THE TURF

Evening Star, Issue 18393, 29 September 1923, Page 9

THE TURF

Gossip bt Old Identitt

Another handy way of losing money in betting is to rely on some fast time made in a raco. It is amazing that men will still adopt such a method of ruining themselves. Take an example or two at random. Does anybody believe that Karo ■was the fastest horse that ever won the Auckland Cup? Yet his record is 4sec faster than that made by such a flyer as Bobrikoff. The New Zealand Cup fastest time is Royal Star’s 3min 25aoc, so on bare figures Royal Star could go two miles 4|sec faster than Noctuiforin ! And, on such a test, applying it to the Canterbury Cup, Gasbag is made out to bo over usee faster than Maxim, who was eimply a galloping machine, perfect in action. Then, too, the Wanganui Cup supplies an illustration, the figures showing Dusky Eve and Ngata doing 2niin 69seo, and Advance (a real racehorse) taking 3min 4scc. These particulars all relate to old courses that have been well galloped on for a generation or more, so probably have not become faster in recent years.

just as unreliable as a present guide is the form of away back. Immediate form is what a fellow may trust to. The form of a previous season, or of months ago in the same season, is not worth thinking about. Any experienced trainer could tel) you that once, on a certain day, a certain horse did for him something the like of which was never reproduced. It is a common happening in tho lives of men as well as in the lives of horses. Why let your money go in tho expectation of a once-in-your-lifo feat being equalled. Pernicious, also, is it to bet by pedigree. Musket was as a youngster sentenced to be shot as useless, and he had the same pedigree then as when he got Carbine and a host of good ones. And, whilst Carbine was a marvel, his brothers and sisters were not worth twopence as racers. What about our own Silver Peak 1 She is true Mid, but wo have yet to find another of the progeny of Oblong that is worthy of being named in tho same breath. I am 'not despising breeding. It is an important factor in the turf, and of value in picking winners. Musket, The Tetrarch, Aprcniont, Traduce! —these have taught us that breeding is something to take note of. What I am contending for is that in picking likely horses breeding is only one consideration, and not the chief. Condition is the great thing. Lots of fellows have schemes for betting. One of tho most curious is that adopted by an Auckland friend of mine. He never bets on the earlier races of a programme, but waits for the reappearance of a horse that has won—not run second, but actually won—at the same meeting or on the same day, and does a plunge on it as his one bet. He doesn't mind the penalty or the change of distance. He tells mo that over a series of years ho is to the good. Fred Shaw was in town on Thursday, shipping Etta to Australia. She is intended for galloway racing in Sydney. He does not know the name of tho buyer. She was purchased through an agent. Mr A. G. Hill's three-year-old Olympia is doing well, and is likely to reappear at the Dunedin Meeting next month, I thank Mr F. C. Cother for a copy of the C.J.C. book programme, and Mr H. L. James for a copy of tho D.J.C. book.

Guncaso made the pace from the start in the Geraldine Cup. Boadicea got a fortunate run on the rails at the home turn, and just beat Guncase. Good entries for Kurow, and winners not easily picked on the weights. Kilkee, Balasor, The Cheat, and Geranial look likely tor something if they start.

At the annual sale of yearlings at Saratoga (New York) last month, some excellent prices were realised, the highest being £4,200 for a colt by The Finn from Princess Mary, by Hessian. After Rapine had beaten David in the Chelmsford Stakes, a prominent Sydney owner failed to get a price put on the winner. C. T. Godby made an offer of s,ooogns, but that was refused. It is said that E. A. Connolly took £2,000 cut of the ring as a result of All Sunshine’s win in the Rosehill Guineas.

Mr J. P. Murphy is reported to have paid 800gns for Golden Light, who was beaten on Thursday at Geraldine. Cicero, whose death was announced by cable this week, was bred by Lord Rosebery, for whom he won the Derby In 1905. Cicero was a half-brother to our own Bezonian, being by Cyllene from Gas, by Ayrshire. Mr J. Trengrove, owner of Angelo, is having a try at trotting, having purchased Great Hope and Alto Chimes, both of whom are in tho New Zealand Trotting

Cup. Highland, who won tho Avondale Cup, is a four- year-old by Finland from Yar Scare, by Martian f rom Gossip, the dam of Bobrikoff. He is therefore a brother to Uatland and Finmark, both of whom were f ood performers. Last season Highland eat Rapine in the Wanganui Guineas, and later woi the King Edward Handicap at Ellerslio and the Thompson Handicap at Tnntham.

As Scion won the Now Zealand Cup last year, Mr E Riildiford ought to know what sort of preparation Li needed for Quest. Referring to the two-year-olds ho took to Australia, eight of which were sold for D,ooogs, Mr W. G. Stead told "Phaeton ’’ that °the Australian critics were greatly impressed with tho development shown by the youngsters, and that some of the questions addressed to him thereon were quite of tie surprising order. Ho was able to expatiate on tho wonderful natural advantages of New Zealand in the way of pasture —the best English ryegrass —a cli mate with no extremes and assured rainfalls. Tho Australians with whom he conversed, Mr Stead state;, were greatly interested, and ho feels confident that some prominent owners and breeders will send marcs to New Zealand to bo mated with sires stationed in this dominion, and have their young stock pastured and prepared here for racing in Australia. "Sir Lancelot" writes: Owing to the jockey engaged to ride Callaghan in the concluding event at Otaki being engaged at an inquiry, C. Jenkins, who is now attached to J. H.' Prosser’s Povirua stable, rode the chestnut in the preliminary gallop. The appearance of the well-known horseman in the saddle was the signal for much cheering from tho crowd, who no doubt remembered many successes of Jenkins on the old course down by the sea, where the racecourse remark " Are you ready, Charlie?” originated. The co-operative scheme for the purchase of a three-quarter interest in the stallion Tracery has been completed (states the ‘ Sportsman ’), and the horse has been transferred to the Cobham Stud, where Ins thirty subscribers have each the right to hU services for one mare per year throughout his life for a fee of 1,200g5. The number of subscribers required was thirty, and the list was filled early in July, just after Tracery’s return from Buenos Ayres. Tracery is fourteen vears old. Ck raine, the dam of Sasanof, died whilst foaling to Kilbroney a few days ago. Tho foal, a well-developed filly, : s being reared by hand. Specially, who dropped dead at Randwfcfe, was insured for £2,000. Pebble 11, a winner at Avondale, i English bred, being by Rock Flint, son oi Rock Sand. She is said to bo smart. Yolande, dam of this year’s Grand Prix winner, was sold on the morning of the face to King George of England. Bosh (by Absurd—Steinheil), one of the

two-ypar-old colts sent across to Australia &y Mr W. W. Stead in order to be offfored for sale there, went lame from some unknown cause a few days before the sale. Tlie auctioneer stated that tho colt had thrown off the unsoundness, and, so that there should be no misunderstanding, the colt would be olfered, and in making the first oiler (800 gs) himself lie slated that if anyone desired to bid in advance of that figure tho colt would bo theirs. Nobody desired to take tho risk with tho colt, and ho was passed out. When tho Polymelus colt Parth ran in the Derby at Epsom in Juno last he carried tho colors of Mr M. Goculdas; but heavy financial reverses suffered by the Indian sportsman have brought about his retirement from racing, and Parth was lasi month purchased by the American sports man Mr A. K. Macombcr, who paid a big sum.

Mot one of tho A.J.C. Derby candidate.' lias shown such form in public as to make it look a good thing for the race. The Hoam-Beary lawsuit in England is interesting all over the world. Deary is a jockey, and rode Golly Eyes at Kcmpton Park in May. Golly Eyes collided with Ironoro, and' Ironore got hurt and died. Roam, owner of Ironore, sued Bcary, claiming damages for negligent riding. Counsel for Beam stressed tho point that Bcary must have been to blame because the stewards suspended him for three months. Tho answer to that, was that the suspension did not mean blaming Bcary for Ihe death of the mare. The jury found in favor of Boam, assessing the damages at 500js

Sucir are the facts. Upon them the London ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ remarks: “The stewards see their idea of fit and proper punishment now exceeded in a way which they never for a moment anticipated. One wonders what they would have done could it have been foreseen. Had it been thought that Bcary intended wilful injury to horse and rider ho would have been banished for ever. A thought which'occurs to one is that tho stewards in the future may have to consider withholding reasons for any action they may deem it necessary to take in tho matter of suspension mid in which tho law might be employed. One wonders what would happen wore a jockey to bo found guilty of reckless riding as the outcome, say, of Mumtaz Mahal being brought down, to receive a broken leg, necessitating destruction. We might with full reason asdtss the value of Murntax Mahal to-day at anything between £50,C00 and £50,000. Ironoro belonged to the very lowest category of racehorse—happily for Bcary!—but what of the jockey held guilty of negligent riding ns a result of which a £40,000 horse was finished with?”

We know a lot about Papyrus and his vovage to run a match in America—what looks like a gallant but foolish enterprise on tho part of his owner. So far, however, wo do not know what horse the Ame rieans will choose to represent thorn. Three that are talked of are Chickvale, Zev, and The Clown. Two of these trace back to New Zealand horses. Chickvale was bred by Mr Harry Payne Whitney, of Lexington, Kentucky, and is a bay colt bv Chicle (Spearmint —Lady Hamburg II.) from Green vale. Zev, the Kentucky Derby winner, is by The Finn (Ogden—Livonia,) from Miss Kearney, by Planudos, and is a brown colt. The Clown is a bay colt by Hessian (Watercress—Colonial), by the Musket horse Trenton. Another high-class three-year-old in America is Enchantment (by Chicle from Enchanting),_ but he is a gelding, and may not be eligible for such an important match.