •vw. Some of the largest owners who have hitherto opposed are now favourable to its introduction. It has been suggested that the Government should receivei 3£ per cent. | of the-commission ; and some of the members i do not think that would be too great a tax. Mr Wanklyn seemed to think that the initial cost—which he estimates at from £7,000 to £8,000 in putting down the necessary plant—had been overlooked. The pony meetings, one each day and one each nifght while he was in Sydney, were as usual going on, the latter under the electric light ; and the shops in Pitt street, in which totalisatora were being run on all meetings, were a sight to behold. They were doing more than anything else to kill sport. At Caulfield Mr Wanklyn met Mr Moule, secretary of the V.A.T.C., and the stewards, amongst whom was Mr Albert Miller, who is not yet converted to the automatic system of betting. Messrs Dakin and vowlea, the respective handicappers for the V".R.C. and V.A.T.C., were also present. The former, who is as enthusiastic as ever on the subject of pedigree, and who, as a matter of fact, does tho greater part of the compiling of the " Australian Stud Book " for Mr A. Yuille, like that gentleman, complains of the same lack of interest and support of the very class moat benefited by the publication of such a work, viz., the breeders and owners, as Mr G. Elliot has •lone in New Zealand. By the way, Mr Dikiu mentioned chat ho got from Mr loely'a private stock book the information contained in Vol. VI. of the Australian Stud Book about Man to, the maternal uncestreae of so many good horses, and much of the up-to-date information which has cum« to light about old time racing stock his been obtained from files of leading papers whioh have been carefully preserve? in Sydney. Mr Dakin has spent much time in prosecuting his researches, but, like others who take a delight in clearing up points of doubt and tracing pedigrees to

their source, will not receive the credit due. How often do those who are entitled to it receive a fair reward. On this point it maj not be inappropriate here to mention that to Mr Frank Reynolds belongs properly the figure system theory, which gave us Bruce Lowe's work, which is creating so much interest to-day. Mr Wanklyn visited Flemington, where Mr Byron Moore is still able to effect improvements despite the perfection attained in every department. Increasing accommodation for members is one of the contemplated alterations. An improved starting machine, too, is one of the new things looked for at Flemington. It has come to be a rule now that only ring bits will be allowed on racehorses, the bar bit having been the cause of many accidents through getting in the tapes, oords or nets. The squave mesh net is in favour amougst the workers of the various patents. At Caulfield Mr Fraser officiated in place of Mr Godfrey Watson, who was unable to be present. Some time ago Mr Wanklyn, under instructions from the C.J.C. committee, wrote the secretary of the Victoria Racing Club to try and get a copy of the painting of New Zealand's world-famed horse Carbine, sent out by the Duke of Portland. The V.R.C. have very considerately obtained a full - sized photograph of tho original and presented it to the Canterbury Jockey Club, and ere long the photo of 'Void Jack," as he is at Welbeck Abbey, willNadorn the walls of the O.J.C. stewards' room at Riccarton. Great as Musket's son proved himself, Mr Wanklyn found many expert racing men sincere in their belief that his grandson, Trenton's son, Aurum, is every bit as good. Aurum's weight in the Futurity Stakes, lOst 91b, as against that of Wallace, lOst 121b, two years his senior, is pointed to. 10at 91b is certainly a big weight for a three-vear-old even in the autumn. Aurum, Mr Wanklyn designates a colt built on decidedly robust not to say carty lines, and until well scanned over not very prepossessing. The visit to St. Albans waa one of the pleasures of Mr Wanklyn's trip. He was struck with the remarkable quietness of the yearlings and their general appearance. The English colt, by Amphion, had arrived safely at his new home, but was backward in appearance as compared with the home bred (Victorian) colte. Mr W. R. Wilson, the genial proprietor, has been slowly recovering from his illness. He visited Menzies'a Hotel every day, but Sir T. Fitzgerald's private hospital was still his headquarters. Amongst erst New Zealanders Mr j Wanklyn met was Mr C. C. Murray, who, his numerous friends in this colony will i regret to learn, has been very ill for a long time past, and only able to leave hospital quarters quite recently. Mention of Mr Murray's name will bring up fond recollections of sporting episodes in Hawke's I Bay; and if good wishes can accomplish lit, Mr Murray's health will be speedily restored. Mr S. G. Cook treasures up memories of Maoriland, *___ stall talks lof visiting his old hunting grounds. As he leaves the training of his horses now to Prestwich, New Zealand may receive a visit from Mr Cook at an early date. At Hobart the stay of the steamer was short, but there Mr Wanklyn met some members of the Taamanian Racing Club, who, like thoee of other clubs and sporting folk generally, did all they could to make the round trip of the New Zealander's agreeable.

Mr V. Harris, who availed himself of the correspondence columns of the Refkrkk last week, had more reason to complain of the treatment he received at the hands of the Greymouth weight adjuster on the second day of the meeting than at anything I had to say in my notes about that horse being quite friendless amongst Christchurch backers for hie Weet Coast engagements. Epaulet .finished behind Hillstone in the Greymouth Gup, yet next day was asked to meet) that horse on fourteen pounds worse terms ! Why ? Well, I was not present, but I presume the weight-adjuster accounted for Epaulet's rear position in the Cup in the same way as the owner—a twisted plate. The treatment of Epaulet was hard indeed, all the same.