SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6422, 17 June 1882, Page 6

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. Juno 23—Ilawkca' Bay Steeplechases. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. J.fJ. wri'es : "In wliat year did Brlsois win the Melbourne Cup. and what did sho curry ? Albo, did slio win tho V.K.C. Derby in the sauio year?"— IJriseis won tho Molbournu Cup in 1870, carrying (Ist. -libs. Sho also won tho Derby and Oaks ia tho pamo year. •T.Y. writes : "To decide an argument, will you kindly inform mo if Hard Times is dead ?"—Yes. S.W. writes: " What Is considered a maiden horso ?"—A maidon horso .or maro is ono that has never won .111 advertised race (matuhus excepted) at tho time of entranco. but horses having won any two* ypftr-old stake are allowed to run for Maidon Plate or Stakes. J. 11. A. writes : " In order to Battle a hot, would you kindly answer tho following . — I. Whatman has tho host reputation as a sculler for tho past twonty yi\ars (llanlan excepted). 2. Which would 1011 consider tho best mall, Kenforth or Kelly?"—1. This is rather ft dlfllcult question to answer, b't I think it would lay batween Georjo Brown, who was champinn of Amoriea (tho Americans Bay the world) from 1872 to 1375, Renforth, and Kelly. 2. lien forth. A correspondent writes :—" Wh it the fastost time the trotting horso St. Jullou ran por mile?"—Tho fastest time. I believe, made by St. Juliea for a mi!o was 2mln. 10i|secs., which lie ncemiipllshod at Oakland, California, on October 25,1870.

NOTES BY PH/ETON. Mr. Evitt has issued the weights for the Hawke's Bay Steoplceliase, which event is to run 011 the 28tli iust. Old Lone Hand heads tho list, and, uvoti if ho could be depended 011 to take his jumps, is held just as safe as if he were ill his grave by both To Whetu and Grey Moulds, either of whom will. I think, furnish the winner, but if an outsider is to do tho trick, New Year will probably accomplish it. By tho s.s. Arawata, which arrived on Tuesday last, Mr. \V. Walters' inare Peeress was brought to Auckland. The mare has been 011 a visit to Sydney since 1877, and during that time she has been most fruitful. In IS7S sho produced a colt to Yatteiulon, and in the two following years colts to the same sire Only two of these are. howover, alive, the one dropped in 1879 having, while "playing up" ono day, broken his neck. In 18SO Peeress was put to Maribyrnong, and a filly was tho result of the union, and she accompanied her mother from Sydney. Tho mare was again put to Maribyrnong last season, and to whom it is believed she is again in foal. In putting Peeress to Maribyrnong Mr. Walters acted wisely, and it is the opinion of good judges that the two strains will nick well. Tho progeny of Peeress have not been so successful as might have been expected, considering the good performer the mare was herself and her excellent breeding. Her first daughter was Venus Transit, who was by Derby or Sledmcre, but she never showed much form, and'was 0110 of the most moderate class. In Grand Duchess Peeress certainly gave us one of the finc3t-looking lillies that ever looked through a bridle, but sho has been a most unfortunate young lady, alwayß going amiss just prior to important engagements. This mare has; on more than one occasion been pronounced "acow," but if all be true about a certain trial that took place a few days prior to,the Auckland Cup of 1880, then all I have to say is that it was a most fortiinato thing for the Foul Play stable that Grand Duchess went amiss, for I am led lo believe that she put both Libeller and Lara through when they did the Cup distance. The mare, however, strained the couplings of her hind quarters shortly after the trial, and she never saw the post for that event. The injury she sustained on that occasion has affected her more or less ever since. That we have never seen her fit I firmly believe, and the chances are that we never shall now, it being Mr. Walters' intention to put her to the stud next season. Peeress's unnamed three-year-old son showed fair form at the last Canterbury meeting, when lie got second to The Dauphin in the Derby, and third to Grip for the Canterbury Cup. He, however, cut up badly at the Auckland meeting, failing to get a place in the Cup, with 7st., and in tho Derby he had to be ridden in the mo3t desperate manner, to secure a head victory from his solitary opponent Smike. He has never raced since, and there are grave doubts whether lie will ever again stand a preparation, his legs having given out signs of infirmity. In sending his mares to Australia to visit the very best sires, Mr. Walters has displayed a most enterprising spirit, and I hope, therefore, that their progeny will turn out well, and so recoup the Papakura sportsman for the heavy outlay ho must have been put to. In the article 011 Hermit which appeared last week, an omission occurred, which had the effect of making Hermit the winner of the St. Leger in 1851. Thi3 of course was incorrect. The sentence should have read as follows : Newminster, the sire of Hermit, during his racing career, was trained by John Scott, the invincible Wizard of tho North, who secured with him in 1851 the Doncaster St. Leger.

I havo heard it stated on several occasions that Darebin carried a 51b. penalty (incurred by his winning the Adelaide St. Leger) when ho won the Adelaide Queen's Birthday Cup, and that his correct weight in tho lastnamed race was Sst. 131b5., and not Bst. Slbs. as recorded. I always doubted this, for, as a rule, winners of Lcgers do not incur penalties for handicaps, but nat having the conditions of the race before me, I could not contradict the statement with certainty. The papers containing tho reports of the races have now arrived, and they all give Darcbin's weight as Sst. Slbs., and I can find no mention of any penalty being attached to his winning the St. Leger. " Augur" writing on Darcbin's victory says : "That the performance was a most brilliant one, and quite entitled the son of the Peer to bo considered tho best horse in Australia up to one mile and three-quarters, though there is some doubts as to his ability to go two miles." Power, who also rode him when he won the V. B.C. Derby last year, piloted him on this occasion. I find that the Auckland jockey, Tommy Taylor, had a very good average last year. Out of 49 mounts, ho rode 15 winners, was second on eleven occasions, and third on ten. Among Tommy's best wins was the Wanganui Cup ou Hailstorm, aud the Hawke's Bay guineas on tho Slander filly. I might mention that out of eight mounts on tiie latter, lie scorod seven wins. A more well-behaved jockey than Taylor could not be found anywhere, and as ho possesses a good head piece, and is an excellent judge of pace, he will always find plenty of employment. If the weights suit, I understand that there is every likelihood of one or more of tho Hon. YY. Robinson's horses being sent over Vo represent New Zealaucl in the Melbourne Cup and other races at tho Victoria Racing Club's Meeting. If it is decided to send any of them, they will go over under the care of Dick Mason, who will also train them for their engagements. The team will thus have the services of one of the best trainers in New Zealand.

On Snndny last Mr. John Smith lost his two-year-old colt by Yattendun, out of Lady Blair. Mr. Halstead was called in a short time before tho colt died, and upon examination saw that the colt had passed beyond tho power of all veterinary aid. The causo of death was ulceration and rupture of an intestine* I believe that Mr. Halstead had drawn this colt from tho jaws of death on two previous occasions, and although I deeply sympathise with Mr. Smith in the loss of so fine a colt, I cannot help thinking that the first loss is <he beat, for the examination made after death revealed the fact tlu'.t the colt was anything but healthy. It is stated that Mr. Pil l «row intends to nominate his steeplechaser Clarence for the Grand National Steeplechase to be run at Remington next month. This horse lias proved himself a most brilliant animal over country, and if lie is at all fairly treated in the handicap, should certainly be worth sending over, and, with a good man up, may be depended on to run a great race with the Victorian cracks.

Proctor, the winner of the Brisbane Cup, must be able to gallop a bit, for I notice that ho accomplished the two miles in .'hnin. oSAsec., with Sst. llttbs. in the saddle. Proctor also ran a mile and a-half at thesamo meeting in the good time of 2min. <il3cc., with Sst. 11 lbs. tip. He is engaged iu the Melbourne Cup, and if at all well in should certainly be worth watching.

1 have to thank a correspondent for sending me the following :—"Last Saturday the members of the Pakuranga Hunt Club held their meet at Mr. Buinbriilgc's farm, Mangere. The day was all that could bo desired, and was the means of bringing together one of the largest meets of the season. After partaking of a cold lunch, kindly given by theabove named gentleman, the hounds were sent going at 12.30. The hare was »tartc.l a few minutes afterwards, and after a good run—not without the usual spills, &c., customary on such oceamanaged to give us the slip, continued very brisk all the afternoon, there being somo very good runs, but 110 kills were made. Mr. Tom Brown is to be congratulated upon the manner iu which he J>erform?i the duties of huntsman ; as also

npon the condition of tho hounds. I don't think I have ever seen them looking so well. Among some of those I noticed present were His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. M. Clark), on Don Juan ; Mr. Percival, on Butcher Boy ; Mr. G. Dunnett, on Ghost; Mr. Evans, on Whitefoot; Mr. Waterhouse, oh King; Mr. D. B. Tonks, on Greyhound; Mr. A. Buckland, jnn., on General; Mr. Lushington, on Tare-away ; Mr. Tom Halstead, 011 Patienco; Mr. McLaughlan and Mr. Harry Whitaker, both on good jumpers; and others too numerous to mention. Tho ladies I noticed were at a premium ; there being only three present—Sirs. Stevenson (011 a fine looking mare) and the Misses Duunetts. The hounds were taken off about half-past four, and every one present returned home thoroughly pleased with their day's sport." The hounds meet at Styak's Corner, West Tamaki, at 11 a.m. to-day. "Sir Launcelot," tho sporting writer of tho Canterbury 'limes, has concluded the very able scries of articles lie has been writing of late on tho Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap. On tho whole, my confrere gives the committee credit for having framed a fair handicap, and suins up as follows : — Taiaroa, Air.azcn, Dan, Turquoise, Hincmoa, and On Dit, appear to me to bo tho best in among the light weights ; Libeller, Sir Georgo, King Quail, the Slander filly, the Envy filly, and Bundoora, among the middle division; and Mata, Sir Modred, Natator, Lady Emma, and Betrayer, among the heavy contingent; and to reduce theso to a dozen, I thinic tho winner will colno from Sir Modred, Lady Emma, Betrayer, Libeller, Sir George, King Quail, Slander filly, Bundoora, On Dit, Hinemoa, Dan, and Taiaroa.

The Aacot Gold Cup, run 011 tho Bth instant, resulted in a victory for Mr. J. R. Keeno's Foxhall, the Duke of Beaufort's Faugh-a-Ballagh and Petronel running second and third respectively. Foxhall has proved himself a groat horse, for last season he won the two great handicaps of the year on the English turf, viz , the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire. In the last named race he had the steadier of 9st. And, considering that 110 was only three-year-old at tho time, the performance was undoubtedly n most brilliant one. Foxhall would have a still further opportunity of proving his staying qualities 111 tho Alexandra Park Plate, the distance of which is 3 miles, and where Petronel and 110 would again most likely moet. '

The death of the stallion Chandos is announced in the Sydney papers. This horse was imported from England about twelve months ago by the Hon. E. K. Cox, of Fernhill. Ho was by Oxford out of Van Tromp, and at tho time of his death was only 12 years of age. "Nemo" writing 011 the subject, sayE :— "The Hon. E. K. Cox has been particularly unfortunate of late, for Lord of Linne (imp.), who sired LoupGarou, the double Derby winner, and a lot of other good ones, was killed in .1 fight with a stag at Kernhill not very long ago; and it seems only tlie other day that tho death of the mighty Yattendon was announced." "Tout Cela" writes anent the race for the Adelaide Cup:—"The feat has, if my memory serves mo right, only onco been rivalled in our previous turf history—of three animals running a dead heat for second place; aud, singular, to say, this strange result occurred in connection with the same sportsman, Mr. Harry Haines, one of whose horses then, as now, came iu first. I refer to the Newmarket Handicap of IS7O, wlion Diomed won a closely-contested race, the three immediately behind liiin finishing in a lino—viz.: Lo Loup, Tocal, and Bob Sawyer."

Of tho twelve animals that competed for the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase this year, no fewer than eight met with mishaps of a more or less serious nature, as will bo gleaned from the following, which is extracted from the Sporting Life : — " Ignition refused the second fence tho first and second time round ; Mohican fell, and Black Prince stumbled over him at the following fence ; Wild Monarch fell, broke his thigh, and was destroyed ; Eau de Vie bolted after clearing Becher's Brook the second time ; Fay was knocked down by the riderless Black Prince at the fence after Valentino's Brook the second time round; The Scott fell at tho lost fencc but one in the country ; and Liberator overjumped himself and fell at Becher's Brook the second time, Adams, his rider, having his head badly cut. The only animals which completed the course were Seaman, Cyrus, Zoedone, and Montauban."

" Archippas," in Land and Water, on the speed of racehorses, says that he once mea sured the imprints of a racehorse, carrying 10st. 71bs., round a course of two miles. He found tho animal had made 440 bounds in ISO seconds of time, averaging 44 feet per second. Th(J writer goes 011 to say that the speed of racehorses is not so good now as it was in 1721, when Flying Childcrs, at Gyrs., with 9st.< 211 is. up, at Newmarket, ran 3$ miles 93 yards in 400 seconds, or an average of 46 feet 10J inches per second. "Robin Hood," the English correspondent of the Australasian, says:—"Now, I do not think tho writer here takes sufficiently into account the fact that the times of these races ot 130 years back wero very loosely taken, if, indeed, our forefathers had the tools wherewith to take them properly at all. His articlo is, however, more especially for believers in the time test, a very interesting one. ' A'rcliipp.is'' calculations go to show that, for the past half century, the minimum rate of speed for the great three-year-old races has been 43 feet por second, and the maximum 48 feet."

ODDS AND ENDS. It is stated that Mr. Rymill refused £20,000 for his colt Bruce prior to the English Derby. Sylvia's last foal by Musket is said to be ft grand youngster. The price put upon her is, I believe, 1250 guineas.

The cheques paid to winners at the Adelaide Birthday meeting amounted to £-1000, of which Mr. Dakin took £13S0.

First Water, the winner of the Australian Cup in tSSI, was sold recently to Mr. J. E. Seville, of Adelaide, for 575 guineas.

Among tho list of entries for the Melbourne Cup, appears the name Quail. This is Mr. Horsfall'a "little sneaker," King Quail. Mr. Ryan has sold his horse Luckpenny to aTo An,ha sportsman. Tho price paid was, I believe, £100, with the pony Barney thrown in.

Mr Tom Halstead has purchased the stccpleehjiser Tricotrin. The same gentleman has named the half sister to The Ageut that ho purchased recently Paticucc. Haitian's match with Wallace Ross was fixed for Tuesday next. The match is to be rowed in America. As Haitian is now suffering from an attack of fever at Toronto, tho match is indefinitely postponed.

Tho stakes of the Goodwood Handicap have been paid over to ths owner ot Result. It is said, that Mr. W. Pile, the owner of Spectre, who ran second, intends to enter nu action against the club for the recovery of tho stakes.

Mr. J. Ellis has disposed of his steeplechaser Lone Unm] to Mr. W. Stock, of Napier. The price pa id was, I understand. £120, n further stun of £"i 0 to be paid if old grandfather wins the Hawko's Bay Steeplechase.

I understand that the gentleman who races under the name of " Mr. Edwir," lias taken his horses—Popgun, Snider, Ivatipo, and Florin— out of Kilward Day's hands. Mr. JCdwin has, I understand engaged a trainer, recently arrived from Kngland. to take charge of the team.

" Newmarket" states that Sir Thomas Elder's Uassauio was backed for the Melbourne Derby and Cup at 5000 to 50 to win the dou 1 le. Segeuhoc and The Duke, and Navigator and The Duke, were also backed for several thousands for the same events.

"Beacon" writes :—" North's defalcations arc assuming vast proportions as time goes on. First we were told that lie cleared away from Wellington with £1000, the ostensible amount of the sweep; now the Australasian informs us that lie took £8000 ■with him. As a matter of fact, however, North had sold only about 000 tickets at the time he levanted."

The Ladies' Trophy, of which I wrote some time ago, to be run for at the Victoria Turf Club's meeting, is a bracelet valued at ISO guineas. It contains no less than seven diamonds and six sapphires, and is of a very elegant design. It will no doubt give rise to keen competition among the ladies by whom the competitors in the race have to be nominated.

There was a rutnonr current in town yesterday, to the etl'ect that the well-known trainer Percy Martin had been drowned at Napier. Mr. Vallance, I believe, telegri'phed during the day to know whether it was true, and I am glad to state received a reply in the negative. There was, I understand, some grounds for the rumour, Percy having been carried away in a fresh during the recent floods, and "nearly" drowned.