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Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 25 April 1914, Page 11

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. NOTES BY SIR SINGLE. .The Auckland Racing Oiub will be -<-c?.iiea on to contribute the large su n -or £sg<is ii. cne simp©, oi Governmf'tit -tax, as a re-sait of tneir autumn meet..aig.

Kmr.ors are current (seys Whalebone an the .'Auckland Btar) tnat a winner ...at several trotting meetings recently ..held in tne Ui-nimon is not what it ;s .repx evented to be. An exhaustive en*quiry is now on foot, and it would or:----•casion no surpi ise were disclosures of a startling nntuivj to be rude shortly. hi ami/ate letter received in \VslJington, .Hector Gray, writing under ■date March 31, said that Walialo was to be a runtier in the Hawkesbury Highweight, but he did not like him as the was too short, and he further .remarked that be was no sprinter, but .a rare stayer. He gave him a good -chance in tne Autumn Stakes, one mile -and a half, but even that, he thought, might be a trifle short for him. Ho -concludes as follows: —"But let then look ous for him in the Sydney Cup, .for over that last half-mile he is a v .marvel.1' f A South Island writer gives the following account of the race for the Great Easter • —There were ten starters :.for the Great Easter Handicap. Ex} pect being favorite, with Emperado/ rather better backed than the bracketed pair Autumnus and Blasterpiece. Of this lot Expect was the only one to -show up at the business end. Sauci, Chudic, Iteval, Peg and Silver Shield -comprised the leading division from the start until the straight was reached, ■when lleval, Peg and Sauci dropped -out. leaving Ghudic and Silver Shield in the lead. At the distance Expect could be seen moving up very fast, but -thought he cought the others he failed ■by a head to reach Chudic, who finished surprisingly well. His record this reason left doubts whether he could see. •out a strongly-run seven furlongs, and this was evidently why few backers supported him, for there was only one "terse m the race with fewer investments en him on the machine. Chudic <did .roost of his racing in hack company, but has shown smart sprinting form during the last month or two in l open class. Expect got into a bad * position in the earjy part, and put up a line .performance in finishing wheis .he did. Silver Shield surprised many people by th<> way in whicn he showed up, iho'igh ho lad been responsible for ■ one or v\\o good gallops on the tracks lately, i&uialdo, War*rep, First Glance • and Autummu followed the placed horses homo, lut without tl.u-aiening serious d:mgyr :.n rhe concluding stages. A disgusted punter has written to th<» Auckland Sta;- complaining of the latltude allowed certain persons at' Ellersl!e in canne'jtlon with the investment •on the totalijitor. Ail day long, he states, men weve standing jn the .'ace near the commission wi.idow watchi'i^ what was being backed, and making themselves objectionable generally, to the annoyance of numbers of investors. A utu;nnus .'s said to have developed a .slight stringhalt, and it is thought that he is thus prevented from beginning as • quickly as he used to do. Some people are of opinion that if he had obtained a clear passage next the rails, as Emperador did, he would have won the 'Challenge Stakes. While working at three-quarter pace on the inside grass at Ellerslie recently the Bluejacket gelding Navy Bluo -dropped dead just after reaching the top of the cutting. Navy Blue was owned by Mr Geo. Hyde, and trained by J. Chaafe, jun., He had no performances co his credit, but his connections fully expected to pk-k up a jumping race with, him during the coming season. J. Williamson recently purchased the Coronet, sire of Cbrnelion, Con the Shaughraun, Grattan, Astor, Tyson, Conney, Play Off, and other firsth class performers, and resold him again to Mr H. il. Mackenzie, of the Ascot Stud Farm. Coronet has been purchased as a suitable mate for Soult mares, and will be located at the Mangere estate. Since, the death of the late W. H. .'Smith from injuries sustained in the Jt-osehill Cup, there has been considerable discussion on the wisdom of permitting one-eyed horses to start in races. The matter was brought under the notice of the A.J.C. committee, and that body, -having considered it, took a very important step, which will result in the practice being stopped at an early date. The committee decided that after May 1 no entry will be received of horses having either only one eye or blind in one eye. r; Sunloch seems to have first come un- > der notice as a possible winner of the V Grand National at Derby on March 3, 'when he won a two-mile steeplechase worth 91 soys. Referring to this performance, the Sportsman's representative wrote —' 'Sunloch's performance in the Rangemore Handicap Steeplechase was watched with much interest. Early :in the afternoon it was stated that he would be allowed to walk over, but luckily Tactful and Pat McCarthy turned out against him. He was ridden by W. J. Smith, who has been on. his back - in most of his work of late., and will ride him in th© Grand National if all •goes well with them both. The horse Avent a really strong two-mile gallop, and had matters all his own way from •start to finish, the fall of Tat' at the penultimate fence leaving him to come "home alone. He will only have 9st 71b s *o carry at Aintree, and must have an outside chance." Kilmeny. who won both hurdle races :at the C.J.C. meeting and established a record for two miles over hurdles, has only been at the jumping business for .-a few months. He" was a failure as a two-year-old, but after a long spell in the country he returned to Riccar+on -and showed useful form on the flat. He is by Kileheran—Bulbul, by Sir Lancetne dam of Dauntless and Daunt. "Mert .Gardner, of Waverley, had a very successful trip to Auckland -with Tm'team. Fisher won the Nelson Handicap of 130 6ovs., easily, andl W Tiupin annexed the Presides Handicap of 300'sovs and the Hma Handicap of 400 soys. The son of Lupin started a hot favorjt? *« *£*!**J£<- c and won easily, and in the Hiiia Fnndkap was allawed to pay a fat dividend. Zetes. the other member of the tenm, w«« ™t placed. Gardner s team took £62£ home in stakes alone. The Hon. J. D. Ormond is >->vHs jv lone rnn of "ou+s," and dimner the *•. Tester boMdays only or° of bis te^ earned nlace money. Tbl^ *v--guisb. wb" rnn second at Waipnkarau on Easter Monday.

r V^° Gc' een s , E»«l!"sh-bred stallion White Star, full-brother to tke Derby winner Sunstar. by Sundridge —JJoris has arrived in, Australia. lie will have a few months in which to become acclimatised before he takes sees n d the Shipley stud next Mr F. Crossly recently ooerated on the I'oxton-trained Captain Moutoa tor tnroat troubles. The fielding is now reported to be making a good recovery. Another to come under the *"lte,a short time a^° was tlie hurdler VV mchester who is now being hacked about at W aver ley. An attempt will |be made to train the gelding again later on. I Con the Shaughraun continues to give only fair displays in his efforts over the schooling hurdles at Eiccarton. . The following description of the race in connection with which Wallalo and llector bray were disqualified is taken irom the Sydney Referee: Nine was the mam in the High-weight Handicap., amongst them being the Sydney Cup favorite Wallalo. But his presence did not act as a scare. On the contrary, he was never considered to Da dangerous, as he is not looked .upon as a miler Perhaps he did well to finish fourth. The elect was the disappointing St. Medoc, which for some unknown reason is held in high respect by the public. St. Medoc's opening price was 7 to 4, but he firmed to 6 4, 5 to 4, and started a solid favorite at even money. Secrete was whispered about as a fair thing, but after 5 to 2 had been laid she went to 3 to 1, and ended up 7 to 2. Hobble Skirt had admirers who accepted 5, 6. 4, and 5 to 1 about her chance, and were rewarded for their, confidence by seeing her win cleverly. Amuse, carried a lot of money, as. she was backed all the way from 14 to 1 to Bto 1. Wallalo could not be quitted at any price up to 20 to l'at the finish. "The favorite was never dangerous, and as the field swept into the ctraight Secretes friends must have thought that they stood on velvet, for she looked all over a winner. Secrete held her own to 20 lengths from the post, where Hobble Skirt came with a terrific run on the outside, and won; by two lengths from the St. Alwyne mare, who beat St. Medoc by a head. The mile was carved out in Imiii 40sec—a good go. Hobble Skirt is not in the. Doncaster Handicap, but Secrete is there with 6st 71b, or Ist 81b less, and she should run well in the big mile. St. .Medoc is also in the Doncaster Handicap, and has Ist 61b less, but the poundage will.not be felt so much, by him as the mare. Now Wallalo's weight in this race was lOst 101b, and he finished fourth, just behind St. Medoc, which means about three lengths from the winner, making Wallalo's time for the mile just about limn 41sec. This surely should have been good enough with such a weight up, and if Wallalo was capable of doing- better he must be a marvel. It may be that Wallalo's party knew their horse had no chance of winning and merely sent him out to give him a gallop in public and to tune him up. This course from a public point of viey,r is to be deprecated, for the public assumes that every horse started in a race must, in the owner's opinion, have a. 6how. This is quite wrong, for owners very often realise that unless the unexpected happens their representative cannot 'win., but they invariably hope that the unexpected will happen. If only those which appeared to have a chance were started in a race, some races would have very few starters. In the race for which he was disqualified Wallalo appears to have run as well as he ever did in his life before over that particular distance. "I don't think the belief that No. 13 is an unlucky number can be sustained after to-day," said the owner of the winner of the Great Easter at Christchurch (says the Sun), after the race. "My horse was 13 on the card; his rider is 13 years old, he drew 13th place, it was the horse's 13th start, and the date is the 13th." Lord Lupin's successes at the A.R.C. j meetings credited Mr L. G. Bremer with £525. Mr E. J. Watt, with £925, head- : ed the list of winning owners at that meeting. Mr Eccles, owner of Wallalo, who, with the horse, the trainer, Mr T. McGrath, and the jockey, Gray, was disqualified for two years because of "dishonest practices" arising out of the running of the horse in the Hawkesbury Highweight Handicap, made a '< statement to a Sun reporter. He said: "I am innocent of the charges levelled against me by the stipendiary stewards. At the enquiry, Mr Rouse said that three and a half furlongs from home Wallalo made a forward move and ran into third or fourth position. Gray, the jockey, denies this, and says that he was never nearer than sixth till just before the finish. This statement was corroborated by other jockeys* who rode in the race, and who \ gave evidence. I had my glasses on the horse, and say that at the time Mr Itouse says he was third or fourth he was no nearer than sixth. My instructions to the jockey %vere, 'This is only a • mile race, and the horse may be tailed off. Keep as close to the field as possible.' I backed the horse to win £700 beside ; the stake. McGrath, the trainer, back- | ed him to win £100. I took £500 to J £15 in one bet, and offered to take £1000 to £30, but was refused. I think that Mr Rouse's assertion that the horse was third or fourth three and ahalf furlongs from home was due to a mixing up of the colors on his part. Secrete was in that position at that stage, and his colors are very similar to those of Wallalo. Wallalo's colors are green, pink sleeves, and red cap, while those of Secrete are green, yellow sleeves, and black cap. Mr Rou^e mistook the horses. I have had considerable experience of racing, and it would have be^n simply madnoss on my part to pull the hoi-se in a minor engagement just prior to the running of an important race worth £5000. and for which my horse was a pronounced favorite. And then he was engaged in ««veral valuable weight-for-age events. Th© liorso was honestly run to win. Certainly I did not back him heavily— i the reason being that while he is a proved stayer, I was of opinion that a milA was perhaos too snort for Mm." j Every country where the breedim? in- , clustry flouris&ps has its good and >ts 1 lean rears, olimatic influences Keinr probably, more directly concern^ in this than is generally recognised. There is, however, ronson to for».r that, in comparison with Australia, we are l^incr errouncl (writes Si'- RpcHvereV Nor is this surprisi"^. Whilst an r-A t \ mi'-p -o'- two nnri a fow stallions without much pretensions to class h^^e T^een i'Tirtor+ed p^re. Ans fvfilinn s+vrlmn^ers l-'nve been lHiyiT>< y right a^rl leH. Buying, too, the rio-Tit t~ a ferial, if wT^-m Bronzino and White Star are the latest

r examples. One tsars it said that it } s unreasonable to expect any New Zealand bieeder to pay as much as 10,000 guineas for a staniun, but, personally. I .; am iar from suro of this. I believe j tnat the first man to import a really good y:umg fine, together with ten or a i dozen ,\ ell-bred mares, will receive . ample reward for his enterprise. Why not : J. Stakes are going up by leaps and bounas, and it is safe to predict that three years hence, when the progeny of ■ such imported animals conld first race. j any crack performer will be quite capable of winning £5000 in his first seaI son, and nearer £10,000 in his second. i That should do, surely! The value of , the imported thoroughbred has been illustrated at every important meeting recently held in the Commonwealth, i and yet, extraordinarily er.ough, our I breeders and racing men'still appear to Ibe afraid to lash out in this acquirement. The opportunity, and a great one, is plainly sticking' out for somebody, and the first man who grasps it— h© will, of coxirse, need to be wealthy —will assuredly ecoop the pool. Mr Allison has penned the following interesting notes in respect to the famous case of the alleged poisoning of Orme:—"l once, and at the Duke's own request, interviewed Mr John Porter as to the poisoning of Orme, and I recorder! what Mr Poster had to say--toning it down not a little. But nevertheless the Duke was extremely angered, and before La Fleche's One Thousand Guineas John Porter had to go up to Grosvenor House and write a letter to the papers, to say in effect that I had not emit.-) i-ompnihered what he had I said 'a? I had taken no notes'—and, of course, I lay low and replied nothing, hilt I Say now—and I am sure Mr John Porter will not deny it —that every word I wrote rhout the Duke of Westminster's belief that Orme had been 'foully and deliberately poisoned' was in accordance with what the trainer stated to me. That is to say, so far as it was understood at the time by- poor Lceffler and myself. That we were both ■of^us poaaibV mistaken I am now inclined to believe; hut it \v?s not from Loeffler, but from my own belief, that I thought Orme had set up blood-pois-oning under his ton cue by working it continually over his bit. at one side, and over teeth which nuVht nob be in the best condition. Loeffler extracted one ( of Orme's teeth, and its condition was j snch thnt hft sealed it up in paDer and i asked the lato ]Vl>s. Portor to keep it, and to ask the Duke of Westminster to smell it, should hi still have any doubt as +o what carded the trouble under Onre's t^sm^- Loeffler was so upset at the misbelief in his theory that he went off his herul, nnd was. T believe, np^er afaii at large until the day of his death."