SPORTING TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 955, 20 June 1890, Page 11

SPORTING TOPICS.

BY MARTINI: Martopian has been sold to an Australian sportsman for £2OOI. According to ‘ Gipsy Kimr,’ Mr Higgie intends to retire from the position of handicapper to the Egmont and other chibs. Mr Higgie intends to take p oceedings against the Turakina Club far the amount of the stake in the Maiden which The Colonel won at' their- last, meeting The stake was refused on the ground that The' Colonel was not a maiden. . ■ '> . The evidence of James Bruce Gill, the defendant in the slander action.brought by Kelly, Moorebank’s trainer, at Melbourne, if; interesting reading. This is what he said : —* I had a conversation with Kelly at Epsom. I told him 1 heard he had a good thing for the Caulfield Cup. He said; Moorebank--was no good, and he would sell him for £3OO. provided he was not sold to any friend of the doctor’s, meaning Dr O Hara. I next saw him a few weeks afterwards in. town. I asked him if he was of tfie same opinion about selling Moorebank, and he said he'was, that he was no good. About a fortnight before the Cup, I saw Kelly, and told him I would give him £3OO for Moorebonk, but he said he could not as he was partly sold. The gist of the conversation was that Moorebank was a “dead bird” for the Cup, and a better horse than Ben Bolt. Four or five days before the Cup I saw Kelly at the Victorian Club rooms, and told him. to go and see Dr O’Hara. I saw him again at his (Kelly’s) house on the day before the race. Kelly told us what a real ‘ dead bird ’ the horse was. I said “ dead birds ” were scarce. I thought the horse looked splendid. I said that if condition could »vin he ought to win. Kelly said he thought so too. I had a good, serious conversation .with Kelly. I said people thought he was an infernal scoundrel. He said,.Perhaps I am. but I would not deceive my master’(meaning Dr O’Hara). I would crawl on my hands and knees from Caulfield to serve him.” -At the rooms the horse was freely . and heavily backed. The syndicate money of £IO,OOO had been put on then. Lle'ft' the Victorian Club about 11.30 on the Friday evening. On the course next day 8 and 10 to 1 was offered against the horse. I did not see the horse stripped before the race. At the start I said to the jockey “Leeson, there’s something, wrong ; I can’t tell you what it is, but you ride this horse right out, and seß how near you can get.” , I saw the race from the turn into the straight. I was suspicious, owing to the'state of the betting, and what the people said. I walked behind the starter. Moorebank had a fairly good start in the middle..-After the start my view was a bad one. Going up the hill he seemed to be about in the same position as he started. At the far turn I saw Leeson riding his horse, but not whipping. At the sod wall I would have laid a long price against him. Ac the turn Meteor and the Charmer were in a good position, and also Don Giovan. Moorebank was el- se against the rails, and when Leeson hit him he rolled across the course. I have never seen a horse that is a rogue run in this fashion. He finished last but one. Next day I, Brodribb, and O’Hara called on Kelly. I asked for an explanation of the horse’s running. Kelly said he could not explain it, except that the horse was a rogue. I said no horse, however big a rogue, would run like that, and that he was the rogue, not Moorebank. I ‘ said that the explanation would not do. Stonnell was called in and asked to account f r the horse’s running. He said he could only account for it by the horse being a rogue. StonneM said \vl%en I said he had told me the horse was a goed one, “So he is. I could have won every time with him.” Broadribb said, “ Why didn’t you?” and Stonnell replied, “I have always carried out instructions.”’. Fitzsimmons, the Australian middle-weight boxer, met his countryman, McCarthy, at San Francisco on - the 3ist of May, but there is a doubt winch won, cables in favour cf each having been r ceived in Australia. Fitzsimmons is a native of New Zealand, and one of the best men at the game the colonies have produced. ! I direct attention to the Canterbury Jockey Club’s advertisment. re the Autumn Meeting and the Chalenge Stakes, on page 16.

WELLINGTON STEEPLECHASE NOMINATIONS. The following nominations have been received for the W.R.C. Steeplechase Meeting, to be held on the I2th of July : Trial Steeplechase Handicap ; two miles.—The Donkey, Newmarket, Crawler, Lonehand, Asper (late Butcher Boy), Roll Call, Doctor, Chester, Gladstone (Prosser’s), Waipipi, Allegretto, Rewarewa, Reliance, Sir Maurice. Hurdle Handicap ; a mite, and threequarters.—Aotea, Roll Call, Blue Mountain, The Spy, Taurekarai, Darnley, Mangaohane, Leonardo, Gasparini, Gladstone (Prosser’s), Nap, Kincraig, Rewarewa-) Waipipi, Sir Garnet, Ruapehu, Orient, Raven, The Dream, Gladius, Jenny (late Rosebud), Reliance, Oddfellow, Jacob, Sir Maurice. Wellington Steeplechase Handicap, three miles.—-The Donkey, Newmarket, Roll Call, Gladius, Taurekaitai. Doctor, Darnley, Mangaohane, Chester, Gaßparini, Waipipi, Orient, Sir Garnet, Jenny (late Rosebud), Auckland, Sir Maurice. High Weight Handicap, one mile and a quarter.—The Donkey, Red Comyn, Match, less, Blue Mountain, The Spy, Barosma, Angler, Hiamoe, Renata, Leonardo, Nap, Mangle Filly (Hutana’s), Lady Leger, Gladstone (McColl’s), Grace Darimg, The Joker, Satellite, . Jenny (late Rosebud), Akatea, Jacob, Sir Maurice. The weights are due on the 27th last.

By Emoriuc Telegraph.—Copyright. THE GRAND PRIZE OF PARIS. (SPECIAL TO PRESS ASSOCIATION A London, June 11. Kirkham has been scratched for the Grand Prix de Paris. Paris, June 15. The great French three-year-old race was run to-day, with the following result : Mous. H, Say’s 1» c Fitz-Royn, by Atlantia— Perplexite ... ... ... 1 Mr F. Scheiblei’s b c Fitz-Hampton, by Hampton—Lady Bmks ... ... 2 Mr R. Peck’s b c Oddfellow, by Balcaldine—Geheimniss ... ... ... 3 (per press association.l London, June 12. The Duke of Portland’s Donovan has become lame, and his racing career is ended. Narellan has been scratched for the Grand Piix de Paris. London, June 15. For the Royal 'Hunt Cup, 10 to 1 is offered against Lady Betty and 40 to 1 against Ringmaster. London, June 16. Tne Morning Post expresses surprise at Hirkham being entered for the Ascot Gold Vase, and regrets the collapse of Mr White’s plucky venture. PRINCE OF WALES STAKES. London, June 17. The following is the result of the Prince of Wales’ Stakes at Ascot : Mr J. H. Hoiildsworth a b c Alloway, by Springfield—Lady Morgan ... ... 1 Duke of Westminster's br c Blue GreeD, by Cceruleua—Angelica ... ... 2 Mr A. Taylor’sb c Hebrides, by Buchanan —Rona ... ... ... ... ... 3 ASCOT STAKES. London, June 18. The following is the result of the Ascot Stakes run to-day i Lord Lome ... ... ... 1 Parfleur ... ... ... ... 2 Lily Lumley ... ... ... 3 THE GOLD VASE. Tyrant ... - ... ... ... 1 L’Abbesse Jouaroe ... ... 3 Labyrinth... . , ... 3 BIENNIAL STAKES. > London, June 18. The Biennial Stakes at Ascot yesterday resulted as follows : Simonian ... ... ... ... 1 Govefcte ... ... ... ... 2 Rustic ... 3 Auckland, June 14. The Mariposa, which arrived to-day from Sydney, has on board six thoroughbred brood mares, purchased in Australia by Mr Thomas B. Merry for Mr J. Rose, of Los Angelos, California. They are—Rose of California, Princess Royal, Gadara, Harmony, Bessie, and the Auckland bred Ricochet by Musket —Erycina. Auckland, June 17. The American racing expert, Mr Thomas B. Merry, who has been purchasing horses in Australia, bought whilst passing through Auckland, en route to San Francisco, two blood mares, The Jilt, by Traducer—Fleurange, and Welcome Katie, by Musket— Dundee’s Katie, for which be paid 100 guineas each to Mr T. Morrin. Mr Merry offered 800 guineas for the stallion Brigadier, but this offer was not accepted. .Auckland, Juno 18. The stallion Natator has been purchased by Mr Lake, of Hamilton. .... Dunedin, June 18. At a meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club the whole of the correspondence in connection with the complaint of Northern owners as to the Exhibition Meeting was considered. The Committee, with all the facts before them, Bay that, without any evidence being adduced to support 1 the allegations, they arß forced to characterise the imputations and charges as unprecedented, untroe and unsportsmanlike, and no verbosity or effusive expressions can hide the determined intention to charge the handicapper of conspiracy with a certain stable to commit fraud, and an unwarranted insult to the Committee of the Club. The Committee, being unable to obtain any evidence or any circumstance reflecting on the honesty of Mr Dowse’s intentions, see no reason for withdrawing their confidence. They feel that there still remains grave imputations which amount to charges of corruption, and ate strongly of opinion that the chargos should be withdrawn, or an attempt made to have them proved.