THE TURF

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1163, 15 June 1894, Page 24

THE TURF

RACING CALEND/H. FIXTURES. NEW ZEALAND. June 22 Hiwke'i Ihy J.C. Meeting. June 23.—Hawko'a Hay tlnnt Clu'\ Jn'y s.—l»is»>orne Park Steeplechase. August 9 and 11—N.Z. Grand National Meeting. EDITED BY " BUFF AND BLACK." The stewards of the United Hunt Club were pla«ed in a position surrounded by a certain amount of awkwardness when they wcrcrequested by the Wellington Racing Club Committee to hold a further enquiry into the running of Timothy in the Open Steeplechase at the Hunt Club's last meeting. In the first place the metropolitan committee did not consider that sufficient investigation had been made on the day of the race into the circumstances, which certainly did not look altogether right. No enquiry would have been made at all had not the owner of Timothy asked for an explanation to be received by the stewards from the rider. What transpired in committee is, of course, known only to those who were present, but the result was that no action whatever was taken. I am not hinting at anything in the shape of stiff running or anything else, but during the race it was palpable that there was something wrong about Timothy. The rider may have ridden injudiciously in the early part of the race, for when it came to a finish he could not get up, and Dick got home in front of both he and Dromedary. He appeared to betho best of the three so far as jumping and pace went, but whether his weight stopped him when the pinch came it does not appear. It was quite right that an explanation should be demanded, but when they were about it the stewards should have held a more exhaustive enquiry. They did not have to pay out on . Timothy, as he did not win, so they could have postponed the investigation until another day, when more leisure would be at thoir disposal for consideration of the circumstances. The stewards had practically no evidence as it was, and, furthermore, appeared to be unaware of the fact that the rider was four pounds under weight when he returned to the scales. This may or may not have bearing on the case. The weight may have been accidentally lost during the race for aught one knows, and if this was so it should not count against horse or rider. The clerk of the scales explains that he omitted to mention the circumstance of the short weight at the time a 3 there was no third money and it was not necessary for Timothy to weigh in, although the rider placed himself on the scales. The Metropolitan Club will bear the cost of the attendance of witnesses at the enquiry, and all those who are deemed likely to know anything about the case will be summoned to attend. The question submitted by the Hunt Club as to whether they had power to hold another enquiry was rather weak in its way, but it was soon dissipated by the metropolitan officials, who ordered a second investigation to be held. The only thing about the whole matter is the length of time after the occurrence at which the enquiry is being made. The Wellington Club committee should certainly have taken action before, although I believe that the mandate issued to the United Hunt Club was really decided upon at their first meeting. It is only meet that the enquiry should be held, in justice, not only-to the public and those who backed Timothy, but to the owner and jockey, who think themselves badly treated over the matter, and who assert thai they backed the horse to win. It is a pity that thero should be cause given for the holding of so many enquiries into the running of horses at race meetings, but in these unregenerate days necessity compels the exercise of unusual vigilance on the part of racing authorities, and even then comment is made upon ihe fact that they are not strictenough.

The Kirkham bred Volcano, who, in Victoria, has been running in hurdle races on unregistered courses, but has qualified for appearing on rtgiatered tracks again, showed that he has not lost his pace altogether by running prominently in the May View Handicap, at Williamstown, the other day. Volcano, who is full-brother to the expatriated Stromboli, covered 6 furlongs in lmin 1-isec as a t;vo-year-old at Rand wick—a record that has only been equalled by the performance of Ascot Vale last year in the V.11.C. Staudish Han dcap.

The Victorian contingent of racehorses that left for India recently by the s.s. Darius included Barefoot, Orestes, Comedian, Newton, Blondin, The Larboard Watch, The Friend, Original Nickleby, Dri(field, Lord Hopetonn, and the jumping horses Audacity and Devonshire.

The Victorian racing mare Lily, by Boolka from Black Tulip, will shortly bo sent to the stud, and will probably be mated with Decrswood, a son of Newrainstcr.

The Tocal-bred mare Candid appears to bo paying her way in California. According to latest advices from the Pacific Slope, the daughter of Splendor and Canary won her first race—a six-furlong event for maidens—on the Bay district track, near San Francisco, on 3rd April, in lmin 14sec ; and a couple of days after secured a handicap, one mile and a quarter, in 2min B|sec. Later on she won several other events.

The Great Northern Hurdle Race Stake is taken to Hawke's Bay this year by Melinite. Last j car's winner, Mutiny, was bred thero.

The name Aphony, bestowed on the fullbrother to Pasha, means " Loss of Voice." As he is by Mute tho name is rather appiopriate.

Advices from England state that Lord Durham, the senior steward of the Jockey Club, retired from that office at the annual meeting held at Newmarket in April, and

was succeeded by the Earl of March. Lord Durham nominated Lord Rendlcsham as the new steward, and the nomination was unanimously agreed to. The three stewards now arc Earl of March, Earl of Ellesmcre, and Lord Rendlcsham. Captain E. W. Baird was elected a member of the Jockey Club.

The four-year-old horse Son of a Gun, by Petronel from Ithonia, who was purchased at the recent sale of the Badmington stud for 2SOO guineas, was started in the Twcntvfifth Biennial at Newmarket at odds of 100 to 15 on, but was easily defeated by his only opponent, Gleugaleo.

Viking is the name bestowed by Mr J. Crosier, of theotherside, onhiscolt, by Eiridspord from Busy Bee ; and his colt, by Thunder bolt from Repose, has been named Thunder.

Melinite has won a hurdle race the first time of asking, the daughter of Pearl Ash being piloted to victory by her trainer, J. Hickey. Mr A. Robertson, her owner, bought her from Mr W. Proilitt recently, and has consequently secured his purchase money in a very short space of time. Her win was a very easy one, and showed that she only had to jump to beat her field. She came as a very strong tip from the Hawke's Bay side, and her victory, no doubt, sent a lot of monev to that locality. It is said that the time she was sent across to the other side with Mr Stead's horses, surprise was expressed, as the Grand National Hurdles would have been a moral for her if she was put across sticks and trained for the race. That she is as good as those thought then is now apparent. Belmont, who ran second, won the race a couple of years ago, and, although he has been racing into places lately, he does not. seem to'be as good as he was. Liberator, the top weight, was not prominent during the race, and Fright, who had been thought a good thing, was quite out of it. I don't know whether he went wrong, or was regarded as a miss, but a commission on him was said to be withdrawn after the first day's races were postponed.

Malabar, tho winner of the Maiden Steeplechase, is by Billingsgate. He won easily from Salute, who is in the same stable as the veteran Shillelagh, St. Kilda showed that he is a real good horse, for not only did he beat a good field in the Winter Welter with 12st upon the first day, but he carried 13st 71b into second place on the next day, when St. Patrick got home in the seven furlong event, carrying lOst 101 b. St. Kilda is by St. Leger—Mat ikana, while St. Patrick also claims St. Leger as his sire, but is out of Steel All, The Maiden Hurdle race winner, Warrior, is by Ingomar out of Torpedo's dam Fanny Fisher. He only just got home from Kildare, while Cyrus, who had run second in the Winter Welter earlier in the day, occu pied a good third position. The connections of this horse thought the Maiden was a real good thing for them, and so did the public, who made him favourite. Howovcr, they went down, and Warrior's backers received a fiver.

Kathleen won both the Pony hurdlo races on tho programme for each day, and paid her investors handsomely.

Bombardier, the winner of the Great Northern Steeplechase of 1894, is a five-year-old by Brigadier. Crazy Kate, who has been running very well lately was second, and Potentate third. Bombardier was well backed in Wellington, and appeared to have the race his own way at the finish. Last year Despised was among the bottom weights, but this year he was at the head of the list, but could not repeat his last sensational victory in this event. It will be remembered that his dividends were £37 12s and £93 ss, and that Scaltheen and Nero ran home in the places behind him. A man predicted the year that i-1 Hippo got home in the New Zealand Cup that St Hippo would show himself to bo a great horse on the flat and Bombadicr a good one over country. The latter vaticination is now beginning to be generally admitted. Fishmonger, who was reckoned to have a very good show by his party, unfortunately fell at the top of the hill, which fate also befel Scaltheen, who is a horse that cannot be depended upon over country for he generally has bad luck. Accoiding to the telegraphed account of the race Flukera dors not seem to have started, his name not being meutioucd.

The following are the past winners of the Groat xVorthern Steeplechase since 1885 :

I hear that Dr Newman, M.H.R., who is one of the delegates to tho next Racing Conference, which will meet in Wellington shortly, has intimated to Captain Russell, president, Lis intention to move that a New Zealand Jockey Club be established. It was only to be expected that one of the delegates would bring this mattor up during tho time the Conference was in session, despite the fact that opposition has hitherto barred the way. The subject is a most important one, and deserves mature consideration. How tho country delegates will vote on tho question it will bo interesting to note. They ought to favour tho proposal, as it cannot affect their interests in any way, but would have a tendency in rather the other direction. The New Zealand Jockey Club would undoubtedly fill a long-felt want. Tho clubs could elect representatives or delegates, and a council of general management would be chosen from them. A secretary would, of course, have to be appointed to conduct the affairs of tho club, and bo located in Wellington, which would be the mo3t central place. The Otago delegates will no doubt offer opposition to the proposal, and it is possible Auckland will stand aloof, but it is to be hoped that they

will join in and place racing in Now Zealand on a proper footing, There is no doubt but that at the forthcoming session of Parliament the question of the curtailing of the use of the totalisator will bo seriously considered, there being- an opinion prevalent that there are too many small race meetings. Now, if a New Zealand Jockey Club was formed, the country would have a guarantee that this subject would receive that consideration which it deserves. A number of useless meetings would probably be knocked on the head, and amalgamation of somo clubs would result. There is no doubt but that the establishment of a fountain head would have a most beneficial effect on the turf in this Colony, and it is diilicult to seo on what ground people who are supposed to have the true interests of the sport at heart should object to it.

The following is from the Tasmanian Mail :—" An academic discussion took place in the Assembly, during the passage of the new Customs schedules through committee, some members seeming to think racehorse owners would be affected by the imposition of a 10 per cent, duty on ' Animals, live, not subject to any specific duty.' It was useless for Ministers to point out that hordes, being subject to a specific duty of £2 each, would not be affected at all by the change. The objectors had got it into their heads that the contrary was the case, and, for upwards of an hour, or eo, they worried the AttorneyGeneral for a definition of the law bearing on the point, which he gave them over and over again, without apparently satisfying them. According to Mr Clark, if he thought animals introduced under the exempt clause, on the ground that they were to be re-ex-ported within three months, were a source of danger to the revenue he should advise tho Treasurer to collect the duty on them, and make things sure, but not otherwise. Bonds could be accepted in such cases from responsible persons, and he bclievod no loss hai accrued, but this, as he took care to remind members, did not bear on the question raised. As a matter of fact racehorse owners do notobiect to the £2 duty which they have to pay when they land their animals, but which they have returned as a drawback to them when they take their steeds away again. It would, of course, bo different if they had to pay the 10 per cent, ad valorem, as such a percentage on the value of a highlybred horse would be a considerable item to plank down even temporarily, but that is not intended, and so the whole thing was simply a bogie, raised to no purpose at all, purely because some members did not understand the bill. The point having been raised, it is, perhaps, just as well it should be cleared up, especially as, if left unexplained, it might cause uneasiness across the Straits.

At Gawlcr (S.A.) races recently, Kirby, a four-year-old brother to Portsea, won the Gawlcr Cup, 1| milos, in 2min llisec. The Assyrian's half sister, Tinstream, was successful from nine others in the Flying Handicap. Curribec won the Steeplechase; Madoc the Selling Race; Handover the Evanston Handicap ; and Home Rule the Hurdle Race. The latter paid the only big dividend of the day, viz., £2l 17s.

From Brisbane comes word that the Colonial Secretary is about to take steps to carry out the spirit of the Totalizator Act by reducing the number of permits for the use of that m.vchino. Within the next few day* a large number of permits will be cancelled. The use of the totalisator by leading clubs in the centres of population will be permitted, but smaller and subsidiary clubs will not be allowed to use the machines. The permits will also be cancelled where the totalisators are found to lead to the creation of gambling institutions under the guise of sporting meetings. A considerable proportion of the cancellations, however, will be of permits given to clubs which have ceased to be in active operation.

Winner Weight Jockey Macaroni ... 12st 01b A. Lyford Belle ... list 21b .. Frowin Silno ... list 21b . .. Russell Allegro ... 9st 01b . .. Edgecombe

Don . 9st 01b . .. Collins Jenny . lOst 01b . .. Johnson Parnell . 9st 111b . .. McMonamin Shillelagh .. lOst 01b .. ' Williams Despised .. 9st 71b .. K. Heaton Bombardier . .. lOst 01b ... Morrigan