SPORTING NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 8900, 17 September 1889, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

The Auckland Racing Club has declined to accede to the proposal submitted by Messrs Luckie and Freeman for the publication of a Turf Record,

Lady Walmsley, the sister to Carbine, purchased by the Queensland Stud Company, will not leave Napier until after her foaling. .... We understand it is intended to race Forester in Victoria. Unless his new owner is on capital terms with the Stewards, the roguish son of Puriri will undoubtedly land him in trouble. The Ingomar —Eangi colt has been named Tawera , and Maori scholars commend this as a very happy effort in nomenclature.

Captain Russell’s mares Leonora, Tigridia and Falcon are visiting Somnus at Feilding. Mr H, Redwood, on the suggestion of Mr E. C. Bruce, M.H.R., has named his colt by King Cole from Awatea Aorangi. A Wellington correspondent telegraphs : —I learn that Mr Beresford has decided to send Corunna to Napier for the Hawke’s Bay Guineas. It has not been fixed that the colt goes to Australia, but it is probable that definite news will be available in a day or two. Our Auckland correspondent expects Cuirassier and Corunna to come on to Christchurch after taking part in the Hawke’s Bay Spring Meeting. Hornby, a sire well adapted for breeding all the more useful class of horses, is advertised to serve mares in the North Canterbury district this season. Engagement has been thrown out of work, and her place in Lunn’s string has been filled by Exchange. Mr W. S. Cox, the proprietor of the Moonee Valley racecourse, has disbursed no less than £14,545 for racing during the past twelvemonths. Vinaigrette started a level money favourite for the Selling Race at the Ballarat Miners’ Meeting on August 28, but got off very badly and failed to secure a place. It is rather singular that Maxim should have been ostensibly backed in Melbourne at 100 to 5 for the Melbourne Cup on the very day Mr Stead publicly announced his determination not to send the horse across. We wonder if the bait drew.

Australian papers report very little wagering over the Melbourne Cup. Silverton is still favourite at 100 to 8, while 100 to 6 is'accepted about Tradition, and Singapore is occasionally backed at 100 to 5. A Dunedin correspondent informs ns that Watercress, a Welcome Stakes candidate, recently showed her trainer a flutter equal to anything yet seen at Forbury. Mr W. A. Smith’s gelding, by Gorton— Dione, has been named Langley. It is reported that the Cromwell Club has abandoned its crusade against the Metropolitan authorities, and will submit to the Rules of Racing as they stand. We congratulate our Cromwell friends on their good sense. The Auckland Racing Club has appointed the Auckland, Weekly News the official calendar for the publication of all notices required in the Auckland provincial district under the Rules of Racing.

Entries for the Epsom Derby and Oaks of 1891, were made on July 16, and the following table will show how owners have supported the great classic races during recent years:— 1885 18861887 1888 1889 1890 1891 Derby ...193 205 196 162 171 237 209 Oaks ...146 141 153 133 112 172 151

On July 20, the Duke of Portland’s winning in stakes during the current season, amounted to £52,681 Bs. The following were the scores of the most successful winning jockeys in England on July 19 :—T. Loates, 67; G. Barrett, 66; P. Barrett. 57; J. Watts, 41; F. Eickaby, 32; A. White, 28; J. Fagan, 28; T. Weldon, 28; S. Chandley, 23; S. Loates, 25; W. Eobinson, 25. The veteran jockey, John Osborne, who is now in his fifty-seventh year, appears to have quite recovered from his accident in the spring, and rode a couple of winners on the second day of the Liverpool Meeting. Vasistas, the Grand Prize of Paris winner, recently purchased for 6000 sova by the Baron de Hirsch, has been sent to Porter’s stable at Kingsclere. The erstwhile linen draper of the Thames is now in the “ Prince of Wales’ set.”

T. Cannon, probably the very best of living jockeys, has ridden two—Bendigo and Orbit—of the Eclipse Stakes winners, and finished second on El Dorado in the third contest for the mammoth stake. Mr Manton was offered and declined £2O 000 for Eiviera, the two-year-old sister to the Oaks’ winner, Seabreeze.

E. Martin, the Newmarket jockey, left England in July.with a number of horsea for Buenos Ayres where he intends to start a racing establishment in conjunction with Mr G. Haughton. The St Leger was to be run at Doncaster yesterday, and the result should be known here this afternoon. When the last mail left Donovan was a strong favourite at 15 to 8 on, and next week we shall probably have to chronicle the success of the Duke of Portland’s colt. What will be done with the late Mr Robinson's horses is one of the questions of the hour. We shall not pretend to supply an answer, but think it very likely the team will shortly be offered for sale. If this should be the case there -would certainly be Australian competition for Merrie England, and the colt may yet be seen at Flemington. Chain Shot and Exchange are both under suspicion, and Engagement has probably made her final retirement from the turf. We notice that the circular calling a special meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club on Sept. 23, states the business is “ To adopt the amendments to the Rules of Racing, as determined by the delegates in Wellington.” The italics are our own, but the Acting Secretary has given—quite unintentionally we are sure—a somewhat dictatorial air to the summons.

The following are the entries for this yearns Winton Derby :—Mr G. Stewart’s hr £ Athol Daisy, by Hilarious—Brunette; Mr J. Brown’s b f Seabreeze, by Hilarious —Tera; Mr J. Richards* br g Surefoot, by Hilarious —Lady of the Lake; Mr K. Fraser’s ch o Violin, by Cloth of Gold— Ladybird; Mr W. Pollock’s ch f Ceres, by St George—Glenahee; Mr A. Brown’s b g Waitere, by Trefoil—Water Nymph; Mr J. M'Farlane’s b c May King, by Alluvium —May Day; Mr E. Tapper, jun’s, b £ Day Star, by Wee Lad—Daybreak. The Winton people are entitled to very much credit for the manner in which they support this “Derby,” but the owners have displayed a singular lack of originality this year in selecting names for their representatives. Athol Daisy, Seabreeze, Violin, and May King are all names that have been borne by other horses within the last few years, and the owners of the new editions are each liable to the much-talked-o£ and never-inflicted fine of <£so.

A correspondent of the Auckland Weekly News, in an account of a visit to Mr H. Redwood’s establishment at Spring Creek, writes very enthusiastically of the yearlings by Stonyhurst. A filly from Wainui is said to he the pick of the bunch, but a colt from Wai, by Anteros—Wainui, also comes in for a share of praise. The veteran King Cole is reported to be “hale and hearty," looking much better than when he left Auckland, and apparently fit for another season or two at the stud. The News man says he also saw “old Waimea, close to her foaling,” but this suggestion of the supernatural is explained by an appreciative notice of Mr Redwood's home-brewed beer, a beverage well calculated—we speak from actual experience—to resuscitate the glories of the past. Some misapprehension seems to prevail with respect to the proposed new Rules of Racing. A large majority of our contemporaries refer to the proposals as if they were already law; but as a matter of fact they will have to be passed by all the Metropolitan Clubs before they actually come into force. What will happen if the Clubs are not unanimous, no one appears to know. Sooner or later these matters must bo relegated to one Club for the whole Colony. Colonel North, the “Nitrate King,"won his first race in England, a Maiden Two-year-old Elate, at Sandowa Park, on July

19. The Colonel returned from his American trip a few days later, and was accorded what the papers describe as “quite a regal reception ” on his arrival at Eltham. The Lord Mayor of London, Lord Headley, and a number of other titled personages were on the Reception Committee, and made themselves generally ridiculous by their obeisance to the almighty dollar. The Auckland Racing Club has declined to pass the Pakurangi Hunt Club’s programme for a meeting to be held on Oct. 26, until the proposed new rule by which the surplus selling price is to be divided between the Club and the owner of the second horse is made to apply to the selling races. This may be right enough, although it is quite possible the new rules will not be adopted by Oct. 26, but will the Auckland Club amend its own programme in the same direction ? The St George—Red Rose and St George —Charm colts are now inmates of H. Thompson’s stable receiving the rudiments of their education. For some reason or another our London correspondent’s letter, dated July 13, only reached us on Monday. The greater part of the contents has been anticipated by extracts from our files, but the following paragraph will still be interesting Sir George Chetwynd was at the first of the yearling sales at Newmarket on Monday week, and announced his intention of attending the racing. On Tuesday morning, however, after being seen in conversation with the senior steward of the Jockey Club, he returned to town, and it is said the reason why was that Mr Lowther forbade his using Tattersall’s ring and paddock. People are wondering how to reconcile this harsh proceeding (practically equivalent to “warning off”), with the kind things said at the Jockey Club meeting about Sir George by Mr Lowther and others. The truth, I fancy, is that whilst the Jockey Club Stewards desired, for the sake of old times, to let Sir George down easily in the eyes of the public, they had no notion of permitting him to continue his mischievous career on the turf. It was hoped the baronet would give up racing voluntarily, just as be resigned his membership of the Jockey Club. When, however, he failed to do so, Mr Lowther found himself forced to speak out, and practically warn his ancient ally off. From Sydney comes the news that DunkeJd has been backed down to 7 to 1 for the Y.E.C. Derby. This looks as if the much-talked-of trial to which we alluded last week had actually taken place, and perhaps there is no harm in stating now that the time for the mile and a half was reported as 2min 38jsec. This would have been good enough to win any of the past Derbies, and it will be hard luck for the New Zealander if Sinecure, Singapore, Dreadnought or any of the other Australians are capable of clipping another piece off the record. We are not jumping to the conclusion that 7 to 1 fairly represents Dunkeld’s chance in our neighbour’s Derby, but it takes a little money to bring a horse to that price in Australia, and we are not alarmed by the prophets who tell us the colt will be unable to stay. Perhaps we only saw him thoroughly well once last season, when he won the Middlepark Stakes at Riccarton, and those who recollect the easy fashion in which he disposed of his field oh that occasion, will be inclined to discount a good deal that has been said and written in his disparagement.

Daisy, 30sec behind scratch, "top weight,” made her Australian d6but in the Two-mile Trot at Elsternwick Park on August 30, but ran unplaced in a field of twenty-three. Mr A. J. Keith’s Hard Times, 20sec behind, started favourite at 6 to 4 on, but only got third to Blackjack, sseo behind, and Mystery, 15sec behind. Long Eoper, 15sec behind, and Hawkdun, 20sec behind, were also among the unplaced division. Mr Frank Stuart, described by our friend “ Augur ” as a very estimable citizen, recently said, in the course of a public address at the Melbourne Town Hall, that gambling had killed all honest sport in Victoria and in Australia. There was a time when men could run a race or play a match for the honour of winning, but now this curse of betting entered into every sport, and if legislative action of some kind were not soon taken, it would be found that the young people of the Colony wouljl be ruined by it. Of course “ Augur” takes exception to the sweeping character of these observations, but if Mr Stuart had substituted "endangered” for "killed,” he would have been very near the mark. The writer of Plemington Training Notes in the Australasian says:—There never was a better evidence of what wonders can be worked with fractious horses by a judicious change of trainers than has been afforded by Apropos and J. Nicolson. Although he has only had her a few weeks the New Zealand tearaway has quieted down marvellously under her new trainer, and, moreover, is looking big and lusty to an extent that must be seen to be believed.

Owing to the programme of the recent meeting of the Lower Heatbcote Kacing Club not having been held under the Rules of Racing, all owners, trainers and jockeys taking part in the meeting were disqualified under Rule 19, but the Committee of the Canterbury Jockey Club resolved:—“ That, as hitherto some misapprehension has existed as to the terms of Rule 19, as adopted at the general meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, held on May 28, the disqualification under that rule affecting the owners, trainers and jockeys taking part in the Heathcote races on Monday, Sept. 2, be removed.”

It is a pity the Committee did not go further, and tell us what will be done in future. It this whitewashing process be repeated after every unlicensed meeting, the whole thing will become a farce, and we might as well do away with the troublesome rule at once. The fact is, we must have trotting and pony racing in some shape—it is as well we should—and the sooner the metropolitan Clubs submit to the inevitable the better for all concerned. The retention of a rule that cannot be enforced is the silliest form of obstinacy. The Ashburton Club has suggested a new difficulty. The metropolitan Clubs lay down that all meetings must be held under the rules of racing, and yet several of our important country Clubs have decided that partd of their programmes, the trots, shall be governed by the rules of the Trotting Association. Does this bring the whole of the programme under the ban ? We are truly in a glorious mess; the Conference that was to dispel all our difficulties has ended in little better than a fiasco, and “some misapprehension” is likely to grow into very much misapprehension before the authorities help us out of the maze they have created. The Australians have not been allowed to have it all their own way in the com- . parisons they have drawn in the London sporting press between English and Australian starting. A correspondent (“ Auld Reekie”), who alleges he has just returned from Australia, writies to the Sportsman :—“The starts at the Bandwiok (Sydney) meetings are simply beneath contempt. Nine times out of ten one batch (amongst which is generally to be found the favourite) is let off lengths before the rest of the field. The Victorian starting is less open to criticism, but even in that “ paradise of racing ” (as Australians would have yon believe) the good starts are the exception, and any recent visitors to the Colonies will confirm what I state.” Another correspondent, signing himself “Canadian,” who probably backed O’Connor for the Champion Sculling Race, writes: —“ I can certainly vouch for the correctness of ‘ Auld Reekie s remarks as regards the starting at meetings in the vicinity of Sydney (Randwicfc especially), as, without exception, I witnessed the very worst attempts at the latter place, am lafraid the starting in Australia is much the same as the sanitary arrangements—very far from perfect.” The dea’ h is announced of George Prince, the well-known Lewes trainer. Full accounts of the race for the Liverpool Cup show that Ringmaster only got third to Veracity and Peeler on sufferance, a number of others pulling up in the last furlong. The Australian started at 100 to 7 to win and 3 to 1 for a place. In the succeeding event,.-the Knowaley Dinner

Stakes of 500 sovs, odds of 100 to 6 were laid on Antibes, and the three-year-old sister to Seabreeze won in a canter. The Napier Park Racing Club has secured capital nominations for its Spring Meeting. There are twenty-two engaged in the Park Stakes, and twenty-six in the Racing Club Handicap, while ail the other events, except the two Hurdle Races, are well filled. Curiously enough Recluse is not entered in the principal handicap on the first day, but confines his attention to a six-furlong race, and swells the nominations for the Racing Club Handicap. There are seven entries for the first two-year-old race of the season, the Brockenburst Stakes, to be run at the Spring Meeting of the North Canterbury Jockey Club. Three or four of the most promising youngsters of the season are engaged, and the race has hitherto proved such a reliable index to the result of the Welcome Stakes that its decision is sure to again be watched with interest.

The annual meeting of members of the Tinwald Racing Club was held last week. After the usual routine business, the following officebearers were elected ; —President, Mr John Grigg; Vice-Presi-dents, Mr D. M'Lean and Dr Tweed; Treasurer,MrM. Scott; Stewards,Messrs J. 0. N. Grigg, C. M. Strachey, M. Scott, E. Gates, G. James and J. Begg; Judge, Mr M. Stitt; Starter, Mr D. Thomas; Clerk of the Course, Mr B. Hanks; Clerk of the Scales, Mr A. J. Kelly; Committee, Messrs D. Tippett, P. Lewis, £. Gates, J. R. Corrigan, M. Scott, S. Rowntree and J. Clark. At a meeting of the Committee that followed, it was decided to form a training track on the outside of the course. Messrs Lewis, Scott, Gates and James, were authorised to draw up a draft programme to be submitted at a meeting to be held next Saturday evening. It was also decided to increase the stakes about £lO. Many of the sporting men, says " Augur,” who are in ponies, are agitating with a view to induce the Victoria Racing Club to allow them to form a Pony and Galloway Association. I do not think there is any probability of the prayer of the petitioners being acceded to. It is well that it should not be. It was indiscriminate pony racing that caused the late outcry against so much racing, and if the V.R.C. listens to the voice of the tempter, the old order will soon prevail again. It will be quite sufficient if the V.R.O. will agree to allow the suburban Clubs to hold a few extra meetings, and then the ponies will be amply provided for. A plethora of pony racing had the baneful effect of thoroughly demoralising the turf, and we do not want to see a repetition of the discreditable proceedings which surrounded the business last season

Last week we dealt at some length with the more important proposals of the Wellington Conference, and a few words will suffice to explain the character of the remaining suggestions. The definition of “ Maiden " is made rather cumbersome by the delegates' clumsy attempt to distinguish maidens over fences from maidens on the flat, and if the proposal be adopted in its present form it will certainly lead to all sorts of vexatious objections. That a horse entered for several races confined to maidens should be disqualified after winning one for all the others is an innovation which should be accompanied by a provision for the return of entrance money for the races in which the horse is not allowed to start. The rule that not more than one Club shall be allowed to hold meetings on any racecourse—we presume they mean the same racecourse — except by special license from the Jockey Club, is not a new one, having been suggested by the Napier Conference last year and subsequently adopted by the Clubs 5 but it is an awkward regulation, which will be quite unnecessary with the extended powers it is proposed to give to the Metropolitan Clubs. It is a new idea to place a limit on the duration of a race, and we think it would be wise to so far modify the delegates' suggestion as to make it optional with the Judge to leave the box after a contest had occupied twenty minutes. It would be a cruel piece of luck if two horses struggled to the end of the Grand National course, fell at the last fence, got away from their riders for a few minutes, and lost all claim to the stakes. Such an occurrence is improbable, but less improbable than a repetition of the Tally-ho Handicap which suggested the proposal. The difficulty of determining the positions drawn by jockeys on right-hand courses called for an alteration in Eule 94, but there are several other antiquated regulations which seem to have entirely escaped the attention of the delegates. For instance, there is no proposal to amend Eule 61, which by its excessive demands is mainly responsible for the continuation of the nomenclature nuisance. While owners are nominally precluded from employing a name, by which any other horse in New Zealand has been previously known, Stewards can never enforce the penalty, and they would be foolish to attempt it. Again, it is ridiculous to demand that all complaints regarding any matter occurring during the race must be made before the jockey of the horse whose owner, trainer, or jockey prefers the complaint is weighed in. We saw the effect of this in an important race at Randwick last autumn, and similar trouble will occur again and again. An inexperienced lad is grossly interfered with during some critical part of the race, perhaps out of sight of the stand, but rides a desperate finish and manages to get second to his aggressor. He comes back to the paddock flurried and disappointed, all his friends must stand off until he has passed the scales, and then the owner learns from the breathless boy—when it is too late—that he has been swindled out of the race. A rule that seems to have no earthly object but to defeat the ends of fair play is a disgrace to the sport, and it is not creditable that the assembled intelligence and experience of our Jockey Clubs should have passed it over in silence. We have not found much to commend in the proposals of the delegates, and looking through the rules we had marked as requiring amendment, we find a large proportion untouched by the Conference. There is no alteration in the definition of « horse," which at present is obviously incomplete; a “handicap” is awkwardly described, and all events other than handicaps are still to be considered weight-for-age races. In one place we are told that all entrance money, stakes and forfeits must be paid at time of entry, in another before weighing and yet another before starting, the penalty in each case being disqualification. Again, “ the Secretary ” and “ the Club " are referred to as responsible for certain payments to owners, but in spite of a recent magisterial decision, a person of good ordinary intelligence would have some difficulty in fixing the liability. Two or more Stewards seem contemplated by rule 16, but a little further on we are told that five are required to form a quorum! Under Rule 78 the owner is made liable to a fine of .£SO for “entering a horse which, or the owner of which, is in any forfeit list,” but there is no provision for punishing the nominator. But we might go on almost indefinitely. The delegates appear to have met at Wellington fully determined to protect the totalisator revenue as far as possible; that they have done fairly well, probably to their entire satisfaction ; but their revision of the Rules of Racing is only a patchwork affair on which any stable-boy could improve. Still, sporting writers tell us the proposals are eminently satisfactory, racing men will take no trouble about the matter, and the rank and file of the Clubs will give a complaisant “ aye " when their Chairmen move the adoption of the delegates’ recommendations. We gather from a letter Mr F. D. Luckie has addressed to one of our contemporaries that he has fully determined to take upon himself the publication of a Turf Record tor the current season. No one is better qualified for the work, and the sporting public will hail the prompt publication of the Record with much satisfaction; but Mr Whetham, who has devoted much time and labour to the compilation of previous Records, has been treated with scant courtesy. Mr Luckie, in excusing his appropriation of the work, lays much stress on the fact that recent publications have - been delayed, and we

admit there is room for complaint itt this direction 5 but we would point out that Mr Whetham, while performing his task wonderfully well, has never received adequate assistance from the Clubs. If new arrangements are to be made by which some reasonable remuneration will be assured to the compiler, we think Mr Whetham should have the first opportunity to undertake the work. Perhaps the best way to solve the difficulty—a way which would command the confidence of the sporting public and ensure the best results—would be for Messrs Whetham and Luckie to join in the compilation of the “ Record,” Mr Whetham attending to the South Island, and Mr Luckie to the North Island racing. The work is quite large enough to engage the leisure of two pairs of hands, and we venture to predict that the profit will not be so large as to occasion any very serious difficulty in its division. Another plan, possibly premature, would be for the Metropolitan Clubs to take over the whole matter and publish the record at their own risk. In addition, their appointee might edit the Calendar, keep the Register, and compile the “ Stud Book,” and give all these publications the weight of official authority.