THE TURF.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1912, Page 2

THE TURF.

- FIXTURES. Jan. 29 — Takapuna J.C. Summer. Feb. 1 and 2—Gisborne B.C. Summer. " Feb. 1 and 3 — Canterbury J.C. Summer. Feb. 7 and B— Egmont R.C. Summer. Feb. B— Te Kuiti i R.C. Annual. Feb. 14 and 15— Taranaki J.C. Autumn. Feb. 21. 22, and 24— Dunedin J.O. Autumn. Feb. 21 and 22— Woodville District J.C. Autumn, Fob. 29 and March 2— Wanganui J.C. Autumn. March 6 and 7— Dannevirke R.C. Autumn. March 13 and 14— Napier Park R.C. Autumn. NOTES AND~COMMENTS. (By Sir Bedivere.) Tho total number of the nominations received for the fifteen handicap events to be decided at Wanganui on 29th February and 2nd March was 402, or an average entry of rather more than 26 per race. No lees than 45 horses are engaged in the Matarawa Hack Handicap, whilst the Petve Hack Handicap &t> tracted 44. Last year the total entry waa 365. : The crack Australian hurdler The Reckoning, who was entered for the last Grand National decided at Riccarton, recently changed hands for a consideration of £500. He is now the property of a South Australian epbrteman. Mention of Australia reminds me that whilflt R. J. Mason was at Trentham I questioned him as to whether there was, any truth in the report that originally appeared in the Sydney Referee, and has since been freely circulated in New Zealand, to the effect that he wan going to reside permanently at Randwick. " All I can cay is," eaid Mason, "that tome people appear to know more about my affaire than I do myself. ■ There ib nothing in it. All being well, I shall, as usual, probably take a team of Mr. Greenwood's hpraee over to Sydney for the Spring Meeting, but co far as I know at present I ahall subsequently return tp New Zealand, and continue to .train at Yaldhuret." Mr. W. 08. Macdonough, a San Francisco horse-fancier and breeder, has just secured the highest price ever paid for a shipment of American thoroughbreds into Great Britain. His five yearlings brought ■ 2715 guineas, or about 13,585 dollars. One s of the colts, a bay gelding, by' Osserby— Santabella, almost a fqll brother to Ormondale, the 1905 Futurity wjnner,was knocked down for 5600 dollars, Relieved to be the highest price ever paid for »n American yearling !in the United Kingdom. All of the colts [ were raised on tEe Macdonough Farm, near San Mateo. Each of these colts was a descendant of the famous Ormonde, imported by Macdonough at a cost of 150,000 dollars. Referring to the two trotting evente at the Whangarej Racing Club's Annual Meeting, the Referees' correspondent writes ;— The aged chestnut horse Smug* gler, looking very light, won both trots, his victories being due to the capable horsemanship pf "Tartar 1 * Julian. Lady Member carried a big weight each day, but certainly ought to have won on the first day, while Kirikiriroa was unlucky on the second day through breaking. The trotting races paid the club well, and created lots of interest and some amusement. Kirjkiriroa, who once trotted a mile in 2min 28£ sec, though unable still to go near it, may have been the fastest of the competitors. Redpath was easily the slowest of ihe starters. Mewiwait winner of the Great Northern /Hurdle Handicap in, 1907, is to be ''gfven another trial, to see if ne will stand a preparation/ The eon of Mevriwee — Bubbles is now nine years old. The New Zea)ajid-bred mare Lady Olga by Merrjwee— St. Olga, was made a staunch - favourite for the Deagon Handicap run at the Bandgate races in Queensland recently, but she ran disappointingly, and finished out of a place. The race was won by Gosine by Gos.apn— Rufixje, who covered the mil 6in lmin 43sec. After enjoying a few weeks' rest in the Penrith district, the Caulfield Cup winner, Lady Medallist, is back in her quarters at J. W. Noud's establishment at Randwick. Wbesn the St. AJwyne mare returned frpm her severe campaign in Melbourne, she presented a very light apperaance, but (saya a Svd/ ney exchange) since the run out she has picked up immensely, and is now ready to gp Into active service for the autumn meetings. Volodybskii bought by Mr. H. Kemy (owner of the Neuvillettee Stud), recently arrived in France in very good condition. The journey has interfered in no way with the fine state of Florizel's son. Hopes are entertained that he may prove a brilliant successor to Flying Fox, whose sudden death, had left a vacancy, difficult to fill. Soultoria's success in the Takapuna Cup was fully anticipated. He, Won the event last year under 7et 71b, when,, as on Saturday, Deeley was in the saddle- Her dam, Pretoria, is-.an own sister to Winsome (dam of Miss Winsome) and a half eipter to Belmont, Ladybird (dam oi Melwood), St,- Simon, Record Reign, and Up-to-Date. The dispersal sale of the Elderslie Stud is being held to-day. Judging by . the ridiculous prices obtained for the Waikanae yearlings, values are likely to ! rule in favour of buyers. Interesting details should, however, be to hand to- : morrow. TAKAPUNA J.C. MEETING. fBX MLSQRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] j AUCKLAND, 28th January. On tho ppening day of the Takapuna Joek.ey Club's Summer Meeting the sum of £18,945 was passed through the totalizator, as againet slightly }<ss than filQ.ooo for the first day of last year's meeting. Remaining results inHauraki Handicap Maiden Hurdles, of 100 soys; one mile and a-half and one hundred yards.— Master Theory/ 9.2, 1; Matarere, 9.10. 2 ; Lloyde, 9.3, 3. Also started— Captain Paul, Weeterly, Bon Cyr, Crispineer, Atahere, Bright Shot, and Field Marshal. Won by four lengths. Time, 2min 50 2-ssec. Takapuna Cup Handicap) of 400 soy? ; one mile and three furlongs.— Soultoria, 8.6, 1; La Reina, 6.8, 2; Jolie Fille, 6.13, 3. Also slarted— Electrakofl, Sea Elf, tfgapuka, Sir Artegal, St. Amaiife, Gloy, Spectre, Waiotahi, Aristocrat, and Taketumu. Won by tbree-parta of a length, with Jolie tfille a neok away third. Gloy wye fourth, Time. 2inin 30*ec. Ferry Handicap, of 100 sove ; four furlongs and a-half Surplus, 7.11, 1 ; Royal Irish, 7.11, 2; Invader, 7,13, 3. Also started— Belle Crispin, Sir Walter, Royal Armour, Master l)ix, Dark Rose, Solitude, Countree, Rutter, Cloudy Dawn, Ruffy, Pela.va.lite, Constellation, Barbwire, and Sir GJadstope. Won by half a length. Time, lmin 9 2-ssec. Calliope Handicap, of 125 cove ; five furlongs and a-half.— Lannacost, 7.4, 1 . j Prince Merriwee. 7-5, 2 ; Monotone, 7.Z, 3. Also started-T-Hajselton, Indulgence, Semolina, Patoa, Majwto, and Mira. Won by three-pavt* of a leagth. lime, i lmin 10 4-6scc.

Orewa Handicap Hurdles, of 100 soys ; one mile and a quarter.— Block Northern, 10.1, 1; Master Theory, 9.0, 2\ Delegate, 12.1, 3. Also started— Doh Quex, Wellcaste, and Master William. Won by two lengths. Time, 3min 20sec. Stewards' Handicap, of 200 uovs ; five furlongs and a-half.— Mighty Atom, 7.6, 111 1 La Reina, 6.13, 2 ; Sea Pink, 6.11, 3. Also started— Wee Olga, Miss Livonia, Captain Soult, Flying Soult, Peggy Pryde, Necktie, and Lady Betty. Won by a short head. Time, lmin lOsec. SCRATCHINGS FOR CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Royal Scotch and Bon Bon have been • scratched for all engagements at the Canterbury Jockey Club's Summer Meeting. ABOUT ISINGLASS. ROMANTIC ORIGIN OF A RECORD It is just as well that the history of our great horßes should be kept clear of inacouraoy (says an English journal), Con. corning, the lately dead Isinglass and his romantic origin — offspring of a mare retrieved from the shafts— there are conflict, ing oooounfcs of how Captain ~Maohell oamo to possess Dead look. She admittedly was sold fpr an "old song," being worthless for racing, and Mr. Corl&tt asserts that Captain Machell was spoofed into buying her by the late Lord Aling. ton. They were going over the Criohel stud, add his lordship, who was what 11 known as a "champion, kiddar," professed to admire ono of the inmates, and said I "Now there's a mare that's worth £500 of anybody's money." Captain Machell playfully answered, "Give you twenty," and to his surprise Lord Alington said, "Shos yours." Tho captain was by no moan» keen on the purchase, even at that, and saidi he muafc have a sovereign for "luok penny," whioh was at once given him. "This," says Mr. Corlett, "is the short and simple story of the purchase as told us from Lord Alington's own lips," His lordship and the captain aro both dead, but Mr. W. Parker, who had tho mare, is alive, and I am greatly obliged to his son, Mr. Joseph Parker, for the following interesting letter, which may be commended to tho turf historian anxious to have his facts straight and clean:— "Dear Sir,— l road with muoh interest your account of the death of Isinglass, and as the faota of the purchase ot his dam are well known to mo I thought you might be pleased to have them. Had Isinglass been the first instead of • the third foal of Deadlock romance would still more deeply have been associated with his careor. My father bought the mare for £20. She was a handsome oheitnut,, very kind and docile, but her hocks being coarsq she was discarded from the raoing stable. For three or four years she was driven regularly in our dog.oart. We frequently, used to call at Captain Machell s stud farm at Kentford, and one day ho « suggested we should breed from the mare, but not being raoing people wo thought she would be more useful to us as' she was. Captain Macholl, however, overcame our scruples by offering to mate her free with his sire Blue Blood. This wa» done, and a short time before foiling a deal was made, the captain ofierjng his five-year-old shire entire Wonderland in .exchange, together with a pn* third share of the of the Unborn foal up to the finish of its threo-yeMvold career. This contingency my father did not trouble muoh about, but tho captain, a thorough good old sportsman, insisted on sending a written agreement to this effect, whioh my father still holds. Tho foal was born— l well remember being present at its christening. Captain Maohell thought as lto sire was Blue Blood the colt should be oalled House of Lords, and unfortunately for uu, true to its numo, 'it never did ony good. 1 Gorvas followed, winning many races. Then oame IsingfaßS. It would be interesting to know what would have been our thjrd share had he arrived first instead of third. . This no doubt some of your comepoedents c*n supply, if not in cash, then in figures, which will give a fine finish to our one racing romance." A very simple calculation provides the figures ' ; /K'JqU'jstioii. Isinglass in his first two seasons won' £23,457, so that the share of the Parker family had he been House of Lords would have amounted to £7812 6s Bd. . Thih Would be gross, ( deducting nothing for forfeits and training and other ' expenses. '