TURF TOPICS

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 3636, 19 November 1918, Page 4

TURF TOPICS

NOT US BY AMBER AND BLACK

Mrs. W. C. Price, wife of the well-known jockey, died at Wanganui. She leaves one child.

Mr. W. H. Hartgill, the well known racing judge, is reported to be soriously ill at his home in Dannovirke.

Devotion, who won the Manchester Handicap at Feilding twelve months ago, carrying 7.7, has been awarded 9.0 this year, and is an unlikely starter.

Mr. Komball gave 825gns for a brown colt by Martian—Rose Red, at the Christchurch sales. Mr. R. A. McKcnzic purchased a bay colt by Kilbroney—Lady Jean '11. for 750gns. Mr. E. Short paid lOOg'ns for a filly by Martian—Snowstell.

Negligee, engaged in the Welcome Stakes at Ellerslie, ran four furlongs in company with Mistian in 50 sees.

The record smasher, the two year old Surveyor, figures in the 13th Feilding Stakes. Another good one in Onslaught is engaged in the Manchester Handicap with 8.5. Both horses are engaged at Ellerslic Christmas meeting, and may go north after the Feilding event.

One of the leading cross-country horseman of a few years ago, Tim Howard, died last week at Auckland, from tho "flu." He was a brother of the late Mrs. B. Deelcy.

Form Up and Cyrisian ran half a mile in 49sec at Ellerslie, according to some watches. All Over and Tit AVillow also ran over the same distance in 49 2-ssec.

The full extent of H. Gray's injuries as revealed by the X-rays, consists of a fractured pelvis. It is probable that he will be about again in a few weeks.

Te Aroha Jockey Club has made a commendable move in the direction of abolishing the star chamber method of holding inquiries. In future the Press will be invited to all.inquiries.

Ibex, who is debarred from competing at races for a lengthy period is now running out in a paddock at Ellerslie.

Mr. A. W. Rutherford, junr., has leased all his horses in training to A. McAulay.

A Sydney writer says that an enterprising bookmaker laid £150 to a shilling you couldn't pick six winners on Derby Day. About 300 members of the "One-a-Minute" Club tackled the job, and every mother's son of them went for Finmark in the Derby.

Multifual has developed the cunning habit. On the tracks he goes very kinHly, but with the colours up he races like a thief. He is in the big race at Ellerslie with a light impost. If in tho mood, what a chance!

Says a Melbourne writer: Next week I will have a few words to say on shelfmg jockeys, who by subterfuge get riders in bad grace with owners to secure the mounts themselves. WEy was O'Shea taken off Desert Gold? Why was Harry Bird taken off Eael Locin, etc., etc.

A peculiarity in connection with most of the horses which defeat Desert Gold is that they don't repeal their best form immediately after (writes "Whalebone"). Magpie is the latest case in point, the imported horse being defeated in both his remaining engagements at the Victorian meeting, after beating Desert Gold in the Melbourne Stakes on the opening day.

Though beaten, Desert Gold's admirers are ready to proclaim her the greatest mare of the Australasian turf (says a Sydney writer), and they are not far wrong. Her times have been wonderful, and a comparison on this basis makes her out a better performer than Wakeful, Cruciform, La Carabine, Carlita, and the rest of tlie notabilities belonging to their sex.

William Duncan, the rider of the Melbourne Cup winner, Nightwatch, is a sturdy freckled boy, 18 years of age. He weighs 6.7, and is just a little over 4ft in height. Ho has been riding for about four years, and is apprenticed to Justin Curr, the well-known Caulfield mentor.

Commenting on the V.R.C. Derby, a Sydney writer says: After the race Billy McLachlau insulted the intelligence of racegoers by saying "They were too good." Mac will not commit a breach of racing etiquette if he enlightens us as to why when the pace was so slow that one could have kicked his hat alongside them, he did not go up with the leaders instead of keeping Finmark so far back. There was one way to beat Finmark in the Derby, and that was to make a sprint of it and to give Outlook and Eusebius a good lead when they started to sprint, and these tactics appeared to be carried out. The slow race is no excuse, for, judging by the way Finmark finished, if he had been within a couple of lengths of Outlook and Eusebius at the turn he could not have Tost.