TURF TOPICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3720, 4 January 1913, Page 4

TURF TOPICS.

(By “Trenton. s ') fixtures.

Feb. 6 and 7.—Poverty nav iuu Fell !3 U 'and 14.—Gisborne Racing Club.

Oir-> of Dio moat pleasant little sporting gatherings it has been my lot tc be present at was the annual meeting of Te Jvaraka Racing Club, held on New Year's Day. there was a very fair attendance of the public, and the racing was interesting; one or two surprises being effected. Une tiling that stood out prominently in connection with the meeting was the undeniable fact that there was a pronounced feeling prevalent among the majority of those' present, that lo\erty Bay has not been fairly dealt with in ‘ reference to the number of t ota lisa tor permits - that have been granted. Had this important and rapidly-rising district received its just desarts in this 'regard, a flourishing racing club would now be presiding over the racing affairs of To Ivaraka and the districts which are in its immediate vicinity, but it would seem that, as has been the case with the opening up of our splendid back country hv~ means of railway communication, etc., this district has to be content with treatment that is most unfair. lam aware that nothing can be clone until our racing legislation in this connection is amended, hut at the same time I am inclined to think that several country clubs, and particularly the Te Karat a Racing Club, has not received a fair deal in connection with totalisator permits. lam glad to see Mr MacDonald. M.P., is cognisant of the injustice that is being meted out, and it behoves the members of the Club to leave no stone unturned to strengthen his hands in his endeavors to bring about a much-need-ed requirement for a not unimportant part of his electorate. ' tr &

The win of Bobrikoff in the Auckland Cup did not come as a surprise, as lie was exceptionally well treated as regards weight; hut as he had previously failed to get to the end of two miles when at the -zenith of his fame, and there was a doubt as to the son of Finland —Gossip standing up to the task of undertaking .another similar severe journey, no astonishment need be expressed that it was generally conceded by turf scribes throughout the Dominion that it was problematical whether lie would score a victory in the Auckland Cup. However, his trainer has worked wonders in the horse, and the result is that one of the greatest horses that has trod the New turf has secured another rich prize for the popular Hawke’s Bay sportsman, Mr. T. H. Lowry, whose luck would seem to be new in. as lie secured another important win by the aid of Soltano in the Great Northern Foal Stakes, as well as scoring a victory in the Nursery Handicap with the aid of The Hague, who has run consistently this season. La Iteiiia also covered herself with glory, and it was hard luck for the North Shore sportsman, Mr Duder, that she had to run up against such a snag as Bobrikoff. Midnight Sun also performed well, but it was evident his weight was a little too much.

The Auckland Racing Club would seem to be determined to keep in the lead it lias established over the Canterbury Jockey Club as a racing institution, having again established a record in regard to the amount of money put through the totalisator, over £51,000 having been invested in the machine the first day.

The name of Destiny has been bestowed on the three-year-old gelding by Conqueror—St. Leger mare (dam of Sir Knox)

Bdltano, who won the Great Northern Foal • Stakes, was seenreel as a yearling for 135 guineas.

Mr, C. M-orse is experiencing a lot of hard luck just now. Only recently Goldemar was attacked with an ailment. and, now 1 learn that Birkline, of whom great things were expected, had to be withdrawn from important engagements owing to his suffering from his near foreleg, being poisoneci through some unaccountable reason. My readers will join with me in the hope that Dame Fortune will not be long before she again smiles on the genial Gisborne sportsman.

The hard going is said to have been against Mr. F. Hall’s Bleriot in the Kail wav Handicap. » * * The £54,479 passed through the totalisator at Ellerslie on Boxing Day constitutes a record for the colony, The Auckland Cup was founded in 1574, when that great horse Templeton won the race for the late Mr. W. Delamain. * ■* * Tyne Lass ran well at the To Karaka meeting. Had she not been made too much use of in the early stages of the races for the Adand Hood Handicap, 1 am of opinion that she would have won the event. I learn that Mr. C. Morse’s old steeplechase horse Te Arai will be put in commission again next month, with a view to competing in the big winter events. Bobrikoff. winner of the Auckland ■Cup, was secured as a yearling for 80 guineas by Mr! E. J. "Watt, who afterwards disposed of trim to Mr F. Davis, trainer for Mr. T. H. Lowry, who in turn sold him to Mr. Lowry. He was bred by Mr. Hugo Friedlander, of Canterbury, and was among the yearlings offered for sale at the Kelburne Btud in 1905. * * ■ It w'ould be interesting to know, judging from recent running, whether the handicapper to the A.ICC. now

thinks Goldfinder is a better horse than Bobrikoff —at least, one would think he had been of that opinion when he framed his weights for the Auckland Cup. * * * During my visit to the Te Ivaraka meeting I came across on old friend in the nerson of Air. C. Price, one of tne early pioneers of Hawke’s Bay, where there are still many living who will remember this genial sport, and will be pleased to learn that lie is still hale and hearty. This gentleman now resides at Te Ivaraka, and at one time owned The Agent, one of the greatest steeplechase horses the Dominion has seen. In the course of conversation, Air. Price recounted many interesting reminiscences of the early history of racing in Hawke’s Bay. and he still takes a keen interest in the “Sport of Kings.”

The win of Mr. F. Hall’s Obligant in the Wairarapa Cup was hailed with much satisfaction bv Gisborneites.

Mr. C. J. Parker’s horses Our King, Fort William, Colleen Dim, Our Queen and Caber Davon, returned to Gisborne by Sunday’s steamer from Auckland.

The Mfiltifcrm horse-Vice-Admiral, is making a good recovery from the mishap which caused his withdrawal from his Auckland engagements.

F. Davis, the trainer of Bobrikoff, holds a record which will not be easily- beaten (says ‘-Whalebone.”). Kc is the only trainer who has trained the winner of the New Zealand Cup, Auckland Cup, and Great Northern Foal Stakes who has ridden the winner of those events. Tne now Southern trainer rode Lottie, the first mare to win the Auckland Cup, to victory in that event.

‘ 'Whalebone’’ says: —The contest for the Auckland Cup really developed into a duel between Bobrikoff and La Iteina, for after a mile and a half had been covered those who were watching the race closely could easily see there was only two in it. La Iteina ran right up to her very best form, and was only beaten after a determined struggle with the “black demon.” The Soult filly was never further back than second at any stage of the journey, and was ridden a patient race by J. Buchanan, and though no excuses can be made for her defeat, it -was hard luck to meet such a snag as Bobrikoff.. The latter am one of the best races of his career, and when Jones allowed him to run along the seven-furlong post it was a treat to see the way in which lie stretched out, cutting down the field one by one till lialf-a-mile from home lie was within a couple of lengths of the leaders. Passing the stand Bobrikoff was fully twenty lengths behind Semolina, which was in front, and his effort along the back was one of the most brilliant runs ever witnessed at Ellerslie. When Mr Lowry’s champion returned to scale it was pleasing to see how quickly the public recognised a great performance by a great horse, and the reception accorded him will long be remembered by those who were present. |* * * | The Sydney Gup is now worth £5,000. I Obsono is looking and moving nicely in his work.

j C. Jenkins refused the mount on Goldfinder in the Auckland Cap.

The win of Repeal, owned by Mr A. M’Kenzie, at the Te Karaka meeting, was a popular one.

I Gcldfinder's running at Auckland has been very disappointing, and it I would seem as if this good horse has I lost the form lie displayed ‘at tlie Canterbury Meeting.

Probably no favorite for the Auckland Cup has ever given such a disappointing display as did Masterpiece

on Thursday. The track watchers were generally agreed that Sir George Clifford’s horse had done a solid prer paration, and it is safe to say no Horse looked better. There were no flash gallops to give the impression that the race had been left on the track, but all his tasks were of the solid order, and his poor showing was one of those surprises so often connected w;i h racing.—“Whalebone.”

« •* * In England, from March 25th to September 18th of this year, Gallinule mares were responsible for more winj ners than the daughters of any other I sire. Altogether, the progeny of Gallinule’s daughters included 28 winners of 34 J races, but the prize-money j only totalled £9527, as against the | £18,585 of Isinglass mares with 19 winners of 27 races. Persimmon mares were second on the list with £17,613, and, like Isinglass, were represented by 19 winners of 27 races. Then came Orme, £12,256; and Le Sansy, £ll,-4-00. Of course, Trenton mares fig—- ' ure in the list, the total credited them being eight winners of 11J races of j the value of £3,369, while Carbine mares have thrown eight winners of 12 races, totalling £1662. Ayrshire mares threw 22 winners of 37 races, and St. Simon mares 17 winners of 28 races. *

A rather remarkable incident occurred at the start of the Royal Stakes, run at the Newmarket Meeting on Friday, October 18th. A good deal of trouble was caused through the vagaries of Pintadeau (H. Jones), Sefender (D. Maher), and "White Star IF. Wootton), the only starters. The London “Sportsman” gives the following account:—“For a moment when Jones and Maher were pulling their mounts’ heads in the right direction. Pintadeau and Sorenader stopped their slow gyrations, and the starter released the tapes. Not one of the three horses made any attempt to jump off, each standing'still with the gate up. Jones was the first to persuade his to move, and he secured a lead of three or four lengths from the other pair, who ran side by side. The horses must have dwelt lb seconds—-

an extraordinary incident at the beginning of a flat race.” The winner (Pintadeau) 'is owned by his Majesty the King. **. . #

When the late Mr James Merry (says Mr. John Corlctt) became aware that Chanticleer, his heavily-backed candidate for the Goodwood Stakes of IS4S, was being laid against by sundry genii of the ring to an unlimited extent for apparently no reason at all, without saying “iiuffin t-o nobody,” tile canny Scot in question made a few enquiries on his own account, with the result that, just before the- race, to the consternation of his trainer and jockey, both of whom had been “squared,” he made his appearance in the weighing room, and, peremptorily ordering the latter out of the scales, in which lie had just seated himself, substituted another hoy lie had brought with him, already dressed in the colors, in his place. Then ensued such a gettin’ upstairs amongst tlie members of the ring as had not been seen on a racecourse for many a long day. it being difficult at last to get an offer against Chanticleer, who, as we know, rewarded his owner’s sagacity by winning easily.

On being interviewed by a pressman at 'Fremantle, the Australian jockey, B- ; Carslake, stated that his earnings in Austria this year amounted to £3772 10s. He has a retainer of £2500 to ride next season, in addition to which he is to be paid £5 for each winning mount and £2 10s for each losing one. When asked why it was that Australian riders met with such success on the Continent, he replied:—“lt is because they take more risks. They have more dasli and enterprise, and they come through the fields with greater determination, but they are not pretty jockeys like the Englishmen, who are models on a horse. For that reason Australian jockeys are not popular in England. They like pretty riding. That is why M‘Lachlan could not get on. Wootton would never have got a footing if it had not been for the fact that his father had some horses in training. That also explains why 'Wootton beats Maher. The American is a fine jockey, but lie will not take risks.” Baron iStringer, for whom Carslake rides, has two studs, and when Carslake left on his trip to Australia he had 101 horses in training, this being, it is believed, the largest number left 'in commission to any owner in the world. The Baron is a lion-betting owner.

The following from a Buenos Ayres paper shows tint in selling young stock in tlie Argentine they are fully alive to all the fine points of the business : —“T'i common with the custom of the country. U-e two-year-olds were presented pig f.-t. so that they looked extremely well-grown, even though assisted to appear bigger than they were by being displayed on a beautifully turfed sward, raised like a platform at least eighteen inches from the ground.” Jt is evident that in the Argentine, as in Australia, buyers like plenty of beef, and the breeders, recognising this, - take care they are not disappointed. It will be admitted that many yearlings are sent into the ring in Australia so tremendously fat that occasionally it is almost impossible to form a fair idea as to their conformation (says the Sydney “Referee”). However, as the breeder who sends his stock up at all in the rough is bound to suffer as regards, prices, it is only natural that stabling and special feeding should enter largely into the preparation of yearlings for the sale-ring.