SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6201, 1 October 1881, Page 6

SPORTING.

V RACING FIXTURES. "• KEW ZEALAJSD. October 12—Hawkes' Boy Sprinff Meeting. Oct. 13 —Hnwke's Bay Racing Club, Spring Meeting October 21— Wanganui Spring Meeting. November s—Pakuranga Hunt Club Races. November B,lo,ll—Canterbury Sprin? Meeting. November 30—Waikato Turf Club Spring Meeting. November 30 -Wellington Spring Meeting. "November 30 and Dec. I—Durv.'tlin Spring Meeting December 23, 29—Mercury Bay Races. Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 and 3— -uckland Summer Meotin?. March 9 and 10—Wanganui Jockey Ciutj Autumn Meeting. AUSTRALIA. November 1. 3, and s—Victoria Racing Club Spring Meeting. DATES OF NOMINATIONS, ENTRIES, AND ACCEPTANCES, FOR AUCKLAND 11ACES. October 21—Nominations for Auckland Cup, Racing Club Handicap, and Steeplechase. December 2 — Acceptances for Auckland Cup and Steeplechase. December 16—General entries and acceptances. answers to correspondents. J. J. M. writes —" Please inform mo 1. If the Epsom Oaks race is for tillies only. 2. What is the name and address of the publisher of the New Zealand Ktcing Calendar. 3. What were IJillingsgato's performances as a two-year-old." 1. The Epsom Oaks is exclusively for fillies. 2. Mr. George Elliott, Times Office, Christchurch. 3. The Turf Calendar was not published in 1873-70, so that in giving Billingsgate's performances as a two-year-old I have to depend solely cn my memory. At Auckland Summer Meeting 1878 : Second in Railway Plate, won by Pinfire ; won Selling Plate. Dunedin Summer Meeting: Won Champagne Stakes. At Wanganui Autumn Meeting : Won Sapling Stakes. At Auckland Autumn : Won Publican's Stakes ; won Flying Stakes. At Taranaki Autumn : Second in Flying Handicap won by Isaak Walton. T. R. W. writes.—" 1. Can you give me the site and dam of Stanley, the winner of the CarabridgeiCup, and also his performances? 2. Will you decide the following question : A backs one horse agaiust another, start for the money. One horse starts and finishes the race, but the other, although mounted, and at starting post, refuses to start. Will that constitute a proper start for the money, and does the bit boldgood?" 3. Stanley is by Derby, but lam not tsure about his dam. The following wero, I believe, his performances last- season : At Waikato Spring M cting : Third in Maiden Plate. At Ngaruawahia : Won Maiden Plate. At Whatawhata : Won Maiden AtKihiUihi: Won Cup, 9st. slbs., 2 miles. 2. As a rule the proviso "start for the money" is made in case the horse should be scratched. The of the jockey weighing out and going to the post shows that the horse was "intended" to start, so that I think the bet should hold good-

NOTES BY PHOTON. I have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the New Zealand Stud Book, which lias been compiled by Mr. George Elliott. The book appears to have been put together with very threat care, and contains the pedigree of nearly every thoroughbred mare and stallion of any note in the colony, together wi th a list of mares and horses, with their pedigrees, that have been imported from Australia during the last three years. I gather from a table published in the book that since the publication of the sixth volume, the increase of the. several classes of brood mares has been as follows :—lmported from England, 9; colonial bred, with perfect pedigrees, 17; colonial bred with imperfect pedigrees, but believed to be thoroughbred, 21 ; colonial bred, with doubtful pedigrees, 6 : total, 51. Mr. Elliott is entitled to the best thanks of sportsmen forthecreditable manner in which he has performed the task of compiling and editing this work, and I think it will bear very favourable comparison with its Australian companion. From late Sydney papers I notice that Mr. -John Mayo, a prominent Sydney sportsman and owner of the Metropolitan winner Hesperian, has got into trouble through the "erratic" performance of one of his horses at the A. J.C. Meeting. It appears that Mr. Miyo had a horse named Elastic engaged in the Squatters' Handicap, and ten minutes before the race started he wished to withdraw him, but, is the rules state that notice of withdrawal must be given half an hour before the start, he was told that he would have to pay a fine of £5 if he did so. Rather than do thi3 Mr. Mayo elected to start the horse, and he finished last in the race, which •was won by Zulu. The boy appears to have ridden the horse in a most eccentric manner, and one of the other jockeys says that he thought Elastic's rider was either " mad or drunk." After the race the stewards met and decided to disqualify Mr. Mayo, jockey, and horse for twelve months. The matter is a very serious one for Mr. Mayo, as the verdict will most likely be endorsed by the Victoria Racing Club. Writing on this matter " Caspian, "in the Town and Country Journal, says: —"Several well-known and influential gentlemen of the northern districts refused to believe that Mayo could be guilty of such an action, from the length of time he has been connected with the turf, and honourably associated therewith, and to show their faith in his integrity have refused to bow before the decision of the A.J.C. tribunal. Another strange circumstance in connection with this decision of the executive, and one which must greatly interest the sporting world, but who are kept in the dark, is conducting the inquiry with closed doors. Why should not members of the Press be admitted ? Is it not a public qu«3tion—any grievances or breach of the rules of racing, and have they not a perfect right to learn on what evidence, if any, a man is convicted ? Many people dare assert, and it is to be deplored those from whom statements of the kind should never emanate, that it was known before the race that Elastic was to be pulled. This fact in itself would be sufficient to prejudice the minds of many a vacillating individual. However, as the matter is likely to be tried before a higher tribunal, I will leave the question, and the public will l;e better able to judge from the evidence elicited there the merits of the A.J. Club's disqualification ban." The Annual Steeplechase Meeting of the P.ikuranga Hunt Club has been fixed for Saturday, November 5. It is considered doubtful whether the improvements which are being made on the Ellerslie course will be sufficiently advanced to allow of the races being held there. The Wanganni Jockey Club have issued their programme for the Autumn Meeting, which is to be held on Thursday and Friday, the 9th and 10th March. It is as follows :— First day : Hurdle Race of 75sovs., Wanganui Derby of lOOsovs., Sapling Stakes of 60sovs., Wanganui Stakes Handicap of 25050v5., Town Plate of "osovs., Flying Handicap of 125sovs. Second day : Hurdle Race of 75sovs., Hack Hurdle Race of lOsovs., Maiden Plate of 60sovs., Wanganui Cup of GOOsovs., Railway Plate of GOsovs., District Race of lOOsovs., Consolation Stakes -x&msu&KS. Nominations for the Wanganui Stakes, Flying Handicap, District Handicap, and Wanganui Cup, close on December 1, at 9 p.m. The Pakuranga hounds will meet to-day at Epsom, near the Prince Arthur Hotel. On account of the horse parade at Ellerslie, the hounds will not be thrown off till 3 o'clock. Mr. Walters leaves to-day for Napier, with Grand Duchess and the Hippo-Slander filly. The latter is looking remarkably well, and should she continue to improve, will go very near landing the rose and white stripes first past the post for the Guineas. There seems every prospect of the English trainer, Mr. Edward Day, taking up his abode amongst us. I hear that Mr. Joe Ellis, of the Ellerslie Hotel, intends putting up six new boxes at the rear of the house, and that Day's establishment will be situated there. The following horses will most likely be placed under his charge ;—King Don, Moonstone, Knottingley filly, and possibly two or three others. To show what a soft thing Stanley had in the Cambridge Cup, it may be mentioned that in that race Grand Duchess was giving him a stone and seven pounds. In the Stewards Handicap, they were both put on equal' terms, viz. : 7st. 121b., and there can be little doubt that if Stanley had not bolted, ho would have won the double event, as the mare had very Little left in her when he cut it. The annual horse parade will take place to-day at the Agricultural and Pastoral Association grounds, Green Lane. It is expected to be a far greater success than its predecessors. In the thoroughbred class, Musket, Cap-a-pie, Anteros, Hippocampus, and several others will no doubt put in an appearance. Considering that there are a large number of horses in and about the district, the entries for the Wanganui Spring Meeting are not so large as I expected. Only twelve horses have been nominated for the Wanganui Stakes, and eight for the Hurdles. The final payments and entries for the Hawke'a Ray races were masie on Tuesday last. In all the events there are a fair number of horses engaged, and I have no doubt that the club will have a very successful meeting. "Karns,"in the Federal Australian, writes as follows concerning Darebin :—" The Derby colt Darebin is doing as well as his friends can wish, on the training ground at Flemington, of a morning.. He strides over the ground like a 'greyhound, and appears to rsyel in his work. Take my word for it, if the strapping son of Lurline survives al l those accidents which attend the preparation Of a Derby candidate, Mr. Dakin will be a grand man after the V.R.C, Derby hue been;

• ODDS AND ENDS. ! Lord Lisgar is again doing good work. Gloucester has been purchased by Mr. Forrester for 300 guineas. Sardonyx lias been backed for the Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup double at 10,000 to 250. George Wilson, who has ridden old Sportsman in his many wins, has left Mr. Rutherford's employ. The racehorse Elastic was purchased at an auction sale in Sydney, by Mr. W. Forrester, for'."?00 guineas. The great Victorian steeplechaser, Sussex, has been sold to Mr. Umphelby, for 1300 guineas, for stud purposes. Spinning*! ile is said to have recovered from the severe shaking that she received through her fall at Hawkesbury. Nominations for the Dunedin Cup, Publicane' Purse, City Stake 3, and Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap close to-night, at 8 o'clock. Mr. J. Mavo was the largest winner at the late A..T.C. Meeting. He won £969 ; Mr. G. C. Baldock, £568; Captain Osborne, £544. , Sardonyx, a son of the Auckland Company's fine maro Onyx, won the Mares Produce Stakes at the Sydney meeting, beating Monmouth and others. In the Hunters' Flat Race at the Dunedin Hunt Club Rices, old Chancellor carried 12st. 71bs. into second place. The winner was Chif, who carried lOst. Waxy, who it is said could have been bought for a couple of " ponies " six months ago, wa3 sold for £2200, after getting second to Hesperian for the Metropolitan Stakes. F. Archer had, up to July 23rd, won 111 races out of 2GS mouuts ; C. Wood, 65 out of 234 ; T. Cannon, 49 out of 152 ; G. Fordham, 37 out of 176 J J* Goater, 32 out of 143. The two foals which were brought out with the last batch of mares for the Stud Company are beginning to pick up, and will no doubt soon lick themselves into shape. It is said that Mr. McDonald's horse, Foul Play, has been kicked. The injury could not have been very serious, for I notice that he has accepted for all his Napier engagements. Mr. Henry Redwood's three highly-bred mares Raupo, Wai-i-ti, and Toitoi arrived this week by the s.s. Penguin on a visit to Musket. Raupo is the dam of that grand horse Mata. Sir J. Astley's mare Windsor, by Hermit out of Musket's dain, carrying 6st. 61bs., beat Captain Machell's Valour (9st. lib.) in a match for 200sovs., at Sandown Park, on July 22nd. At the conclusion of the Cambridge races, three cheers wore called for Ml". Percival, the handicapper, for the admirable way in which he had fulfilled his duties, which was warmly responded to. " Tout Cela," in the Melbourne " Sportsman," says:—"An old Adelaide acquaintance writes me that little Savanaka is doing very well in his training for the Melbourne Cup, and he has hear J a reliable whisper that he did what he liked with First Water in a two mile spin." Tommy Hales, who rode Trump Yoss in the Metropolitan Stakes at the A.J.C. meeting, says that the horse was carried off his legs at the commencement of the race, and never appeared to try afterwards. The stable lost heavily through the hoise's defeat, as it was thought he could not miss it. Libeller is now first favourite for the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap, at 100 to 15. Grip stands at a point less. The Dauphin and Peeress colt still head the list for the Derby at 100 to 23 each. For the Canterbury Cup Mata stands at. 100 to 28. The Peeress colt is at 100 to 20. Tom Lamond (the trainer ef the A.J.C. Derby winner—Wheatear) has been very successful as a trainer, and he has already secured three Derbys, three Sydney Cups, and three Champagne Stake 3; and horses trained by him have won the Haivkesbury Guineas twice, and the Maribyrnong Plate twice. Brown Bess (by Musket), according to Benson's chronograph, won the Goodwood Stakes in smin. 3sec., Reveller covering the course last year in smin. 13isec., and Bay Archer, in 1579, in omin. lGsec. The following are a few previous records : —Norwich, in IS7S, 4min. 54sec. ; Prince George, 1577, 4min. 57sec.; Hampton, 1576, ymin. 2sec.; and Freeman, in 1575, smin. lsec. " Senex" writes as follows of The Governor (a son of Anteros) —" The Governor, who is carrying a very brilliant coat, has deepened in the girth, and fined down about the shoulders, and consequently shows more quality than of yore. He is now a shortlegged, decidedly handsome horse, and, what is more to the point, is doing his work well, and much more freely than last year, w hen he used to gallop along behind Mischief." The Grand Piix of 'SI will be memorable for the magnificent display of horsemanship between Fordham and Archer for the last 150 yards. All present were electrified, Fordham getting Fox hall home by the shortest ot heads. Indeed, till the numbers went up no one knew who had won. To cany off Derby and Grand Prix in one season with two different colts is a triumph for the stars and stripes, and a fair reward for the courage and enterprise of the two American owners.—Sportsman. The Federal Australian, in the course of an interesting article on the dearth of lightweight jockeys, makes the following suggest tion :—"To encourage the bringing out of horsemen, it would be a wise move on the part of the powers that be if, at every meeting of importance, one race was placed on the programme in which all riders should be lads that have never won a race, whilst horses ridden by lads who have tiever ridden in public should be allowed Tibs. on their handicap weight. In these races the use of whips should be prohibited, but spurs allowed ; lads would thus be taught to ride with their hands and heels." The Sporting Times of London thus speaks of Fordham's horsemanship :—" We all know George Fordham's peculiar style of riding, which is unlike that of any other jockey, past or present; but we never heard it hit off so well as at Windsor, when he was riding the Calphurnia colt in the last race. 'Heel Hazard wins!' was the cry, as the horses approached. 'No, he don't!' shouted a backer of Mr. Crawford's unnamed one. 'No, he don't. Calphurnia lobs in. Don't you see Fordham's got 'is 'nmp up ?' And it is quite true that when George shrugs his shoulders, and lowers his head, he has a nice little bit in hand." What a curious thing is popularity (says a London paper). Since the Derby, Archer, the jockey, has.been more talked about than any man in the country. All kinds of people seem anxious to know what he says, what he does, and how he lives. Enterprising correspondents have found out what he did on Derby Day before the race, and what he has been doing since. He is the petted of all classes. Titled men are proud of repeating what Archer said to them, if he said anything at all. Archer has the income of the Lord Chancellor, and his life is a round of pleasure, for he certainly loves the sport. Wo open our eyes with admiration and wonder when we hear of an artist getting £1000 for a picture that has cost him perhaps a couple of years of work and thought, but Archer gets his £1000 for a three minutes' ride. THE BETTING MARKET. I extract the following items from " Mazeppa's" notes :— I hear that Chancellor's friends have beeu asking about his pvice for the C.J.C. Handicap. One gentleman offered to take £2000 to £109 about him, but there were no layers at the price. Aly Christchurch correspondent states that Lady Emmy, Libeller, and -Envy filly are frequently inquired about for the same race. The former seems to be coming more into favour. No transactions worth recording have taken place, however. He adds that several people are nibbling at Louis d'Or for the Derby. Early last week the double Somnus and Somnus, V.R.C. Derby and Cup, was backed in Christchurch for over £2000, and in some cases as short odds as 25 to 1 were taken about this fancy double. Somnus and Sir Modred (double) was also backed for over £1000 at from 100 to 1 to 100 to 2. I am told that Mr. Weston, who was in Dunedin this week, laid £2000 to £56 about the Somnuses; also £1000 Somnus and Sir Modred, the latter to a good judge belonging to Canterbury, but the price of the latter wager is not stated. From the avidity with which 25 to 1 was snapped up on Saturday last in Dunedin about the double—Somnus, Derby and Cup— it seems probable that this favourite "spot " will see a shorter price before long. I have heard that a cablegram received here early in the week gives the price for the double in Melbourne at £1000 to £30 to £35 ; also that Sornnuß is now at 6 to 1 straight out for thq Derby. • i;r The double Sir Modred and Somnus has been laid in Dunedin at 100 to 2J. - Le Loup, who is looking remarkably well lately, and is doing strong work, has come into the market for the C.J.C. Meeting. He Has been backed for the Handicap at 100 to 10, and for the Cup at 100 to 12 _both in moderate nurna, 1