TURF GOSSIP.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1266, 4 June 1896, Page 24

TURF GOSSIP.

BY THE CUIEL

NEW ZEALAND NOTES. 1 hear that Rip Van Winkle has boen sold.

"> Morpheus has died as tho result of his injuries.

Merganser is doing steady and satisfactory work.

Very little work is boing done at Riccarton just now.

Mr Gollan has purchased Erl King for 300 guineas.

Lady Zetland lias been a little out of luck this season.

Tho Otaki courso is much better since it has boon widened.

Sylvanus and Blarnoy aro to bo schooled over tho sticks.

The Sporting Review's troblo coupon list closed with 758 coupons.

Medallion has been sold by Mr Stead to i New South Welshman.

Tho steeplechaser Belle was sold recontly to Mr J. 'Thorpe for £'><).

A pneumatic horse collar is tho latest invention in Iho harness lino.

'7§Tho Workman's Glory has departed; ho only ran third at Wanganui.

Tho jumping at the Takapuna steeplechases was aiuiiily magnificent.

; .The Riccaitoii coiir.iO is in better older than it has been for in inv years.

Tiritoa cost Mr Douglas 50(1 guinea when he botigiit him tho other day.' 1

Hallyhooley arrived in Auckland on Saturday last. Ho is Io king we]].

i nra.sn.-jw seoiiH to ]„• [| H , ], ( ,.v, of tin i'aldlmrst (Mr Siead',,) collection,

.Maremina was sulunittod to auction but withdrawn at, 70 guineas la. t week.

Mr Hobbs has bought anotlior Zetland Tho Marquis of Zetland" this time.

Mr Stead's Bloodshot went by tho Wakatipu over to Melbourne yesterday.

Gaspard showed up well at Otaki, ho is a better horso than was formerly supposed.

Solitairo, who has boon schooling over tho fences, is becoming a beautiful juniper.

If there had boen a decent rider on Light in tho Otaki Plato ho would probably have won.

Runtie appears to la; quite sound again. A Riccarton trainer (E. Roder) has him in hand.

Wakawatoa is returning from Sydney ; by the time- this i.s published ho will have arrived.

j Tho Duuedin courso Ijwas very heavy, as j it always is, and tho times were the reverse of fast.

One man (a New Plymouth punter) had £~y on Slaiden at Otaki when ho paid the .£2O div.

Carbuncle seems a little unsound after a fall she had at Takapuna while training recently.

Seddon would have won tho Hunters' Steeplechase at Wanganui, if he had not made a mistake.

Crimson Streak is one of our most consistent starters. His owner deserved his luck at Otaki.

People aro talking about Opai as a coming cross-country horso; hois a fu'l brother to Strephon.

A Christchurch man backed Maromma and Quiltiri in Dunedin to win .£SOO and won. What luck !

Quiltiri paid £7O towards his purchase money of £l5O at Dunedin when ho won tho Birthday Handicap.

Tho Auckland Racing Club hold their meeting on the 6th and Bth, i.e., Saturday and Monday next.

There is a rumour that Fabulist will not start for the Auckland G.N. Hurdles, but it has been contradicted.

W. Can- lias charge, of Mr Gollan's horses, which left by tho Wakatipu on Tuesday en route for England.

Blackberry is getting over his recent illness, and will soon be at tho starting post again as brisk as ever.

Mr Gates, who sold tho Marquis of Zetland to Mr Hobbs, ,is offering tho rest of his young 'uns for sale.

If St. Kilda can jump ho will bo dangero.n.j at Auckland. His owners seem to bo well satisfied with his stylo.

There is a likelihood of Mr Barron, of Gisborno, leaving there to reside in Auckland with his string.

Tenby, who was bought by MrC. Liddells before tho Otaki races, is doing better now. Mr Lanco had no luck with him before.

Princess Colo, who bruised her heel at Palmerston, and was not able to race at Otaki, is getting bettor.

Tho English Derby was run yesterday (Juno 3rd). Tho betting was 5 to 2 on Persimmon, and 11 to 10 on Frusquin.

Mr G. P. Donnelly has purchased tho hurdle horso Canard, by Voltigeur—Kate Coventry, for 150 guineas, and Kingsmau as well.

Tho reason Hop Garden was scratched for tho Takapuna Hurdles was that owing to tho rough weather at Gisborno he did not arrive in time.

Liberator was actually asked to concede three stone nine pounds to tho second weight at Dunedin on tho second day. How is that for handicapping ?

Tho Caulfield Cup entries include all the best blood of Australia, Trontham, Malula, Hova, Disparity and many other good horses boing among the number.

Levanter is doing good work and will show up in the G.N. Hurdles and in the Steeple. Ho has got a fairly light impost and it would bo well to keep him in mind.

There is ono horse (Bonovoree) that may bo left, out of all calculation for the Grand National Hurdle Race. Ho ran in both hurdle races at Takapuna and was about last in both events.

Although Giilio disgraced himself at Wanganui by falling twice, it must bo remembered that tho Wanganui course brings down a great many horses, and that he made amend.- by winning the Final.

Gillie has been struck out of tin' Greal Northern Si-,,.j,|, ,•!,.,„,, what ha ; gone wrong with him now? I expect his owner though! be w.is not good enough to win and so rosolvd m-l t,, j, lctu - (|,,, extra expense in taking hjin up.

Sin:; Song, who I aulicip-it-d would do • :| thing at Otaki, proved a disappointment. The heavy ground did not soil h-r. She had a, good many races to her cr •■lit over at Blenheim before she came over.

Wh it of horses have they in the South. Liberator won in Dunedin handicapped at I3st lolb, and Rebel, who was the next, heavy weight, had only lost 111) good on Liberator, the grand old horse will do for Auckland'alright.

Mr E. Shove, had good luck with Booties and Ulysses at Wanganui. After Ulysses won tho Hunters' Steeplechase, one "Bookie" was heard to say: "1 always know "Useless" was a d d good 'un, and 1 backed him too."

'Tho fact of Dante (12st 101 b), Liberator (lost 121 b), and Donald McKinnon (12st 71b)! having accepted for tho Grand National Hurdles ought to be a guarantee that tho race will be ono of the best soon in the Colony for a long time.

I understand, h.ivi " Mazeppa" that one or two jockeys declined tho mount on Captive on tho first day. Billy Pino chanced it, and with the half chauco on the machine, his fee, and a gratuity of £lO from a backer, ho netted £SO out of one race.

Pegasus, who won the Aucklaud Cup, has managed to win the Birthday Handicap at Takapuna. Ho is ono out of a very few that were picked in tho Sporting Review coupons for that race, and his win came as a surprise although there wero a few in tho " know."

It daily becomes more apparent that only moneyed men can satisfactorily follow bookmaking. past experience should teach tho public to fly at high game, and leave alone tempting double odds, offered by tinpot merchants, unless given a bank guarantee. " Remember Paris and Patron's year." Engrave this on your walking-stick, and don't lose it.— Bulletin.

I bus the Sportsman':— Trotting'seoms to have a fair chance of becoming a thing of tho past in Now Zealand, if only half ono hears is true. Only let some stranger win an important event, and at onco enquiries are made as "to whether ho is not another " ringer."

There wero a good many well-known men down at the last Canterbury Trotting Club's mooting. Mr Potter, owner of the wellknown paddock near Auckland, which bears his name, and Mr J. Martin, an Aucklaud enthusiast in trotting, were present, Mr J. A. Connell, now of Nelson, was also there.

Tho nominations for tho Melbourne Cup have been received. Many well - known names are there, and the race will bo cno of the most representative races of tho last few years. [ notice Hova, Disparity, Daimeno, Strathspey, Lileth, Trenton and old Bloodshot among the crowd.

"The best judge I ever knew," says an Australian writer, "was cross-eyed. He could see round a haystack, and spot first and last at tho same time. Ho only made one error in his life. Racecourse whisky was the cause. A red-Lot favourite ran a palpably stiff second, and ho placed him first. It v>as a most popular " bloomer."

The gets of Nelson, tho Wapiti sire, hare been prominently to the fore lately at Takapuna. Pegasus and Lady Agnes, who wero both sired by him, finished'first and second in the Birthday 1 fandicap and his daughter, Miss Nelson, scored in tho Hurdle Race ; while at Wanganui. his son, Man-o'-War, won the Winter Oats Handicap.

For tho North Grand National Hurdles my final selections are— Dante ] Liberator ... ... 2 Tally ho 3 Bombardier ... ... 1

For tho Great Northern Steeplechase [ will not make so sure, it is aptly called tho " Winter Puzzle," but I should think Tiritoa would give a good account of himself, with Donald McKinnon and Belle well up.

A writer in the Canterbury Times says that the members of the Canterbury Jockey Club have displayed sound commonsense as well as exemplary gallantry in admitting a lady to their counsels. When women rule tho turf—in a more direct way than by rocking the cradles of its votaries —wo shall expect to have pure sport and honest sportsmen. In the meantime wo Can congratulate them upon having broken down another of the barriers that delayed tho complete emancipation of their sex.

Tho weights are out, in connection with tho North New Zealand Grand National Meeting. Tho Maiden Steeplechase weights include Bamardo at tho to]) with 12sfc lib ; Levanter, second weight, 11st 2lb ;or lfilbs lighter, while Sir Athol has got in with lost 01b. The Maiden Hurdle weights soom to mo to be better adjusted. Hopgarden has list 71b, and at'that ho will have some work to win. Amabollo has lOstOlb ; Sir Athol, lost 71b ; and Kailoa, lost -lib. Ido not think Kaitoa merits lOst ■lib, but time will tell. The Winter Welter Handicap includes Waiuku at list, 7!)> ; Panoply, list 21b: Glenora, lOst 71b; Pegasus, lost 71b; Miss Nelson, lOst; and tho Sharper, lOst. The race should lie among these I have mentioned. The Pony Hurdle Race has Little Tom at tho head under lo.st lolb.

Tho following ringing in ease, which was ! tried last Tuesday week in Christchurch, may prove ~f interest (o spoilsmen ; J''rank Bull was charged with attempting to obtain money by false pretences byrneou" j'" the lim-so Moody at tho last Ueraldinu Trotting Club's meeting, knowing the same to bo a well-known performer on thu trottin;; (rack. Mr F Wilson Smith for informant, and Mr Hay for defendant. Evidence wms ':iven by Messrs R. 11. IV.-irpoinfc, A. Er-kine. I'apernl, C. Hammond, W. Rogers and W. Voice, chiefly ro prove that Ihe Ijors' was Sultan and was ru'i a.; Mo< dy. Tie- evidence C .T C, Ray, who sold the horse to defendant, however, went to show that he sold it as Moody. No evidence was called for the defence. Mr Hay contended that " ringing in" did not constitute a breach of t lie law, and that tho evidence did not show knowledge on tho part of accused of the fact, that Moody was not what he represented to be. Tho magistrate said he did not consider tho evidence of criminal knowledge on tho part of accused sufficiently strong to justify a committal, and that being so ho did not deal with the legal aspect of tho case. Ho said, however, that he considered it very doubtful whether the fact of " in" a horso would justify a conviction for obtaining the amount of the stake by false pretences. The information was dismissed.

ecretaries of Racing Clubs arc reminded that illustrated Cards and Programmes can be printed at the New Zealand Times Office _at two hours' notice. Customers will find it the cheapest printing in the Colony.

'The three days' meetings are just over in Adelaide and Sydney. They have been less successful on the whole than last season,

ROUND THE WORLD. Paris was twice winner of the Caulfiold Cup.

The average attendance at the Derby in England is 250,000.

The Taamanian bors? Marengo died the other day. He was out of Miss Jackson, by Napoleon.

A yearling colt, by Richmond, out of Footstep, has been sold for 500 guineas over on the other side.

Norton has been scut to Ireland to get a change of climate. It is stated that he has never recovered from the journey Homo.

There scorns to bo a lot of gushing talk about Paris' last win, but it was nothing to boast about, ho had only ono opponent.

The Grand National Steeplechase of Sydney TattersaU's Club only attracted 10 entries. The prize money is not big enough.

Maluma has been doing splendidly on the voyage Home, never leaving a bile of feed, and is more comfortable on the Oroya than in her stable.

Mr Purvis, the owner of Thunderer, had £5 on his colt in the totalisator when he won the Baker Handicap over in Victoria, and paid a dividend of £99.

\V. Douglas, an Australian rider, has had 61 mounts this yoa r , and out of that number has had twuity six wins, run second fifteen times, and thiid live times.

The Ace, who was running at Rosohill, in New South Wales, fell over his jump and pave his rider a bad fall. This is not the Nelson horse, he did not go over.

The Abercorn—Spice yearling, purchased at the last sales by Pay ten for three hundred, broke his stifle on the track recently, in Sydney, and was shot.

Sir Charles Dillon's son end heir h the young plunger who lost so much over Ilova in Adelaide recently. His name is Charles Wcntworth, and he is only 22. What a flat he must be 1

At the Narandcra (N.S.W.) races last week the two-year-old event was won by Lady Trcnvillc, a filly by Trenton from Lady Grcnville, bred at St. Albans, and eoH as a yearling for 55 guineas.

Checkmate and Kelso were withdrawn from the Brisbane Cup; the reasons have not been assigned. Kelso will require a lot of schooling to make him a jumper, as is intended by his owner, he is not the cut,

The Melbourne sporting press is beginning at last to make a stand against the system of prolonging our race meetings by allowing half an hour between each raco lor refreshments ; business men cannot afford the time.

Australia is now breeding few jumpers worth ;i cent. Not one in twenty is a " natural " jumper, and it is piteous to see the old hasbeons turning up again and again. Australia wants another Panic badly.

An Australian man has invented a new stccpleehasiug stirrup. Directly an accident occurs, by which a rider is liable to become fast by the stirrup, a band pressed by the instep causes the stirrup to unstrap itself, and the foot at once is released.

News from America lately about the starting machine, which is now being worked over there, is, to say the least cf it, encouraging. "They work like a charm," nays one writer. "Seven races starlet in llmin 1550 e," says another. They cdl the machip.es " gales " over there.

A Mr Hordern scored a double win at Rosohill recently, his 'mare Round Dance accounting for the Granville Stakes and Welter Milo in such a way as',to leave no doubt that she is a fair animal. Round Dance is ono that] was some time ago handed over to Ristenpart to train.

The longost jump known is the :37ft jump by Chandler at tho Warwick Steeplechases in 18J-7. Some other horses wore in

the brook over which the jump took place, and Chandler, coming down at a great pace, cleared 37ft, tho distance boing measured shortly afterwards.

The Queensland racehorses Flomington, The Baron and Hillary are matched to run a mile and a quarter, at weight for ngc, for a sweepstakes of £SO a-piece, at Birdsdalc, on 18th August Flcmington won the Birdsville Cup, 1805; Hillary won it in.lS'Ji; and The Baron won the treble at Bctoota last year.

A well-known Melbourne handicappor, whoso loquacity is only excelled by his expertness as a weight adjuster, contends that Ilova is tho better performer, and that if tho pair of horses (Paris and Iloya) wore nominated to-morrow for any mile and a half race in Australia, any haudicapper would write Hova's name first.

The two-year-old filly Heath, by Robinson Crusoe, from Lady Keith (imp.) got down in her box while' being conveyed bytrain to Wagga lately over in Now South Wales, and received such injuries by being nearly strangled by a leather halter that she died almost immediately. She was tho property of Mr A. Leitch, of Perry Jerry.

The state of sport in Hong Kong may bo judged from the following letter, which appeared in The Field recently:—" Sir,— Having just finished our yearly nice meeting, it may interest your readers to learn that wo managed to get, through ten raci s each day, for three days, from noon to about 0 o'clock, with a grand total of 309 starters for tho 30 races. I think this beats the record.—Hong Konu Si-ort."

Tho"toto" seems to bo very much out of favour in South Africa with tho bookmakers. Ono, writing from that colony, complains that it is dwindling down to a us affair and that there are so many favourites and so few outsiders that the odds arc fearfully small. The fact is that very few horses start and the best horse always wins and the " bookios " get left.

"T.T.," writing in the Sportsman, says that the most recent victory of old Palis (at G.itwiok) has rekindled the stock argument na to which is, or, rather, was, the better performer in Australia —Paris or Ilova. If this question could be satisfactorily settled, even theoretically, by any Australian expert—save Mr P. 11.I 1 . Dak in—a lot of club money in Melbourne would change hands, for—owing, probably, to the lack of any more interesting controversial racing matter to debate upon just now—a good deal of speculative reasoning has been indulged in as regards the relative merits of this pair of cracks.

Referring to Sir Modred's position in the list of prize winning sires, a New York contemporary says:—"The distinguishing feature of alibis get is the uniformity witli which they raco and campaign." Ir. all, 02 of Sir Modred's progeny started in 181)5, and between them won 181 races. Foaled in 1877, the son of Traducer and Id ilia is now in his nineteenth year, and though in the. nature of things he cannot last veryvery much longer, he comes from a family remarkable for strong constitutions and liis old dam is still halo and hearty. His stud career has been phenomenally successful, and he is now the most cherished sire in the United States.

The following letter has been sent to the Bulletin re Mr Bucklaud's supposed challenge that he could produce a two-year-old that could trot a ni'lo in 2min luscc—- " Sir,—Kindly lot mo siy that 1 have never made such a statement. Fraiilein, dam of Fritz, had another colt, which died, and has two fillies alive which have only been bandied. I may add that I have not had anything to do with tho 'blow' which has appeared in the papers about matching Fritz for extravagant sums against any horse in America. I think I made a record at Dubbo on sth, oth, and 7th May: my horses started in times, get nine firsts and ono second, and tho winner of tint was bred by nn .—Yours, J. A. BuCKLAND."

An American writer gives an no', definition of the difference between a sportsman and a sporting man. "A Fp >riin ; man ionc who lives ijy the s| orf which engages

his attention, and he is very n;uily tin opposite of the sportsman, The 1 liter is an

amateur and the former is a professionalone takes an interest in racing for the love of it, the other for the profit which accrues." The sa-"C writer speaking on the subject of belting says :—" Men will continue to bet whether there are races or not. They will bet on the rise and fall in the price of cotton, coffee, pork, wdieat, corn, stocks, bonds—they will bet and do bet on every conceivable thing. So why select the one form of betting on horses and place it under the ban ?'

The great steeplechase horse Cloister is to the fore again. After his second failure to stand a Grand National preparation, it was taken for grantc 1 that the last had been heard of Mr Duff's horse, as far as racing was concerned, but on Easter Monday he came out, and won the Welsh Grand National Steeplechase in quite his old style. When the horse went wrong in 1803 there were all ports of rumours as to his having been got at, and Mr Dull' employed detectives with a view of trying to unravel the mystery, but no evidence of foul play was forthcoming, and he was scratched. Next year the same thing happened, one morning he fell on the flit, apparently from sheer exhaustion. Again he was scratched for all engagements, and finally given to a well-known rider to take in hand; after that he began to build up, and finally he went to Sir William Nugent, one of the aristocrats who train in England, and was quite up to his old form. In none of his races, however, has Cloister eirrol as much weight as D.iimio had at C.'inlfield, but. he knows the Liverpool com,try thoroughly, and Daimio does not. However, alter the remarks which have been in: de concerning Paris's victory, 1 don't think there will be much weight between the two cracks."