ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5997, 5 February 1881, Page 6

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

J.P. writes: "■What was Libeller's time, when ho beat Ariel and Templeton in the Auc land Plate !"— Libeller did the two miles in 3inin. -iOVsecs. A.W. writes : " iVhat is the pedigree of Mr. Red. wood's horse Norseman ?"—lie is by Inducer, out of ■Wiitcnvitch. NOTES BY PH.'ETON. The weights for the three principal events at the North Auckland District Races have been issued by Jlr. Peroival, the handicapper to the club. In the Cup, Maori (late Auckland) heads the list with 9st. to his credit, but as the company is not over good it must be admitted that he is entitled to that impost. Lone Hand (Sst. 21bs.), after his recent performances on the flat, must be reckoned to have a say in the race. Yatapa (7st. 41bs.) is nicely weighted, and if I was sure that he would go straight I should look nojfurther for the winner. It must be remembered, however, that this horse is a lazy brute, and it is not always

tEi.it lie can be got to race. Vampire (Cst. Slbs.) is, I think, held quite safe by those above him at two miles. Young Performer (Gst.) and Gilderoy (Gst.) I have no fancy for. Golden Crown (Gst.) has been very leniently treated, and there are more unlikely things than that he will repeat his Henderson's Mill performance of last year. At present I have the greatest fancy for Yatapa for the Cup. For the Publicans' Purse, Vami'lUE appears to me to be the best thing in it, and as the little pony always runs well in a mile and ahalf, I shall expect him to be returned the winner. Lone Hand heads the list for the Hurdle Race, and, if he is in the humour, will win, but it must be remembered that he is a grand one at baulking at his jumps. Harry Mount (lOst.) will be very handy if there is any sticking-up. If ever there was a man that cculd lay claim to having hsd more than his share of hard luck in horse-racing that man, I think, is Mr. Walters. Several times has he been within an ace of appropriating one of the big races of the South, but somehow he has always just been put out of it. Hippocampus ran second for the Duncdin Cup, when it was won by Fishhook; Piscatorius ran second for the Canterbury Jockey Club i Handicap, won by Le Loiip; and now I Libeller has run second for the Wellington Cup, which was won by ISTatator. So" far this season the Papakura stable has had better luck than on former occasions, and let us hope that Air. Walters will yet land a big stake before the season is over, and so make up for the many disappointments he has experienced. A correspondent writes :—" As several country meetings will shortly take place, and as country folks, as a rule, indulge in sweeps more than in betting, it would be as well if you could give us the ruling how sweeps go, viz., to the horse first past the post or to the declared winner?" The Australasian, a journal that is looked upon as the best authority on colonial racing matters, answers the question thus on January 8, ISSI :— " Sweeps follow the stakes, unless the proviso is made first past the posh" The Hon. W. Kobinson's stable has again appropriated the Wellington Clip this year. iSTatator was the selected one on this occasion, and well has he acquitted himself, for the telegrams say lie won easily by three lengths. The winner carried Sst. lib. He is engaged in the Wauganui Cup at Sst. Gibs., but as he has incurred a Vlb. penalty by his win, it will bring his weight up to 9st., an impost I do not think he can carry to victory. Betting on the Dargaville races is very limited. For the Cup Yatapa, Lone Hand, and Vampire stand at 3 to 1. 4to 1 being given about anything else. Some have backed Yatapa for the Cup and Lone Hand for the hurdles at 50 to 5. Libeller incurred a 5-lb. penalty for the Wanganui Cup, by his win in the Racing j Club Handicap at Wellington yesterday. His weight, therefore, will be brought up to 7st. 91bs. Natator \ias giving the pony lllbs. in the Wellington Cup, he now has to give him Ist. 51bs., and go a quarter of a mile further.

r.- ■ii.'Hie_Jsen(lacso.ii]sslill -Turf Oplt-ttK!*. will take place on the 17th March (St. Patrick's Day). Entries for the Handicap Hurdle Race and Henderson's Mill Cup close on Friday, February 25, at 8 p.m., to Mr. Percival, Secretaiy of the club. A good many persons have been successful in getting a leg in on the double event— Wellington and Dunedin Cups—through Natator winning the former. Le Loup and Grip appear to be Natator's favourite partners. The general entries for the Dunedin Jockey Club races are to hand. For the Forbury Handicap there is an entry of twenty, and a like number are in for the Plying Stakes. Only five have entered for the Steeplechase, which Agent wiH have no difficulty of appropriating if his owner should decide to send him for it. None of Mi - . Walters' team are entered for the Forbury or Flying Handicaps, so that I think they will be forwarded on to Wanganui after they have concluded their Wellington engagements. The entries for the Canterbury Autumn Meeting, which is to be held on April IS and 19, are to hand, and may be considered excellent. For the Great Autumn Handicap there is an entry of thirty ; twenty-seven for the Easter-Handicap, and twenty-nine for the Flying Handicap. Mr. Walters has Billingsgate and Libeller engaged in the three events. Mr. E. G. Griffiths has been appointed by the club to allot the weights, and if he is successful in framing a good handicap, the meeting should be a very successful one.

The Waikato Turf Club have taken a wise step in appointing Mr. William Percival to allot the weights at the forthcoming meeting. The manner in which that gentleman has performed the duties of handicapper for other clubs, clearly shows that he is well up to his work. I should advise the club not to leave the appointment of handicapper so late on the occasion of their next race meeting. The weights for the Napier Handicap of oOOsovs., and Railway Stakes Handicap of 10030V5., to be run at the Autumn Meeting of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, will be declared on Tuesday next. The nominations for the Taranaki Jockey Club races are to hand. For the Jockey Club Handicap there is an entry of twentytwo, and twenty-four for the Autumn Handicap. The only Auckland horse owner who has any entered is Mr. Walters, he having Hippocampus and Libeller nominated for both of the above events. Excellent entries have also been received for the Hurdle Race and Steeplechase. The weights will be declared on March 17. The weights for the Greymouth Jockey Club Handicap have been issued. Libeller heads the list with the postage stamp of 11st. to his credit. I think he can safely be put down as a non-starter. Williams, the Victorian jockey, who was imported to ride for Sir Hercules Robinson's stable, had the misfortnne to have his collarbone broken through Miss Domett falling in the Maiden Plate at the late Wellington races. Writing on the question of sweeps, the Melbourne Leader says :—" In the hands of a few good solvent men, these sweeps may tend to amuse those persons who seek to make a fortune by electric means. But when it beco'mes.a common game, and there are too mar.y players, there is bound to be a zero m the affair some day that will turn out most unprofitable to the subscribers, accompanied with much annoyance and vexation A o doubt there are as good men without as within the betting clubs, still a membership is some little guarantee for the bona fides of all men who gamble on horse-racin" whether largely or smally. And, in the absence of any knowledge of a casual improvisor of sweeps, it would be better to invesu their money with men who may be reached than with those outside the pale of a committee's action. For any member who shuffled in connection with a sweep would scarcely be accepted as the banker in a betting transaction."

ODDS. AND EKDsT""^^ 1 "- did not Start fo PaieG -i The Victoria Racing Club's autum - ; • ing commences en the 25th "**** The conditions of the LivernonTrl J; pulatethat 50»ovs. out of thePsfca p "**• the trainer. e stake s go Jb Mr. McDonald's team—Foul Pl av - P' ■ mena, and Edward James-left for n: &!lyesterday. lor Saunterer (list ) beat P-..-, lllbs.) in the^Ladies'Purse ranga races. Xate TaaThe Papakura athletic spofts -infl k races will take place on Fridw T? i horse near the railway station *' Februa ry n, Mr. R. Thorpe informs me that «.* fin by Musket, out of Lalla Rookh is <W 1 % ing into a grand younsjster. develop. Air. R. Thorpe purchased the bred mare Abbe» yesterday Hunter and Nolan's sale a * Mr Branch's colt Process von tl,» P i? n S Cup, carrying 7s. llibs. Wen h iJta Gee " the Geelomj Handicap, carn-inVo t S J?£ WOa Sir Modred is .loin- c ? I ' bs " Inland to try conclusions with "he E ng li£

M^/hr P :;cis^ o^a^ of the locar-'books," was , Xre th ° De mittee of Tattersall's yestediy• C ° m - »r ''she'wV'rf^ 40 hurdle i-.ee at when she fell heavily, breaking iTer neclCaptaui Standish, says ' ? \Ziu"'h-, accepted a position as Private Sarv £" S.r Hercules Robinson. This wi 1b * a *£ to lovers of sport in Soutli Africa, Jth s gallant captain is a great enthusiast for tho Hon. W J. Clarke is said to be the ownerof Grand Flaneur. Let us hope this is so the many disappointments Mr. Clarke expenenced with Petrea were enough to d£ gust any honest man with raimi ? . A correspondent, who assures' us (London Sportsman) of the correctness of his fiCres has reckoned the result of backing the xmderf n C O rr J ,°-^ ey - S ' ? 10UUts f ~»' March 15& to October loth, inclusive. A stake of £25 on each amount forms tlie basis of his calcS lations :-Archer, £750 gain; Constable, £480 I gam ; Fordam, £310 gain ; Rossiter, £300 gam; T Cannon, £1000 loss: Luke, loss; C. Uood, £3700 loss. "Mazeppa" says : -After all, the trotting match between Jvatn-e Cat and a horse" selected by Mr. Kirkwood, of Christchurch. is to take place. The latter gentleman h≤ named Our Pony. The conditions are — \V eights not under lOst. ; 3 miles; £200 ; i-side; JSativeCat to concede usees. start The match is fixed for the second day of the i).JC. Meeting. As both horses are good trotters the match should be an interesting supplement to the advertised bill-of-fare." ° Bal Gal's victory sets us once a«ain atlnnking anent the disease known as rDarimr and whicli prevails to such an extent in Em£ land. Doctors apparently agree to differ very decidedly upon the subject, and its cause, its existence, and the exact seat of the disorder in the equine system is araon«st men a matter of opinion. That Lotd Falmouth's beautiful filly makes a great noise everybody acknowledges, and yet she won the Denhurst Plate at Newmarket simply through running longer than anything else in tlie race : and this over a severe seven furlongs, and in the worst description o£ weather.—Melbourne Leader. A singular affair occurred at the TVaerenga-a-hika Meeting the other day (Writes " Martingale"). One horse onlj- started for the Hurdle Race. Tlie jockey had declared 91bs. oyerweiL'ht. In jumping the last hurdle the ruler had a nasty fall, and was unable to remount. Tho owner of the horse ran out, donned the colours, and brought the horse past the winning-post. On being weighed he was found to be 51bs. under the weight of the previous rider. A question thereupon arose whether he was entitled to the stakes. Another gentleman then, after beiu" fully weighed and weighted, took the horse'out to the place where the first rider met with his fall, brought him again past tlie post, and rode into the weighing-yard. The stewards, however, objected to a second weighing-in as against the rules, and at a second meeting ruled that the stakes revert to the club.