SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 753, 6 August 1886, Page 13

SPORTING NOTES.

[By Martini j

Pearl, Soudan, Gordon, Kahu and General Thornton are to be offered for sale by auction this month, according to ‘Hippo.’ ‘ Pearl,’ says that writer, ‘ is too well known to need description.’ That is about the size of it. Now if some of our enthusiastic Wellington sports could be induced to make a bid"for the mare —or, for the matter of that, for Soudan, the indirect result would no doubt be to greatly improve the class of the studs kept here. General Thornton, I might mention, is by Apremont out of Nellie Moore, and is engaged m the Great Northern St. Leger, and Derby, Canterbury Derby and Hawkes Bay Guineas. ‘ Fossicker, the Canterbury correspondent of this journal, sent his usual budget last week, but it arrived too late for insertion. From’ some interesting notes on the Grand National Meeting &c., I take the liberty of extracting the following The New Zea. land Grand National Steeplechases lor 188 b are now a thing of the past, and a very enjoyable day’s racing it was too. The weather provided was the very best that could be expected at the time of year, and in ccnseouence the attendance, the town being practically en fete, was as good as ever, though I have heard it said that there were not so many present as on previous occasions. As it happens, however, the paying public were to the fore, as I have ‘ fossicked ’ up the faetthat thecash receipts were better than formerly. The sport was good in most cases, but I think the Committee were to blame to a certain extent in lowering the jumps. Steeplechasing is steeplechasing and in my opinion the best jumper is the horse that should be encouraged. However, the Stewards seemed to fancy giving encouragement to the speediest horse, and took nearly a foot off some of the sod fences, at the same time easing those capped with a rail by giving the latter a considerable slope or bevel from the take off side. I am. well aware that the fences are stiff for ordinary jumping purposes, but in a Grand National where we are supposed to see the pick of them at the jumps should be stiff. Last year the sod walls were new, and when a horse touched them a sod came off, but this year they were as solid as dykes in the ‘ aula ’ country and there was no concession on their part, as Peter Osbeck found out to his cost when taking the last. hank. The next day was devoted to selling, Captain Cotton having a large number of good sorts to dispose of at the Horse Bazaar, and he was kept pretty busy during the day, as he had a very large entry, and there was a goodly concourse ready to see the sale. The principal sales effected were Faugh-a-Ballagh, whom Mr Butler disposed of to Mr R. Rutherford at 145 guineas, Spade Guinea, who fell to the bid of Mr James Stark, but who has since sold her to her former trainer, Dick Mason, at a considerable advance on the auction price—23s guineas. Dick has a great fancy for this mare for the New Zealand Cup, and so have I, she being one of my selections. Archduke and Take Miss were not sold, but there was a better attendance and generally a better sale than ever I have seen at the same establishment, the bidding for good sorts of hunters being especially brisk. Mr D. Wansly, till recently sporting editor of your contemporary, the Canterbury Times, has * taken wing.’ He sailed for England on Sunday in the Arawa, and his place will be at once filled by Mr S. Saunders. I have not got hold of his nom de plume yet. . . A most useful little publication is J. J. Miller’s Sporting Pamphlet,’ published in Melbourne. This book gives the placed performances of horses engaged in coming events ; time records for all sorts of sports and competitions, from the champion race down to a bullock-dressing match ; and all the information possible about cricket, aquatics, &c., &e. There is also in it a complete trotting record. And only a shilling ! St. Albans, after having held the pride of place, must this year give way to Musket as the most successful stallion. The latter stock have won about £17,000 in stakes, and in New Zealand he had twenty representatives who contributed £9700, while Nordenfeldt, Matchlock, and Trenton are account able for the remainder of the winnings in Australia. Nordenfeldt heads the list with £3340. The stock of St. Albans have won about £7500, of which Captain Webster contributed £Bl2, Tasman £3lB, and Gaiters £llß in Maori land, while the remainder was made up by hi 3 representatives in Victoria and Tasmania. As usual, the son of Blair Athol has to thank his Tasmanian bred progeny for the good position he occupies, as the Victorians have once more contributed only in a small way to the score. Sheet anchor, with £2787, is his greatest winner, while Malua with Lll4O comes next. —Merlin. The latest with regard to Trenton is that he has been purchased for Mr W. Cooper, a New South Wales sportsman. The Island Bay Racing Club will hold their winter meeting on the 28th, I believe. The programme has not yet been drawn up. Welcome Jack was to be offered for sale in Melbourne this week. I notice that ‘Greentick’ in the Referee says the Dog Registration Bill has passed the Lower House. This is not so; the amendments! made in committee to the bill have not yet|been agreed to. Game, winner of the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase is Panic out of Edith, and that race was his first attemp over big fences. There arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday last (says Augur) six brood mares whose equal could not, perhaps be shown in any single stud in Australia. In what single stud could there be shown six mares who had produced such pefsrmers as Malua, Stockwell, Blink Bonny, Tasman. Captain Webster, Sheet Anchor, and Mozart ? First we’ll start with Edella, the dam of Malua

and Stockwell, two of the best horses that ever graced Australian race-courses. She, as most students of breeding will remember, is by Peter Wilkins from Resistance, who runs back to the old imported mare Edella. She produced the two horses above-named to St Albans, and now Mr Field sends the mare on a visit to the son of Blair Athol_ in the hope that she will produce something equal to one of these. Queen Mary, who is a daughter of Castle Hill, and Black Bess, by Peter Wilkins, also runs back to Edella, J and as the dam of Sheet Anchor and Mozart she has made her name as a first-class brood mare. Medea, by Peter Wilkins from Blink Bonny, is best known a 3 the dam of the Caulfield Cup winner Blink Bonny, and ’ should she produce a colt to the crack sire there will be some competition for him in the sale ring. Zillah also is by Peter Wilkins, and, like Medea, she decends from . old Whizgig. Her best foal was Tasman, with whom Dan O’Brien won no less than 22 races in New Zealand, and, as he was by St Albans, it is only reasonable to suppose that this mare will produce another such horse. Pussy, by Cervus from Cora, belongs to the Edella family, and is the dam of Captain Webster and Duke of Athol, while Aurora, by Castle Hill, is the mother of a pretty good horse in Kitawa. The Island Bay Racing Club purpose homing a winter meeting some time this month probably about the 28th. FBr Electric Telegraph.—Cofyright.) THE GOODWOOD CUP. (reuter’s telegrams.) London, July 29. The race for the Goodwood Cup to-day proved a walk-over for Baud (? The Bard). Melbourne, August 2. The following horses have been scratched for the Melbourne Cup:—Black Suaße, Brigantine, Coraus, Coir, Corduroy, Gazelle, Gipsy’s Warning, .Haley od, Hot Iron, Ideal colt, Jacinth, Lord TiVilton, Moana, Opal, Perchance, Prometheus, Recovery, Sandal, St Odille, Sauvignon, Scylla, Soldier’s Wind, Telford, 'The Pencil, Velocipede, Warwick and Yellow Jacket. (SPECIAL TO UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) London, July 30. The Winter Stakes at Goodwood has been won by Cherry Ripe, Sukeuueth 2, Postcript 3. CHRISTCHURCH STEEPLECHASE WEIGHTS. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, July 30. The following are the weights for the Ohrischurch Hunt Club Steeplechases - Hunt Club Handicap —Sultan, 12st 121 b ; Aroha, 12st 91b; Michael Scott, list 101 b ; Bredonhill and The Mount, lOst 121 b ; St Clair and Madge, 10st 10lb; Daddy Longlegs, lOat 81b ; Sir William, Kbt 71b ;No Mistake, Larrikin, Fox, and Ivauhoe, 10st. Open Handicap. Canard, 12s t- 121 b ; KiDg Arthur, 12at; The Lad, list 7lb ; Faugh-a-Ballagh and Victor, list 2lb ; Saltan, list lib ; Secretary and Aroha, list ; Michael Sbott, lOst fib ; Berrington, lOst 2Jb ; Wool King (late Gladiator), Home Rule, Mammoc, and Warlock, lOst. DUNEDIN WINTER MEETING. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Dunedin, July 31. The Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting was moderately successful. The attendance was not large, and though it was not raining the day was foggy and threatening. In the Hurdle Race Boyle, who rode Peter Flat, was thrown and somewhat severely shaken, but escaped serious injury. Hurdle Race, 25 boys. One mile and a half.—Mr McKenzie’s Warepa, Bst 101 b, 1 ; Mr McMasters’s Fishhook, 9*t 71b, 2 ; Mr O’Donnell’s Mayboy, 9it 101 b, 3. Two others ran. Won easily by a length. Time, 3min J-Jhee. Dividend', £3 15s 6d and £4 17s. MIDAVINTER Handicap, 35 sovs. One mile and a quarter.—Mr Stephenson’d Miss Cook, 6st 91b, 1 ; Mr Cotton’s Hermitage, Bst 121 b, 2 ; Mr Kennedy’s Foul Play, 7«t 91b, 3. Three others started. Won easily by two lengths. Time, 2min 28£iec. Dividends, £4 8s and £3 12s. Mr W. H. Taggart’d Coacher (40sec) won the Trot of 25 sovs from seven others. Dividends, £2 3s and £2 14s. Selling Hurdle Race, 25 sovs, was won by Mr Taggart’s Cocky, lOst ; Bigareo, Kino, and Andy being the other starters. Dividends, £4 8s and £9. St. Peter won the Galloway Race, paying dividends of £l3 8a 6d.