Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13086, 27 January 1906, Page 6

LEAVES FROM MY NOTEBOOK. When the* model-shaped Menscnikoff hung in the ring at Wellington Park on the 30tit ,iSr., ami eventually was knocked down to Mr. J. B. Reid at 520-gm.. it constituted to me the* surprise of tho sale. But a few hours had clapsed ore several Aucklauderwere found chastising themselves at not having made an effort to secure tue gooa--1 coking son of Stcnniak and Pibroch. Regrets in that connection not only cam*' from those engaged in breeding matters, but also from those pursuing racing, a strong cpimon prevailing that the bay hor~»' would stand training. There ii reason to believe mat Mr. Keid seriously intended to give Men--thikorf a chance to again distinguish himself under silk, and with that end in view he sent him to J. Taggart's establishment. After taking this step." however, the Canterbury sportsman entertained an offer or SGOgns. for the horse iropi an Australian quarter, and Menscliikoff goes across f.'.e water to find a home in the Commonwealth. A Melbourne cablegram to hand state- that Menschikoff is to go into Avery's stable, which. I pre-.umc. may be taken to mean that the new owner of the Stepmak hvrrv intends to make- an effort to get a race out of him. This course may. perhaps, be warranted: but all the same it would be more pleasing to learn that Men-ehikoff was to be allowed to pursue his stud career rather than being set to again ranee up at the barrier. There can be no quest a- to the promising character of Menschikoff' stock, so far as looks are concerned, and it will be a pity should his career as ,i -ire b.in any way affected by a further bout- a: racing being exacted from him. The Wellington Cup winner Ropa formed one of the collection of yearlings sent, up to auction at Wellington Park in the summer of 1902. and at 2Cogns. lie fell to the bid of the Australian sportsman Mr. E. F. Darlot, who. interesting to relate, was the first and only competitor for hi* posses-ion. In his early carter at two years eld Ropa disappointed his connection?, but at the back end of the season die managed to capture a couple of nursery handicaps for Messrs. Darlot and Dun fee. in whose nomination he raced. After achieving a win in the Avcndale Guineas Kopa was sold to Mr. Hugo Friedlander with a view to the Great Northern Guineas, and that event duly foil to him. However, that success was destined to be the only occasion on which ho was to score for the Canterbury sportsman, and winding up badly he was submitted to auction in the winter of 19-o*. when he was allowed to go to a Wellington racing man for 305gns. A well-known mare at Wellington Park, whoso name, singular to remark, was not missed from the catalogue of lots which the auctioneer had to deal with at the Panmure estate last month, was Necklace, the brown daughter of Musket and Locket, who 1 have since ascertained was numbered amongst the defunct some time back. Foaled as far back as 1231. Necklace Lad reached the age of 24 y pars, so that she had completed more than the ordinary span of equine existence. Necklace ran all her races in the colours of Mr. J. Marshall, and many will, no doubt, remember the surprise victory that she brought off at Ellerslie in the summer of 1584. when she won her first racea Nursery Handicap —paying a dividend of £41 lis* Necklace ran her be.-: races at four years old. at which age she won .several important events, and her second to Nelson in the Dunedin Cup. and to Pearl in the Hawke's Bay Cup, were two noteworthy performances on her part. During the time she was at the stud Necklace threw nine foals, amongst which were Miss Letty (dam of Beddington), Cravat (winner of the A.J.C. Metropolitan Stakes), Armilla (winner of Exhibition Handicap). Coronet (winner of several cups), and Jewellery (winner of the Wanganui Stakes). A former stable-mate of Necklace's, and one who, interesting to relate, was foaled in the same year as the Musket mare, to be also numbered amongst the defunct, is Turquoise, the black son of Tubal Cain and Topaz, who died recently at Hawke's Bay. Turquoise ran his early races in the colours of poor ill-fated Robert Vallance. In the summer of 1852-83 (which old Aucklanders' will remember as Welcome Jack's season) Turquoise was sent up to Ellerslie to oppose him, and though the wire-strung son of Tradueer was galloping in great style the connections of Turquoise had some hopes of worsting him in the Auckland Cup. Turquoise, however, went amiss, and he had to bo withdrawn from all engagements, and a similar act had to be performed some two yea subsequently, on which occasion the Auckland Cup appeared to be pretty well at his mercy. Turquoise then passe«Cinto the hands of Mr. J. Marshall, who, it may be inferred, acquired the son of Tubal Cain cheaply considering that he was under a cloud. Mr. Marshall's luck was once again forcibly demonstrated, for in the space of a couple of months old John Chaafe (who was then acting as trainer for the Auckland sportsman) safely bagged the Taranaki Jockey Club Handicap. A.R.C. Easter Handicap, and Autumn Handicap ; and the old black opened his six-year-old career by winning another important race. Turquoise spent most of his stud life in Hawke's Bay. He sired a few winners., but never succeeded in giving the turf one as good as himself. Ruby (winner of the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase) and Mozel (winner of the Auckland Steeplechase) are two of his most noteworthy performers. When the news of Ropa's victory in the Wellington Cup came through on Saturday last mv mind was carried back to that winter afternoon when he figured in the salo ring at the Harp of Erin in June, 19C4. The bidding for the son of St. Leger, which had been fairly spirited, had reached 220gns., when the Wellington trainer. W. Davis, who had been one of the leading competitors, called, "225gn5., and that's the last," at the same time buttoning up his coat and retiring out of the ring. The bidding went on. however, and at the finish Davis, who had evidently taken a great fancy to the chestnut gelding, was again found close up to the auctioneer, and at 3Qsgns. he silenced th© opposition amidst a burst of merriment. Ropa had disappointed Davis many times in the interval, and a period of 18 months elapsed ere the chestnut brought a shilling return of the sum expended in his purchase. With the Wellington Cup capture Davis is now in a position to rejoice at making a second appearance in the ring when Ropa was in the hands of the auctioneer in the autumn of 1903. When Ropa won the Woodviile Handicap last month his connections were credited with landing a decent-sized stake, and they probably participated to a good extent in the money distributed from the machine on Saturday last at Trenthaiq.

Scotty has been acquitting himself satisfactorily in his work during the week, and he will be given an opportunity to win Cup honours to-day at Takapuna. While looking over the. St. Leger gelding at Ellerslie one day during the present week, I was much struck with the cleanness of his legs. Scotty is- rising eight years, and, bearing "in mind that he came on the. turf early in his two-year-old career, the state of his legs entitles him to a first-class certificate for soundness.

The Nordenfeldt. mare Brown Alice, with a colt foal at foot by Sea ton Delaval, at 130 guineas was undoubtedly one of the bargains of the recent dispersal sale at Wellington Park, and with a win down to her son Ropa in the Wellington Cup Mr. E. •T. Watt, to whose bid she fell, can. I think, be safely reckoned to be thoroughly in accord with tho view that he had all the best of the deal when the brown mare was knocked down to him. Brown Alice formed ope of the collection of mares shipped to Napier last week, and after viewing her at the Haymarket I came away with the opinion that she was wearing decidedly well, and that her last foal is well up to any of her previous produce in physique.

In the illustrated portion of the current issue of the Auckland Weeklt News there is a capital photograph of the yearling colt by Soult from Rose and White, who was recently bought at auction on behalf of a Victorian sportsman for 1100 guineas. The Glenora Park studmaster, Mr. W. Walters, is depicted holding the colt by his head stall, and altogether the picture is an admirable one in setting off "the celt of the season." It will be a source of joy to a great body of Aucklanders should Mr. Walters two years hence be in a position to claim in the full brother to Wairiki a second Derby winner for Glenora Park.

Mr. Kerry Maitland. handicapper to the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, has not loft it open to any doubt as to how ho regards the New Zealand horse Machine Gun, for in framing the weights for the Oakleigh Plate he awarded him list lib. Tin's is a big compliment to the brown son of Hot-cli-kiss and Rubina : but it will hardly be relished by his party. The V.R.C. handicapper, Mr. Menzics. has not yet issued ilic , weights for the Newmarket. Handicap, and < in the face of the tremendous impost allotted , Machine Gup in the Oakleigh Plate, a great deal of interest will lie centred in the treatment tho New Zealand horse will reoeive for the Flemingtou race*