NOTES BY SIR SINGLE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 17 March 1915, Page 2

NOTES BY SIR SINGLE.

The Australian steeplechase horse Bullawarra, who was specially taken across to England for a shot at the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase, though beaten was not disgraced, as the cables tell us he finished in third berth. A horse has to be very proficient to even get round over the Amtree country. A large number of mares have been booked to Mr G. M. Curries recently imported horse Absurd for next season.

At the Nelson meeting the stipendiary steward, Mr C. J. taterson, held an enquiry mto the running of Ruination, and it was subsequently announced that Ashley Reed, rider of the horse named, had been disqualified for six months on a charge of obviously pulling. Reed has borne an excellent character, and tihe announcement came as a shock to his Wellington friends (says "Sir Lancelot"). ■ Reed, it* will be. remembered, was associated with Tree Lucerne's success in the Waimate Handicap at Hawera.

and Flying Handicap) at. New Plymouth. If the stewards' funding was "obvious pulling" there can be no appeal, as \Vas recently decided by the Racing Conference judges in the case of R. Young. Warstep vow holds the record for the largest amount won in stakes, £4650, in one season in the Dominion, but Reputation, whose total stood highest for a week or two, has still the honor of winning the largest ever won by a three-year-old in one season, £4390. Australian papers report that the Indian Grand National Steeplechase was won by the Australian gelding Pilot. The winner is probably the New Zea-. land gelding Pilot (by Gunboat —Mermaid), bred in the Rangitikei district, | where he raced successfully in hunters' events in the ownership of Mr Hamish Wilson. Later he won a double at the, Grand National Meeting the year Eurus won the Steeplechase. Shortly afterwards Pilot was taken across to \ Sydney, and won a double at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting, carrying 12.13 on the second occasion. He was then sold to Dr Watson,-and in his. owner's colors carried 12.6 to victory in the Cup Steeplechase at Flemington. He was afterwards sold to Mr R. G. Casey, chairman of the V.R.C., and* after competing in his colors a few times became the property of Mr F. G. Clarke.

Sutala is making such a satisfactory recovery from the mishap which befel him at Wellington that liis trainer is said to be confident that he will race again.

On the much vexed question as to the lowest weight carried by Kitchener, the one-time crack lightweight rider of England, the following letter, written by Kitchener in 1864 will be interesting: "The lowest weight I ever rode in any public race was at Ascot, in the year 184.0, when I rode a filly by Nonsense, carrying 3st 71b, but bodily weight was 2st lib; therefore the Vest of the weight was made up with a heavy saddle and cloths." A. Julian, who retired from hurdle riding last season, has now a, team of seven trotters in work at Auckland. Fred. Winter, the Kaiser's first jockey, was amongst those unfortunate 1 British subjects in Germany who were i put in prison when the war broke out. At latest advices he was still a prisoner.

A Melbourne writer, in referring to Lempriere, the Australian Cup winner, states that he comoeted in a hurdle

race at Sandown Park in the winter of 1913, when he ran off. However, his eligibility to contest jumpers' flat races was establisheed, and this season he claimed the attention of the judge on three occasions in events of that character.

-It is stated that the Canterbury Jockey Club have notified the owner of the hurdler Ngatiruanui that they will not accept that gelding's nomination for any events at Riccarton in future.

There is no racing in France until the end of the war. The famous French sportsman, M. Edmond Blanc, whose repeated efforts to win the English Derby have been doomed to disappointment, may be more fortunate this coming season in the classics, for knowing there will probably be no racing in France, he has contrived to send four of his best juveniles across the Channel to. be trained there for their engagements this season. Naxberry, the three-year-old colt which ran second to Flash of Steel in the Caulneld Futurity Stakes, beating Blague, the Newmarket Handicap winner, and second to Mountain Knight in the A.J.C. Derby, is spoken of as likely to develop into a high-class four-year-old. Naxberry is by Positano: —Our Queen, which some New Zealand papers refer to as having once been owned by Mr C. J. Parker. The Our Queen formerly owned by Mr C. J. Parker has not been retired from the turf long enough to have a three-year-old colt running. Indian Queen, once owned by Mr Parker, and dam of his mare Our Queen, is in Mr Sol CJreen's Shipley Stud, but her three-year-old colt is called Maharajah. Grand Slam, a full-brother to the New Zealand Cup * winner, and twomile record holder, Bridge, was recently sold as a remount, and is to be shipped to Egypt.

Mares continue to be successful in big events in the Dominion this season.. Immer, who had not previously won a race since the season started, placed the Nelson Cnp to her credit. The Waipukurau Jockey Club have received wonderfully good nominations for Easter Monday, no fewer than 181 horses having been entered for the eight events, or an average of near.ly 23 horses per race. Rewi Poto added the Napier Cup to his list of victories this season, and, as as he carried 8.13 and ran tlie mile and a quarter in 2.7 1-5, there was a good deal of merit in the win. His time for the race has only once Veen beaten, Arc Light's 2.7. being the record for. the race.

Melbourne's sporting naper, the Winder, m a recent issue Tia<l the following reference to an •ex-Taramki horse • "Lord Multifid, a three-year-old son of

Multifid, attracted attention as he was saddled up for the Second Division Handicap at Mentone. The colt has a temper of his own, and is led about Avith a bearing rein. He scattered the onlookers by rearing up and pawing the air viciously with his forelegs." The event in question was Avon by L.K.G. (a son of Hainault), who covered the six furlongs in 1.15. Swifty Joe is a brother of L.K.G. Lord Multifid was not mentioned in the betting, nor in the account of the race itself. j In London last month the committee i of Tattevsp.ll's went into the long-drawn-out Yellow Chat ease. A comedy j of errors all through, Avrites "Vigi- • lant" in the London Sportsman, the' race in question, the Maiden Hurdle Race, has in turn been awarded to three different horses. First of all it was won by the Belgian four-year-old Fil d'Ecosse, to whom Yellow Chat was second and Mark Minor third. The trainer, of Fil d'Ecosse erroneously claimed an allowance to' which the gelding was not entitled, and an objection promptly followed, with*the result that Yellow Chat was awarded the race. Tins automatically promoted Mark Minor to second place, and Beacon Fire, who had been placed fourth by tha judge, accordingly became third. Settlement was effected in accordance with the then position, but early in the following week, apparently within seven clays of the day of the race, it transpired that Captain Featherstonhaugh had informed the Birmingham stewards that he found he had omitted to register under N.H. Rules an existing partnership in Yellow Chat, which in error had only been registered under the Rules of Racing. The stewards then disqualified Yellow Chat, and awarded the race to Mark Minor, Beacon. Fire being moved up into second place. As the j'-idge hnd only officially placed the first four horses in the race there is now no third, for Polyglot was only fifth 'unofficially. Although originally a comedy of errors, it has a tragical side, that in relation to bets, So far as some of the ready-money bookmakers ar-3. concerned, for, in accordance with the decision arrived at by the committee of Tattersall's backers of Mark Minor must receive, and those that have already drawn over Yellow Chat must now refund their winnings and pay their stakes as Avell. Many of the course backers v, ill, I am afraid, get back little of the "ready" paid over, ticket bets to backers of Yellow Chat — especially in view of the recent proi nounoemerit by the Racecourse Bookmakers' Association that its members would settle on the hoisting of the weighed-in flag, and that no subsequent alteration of the placings by objection or otherwise would affect such settlei ment.

They were discussing the day's doings in the train'after the last race at Flemington (says a writer in the Australasian). "I decimated," said the first punter, gloomily. "How did you get ou. p" "I'm like the Prussian Guards," the second punter said in despair. "I'm overwhelmed, annihilated, and wiped out." The third, punter, who had not seen "his friend since the end of the third race, when he was losing, was of cheerful countenance. "I regained all the ground I lost early in the day," ho reported, "delivered several successful counter-attacks, and made excellent progress. Tho enemy's losses were considerable."'