TURF GOSSIP.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1130, 27 October 1893, Page 25

TURF GOSSIP.

It turns out that the winner of the Middle Park Plate is Lord Rosebery's colt Ladas, better known as the Illuminata colt. He is the champion two-year-old of the present season in England, having up to date won all the races for which he has started, viz., the Woodc'ote Stakes at Ep?om, the Coventry Stakes at Ascot and the Champagne at Doncaster. It was after winning this last-mentioned event that his owner bestowed the name of Ladas upon him. At the East St Louis track, in August, a jockey was badly scared by a drunken bookmaker, who dashed upon the track as the horses were going to the post, and, with revolver in hand, shouted to the jockey 'lf you win, I'll shoot you 1' The man was placed under arrest, and tho boy, although badly scared, won the race.

Mr W. R. Wilson says that Isinglass reminds him of the Sailor Prince. There were thousands of sporting men —indeed, he would go so far as to say one in three, who believed Marcion his equal. Ormonde has arrived safelv in California. They took with him enough feed to last till he is thoroughly acclimatised. The hay cost .£lO a ton in London. The oats were raised in Germany. The Victorian Grand National Hurdle Race winner, Tim Swiveller, has won the Caulfield Cup. Will a parallel be recorded in this Colony by Liberator winning the New Zealand Cup ? • Whilst riding Isinglass in the St Leger T. Loates lost his cap when they had gone half the distance. It is estimated that there are 16G5 two-year-olds in training this year in America, of which 890 are colts and 775 fillies.

It was expected that Mr Dakin', the V.R.C. handicapper, would re-adjust the weights of winners among the Melbourne Cup candidates on the Monday after the Caulfield Cup. According to the London Sportsman Mr S. H. Gollan may not unlikely try his luck on the English turf next year. Let us hope that he may, and that it may he better than he has had on Australian soil or in the land of the Moa and the Kea. ' Asmodeus ' in the Leader remarks: — Mr O'Brien never leaves home with a bad one, and next to Carbine and Trenton I doubt whether he has ever visited these shores with a better animal than Loyalty, who must necessarily be hard to beat in the Melbourne Cup at 7st 31b. Although not a big one, standing no more than 15.2 at the outside, Loyalty is a nicely modelled colt, and excepting that he is a trifle chubby in the neck it would be a difficult matter to fault him.

There was evidently truth in the reported great gallop done by Besponse at Riccarton last week The special Eacon-

teur of the Referee has the following in reference to it: —The best gallop seen at Riccarton during the spring so far as time goes, was performed this morning by Response covering a mile and a half in very fair time. Ultimatum accompanied her over the last six furlongs, and got badly done at the finish.