Turf Topics

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 60, 24 August 1901, Page 15

Turf Topics

By Seahorse.

The Woodville District Joekov Club has secured the services of Mr. W. H. Hartgill as judge. Mr James Roulston has christened Recoid Reign's three-year-old half-bro-ther by St Hippo "Up-to-Date " Auckland Tattcrsall's Club has a bank balance of £700. The fee for betting members has been increased to £100. By the withdrawal of Social Pest, Duminv, and The Needle from their Riccarton engagements a lot of doubles went out. Four of James Scobie's patrons (Sir Rupert Clarke, Messrs. F. L. Forrest, R. Orr, and W. Bailey) won £21,282 in stakes last season. It is said that Douglas Watt (rider of Moifaa) lost both stirrup-irons before the Natator gelding ran off in the Grand National Steeplechase. For the three days' trotting and three days' galloping at, Christchurch last week £b3,(>98 was put into the totahsator. A good deal less came out. The Messrs Nathan were fortunate in having an insurance of £1000 on the defunct Fitzsimmons. The application for same was only made some fortyeight hours before the horse's death. Gobo put up a time record in the Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton, viz., 7min 16 l-ssec. The previous best was Dummy's 7min 25sec, put up in 1898 Moifaa contracted a bad habit at Riecarton. running off on both occasions that he was started. Probably he tired chasing the light weights under heavy burdens, and the manner in which he declined the contest was the safest for himself and rider. At the annual meeting of members of the Waverley-Waitotara Club Mr. T. H. Nicholson proposed that the judge, secietarv, clerk of the course, and starter be paid officials of the club. Ihe important proposal was not agreed to. "Boz" (jueries tho doubt that Advance's connections intend to start their horse for the New Zealand Cup because they ha\e not backed him. Owners don't usual ly favour ante-post betting when their horse is a big favourite —at least when a big race is in question. Judging bv the time registered in the Maiden Hurdle Race at Riccarton the placed horses in that event were a bit above the class of horses generally competing in such events. Huku and Dartmoor afterwards scored. Ihe Hempie was unlucky in i mining into a place on three occasions. Brooklet, who died last week at the Te Mahunga stud, was a fair performer, and won the Wellington Cup, the Atkinson Memorial Stakes at Egmont, the Summer Handicap at Manawatu, the Easter Handicap at Waipukurau the Hurry Scurry at the Napier Park Meeting the Fate well Handicap at the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's Autumn meeting, the Flying Handicap at Dannevixke. Brooklet was four years at the stud, her first foal being Mr. G. P. Donnellys Kahuwai, who is one of the entrants for the Now Zealand Cup. He* was a punter who hailed with delight the innovation of the clubs m pacing dividends on the first and second hoises The Hempie was his election for the Maiden Hurdles at Riccarton this week, on which he went nan, and when he got tho news' that the Natator mare had got second berth he wa.s iubilant, and straight-way delivered a lectuie on the sensible method of paung out on the first and second horses He had just got to the tag when he received the intelligence that only one divitlend was paid on that e\ent. When Huntingdon fell in the Tallj Ho Steeplechase, at Riccarton, he broke his leer and had to be destroyed. Huntingdon was bicd in the Rangitikei distiut, b\ Flintlock (sire of Plain Bill) Ho was owned l>\ Mr G. W. Banks, and taken In him to Clnistchurch for Hie National meeting tlnee jeais back. He had done little or no schooling, and i ( in ofi on both occasions that he started. He was purchased bv Mr. H. McLean, and the following year ran thud to Dundonald and Schnapps in the Knheld Steeplechase Last season he ran fourth in the same lace, won the Hunteis' Steeplechase, and acted as runnerup to Zither in the Hunt Club Cup. He had shown considerable" improvement in his lumping and was fencing as well as anything at Riccarton. He came to grief at the last fence when he was racing with Pipi.

The Auckland Racing Club this season will give away £21,350 in stakes, which amount is £1565 more than, any other club distributes to o\\ ners. Tho Auckland Cup has been increased from lOOOsovs to 1350sovs. The new conditions restricting the number of pony races on a trotting programme to two each day will, it is thought by some, result m a higher class of competitors. It will, thinks "Boz," aJmost certainly reduce the number trained, and that very ly11. Abbott, with twenty-four wins, heads the list of Auckland jockeys for la^t season. Other nders who scored double figures are J. Buchanan 19, J. Whitehouse 13, W. Satman 12, J Stewart and M. Ryan 11 each. J Gallagher got home five times out of fortyfive starts. On the first day at Riccaxton, W. Keith w ras reprimanded by the C.J.C Stewards for using insulting language to the secretary during the weighmgout. for the Winter Cup. Mr. T. H. Lance was fined £1 on account, of his horse Doopev leaving the paddock late Mr. J. Corrigan was fined for racing Sundial in wrong colours. When the last mail left England, Mr. R. S. Siever's stable was having a good innings. His Ladas colt Lavengro, starting at 3 to 1 on, won the Hurst Park Foal Plate of 1135 soys, in a canter, from Ross-slure, Happy Bird, and others, while the 10,000gs filly Sceptic (10 to 1 on) beat six others nointless in the Newmarket July Stakes of 1530sovs. Mr. G. G. Stead has paid up with no less than five representatives in the C.J.C. Derby. The Southern sportsman's representatives are —Cruciform (bv St. Leger- -Forme), Knight Errant (by St. Leger -Forma), San Remo (by St. Leger —Cissy), Menschikoff (by Stepnia,k—Pibroch), and Royal Artillery (lay Hotchkiss —Rose of Wellington). Mr. W. Halley, of the Kilbirnie Hotel, scored a win at the New Zealand Metropolitan Club's meeting last week with Trafalgar, in the Intermediate Handicap. The Honesty gelding wa,s driven by the ow ner's brother-in-law (L. Robertson), who, on the first day, won a race with Felony. The latter defeated Mr Whitaker's Viotta. Surrey's three wins at Ricrarton put Mr. "Bob" Harley at the head of the successful jockeys at Riccarton. He also acted as runner-up on Long Tom on two occasions. C. Jenkins, W. Brown, H. Davis, A. Hall, and P. Williams each rode two winners. Mr. Douglas Gordon came out at the head of the winning owners, with £765, and Mr. Connell a good second, with £b45. Natator was an easy first m the list of winning sires, with £815, Sou'wester £645, and Stepniak £335 came next. The fact of Mr. Stead having left San Patricia in the Auckland Guineas w ould appear to point to the Southern sportsman having some designs on that important three-year-old event. Mr. Stead could easily spare one of his numerous team to attack the Northern meeting, but San Patricia's appearance will largely depend on the extent of the opposition. For instance, should Nonette journey to Riccarton, well, then, the way would be well cleared for San Patricia at Ellerslie, and, under such circumstances, she would probably make the trip from the South to the North Island. An effort was made at the Racing Conference to abolish the license feo of £1 charged for gentlemen riders licenses. The proposal was lost, as also was a more reasonable one, viz., to put a race tor gentleman riders on the programmes of winter meetings of metropolitan clubs, the prize money to come out of the amount received for license fees. The Canterbury Jockey Club lias got over the difficult , if such existed, by returning the fees in the shape of trophies, to the winners of races for gentlemen riders Mr. Gerald Stead (iider of the winner ot the Ladies' Bracelet) received a trophy value £10 The rider of the winner of the Hunt Club Cup, had lie been an amateur, would have received a similar trophy Despite his failure at Epsom, which, the Victorian conespondent of Adelaide 'Critic" states was due to the style in which he was ridden, Repeater was well backed at 10 to 1, and was actually one of the worst horses toi the nngmen He is a handsome brown horse, got by the Musket horse, Malua, from Design, aaid is full brother to his stable companion, Santoi, who had previously run second in the Plato These hoises race in Mr. K. GoldsbioiK'h Row's colours, but it is generally understood that the wellknown theatrical entiepeneur. Mr J. C Williamson, has ,in interest in them. Any way, the whole ot the theatrical profession, from "the boss" down to tho lady with a "thinking" part, were on Repeatei, and, needless to say, tho poitormancefe on Saturday night w ent off with exceptional verve