TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1314, 6 May 1897, Page 24

TURF TOPICS.

[By Silverspur.] The Wellington Racing Club’s Meeting was a most enjoyable one in every respect, and those who attended on both days witnessed some good racing. The appointments were, as usual, excellent, and Mr H. M. Lyon, the genial secretary, engineered the gathering with his cuetomary ability. The totalisators were run by Mr Ames without a hitch, the sum of £11,830 being registered during the two days. There was a little grumbling in connection with the bracketing of various animals in cases where the fields were large, but this, of course, was unavoidable. It ; is a pity in one way that machines in use in the North Island are not much larger. Bracketing has frequently to be resorted to in back races •which invariably fill well, and although a man has two chances of striking a winter, j owners don’t care about it, especially if they have a good thing on. There were some firstclass horses seen out at the Hutt, animal's like Goldspnr, Waiuku, and St. Paul, being a pretty choice galloping trio. Some of the races were won very easily, and the public got on to a few little “ morals ” that couldn’t well lose. On Dit, by Lord Mandeville—‘Rumoor, seems to have improved a lot

lately. Nothing had a chance with him in the Wai*vetu Handicap on the first day, but he was in very light, and carried the most money. The consistent Miser was in second place, and Hillstone third. St. Elmo, who formed one of the field, is well enough bred, bat is not in racing fix yet. He should be heard from latter on. Maatu was a quiet paddock tip for the Maiden Hack after the Waiwetu had been disposed of, and he then s f arted absolutely first favourite. He is a grey gelding by Country Boy, and is in the stable of Mr J. Prosser. He made no showing in the race, however, Mr Tancred’s chestnut In The Swim having no difficulty in cutting down his field in the straight. He is the son of Natalor, hence his name. Thunder, Mr K. McKenzie’s representative, is a nice cut of a youngster by Quilt — Whaitiri, and was bred by Mr W. Douglas. Mist, who carried the colours of the Hon. George McLean, does not seem to be in form yet, but should develop into a useful animal later. Sylph, by Chainshot —Sylph, is the makings of a serviceable cheque getter, and so is the Forester gelding, Sherwood, who ' belongs to Mr C. Lyford. Murua and Tamatea did not get any too good of a start. The former is a chestnut mare by Master Agnes, and the latter a baj gelding by York.

As I anticipated, the Thompson Handicap was a good thing for VVaiuku, who, with only Bst 181 b in the saddle was the pick of the bunch. This was the second occasion on which St. Leger’s son was successful in this event. He had the race won practically from the start. In front the whole way he managed to hold his advantage when the whips were brought out. St Paul, who looked tip-top, shaped well in the straight, but was unable to get up. Earshot was the actual favourite on the machine, but be did not appear to me to be quite as well as he might have been. Pom Pom was in fine fix, but he found the two top weights too much for him. He was not disgraced, however, for he secured third, finishing just in front of Barshot. Strathbraan looked a trifle above himself if anything, and so did Mannlicher. who was the medium of a good deal of speculation at the eleventh hour. I don’t think his mentor was very confident, however, with Waiuku in the field. Loreli appeared to have a chance with Bst, but she has evidently gone off lately. Mr Collins’ mare was light looking, but a lot of Palmerston North money went on her. The Miser formed one of the field, but he had already ran in an event earlier in the day and was not much fancied. Sylvia Park was a quiet tip but did not run up to expectations. Marino ran as he always runs, and pulled up last. He is a costly animal. It would be interesting to know how Goldspur would have shaped had he started. He was giving away five pounds to Waiuku, and his owner declined the engagement. He is a veritable clinker, and would do well in Australia in top company.

The hurdle event on the first day was a fiasco. There was no speculation and the Burlington mare, Much Ado, had a walk over. In the second hurdles on the last day Tally-Ho was fixed upon as a good thing and so it proved, the Hawkes Bay mare winning as she liked. Mr Connop has in her an undoubted good animal and her wins lately should have netted the stable a nice little sum. Much Ado didn’t shape so well on his second attempt, finishing last, Flirt, who fell the day previous, chasing home the winner.

Stockade is apparently a real smart horse. He showed his heels to some good ones in the First Hack Handicap, in which he was neglected by the cognoscenti, and paid .£l7. He is by Flintlock out of Ada, and belongs to Mr A. Fergusson. Muscatel was put about as a good thing and started first favourite, but the good thing unexpectedly went down. She is by Foulshot out of a Dauphin mare, and is owned by Mr F. Watson. Mr Cress’ three-year-old mahunga, by Voltigeur—Lillian, and was much fancied, but took no part in the finish. This animal should win hi 3 owner a good race or two later on. The Major, a three-year-old by Vanguard—Miss Cole, looked well and galloped well. He would have paid a dividend almost as big as Stockade had he come home, but he only got third. Warnote had a lot of admirers despite his Bst 101 b, which was a trifle too much for him. The least backed were Sherwood and Crescent, a chestnut gelding by Foresty—Nancy Lee, who had 14 and 18 tickets respectively. Stockade was in winning form at the meeting experiencing no difficulty in appropriating the Hack Welter on the second day, iu which Sherwood made a fast run in the straight, but was uable to get up. Rodara, by Voltigeur—Mascotte, was the public pick, but could get no nearer than fourth. Mizpah, by Lord Mandeville, is a nice cut of a three-year-old, and belongs to Mr H. Peters, and Lady Agnes, another of the contestants, is the little lady who paid £144 dividend at the last Wairarapa gathering.

Goldspur was another horse to win a double, and both over short distance coui’ses. He is about the quickest horse off the mark in the colony, and, unlike others who possess this qualification, when he gets in front with the leading division he stays there. In the Railway Handicap there were practically only two horses in the race after the starter gave the word, and when it came to racing there was only one. All the same On Dit shaped well, and carried a goodly sum of money despite his penalty. Goldspur was giving him 381 b, and could have conceded him a good deal more. Boreas was reckoned good enough to be made second favourite, but he couldn’t get near them. He is a nice horse, but it is doubtful if he is as good as he has been made out to be. In the five furlong Farewell on the concluding day, Goldspur, with a record weight of lOat 121 b, made his op-

ponents look a sorry lot of liacks. Weight doesn’t seem to trouble him in the slightest, and he leads his fields a merry dance when he once gets going. In this race he was giving away no less than 3st 71b, and then had a lot in hand at the finish. It will be interesting to know what handicappers will put on him in some of his future engagements. A friend who saw him in the south informed me that Goldspur has improved considerably since his southern success, and I don’t doubt him. If it is true that he was originally bought for fifteen pounds he is certainly not a bad fifteen pounds’ worth.

Pom Pom’s little surprise in the Suburban Handicap, in which he paid over fourteen pounds, makes him out to be above the ordinary. He ran well in the Thompson, but got beaten by Voltigeur on the second day in the Hutt Handicap, which looked like a real good thing for him. But his win in the Suburban, in which a horse like Barshot was engaged, caused some surprise. He came with a late run which was undeniable, and On Dit was obliged to play second fiddle. It was a good race and Barshot and Loveshot could not be separated in third position. Mr J. Paul, owner of the winner, is a noted sport, and deserves of the sweets of victory occasionally. Return, who belongs to Mr Tilly, was third favorite, probably on account of being in the same stable as Voltigeur, but he was never prominent.

A difference of ten pounds was made in the respective weights of Waiuku and St. Paul in the Autumn Aandicap, and it was a one-horse race for the latter. Chaafe made no mistake about the pace and shot his mount to the front at the road bend leaving the rest to fight it out for second money. St. Paul is a fine looking bay, well built, and a top notcher. He is likely to improve considerably too. Mr Chaafe was wai’mly congratulated on his success. Strathbraan and Lorelei both ran better than they did previously, and the former just managed to pip the mare for second. Both were almost equally backed. A great many thought Waiuku would be quite equal to getting home despite his 9st 71b, but he couldn’t get up. Boreas was the last to reach home.

The acceptance of 20 out of 21 in the Hack Flying Handicap was a feather in the cap of the handicapper. The winner was well concealed, too. Any number appeared to have a chance. The Major, Mr H. Goodwin’s coastal horse, carried 7st 91b, and getting in a good position at the outset, kept it throughout. What he’d have paid had he not been bracketed with Lady Mary is not known, but at any rate the div. of .£l6 14s was a handsome return for his owner.

Winning jockeys at the Hutt were — Price (2), Julien, Chaafe, Mitchell, Barry, Watts, Loughlin, Hall, Buckeridge, Pine, Russell, Derrett, Hercock.

The Wairarapa Racing Club have a credit balance of £49 odd. A profit of £95 was cleared over the last meeting.

The hurdler Jack Harwell, by Goldsborough Fascination, who has been shaping well in Sydney lately, has been sold to Mr T. Payten, acting on behalf of a Melbourne sportsman, for 200 gs.

Details of the late A.J.C. meeting are now to hand. The attendance on Sydney Cup day is said to have been the best for years, there being over 20,000 on the course. Alluding to the racing, an exchange says that a field of 22 went out for the Flying Handicap, and the betting public was at a loss for a favourite. Pilatus was a marketable candidate early, and so was Cranbourne, but ultimately the paddock scouts reported so favourably of Mundiva that he quickly hardened to the position of a hot first favourite, and left the paddtck at 4< to 1. Creme d'Or was well backed down to 5 to 1, Cranbourne being next in request. Of that trio, however, only Mundiva shaped well, Creme and Cranbourne giving their followers any thing but a good run for their money. The Maiden Stakes enticed half a score of runners. Only three were in demand, viz., Kilt, The Grafter, and Positano (imp.). Stella acted as pacemaker, cutting it out from the seven furlongs post right into the straight, where she retired in favour of Mr Dangar’s importation. The grafter scored a very popular win for Mr W. Forrester by a neck. Aurum was penalised to the extent of 101 b for the Champagne Stakes, Metford having to put up 71b extra. Such a foregone conclusion was tin’s race voted for ih' Victorian colt that his backers were nsket to bet odds of 3 to 1 on, and 7 to 1 rrhght have been had about the best of t lie others. Rather unexpectedly, despice his heavy load, Aurum was asked to win almost from the jump. He was always in front, and after the first half furlong he proved equal to the occasion, but Amberite hung on to him so tenaciously, for a while at the distance that those who wagered odds on got something akin to fright. The withdrawals from the Sydney Cup were Vivian, Delawere, The Officer, Resolute and Right Honourable, leaving 23 to compete. Right Honourable was on the ground, but owing to an injury received it was deemed advisable not to run him lest he might break down. The race was one that does not admit of very lengthy description, for Hopscotch made the pace from the first furlong, and for a mile and three-quarters, when he was done. A little later Kallatina appeared at the front with the race apparently won, for she seemed to be going quite easily. But in a twinkling Tricolor bore down on her, and Kallatina being unable to go any faster, was beaten comfortably by two lengths, and Loqh Leigh finished third, the places thus being filled by three of the very outside division. The Doncaster Handicap winner was an outsider, but Tricolor was a bigger one

still. Only stray ringmen here and there wrote his. name. Thus in each of the two big handicap events of the meeting did backers experience a facer the like of which they had not had for many years previous. Tricolor’s victory was a prodigious surprise, for his running in the Doncaster Handicap seemed to show that he did not like the distance. He had not done anything previously to cause him to be regarded as a likely winner of a big event at headquarters, and only recently at Rosehill he left a large army of supporters in a " hole.”

The American Jockey Club, with a view to putting a check upon the movements of jockeys at the starting post, have passed the following resolution :—" Any jockey presuming to start, or even to *” put his horse into a trot or gallop with a view to take and advantage before the flags are dropped, hanging behind, or refusing to obey the commands of the starter in any respect whatever, shall be reported to the stewards.”

Mr Vosburgh, the Admiral Rous of America, in a recent dissertation in the columns of the Spirit of the Times, says : " I am often asked if a handicapper’s life is not made unpleasant from the impossibility of pleasing owners. I never try to please owners. Handicaps are not made to * please ’ anyone they would be very unjust if they were. I do not have any trouble with owners. lam always ready to listen to anything they have to say, but I make it a point never to enter into a controversy on the subject of weights. It could do no good after the weights are posted. Besides, an official should never allow himself to be put on the defensive. My position, being necessarily judicial, is to decide cases, not to dispute them. It is a position in which a man must forget that he has either enemies or friends, and must avoid making them.”

It is stated that Mr H. Morrow, jun., who got badly injured at Wanganui while schooling Soror over sticks, is now recovering.

There has not been much talk yet of Derby horses, writes the English writer “Ranger,” and I should think there has never been less winter betting about them than now, but the three who left off at the top of the tree last back end, namely, Galtee More, Vesuvian and Velasquez, are all apparently doing as well as their most ardent admirers could wish. The firstnamed is reported to have been having an easy time of it just lately, but no one in the world knows better than Darling what work his horse wants, and it is chiefly due to that trainer’s patience with him as a two-year-old that he is what he is now. I have always thought that he would make a better-year-old than Velasquez, because he was a very , backward colt all last summer, and was never really at his best until the Middle Park Plate day, whereas Lord Rosebery’s colt, on the contrary, was always a forward sort, and cherry ripe at Ascot time. At the same time I hear the best accounts of Velasquex, who, although he has not grown much, has, I believe, thickened a good deal, and has lost none of his perfect action. That he is a really good colt there is no doubt, and ii should never be forgotten that his dam, Vista, who is by Macaroni, out of Verdure, by King Tom out of May bloom, by Hewminster, is also the dam of Bona Vista, so that he would sadly disgrace his connections if he were not a good racehorse, which he certainly proved himself to be at two years old; and if I have always preferred the son of Kendal, it is because he is by far the finer colt, and one in whom there has always been much room for improvement. It may be, though, that neither of these is fated to have his name enrolled on the list of Derby winners, since no one can say how much improvement John Porter may not have brought about in Vesuvian, who was a mere baby when he won the Dewhurst Plate, and may easily be the best colt of his year next May. Certain it is that his trainer thought him too backward to win that race, and we all know what a kuack he has of turning moderate twe-year-olds into great three-year-olds.

Booties will have arrivod at Auckland by the time this is in print. If the trip across from Sydney has not affected him, he should have a chance in the Wanganui Steeplechase, run on the 24th inst.

Blood stock is said to be a drug in the market in Tasmania just now, and there are no wed.Ujy sports to give fancy prices ftj. thing bind out of the ordinary.

The imported flily by Carlyon—Naomai is now at work at Hastings.

The great Eastern Steeplechase winner at Onkaparinga, Eclipse, was a light weight outsider, paying at the rate of 30 to 1 on the machine. Had Doondiah or Larrikin—who filled the other places—beaten him, the return from the machine would have been very small, as Larrikin was a hot favourite for a week before the race, and Doondiah was heavily backed after the victory of his stable mate, Tagus, in the hurdle race. Eclipse was not highly rated in his own colony. Last month at Port Adelaide he beat All Fours, a much fancied mare for Onkaparinga, but as she was palpably short of condition little attention was paid to the form. In the Spring Eclipse performed well, winning three* races and running second at Morph etville to Cataract, who is a good horse. Eclipse, who an is aged gelding, was bred in Tasmania by Mr Gart. Lord Grenville, who won the Onkaparinga Cup, was another outsider. Thunder Queen proved better than Birksgate. Lord Grenville, who is a chestnut horse, aged, by First King—Lady Granville, won the Anniversary Handicap in Adelaide last December, but when in Melbourne a few months before he was a failure. His party

have bad good luck in getting fairly larg o dividends when the horse has won. The best race he won last season was S. A. Tafctersall’s Onp. Yesterday, over an extra furlong, he carried top weight, Bst 41b.— oply 41b more than he won with last April, when he beat a good field.

The Otaki Racing Club is to be congratulated on the large number of entries received for their meeting, which tabes place on the 24th inst. The weights are not due as I write, but will appear in the next issue of the Mail.

Tricolor, the Sydney Cup winner, is a five-year-old, by Trident, out of Modesty, and had a bad record prior to his victory in that race. As a three-year-old ho won the Moorfield Handicap when unbacked,and next year he carried off the Hordern Stakes at Murrumburrali. In two seasons he won only two races in weak fields out of fouiteen starts. He is the first horse that has won the Cup who has carried under 7st since Mr Sampson won the raco with Frisco, ten years ago. Mr W. E. Royds, owner of Tricolor, hails from Braidwood, where he breeds racing stock, and when he visits Sydney he usually has something .good to represent him. His Grace, who ran third in the Hurdle Race on the opening day of the meeting, is another of his string, and it is suspected that he is very smart and can stay. Mr Royds bred both His Grace and Tricolor. A noteworthy horse that Mr Royds bred was-Bravo, who won the Melbourne Cap for. Mr W. T. Jones in 1889. Bravo was a very smart 2-year-old, and won seven times out of 11 starts. .He carried off the Y.R.C. Handicap at Flemington as a 3-year-old, did not race as a 4-year-old, and then passed into the hands of Mr W. T. Jones,,for whom he again won the Y.R.C. Handicap, a year before he won the Cup. Mr Royds must have regretted parting with Bravo when ho won the Cup, although the price paid was good, and after that experience he may be expected to retain Tricolor, who has now proved himself a good horse. The best backed horses in the Sydney Cup failed badly. Yanitas has yet to prove himself a stayer, and Cremorne, as feared, found two miles beyond him. Tom and Coil battled stubbornly but ineffectually, but the Sydney Derby winner, Charge, again failed to show that he is, as hia friends say, a crack, although later on he may justify the claim.

American statistics show that last season Hanover again headed the list of winning sires, his progeny winning about .£16,000. Bramble is second with .£13,000; then come Fonso, £12,900; Rayon d’Or,£ll,lso; Iroquois, £10,980; Sir Modred, £10,580; Strathmore, £10,470; Midlothian, £10,430; and St. Blaise, £9968.

The entries for the North New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase Meeting are not as numerous as last year, but a number of good animals are engaged, including several new aspirants for obstacle fame.

The racing mare Folly (Captivator—The Jilt) has been retired from active racing, and will bo sent to St. Hippo. She won 23 races during her career.

It is said that The Major, who raced so well at the Hutt, will be taken across with Sylvia Park to Sydney shortly for a short campaign. The Major was named as a compliment to Major George who raced his dam, Miss Cole.

While being exercised at Karama the other morning the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s horse Spindrift, by Nordenfeldt Spinnaker, winner of the Napier and Wanganui Cups fell, breaking one of his legs, and was subsequently shot.

According to an Indian paper there is a dearth this season of decent 13st 31b Australian ponies suitable for polo, and if there were thirty in the market they would find a quick sale at good prices. Last year they went begging. No one would by them, consequently shippers only brought up a few this season.

Tbo pony Pickles succeeded in annexing the Easter Handicap at the V.i.T O, Meeting, held the o ! hr:r clay. Argent and Homespun were the*most fancied. It looked as if the latter would win ali the way, but in the straight Homespun challenged him. Sunbury and Excel also put in a claim, but the pony got home after a good battle. After the race Sunbuiy’s jockey, J. Stevenson, entered a protest against Swan, rider of the winner, for interference, but it wa3 dismissed.

In a poor field, Walter, who is trained privately at Ballarat, and was declared to have a splendid chance, was made favourite for the Steeplechase, nothing else excepting the Flomington winner, Will o’ the Wisp, being backed with any spirit. Walter - who ran fifth in Dungan’s Grand National at Flemingtou —proved the beat thing of the day, the pace set by Molly Riley just suiting him, and playing sad havoc with the indifferent lot who pursued him.

The condition reducing the stake in the V.R.C. Champion race in case the event is not run in smin 45sec has been retained by the V.R.C. committe in the drafting of their programme. The Melbourne Cup prize remains as last year, the sweepstakes being 25 sors. each, and the added money 3000 sovs. The Derby, Oaks, and Spring Stakes of 1898, and St. Leger of 1899, have not been altered, but the Sires’ Produce Stakes of 1898 will not be as rich as this year, the added money being reduced from 500 sovs to 300 sovs. The nominator of the sire of the winner will, usual, receive 100 sovs, but the lOOsovs which has in the pa3t gone to the breeder of the winner will next year be missing. It has been usual to take entries in Junefor the Criterion Handicap, (formerly the Normanby Stakes), but the entries for tbit r&cc wiU not * a c * 9Be until the

time of receiving general entries for the New Year’s Day meeting, The conditions of this year’s Grand National Hurdle Race and Steeplechase (entries for which close ou May 31) have not been altered, the Hurdle Race being a sweepstakes of 10 sovs each, with 600 sovs added, and the Steeplechase a sweepstakes of 20 bovs each, with 1003 sovs added. The conditions provide that no horse in either event shall be handicapped over 13st 7lb.

The great English bite Hampton is the subject of a reference in a recent English sporting paper, which makes mention of his descendants who have gone abroad to foreign lands. The writer says that naturally one looks first to the States, to which so many good horses have from time to time gone from the mother country, and there the best horse of his year is Requital, a winner of the greatest double event possible in that country, namely, the Futurity Stakes, for two-year-olds, and the Realisation Stakes for threa-yeai’rolds. He is top weight in all the Spring handicaps for this year, and will probably be made favourite for any in which he staits. There be no doubt that Hampton owed his excellence both as a racehorse and a sire to the stout blood which came to him through his dam, Lady Langdon (dam of Sir Bevys), who was by Kettle drum (by Rataplan), ont of Haricot (by Mango or Lanercost out of Queen Mary) and it is no doubt through this stout-hearted son of Lord Glifden that the soft line of Newminster will live longest. It may well be that Lord Clifden was the stoutest eon of Newminster, his dam being by Melbourne out of Yolley, but all the some he, too, got some terribly soft stock, and it takes a lot of good hard blood to counteract this softness inherent in all the descendants of Newminster. That Hampton was a great success at the stud no one can deny, seeing that he was the sire of three Derby winners in Merry Hampton, Ayrshire, and Ladas ; not to mention Highland Chief, who was only beaten by the hairs on his nose, Royal Hampton, the best horse of his jear, and .sire of Marcion, the staying Sheefi, and such a mare as Reve d’Or, while Persimmon, among others, has shown us the value cf hi 9 daughters at the stud.