SPORTING NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 5358, 10 May 1880, Page 2

SPORTING NOTES.

The Oamaru Jockey Club recently chose a committee of its members to arrange for holding a steeplechase meeting shortly, and the committee were to report last Monday. Oa that day, however, a quorum did not attend, and the matter was adjourned till to-day, when the date of the gathering will be fixed and the programme decided on. It is probable that July 5 will be chosen, and that will be a conrenient day, as it immediately precedes the President's Cup couraicg match. Oae of Otago's oldest sportsmen passed away on Thursday last in the person of Mr William M'Donald, who died after an intermittent illness extending over some time. Deceased was well known for years as proprietor of the Noah's Ark stables, and in the early days he was an enthusiastic supporter of racing, being indeed one of the promoters of the old Tradesman's R*ce3 Club, the precursor cf the present Dunedin Jockey CJub. Mr M'Donald oAvned two or three horses at oae time, Merryman and Who'J-have-thought-it being probably the best known. Nominations for the Riverton Handicap, Hurdle Rac?, Wallace Stakes, and Maiden Plate close on the 14'h inst. MrR. Howells will publish the weights for the handicap on the 21st. Rices will also be held on the Queen's Birthday at Tapanui, Moa Flat, and \Vyndham ; but the programmes for these have not yet appeared. Mr H. Yeend purposes returning to Dunedin after his two or three years' sojourn in Tasmania, and he will probably bririg with him a c tuples of horses which he has bsen running there. These are the flat-racer Customs and the crosscountry horse lotnpid, and they are both of a stamp likely to hold their own in decent company here, though I believe neither has so far achieved any very great performance. Mr Yecnd was always a thorough sportsman, and gifted with a large amount of pluck, and I trust that he will meet with better success than attended him with those unfortunate horses Rory O'More and King Philip. A well-founded report reaches me that the Hon. G. M'Lean recently ssnt by telegram an offer of 1 000 guineas for the celebrated Australian tally Petrea, but that it was declined. This mayJbe locked upon as evidence that Mr M'Lean intends to go into racing, if at all, in a proper fp : rit, namely, that of obtaining good horses to carry bis colors. N omiuath ns for the Cromwell Dei by of 50 s-vj, added to a sweep of 5 sovb each for accept-. r.<, close on the 21th inst. The stake will be run for in I eceniber next, and isi limited to stock bred in Vincent, Lake, and M»niototo ceuatiep. The Southland Derby of 75 sovs, added to a sweep of 8 sovs each, hj. ft., closes on the 25fch inst. This is an open stake, and it will be run at the next annual gathering of the Club. Nominations should be plentiful now that Inverearg'll is bo eas)ly accessible by rail. By the death of Mr W. F. Neilson we have lost a genuine sportsman and an enthusiastic tupporter cf cricket and other athletic pursuits. Daring the short period that he was brought prominently before the public in connection with racing he owned a {strong tf---»in cf li-nae ■'■, including Fiuhhook, NTatato!, Lvt'ia, NuifK', aud Te Whetuinarsm". Wi'.-h Fishhook he won last hf-aBOo th<: Duuedin J.C. Hand.cap of 300 sovs, Riilway Plate of 100 sovs. and Queen's Plate if 100 aovs ; while at the C interDury autumn m-eting he carried off the Epsom Stakes of 100 sovs and the Fijirg S'akes of 100 sovs. With Nitator trn elecoased won the Canterbury Djjrby of 150 sov , purchasing the colt the very night b. f»e the rao<\ Luna wen three races iu his col .ro Mjd Te Whetumarama scored no lefs than ten victories in the one icison. Mr Neilson was only twentynine vear3 of age at the iiine ol his death, S-eVart Waddeli'- horpe Itangatira baa never entirwl/ recovered fro .0 the knot ktug about which he trot on Lu last teMun inr up-country and I learn that it u doubtful if we ehall again see him on a racecourse. This is much to be regretted, as he u a

really good horse and oost hia owner some money to bring over from Australia. Taere is nothing tf interest to report with regard to our approaching winter races. The horses which I have previously mentioned as being at the Furbury are all at work, but as they go at various hours of the day and not in the early morning it is impossible to record their proceedings. Trotters are there in plenty, but I don't think much interest is taken in their doing k The course is naturally in a rather heavy condition atter the recent rains, but with an ordinary amount of fine weather between now and the day of the races it will not be bad going. Acceptances and general entries close on the

15 th inst. a ~ _,. , I have been endeavoring to compile a list of the performances of the old racing mare Brunette, who died last month ; but owing to up-country races beiDg very poorly reported in the early days, I have been unable to eather many particulars as t» her doings. She was bred by Mr W. H. Hwrw, and was by Scud cut (f Calista, byCoomarin -CJypso, by Toss. Scud was by Riddlesworth out of Spray, by Donizetti. Mr J. Douglas (of Comber and Douglas), purchased Brunette and her dam when the former was a foal, and the youngster passed through the hands of Mr Glassford and into those of Mr E. Rvan before she appeared on a racec urce. The latter gentleman ran her at the Danstan and at Manuherikia as a three-year-old, and the following year she won some grand races a* Clyde and Cromwell. In thosa days good stakes were given by the jockey clubs at the digging township?, end the best company in Otago and Canterbury used to have a cut-in for them. Amongst the cracks that Brunette beat there were Bu-gundy and Slanderer. About this time Mr J. Hazlett bought her for some L4O, and the next season she Bcored mor3 wins at Clyde and Cromwell, and also the N,velßice at Dunedin. At six years she won amrngst other races the two principal handicaps at Cromwell, beatiDg Tambourini, Taffrajl, and other good horses. She also won two more races at Clyde, besides her victories at Tuapeka and other fhess. In her seventh year she several times successful, and the following season she was in great form, but unfortunately broke down so badly that she could ncv r race again. This accident happened at the C.omwell meeting, where she won the G<aad Stand Handicap, of GO sovs (8 it 7lb) F.ying Handicap, of 30 sovs (Bst), and J. C Handicap, of lOOsovd (Gi-), beating Backbiter, Kathleen, and others. la this last race the mishap occurred, but she strncgled along and won with a bit in band. For the principal portion of Brunette's racing career Stewart Waddell bad charge of her, and to his care and attention are greatly due her many victories. For Mr Hi z'ett alone she won over LI.OOO in etake3. Since being cjn-■ signed to the stud Brunette has had foals to Architect, Flying Dutchman, Roebuck, and Young Angler. Otautau winter races on the 29th ult. Becm to have been a genuine success, although no high class horses took part in them. The Hurdle Race was won by Mr J. Henderson's Little Bobbie, beating four others easily; the Otautau Cup by Mr D. M'Laren's Waiau, beating Croydon, Merrymaid, and Ada; the Ladies' Purse by Mr J. Martin's Croydcn, against four others ; the Trot by Mr T. Steel's Fool; a Hurry Skurry by Mr W. Ward's Stormbird ; and the Consolation Handicap by Mr J. Henderson's Mtnymaid. The local paper is so exhilarated at the success of the meeting that it announces that " it is contemplated forming a jockey club for this part of the world." The weights for the Grand National Steeplechase have given pretty general satisfaction, although different people have of course their diverse opinions as to what are best in. I hav3 heard complaints about the weight allotted to Scamp but I do not eee that Mr Kimbcll has been extremely hard upon the little horse, who will have the assistanco of his usual rider. Jimmy Allen, and who will take a lot of beating with all his list 21b. The heavy weight division I do not particularly care for, believing that scarcely one of them will go to the post in good enough trim ; and I like the look of Thilo, Black Prince, Royalty, Baron, and Little John in preference. It was extremely improbable that Mr Lance would put the fifty-nine horses in the Canterbury J.C. Handicap together on terms that would please everybody, and therefore one need not be surprised at there being a few apparent mistakes in the production. As the tasK of analysing it requires Borne space, I shall defer doing so for the present; but in the meantime I may express the opinion that Mr Stead ought to be able to win it with either Le Loup, Betrayer, or Lure, all of whom are too well treated. Virginia Water, Vampire, Hihrious, Longlands, and Titania are not badly used; but Norseman and Hornby are decidedly too high up in the scale. A special meeting of the stewards of the Ellesmere Jockey Club was held on the 30th ult., Mr W. Hislop in the chair, for the purEose of considering what stepp, if any, an™ l *} e taken in the case where Mr James Bell had entered a horse under the name of Rayboy for two of the district races, whereas the horse had the week before run at the Kowai Pass races under the name of Pippin, and was then owned by Mr D. Kennedy. The Secretary read letters leceived from the secretaries of the Kowai Pass races and North Canterbury races respectively, stating that Rippin had been running at their race meetings a3 a six-year-old. Mr Bell was thon calltd into the room, and the letters were read over to him. He acknowledged that the horse entered at the E J.C. meeting by him as Ray boy was the horse Pippin that ran at the Kowai Pass races, and also at the North Canterbury races. He stated that the horse was hia property at the time of the races, but that he had i ot had him three months, the ncceaBary "qualification required for the dietr ci races in which le had entered the horse. It was proposed by Mr Kel'ahan and seconded by Mr Spring—" That Jamsa Bell, the rider and the owner of the horsa Pippirj, alias Rayboy, b3 disqualified from entering, training, or riding a horse in any race run on the Eilesmere Jockey Club course, und that the disqualification extend to the horse during the pleasure of the Club. Tne motion was carried unanimously, and it was further resolved to ask the various racing club* in the Provincial D'strict of Canterbury to take notice of the circumstances and act as they think best. Mr Sherwin has forwarded me a copy of the programme for the Waimate steeplechases, to be held on June 2. The first event j is the Steeplechase Handicap, of 100 sovs, added to a sweep of 3 sovs each ; the second horse to receive 15 sovs from the stake; three miles. Then come the Maiden Plate, of 50 sovj, two miles ; County Cap Handicap, of 75 sovs, two miles and a half; aud Consolation Handicap, of 40 sove, two miles. This is a capital bill of fare, and it should secure good entries. Nominations close on the 20th inst., and the weights for the principal handicap will appear on the 25;h ; these for the Cup Will be issued after the race for tlie Maiden plate. The handicappera are Messrs Sherwin and Sfcudholme. " Voltigeur " considers that the winner of the Grand National Steeplechase will be found amongst Lone Hand, S "imp, M'lvor « best, Royalty, Black Prince, Harkaway, and Ada, and at present he prefers Royalty. He adds:—"There are rumors again flymg about as to impracticable fences being put up, and I have heard of blue gum rails of unheard-of thickness and height being put into the gorac f nccs. I do not know how this may b?, Kit I sincerely hope it will not be the as it i-3 vtry likc-Iy to npml fun racing and deprive th* public of tin so good finishe3 they might otherwise see." For the Canterbury J C. II ind'cvp the Bam« writer c>i>si(l<-rn tho beat-treated aie Mata. Chancell.!, Titanin, L n, B gird us, Lo 't-landti, Hi':uioiu-, Vamjjiiv, Lo Loup, Batn«yor, and Mari'ana. " S n' a l " prefers for the (! sirl National Lone. Hind. Th j Agent, It ya'ty, Loch Lomond, and B-auk Prince. Mr Stead h»' re-named his colt Gold Moiiur, giving him the appellation of Louis d'Or. Tflia is to save onfutiou with another hor*e of the former name. A*: the half-yearly meeting of the Canterbury J ckfy Club held ou Saturday the balance sheet submitted by the treasurer ehowed an overdrawn account of L2lb. this bein<* caused by the Committee clearing oil the bdanca of tho whole of the railway )in- rn to tbe course, which amounted to L 3 135 13i whin The railwav itself had earned L 1.267 For the tv o meetings daring the year L 4.562 lOi had been paid away in stakes. It was stated

that a SyJney architect had been instructed to provide plana for a new grand stand which would give seating accommodation for I.UUU persons, to have a sloping lawn in front which would allow the races to be Been by another thousand, the cost to be about L 3 000 It was suggested that, as was done with the railway line, a number of members should become guarantors to the bank for the money nquirod to erect the stand, and a resolution was passed instructing the incomng committee to take immediate steps for the construction of the stand in the event of their being able to make the requisite financial arrangements. The following suggestive notice of motion was given for next meeting:—" That a handicapper be appointed at a substantial salary to attend the various race meetings in the Colony, who will neither own, back, nor be in any way interested in the running of horses, and that the appointment be made with the co-operation of the leading clubs in the Colony who are willing to engage the services of the gentleman bo appointed. Pegasus.