Turf Topic

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 79, 4 January 1902, Page 21

Turf Topic

By Silverspur.

St. Michael, the red-hot tip toi the Auckland Cup, managed to pull oft that event easily, and a numbei of bookies had to pay out lather extensively. The Yaldhurst horse was at a prohibitive price on the eve of the race, and was second favourite on the machine on convincing day. Aucklanders stood loyally to Bluejacket, who had annexed the event twice previously, but he obviously had no show against his lighter weighted opponents, and finished out of place. St. Michael is by the defunct St. Leger from Ich Dien, who used to carry Mr. Stead's all yellow jacket. He got into the handicap very light, but he had done nothing previously to warrant the supposition that he was a Cup horse However, as trainer Mason was quite satisfied with his chance, and the stable is always a dangerous one, the public accepted its estimate of St. Michael, and glanked their dollars on in shoals. St. fichael is described as being rather a plain sort of a horse, but has a long stride which serves him well in a longdistance race. He won, the Bracelet at the last C-J.C. Grand National meeting but at the Cup gathering failed to gain a situation in the two races in which he donned silk. Both Nanette and Mars, who finished second and third in tihe Auckland Cup, scored on the second day, ithe first-nam-ed securing tihe Summer Cup, and the latter the Waitemata Handicap. Nonette has proved a most consistent money getter for Mr. Ryan, who stood to win a big stake on him in the big event of the meeting. Old Mars, who was responsible for the pace in the Cup, bein^ a long way ahead at one period of the race, is by Ingomar — Lyre, and, consequently, related to All There, a horse tihat used to race with success in Australia. I think his owner, Mr. E. D O'Rorke, secured him from the Hon. J. D. Ormond, of Hawke's Bay. Last season Mars started three times, but only once secured a place. This season he acted as runner-up to Ostiak in the Winter Cup at Christchurch. The defeat of Helen Faucit in the Great Northern Foal Stakes, at Auckland, was rather a hard knock to the vast majority of the punting public. One Wellington plunger slapped fifty pounds on her believing that he ihad struck one of Stead's "morals," but, alas, she could do no better than third. The win of Mrs. Lennard's Idas came as a surprise, and admirers received a good dividend in £8. Idas was called on to meet only Northumberland in the Criterion Han-dioa-n on the second day, and won easily. There seems to be a general consensus of opinion that the Wellington Racing Club made a mistake in having the weights for the Wellington Cun declared iso early. There does not appear to be any necessity for publishing them so soon. It would have been infinitely better if they had been deferred until after the conclusion of the holiday meetings. * * * The first two-year-old by Carnage the erst Australian, to .start, in Germany won its race. The erst Auckland racer Record Reign was to have started in the Indian Viceroy's Cup, run last week. The American jockey Maher rode six seconds during one afternoon at the last Newmarket-Houghton meeting. Acone, a one-time good performer, started in the Te Awamutu Cup the other day, but was never in the hunt. Acceptances for the Wellington Cup are due to-night (Friday), when nominations for other events will also be received. Battlecry, who scored at Plumpton the other day is said to be a very game finisher. Mr. Y. Harris netted a decent sum over her victory. Dexterity, by Sou'-wester — Eclat, is rather a smart galloper, and appears- to be capable of notching some good handicaps before the season closes The Maiden at Palmerston appeared to be a rather soft snap, and a couple of daA s later the Ashurst Guineas proved to be another good thing for Mr Ellis chestnut filly The Ranee Una mare Indian Queen showed fine form at Palmerston, where she annexed a double in good style Strangely enough, Faugh-a-ballagh acted as runner-up on both occasions, and his connections must have had a nice win if they backed him on the first day as although he ran second he paid £1/3

A Newtown sport is reported to have made £140 hanking winners on Boxing Daj Chaihe Jenkins appears to lay himself out for winning Mamawatu Cups. He has now been successful five tames in that particular event. The Australian-bied Achilles was a vei\ strong order for the Juvenile Stakes at Palmerston, and made no race of it. The start, however, was a bad one The Ponrua oolt hopped off in front and two of his opponents got left Achilles is by Medallion, and was hou l,r by Prosser m Sydney. Mi F. Martin had a, look in with Cornea in the Jockey Club Handicap at the Lower Valley meeting There were onh four m the fieJd, and Sid Jackson just managed to get the Retina, mare home b^ half-a-length from Aide-dc-Camp The last named turned the tables on the second da^ when Te Pake arted as runner-up Regret shaped disa'"- ointangly in both events, but may be more forward by the time the Wellington meeting comes round. The Ponrua stable did wise in going for the Manawatu Cup with Tortulla, instead of sending her to Auckland. Her heavy weight of 9st 81b was not enough to stop her, but on the second day, when she was asked to carry a srtone extra, the black mare was effectually anchored. Followers of Davies stable were agreeably surprised to receive a dividend of £9 over Motor's wm m the President's Handicap. This son of Hotchkiss is built on galloping lines, and is evidently more than useful. The hurdler Smithy will in future have to race in open company. He won both hack events at Lower Valley m good style, and may prove to be something out of the common later on. Another horse to win a double at the meeting was Rioter, by Rebellion — Jeanette, who was in fine nick, and landed both stakes in slashing style. The victory of Mr. W. E. Bidwell m the Maiden Plate with Immersion was a very popular one. Immersion claims a good pedigree, being by Gitosy Grand from Illusion. Mr. Bidwell secured her under the hammer down South. An angular, innocent-looking individual, who travelled over second-class from Sydney the other day, threw in a shilling with others as 1 a donation to the steward, and affected to be surprised a minute later when told that it was not a "bob in" — a gamble with the dice. But the crowd did nave a "bobin" afterwards, and several others, a box of "bones" mysteriously making their appearance from nowhere 1 in particular. The 'sawney" wan a few good pools, and paid his fare and refreshment bill twice over. Turned out subsequently that he was a noted Sydney magsman. In conversation with a very prominent racing man the other day, I expressed surprise that he had never sought election as a steward of a club. His reply was oandid, and to the point. "I have been asked any number of times to do so, but the fact of the matter is I thought so little of the capabilities of the men I was to< be associated with that I always declined. Some of these honorary gentry know nothing of the game, experienced men are generally in a minority on the committees, and when disputes or inquiries have to be dealt with — well, no matter what they might think, the majority carry the day. A great many experienced men do not like to take up official duties for that reason. The voting on most questions never appears in the papers, and the public does not differentiate between one steward and another, but condemns the crowd as a whole." The old question as to whether geldings should receive weight allowances in weight-for-age races has once again been revived in England, and a great deal has been said and written in opposition to the practice. It is a matter for conjecture how the custom was originally established. Possably, turf authorities believed that a stallion was much fleeter than a gelding, and, consequently, made an allow r anee in favour of the unsexed racers However, that point wall not be conceded by a large number of racing students, who aver, and ouite correctly, that geldings are just as fast and strong as entires. We have seen some specially brilliant geldings under colours in the colonies, and it is questionable if they would have been a.nv better had they not been gelded Geldings last longer on the turf as a rule, but when their racing career is over they are, of course, useless except for hacking purposes. On the whole there does not seem to be any valid reason why allowances should be made in their favour The Wellington Racing Club and other clubs in the. colony, who programme classic races, always grant a three-pound allowance for geldings, and the custom is so deeply rooted that no alteration may be expected for some time vet, unless the Racing Conference takes the matter earnestly in hand. Tn France geldings are not allowed to run for the Grand dv Prix or French T)erbv, and in other events are not conreded any allowance at all