NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10096, 23 July 1898, Page 4

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Mr E. Allen is the owner of Hermosa. Bluefire has proved not to be in foal this season. Levanter had a rough trip across to Sydney. Pokomoko has also been purchased for Mr Gollan. £1200 was the price given by Mr Gollan for Waiuku. The Lochiels have won 95 races in Australia this season. Disraeli, Dunlop and Archduke 11. started i in the Grard Prix do Paris. Nominations for the next Canterbury Cup are due on August 26th. Savourneen, by Lochiel, won the Warwick Farm Handicap on July 9th. Epaulet has been supported from the right quarter for the N.Z. Cap. It is said that Ruby Twist will not start in the Grand National Hurdles. The improvements to the Masterton Racing Club's coarse are being pushed on. Mr J. R. McDonald, owner of Opai, has purchased that horse's full brother Mairua. There will be a big response from Aucklanders on acceptance day for the N.Z. Cup. Mr J. 0. Evett has gone across to Picton, en route to Auckland, to have some shooting. During the week Starsbot has been backed at Auckland from the south for the N.Z. Cup. St. Kilda will compete in the Welter races at the New Zealand Grand National Meeting. The stud fee for the St. Albans sires Bill of Portland and Wallace is to be 50gs, for Havoc 20gs. Mr Percival, the popular secretary of the Auckland R.C., thinks the Century Stakes will fill easily. Glenore is being qualified as a hunter with the Ashburton hounds, and is fencing in good style. H. Underwood was riding Zouroff when that horse fell and was killed, the jockey fracturing bis jaw. Mr J. E. Henry, after his hard season's work, may take a run across to Sydney next month for a change. Retina, by Apremont—lris, in foal to Son-of-a-Gun, died at Riccarton this week, tiu rwttlt of an aooidtnt.

Mr R. E. Harley, the well-known amateur rider, arrived in* (Jhristehurch from the North Island daring the week. Plain Bill won thirteen hurdle races during the past season, on four occasions annexing the double at the same meeting. Commencing the season with a debit balance of £54 12s, the Manawatu R.C. have now a credit balance of £595 16s 3d. The totalisator investments at the Gisborne Park Steeplechase Club's Meeting showed a falling off from last year of £731. In answer to a deputation the Minister of Railways has stated that in future special excursion trains will be run in connection with the Masterton Racing Club's Meetings. The two well-known handicappers, Messrs Evett and Henry, were present at the Wellington R.C.s Winter meeting taking notes. Mr Stead, Multiform and St. Leger, who head the winning owners, horses and sires respectively occupied the same positions last season. Sir George Clifford, we are glad to find in the interests of racing, has accepted the position of chairman to the Racing Conference again. Fat, on whom Brewer won his third V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race, was a present to the rider by the old time jockey, W. Yeoman. Swordfish, by Piscatorious, who won the Final Hack Race on Saturday, was victorious in the same event at the corresponding gathering last season. The amount put through the totalisators at the Wellington meeting last week was an increase of £4337 on the corresponding gathering of last season. When the protest flag went up in Sing Song's race at the Hutt on Saturday there was much cheering and clapping of hands from all over the course. It will have been noticed that certain horses were not handicapped for the N.Z. Grand National Hurdles and Steeplechase because their nomination fees had not been paid. The Committee,of the Auckland R.C. sent Mr' H. H. Hayra letter expressing their satisfaction at the way his staff had worked the tfotalisators at Ellerslie last season. The amount won by the progeny of St. Leger in this colony during the past season is the best on record since Musket's descendants placed £9720 3s to his credit during the season of 1888-9. The large amount of work the Secretary of the Racing Conference has to get through was generally acknowleged at the late sitting in Wellington, and Mr Wanklyn is considered the right man in the right place. Multiform is the only horse that has headed the winning list two seasons in succession during the past decade, the stakes won by the son of Hotchkiss, including place money, amounting to £4906 3s. It was evident that more than one competitor at the Wellington R.C.s Winter Meeting was simply out for the especial benefit of the handicapper of events to come. Mr Henry appeared to be on the " gui vive." The Y.R.C. committee have decided that it be a condition, on permission being given to other clube to hold race meetings at Flemington, that the handicaps for all races at auch meetings be made by the V.R.C. handicapper for the time being. Penrose was a qiiiefc tip tor the Final Hack Handicap at the Hutt on Saturday. But for stumbling and nearly coming down on his nose, the good thing would, it is more than probable, have come off. The dividend would have been over £20.

The Hon. J. D. Ormond, during the season just closed, had the greatest number of winning representatives, eleven of his horses being to the fore. Nine of the eleven, it is- worthy of note, were sired by the- defunct son of Chester, Dreadnought. Marton Jockey Club's meeting, one of the earliest in the new season, is advertised in the Calendar to take place on September 7th and Bth. The bill of fare is very much the same as that of last year. In all £370 will be given away in stokes. In the Calendar this week the Canterbury Jockey Club, advertise the conditions for the Welcome and Champagne Stakes next season, the Derby and Oaks of 1900, and the Ninth Challenge Stakes 1901. Entries for all these events close on August 26th.

Had St. Paul annexed the three Cups In which he ran second his winning total for .the season would have amounted to £3857 15s. Uniform easily beat him in the Wellington Cup, but his defeats in tho New Zealand and Auckland Cups were close things. "Ribbleden" selects the following to contain the winner of the Caulfield Cup :— Spencer, Paul Pry, Majestic, Gnullo, Cordite, War God, The Musketeer, The Grafter* , , ■Moonlyong, Bundook, Nor'-east, Eleusinian, Thunder Queen, and Wayfarer.

The six leading sires of the • past season in the colony occupied the first half a dozen places a twelve month ago, and St. Leger and Hotchkiss again occupy first and second positions, but Medallion and Castor and Dreadnought and Sou-wester have changed places. The members of the Manawatu Racing Club will have a very satisfactory balance sheet laid before themat the annual meeting this month. A good profit was made over the year's transactions, and the assets of the club now stand at close on £2000 with no liabilities.

Cabin Boy, the V.R.C. Leger winner, together with his owner, Riley, and the well-known jockey, M. Gallagher, were a few days ago disqualified for twelve months by the Charters Towers Jockey Club. Cabin Boy has been running very in and out during his Queensland campaign. During the past few seasons The Miser has run into a place onore than any other horse, his wins for the season of 1896-7 amounting to eleven. But he only started four times during the closing season, and his best performance was finishing third hi a field of three at Reefton. Seven representatives of Mr Stead's stable earned place money during the past season, five of which gained winning brackets. Four of the horses which have won over £51000 ran in Mr Stead's colours, and Multiform, Gold Medallist, St. Paul, and Waiuku are the only horses whose winning figures ran into four figures during the past two seasons. Like the V.R.C, the V.A.T.C. is extendiog its Grand National meeting this year over three days/the dates being August 6th, 10th and 13th. On the middle day the card will mainly consist of amateur events, and will be a substitute for the Findon Harriers' meeting. The stake money for the three days will amount to £4150. The amount of stakes won by Mr G. G. Stead during the past twelve months constitute a best on record for New Zealand, with the exception of " Lochiel's year," when the horses ridden by the " boy in yellow" won a slightly larger sum for their owner. The present season is the fourth in succession that Mr Stead has headed the winning owners list, and his total for the four years is £19,743 13s. A rule which (says the Melbourne "Sportsman") the V.R.C evidently intends to rigorously enforce in the future is the one relating to jockeys betting. If report speaks truly, the names of several horsemen who were noticed backing horses at Maribyrnong and Flemington recently were taken by officials told off for the purpose. Probably an unpleasant surprise is m store for these riders when they apply tor their licenses this month. After many years' service as honorary judge to the Wanganui J.C Dr. Earle has sent in his resignation, which has been received with much regret by the committee. Dr. Earle has filled the position with honour and credit to himself- and club—be } never made one mistake while " in the box —and he thinks the time has come for him to

retire. It is very likely that the position will in future be a" paid one. . Mr Duncan Rutherford returned to Christchurch from his trip to the North on Sunday last. His two horses Social Pest and Female Franchise arrived in Christchurch yesterday. Mr Rutherford sold Agent General to the Hon. Mr Carroll (not the Premier as has been stated) for a ladies' hack. Mr Rutherford, while in the North, priced Plam Bill, who has been resting, but ifr ■ suit. He also had a look at Nor'-West, but did not like him.