SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1201, 8 March 1895, Page 23

SPORTING NOTES.

By “Gipsy King.” I have to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of a copy of the Australian “ Form at a Glance,” from the publishers, Messrs Gordon and Gotch, Sydney. This handy compilation contains all the performances of the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup candidates. It is about the best of the “ reference guides ” issued. Speaking to a punter who had backed Allan-a-dale for the Fitzherberfc Stakes at Manawatu, he gave as his reason for doing so that he had, prior to the race, been speaking to a Scotchman and the band were playing a Scotch' selection! That’s the latest way to select a winner ! The news of Carbine’s sale for 13,000 guineas naturally caused a bit of a sensation, says “ Asinodeus,” when it was made known on the morning of the last day of the Geelong meeting. Mr Archibald Yuille was obviously an interested party in the transaction, since the entire stud at Lerderderg has been in his firm’s hands for sale for some time past; still, nobody was more surprised than he on hearing of the big deal with the Duke of Portland. Mr Yuille formed one of a large house party which Mr Leslie McDonald was entertaining at St. Albans during the Geelong races. Breakfast was over, and on arrival of the Melbourne papers Mr Yuille was asked to read aloud for the benefit of the entire company—particularly those who were too indolent to wade through a couple of columns “on their own”—the account of the first day’s play in connection with the fourth “ test ” match. Just as the burly knight of the hammer had completed his reading lesson and the company were about to discuss the points of the rather remarkable innings of the Australians, Captain Wallington’s eye caught the head-line announcing the sale of Carbine. Mr Yuille’s “ dial ” was for a few seconds the petrified quintessence of incredulity, then he smiled in a manner suggestive of the Captain endeavouring to crack a joke at his expense. None of the others shared the credulousness of Fairy Tale’s owner, however, and when the sceptical one was handed the paper to read for himself, big beads of perspiration coursed dovn his furrowed facial area, and he looked as if he could do an icecl soda and brandy, but he didn’t. That’s how the news of the now historical sale of Carbine was broken to our Australian Tattersall.

Westmere has had a mild blister applied to a dicky leg, and will be given a spell for a few weeks.

London Truth says : —“ It is not satisfactory to find that out of 2906 horses which started for races last season, only 455 are five-year-olds and upwards. The shocking rate at which the present breed of racehorses goes to pieces is proved by the fact that 1108 two-year-olds ran in 1893, but in 1894 there were only 779 three-year-olds forthcoming, so that nearly a third of the whole lot had collapsed after a single season’s racing. Thlre were 727 three-year-olds running in 1893, but only 417 four-year-olds turned up in 1894. These figures speak for themselves so forcibly that they require very little comment, but it is a certain fact that every season scores of promising two-year-olds are ruined by being prematurely raced, and a still larger number collapse hopelessly through being over-raced.”

Goosander, 7st, the full-sister to Merganser, was third favourite for the Manawatu Racing Club Handicap, one mile and a half, but she never flattered her backers at any part of the journey, and her party

consequently assisted to swell the dividend on The Dancer;

r" It is said that Te Horo, who trotted second in the Palmerston North Trotting Handicap (saddle), resembles the Canterbury trotter Steadfast.

I mentioned last week that some of the Australian weeklies were issuing caricatures of Carbine, and a correspondent sends the following to the Sydney Bulletin: “Dear Bulletin, — That Carbine picture was a cruel blow. For years I have been dodging that white near hind leg. It has driven me to do my own shaving, and to be a teetotaller—so far as pubs, are concerned. Only two hotels in Melbourne have not got the picture hung up in some shape, and they are not on my beat. Ever since the proposed sale of the beast was announced I have abstained from buying ordinary newspapers that were bound to reproduce the wretched animal. I have sworn off sport until he has been dead 50 years. English papers will now soon be also closed to me. Gradually my life is being denuded of every enjoyment. I have even had to drop church and the religious journals to avoid statistics as to how many loaves of bread might be bought with .£13,650. And now you deal the final blow. Tell me straight, do you intend to reproduce a picture of Carbine’s first ‘get’ on the other side ? Do you intend to reproduce that accursed white leg, &c., when the horse dies, or when its owner dies, or upon any other feeble occasion ? If so, give me due notice, or the Bulletin and I must part for ever.—Yours, Cop.”

One cannot be too careful in criticising handicaps. At the Manawatu Meeting, while conversing with Mr Henry, the handieapper, I disagreed with his adjustment for the Maiden Hack Handicap, he having placed all the horses in that race on the same mark, allotting them Bst 101 b each. I picked out Finesse as a better performer than the other 14 who had to face the starter, and asked what chance could some of the others have with the Torpedo mare. I knew that Reality (by Somnus —Peter Flat mare) had not run prominently in any race she had competed for, certainly not as well forward as Finesse, and I remarked, “ What chance can an animal like Reality, for example, have with Finesse at even weights ?” Result of race —Reality, 1; Scrap Iron, 2 ; Finesse, 3. Dividend on Reality, <£3l 17s. Then, to further illustrate the glorious uncertainty of racing, Finesse easily defeats a good field of hacks the second day, and paid a dividend of <£l2 7s ! .And yet Finesse was going for all she was worth in both races. Latest advices say Mr Henry is still smiling.

Acceptances and general entries are due for the Sandon Hack Meeting on Saturday, 9th inst.

The Otago Witness says :—The champion horse-dealer has been found at Masterton. Having sold a horse he demanded the right to remove the animal’s shoes, as they were not included in the bargain.

I think the champion mean man was found at Ashurst races about two years ago, when Ngaru, the winner of the Selling Race, was knocked down for .£lO, the purchaser declining to take delivery of the horse unless he was permitted to take the old bridle that was on the horse when he was led out to be sold.

The Wairarapa-owned Omago, a four-year-old chestnut gelding by Master Agnes, was whispered about as a “ dead snip” for the Maiden Hack Handicap at Manawatu, but failed to run into a place.

Indian racing men are commencing to grumble about the absurdly short prices laid by the bookmakers, and things have come to such a pass that several influential members of the turf intend laying the matter before the Turf Club, intimating that if this state of things is likely to continue the sooner the bookmaker is done away with and the totalisator lottery system adopted the better.

Private watches made the time for the Manawatu Racing Club’s Handicap of one mile and a half, won by The Dancer, 2inin 40sec, official time, 2min 41 l-ssec, a real good performance, considering the competitors had to gallop twice over the slight rise before reaching the home turn.

It is reported that Mokoia, the winner of the Normanby Handicap Trot, resembles the trotting horse Double Hill, who was disqualified some time ago.

The Sydney Referee says:—The New Zealand champion hack, Kauri Gum, was rc«ently sold for £100.” We smile! Kauri Gum is not even a first-class hack. The Sydney man must have invented the title.

It is said one of the favourites at Dunedin had a “ hearty meal ” before he started. Rather a dangerous thing to practice on a valuable young horse.

The hurdle horse Osman and < The Dancer have similar action when galloping. Both ” sprawl ” about, i.e., gallop wide in front, and remind one of the motion of a giraffe.

Harry Price, well known in Wellington sporting cix-cles, is truly a lucky man. He drew Matador in Tattersall’s Sweep, when that horse ran second for the Newmarket Handicap, receiving £2500. He offered to share the ticket with a mate who was working with him, but the latter declined. Now he has had another slice of luck, and has drawn Idolator, the third horse in this year’s Newmarket Handicap, in Tatteraall’s 5s consultation, and expects to receive close on £7OO. While watching the sports at the Basin Reserve on Saturday afternoon he offered to dispose of his chance for £lO, but as Idolator was little fancied, the offer

was not accepted. Another local resident has drawn W liakawatea in the same sweep, and he also tried to lay off a trifle about the ex-New Zealander, but, strange to say, could not do so.

Referring to his visit to the Hon. D. S. Wallace’s stud, “the Special Representative ” of the Sydney Referee says : —The cause of the dispersal of the stud is not generally known, and by many will be contributed to racing losses. I have Mr Wallace’s permission to say that his racing balance-sheet since he first ran horses shows a tidy fortune on the profit side, and the real cause of the misfortune that has overtaken him is the terrible depression that has prevailed in the pastoral industry, in which he has been largely interested in Queensland. Mr Wallace has told me an astounding story illustrating the fearful depression that exists in this colony. For months previous to the sale being announced Mr Wallace saw the cloud gathering, but was sanguine that he could stave it off, as he only had to raise <£20,000 to prevent the break-up of the stud, and for this he had security to give over the stud farm, containing 700 acres of the finest land in Victoria, Carbine, and 40 of the finest brood mares ever owned by one man, to say nothing of the Carbine yearlings and foals, as well as the Mentor yearlings. I think this will stand for all time as an everlasting disgrace to the colony of Victoria and its alleged financiers. I trust —and I think I have every genuine sportsman with me —that some of Mr Wallace’s friends will rally round him and that he will be left with a few mares and a foal or two of Carbine’s after the sale day.

Bush Boy (by Gipsy King), who ran close up third in the Flying Handicap at Manawatu, would have paid a dividend of <£6l had he been returned the winner. He finished second in the Fitzherbert Stakes of seven furlongs the second day, but had he won he would only have paid a dividend of .£4. The Bulletin says:—“ The reason why Humphrey Oxenham takes to promoting 1 consultations is not far to seek. From the way legitimate bookmaking is running down, lie knows that within, say, three years there won’t be any ante-post betting, and very little, and precarious at that, in the paddock. There is even now no real bookmaking—no getting round and laying to your book. There are never more than three horses backed at suburban races, and not more than six in a race at Randwick, and, as a consequence, it is the layers who plunge, not the punters. The public are frequently right, too, so that when a live ’un gets home tbe ‘books’ have not taken enough to pay their losses. If any reader doubts this, let him count up and see how many of the sound men of? seven to two years ago are to be seen with' the bag on nowadays.”

Could the person who named Three Cheers, the Auckland trotter, have anticipated the horse registering such a sterling performance as he put up at the Palmerston North Trotting Meeting, in the Autumn Harness Trot, he would have been entitled to much praise for the appropriate nam# he bestowed on the horse. Three Cheers met with a great reception, and he received cheer after cheer when his driver, M. Edwards, weighed in right.

The biggest' two-year-old in training in Victoria at the present time is Cottus, who is a perfect giant. He is about 16.2 hands high, and made in proportion, and is not yet finished growing. He is owned by the Messrs Miller, who bought him at the St. Albans yearling sales for 50 guineas. He had a blemished hock at the time, but is now all right. Cottus is by the imported Isonomy horse Eiridspord, who gets very big stock.

The above two-year-old is well named, as Cottus, in mythology, means a giant who had. 100 hands and 50 heads.

On the morning of the second day’s races at Manawatu Mr J. R. McMillan submitted, on behalf of Messrs Baker and Co., a number of well-bred horses from their Kereru stud. The following were the only lota disposed of:—Two-year-old brown filly, by Somnus Deception (dam of Luna), i> guineas, Mr T. Quinlivan, Woodville; yearling brown gelding, by Lochnagar—• Brown Bess (by Pacific), Qi guineas, Ml* Davidson, Kereru. Six other lots wer» passed in. A yearling sister to Wairua. and Rangiatea was passed in at 31 guineas.

The Sydney *Referee says : —The expugilist, Tom Lees, who owns the horse> Torpedo,, was disqualified for life by the West Australian J.C. on account of suspicious work in connection with the running of the horse named at the Perth New Tear’s Meeting. The horse was also disqualified for a like period, while the jockey, Robson, escaped with two years.

There must be something wrong about the above par, as Torpedo has won a raco since New Year’s Day.

At the Palmerston North Trotting Meeting a southern bookmaker accused a rider of one of the trotters he had supported pretty heavily of having prevented the horse from winning. As the rider had also lost his money on the horse he waa much annoyed at the accusation. Result—Bookmaker received one black eye. A beauty 1

The well-bred Rosary (dam of Aquarius and Calculus) has returned to. TVarwick Farm after visiting Carbine. When Highborn ran second to Carbine in the Melbourne Cup, the latter’s victory cut Mr Forrester out of a stake of £28,000, and Mr D. S. Wallace, remembering this, allowed Mr Forrester the privilege of sending any mare he had to Carbine free. The mare sent was Resary.

At the Epsom Races (Vic.) on the 19th Ult. the Epsom Handicap, six furlongs, was won by Ilium (Albany —Helena), Bst 31b. Time, lmin 16|sec. Laundress, the Newmarket Handicap winner, was unplaced in this race, carrying Bst, which reminds me of the verses entitled, “The Bloke that wasn’t Well.” It is said that Ro&efeldt has broken down badly and will not race again, &c. I saw the mare walking up the street at Palmerston North after returning from Egmont, and with bandages on was walking as sound as a bell. She seemed to gallop a bit sore in her work at Egmont, but she was not “ dead lame,” as some have reported. If it is true that there, are now one or two commissioners from foreign lands in Melbourne who were sent out to bid for Carbine, Mr W. R. Wilson should take advantage of their presence and submit Carnage (the three-quarter brother to Carbine) to auction. A Southern contemporary states The Dancer is a non-stayer. This statement will be rudely shaken before the end of the present month, irrespective of his win at Manawatu. At the Manawatu meeting, in the Fitzherbert Stakes, when Zanella was pulling up near the starting machine after doing a preliminary, she stopped so suddenly that she shot White over her head, but having hold of the reins, he only laughed at the simple “ buster.” When the barrier of the starting machine was released in the same race his mare carried the net away, a portion of it getting round his neck, but as he went, on the net dropped to the ground. His luck was certainly out in that race. After" the T.J.C. Meeting on Thursday the following horses were sold by Mr Newton King:—Waiongona (by Volunteer —Jenny’s dam,), <£7o, Mr C. Tate; G-ooleen <£36, Mr C. Tate ; Merman 11., <£2o, Mr C. Tate; The Goat, <£l2, Mr J. J. Russell; Kiora, <£ls, Mr T. Knowles. Woodman (by Puriri—Hagar) was passed in. The Hutt-trained horse, Kent, is. now jogging along quietly on the training track. “ Pakeha,” of the Wanganui Herald , says:—lrish Twist has been suffering a great deal from his teeth, which has no doubt something to do with his withdrawal from the Wanganui Cup.

The conditions of the Hawke’s Bay Stakes, to be run for at the Autumn Meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Club, 1896, are as follows: —Hawke’s Bay Stakes, of 500 sovs; second horse to receive 70 sovs, and third horse 30 sovs out of the stake; for two and three-year-olds (present yearlings and two-year-olds) ; weight for age ; six furlongs. Winners after Ist August, 1895, of any race or races collectively of 1 the value of 250 sovs to carry 31b; of 500 sovs, 51b; of 750 sovs, 71b; of 1000 sovs, 101 b extra. Maiden three-year-olds at time of starting allowed 101 b; two-year-olds, 71b. By a sweepstake of 5 sovs each with A 200 sovs added. The sweepstake shall be ® payable to the Secretary of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club on general entry day, autumn meeting, 1896, unless forfeits are declared and paid as follows: —2 sovs on the 15th October, 1895, or 3 sovs on the 16th January, 1896. All horses remaining in after the 16th January, 1896, must pay their total subscription of 5 sovs on general entry day, autumn meeting, 1896. Should there be any surplus arising from the sweepstake it will be given to the race. No money is required at time of nomination. Nominations close at the Criterion Hotel, Napier, by 10 p.m. on Tuesday, 7th May, 1895. At the autumn meeting, 1897, the race will be seven furlongs. It is stated that Mr J. Campion has sold the Ascot—’Laurel colt he purchased some five months ago from Mr D. Fraser to Mr W. Green, of Bulls, the price paid being .£IOO. Mr Campion paid £3O for the colt. At a general meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club, Captain Russell presiding, the following report, presented by the sub-committee appointed with reference to the adjustment of the mortgage to the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society, was ratified:—“The mortgage for £6050 to the Agricultural and Pastoral Society is paid off, and a mortgage for £3BOO for seven .years at 63- per cent, arranged for, the balance of the money required to pay off the Agricultural and Pastoral Society being, raised by £2250 of debentures at 6 per cent., of which amount the Society take £IOOO. These debentures have a currency of seven years, with a condition that the Jockey Club pays off not less than £2OO per annum.”

Mr Rathbone, the well-known sportsman of Waipawa, has sent a representative (E. Oakenfell) to the sale of the Hon D. S. Wallace's stud. It is understood that he is instructed to bid for some of the mares that are in foal to Carbine. I trust that this prominent sportsman may be rewarded for his enterprise.

The Egmont Sires Produce Stakes continue to meet with the favour of breeders. The list of acceptances and nominations for the 1896, 1897 and 1898 events which were received on the 25th ultima, will be inserted next week. The following are the particulars showing the progress of these events :—Sires Hack Produce Stakes, 1896 Nominations, 83 ; first acceptance, 55 ; second acceptance, 33. Sires Hack Produce Stakes, 1897—Nominations, 48 ; first acceptance, 26. The nominations for 1898 total 56. Mr W. R. Woon, of Wellington, is now the owner of the trotting mare Rose. • • • • / Acceptances for the Masterton-Opaki meeting are due on Saturday, 9th iast,

It is stated that the Auckland bookmakers were struck for about LSOO when Ben Godfrey won the Atkinson Memorial Stakes at the Egmont meeting.

Two trainers at the Manawatu meeting last week received a friendly hint from members of the club, that the stewards viewed the performances of their horses with suspicion. Both horses were missing from the saddling paddock the second day ?

The attempt made by the Manawatu Racing Club to refuse bookmakers admission to the course on the second day was not entirely satisfactory, as the gate-keepers not being acquainted with those who claim to be bookmakers, nearly everyone passed through the gates without interrogation.