THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1176, 11 July 1911, Page 7

THE TURF.

THE NATIONAL WINNER'S RIDER. J. N.M'GREGOR, By TelcsraDh—Press Association-Copyriebt Melbourne, July' 10. ■The New Zealander, J. N. . M'Gregor, rider of Confido in tho Grand National Steeplechase on Saturday, subsequently received a'shaking through falling from his mount, Koko, in the Eootscray Steeplechase. ' Arquebuse added the Douttagalla Hurdles to his National Hurdle victory, beating The Reckoning and ilufus. . . DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB. THE RACING COMMISSION. ■ ■'. M 7 Telegraph—Press Association.) . . > Dunedin, Jmy 10. The annual meeting of the Dunedin Jockev Club was held to-night. The Hon. Sir G. M'Lean was reelected president and Mr. James Hazlett vice-president. Re- ' ferring to the Racing Commission. Sir G. M'Lean said if Parliament, instead of passing hasty legislation, had waited to see how many of the non-totalisator clubs would cease out of the 106 Who were not to receive a license, they' would have found that the number would have been reduced by more than the 50 required by the'law. It was to be hoped now that so Many clubs which had been supported by bookmakers had dropped out, some of the ;lubs which had been doomed to lose their iotalisator licenses would get them back. He also mentioned that improvements, totalling £2200, are to be effected at ■VVingatuii • ! : SUNSTAR'S DERBY. .-...THE RACE' DESCRIBED. • Sunstar resolved the questions of whether he could last out the Derby course at.high pressure and what kind of reception he would get as a "conquering hero" .in' a way eminently to himself and gratifying-to his friends (says the "Daily Mail"). All regrets.are vain.' It is futile, therefore, to argue what might have happened had tho second, Stedfast, .got off equally well—he was very obstinate and '"left" himself half a dozen lengths or more. This on a sharp course like Epsom was, of course, a- serious handicap, and lots of people sympathetically commiserated .Cord Derby on having his chance of Winning' the' Derby prejudiced in such a vexations manner. But all the fault lay with Stedfast himself. Immediately on reaching the post he evinced a repugnance lor the "gate," unless it was that I the throngs of people on either side up'6et him. Lynham vainly endeavoured to coax him into line. An .attendant tried . the persuasive effect of a whip, which, it anything, made him worse, and when Mr. ttilloughby sent'the troop on their eventful journey, Stedfast paid • the: penalty of his bad behaviour. When excuses are being made for Stedfast, or any other unfortunate whoso troubles were less manifest, Sunstar must not be omitted. No horso that starts favourite lor the Derby in a field of twenty- ■ six and wire, by two lengths can need excusing, but the fact remains as regards bunstar that ho jarred himself in front, probably under the strain entailed bv ,'coming down tho hill. '"Except for that," Stern told Mr .> Joel, ho would have won with his head in bis chest. fho instructions to v'Stern were to lie up handily, somewhere about ■'*?• Lor 'fifth, until reaching the straight, after which everything was left to bis own judgment. He obeyed them scrupulously for a long time, during which ne had Bannockburn, Phryxus, and Eton' BOy in front of him, the attempt of the St™ I '.,* o ,'!™ with lhis lot ,la "ng rjnicUv • settled him. But approaching the Corner tho pace was still so slow wl ; n 10U - ght J, here wonl 'l be no naiiu in allowing Sunstar to stride °" thXiJ I '?}?'' E ° r»«diatelyoteS with Bannockburn, whom he headed on entering-he straight, dashing °.on the inside and establishing a clear lead Now came the crux-of the struggle for ■home 'liVi" 1 Wo V ld n6t !"»' "•J h , D lv : as n to he caught tho others mu=t set about the job quicklv, for tho t~TZ |?"? r ? t >?K l»m-from 'the judge 11 m. t l ,m »'*^",?oM Tender 'made ■a futile effort, swerved/and then came on again to outstay Phryxus for third- place Cellini and Eton-Boy were now cmatlr harmless. Neither. King AVilliam nor i etri had ever been the least bit dangerous. Half-way.down tho straight Stedfast Wrtßthe t only t pno with, the ghost, of a chance of catching fho favourite. lynham within fighting distance of tho leader. i.nllfcft&l^'S. 1 ' 1 ' °M fT 'g'»t. •coming "P I'kethat,' Stern said to him afterwards. I picked up my whip, and it was then I felt my horso 'go;' " If must be a sickening sensation .for a jockev on a Derby favourite that is winning easilv to fee his mount suddenly falter under him. Unless, however, it'is'a bad breakdown tne impetus of a tremendous pace may carry him safely home, and happily for .•Winstar and everybody concerned in his ior.tunes it .was so in .his case. Stedfast Was exhausted and could do no more, and hunstar was widening .the gap between them in tho last fiftv vard* "Two lengths" was the official Verdict, with Royal Tender twice the distance behind Stedfast. . .. , The victory, of Sunstar was merely a .case of a good horse coming into his kingdom, and he was deservodlv and lustily cheered when Mr. Jack Joel went out to lead him in. Sunstar has achieved im-perishable-fame by winning in succession' the Two Thousand, the Newmarket Stakes and the Dcrbv. . . .'..:. .'.' n^/'.'^ 1 !*™ 1 - Xe "' s " ,e!irns that' Mr. J. f • Joel, through his. almoner, has distributed money gifts varying from"s*. "to £p to 200 poor families in commemoration ,ef. the. victory of Sunstar. NOTES AND COMMENTS. "(Br Gi.enco'e.] .It rained very heavily at Trentham ye- ' tcrday,.aud very Utile work was done. : the only members of J. Lowe's team which worked were Effort and Lnmbton. A. Goodman sent Kirini, Septimus, and tho two-year-old Semaphore for easy tasks. The latter galloped attractively with Septimus one afternoon last week in the presence of his owner ("Mr. P. Soames"), and is sure to be in favour, for tho Trial Plate. J. H. Prosser -worked the whole of his team, a. new member of which is Salopin, a fine big hunter, owned bv Mr. J. R. M'Donald. The jumpers Lovcll and Torbelle'were each lame after exercise yesterday., and'can he counted out of their Trentham engagements. ■ Yesterday "The .Plough was withdrawn from all engagements at the Wellington ' Racing Club's .meeting. • ' . ' • The now' arrivals at Trentham include \ Paritutu', : who is looking in great buckle. '. Those who saw. tho aged Castor gelding yesterday declare that it is a long time ' since ho has looked so fresh and well, and he must be given'a great chance in .the Wellington Steeplechase. ' ! "Jockey H. Telford and J. Pinker arrived j in Wellington yesterday, and will remain here over the meeting. The latter then goes south.to ride Le Beau in his work , for the Grand National Steeples at Riccar- | ton. "After working at Awapuni yesterday, Te i 'Arai pulled up""lame, and his trainer i will have, great difficulty in getting him < to the post for the Wellington Steeples, i The Wanganui trainer, A. Hall, arrived i here last night with threo horses, viz., I North East, St. Bill, and St. Gate. The latter is engaged in the Final Plate. Tho new sand track at Trentham is proving a great boon to trainers, who are now enabled to work their charges, no , matter what the weather is. The visiting " trainers now at Trentham speak highly of the track, which is much superior to what was expected.

Mr. J. Molloy, the Auckland sportsman, who went to Sydney to see Home Rule t.im, lias returned to tho northern city. 13y nil accounts Home Rule, who is by Wairiki from Eton Lass, was very unfortunate not to win the Hurdle Race at ■MoorficM. He will race again at Canterbury Park next Saturday, and will then 1» .'ridden by the Auckland jockey, J. IVeroy. Two other New Zealand jockeys will also have mounts in this race, viz., Peicival and Jones.

11. Hall, who steered Arquebus; to victory in the Grand National, declined to save with any ot the other riders in tho race, and is reported., to havo won XSOO.

When Lemberg met Swynford at even weights in .the Coronation Cup (one mile and.ahalf)'at Epsom, last month, the former proved just too good for Lord Derby's horse, but in tho Princess of Wales'

1 Stakes, at Newmarket, positions were reversed, Lemberg being beaten by Swyriford, while the lottcr's stable-companion (King William) filled third place. Prior to winning tho Woodcote Stakes at Epsom on May ,10, Sunstar's unnamed two-year-old brother had not started in any race. With Sst. 121b. (and ridden by G. Stern) he ran the last six furlongs of the Derby course in lmin. 9 l-Ssec.; lint it was only by a head he beat Halberd (Maher). with Lomond (P. Wootton) a. similar distance further off. The same afternoon Stern won tin- Epsom Plate on Sunshot, and a Selling Plate on Paddington. Culprit's half-brother. Royal Mnrluo, who will make his reappearance on Saturday next at Trentham, has not started in a race since last November. Georgo' Morris, who at one time was with R. J. llason, and who later trained tho steeplechaser Sol, has gone to New Plymouth in order to take up the position of- private trainer to Mr. Chainey. He will have four or fivo horses to start with. Waitapu and Sinn Fein were to have been shipped from Auckland to Sydney by tho AVimmera yesterday. J. Chaafe, jurir., is expected to arrive from Auckland by the Tarawera. Ho is bringing Dogger Bunk, who will.be ridden in. his Trentham engagements by 11. Hickton. The first horse to incur a penalty for tho C.J.C. National Hurdles is Game, who. by reason of his winning the hurdle race on the second day of the Gisborne meeting of the net value of 65sovs., has to put up 51b. extra at Christchurch. Says our Masterton correspondent:— The Masterton Racing Clnb decided, at its meeting on Saturday, to apply fo> November (1 as the date for its one-day-spring .meeting, and' for March 28 an'i 29 as dates for its autumn meeting. FIXTURES. July 15, 19, and 22-Wellington R.C. Winter. August 8, 10, and 12—Canterbury J.C.'s Grand National. . 'i