SALIENT SUBJECTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1095, 24 February 1893, Page 24

SALIENT SUBJECTS.

(BY VIGILANT.)

The result of the Supreme Court case, D. McKinnon against the Wellington Pacing Club, is treated in a leading article in another part of this issue. I need only say that the suit was a friendly one, and has left no ill-feeling. The stewards were of opinion that their action was legal and the owners contended that it was not. The judge has decided that the course pursued by the stewards was fair and equitable but ultra vires, and therefore illegal. Such a defeat is half a victory. Tempest ! Oh what a surprise! The victory of Mr J. Stephenson's mare Tempest in the Dunedin Cup on Wednesday last is one of the most startling and unexpected events which have occurred in the history of the New Zealand turf. When Tempest's name was seen in the liat of nominations for the great two miles and a distance race the general idea was that her owner was guilty of a glaring piece of folly in placing hia mare in such a race. The daughter of New Holland has been hitherto known as a very consistent plater, and she has never before won i a race over a longer distauca than a mile and a quarter. Her mo9t important victory before that cf Wednesday was in in the Suburban Welter Handicap, 1 mile and a furlong, at the Dunedin Autumn Meeting last je«r, when she beat a fairly good field, and then her victory was so i unexpected that Bhe paid a dividend of L2B 3c But it is the unexpected that happens in racing, and there never was a more striking illustration of it than Tempest's Dunedin Cup. My double tip, Thame for the Cup and Heather B.di for the Publicans’ Handicap, was not a bad one, and might have come off but for the accident which befell Thame’s rider at the most critical moment of the Cup race. The acceptances for the Wanganui Cup, Flying Handicap, First Hurdles, Wanganui Two Year Old Stakes, and Welter Handicap were declared on the 21st inst., and are fairly satisfactory. Fifteen are left in the Cup, for which there is a final payment, thirteen in the Flying, eight in the First Hurdles, six in the Welter, and seven in the Two Year Old Stakes. Betina, Bst, is now top weight in the Cup, (Merganser, Whisper, and Cruchfield having dropped out) and she will no doubt receive substantial support if she is sent, but on consistent public form Bangipuhi, 7st 71b, is the most attractive candidate left in. Prestige, who was scratched at Egmont has accepted here with 7st 101 b, and Mr Freeth has also paid up for Eevolution, with the same handy weight, while Captain Eussell keeps in both St Katherine and Krina, although the former has incurred a penalty of 51b by her success at Egmont, raising her weight to 7st 111 b. I shall have time to analyse the prospects of the survivors after the final payment next week, but at present my choice lies between Eangipuhi, 7st 71b, Prestige, 7st 101 b, and Eosefeldt, 7st 121 b. The Masterton-Opaki Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting, which takes place on St. Patrick’s Day, is this year mainly a hack meeting, there being only two open races and five hack events on the programme. The open events are the St. Patrick’s Handicap, of 60 sovs, 1J miles, and the Flying Handicap, of 45 sovs, 6 furlongs. The other items are a Hack Hurdle Handicap, of 30 sovs, 1 mil© and a

half; a Maiden Hack Eace, of 25 sovs, 1 mile; a Handicap Hack Eace, of 35 sovs, 1 mile and a quarter ; Selling Hack Eace, of 15 sovs, weight-for-age, 1 mile ; and a Flying Hack Handicap, of 30 sovs, 6 furlongs. This programme, though not an ambitious one, should succeed in attracting most of the local horses, there being no rival attraction in the Wairarapa on that date. The nominations for all handicaps are due with the secretary at Masterton on Saturday next, at 8 p.m., or on arrival of the night train from Wellington, and weights will be declared on Saturday, the 4th March, at 8 p.m. Entries for the Maiden Hack and Selling Eace and acceptances for all handicaps are due on Saturday, the 14th March. The club’s definition of a hack is a horse that has never started for, or is not nominated at date of entry for any race, hack or hunter races excepted. The programme of the Wellington Baeing Club’s Autumn Meeting is. now published, and a very attractive one.it is. On the first day, Wednesday, April 12, the the bill of fare opens with the Trial Handicap, of 50 sovs, one mile. This is open only to horses that have not won a race exceeding in value 25 sovs during the present racing season at time of entry. The next events are the Hurdle Handicap, of 80 sovs, one mile and three-quarters, and the Hack Hurdle Handicap, of 30 sovs, one mile and a half. Then comes that popular race the Thompson Handicap, of 250 sovs, second 30 sovs and third 10. soys from the stakes, one mile. This, as it did last year, should produce a large field and a most interesting race. The Hack Handicap, of 30 sovs, one mile, follows, and then comes the Stewards’ Handicap, of 70 sovs, one mile and a furlong. The Juvenile Handicap, of 100 sovs, second horse to receive 15 sovs, for two-year-olds, should bo one of the most attractive events of the day, which winds up with a six-furlong flutter, the Eailway Handicap, of 60 sovs. The second day starts with that excellent noveliy the Derby Handicap, of 150 sovs, second horse 20 and third horse 10 sovs from the stake, one mile and a quarter. This is open to three-year-olds only, and its value is quite sufficient to draw the best horses in the Colony, while those who have been proved just below ordinary Derby form will have a chance, the race being a handicap, of turning the tables on their conquerors. The second event is the Hurdle Handicap, of 70 sovs, the distance of which is a mile and a half. The Hack Hurdle Handicap, of 30 sovs, one mile and a quarter, succeeds, and precedes the event of the day, the Autumn Handicap, of 175 sovs, one mile and three furlongs. The second horse in this gets 25 sovs, and the third 10 sovs, and the winner of the Derby Handicap carries a 51b penalty. A Hack Handicap of 30 sovs, 5 furlongs, gives the hack sprinters a chance, and then comes the Welter Handicap, of 60 30vs,one mile. The interest of the spectators will next be cen red in the Heretaunga Handicap, of 80 sovs, for two and three-year-olds, 5 furlongs. This is another novelty in the programme and will not be the least attractive. The appropriately named Farewell Handicap of 50 sovs, 7 furlongs, stands last upon the list. The weights for this will be declared upon the course immediately after the Welter Handicap, and the winner of the Heretaunga Handicap carries a 51b penalty, The programme is certainly the best Autumn menu the club have ever presented to their patrons, and I have no doubt it will be well appreciated. The nominations for the Thompson Handicap, the Derby Handicap, and the Autumn Handicap are due on Monday, 13th March, the weights for the Thompson Handicap on Friday, 24th March, and the nominations for the other races on Wednesday, March 29th. It will be seen that all nominations, entries, and acceptances close at the Club Hotel or Chief Post Office, Wellington, not later than 9 p.m. (unless stated to the contrary) on the advertised date of closing. Deferring to the success of the New Zealand mare Pauline in the Hobart Cup, the Tasmanian Mail says : —‘ The owner, it is said, wins about £IOOO beyond the stakes, and others who have not benefited by the win of Pauline have only themselves to blame, as Mr Curran made no secret of the mare’s capabilities. She was trained for her engagement by E. Taylor, who deserves credit for the manner in which he brought her to the post. Pauline was bought at auction for £55, and although her name can be added to the list of Hobart Cup winners, the name will be minus a pedigree. The mare, who is but a shade over 14 hands 3 inches, was bred in New Zealand, and that is all that is definitely known of her, although it is believed she is a daughter of Bundoora'.’ — Since this appeared it has been stated authoritatively that Pauline is a full sister to Peerswick, being by Bundoora— Wave, and was known in New Zealand as Vanity. There is likely to be trouble over the matter as I see by the Hobart Mercury that intimation of a protest against Pauline receiving the stake for the Hobart Cup has been received by cable from Melbourne, the ground of the objection, it is stated, being that the mare’s nomination was lodged in an incomplete manner, more particularly as to pedigree. The reports as to Sternchaser having gone wrong after his victory in the Anniversary Handicap at Caulfield are evidently without foundation, for we see by the Caulfield training notes in the Sydney Mail of the 11th inst. that on Tuesday and

Wednesday, the 7th and Bth inst., Mr Gollan’s son of Nordenfeldt and Crinoline did long striding work. On Monday, the 6th, St. Hippo, who is being trained at Flemington, did sound work in company with the Dancer on the sand. On Tuesday the pair did good serviceable work, winding up with a five furlong brush in lmin 7sec. On Wednesday St. Hippo with sweaters on ran two miles at a useful pace, accompanied by The Dancer. During the last mile the latter went very short, and is a bit sore. The same morning Captain Webb and Culloden did strong work. Malvolio is said to be in great buckle, having improved greatly since the spring. He is doing splendid work, and his friends are very confident of his success in some of the big events at the meeting. Among other well-known horses described as showing good form at Flemington and Caulfield are Glenloth, Anteeus, Jonathan, All Three, Swordbearer, Fortunatus, Dramatist, Marco, Happy Jack, Palo Alto, Wild Eose, Malolo, Light Artillery, Clonard, Templestowe, Portsea, and Beverley. Judged from the falling off in the number of entries the V.E.C. Autumn Meeting, which is to take place on March 4th, 7th, 9th, and 11th, is not likely to be as successful as some of its predecessors. Very few of the crack horses of New South Wales are entered, and among the absentees are Marvel, Paris, Oxide, Shamrock, Blarneystone, and Attalus. The nomina tions show a decrease of 114 on those of last year, the respective totals being 604 and 718. The New Zealander, St. Hippo, is entered for all the weight-for-age events for which he is eligible as well as for several of the handicaps, and among the other weight-for-age candidates are Camoola, Autonomy, Bungebah, The Admiral, Prime Minister, Portsea, Malvolio, Glenloth, Melos, and Azim. The famous steeplechaser Bedleap is entered for several flat races as well as for the jumping events, and is thought to have a great chance in the Australian Cup, for which he is very leniently handicapped with 7st 71b. An important question is raised by the omission of Gondolier’s name from the acceptances of the second Hurdle Eace at Egmont, as wired through by the agent of the Press Association, and the subsequent victory of that horse in the race. All the bookmakers used the Association list, and, of course, their clients were in effect told that Gondolier had not accepted. The result was that while almost every other candidate was backed no one backed Gondolier. The bookmakers thus had what is called a ‘ skinner ’ on the race, and the irate backers the satisfaction of knowing that they had lost their money without having the faintest show of winning. The question raised is—Have the backers fairly lost their money ? On the first blush I thought they had, and put it down to one of those accidents which will occur at times, and may affect either party beneficially or injuriously ; hut when I come to mentally thresh it out, I certainly think the money ought to be returned. In the first place, these men are betting totalisator odds. What would be done if on a racecourse the winner was accidentally left out of the horses whose names were on the machine ? Such a contingency is difficult to realise, but if it did the money would certainly have to be returned. In the next place the bookmakers are in no way bound to accept the newspaper list. For a few shillings they can obtain lists of their own. But as they decline to incur this expenditure and take the newspaper lists they virtually guarantee their correctness. It is not as if they used no lists at all and took all bets as they came. This might entitle them to disclaim any responsibility. But under the present system I must say they are liable. One bookmaker with an instinct of fairness which does him credit has, I hear, refunded half the investments. The proper thing to do would he to return all the money less ten per cent. The Manawatu Times on Saturday last indulged in a very coarsely-worded philippic against the Wellington Eacing Club for having dared to encroach a second time on the Foxton preserves. After alluding to its ‘ high-handed and unsportsmanlike action ’ in taking Anniversary Day for its Summer Meeting, when that date had long been the sacred property of the Foxton Eacing Club, it goes on to relate how, ‘ with a shamefacedness positively nauseating, after the Foxton Club had chosen a date for its Autumn Meeting, the Metropolitan body announces a day’s racing for the same date.’ It goes on, ‘ There can be no excuse for this deliberate “ jostle ” on the part of the Wellington Club, for the fact of the date having been taken by Foxton was duly announced in the official journal on the Bth inst., several days before the date of the Wellington Meeting was notified. The result has been that the Foxton Club has been compelled to make a brief postponement.’ It supplies the answer to its own diatribe when it says amid the cloud of abuse which follows : ‘ Fortunately, the Foxton Club is not within their jurisdiction.’ Just so. If it were, Wellington would probably have considered the convenience of the Foxton Club. As the Wellington Club has nothing to do with the Foxton Club it is not likely to allow its arrangements to be fettered and its welfare to he hindered by deferring to a body outside its jurisdiction. The accusation tkat it purposely tries to injure the Foxton Club is all moonshine.