THE TURF.

Evening Star, Issue 13146, 30 December 1908, Page 3

THE TURF.

Grcymouth ..Dec, 31 and Jan. 1 Waikouaiti Jan. 1 Auckland Jan. 1 and 2 [Gosstp by Old Identity.] Financially the Christmas race meeting of t>o Dunedin Jockey Club this year, was the best ever held by ■ho club at ‘this period of the season. 'Hie attendance was a record, the machine money exceeded last years by £2,370, and the club received £320 in bookmakers’ fees as against £240 last year. Mr C. Mac he II headed the list of winning owners, thanks to Valdimar and Cymhiform. Wo do not yet know howgood Valdimar is, and the same may be said of Cymbifonn, who on the second when meeting Caspian on 61b worse terms than on the first- day, won again with greater ease. The other pair of two-year-olds that raced at the meeting would not have had a chance at any concession in weight. It- is poor encouragement to the D.J.C. to cater for the youngsters when only four compete. The eleven acceptors for the CHokia Welter were all geldings. Derrett rode particularly well on Rose Noble each day. and it was not his fault that- the. son of Miss Kilmany moved it each time. F. Yarr distinguished himself in two or three clever finishes. I do not care for clever finishes myself, hut owners do, and it is the owner who nays. To mention Yarr i-: really a compliment to that jockey, and intended as such. The riding at this meeting was much above the average seen nowadays. : Another jockey who did well was J. M'Chiskcy. As a matter of fact he had the greatest number of winners l —four—at the meeting, (t. A. Pino also earned his three wins, and he might have had a fourth if he hid been more wary when finishing on Passion in the Salisbury Hack Handicap. Other riders who had a winning mount each were W. He Iter. C. Hack, PI. Cotton. A. H. Wilson. J. P. Byrne, and J. Beale. They tell me that one of the wins was entirely unexpected, and—well, f won’t say not wanted, but the horse had to bo let go. Dn.il. winner of the hurdle race that opened the Manawatu meeting, is by Crackshot—Satellite, and started first favorite. Hr- won all the way. Perolina, who won the Maiden Plate, is in English-bred tilly. counting as a four-renr-old. got- by Persimmon from La- Carolina. There is a pedigree for you. "(ilenroe " says that the performance was a first-class one, for Perolina did not get away too well, and then she had a had nm right through the race, Hatcli tiled to get through on the rail-o at the home ' urn, but he got blocked, and had to come right on the outside of the two leaders. The imported mare put in a terrific run over the last furlong, and is without doubt a game finisher. Cme.inella, the half-sister to N'onette. Boned for previous disappointments by winning the Manawatu Summer Cup decisively. She began ■indifferently, but Oliver did not bustle her and hided his .line, with the result that she found an ?pening at the foot of the straight, and sounded home in front of the improved lleneulloch.

Gold Crest added to bis triumphs by innexing the Palmerston North Stakes in ine style. He was giving two years and flh to Full Rate, and did the six furlongs m 1.14 dead, or t.wo-Hfths of a second ■ slower than Munjeefs time in 1906. "Augur” says that! Penates’? indifferent display in the Palmerston Stakes was not difficult to account for. His owner was anxious to have a photograph taken of his -.■ rack sprinter. Tire lioise did not prove a good "sitter,” and the operation took nearly an hour t<a( complete. A high wind was blowing, and Penates subsequently contracted a cold from his exposure, and was running at the nose on the day of the race. Had he been at his best, however, it is extremely unlikely he could have, presented 91b and a beating to Gold Crest. In point of time the best go on the first day of the Manawatu meeting was by Gold Thread (Gold Reef—Purscstring) in covering the six furlongs of the Awapnni Handicap in Irnin When the barrier was released, writes "Glencoe." several of the candidates were unprepared, ;cnd the field set) off in straggling fashion. Advantage and several others were hopelessly left, and some of the jockeys state that they had no warning that the 'start was to be'effected. The incident was rather an aicnov-ircc- one | (or the jocKeye concrmed, as they had been kept waiting a considerable time in the rain, while Reid) rider of Gold Thread, made an excursion to the bird cage and back to effect repairs to bis gear. Then, to their chagrin. Gold Thread got away ahead of everything. Apa started favorite for the Manawatu f'np, one and a-half miles', on Saturday last. The special to the ’Press’ state's that the field got away well together, Muskervy and Apa being the first to get going. Apa immediately gave place to Truganini, and passing tfie stand the order was Mnskerry. Blue Ribbon, Moloch. Trnganini. and Riflemaid, with Carissiraa and Kopu last. There was very little alteration to the six furlong post, where Musketry led from Blue Ribbon, Truganini, Moloch, Apa, Riflemaid, and Tangimoana. A furlong further Musketry fell back, ami Blue Ribbon took charge, and led into the straight, followed by the others in the same order. In the run home Apa and Tangimoana joined Blue Ribbon, and the trio fought out a desperate finish to the pest where Tangimoana just, got in front to win by half a head, Apa half a head awav third. Truganini was fourth. Sportsmen all over the Dominion, wherever they were spending Boxing Day. had a thought for the Auckland Cup. and the result is of special interest in these parts, since the winning horse’s money (£1,250) and the winning horse’s kudos come to Otago. I don't think that Mr Buckley's All Bed was hacked for much down here; still we are all glad to see such a straightgoing owner win, especially when, as in the present case, a sterling performance is put up. If the form at Ellerslie be true. All Bed is as good as Bobrikotf. and better than Master Detaval at level weights over a distance. Perhaps it would be fairer not to compare Master Delaval just now, as the veteran is not quite at his best, but anyhow the field represented quality, and All Bed won decisively. lam indebted to tire ‘Press’ (Christchurch) for the following re]>orl: —From a good start Carl Rosa was first to show out, but when the field had nettled down ior the run along the hack Patitutu. All Red, Bobrikotf, Zimmerman, Carl Rosa. Diabolo. and First Gun was the order of Hie leading division, Master Dclaval bringing up the rear. Passing the stand Pariti. i was showing the way to Zimmerman, All Red, First Gun, Carl Rosa, and Bobrikoff. Seven furlong? from homo Master Delaval moved up, and at the five furlong post was in third position, behind Paritutu and Zimmerman, with All Red next This was the order along the top stretch, where Bobrikoff put in bis run, end had improved his position. All Red then took command from Paritutu and Zimmerman. At the distance All Red had the race well in hand, and stalling off a iliallenge by RobrikolT won nicely by two lengths. Paritutu being a length further back. Then came Fnst Gun, Ikon, Carl Rosa, Poputu. Stratagem, Diabolo, Master Delaval. and Zimmerman. Time, smm olsec.

The Hon. G. M’Lean's castoff Notus, purchased recently in Australia for 55 guineas, must be well thought of over there, for he was recently offered at auction on a reserve of 500 guineas. Tirole ricked himself tho other day, hence his absence from the Wingatui meeting. The .action of the members of the A.J.C. in authorising the Committee to enter into an agreement with the governing bodies of the leading racing clubs in. the other States for the establishment of a central office for the registry of racehorses, and also in endorsing a proposition for the acquisition of the ’Australian Stud Book, will, it is expected, bo followed by the different racing clubs in the other States. A New Zealand-bred filly in Coronella was successful in the Maiden Plate at Aspendale Park (Vic.) on the 20th inst. She is trained by D. J. Price, and is by

Stepniak froin Coronal,-by-Medallion.. She got - out •of slips very - quickly, ■ and just lasted long enough to winfrom the promising Pistol filly Hedge. The visitors at Aspendale Park included Count Batthyony, a prominent racing man in Austria, and a steward' of many y ears’ standing of the racing club at Buda-Pesth. He is also an honorary steward of the Jockey Club. The count is on a flying visit to Australia and New Zealand. Virtu, by Dorchester—Vanity, won the Villiers Stakes at Bandwick on the 20th, carrying 8.9, and beating flose Ray (7.11) five lengths. The mil© occupied Imin 38isec. The special commissioner of the London 'Sportsman ’ says that in an indirect manner he was associated with Marcovil’s Cambridgeshire victory, for it was he who sold Lady Villikins, the dam of the winner, to the late Duke of Devonshire for 1,500 guineas, she being then in foal to Flying Fox, and with Lady Angela as a foal at font. This transaction demonstrates the folly of drawing a line against the purchase of mares past middle age. Lady \ illikins was sixteen years old when her owner paid a 400-guinea fee for her to go to Flying Fox. Peru, sold for 2,000 guineas, is to be shipped to India and go into the same stable as Mooltan. As a three-year-old Peru won the V.A.T.C. ,St. Helier'Stakes, V.R.C. Australian Cup (7.10), and Champion Stakes. 1 his season he ran second, carrying 8.9, to Mooltan (9.2) in the Metropolitan, and won the Randwick Plate, while at Flemington he scored‘a brilliant victory in the Melbourne Stakes. His race in the Melbourne Cup was disappointing, but he gave Alawa a good race in the C. B. Fisher Plate, and was only beaten a short neck. Apple Pie. winner of the December Stakes for two-year-olds at Sydney on Boxing Day, is by Ayr Laddie from Praieen. I'.pois, who won the Summer Cup the same day, is by Sir Foote—Esperance. Even time, winner of the Hopetoun Cup at Caulfield on the 26th, is a three-year-old by .Maltster—Egale, and carried 6.7. After the filly Baressa (by Barbarossa) won a two-year-old race at Perth the owner received information that she is a three-year-old. and has reported the matter to the Committee of the W.A.T.C. Mr Sheenan was asked at Wingatui to put a price on Passion, and ho named 1,000 guineas. Betting has already begun on the English Derby, and Bayardo. who carried all before him this season, is a warm favorite. Ihe \ ietortan horseman F. Bollock, who for a considerable time has been in England and the Continent, made his reappearance in the saddle in Australia at Helena Vale. Western Australia, and shared ;n three finishes, being first, second and third.