SPORT AND PASTIME. The Turf.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1908, Page 14

SPORT AND PASTIME. The Turf.

KACIXG FIXTURES. Feb 12 and 13. — Egmont R.C. Summer. Feb. 13 and 14.— Poverty Bay T.C. Annual. Fob. 19 and 20. — Woodville J.C. Autumn. Feb. 19, 20, and 22.— Dunedin J.C. Autumn. March 5 and 7. — Wanganui J.C Autumn. March 6 and 7. — Westporfc J.C. Autumn. March 11 and 12.— Dannevirko J.C. Annual. March 17 and 18.— Gieymouth J.C. Autumn. March 17 and 18.— Napier Park R.C. Autumn. March 25 and 26,— Taranaki J.C. Autumn Racing clubs in the North Island should be grateful for the measure which, has diverted the full stream' of speculation to their respective enclosures. In these halcyon times the lot of a racing club treasurer is indeed a happy one. Over its December meeting th'o Manawatu Club is reported on good authority to have netted £2000; the Wairarapa Club cleared £700; Foxton, £500; whilst Pahiatua will not fall far short of £1000. All these, however, are put in the shade by tho Wellington Club's over the recent meeting. Many shrewd estimates have been made,-rang-ing from four to five thousand, and it ..is now pretty generally known that the latter figure is within the mark. If the -Autumn and Winter meetings keep up "to this standard, the Wellington Racing Club will soon be -rid of the Trentiiam •fina-hcial incubus. The heavy-topped Seal Rock, as might havo been expected, has iound the adamant tracks at Randwick too. much for his poor points. The big fellow has been thrown out of trainiug, but may be taken in hand "later ou when the going is rather more malleable than it • "is .-now. ' Since its institution in 1884, Mr. G G. Stead has won the, Middle Park Plate on, no fewer thaw thirteen occasions. Other owners ,who have been successful in capturing this "classic" for two and three-year-olds, are Hon. G. M'Lean, D. O'Brien, three times, with the aid of Carbine, Dunkeld, and Florrie, Sir G.s Clifford twice, by means of Stronghold and Glenculloch^and Messrs. Monk, ivt. Hobb.s, and Sheehan once each The fastest time recorded, for the race was the lmin Msec of Menpchikoff in 1901, whilst the biggest burdens carried to the front have been the • 9sfc 101b each of Achilles and MachineGun. Goldbeater and Prim are shaping yrell at Riccarton. The former, a chestnut by Clanranald,' from Goldleaf, has had a light time since he beat si good " field ~ of sprinters, at the Wanganui , Spring meeting. He is a colt of the •usual' robust^ type sired by Clanranald, and may score in a. decent handicap. Prinl is by the defunct, Pilgrim's Pro- • gross, and can gallop very fast, but Js said to -be not sound. Master Delaval will probably taxe on the Wanganui Cup, and, should the sou "of Seaton Delaval shape encouragingly, he will then be shipped to Sydney to compete in the A. J.C. Autumn at Randwick. - Ringlet, the three-year-old sister to Armlet, carrying the feather weight of 7st.', was allowed to go out at forlorn odds at Aspendale (Victoria) recently in the Plate, which she won from end '•to end. . In two places 100 to 2, was ac- / ta'atly laid against the filly, who was -marketable at " twenties at the finish. Ringlet is smart,, and is a good adver""tis'e'ftieiit f.or Menschikoff. ff ' r ' Gapbri, who, as a yearling was bought ** for the ex-totalisator proprietor, John Wren, at the Wellington Park sales, has been -sold for 47 guineas. The son of Menschikoff and ' Sunningdale, hence ;■ -half- brother to Cavalry, is a rather nice •' norl to look at, but he has proved a ""sad' rluffer"on the flat. ,If tried over he might soon recoup his small purchase money. Gapon beat a fairly V-good field when he cantered homo in n the Hopeful Stakes at Flemington two - seasons ago, on the day -that Pendant won the Newmarket, but whilst some of those whom he defeated — notably Bonr. an — have distinguished themselves, Gapon went off considerably. Husbandman, the happily-named son of Treadmill and Golden Vale, may turn .out .a credit to his sire. The, colt has been shaping very attractively at Ric«^carton lately, and one morning this week finished ahead of Fleetfoot, who, how- . ever, is not a brilliant track mare, and reserves her fleetness for the actual business of racing. • Dan O'Brien has got hold of a flatcatc.her, apparently, in Haranui. One writes apparently for Avhat the genial old'un does not know of racing is not .worth learning. At Randwick on Arihi- . versary Day the son of Malatua and ' Grafin was backed to red-hot favount- - ism in the Trial Plate, but in a field of five he ran last but one. Tho Sydney ( , punters will give him best after that - performance. ' " . One of the smartest light-weight jockeys m the Dominion is R. Hatch, who learnt his riding in F. Higgott's stable. Higgott, a, firm believer in the American seat, has evidently the gift of coaching youngsters, for in addition , to Hatch, ho taught H. Cairns his business, and has now an apt pupil in little H ilellowes. Hatch possesses the first ef-sential of jockeyship — hands, with a _ coo' head to turn every opportunity to ■' account He rides short, keeps well : down on his horse's neck, and moreover knows how to coax the last ounce out of his mount in a finish. This is a feature in which most of our youngsters .. are not conspicuously successful. Tho following comments by the famous jockey Danny Maher regarding the ad vantages of the American seat are instructive: — "T have always ridden th& American style, and always shall. The English style of riding long is very pretty and all right when you are going slow, but for race-riding I am sure you want short stirrups. You have better balance and" better control of yonr horse— a great many people think you haven't, but you have. Riding short you get a sort of leverage against jour irons, and that gives you more power. Haven't all the English jockeys taken up their stirrups? Madden, poor • Lane, Halsay — all of them have ; you will see." Madden also likes the Ameri can seat. He says: — "You have twice the power over your horse. A lot of people don't think so, I know— at least so I judge from what I read about it sometimes, but when you are sitting on the horse you get to know. You can hold him better with your legs, and I think what proves this is that you never see horses running away with their jockeys now, as they often used to in the old days when jockeys rode long." " , In New Zealand when Hewitt was carrying all before him he had a small army of followers. When the inevitable "bare patch" was struck their -winnings melted fast enough. Two of •*ifi followerst how^yjr^ cludjj J^itety to,

their winnings and by shrewd investment are now comfortably off. ln Australia at different times Joe Barden, "Teddy" Turner, Bobby Lewis, Tom Clayton, and Fred Burn have hnd their persistent devotees. Probably the best of the batch to follow was Burn, easily the finest hurdle and steople rider in Australia, but even he got into tho doldrums recently, and for nearly a month failed to "break it" — but not his little, army. The result of £1 invested on eacli mount of some of the leading English jockeys docs not show much profit to tho punter. It must be noted, however, that the following calculations are basqd on closing prices. Probably if tha (opening prices were taken tho profit in tho cases of Maher and Randall would have been substantially larger. The investment on each of Higgs's 734 mounts would have resulted in a total loss of £28 Is 2d, whilo the individual who pinned his I faitn to Halsey, with his 103 wins out of 526 mounts, would N have been out. pocket £19 4s Bd. Supporters of young Wootton would have, fared even worse, as a sovereign on each of his 283 mounts would havo panned out £41 7s to the bad ; but that is a mere nothing compared with Madden and Griggs, who, on tho £1 basis, would havo cost their backers £236 3s 3d and £247 18s respectively. If the figures ghen are conctt, only four jockeys would have sho-.ui «i profit, and even in (heir oases the return was not at all commensurate with the outlay. For instance, any one sticking to Maher at £1 a time, would have cleared £17 6s 4d, a result not particularly satisfactory, considering that £425 had to be risked during thrj year. The backers of Randall's 403 mounts would- have profited £19 18s 7d, nnd those of Robertson (197 mounts) £23 16s ; while the only other in connection with whom backers would have done any good was the amateur, Air. G. Thursby, who would have brought them out £8 3s 7d on the right side. From the Toregoing it will be sesn that following even the most successful of jockeys is not a road to riches on the turf, for at best the profit will be small, as against the^clitmce of a big loss. Mr. R. S. Sievicr has differed from Mr. G-. G. Stead, because ho ventured when being interviewed at Home to draw comparisons between the appointments of the leading English and Australasian racecourses to the detriment of the foimer. In his paper, The Winning Post, Mr. Sievier writes: — "There is a vast diffeience in having to cater for a village garden party at the pastor's houss and having to regulate and govern a mass meeting in Hyde Park. That is the great distinction which exists between- racing in England and in the colonies. Does Mr. Stead wish to take ono or two Australian racecourses and hold them up as examples? If so, let him name a place which will — to take his own line, which he will better understand — compare ,with Newmarket. On the other hand, if his remarks are intended to embrace the whole of the courses on both sides of the equator, then we can answer them with a fiat contradiction. We know moro .both of English and Australian racecourses than does Mr. Stead. '' Mr. Stead is "undoubtedly right, foT the appointments of many of the English courses leave a gieat deal to be desircu, and the cost of everything is outrageous. Racing, both in Australia and New Zealand, is far ahead of England as regards the facilities offeied the "man in tho street." Nor is Mr. Sievicr happy m his simile, as there is mighty 'little "village garden party" in the handling of a Flemington Cup day crowd. ' The stipendiary stewards who, about six monihs ago, were appointed to supervise the racing in West Australia, have commenced in grim earnest to punish wrong-chers. At the West. Australian Turf Club meeting at Perth last month tho stipendiaries imposed disqualifications in three instances. For suspicious practices in the Jumpers' Flat Race the chestnut gelding Coromandel, by Corinth— Mantilla, W. J. Sugars (the owner), J. E. Sugars (the trainer), and A. Jones (the rider), were disqualified for twelve months. For careless riding of Golden Bell in the Blackwood Purse, W. Powell, "who rode the winner, -was disqualified for six- months. In the Blackwood Plate the chestnut, gelding ' Altonc, by lolanthus — Songsi ress, C. Lancaster (the owner and trainer), and B. Porter were disqualified for twelve months for suspicious practices. Stratagem's track work at Riccarton, prior to the Manawatu meeting, and at Trentham recently, was of such a character as to indicate that the four-year-old daughter of Nelson, and Dudu would score at any time. This she did in the Midsummer Handicap, run over a mile and a half at the C.J.C. meeting on Thursday. The time was slow for a very fast track, but the mare won easily enough. It is interesting to note that Nelson saw the light as far back as .1879, and Dudu in 1884, and they were consequently both in the sere and yellow when Stratagem was foaled. Dudu has been a fairly successful matron, having produced among others Djin-Djin and Shrapnel Shell. For the opening meeting of the Pony and Galloway- Club at Miramar on 22nd instant ninety-five nominations have been received "for the six events. The Miramar Cup of 40 soys has attracted fifteen miniature racehorses. A miserable objection was lodged a few weeks ago at Kempton Park (England) as if to indicate to ■uhat extent racecourse meanness sometimes goes. New Moon II and Cynique ran first and second .in a, race, but fell about 20 yards past the post, one of the riders escaping unhurt, while the other had his nose broken. The trainer of Thermal, who finished a. bad third, lodged an objection against the first and second on tho ground that their 'respective riders were assisted into the saddle after the falls! A feeling little short of indignation was aroused when people could believ6\that such a preposterous objection had been lodged. It did not take the stewards long to overrule it, and to order that the £5 deposited should be forfeited, whilst one of their number expressed the wish that they had the power to inflict a heavy fine in addition. In discussing the first appearance in Australia of. Woolwinder'6 half-brother Windlestrae, Terlinga writes; — "In conversation with tiainer Andrew Ferguson (who has had considerable experience in England) he remarked how green and awakward the English thoroughbred is for any other purpose save racing. As hacks they aro impossible. Mounted in' the morning, they are at sixes and sevens, jumping all over the place, until the head lad takes his place at the head of the lot on a quiet old stager used to lead the team to the working ground. Once the schoolmaster takes his place the

young ones will fall in behind him, and go quietly enough ; but. try to ride one of them anywhere by himself, and n is nearly as b.ul as driving a cow away from home. This want of independence as it may be called may have a good deal to do with the starting trouble in England." The horsos-for-courses theory was fuTther exemplified by the success of Scotty in the Takapuna Cup. The St. Leger gelding won the same laeo twelvemonths ago with 251b more in the saddle. In the interval Scotty's record has been oneof failure. With the light impost of 7.0, and on his favourite track, however, tho old horse romped home. Durham Court Stud, one of tho olde.st breeding establishments in New South Wales, is to bo t>old in March next. The founder of the stud, tho late Mr. Chas. Baldwin, was a splendid judge of a thoroughbred. The sires at Durham Court'are Machine Gun and Havoc, both brod at Wellington Park in Auckland. For the former Mr. Baldwin paid 950 guineas, and there will be some spirited competition for this remarkably speedy t-nimal. Havoc cost 730 guineas at the bale of the St. Alban Stud in Victoria. Havoc is by Nordenfeldt from the great Frailty, and Mas foaled as far back as 1890. -..ere aie senno beautifully-bred inures at Durham Couit, and it would be a good idea if some enterprising New Zeajand stud master endeavoured to procure a few. In the Otago Witness "Sentinel" writes : — "Ordinary reversals of form may be honestly brought about, and even apparently strong cases may admit of ready and clear explanation. Everyone conversant with racing knows that much. But when the reversal of form by extiemsly supine horsemanship, following on a market which clearly indicates what ia going to happen ; when the racing men in the paddock are so fully aware of what is not trying as N if the news we"c published in a newspaper ; i\ hen a horse which should be a favourite or at least ■well-backed, is as friendless as< an Ishmaelite ; when such horses run wide at turns, make no effort to join their fields, and come with desperate runs when the race is over " " Those -who cannot put two and two together from such evidence should abandon the racing game. Cricßet, In the three test matches the Australians have Leon dismissed in tho following ways : 25 caught, 24 bowled, 4 run out, and 5 lbw. England's batsmon havo been outed thus: 26 caught, 25 bowled, 4 run out, and 4 lbw. It will be noticed that tho -experiences of tho two sets of players have been almost similar, each -sido having had four men run out ; Australia 5 and England 4 lbw. Neither side has yet had one batsman stumped. t Thus ; dospite angry looks at the umpire neither side has, as far as figures indicate, anything in tho umpiring to worry about. A world's record wickot-keoping feat in any class of cricket is said to stand (o the, credit of Major Trevor, w'r.o caught six, and stumped two in one innings for Dr. Conan Doyle's eleven v. Mr. J. V. M'Millan's eleven, at Undershaw (Eng.), on 2nd August, 1898. , ,_ Clem Hill has compiled 36 centuries in first-cIaES cricket, a very fino record considering tho little _ "first-class" crickot played in Australia. In test _ matches he has played 18 innings exceeding 50. M. A. Noble has made 1599 tuns at average of 31.35 per innings for Australia v. England, having 15 times topped the half century. lie has also takon 104 wiokets. Three Adstralians havoWch made four centuries against England, viz., S. E. Gregory, 201, 103, 117, and 112; V. Trumper, 185, 135, 113, and 104 ; C. Hill, , 188, 160, 155, and 119. Among tho leading batsmen of the eighties, the namo of ' tho lato P. _S. M'Donnell, is in this respect, first with three centuries. England has two batsmon who have each scored five centuries in the Test matches, viz., A. C. MacLaren, 120, 109, 124, 116, and 140; and the Hon. F. S. Jackson, 103, 118, 128, 144, and 113. The greatest number of centuries by • any one batsman in a season's series of tes.t matches is three by J. Darling against Stoddart's team in 1894-5, viz., 101 at Sydney, 178 at Adolaide, and 160 at Sydney. '_ The old-time _ hittor, J. J. Lyons, on the Hartigan-Hill partnership, in an interview published ,in The Register : "It was a magnificent performance/ said Hie cricket smiter. "It stands right out in the annals of tho game. I give all credit to Hill and Harligan. My fancy goes out_ to the newcomer. • He has proved himself class right from the jump. The essence of the whole thing is that he had to fight in the first innings, and filled the bill then. _ Then ho comes along ill the second innings, and finds that Australia's chance has drifted btifl further away. He fights again like a good one. He timed the ball beautifully, an<jl made the cover-hit very judiciously for a young plryer. Ho drove superbly, and altogether I thought. he was right up to date. What strokes he has not thoroughly acquired yet he's . got the brains to cultivate. I never saw a young cricketer ffrasp tho situation so well. He has tho touch of a batsman. There is a remarkable similarity between Hartigan's style and that of Frank Iredale. I put him right up in tho same class as Iredale at his best." Mr. P. F. Warner's forecasts and comments in the_ Westminster Gazette of the 7th December on the first test match are interesting after the ovent. "Knowing how strong the Australians are in batting, it is some consolation to know that, at the moment, they are lacking in really great bowlers. Mr. Cotter, I believe to bo a great fast bowler, judging him on the form he showed here in August, 1905, and in the recent M.C.C. v. New South_ Wales game he obtained four w ickets in each innings, somewhat expensively, it must be admitted. Still, if tho cable is to be believed, at leabt four or five catches were dropped off his bowling, which would, of course, make the greatest difference to his analyses. Mr. Hazlitt, of Victoria, and Mr. Johnson, of New South Wales, enjoy high reputations as slow right-hand bowlers, and it is probable that one, if not both of them, will bo seen in the first test match. Mr. Jones has a fino bowling side, though there is no bowler of the' type of Mr. Bosanquef, or Mr. Faulkner, lor Mr. White, the South African, so invaluable on perfect wickets; but the Australians have_ a profound admiration for Barnes's bowling; Fielder has already proved his ■\\ orth ; Blythe is the best slow lefthander of tho present time ; Rhodes is still a good bowler ; and Mr. Crawford on certain wickets is deadly on a good true pitch I fancy he will be freely scored off. Our batting is good, and, it would seem, consistent, down to No. 7, but thero is a long tail, and the side is wanting in a Ilayward. Hobbs one had hoped would have proved a fairly adoquato substitute for Hayward ; perhaps he \% ill yet. At a rough estimate, 1 one may say that Australia is greatly superior to Marylobone in batting, but* inferior in bowling and fielding.

It "ivas originally intended that the keel plate of the St. Vincent should have been laid towards the end of November, but then it was postponed until tho first week of the present mouth ; and, now that time haajpassed, no dato is mentioned at all ; ' i>o that it may not be until Christmas that a start is actually made. Tho building slip at Portsmouth has, however, been ready for some time. Since the launch of the Bellerophon, tho succesf-or to the Dreadnought, considerable extensions have been mude, tho foundations greatly strengthened at the harbour end, and tho space on the dockyard side cleared to give .aoro space for btorage of material and for the working parly, j This extension wac necessary, owing to the increaso in size aud weight of the S( Vincent; but it is believed that the slip is now large enough to > take any warship that may be projected for many j jx&rj id csixat. ,