SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 7

SPORTING.

. RACING FIXTURES. . vugust. 14, 16, 18.—Canterbury Jockey Club. E\ RACING FIXTURES. -^r^'• :■ August 14, 16, 18.—Canterbury Jockey Club. ■ '•'.' DATES OF COMING EVENTS. ,* - August 14.— N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase. jst'SJ l ! * Augustl6.—N.Z. Grand National Hurdle Race* ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. - &&■•s'■<'■:■■'• . •■■ - ■■ . ■ •■!,'" Woodnymph is a thrcc-year-old ''' filly by Bcauchauip, from Botinctte. ,! X.L.'I". l'nreraa.—Tirant d'Eau was got by ' . Jet d'Eau from Tiraillerie, by Xordcnfoldt— ■f ' "• Florence McCarthy. . 8.M.. Auckland."— Paris' (9st 41b) has the rc- .; ■ cord of carrying the heaviest weight to vic--1 , tory in the Caullicld Cup. Hy'uieUus comes '" next with £>t 121 u. .;■..;;■'' ; r * ; , P.H.—Waiwera (lOst Gib) started for the ','■ ' Great Northern Steeplechase of 1903. ' The "• placed division comprised The Guard (12st 31b). \ > Frost (9st 121b). ami Princess of Thule "(lOst 61b). • -'■'• ' •ELljEUHlitß.—The dividends, paid on Despised ir.!'-;:.■':■''.when he won the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1893, were £37 10s (inside) and £93.5s (but;|;iV side).'' ',!-''." NOTES BY PHAETON." THE SIRE OF THE SEASON. The great run of successes- credited to the descendants of Multiform from the very -out-' 1 set of the present season has made it quite ••',-,- clear that the bay son of Hotchkiss would - " • top the list of New Zealand sires this year, ;;. ■ and the statistics compiled by" Pentagraph," of the Referee, show that his stock have cap- ;-: tiued the sum of £11,634. Tins mm, it may •be remarked, is the highest total! credited to a Now Zealand sire for many years past, arid the most recent approach to it was that of St. Legcr in 1902-1905, when.descen- *■>' dants of the Doncaster horio captured stake; . to the value, of £11,327. Mr. Stead richly . deserves-any' luck that comes to, him with Multiform, for in sending a sound horse" in Screw Gun-to Sir Ernest Cassel in exchange for Formo's son, whoproved worthless as it racer in England, he displayed the sports-man-like quality to a high degree. It is a truly remarkable record that is down to the credit of .Multiform, and had it not been for '•- the unfortunate accident that befell his ihrec- ; year-old son Sun god last December it would ,' have been rendered even more so, for there :'■* ■ is good reason to accept as u fact that he was very ; nearly, if not quite, as good as Nocuiform. The following table shows the total sum'won by descendants of the lead : ing sire in each season .during the past ten v • years: '' . . .. " . ' '." ■ *. : Winners of place money. £ ■'£■?. ' 183M7-St. Leger 28 ... 6.981 ■ 1897-03—St,. Leger. ' ... —24 ... 8,285 1858-39— Castor ......... IS ... °-«f - w 185-3-00-St..; Loser ... ... 36 ... 6,707 ':-;'' 1900-01-81,'Leger ... ... 31 — .' 9.999 {901-03—St.' Leper ... ... 26 ... 11.^7 1902-03-Stcpniak. ... — 30 ... .8,098-1903-04— Beaton Delaval ... 29 ■ ... 8,783 1904-05—is'cpniak , ... ... 36 ... ' li ?.. ' ' 1995-06- inltiform ••• 11— '11.634.1 THE LEADING EACEHORSJC. The four captures 'made by Noctuiform , at three years old place him at the head of the list with £37*7: ,but. the son of Multi- : ! ' form did not succeed in beating Nonette's <■ record in the'season of 1901-1002, when the son of Soaton Delaval won £3960. Consider- '•', iug that' tho sum opposite Noctuiform'a namo was, won in a period of- teas than three - . mouths, and that ho ran his last race in New Zealand' in November, it may be said that strong grounds , exist for entertaining the view that had he remained here a fresh win?;l ning record would have gone on tho slate. " The following little table which I have compiled will show lipw Noctuiform's record • . comes out when ranged with the leading winners during tho past 12 seasons: — '■■''. Season. Horse. Winnings. ; ' " >■.':•■. ■.:•-' "-■ A- S. '-■• . ' 1894-95 ... Mahaki. 4.VTS -..."■ ... 1,434 15 1895-96 ... Kuroclyclon. oyrs ... 2.C90 19 ' -' 1896-97 ... Multiform. 2yrs ...» 2,76113 1897-98 ...'Multiform, 3yr« ... 2.144 10, '' 1898-99 ....Screw Gun,. 2yrs ... . 1.782 0; ';'■ 1899i00,, ..... Advance; 3yrs .-. \ ; ;... .3,251 0 - 1900t01 ... Jleiiown. 3yrs. ... ... 3.185 ,0 1901-03 ... Nonette, ... ... .3,960 1903-&s' ... ' Achilles. 3yTa .... "T -2.635 0 '~. 1903 ; .. Gladsome, 3yrg.-J , 2.665 .0;';. . 19<VP05 ';.'. .■Wah.ut6nga;:4yr« ... 2,977 o.:, 190iv06 ... Noctuiform. 3yrs; ... 3.747 0 ■ TEE YALDHUEST STABLE STILL ■ -.'■•,, -.;'■ -LEADS -. The Canterbury sportsman, Mr. 50. G. Jtead, keeps such a. strong list of horses in training at Yaldhurst, and when it is further remembered that he is assisted with a big stud headed by tho highly-tested sire Multiform, it would be a matter for surprise were ' his name not' in the leading place on tho roll of owners who havo their home in Maori- ■ laiid. During the season just concluded Mr. . Stead's horses captured prize money to the '\- extent of £10,800. Though this is a large , sum, tho stake captured by horses carrying ;-:v '-'r- the yellow jacket black cap has been twice V•: beaten.by inmates of Yaldhurst, and the -.{ : bum of £12,235 credited lo them in ! the seaJ#;s" son-of 1901-1902 stands as the best Now Zea- :: } land record. Had Mr. Stead, retained his ':, ownership of Noctuiform, and had he-been "4k \ able to call upon the defunct Sungod in tho ' 'summer and autumn seasons, there can-be .:,'.'. -little doubt that ho would have been able to claim'a best on record. In maiking up a statement of tho earnings in stakes of Mr. Stead's horses during the' past 14 seasons I V, ; find that the same runs out to £30,602. HONEST NONETTE. , , , So Nonette is to find a homo in Queens- .-:•'.-.• land. The stout-hearted son of Seaton Delaval and Charente formed one of the col- ' lection Of New Zealand-bred horses shipped ; across to Australia last month by Mr. E. Stevenson, of Ralmerston, with a view to ' ' their'being-offered for sale by auction, ana! a cablegram to hand from Melbourne states / ; - - that a Queensland breeder secured the white- • faced chestnut fit 450 guineas. A great ' : : weight carrier, a fino staVer, and one of the j-' 1 -'.' gamest', horses that ever looked through a s i bridle, Nonettcj demonstrated that he pos- .: . ses&ed the three great qualities that combine ~ to mske a racer, and that he was a race- -; ' : hors« in tho fullest acceptation of the term the Turf Register furnishes unbounded proof. • It has often been contended that Nonette , . was a Jong chop .behind Menschikoff and j ', Roval Artillery (who came in tho same sea- , ■ -,- son) at throe years old. Well, possibly the bay son"-' of Stepniak and the brown son of Hotchkiss' might both have got the bettor J ,' of .Beaton Delaval's son in a race for which : they were specially prepared and kept; but I doubt very much whether either Menschi- , koff or Royal Artillery could have run four severe races such as the chestnut did in the '■ summer "of 1901-1902, and. wound .up in a stylo that suggested the thought that if the order had been "over again," there would have been- no shirking. Just let us .have a look at the series of performances referred to. Called upon to concede 101b and a year to St. Michael in tho Auckland yj ;:;v'Cup (two miles), it was no disgrace to Nonette to strike his colours to the big son of , ..St. Leger. Two days later, after bis punish- , -ing finish in the Auckland Cup, Nonette, with 9st in the saddle, was pulled out to contest the Summer Cup (one mile and ft- (, '', 'quarter), and he won his race in fine style. .At an interval of four days Nonette was : , saddled up for the A.R.C. Handicap, which ". event was run over a mile and a-half, in > r. ' V ' which he was called upon to carry 9st 41b; and ho won this race by a bead, in the fast * ' : time of 2m. 37?,5., by a display of downright ' grit. Despite the fact that he had 9st 101b "," dealt out to him in the Grandstand Handicap, Nonette wits saddled up on the following day to contest the mile and a-quarter race, and after a big fight he beat ail his \ ■ field save St. Michael, to whom. he was conceding 51b. How Nonetto went, on In the autumn and won the Wanganui Cup and Easter Handicap arc.-''well-known. incidents -r -in his career, and though there may be doubts'to to his being entitled to rank with , the brightest of his ago at three years old, the fact cannot be disputed that 'Nonetto'was ' ' >tr y good, and his locoid for consistency -/will cause his name to be ever remembered with affection. It will bo pleasing to learn that Nonetto has given the Australian turf .one as good as himnclf. ' I in

THE V.R.O. GRAND NATIONAL 1 STEEPLECHASE. .: The Lbehiel' gelding Bellis, who won the V.R.C. Grand;;, National Steeplechase last year, was on hand at Flcmihgton' on Saturday last to again play his part in the great cross-country event, and though weighted with 12st 131b (which represented an increase of no less than 281b tin the- impost he carried to •victory in the race of the. previous year), he ;;■' counted .!. sufficient' admirers ', io , send him out favourite. The task act Bellis, , however, proved to be beyond his powers, and the best ho could do was to finish third to Decoration and ! Syringa, to whom he, v.'was. conceding 251b and 221b respectively. The victory of Decoration was apparently well anticipated,- as ho was: sent out second favourite,' and-he figured at only a point, longer odds than Bellis. That tho solid "support accorded to Decoration was well merited, he gave pointed proof, as .he practically came in by himself, and if we are to accept as correct the time (6m.!. 315.) stated in the cabled account of tho race he succeeded in putting up a fresh time record. That, however, only means the knocking off of a-quarter of a second from the previous best, which stood to the credit of Grafnell, who won the Flemington race three years back.,"..''" . '- '"';'.."•' ';" ;,."'".! A SENSATIONAL DOWNFALL. The V.R.C. Grand Nationnl Steeplechase winner Decoration was got by Coronet, and that circumstance revives memories of the sensational coup that was attempted with the St. Albans horse at Flemington in the autumn of 1885. Owned by a man (Mr, D. M. Robertson) who was betting big in those boom times, the double to be attacked was the Newmarket. Handicap and Australian Cup, in which races Coronet figured at -,7st and bit, 81b respectively. . Sent out favourite for the Newmarket Handicap, Coronet duly landed the great sprint handicap; and as a 31b penalty for the Australian Cup only raised his impost in the two miles and a-quartev race to 6st- 111b, that event was popularly regarded as at his - mercy, and at the ■finish the ringmen were' found demanding odds. Coronet had the services of the crack light-weight S. Cracknel!, and early dashing into the lead when the contest commenced for supremacy in the Jong distance handicap ho looked like making a one-horse race of it. The!favourite was still fighting for his head when'tho last half-mile came to bo tackled arid the cry ail round was "Coronet wins When lo! in an.instant the whole complexion of 'the situation, was changed, for Coronet stopped as though he was shot, and rapidly falling to the rear his followers had the mortification of seeing him whip in the field. Coronet's sudden collapse was due his ricking himself by an overreach, unci "so went down what was popularly voted one. of the most celebrated morals that has even been identified with a big handicap run on the Australian turf. flow much Coronet's collapse in tho Australian Cup saved the peneillers it would be difficult ; to say; but it was stated that the stable alone had him backed to win over £35,000. ' ';' '

, IN SEARCH OF AUSTRALIAN • -■< HONOURS. , ■ The statement made that the middle of the present month would see Solution on her. way to Australia has been verified, the daughter of Soult being shipped from' Wellington to Sydney by the* s.s. Talune, which left on Saturday .last. Solution is engaged in the four big handicaps which come up for, decision , during the . spring. Solutions firs* engagement is in tho Epsom Handicap (one mile), in which event she is weighted at Bst 7lb; the Metropolitan Handicap (one mile and a-half) follows, and in that race, she is also weighted at 3st 7lb. 'The': Caulfield Cup, which is run over a similar distance to ;that of the Metropolitan Handicap, is Solution's third engagement, and .in that race she is handicapped at Sst 51b. .Then follows the Melbourne Cup (two miles), in which she figures with the handy burden of 7sfc Blb. Experience shows that any of the foregoing races are difficult to win; no matter how favourably a:horse, may be weighted; and it will 'be as well -to keep a cool 1 head'- with regai-cl to Solution. One thing bearing on Solution,, on which there appears to be a pretty general agreement , .amongst those who usually know what they are talking about, is that the Soultmare has yet to .play her best card. . '. NOMENCLATURE. ■ During the last few years an objectionable practice has obtained, in the laming of hordes, and, unfortunately, it seems to be spreading (remarks "Ribbleden," of tho Australasian). Some owners, by lopping oft" a.syllable or two at the southern end of the sire' 3 name, -and piecing it on to a. mutilation of the dam's name, imagine that they have achieved something clever, something brilliant, in, the way. of turf nomenclature. The result is that we find the race-card and the Stud Book disfigured by such abominations as ," Siege Moi," by Siege Gun from Fensey-a-Moi; " Malsterdclle," by Maltster from Hirondelle; "Haut-Most," by Haul Brion from Miss Mostyn; " Welcome Trist," by ■; Sir Tristram from Welcome Qucenie; " Stkoporra," by Skopos from Carberra; •' Bongara," by Niagara from Bounette; " Carlveary," by Carlyou from Alveary; '" Camlocks," by Cambooya from. Golden Locks ;•■'. "Chaleura," by Chaldean from I.eura; " Clothmoor," by Sedgemoor from Clothilde; " Comprimil," by Comedian or Priam from Milkmaid; " Cramant," by Cravat from Mantlet; " Cramari," by Cravat from Mariana; " Dalpura," by Dalmeny from Aqua Pura; " Despcia," by ' Destiny mend it. With the Kirkham yearlings, bred by Mr. James White, tho plan was to adopt a name the intial letter of which corresponded to the initial letter of the dam's name, and if the names were not always appropriate they were woll-sounding names; and there are.still,thousands and.thousands of good-sounding words available for the nomeiiclator. "Search and ye shall find." Considering the number of words or names not yet appropriated, it is strange to find so many repetitions. This practice is quite as reprehensible .as the skewbald practice I have referred to. • The repetition of names causes no end of confusion, and renders. the tabulation of pedigrees a more difficult task than it otherwise would be. > ...

It is not . always possible to fall upon a name suggestive of sire and dam, and some owners, in searching for a short name, often sacrifice appropriateness to brevity. In Sir Thomas Elder's time the Morpbettvillc yearlings were named before being offered for sale, and the names were always happy. Thus the buyers were saved tho trouble of exercising their wit and ingenuity; and to those who took "Oh, that'll do!" as their motto, the plan had a good deal to commend it.' With the Kirkham yearlings, bred by " Mr. James White, the , plan . was to adopt a name the initial letter of which corresponded to the initial letter of the dam's name, and if the names wore not always appropriate they were woll-sounding ones; and there aro still thousands and. thousands of good-sounding words available for the nomenclator. "Search and ye shall find." Considering the number of words or names not yet appropriated, it is strange to find so many repetitions. Tho repetition of names causes no end of confusion, and renders the tabulation of pedigreoj a more difficult task than it otherwise would be.. ,