SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9325, 30 March 1889, Page 6

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. New Zealand March SO—Onehnugrv Racing Club. April I—Auckland Polo Club. April Maufcn Races. April 20, 22Auckland Racing Club. April 22, 23—Canterbury Jockey Club. April 27 -South Auokland Racing Club. May 24— Wanpauui Jockey Club. J rmo S—Auckland Racing Club. June 26Hawke'a Bay Jockey Club. Australia. April 11, 12—Hawkcabury Racing Club April 22, 24, 25, 27 —Australian Jockey Club April —Victoria Ilacinj? Club

DATES OF COMING EVENTS.

March 20—Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase. April 20—Easter Handicap (Auckland). April 22Great Aitbanm Handicap. May I—Two TUonsand Guineas. .1 mio 5— Knsliah Derby. Juno 7Oaks.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

A.S.—Neither Pearl Shell or Lonsdale started in tlio Australian Cup. Wagkr.—l. J. Laing rode Omata. 2. Lady Norah, we believe, started in the Eginont Cup, won by Ileclua VT.—Oorunna did not gain a place in the C..T.C. Welcome Stakes. He won the Nursery Handicap on the third dt»y of the meeting. Rom sky.—After Martini-Henry's defeat in the Champion Stakes, he mot I/O Grand in tho A.J.C. St. Lexer, Cumberland Stakes, and A.J.C. Plate, all of which 1,0 Grand won.

Kauri.—Tho fastest flro loners on record for New Zealand Is credited to Forester, who ran tho distance In lm. Is. at tho C.J.C. Spring Meeting in 1836. Man ton's 3m. 311*. in trho last New Zealand Cnp Is the fastest for two miles. 11.R.—Mersey (dam of Carbine) was not included In tho marcs purchased by the New Zealand Stud Company from Mr. G. G. Stead. She was purchased by Sir Hercules Robinson on behalf of the company at the sale.of Mr. BlonJriron's stud in 18S0.

NOTES BY PHAETON, The Onelmnga Racing Club hold a pony and trotting meeting to-day at Potter's Paddock, Epsom, and with every prospect of tho weather being fine, tho gathering should draw a good attendance. The programme to be gone through consists of six events, as follows —Maiden Plate, 6 furlongs; Trotting Race, 3 miles; Pony Cup, 1 milo ; Soiling Race, G furlongs; Maiden Trotting Race, 2 miles; Hurdle Race, li mile. The committee have, I consider, committod an error in placing tho Hurdlo Race the last ovont on tho programmo, ami in doing so thoy aro, iu the opinion of many, simply courting accidents. It is therefore to be hopod that thoy will see tit to have the race shifted further up the programme. The Tramway Company will run a fast seiwico during the aftoruoon, so that visitors may depend upon being transported to and fro expeditiously.

On Tuesday last a telegram came to hand from Christchurch to tho effect that tho Dunedin Cup winner, Sultan, had sprung one of his hocks, anil that as a consequence he would not bo sent to Australia. A subsequent telegram, received last night, however states that tho son of Apremont will be shipped to Australia by the steamer leaving on Monday next. Sultan has been nominated for most of the good things of the A.J.C. Meeting, in addition to which he is also engaged in uhe Rowlev Mile and Hawkesbury Handicap with Sst Sib and Bst 41b respectively.

According bo tho Referee, space had been engaged for M .inton on board the Tarawcra, which left Lyttelton for Sydney on Wednesday last, but as no mention of it has been made in the Press Association's despatches, wo may, I think, safely conclude that the son of Muskot still remains in New Zealand. _ Those who saw the colt ran at Wanganui state that" he was far from himself, and the many severe gruellings ho has had while in a state of ill health must, it is thought, affecfc him seriously in getting round to his spring form. Leopold gave his party another winning turn at the Napier Park meeting on Monday last when he annexed the Napier Cup. With 7st 111b opposite the name of tho son of Leolinus, ho appeared to have moro weight than he usually cares about, but ho was (evidently in one of his best humours, and won in splendid style from Lenore (fist 121b) and Tetford (7st 101 ). On tho following day Leopold was started for tho City Stakes, but he did not gain a situation.

The V.RC. Derby, to bo run in November next, is already being actively discussed in Australian circles, and the chances of Rudolph, Dreadnought, and Richelieu in connection therewith have all been highly spoken of. Many aro of opinion that the winner of the blue riband will bo found amongst that trio : but it Is, 1 understand, quite on tho cards that " little Auckland" may 0110 c again .assert a claim to have a voice in the settlement of that imjxjrtant question, for in Corunna, the. half-brother to Lochiel, it must bo admitted that wo have a representative of much promise. Tho sou of Musket and Nelly Moore is, I am glad to hoar, training on mo«t satisfactorily, and in putting a question to ono of the stable connections as to the prospects of the colt being sent to Australia next season, I was returned an answer to the effect that it was quite on the cards that he willmake the journey. Should the colt finish up his two-year-old career satisfactorily, as 1 have no doubt he will do, there seems a good prospect of his carrying the white and gold jacket at Flcmington in the coming spring.

Tho extensive team that Mr. D. O'Brien is getting together leads one to tho conclusion that the Southern sportsman contemplates another campaign on tho Australian turf before long. The four ynarlings brought down from Auckland have (says "Rata") now been broken in, and Gatling (the Nordenfeldt — Petrolcuse colt) is undoubtedly a good ono, and, provided ho fulfils his early promise, I should think he would bo heard of as a three-year-old in Australia a (a Carbine. Town Moore, (by St. Logor—Miss Laura), is not a bad ono either; and, if tlio pair whioh Mr. O'Brion purchased recently in Australia bo equal to the Auckland quartette, the stable will be uncommonly strong in two-year-olds next season. These are tho kind of horses, too, that a shrewd owner might make a fortune over, provided they train on, and I feel certain that Catling will train on should ho not meet with mishap of any kind.

The Northern VVairoa Racing Club's meeting, which was this year held at Mangawhare, passed off most satisfactorily, and now the various clubs in that district aro one strong organisation instead of a number of weakly clubs, good racing has boon the result. Considering tho largo number of visitors and horses that were attracted to the recent gathering, the club have only to issue a like liberal programme noxt year to secure a fair sharo of patronage from Auckland horseowners.

Tho Auckland-bred Paddy did anothor good turn for the parties behind him at tho recent Warwick I'arm Meeting. With Sat 61 in the saddle lie downed a Hold of twentyfive in the Opening Handicap of 300sovs, and on the following day he carried 9st to victory in tho Forrester Handicap. In each case Paddy started a warm favourite, and I am pleased to hear that at least ono Ancklander participated in his victories, Mr. W. Lyons landing £800.

Young Lindsay, who has for the pant two seasons boon attached to Mr. J. Kean's stable, is evidently developing into one of the most capable lightweights in tho colony. At the Napier Park meetbig on Monday ho steered Leopold to viotory in tho Napier Cup, and on the following day, after a great set-to with Foxton and Cupid, he got Salisbury homo by a head in the City Stakes.

After the running of tho Hurdle Race at Henderson's Mill, on the 16th inst., in which event it will be remembered that the two stable companions, Guy Fawkes and Orangeman, finished first and second respectively, there was a good deal of comment on the result, many being of opinion that Rae could have won on Orangeman had ho so desired. Tho stewards held a meeting yesterday for tho purpose of inquiring into the matter, and after hearing Rae's explanation, it was decided to censure him.

Up to date, tho descendants of the Hon. J. White's thoroughbred stallion Chester have won a total amount in stakes of £30,837 2s (inclusive of own stakes and second and third moneys), while first moneys alone, net, total £34,189 17s. So far this season's contributions towards the eon of Yattendon's total have been £4647 net, Spice being responsible for £1315, Plutarch £1038, Cariyon £1010, Abercorn £546, and Pippo £385.

The committee of the A.J. C. have good reason to be satisfied with the result of tho general entries for their autumn meeting, as the liberal prize list attracted 602 entries for the 19 events, or 51 nominations moro than were received last year, when the entries totalled 641. The nominations received for the weight-for-ago races are first-class, and give promise of bringing about some great contest©, an Carbine, Aberoorn, The Australian Peer, Lochiel, Cranbrook, Carlvon, Manton, Tradition, and Cardigan are all engaged to try conclusions.

( Commenting on tho handicap issued by Mr. Scarr for the Sydney Cup, "Nemo" says:— "Abercorn ana Australian Peer lead the work on terms, with 9st -lib each ; that is, 41b more than weight for age; and so, according to that standard, are reckoned to bo 81b inferior to Carbine. Whatever Mr. Donald Wallace may think of it, it is certain that New Zealand has a great representative, and our island friends have reason to be proud of having bred a colt that has to give weight to everything bred in Australia. It would be useless for a scribe to attempt to do what the two top weights cannot accomplish themselves, and that is to separate them on public form. Alternate wins marked ouch meeting between the pair, and, therefore, it only seems a fair thing that they should now ha asked to mea«»- r< * strides at

even weights, and at that I shall leave others to split them, at least for the present. That they are exceptionally good animals, there cannot be a doubt, and with them the first and greatest fault of the whole work breaks into view, for tlx; standard is too low and will have the effect of leaving the issue to the cracks, while the majority of the middle weights and the outside division may as well remain in their boxes, for Abercorn, The Australian Peer, Lochicl, Carbine, Tradition, Cardigan, and Co., {should be able to gallop faster with their allotted weights than ninetenths of the others with sixpence in the saddle." " Martindale" considers that the best treated half-dozen are Abercorn, Tradition, Man ton, Lonsdale, Amina, and Esperance, but to pick one I should select Manton. From what " Angnr," of the Australasian says, it would appear that that sterling sportsman, the Hon. W. Pearson, had real bad luck in not securing both Carbine and Manton when they wcro submitted aa yearlings. Had fortune smiled upon the squire of Kilmany Park, lie would (says " Augur have been the possessor of Carbino to-day, for his commissioner who visitod the New Zealand Stud Company's sale a couple of years ago had carte blanche. to purchase three colts, and those selected by Mr. F. F. Dakinoll breeding groundswere Manton, Whitworth, and OwDitio, but the commissioner lost heart, and did not care to SMnd more money than ho had invested >*> v * *oa of Musket and Leila.

All lovers of a good horso will be pleased to hear that The Australian Peer has onco moro put in an appearance on the training tracks, and that there is every likelihood of his taking part in the A.J.C. Autumn Meeting. Should the son of Darebin engage in battle at weight-for-nse with Carbine,Lochicl, and Abercorn, great interest will be centred in the contest.

_At Sydney recently, some little betting was done on the next Melbourne Derby and Cup, notwithstanding that these events are eight months distant, and backers' selections favoured most " the two Rudolphs" and " two Richelieus" at 1000 to "20 each. Mixed goods, commencing with Richelieu, Rudolph, Dreadnought, Spice, Singapore, and Sinecure, and finishing principally with Tradition, were asked after at 1000 to 5. Discoursing on tho recent V.R.C. Meeting " Augur," of tho Australasian, says : — " Every meeting of importance nowadays provides further evidence of the superiority of Musket over all other sires imported from England for many years. Carbine, Volley, and Rose Argent furnished a remarkably fine trio to keep green the memory of the son of Toxophilite. Carbine, as I have said before, stood head and shoulders above all the throo-year-olds that figured at the meeting. Some people went so far as to pronounce him tho best three-year-old we ever saw. My own impression is i and probably always will be, that First King, on the day ho won the Champion Stakes in 1 BSC), was really the best animal that ever carried a saddle in Australia, and had he boon in tho Champion Stakes of last week there would have been onlv one horso in it, and that one First King: but I'm not going to detract from the merit of Carbine, who is a colt of exceptional ability. With wonderful speed he combines staying powers, and in this respect ho reminds me something of another colt once possessed by Mr. WallaceLo Grand—who ran second for the Newmarket Handicap, third for tho Australian Cup, and first in the Champion Stakes. A glance at the tabulated pedigree of Carbine, published in tho report of last week, will show how wonderfully Carbine is inbred to the Touchstone family. First of all, there is Touchstone at the very top of the pedigree. Then Musket's dam is the daughter of West Australian (who is a grandson on the dam's side of Touchstone) and Brown Bess, who is a daughter of Camel, the sire of Touchstone. Now let us look through the lines which predominate in the pedigree of Carbine's dam, and we find that Knowsley, her sire, is a son of Orlando (by Touchstone) and Brown Bess, whose names figures in the top lines of tho pedigree, and Mersey's dam Clemence is by Newininster, a son of Touchstone. Hero, then, are 110 less than six strains of Camel, the sire of Touchstone, and the success of Carbine, as well as scores of other great racehorses, goes far to prove that judicious inbreeding is the surest road to success. There was no strain of Stock well in Musket, whose Touchstone and Melbourne strains were just what we required in Australia, where there is altogether too much of the Stockwell family for siros. No horso has ever done one tithe tho service to New Zealand that Musket has, and well may our Auckland friends deplore his loss, and say,' He should have died hereafter.' Had Musket lived another five yours lie would have been the means of introducing tens of thousands of pounds into Now Zealand ; and .1 only hope that his stouthearted son Nordenfeldt may prove a worthy successor to so famous a sire. Musket was undoubtedly the host horse in England over a distance of ground, and I should like to see some of our wealthy Australians import another such animal. Well do I remember the day that he stood in Kirk's Bazaar, and any enterprising Victorian might have had him for a thousand, perhaps less, but they wouldn't have him at any price, and we lost a perfect mine of wealth. This dissertation upon the great qualities of Musket caused me nearly to forget his daughters, Volley and Rose Argent, the former of whom won the St. Lcger, while the latter finished second for the Ascotvale Stakes. They aro two fillies that would do credit to any stallion, and ere the season closes I expcct they will still further swell the list of winnings that will go down to Musket." Tho English correspondent of the Melbourne Leader says :— ' Poor ' plunger' Benson has come right down to the bedrock, otherwise £9 per week, which is so tied up that he cannot give a valid charge 011 it nor dispose of his interest in tho capital or annuity. Ho will gamble, and you cannot stop him. About three weoks ago ho set out for Monaco, with very little money—£3oo or £400. Staying en route at Paris, he was cleaned right out, but managed to find a friend to lend him £50. Tho £50 was run into '200, with which he left for Monto Carlo. At the tables ho got rid of the £1200 in no time, but again found a friend to put up a bit for a fresh start. This time he got together £3900, but could not be satisfied, and knocked the whole lot down again. This is a sad ending to over .£400,000 to his or edit at Ooutta' Bank not more than two years ago. What would old Mr. Bouaon-Schlessinger have said to it ?"

Full details of the English blood stock sales are now to hand, from which I gather that twenty-six yearlings in all ran into four figures, an increase of five upon tho 1887 record, when the highest figure realised was 3000 guineas given for Gay Hampton. Tho highest price realised by a yearling in 1888 was '2800 guineas, given by Mr. D. Baird for a colt by Bend Or out of Tiger Lily. Tho sum of 2GOO guineas was reached on threo occasions, by a colt by St. Simon out of Lady Gladys, a filly by St. Simon out of Crucible —since named Gold Win*— a colt by Sterling out of Merrv Duchess. Another colt by Sterling out of Hypatia fell to the nod of Mr. Dotiglas Baird for 'i'X)O guineas, -whilst Merry Monk, by Rosicrucian out of Bonnie Katie, was bought by young Lord Dudley for 2250 cuineas, and Lord Penrhyn gave "2500 guineas for a black filly by tho littlotried sire Fitz James out of Brioay. The 2Ci highest-priced yearlings fetched an aggregate of 42,2/0 guineas, giving an average of 16-25 guineas for each colt or filly. The highest price ever realised by a yearling up to last spring was the 4!X)t) guineas paid for Maximilian, but this figure is merely a very bail second now, if we aro to c rod it tho report of the sale of the Rancho del Paso yearlings at New York, on the 25th Juno last. On that occasion King Thomas, a yearling brother to King Fox and Ban Fox, was knocked down to Mr. Anj.rlcby* .a bookmaker, at the unprecedented figure of £7800. The colt was bred at Mr. Haggin's stud farm in California, and had travelled more than 3000 miles across the continent to the place of sale. This record is not likely to be approached for many years to come. An English sporting writer publishes the following interesting comparison between past and present, as shown by tho following contrast of the prices and results in tho twenty instances each given below : —Past: Octavian (St. Lc*er winner), Crucifix and dam (Oaks), Venison, Lanercost, Miss El is, The Hero and dam, Sweetmeat, Van Tromp (St. Leger}, Flying Dutchman (Derby and Leger, Voltigeur (Derby and Lcgor), Teddington and dam (Derby), Stock well (St. iSkor), Virago, Mendicant (Oaks), Thorman by (Derby), Kettledrum (Derby), Dundoe, Musjid (Derby), Fisherman, Weathergago. (The above coat under £5000.) Present: Jjonisbourt;, St. Honors, Devil to Par, Sfc. Mary, Whistle Jacket, Deuce of Clubs, Loyalist, Evangeline, Godolphin, Cerealis, Armida. Penitent, Coeoanut, Sea King, Hazeldell, Esther Faa, Anomaly, Rattlewings, Galanthus, Kingshill. 'lheso cost over £00,000. I place Octavian at the head of tho " past" division because, costing but a " tenner' (!), he won the St. Loger, and afterward aired the dam af Crucifix, whose son, Snrpl'oo, in turn won the Derby and St. Leger. I commence the "present" with Louisbourg, because ho cost 4000 guineas—and died an example. The two that come next (which represent together 8000 guineas more) might have followed for the benefit they have bo far conferred upon us, cither as racehorses or at the stud ; as, indeed, might nearly tho whole lot of these sixty thousand pounders. One may well say with Hamlet, Look on this picture and on this." The Prince of Wales has ; bo far, been desperately unlucky with his racehorses, for, having expended some £8000 in buying yearlings, we cannot recollect that he has won more than two small races with them, and the expense m connection with their training and racing must have been very hoavy. H.R.H. has another failure in Galliffet, by Energy, out of Fanchette, who hna been engaged in a large number of stakes,

j Nordenfeldt's brother, Enfilade, is in the I sale list. i The Auckland Polo Club races take place at Ellerslie on Monday next. Dudti (9st slb) is favourite for the Great Autumn Handicap, at 3 to 1. It is said that there is every prospect of Son-of-a-Gun racing again. Mr. F. G. Wheth&m has issued the New Zealand Turf Record for 18S7-BS. Mr. Marshall's two-year-old Necklet) 'has been doing good work at Rand wick. The Ohinemuri Racing Club come out of their late meeting with assets of £32. The Wanganui Jockey Club made a profit of £500 over their recent Autumn meeting. Tho second forfeit in connection with the Sydney Gold Cnp is due on Wednesday next. The Middle Park Stud Company's sale of yearlings is fixed to take place on the 25th April. £500 to £25 on the field, any way not gone, is the quotation of a Diuiedin mot»llician on the New Zealand Cap. About £1000 wore passed through the total i gator at the Northern Wairoa Racing Club's meeting last week. Major Mfcirs Sweet Alice (by Sledraere), who was last) season put to The Dauphin, slipped her foal during the present week. The South Auckland Racing Club have received capital entries for their meeting, to be held at Claudelands on the 27th April. Xt is said that one baoker from New South • vf ales, who was present at the recent V.R.C. Meeting, has gone for something like £5000. The Auokland horses Leopold, Escutcheon, Lady Norah, Patchwork, and Tetford are expected to arrive from Napier 011 Monday next.

Nelson continues to do good work at Ellerslie, and the old fellow will be pretty ripe by the time the A.R.C. Autumn Meeting comes round.

P. Nolan had Cuirassier and the two-year-old Corunna down at Ellerslie during tho present week, both being treated to easy exercise.

The sum of £475 is to be given in stakes by thft Wanganui Jockey Club at their Steeplechase Meeting, which has been fixed for tho 24th of May. British Lion has recovered from his recent lameness, but it is said to be doubtful whether his stable mate St. Clair will over be really sound again. Sir Modred's brother, Cheviot, claimed a winner at the recent Warwick Farm, at which place his son, Little Burnio, won the Running Handicap in real grand style. The weights for the Easter Handicap and Steeplechn.se, to be run at the Auckland Racing Club's Autumn meeting, are expected to make their appearance on Friday next. Aberdeen (a half-brother to the Australian Cup winner Morpeth) won the Warwick Farm Cup, beating fifteen others, amongst whom -was the erstwhile Aucklander Clogs. " Augur" gives it as his opinion that Carbine was at least a 101b better horse when he put down Loehiel in the Looh Plate than when he contested in tho Newmarket Handi-

cap. The erstwhile Auckland jumper, Peter Osbeck, figures among the entrants for the Hurdlo Race and Steeplechase, to bo run at the approaching A.J.C. Meeting 4 at Randwick.

At present there is very little wagering being done in Auckland on the Sydney Cup, backers evidently considering the prices too short. Lochicl and Carbine are each quoted at 5 to 1.

It appears that Lady Norah's indifferent running in the Hawkers Bay Cup last week was due to tho plates on her forefeet spreading, and it is a wonder that she was not permanently ruined. The Queensland Stud Company, which has been revived, intends to send to England for the thoroughbred sires by Hermit, Speculum, or Galopin, and twenty brood mares. Of the total amount distributed in stakes at tho recent V.R.C. meeting, moro than half found its way out of the colony, namely. £8407, thc'division of spoil being as follows : — Victoria, £6691; New South Wales, £4467 18s; South Australia, £199112s ; New Zealand. £1048. • Tho Southern trainer, Mr. R. Ray, is, I regret to hear, in a very delicate state of health. He returned South after the Wanganui Meeting, but contemplates coming North again shortly in order to try if the hot springs at Te Aroha will give him any relief from his ailment. When one of Mentor's legs gave way in* February last it was stated that there was very little prospeot of the Melbourne Cup winner again racing, but tho affected part has undergone a severe blistering, and it is now thought that a rest is only required to enable him to stand another preparation. St. James (a half-brother to Tetford) has been distinguishing himself in the South lately. At Tokomariro he won the principal event, and at Dunedin on Saturday last he furnished the winner of tho Anniversary Handicap. St. James was bred by Mr. T. Morrin, and was got byLeolinus fromPungawerewore. The expression " dark horse," now in such general use, is said to have first occurr<xl in Lord P>eaconsfield's novel "Tho Young Duke," ill the following paragraph : —" The first favourite was never heard of ; the second favourite was never seen after the distance post; all the ten-to-oncs were in the rear, and a dark horse which had never been thought of rushed past the grand stand in sweeping triumph."

SOUTH AUCKLAND RACING CLUB,

Hamilton*, Thursday. The following nominations have been received for the several events at tho South Auckland Racing Club's meeting at Claudelands, on the 27th April. Handicap Hurdles.Costley, Cocktail, Garnet, Fair play, Pretender, Seaweed, Surprise, Wideawake, Artist, Fairplay, Guy Fawkes, Orangeman, Toatoa. Fi/rrsr; Stakes Handicap.Clipporina, Forest King, Haricot, Laila, Lady Marion, Lifebuoy, Atanvroa, Momorandum, Nap, Pretender, Parnell, Signoas, St. Michael, Sir Walter, Riot, Tupaki, Pusohka, and Cushla. Aottt.vin Handicap.—Forest'King. Haricot, Leila, Memorandum, Pretender, Riot, Signess, St. Michael, Sir Walter, Turakina, Puschka, Orangeman, Cushla, T 0,1 to a. Handicap Post Race. —Sandfly, Dick (1), Violet, Carmichael, Pio, Waipa, Ilirt, Fanny Fisher, Ned, Little Nellie, May Moon, Dick (2), Kerosene, and Titbits.

THE DUNEDIN CUP WINNER.

[BY TELBGRATH.— PttESS ASSOCIATION".] CirRiSTCHCRon, Friday. The Dunedin Cup winner, Sultan, is to be shipped to Sydney by tho steamer leaving here on Monday next.