SPORTING NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10104, 1 August 1893, Page 6

SPORTING NOTES.

[by CASTOR.]

Uppercut was offered for sale at Thornburg pome days ago and found a purchaser at £2l. The Ashburton Hunt Club will hold a Point-ta-Point Steeplechase on August 23. It is reported that there is a probability of the Kowai ■ Pass Jockey Club being resuscitated shortly. Westmere is reported to ba doing nice easy work at Wanganui, and his prospects of annexing the New Zealand Cup are highly thought of. Mr W. Walters has sold Pmfire to Mr M’Niool, and the winner of the Auckland Cup of 1891 will go to the stud in the Waikato district. A northern contemporary describes Isidore as “the good-looking chestnut.” Perhaps everybody would not agree with the statement. Waitangi, who has been out regularly with the Otago hounds, is stated to be looking his very best. While hunting with the Otago hounds on Saturday, J. Poole, the well-known cross-country horseman, was taken ill, ana his doctor has ordered him to rest for ten da 'j'he Lowburn (Central Otago) Sporting Club has carried forward a credit balance of .£56, Hr H. Partridge has been elected President. Mr W, Colclough VicePresident, Mr W. Tillman Treasurer, and Mr J. Perriam Secretary.

I notice that the Melbourne Sportsman describes Common as the Duke of Portland’s stallion. The son of Isonomy is now tho property of Sir J. Blundell Maple, and never at any period of his career belonged to the Duke of Portland. A Napier critic, taking into consideration the manner in which Norton ran in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase, fancies that Mr Rutherford's horse will win the Grand Nation,?,l Steeplechase. If he is defeated be thinks it will be by Tiritea. After it had been so industriously circulated that St Hippo would not run in the spring, it came as a great surprise to find that Mr Nathan’s horse was, on Saturday morning, supported all over New Zealand to win the New Zealand Cup. The extent of tho commission wap, I understand, about .£3OOO. It is now stated that the son of St Leger was never seriously amiss. Of the mares at Wellington Park served last season, sis have proved not in foal, and there is some doubt' about Pungawerewere (dam of Cracksbot). The mares empty are Lady Walmsley, Carbine’s full sistsr; Rose of Wellington, by St Leger— ETeurette ; Hazel, by Nordenfeldt—Ouida; Queen Cole, by King Cole—-Rosalie; Gannet, by Anteroa —Albatross; and Brown Bess, by Musket —Rosalie. At the Auckland Resident Magistrate’s Court on July 14 Murdoch M’Kinnon sueji Adam Emiraili for the amount of J 147 15s Bd, due for training and racing fees. Mr M’Alister appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr W. J. Napier for defendant. A large number of witnesses were examined for both sides. Judgment was given for plaintiff for J 512 and costa .£4 17a. A correspondent writes to the Southland Times an follows:—Will you kindly inform mo whether or not the law of New Zealand permits Sunday horse racing ? Last Sunday on a racecourse near to this village a horse race took place and forty spectators or so were there. The consequences to our youth if the law permits this sort of thing I consider will be exceedingly grievous. If the law be against Sunday horse racing then we know what, steps to take nest.—l am, &e., A New Chtjm.

My Ashburton correspondent writes:—Tho Ashburton course presents quits a busy appearance now, as some sixteen horses are at work regularly. The new training track is not in first-class order, tho wet and the frost having prevented it •. being sufficiently worked, and there are still a good many stones to be found after every fresh harrowing. Maria Martin and Young Cheviot are the most forward in condition, and the former is looking particularly well. M. Hobbs has taken a place near the course, and is having firstclass stables erected. He will tram Mr Gates’ horses. . At the annual meeting of the Wsimate Racing Club held on Saturday, the balancesheet submitted showed a credit balance of £o , while the sum of £lO was stated to be owing for subscriptions. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President and Judge, Mr M. C. Studholme; Starter, Mr T. Teschomaker; Treasurer, Mr J. Molloy; Secretary, Mr H. C. Orbell; Committee, Messrs Smith, Mathias, Molloy, M’Goverin, P. Dooley, Douglas, Studholme, M. O’Brien, een.. Foot, Dooley, Binney and Russell. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Baxter, who had resigned the position of Secretary after three years’ service, and regret was expressed that he could not see his way to continue in the office. Tho South Canterbury Hunt Club will hold a race meeting on August 17. The principal attraction will be a Steeplechase, open to members of tbs South Canterbury, Waimate and Ashburton Hunt Clubs, and members (approved of by the Committee) of any recognised Hunt Club. Tho,prize will be a Challenge Cup, to bo competed for annually until won by one Club three times, and will be awarded by points. Both horses and riders completing the course within three mimitra ot the winner are to score points inversely to their positions ia the race. No weight must be under ISst, and tho course, four miles in length, will be flagged off, if possible, in tho shape of an hour glass, tho start and the fiaish to take place near the centre. Besides this event there will be a Hunters’ Fiat Race and a Hack Race.

The sixty-sixth Liverpool Cup, decided on Friday, was won by Colonel Norton’s Simouian, by St Simon—Garonne, who defeated Bushey Park acd Hoy Neil. Sitnonian cost Colonel North 4000 guineas as a y earling. As ti two-year-old ho was a good performer, and, among other events, won the Brocklesby Stakes at Lincoln. As a three-year-old he was fairly successful until ha was attacked by the gripes while travailing by train to fulfil some engagement!) at Kemptoa Park. The attack and its results placed him on the retired list for more than a year, and even after he did make bis reappearance it was some considerable time before he commenced to recover his form. In fact, it was not until the Newmarket First Spring Meeting this season that Simonian won another race; but now he has evidently recovered his pace, and we shall probably hear of his winning again shortly. Bushey Park, who is a son of Hampton and Sunshine, won the Alexandra Plate at Ascot last month, and Boy Neil who ia an Irish bred horse by Kendal—the stallion which was recently sold for 18,000 gs—has been a fairly good performer, both in the laud of his birth and ia England. As the racing season is now practically at an end, the racing statistics for the year are published in this issue and will be found in another column. As was to be expected Sr Hippo heads the list of winning hone?, ar.d Mr Nathan’s horse is followed by Merganser, while Loyalty occupies third position. Thanks to Sc Hippo’s successes bfc Legcr is at the head of the winning sires, while Merganser and Stnpniak have placed Nordonfeldfc second on the list, and ri o brothers Saracen and Loyalty are reLf.otisioie for St George being third, a position which ia higher than the son of YaUeusba has ever previously taken. Acre merit, whoso stock were more or less unfortunate, and who for the past few seasons has been a much neglected horse, ia c’oso up fourth, and The Mute and Foul IV.y follow in the order named, although ,;t a respectful distance. Locliiel, who has done wonders considering that he had only two-year-olde to represent him, is next.

: :i Corson, Colo, Cadogau, Natator, : 1:.; .vi-ul JMaoe, Treason, Ascot, Peve, Le Loop and Albany are all well np on ; the list. Mr G. G. Stead 13 the first on i.Wj> list or winning owners, but the i Canterbury racing msn maintained a large establishment, and both Messrs i Nathan arid R anboi:.;, who follow in the order named, rnu-t have hud better ; seasons flnanciall,v. Captain Hassell fob j lows close upon Mr l«,atn bone’s hcelt, and both these Napier racing men are not far ahead of Mr D. O’Brien, while the Hon

J. D. Ormond comes next just in front of Mr J. Stephenson.

There was a distinct falling off as compared with last year in tho number of acceptances and general entries received by the Canterbury Jockey Club on Friday night for its winter meeting. The following table will show how the numbers compare with those of this time last year:

158 166When dealing with the Grand National* Steeplechase last week I selected eight horses which I considered had bean fairly well handicapped. Of these, tho following seven remain in -.—Norton,. Empire, Gondolier, Clarence, Magpie,Victrix and Rebel. Norton has improved a good deal since he returned from his fruitless journey to the North Island, and I hold a much greater respect for his prospects than I did last week. Both Empire and Gondolier have arrived at Riccarton, and are reported to be well. I fancy that both of them will run prominently, but if public form goes for anything, Empire should certainly defeat the Hawke’s Bay horse. Clarence has made any number of friends during the past week, and Mr Holmes’ horse is now a tegular “street corner tip,” while Magpie has always been a great favourite of mine, and I feel confident that tho consistent son of Betrayer will at least run into a place. Vietrix I now feel inclined to discard, and a similar remark applies to Rebel, although I confess that tho reports to hand concerning the doings of Poole’s horse are highly satisfactory. As, therefore, there will be ample opportunity of making my final selections next week, I shall for the present make no further comment, and will pass on to the Grand National Hurdle Race. When reviewing the weighty for the latter event I did not include Mutiny in my selections, because I understood that the son of Lady Maxwell would not put in an appearance at Riccarton. However, Mr Douglas’ horse is now stated to be a certain starter, so I shall include him in the list of horses which I consider will run well. A large number of my selections did not accept, but with Mutiny I have, still Kulnine, Clarence and Erin-go-Bragh, and I fancy that the four named will between them furnish the winner and ono of the other placed horses.

Grand Nations,1 Steeplechase ... 1892. ... 17 1893 14 Grand National Hurdle Baco ... ... XI 17 First Hunters’ Hurdle Race ... 16 13 Second Him tors’ Hurdle Race ... ... 17 16 Maiden Hurdle Race ... S ' 8 Tally-ho Plato ... 13 7 Ladies’ Bracelet ... 7 7 Maiden Steeplechase ... 12 8 Winter Handicap ... 26 20 August Handicap ... 21 25 Beaufort Steeplechase ... 16 ;n Hunt Club Cup ... 18 13 Hunt Club Ladies’ Bracelet ... 9 s