SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6099, 4 June 1881, Page 6

SPORTING.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. E. 8.. Auckland, writes: "Can you tell me how much Grand Flaneur coat as a yearling, and who bred i him?"— Grand Flaneur was bred by Mr. E. K. Cox, j and sold as a yearling for 175 guineas. T.W.yAuckland, writes: " To decide a wager, \yill you please state whether it was Titania or Sinking Fund that ran a dead heat -with Mata in the Dunedin Cup of IS79?"—Sinking Fund; Titania was scratched. 0.-V, Opotild, writes : " Can you give mo the name of the horse that won the Hibernian Cup at the Thames, on St. Patrick's Day last?"— Golden Crown. NOTES BY PHOTON. On Wednesday last, the great event of the year on the English turf, viz., the Derby, was run at Epsom, when the American-bred colt Iroquois was successful in getting home first. As a two-year-old, Iroquois ran twelve times, winning four of his engagements—on one occasion beating Lord Falmouth's flyer Bal Gal. This year he ran second to Peregrine for the Two Thousand Guineas. Peregrine, the second horse, did not perform as the two-year-old, and was totallv unheard-of until he won the Two Thousand Guineas last November. Since that event he aas, ofcourse. been greatly fancied for the Derby, and was backed as low down as 3to 1 when the mail left for San Francisco; . Town Moor performed fairly well as a two-year-old, and was a bit fancied by his party. All the sporting writers in the old country gave Iroquois as a greatly improved colt,, and, as events have turned out, the opinion formed has proved to be correct. It '■■will indeed prove a bitter, pill for the Eng-. lish sportsmen to swallowto have the "blue riband" of the English turf carried off by aiv American bred horse. It must, however, be reinembered that the victory has not been an easy one, for the three years'career of Mr. Lorilard on the English, turf musthave cost him a small fortune. We in-the colonies will, I think, admit that the Americans deserve their victory for their indomitable pluck. A.telegram from Dnnedin states that it is mq3t likely that Mr. Driver will nominate both Sir Modred and Somnus for the Melbourne Cup this year, lithe former is sent to represent New Zealand in the race for the "blue riband" of Australasia, he will, I am sure, acquit himself well, for he is a really grand animal.. Ido not think there is much chance of the latter being sent, as he has several important engagements in New. Zealand, notably the Canterbury Derby, for which he is first favourite.

The rumour-.-that Piscatoriiis was to be nominated for, the Melbourne Cup turns. out tobe.a canard. Mr. Walters informs me that he has never even thought of: entering his Horse. r ' ' ' ■'■' ' ' ''

se. Mr. John Smith has evidently altered hi& nind in regard to retiring from the turf, for '. notice that he is having thi-ee new boxes xected on. his property at Green Lane for he .accommodation of the yearlings that he ecehtly purchased in Australia. Harrison ias been giving the Mai'ibyrong colt'and ;he Auk,.filly a bit of work. I had a opk at the latter undergoing her. education 3a Saturday last, and I must say she, is a rery pretty mover. - '-.:::: :.■; I regret to state-that Mr. Walters has had the misfortune to lose a fine filly foal, by out of Yatterina. The youngster got into a deep ditch, and injuring herself severely, died from the effects. The filly had the appearance of turning.out a real good one, and I am sure everyone will regret Mr. Walters'bad luck in Josing such a promising youngster. Fred Carrington, who has'ridden that game little horse King Quail in' his. : many races,,■has, I hear, left Mr. Horsfall's employ. After visiting his friends in Taranaki, Fred will most likely come, backto Auckland, and ride in the black jacket and'cherry cap of Mr, Smith. . .■■"■-. ■.■': .■'.■.

. . I am informed that it is • proposed to amalgamate the Churchill, Eangiriri, and Kai Tumutumu Race Clubs, and to hold a good meeting at Ohinewai, in which case there will be sohie substantial amounts to be run for. \ - " :.-.-' • ■ . :

A telegram from Dunedin states that Mr. Prince has purchased the whilom favourite for the Melbourne Cup, Mata, for;£800, and intends bringing him to New. Zealand again. Mr. Prince is. evidently goings to have a bid for "the Canterbury Cup this year. The Sydney Bulletin is responsible for the following : —"Certain Auckland (N.Z.) bookmakers, who have no right to .the title, style themselves on their cards 'MemberSi of the - Sydney Tattersall's^ ' This little, matter might be looked up by the commit-: tee." If the writer had written Christ-; church instead of Auckland he would have; been nearer.the mark. . .': _~ ;'

~lf all that "Spectator" writes about the Wanganui Jockey Club be true, that boclyi must conduct their business in a very loose! manner. The writer in question says :—| "Frominformationlhave receivedit appeared that the filial payments for the Cup for some, of the horses were not received amongst thei '. general entries,' and one of the members of ■, the club having firet seen the whole of the entries•-'opened, and believing that the: owners had niade an oversight in not paying up, took upon himself to niake the necessary; payments after the stated time for closing. It was certainly very kind of him to do so, but; that the action was one opposed to the rules: of. the,club there can be no question. Thej same gentleman against whom complaint, was made, and who it will be seen was privi-! leged to see the entries as they were being opened, came out of-the room and offered to] name the winner of the Maiden Plate for a 'firer.' On Dit was the 'good thing' selected, but it didn't come off. Such pro-! ceedings are altogether against racing rules, and must in future be guarded against, other t' jvris'e ; there will be no end of dissatisfac-; tibn. : . .■ . Also, lam now satisfied that ! there is truth in the statements that riomir I nations were accepted for the Wanganui Derby of ISS2,-not. afew minutes after the advertisedtime, but several days after. If this is correct,- although the club have] accepted the nominations,- the young ones in question are not properly qualified, and I predict that there will be trouble in the future over the matter, as several owners I have spoken to are determined, to protest against the horses being allowed to start whose qualifications are not good.". "■'..". '■' ■ ODDS AND ENDS. ' : The entries for the Melbourne Cup close on June 6. ..-.-... ■.-.'. ', ';■■ Prince has purchased Mata for £SOO, and intends bringing him to New Zealand. '■. D.0.D., the "outsider, who' won'the Goodwood Handicap, is called after his owner| Dan. O'Day. The Great Metropolitan Stakes run at Epsom last month,, was won by Brown Bess, a filly, by Musket out o£ Carine. " It is said that a law suit, arising out of the dispute as to the identity of Bend Or, will shortly engage the attention of the gentlemen of the long robe. . Hanlan has challenged any man in the world for any sum up to £2000 over the Toronto Champion Course, and undertakes to beat him by a quarter of a minute. . A purse of £2000 is offered for a stallion race at Rochester, New York, on July 4. Among the entries are Santa Clans, Monroe Chief, Wedgewood, Bonesettor, and Voltaire. The members of the I'Anson family intend; ; to.carry on the Blink Bonny Stud Farm.l The two mares, Eed Light and Robbing Around, were bought en behalf of the family at the recent sale. Dr.: Carver, the American marksman, has challenged teh.of the best shote in the Hurlingham Club and the Gun Club, of London, to a pigeon shooting match for £500, the doctor shooting 1000 pigeons to hia opponents' 100 each. . . ' Trickett's next match will probably be against R.- W. Boyd, the Tyne sculler; 1 in September next. . Should he be victorious: in this, he may next be heard of in Canada with an intention of retrieving his loet laurels in another contest with Haalan. The Sportsman says that' Totalisator winning the Adelaide Cup pulled the bookmakers out of the fire, and put them. in' funds, and that those round robins whom tile' totalisator frightened. are disgusted at not being at the skinniDg of the lamb, which pleasing operation, they say takes place so. seldom nowadays. ; i

■ THESTOD HORSE ANTEB.OS. TO THE SrOBTIJTG EDITOR. "; : Sir, —I have to thank Picador, jun., for his courtesy in answering my queries re Anteros, but at the same time must express great regret that he should have ruffled , lip his epidermis, and written in such a querulous tone. I'm not aware that the wording of mjr letter implied a doubt as to his thirty years' experience as a breeder, or that he had run down the horse through spite, but if he pute such a construction upon, it so let it remain. It is probable that he is correct that the person " signing himself 'Anteros' has been trying to breed a racehorse for many years," but the animals bred with one or two exceptions would hardly eome under tho designation of weeds, though they certainly conld not be classed in the same category as Black Tommy, Tournament, ' Warminster, and high-bred flyers of that ilk. * Moreover,

he probably had not the advantage "when a boy of spending hours studying tlie Stud Book and Kacing Calendar with such a judge as the late Sir J. Havley." It is even probable that that great '? mentor" might nave occasionally been at fault in his choice of sires in a country where it frequently happened to be a case of a<-t Caa-ar cud nulius. The tlieory that a stallion to be a successful sire must be out of a mare that has shown good form on the racecourse, did not emanate in Picador, jun.'s fertile brain, and is up to the present time an unestablished law. Let us look back a bit. That paragon of success, Eclipse, was out ot a mare (Spiltetta), who could not wina£so plate. Banter, dam of Touchstone, was no performer. Paradigm, dam of Lord Lyon ami Pocohontas, dam of the "Emperor of Stallions," Stockwell, made no name for themselves on the racecourse, and yet I tliiuk it cannot be denied that their sone proved themselves firstclass horses, and as sires established an everlasting fame—at any rate, three out of the four. This list might be drawn out ad htfinilum had I a stud..book to refer to. Many good : judges—the : .. late Admiral Rous amongst: ,the: number—-prefer- to breed from mares that have never.been trained, and the plan is, without doubt.,a good one. I have not time; just at present to correct the many fallacies and, inaccuracies that appear in .'.'.Picador,-jun.'s'■ letter, but during the long winter evenings now with us I will endeavour to provo that he has built up. his ideas upon a .foundation of sand, and give him my reasons for thinking and predicting that Auteros.wilt become one of the leading sires in theSonthernrHeniisphere. , In conelusion, I must request " Picador, jun." to. I keep; his : temper j; my .desire is to spar lightly,• but should he. prefer; so ; mote it be. , ' •,-.-. ~ , Antekos. ,'