SPORT AND PASTIME.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 83, 9 April 1910, Page 14

SPORT AND PASTIME.

Tlie Turf. FIXTURES. 'April 9 and 13 — Avondale J.C. April 13 and 14— Manawatu R.C. April 20 and 21— Nelson J.C. April 20 and 21— South Canterbury J.C. April 27 and 28— Hawkes Bay J.C. May 4 and s—Marlborough5 — Marlborough R.C (By Sir Bedivere.) On Thursday next, on the morning of the second day of the Manawatu meeting, a number of thoroughbreds are to be offered for sale at Palmerston North. Among them are four well-bred yearlings, each of whom is by Sir Foote's near relative, Sir Laddo. Two of the four are colts, one is a gelding, and the remaining one is a filly. The colt, from Cecil should gallop, for his dair has already thrown a winner in Lady Jtfoutoa, and she hails from the same family as Craekshot. and Oscillator, the latter of whom ran Wallace to a head at even weights in Australia. Aello's colt is a half-hrother to Celaeno, who won so decisively at Feilding. The filly is an own 6ister to Polymorphous, and is closely related to Tenterhook, Flitaway, Lady "Hay ward, and other good ones. Nothing more fashionably bred could be found, and she should be eagerly sought after. Severa' two, three, and four-year-old horses are also to be submitted on account of Mr. D. Buick. In* the rush and bustle of all the autumn meetings, the results of the RaUdwick sales have scarcely been given that attention which they deserved. It is only during the past two seasons that any serious attempt has been made by breeders in this country to exploit Australian markets, and as tho outcome of the first experiment in this direction was encouraging, it seemed not unlikely that the trade in thoroughbred yearlings between New Zealand and the Common^ wealth might ultimately become one of considerable importance. Anyway, the lead taken by Messrs G. M. Currie and J. B. Reid, was followed last month by two other breeders, in the Hon. J. D. Ormond and Mr. Lan Duncan, and though tho prices realised for such stock as was shipped across the water were not large, several of the lot realised at least the equivalent of New Zealand values. Apart from one or two of them, the New Zealand-bred yearlings offered at Randwick this season were cot of good class, and ih view of the huge numbers from which buyers had to picK and choose — Messrs. Inglis and Son offered 239, and Messrs. Chisholm and Co. 149 — it was unreasonable to expect them to bring big money. Fashionably-bred and well-grown yearlings undoubtedly command larger figures in Australia thap in New Zealand, but, as elsewhere, second-class ones are not easy to quit. If anything is really to be done in the way of working up a sound business in yoang thoroughbreds, it is needful that ovr studmasters should send over their very best, and personally I cannot help thinking that, just as it is profitable to breed horses ir Ireland lor the English market, so, too, it should pay breeders here to devote special attention to suplying the wants of racing men in Australia. Anyway, if it pays to breed thoroughbreds for the local market, where an average price of 200 guineas is Tare, and a 1000 guineas is only paid for a yearling about once in a decade, it would surely pay still better to breed for the purpose of supplying a market at which almost twice such prices are realised. In order to do this it would of dourse be necessary to nominate the young stock in all the chief "classic" and special weight events in the Commonwealth, and^ to avoid entering them for any races' in New Zealand. This country has great natural advantages over the land of big droughts as a breeding-ground for high-class blood stock, and it seems fair to assume that if the right typo of mares, principally those closely related to big winners in Australia/ were acquired and msted with first-class sires," the annual draft of yearlings from a stud so founded would eventually come to realise values entirely satisfying to the breeder Of the horses bought for importation to New Zealand, Persian Knight, for whom the Hon. J. D. Ormond paid 700 guineas, is deserving of most attention. This horse, who is a three-quarter brother to Charlemagne 11., for whom, I believe, 2000 guineas was paid by 3. B. Reid and the late G. G. Stead in England, is a member of the No. 8 family, being a descendant of Bee's Wingr-the- dam of Newminster, and ancestresg_ol St. Serf, I\lelton, Ayrshire, Perth, Hackler's Brit?£, Bridge ot Canny, Henry the First, Slieve Gallion, and a host of other good ones. His breeding is nil right, and if he fills the bill" in other respects he will quickly make his mark when ma.ted with the Karamu mares. Birkenhead mares should suit him exactly, for, not only will they return to him a strain of Galopin, but Birkenhead's sire, Orme, was out of an own sister to St. Simon, the sire of Persimmon. Mr. J. B. Reid purchased four Allies, which no doubt will in due course join the Elderslie stud. He paid 125gns for one by Developer, a son of Polar Star's son Pioneer, from the Mutiny mare Mutiny Queen, a direct descendant of Pocahontas j 200gns for one by Positano from Daystar and Altair's sister Circe ; 115gns for a daughter of Ladnrlad (son of Ladas) and Cowl's half-sister Urania, who belongs to the Noctuiform, Nightfall family; and 100 gns for a- filly by Ladurlad from Ozone, a dam of four winners and a- direct descendant of Atlantis, from whom are descended St. Leger, Hova, Apologue, Gladsome and Formby. In respect to Kiatere's victory in the Steeplechase at the last Randwick meeting a Sydney writer comments as follows: — After the excitement created by the contest for the Cup had abated, attention was turned to the cross-country event, for which the seven coloured on the card faced the big timber. The Victorian pair — Kuala Lumpur, and Squirm — disputed favouritism , while, at a point longer odds, Cachuca and Kaitere were on the same mark, but the others were practically friendless. There was some chopping and changing in Uue first round of the course, Buljworth, Squirm, and Lady Justice forming the leading division, and all fenced well. Opening op the second round, Squirm and Bull•wortb were disputing the lead, with Kaitere nearest of the others, but as j they ascended the hill for the second time Kaitere ran to the front, and opened up a commanding lead of 15 lengths as he crossed the obstacle near Kensington. The speedy son of Castor, however, nearly came to grief at the next fence, which he hit hard and came down on his knees, but he made a wonderful reoovery, and, though he lost several lengths owing to the mishap, he came on alone, and scored easily from Bullworth, while Kuala Lumpur, and Lady Justice fought a good battle for tkird money, which fell to the topweight. When going well about half « mile from home Squirm took liberties with the rails, and came a cropper, but neither rider nor horse was much the worse for the mishap. The winner is a New Zealand-bred hoxtt by. Castor (imp)

from Victoria, by Fcvc from Memento, by Dainty Ariel. The Australian Cup winnei Orlino is understood to have broken down so badly that he may never ba abb to race again. Vavasor's victory in the Sydney Cup was a popular one, and he met with a hearty reception on returning to scale. Daisy Chain ran a real good mar«, but she mot her master in Vavasor (say» a Sydney vriter). Trafalgar ran in the leading division in the first half of the journey, but afterwards ho drifted back into the ruck, and remained there. Malt in© flattered her supporters until three furlongs from home; then the weight began to tell its t*le, and she retired beaten. Beau Vive made tho best use of her light-weight, but she was played out before reaching tho halfmile post. Olivaster raised the hopes of his party when h« flashed out near the half -milo post, and carried his field into the i>t might, but ho found the extra couple of furlongs beyond his tether. Pendil, Ungarie, and Lord Nolan were conspicuous in the rear division for the greater part of the trip, as also wa» the handsome New Zealander Downfall ; while Footpad agjain ran ingloriou&ly. The winner, wbo is the property of Dr. E«an Frazer, but is leased to Mr. Adi tan Knox, was bred at the Widden stud by Mr. James Thompson, and is full brother to that good horse Tangaroa, who ia now racing successfully in India. He is by Grafton (imp.) from Waihine, by Trenton from Lady Granville, by Chandos Trom Lady Cheater (imp.), by Stock well, and coat Dr. Frazer 200 guirrea* as a yearling. As a two-year-old- hie best effort was to »un second to that good New Zealand filly Armlet in the A.J.C. Gim crack Stakes, and the following sesson Ik gained his first winning bracket in the Grantham Stakes at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting, while he acted as runner-up to Lord Nolan in the A.J.C. St. Leger. Advices by last English mail record the death of the thoroughbred stallion Sir Hugo, by Wisdom, from Manoeuvre, at the Jockey Hall stud, Curragh, Ireland, last month. Sir Hugo was the sensational winner of the Derby, 1892, when starting at 40 to 1 he rather luckily defeated La FJeche, who, however, turned the tables on him in the St. Leger Stakes. Sir Hugo only won four races — the Rous Memorial Stakes at Goodwood, the Boscawen Stakes 'at Newmarket, the Derby, anid the Fortyfourth Nowmarket Biennial. At the stud Sir Hugo sired a number of moderate performers, but the best known of his progeny in Australia was Sir Fooie, who won the V.A.T.C. Futurity Staices and the V.R.C. Nowmarket Handicap, 1902, and who sired Prince Foote, the dual Derby and Melbourne Cup -sinner, and who also captured the V.R.C. St. Leger and Champion Stakes, 1910. In referring to Bobrikoff, "Milroy" writes as follows : — "Tho time was 2min 33sec for the mile and a half, and a fine reception awaited the winner and his owner, who deserved a share of the good things going for fetching his champion all the way 'from New Zealand to meet the best in Australia on their own ground. The only thing to regret was that Alawa was not present to test his mettle. Had Bobrikoff beaten Alawa, then he could have been for a certainty crowned the reigning champion of the time. 'Bob.' was quite a different horse on Saturday from the one we saw at Rosehill, where he was very lame. On that occasion he was badly outpaced for six furlongs, and had some difficulty ir disposing of Hoax and Britain, but on Saturday he was free from all ailment, moved cheerily in his preliminary, jumped off smartly, and showed dash from the start. As a result of the new taxation regulations, the contribution exacted from the Auckland Racing Club on the receipts connected with the recent autumn meeting held at Ellerslie I amounted to £948. This sum, it may be remarked, is £433 in excess of the amount which the club would have been liable for under the former assessment. Sydney people would flock in shoals to see two great horses in opposition at w.f.a., but old-timers never went very wild over its biggest handicap, the Sydney Gold Cup. They, in fact, took a greater betting interest in the Melbourne Cup, which not one in a hundred ever saw run. Until comparatively recent dates, says "Milroy" in the Sydney Mai!,, handicaps were of only secondary concern among Sydneyites, and once upon a time they would bet with mucb more freedom on a Derby or a champion race — and back the outsiders, too — ithon they would on tho Doncaster or any other handicap, no matter how richly it was endowed. Mr. Clibborn's great friend, Mr. W. A. Long, for many years advocated raising the stakes and improving those races described by imaginative writers as "classical," but 'the committees of. old kept a tight grip on the purse strings, and turned deaf ears to all appeals. At last Mr. Chbborn got a committee in whom his ideas were reflected, and prizes at once be^an to improve, and at last went up TitO .1 boom. I fancy the old secretary can thank the late Mr. G. G. Stead for the fulfilment of his ideals. Mr. Stead owned Cruciform, the champion of New Zealand, when Wakeful was preeminent on the Australian turf, while Ibex was a king among sprinters. Mr. Stead brought bis great mare over from New Zealand, and his landing ,%t Sydney could only be construed as tn act of war, and Mr. Leslie M'Donald accepting it as such, brought Wakeful I over from Melbourne to meet the Maori- ! land cracK. This pair met in the Spring Stakes, and the crowd they drew was till then unprecedented. Hitherto the Craven Plate had been described as an off day as far as gate returns went, but when Cruciform and Wakeful were down for a certainty to rur ir the Craven Plate, and Ibex was in to see fair play, that "off day," 1 think, returned tho biggest paddock gate of the four. This race opened everybody's eyes to one adamant fact — though it was long ago well enough known to Mr. Clibborn — that two horses like Carbine and Abercorn, Wakeful or Cruciform, were stronger magnets in Sydney than a thousand handicappers, and that is the reason why the A.J.C. began giving out high motley for its w.f.a. races, and 1 think it intends to go bigger still. DECISIONS OF THE RACING CONFERENCE APPEAL BOARD. The judges appointed by tho New Zealand Racing Conference to deal with appeals lodged sat in Wellington yesterday, and the results of their deliberations were handed to the press as follow : — A JOCKEYS LICENSE. In the matter of the appeal of Benjamin Deeley against the decision of the Auckland Metropolitan Committee, who confirmed the decision of the Takapuna Jockey Club, suspending the jockey's license o£ the appellant for twelve months for jostling: — Judgment. The appellant rode in the Cheltenham Handicap Tun at Takapuna on 27th Nov- ■ ember, 1909, when the stewards noticed at two stages of the race certain sudden changes in the running of the horses which might be explicable by collisions having occurred. One of the jockeye being (alter thf

horses had b«en placed and weighed in) found to have been injured, the j-tew-ards (without taking any steps to question the results of the race) decided to hold an enquiry after the coutluMon of the meeting. On 30th December a meeting of stewards was held (at which, as was subhcquently discovered, no quorum wa» prosent), and after hearing the evidence obtainable the license of the appellant was suspended for twelve months from the date of that meeting The appellant appealed to the Metropolitan Committee, who allowed the appeal on the ground that no quorum had been present when the decision was given. In view of this decision having been on a technical objection, the Metropolitan Committee (as authorised by Rule 5, Part 17, pago 18) suspended the license to allow of further proceedings being taken. Thft committee of the Takapuna Club (the came persons as the stewards) then held another enquiry, at which most of the witnesses at the first enquiry verified their former evidence. The club's committee suspended the license for twelve months from the date ot that decision 114 th January, 1910). The ground of the decision was that appellant had jostled horses in the race, and it is apparent from the papers- submitted that the committee was of opinion that at two separate stages of the race appellant had jostled Horses, in the one case Devonport, and in tho other Jena. The club's committee was acting within its powers in this decision (Rule Part 17, page 18), notwithstanding that the horse ridden by appellant was not disqualified (Rule 2, Part 26, page 50). The appellant again appealed, and the Metropolitan. Committee, on let Febru- 1 ary, 1910, endorsed tho decision of the Takapuna Club. Th-. judges do not <md any evidence that appellant did jostle Devonj^rt (the first jostle alleged in the race), and, in respect of the alleged jostle with Jena, there is not sufficient evidence to satisfy the judges that tho jostle (for which no action wa& taken by the stewards to question the result of the race) was, if it occurred, oaused by any wilful, or even negligent, act of the appellant. The appeal is allowed, and the suspension of the appellant's license h hereby quashed. It is ordered that the deposit lodged by the appellant with the conference and with, the Metropolitan Committee be refunded.