SPORTING NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10596, 4 March 1895, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

(Canterbury Times.) The Caulfield reporter of the Australasian, writing on Feb. 13, says:—"The Possible has not yet returned to the track to prepare for the Australian Cup, but Martin has him walking sound, and he gets plenty of swimming exercise, the injured foot being constantly in poultices ia the stable. Martin ia a very careful man. and may yet bring him to the poet, and I am pleased to be able to report more favourably of Bonnie Scotland, who'weak with fair freedom on Tuesday with Sterachasep over a mile and a half at a trifle in excess of even time, whilst on Saturday their journey was f arther at from half to three-quarter pace, Strahan ran two miles fairly well on tho latter day, with Marine to assist the first six or seven furlongs, and Halifax (who beat him homo) the last nine, the time for that portion of the journey being 2mia 10£aec. Our other candidate, Straighfcfire, with little Daniels in the saddle, ran a mile and a half in 2tnin 57fcce on Saturday, and in a fraction under 3min oOscc on Tuesday.” The two-year-oid filly by Amphion from Mara, purchased for Mr W. E, Wilson at tho sale of her Majesty’s yearlings, for 303 guineas, has been named “Lari.” Mara is by Doncaster from Clemsnce, tbs grand dam of Carbine. Lari is in George Porter’s stable at Newmarket, and at the end of her racing career she will probably be mated with the Musket horse Petronel.

The question of reducing the minimum amount which must be given away in stakes at each meeting by the metropolitan clubs was considered by the Victorian Racing Club committee on . Feb. 11. . The matter was well discussed, and the committee arrived at tho conclusion that, while they could not recommend a reduction of tho amount, they would not oppose a proposal which might be brought before a special meeting of the members to reduce the minimum from £3OO to ,£2OO, providing that such amount was spread over not more than six races, excluding selling races.'

From New South. Wales comes news of the death of Nellie, the best of grand old Sappho’s daughters. Foaled la 1870, Nellie was by English Tim Whither, and while on the turf she won Mr George Lse the Maribyrnoag Plate and Australia Jockey Club’s Derby. At the stud she was first mated First King and her cold in 1883 was Democrat 11., a pretty good horse. After being mated with Matibyraong for a couple of yearn;shp: was tried with the Blair Athol horse Epigram, and in three years she threw Epi.-Wilga, aud Yarran. Ongoing to Trenton she threw-that grand mare Etra-weonie, who won the Maribyrnong Plata and Victoria ■ Racing Club Oaks, snd Mr Leo is fortunate in haring her to take her dam’s place. For several years Nellie was bred to Trident, but although Mr Lse got four figures for her colt Currawang, this mating was not a success, and, finally, she was put back to Trenton, to whom she has left a foal. The total value of stakes won in the United Kingdom during the racing season of 1894, calculated aceonii :to rule 118 of the “ Rules of Racing ” in force this year, exclusive of matches and private sweepstakes (which amounted to ,£875), was—in England, ,£435,633 10s; in Scotland, £11,238; and in Ireland, £IB,BOI 17s 2d. In 1874 the amount won in stakes was—in England, £306,953 19a; in Scotland, £8316; and in Ireland, £11,876. In 1884 the amounts were—in England, £381,857 17s; in Scotland, £7916 4s; and in Ireland, £10,447 9s 2d. Those sums do not include prizes to second and third horses. The Racing Calendar for 1894 contains the following table, showing the number of racea of different distances in Great Britain and Ireland in the undermentioned years : ' Distance. iIBS9 1890 159118921823 1894 5 Furlongs and under (i | 793 767 723 754 7SI 795 6 Furlongs and under 1| mile ... ! 256 ‘238 205 204 £O4 20S 1 Mile ! 545 359 446 479 489 SO9 Over 1 mile aud under 2 I 176 183 192 203 IU3 19S 2 Miles and under 3 ... 42 38 40 41 37 48 3 Miles and under 4 ...I 8 7 71 5 7 8 4 Miles I 3 3 3j 22 3 Total . J162315941626|1653|1713i1768 It is not satisfactory, saya Truitt,, to find that out of 2906 horses which started for races last season only 455 are five-year-olds and upwards. The shocking rate at which the present breed of racehorses goes to pieces is proved by tbe fact that 1108 two-year-olds ran in 1893, but in 1894 there were only 779 three-year-olds forthcoming, so that nearly a third of the whole lot had collapsed after a single season’s racing. There were 727 three-year-olds running in 1893, but only 417 four-year-olds turned up in 1894. These figures speak for themselves so forcibly that they require very little comment, but it is a certain fact that every season scores of promising two-year-olds are ruined by being prematurely raced, and a still larger number collapse hopelessly through being over-raced.

“ Vigilant” commenting on the foregoing, gives, as the probable reason, that many of the two-year-olds missing at three years old had proved themselves valueless during their first season, and the fact of there being so few good five-year-olds is to be accounted for by the enormous income now to be earned by good young sires, and that the owner of a brilliant three-year-old performer fears to tempt fortune further, for defeats at four or five years old might ma.ke his annual value some thousands less.

In connection with the issue of jockeys’ licenses for the current year, tho Jockey Club has renewed its efiict against the betting, receiving of presents and owning of horses by jockeys, as follows: —"The stewards having on previous occasions observed that many jockeys have been in the habit of betting on horse-racing, and of receiving presents in connection with races from parsons other than the owner of the horse they ride in such races, give notice that such practices will nob be tolerated, and that any. jockey who, may be proved, to their satisfaction, to have any interest in any racehorse, or to have been engaged in any betting transaction, or otherwise to have disregarded this notice will have his license at once withdrawn. Any person knowingly acting in the capacity of part owner or trainer of any horse in which a

jockey possesses any interest,or making any bet with or on behalf of any jockey,ox otherwise aiding or abetting in any breach of the orders of the stewards, will be warned off Newmarket Heath.” London, Jan. 11. The attempt to revivify the Chester Cup —to which 2000 sove is now added —looks like being fairly successful, as it _ has obtained an entry of fifty-nine, which, for a long-distance handicap, is good. Tho other spring handicaps show a slight falling off ia the entries. Cloister once more appears in the Grand National, and oh his Grand Sefton Steeplechase form of last November, cannot be handicapped out of it. The Ascot Gold Cup, value 1000 sovs, with 2000 sovs in specie added, has twentysix subscribers. The pick of the entry are Isinglass, Cnlliatrate, Throstle, Contract, None The Wiser, Best Man, Eavensbury, Aborigine and Avingtom •••';' The Alexandra Plate, of 1000 sovs, over three miles, has twenty-three entries,. including Isinglass, Eavensbury, QuSesitum, Gleamaway, Cypria, Aborigine, Reminder, Lutia, Contract and Throstle. The Coventry Stakes, of 1000 sovs, for two-year-olds, with a 10 sov sweep added, boasts one hundred and five entries, th® Prince of Wales heading the list with Persimmon (by St Simon—Perdita) and Thais. All the most highly-bred youngsters (whether tried or not) are engaged. The Lincoln Handicap entry has fallen from seventy-one to forty-eight, hardly any three-year-olds bar Levybub, Lord Drummond and Lottie’s Dude appearing in the. list. Of the older horses, Dumbarton, Amandier, Medicis, Harfleur II„ Indian Queen and Laodamia are the beat known. The Epsom Spring Meeting promises well. The Great; Metropolitan has a fewmore entries than usual, and the City and Suburban a few less. In the latter, Avington, Eavensbury, None the Wiser, Gangway, Kirkconnel and Reminder figure prominently. , , Tho Kcmpton Great Jubilee Stakes has been capitally patronised, sixty subscribers sending nominations, as against 63 in 1894'. Tho following table gives a comparison of. the entries for the last nine years N CO lO O'H (N CO —(tO . sssslissss f * r-f i*H rH jr-4 IrH «H f—t [w* Lincoln Handicap 63 64 64 4S 62 62 7169|4S Liverpool Steeplechase ... 'l6 45 65 617166 70 62:67 City and. Suburban... , ... 67 70:60 66 67 76 70 60.55 Great Metropolitan . ...; 48 37J28 52 4152 45 40 41 Chester Cup 60 49 46 50 49 42 SO 44 59 ICcmpfon jubilee Stakes... Northampton Stakes ... 04 33ff9]S7 02|32|30{39!—-