THE TURF.

Evening Star, Issue 12874, 25 July 1906, Page 3

THE TURF.

Grand“ifactiona-l......August 14, 16, and 18, [Gossip By Old Idbntity.] Notus and Sychera are. galloping well at Wingatui, and'both are intended for the Grand National meeting. As to which of the pair will represent the Hon. G. AT Lean in tli© Winter Cup nothing is yet settled, blit as a guess I should say Sychem, Afor and Sonia, belonging to the same stable, are in work again. i Air James A. Crawiord, tho new caretaker at Wingatui, was for seven years gardener at Airs Cutten’s place, Anderson Bay. The Hon. G. APLean bus appointed Adam Robertson stud groom at Warrington. The four-year-old Dinneford, who won the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot, followed it up with one of the “ ten thousand pounders,” the Princess of 'Wales Stakes, at Newmarket. At two and three years Dinneford was an indifferent performer, his eight starts in two seasons only resulting in one win. However, he seems to have improved in a very marked manner this year, and will be instrumental in his sire, Dinna Forget, figuring high up in the winning stallion list at tho close of this season. Dinna, Forget, who is by Loved ( hie from Barometer, is one of the cheap division of English stallions, his* fee being only 12 guineas, but tliere may now bo an advance in that figure, consequent on Dinncford’s deeds. The jumper Kiora. (Blue Mountain— May), who showed good form in Australia a. few years ago, died recently in England from tlie effects of injuries he received at the Hexham races. Kiora was wrecked at tho Capo while on the voyage to the Old Country, and, with Chconey, swam ashore. In England Kiora was not a particular success, but shortly before the last Liverpool Grand National ho won a couple of races, and showed form good enough to cause him to l>o mentioned as a possibility for the big event, in which, however, ho did not get very far. A blackfellow has been committed for trial at Durban on a charge of murdering a trainer named H. Hinds, recently belonging to Sydney. At midnight on April 19 Hinds left the Umgcnl Hotel, a couple of miles from Durban, and the next morning he was found battered to pieces near a ricksha. Witnesses were forthcoming to show that Hinds left the hotel in a semidrunken condition on the night of the murder in a ricksha. The puller was discovered the next morning in hiding, and a search of the native’s sleeping apartment revealed articles belonging to the deceased, who had only been in tho country a, month. Tho name of the puller is Tigigela. Another native named Nonganza was dragged into the affair through his being connected with the ricksha shed, where Tigigela was employed, hut evidence adduced showed him to be entirely innocent, of the charge. J. ATComb’s engagement with Air Stead starts in February next. Considerable interest attached to tho 'Trial Plate at Wellington owing to there being two New Zealand Cup candidates engaged in it—namely, the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s brown gelding Wirrall dbv Birkenhead—Nixie) and Mr W. Davies's bav colt Landwem (by Stepniak—Leda). ‘Four others sported silk, but they formed an essentially “also started” division, and finished a long distance behind the couple named. “Lochiel” writes that Wirrall was fractious at the post, and be bolted for six furlongs before the race began.' Monsieur Beaucaire, with l>andwcrn, made the running to the straight, but here Monsieur Beaucaire—who lacks brilliancyfaded away. Landwem ran on stronglv, but Wirrall followed fast, and in the last dozen strides established a lead, and landed the stake by half a length. Compass tilled third place, ten lengths away. The time. Imin 22|sec, was not brilliant. Tim winner only returned £1 16s for each £ invested, while Landwern’s backers lost 4s in the £. Wirrall is a big-framed, stronglv-built, welldeveloped coif, by Birkenhead 'from NLxie. -M] the Birkenhead stock are comely, but Wirrall possesses special claims. His performance in the Trial ’Stakes showed him to bo a good goer, and if he trains on well he should prove a tough problem in this year’s New Zealand Derby.

Phc same writer ,s;iys that oul v iivo hnrees sported silk for the July Stccple'chase—lrish (10.8), Playfair (10.7), Rongoa (10 6), Kruger (9.9), and Lissa i 9.7). Wi vvaka (9.7) was fancied by a good many cm the strength of his having defeated Irish in a cross-country nm in the South some time ago, when receiving a concession of Jst. In face of this he was being backed on the double machine, but on tho afternoon of the race ho was scratched. Irish wont out a hot first favorite, with Playfair ami Kruger about equally hacked. Playfair, Rongoa, and Irish were responsible tor the running throughout, though Kruger pegged along steadily not a groat way behind. Lissa propped and slid at tho sod bank, dislodged her rider, ami took no further part in the race. .As the lust quarter mile of the race was entered upon there seemed surety of a fast and exciting finish, but the hencoop jump halfway up tlie long straight altered the aspect. Irish rapped it rather heavily, but kept his legs; Playfair got safely over; Rongoa fell. After Ihe semblance of a struggle between Irish tind Playfair, Irish ran home an easy winner, and Kruger, who had twice baulked at the hencoop, was finally persuaded to run into third place. Rongoa, riderless, finished a length or two lx-hi ml - the first horse.

■ After the Epsom Derby, writes our London representative, questions were raised as to the value of Spearmint's victory. herein he beat the best we had in England and won quite easily. Now he has put paid to the account of the best that Prance -ould find of his age over the long and tiring Grand Prix course. It is true that in the last furlong Dillon had to rid© Carbine’s >on pretty vigorously to get rid of the attention of tho 100 to 1 outsider Brlsecoeur, and that Spearmint only won “ all out ” by half a length, but tho time of the race was very fast—smin 18£ sec—and among the beaten division was the winner of the I rench Derby (Maintenon). Spearmint started a hot favorite at 10 to 9 on, and in winning equalled, the performances of the only three English horses that had previously won both the Derby and the Grand Prix—viz., the mighty Gladiateur, Oremome, and Kisber. The last time an English DerW winner took part in the race was in 1880, when St. Blaise acted as runner-up to Frontiu. By the victory of Carbine’s son in the rand Major Eustace Loder benefits to the extent of £IO,OOO, and Speanmnt brings his total winnings for the year tono less than £16,458. Crediting Carbine with the Grand Pnx amount, “Old Jack’s” stock have won £17,950 in Europe thus far this year, his three-year-old representatives GinK ai > liamrod, Catapult, and Spearmint having credited him with all but £175 of that amount, th© remainder being contributed by the aged Powder Puff. F. Dunn, the jockey who rode Wakeful iu most of her races, died at the Melbourne Hospital recently. He was onlv twentvIhree years of age. His death was sudden, and the ending, sad. . “Terliuga” writes: -Dunn began his career as a small boy at St. Albans, and was a favorite of Mr Macdonald’s. The first horse he looked after was Miss Carbine, and as a very little chap he won a race, on her. at Geelong. ••Later on Mr Macdonald gave him nearly all his riding, but,' unfortunately, success upset Dunn, and ids master felt obliged to part with him. Dunn was a good horseman, and no one could ride Wakeful as well as he bd, but, as often happens, he came to the iront too early. The head was too young to stand winning big race after big race. He got to think that he knew more than lus owner, and lost races through not riding to orders. In the Melbourne Cup which Wakeful ran second for he was told on no account to come to the front before the distance. He took the lead half a mile from home. Up to the tune he left the stable Dunn always looked after “old mother,” as the'boys called- Wakeful, and he was mort attached to the little marc. Dunn was'a brother-in-law of H. Munro, and the last mount he bad was on La Siesta at Caulfield He won-the- Melbourne Cup, the Sydney Cup, and Newmarket Handicap for Mr Macdonald.

The profits to be made out of horseflesh' are wonderful Within the last few years—since 190o—the French sportsman, M. Blanc (who gave £39,375 for. Flying Fas) has disposed of seven stallions (four by Flying Fox), the sum realised amounting to no less than £146,000, and be still retains Flying Fox and his best son, Ajax, who 1 has never beaten. Vinicius was sold for oio’S oo, uo Vadis for £ 20,000, Cains for £12,000, Gouvemant for £24,000, Adam for £15,000, Val d’Or for £31,500, and tTardy for £31,500. Vinicius wvlb bought by the French Stallion Depots, Cains by Germany, Quo Vadis by Russia, Adam by Mr A. Belmont (America), and Val d’Or and Jardy by the Argentine, which recently acquired Diamond Jubilee (£31,000) and Pietermaritzburg (£15,750). The ‘ Argus ’ gives particulars of the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase, run on the 14th inst. : No horse stripped fitter than Decoration, and, strange to say, neither he nor Syringa had been seen in public for ■ some time. Both had been trained in tho old-fashioned way. The same might be said of Cardinal, a usefullooking grey, belonging to Air A. Miller, who gave his frineds little encouragement. Eoisdalo, one of the last of the Swiveller breed, is a good type of ’chaser. Bombastes, a half-brother to Dirk Hammerhand. Kin in tho interests of South Australia, hut after his failure at Moonec Valley his friends lost hope, and Abdallah, although a good jumper, was reckoned wanting in stamina. The remarkable thing about Lothian is his immense length. Two horses of his sort, would make three ordinary horses. He was turned out in good fettle by Hickenbotham, and had done a splendid gallop, but little was known of his jumping qualifications, although, like Divham, be was said to have been in the show business. Officer and Talmud had a soft appearance, and Baronet was outclassed in such a, field. The race wag generally voted very open, so much so, in fact, that at one time on Friday 8 to 1 was offered on the field. Beilis wa.s weaker then, hut on the course ho recovered his former position at the head of the quotations. Decoration was in strong request., and another horse that was well backed wa.s Boisdale. The General and Lothian were not so firm, and for some unknown reason Syringa went out of favoj. About Cardinal at the' reading of the card 2,000 to 160 was accepted in one hand, but there was not a penny-piece for the stable, which held no great opinion of the horse’s chance. Boisdale made a good deal of the early running. Stockman fell at the first fence, and the last of the stand treble brought. The General. lx>thiau, and Baronet to grief, while Boisdale was still pounding away in front; but at tho bridge Syringa rati past Boisdale. Syringa had several lengths’ advantage at the back of the course, but striking hard Decoration ran past, him, and clearing the lari, fence in safety, won in hollow fashion, amid cheers, from Syringa. Beilis struggled on gamely, but the weight told its inevitable tale, and he was only a moderate third. Springfield was fonrtii, but the others were Iteaten a long way, and passed the post in Indian file. The first and second horses were- reared in the Western district of Victoria. Decoration, if not exactly thoroughbred—there is an admixture of Arab blood on the dam’s side—can boast of a rare pedigree. He was bred by his owner, Air K Finn, at Kolor, Penshurst. and is by Coronet (son of St. Albans). from Lady Peri (dam of Arcadia, Error, and Anchor), by Boatman. Like many other good steeplechasers, Decoration was recruited from the hunting field, and first, came into prominence by winning the V.A.T.C. Amateur Challenge Cup.