TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1367, 12 May 1898, Page 24

TURF TOPICS.

[Br SILVEKSPUR.]

The weights for the Otaki Maori Racing Club's Birthday meeting will ba eagerly scanned by a large body of sportsmen who make a trip to Otaki for every meeting. The nominations for the gathering are unusually large, and it promises to prove the best ever held on the course.* The club deserves success, seeing that it has spent a lot of money in making its place attractive and gives good stakes. The Otaki Cup is endowed with .£l2O and no stake is under .£SO. Acceptances close on May 18.

Of the seven acceptors for the Dunedin Birthday Handicap, four have double names, one of thera being Double Event. So that the straight tip is to back Double

Event. In all seriousness, however, I do not see what is going to beat this horse at a pound under eight stone. Starshot will, in all likelihood, start favourite, but whether she can give Double Event 13lbs is problematical.

In the DJ.C. Tradesmens' Handicap Cannonshot tops the list f ith 9st, but I should say that he would have a much better chance of annexing the Welter under 10st 71b seeing that the quality of the field is none too good. Firefly, Hippomenes and Remorse 11. must be conceded chances in the Tradesmens', and Belmont may turn up trumps in the hurdles. The. Maoriland-bred Mikado 11., by Apremont—Porget-me-not, has lost all his pace. In the Steeplechase at the Victorian Racing Club's April meeting he was beaten off in the first mile. He got a place, however, three of his opponents falling. Prince Barcaldine, winner of the Lincolnshire Handicap, is owned by Mr W. M. Clarke, brother to Mr J. Q-. Clarke, owner of the Australian horse Battalion. Mr W. R. Wilson was one of the sportsmen who were negotiating for tho purchase of the Sydney Cup winner, Merloolas. j He is said to have offered 2000 guineas j without avail, his object being to send him j with Aurum to England.

A rather extraordinary totalisator proceeding is reported from Charters Towers (Q.). During the running of the second hack race there was quite a scene at the machine. When the bell rang and the barrier went up Centipede shot away, and his backers felt in good humour. Their joy was soon turned to indignation, however, when they noticed a man in the totalisator box selling Centipede tickets as fast as he could. As Centipede flashed past the half-mile post with a ten lengths' lead several knowing one 3 clamoured for tickets on him, while legitimate backers of the horse, who saw their dividend dwindling before their very eyes, vigorously denounced the sale and applied strong epithets to the seller. Still the sale went on, the last two parcels being three tickets and two tickets on Centipede respectively. Whra the horses were two furlongs from borne the funny business ceased, and then the clever people who had betted on a certainty had the pleasure of seeing Phantom overhaul .and down the " dead bird," while those who held genuinely-issued Centipede tickets, though losers themselves, laughed loudly at the backers of the " certainty." This matter was brought up at a meeting of the governing racing body at tho Towers, when some strong remarks were made. It appears that the machine used was one of the primitive sort, and the club in question was ordered to in future use the "now " tote, which would render such a practice impossible.

The Hawke's Bay horse Mutiny is giving a great deal of weight away in the Wanganui Steeplechase, being 22lbs ahead of Plain Bill, who has been • allotted the steadier of list 101 b, owing to the decisive way in which he has put down his fields in small stick events. That Plain Bill is a great horse is conceded on all handa, but he has not yet been seen over steeplechase country, and his ability to give animals like TalJy-ho, The Friar, or Dummy so much weight may be doubted. Of the three last named Dummy looks to have the best paper chance, but Bradshaw, who won this race last year rather unexpectedly, will have a great deal to say in the matter with only 9st 121 b. He has been been very leniently treated. Of the remainder, Toriki and Pokomoko commend themselves to the writer as likely animals, although for no particular reason.

Five of those in the big event at Wanganui are also engaged in the Suburban Steeplechase, Plain Bill doing duty as chopping block this time, with 12st 31b, And in the First Hurdles Flora McDonald's son is at the head of a fine field with 12st 91b, a weight he is fully up to over the small sticky, but several below him are entitled to favourable consideration on the score of weight. There is likely to be a weeding out because two or three of the entrants are under a cloud, and some of the others will not pay up. Dante, on the lOst 131 b mark, would appear to have a winning chance; and two others that take the eye are Vauish and Britannia.

The writer does not like the handicap for the Wanganui Flying Stakes. There would be little doubt what would win wore

is, (',(>•• hronk well. We did not seo him 0 >•'. r. ■:.■ (tin V V» tnw-tinff, on! if fit 81, 3.1 b would tiothtop him. I cannot for tlio hid of mo see whore it cornea iu that Rangipuhi should be placed on the same mark as Sedgebrook. He is badly treated. Bona Fide, Aquatic and Voltigeur should prove the best of the rest.

At the Perth Court lately the proprietors of a local paper summoned a sweep promoter named Simeon for JB4B for advertisements in connection with his sweeps. Defendant admitted the contraot, but pleaded that the publication was illegal, and that the contraot was void. The bench agreed with this view of the case, and found for the defendant, but without costs.

According to a London writer the turnover of some of the English leviathan fielders must be of colossal magnitude; consequently when things go their way they win immense sums. He is told on excellent authority that a leading North country bookmaker won no less than last 5 year at his starting price offices alone, and then, as everyone knows, he is one of the biggest and most fearless bettors in the ring at the same time. Mr E. De Mestre, the old time sport, who figured prominently on the turf long years

J agone, has decided to cnce again actively i participate in racing, and will put horses into training at Eandwick. " Umpire " remarks that it is a long way back to turn to earlier successes of the "all black," and among them were some of the principal races in Australasia. Mr De Mestre won the Melbourne Cup in 18G1 and 18S2 with Archer, again in 1867 with Tim "Whiffler, and was successful with Calamia in 1878. j Between those landmarks in Turf history I have to be sandwiched many notable wins; Eobin Hood and Navigator each won a V.E.C. Derby, whilst Vulcan, His Lordship and Grand Prix were successful in leading two-year-old events. At Eandwick, Tim I Whiffler and Horatio each won a MetroI politan ; and Tim Whiffler and Dagworth \ won five A.J.C. Plates between them. i Navigator was one o£ his later champions. That gallant little horse was very hard to beat while he remained sound and well. He won the two Derbies after a successful two-year-old career, and was one of the three-year-olds to afford convincing proof that the best of that age are generally nearly equal to winning the Australian Gup under such a weight as Bst 31b. Mr De Mestre has also had some success as a i breeder, and it would have been odd had I he not, seeing the class of horses that he had to work upon. It is about 15 years since Navigator won the Australian Cup, and 37 since Archer's Melbourne Cup, so that when Mr De Mestre gets going again he will have a long racing career to look back upon. Mr Oxenham, owner of Syerla, did not get any of the sweep money when that horse won the Doncaster Handicap.

A Sydney horse-owner, Mr J. Hart, got more than he bargained for the other day. He complained to the A.J.O. committee at the weight allotted Foliage in the A.J.C. Final Handicap, won by Yedette. The committee considered the haudicapper's explanation was perfectly satisfactory, and then called upon Hart to explain the running of his horse at the meeting by a certain day, his trainer, 30ckey and other witnesses to be summoned to give evidence.

I The champion trotter Fritz, brought over from Sydney to New Zealand recently, and who is now located at Christchurch, has been visited by a large number of people interested iu trotting since arrival, Iu discoursing anent the bolder of the 2min 14- 4-ssec mile record, " M Quad" says that Fritz is by Vancleve (by Harold —Vassar) out of Fraulein (Berlin —Woodburn Maid). Berlin, it will be remembered, was imported to Christchurch in 1882, Woodburn Maid being a part of the same shipment, the pair being brought here by the late Mr Robert Wilkin, who thus laid the foundation Btone, as it were, of Fritz's existence. Vancleve was also imported to the colony by the same gentleman, and subsequently leased to Mr Andrew Town, of Richmond, XN.S.W., eventually being purchased by Mr Buckland, who still owns him. Vancleve was foaled in 1881, and his owner tells me the horse is as fresh and lively as a two-year old. Mr Buckland considers Vancleve the best trotting sire in the colonies, and would not part with him on any account. Fritz is not what one would describe as a handsome horse, although he is the picture of the American trotter. He is built on powerful lines, and' is really much bigger where he should be than a casual glance would lead one to suppose. "What do you think of that forearm ?" said Mr Buckland. " Just put your hands round it, and you will obtain some idea of its development." Some of the party, a few of them amply blessed by nature, after a trial confessed they would need another fist to make ends meet. He would measure anywhere a good many draught horses. The champion has a fine honest head, set on to a good rein, a j splendid fore-end and powerful back, which; is slightly arched over the loins, but not enough to disfigure. His great depth; might give the impression that the record-! holder was just a little fiat ribbed, bufe this idea is dispelled when looking over him from behind. The horse from this: view cannot be improved upon, as he is well let down and developed, and showing great muscular power. He stands well' over a fine set of legs (he is over Bin below the knee), his near hind foot showing a] little white. Standing to attention, with long mane and tail sweeping to the ground, the horse is well worth looking at—an opinion amply shared by his owner, who, by the way, always drives him.

The defunct Dreadnought's three-quarter brother Triumph is said to be growing up and filling into a really grand horse at Raudwiclc! He coal', Mr W. R. Hall 350 gs as a yearling.

Chamant, full brother to Apremont, who has done so well at the stud in this colony, died recently in England. He was bred in France by M. Leferve at the Chamant Stud, and was raced in England by Count Lagrange, of Gladiateur fame. His principal wins as a two-year-old were the Middle Park Plate and the Dewhurst Plate. In the former race he met and defeated the Eussley crack Pelligrino, who did not face the Frenchman again that season. Chamant won the Two Thousand, but being lame had nothing to do with the finish of Silvio's Derby in 1877.' After that race Count Lhendorff purchased him for the Graditz stud, and his stock have won altogether .£150,000 in Germany alone.

Ormuz, lately purchased by Mr W. Forrest, of Western Australia, was secured with the object of winning the next W.A. Derby. A largo number of horses have been bought in Sydney and Melbourne recently for shipment to Westralia.

H. McNeill, the lad who met an untimely death at Ashburton, was in the employ of Mr E. Cutts, of Eiccarton. Navigator, deceased's mount, was doing a preliminary when the accident happened, A gate rear

the stand having been left open, the horse tried to run through, but ran into the fence instead and fell, rolling over young McNeill.

The Ground Committee of the Manawatu Eacing Club has been experimenting in the matter of drainage, pipes having been laid across the training track, some discharging flood water into the lagoon, others running direct to the drain from the lagoon to the river. This, it is expected, will take all the surface water off the training track in the winter time.

The Greymouth Jcckey Club's debentures were subscribed for three times over, application being received for .£5600 worth. Mr John Card, of Featherston, applied for .£SOO worth, but as he was outside the club his offer was declined with thanks. Great improvements are to be effected on the club's course forthwith.

Some of the small horses on tho other side put up great performances now and then. The galloway Metallic won a six furlong race at Flomington lately with Sst 121 b up in lmin 15sec.

The Wagga Cup, run on Sydneyside, rei suited in a win for the favourite, Eoseleaf, by Sunrise—Roseneatb, who carried the thumping weight of lOst 51b over a mile and three furlong 3. The field, however, was far from first-class.

Par penned by a Townsville writer: " I went up in the train with Billy Brett, a back country bookmaker, and he's the greatest character to bet. He'll bet on anything, and knows his business as a sound man must. In Hughenden when the flies were bad, a while ago, he'd bet how many flies would light on your nose in thirty seconds by a stop watch. Of two birds sitting on a fence, he'd bet which one would fly first. When the merry-go-round was in Hughenden, with the various coloured bays, gray, and black horses, he'd back any colour to stop opposite a certain post, and if you didn't like his colour, then you could have that and he'd take the others.

A writer in The Field upon the subject of the decline of English Steeplechasing, states that the fact is almost entirely due to the banishment of the hunter. . The " hunter " became too wide a term for his presence to be any longer possible at first class meetings; for any raking brute who had been taken to the meet and probably seen them find and get away was dubbed a " hunter," and raced as such to the detriment of the genuine article. The writer further says that until the N.H. Committee manage by some means or other to once -* more enlist the " hunter," and to protect him from his enemy, the pseudo hunter, there is small chance of the sport regaining its former popularity.

South African papers contain lengthy reference to Mr Woolf Joel, the well-known horse-owner, who was murdered a while back. Mr Joel was a lucky turfman and very wealthy. One writer says that he was described as one of the richest young men of the day, and there was probably some truth in this assumption; but at least he was one of the best dressed men in the city. His luck was proverbial, and he was very fortunate in his friendship amongst other things. This, he said, was due to his knowledge of cigars and human nature. He was a capital sportsman and did much better on the turf than Mr Barnatp., He owned some of the best racers in South Africa, and when there, was always prominent at Band sporting gatherings. He was a dark, quiet, unassuming fellow j but withal he was compassionate and charitable to a degree. He was very lavish in his alms. An instance of his phenomenal good fortune is cited by the Daily News. In the winter of 1895 he was staying with Mr Frank Gardner at Nice, and they arranged that they would walk from La Turbie to Nice for .£IOO a side, on condition that the winner should immediately proceed to the Casino and place the whole of the loser's money on the red for joint account. Messrs Gardner and Joel, accompanied by two friends as umpires, drove to La Turbie and started to walk down the hill. Mr Joel won the match by Beven minutes, and, in accordance with the conditions, went to the Casino, where he placed £IOO on the red. The first bet was successful, and Mr Joel, following up his hick, made coup after coup, rising from the table, after half an hour's play, the winner of 380,000 f., the largest sum won in one day this year. Mr Joel played no fewer than 12 consecutive coups on the red, and three maximums round the figure 9. Messrs Joel and Gardner left Monte Carlo the next day, and a dinner was afterwards given at a well-known London hotel celebrate the affair.

The imposts for the Otaki Cap ehowßubin at the head of affairs with 9st 121 b, or 61b ahead of Pistolgrip. The handioap appears to be a fairly uniform one, and should afford backers opportunity for a considerable amount of thinking. A oasual glance through the list leads me to seleot Nukurau, Uhlan, Wkario, Uuby Twist and Buah Rose. • • • • At Canterbury Park (Sydney) on April 30th tbe Stewards' Mile was annexed by Mr W. Kelso with the aid of old Beverley, tbe erat-Melbourne horse, by Newminster—Sunbeam, 'i he big event fell to The Swell, by Cheviot Courtesy, who beat the _ erst* Queensland©!- Brazen Lad at even weights, Zeno being third. The announcement that The Australian Peer was purchased recently for America turns out to be premature. Old Hogmanay was sold in Sydney tha other day for 22s 6d. Bonnie Carlisle's sda was foaled in 18S0, and though he began hia racing career in 1884, Won half a dozen raoeS in 1893 and ran twice in 1894.

Fm? mM Mfflffl ff«lto* n *V*rttf

to know that the last Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase was run in a blinding snowstorm. The snow fell so thickly that at times it was impossible to distinguish the runners even at a short distance. This condition of things, accompanied by a boisterous wind, continued pretty well throughout the day, and Btill the meeting well attended, and speculation on the chief event was very heavy. Of the 25 runners, Ford of Fyne, was favourite at 11 to 2, Cathal was next fancied at 7 to 1, and a point longer was taken about Prince Albert and Gauntlet, while the winner, Drogheda, went out at 100 to 4. Drogheda appears to have had the race won at almost any point of the last mile, and he beat Cathal easily by three lengths, Gauntlet, third, being four lengths further away, attended in order by Filbert, Dead Level and Ford of Fyne. The race was worth 2500 sova, and run over a distance at four mile 9 and 856 yards.

Vedette's mission in India is the Viceroy's Cup.

Newhaven's vanquisher in the City and Suburban (Bay Ronald) ran second in the same race last year.

Lieutenant, the once-brilliant Sydneysider, went the other day for 26gs.

Sequin, by Cuirassier—Radiant, has found anew owner in Mr R. Fay, the price paid being 250 guineas.

Dr Earle, of Wanganui; Mr G. Hunter, M.H.JB., of Hawke's Bay; and Mr R. H. Nolan, of Hawera, have been appointed judges to hear the appeal against the disqualification of Lobo by the Dunedin Jockey Club.

The Canterbury Trotting Club's meeting on the 19th instant should be productive of some good contests. In the Addington Handicap appears the name of Fritz, who is on scratch. The champion does not appear to have too much to do to beat his opponents, seeing that the distance is two miles. The handicap is:— Fritz, sor; Wildwood, ssec; Hattie S.,Bsec ; Monte Carlo, Violetta Jun, and Kentucky, 9sec; Mambrino Abdallah and Rita, lOsec.

In writing of Bill of Portland and his talented son Bobadil, Mr Allison remarks : " It remains for future years to show what the other St. Simon horses in Australia will do. Of these, however, I do not for an instant doubt that Haut Brion will make a big name, for the yearlihgs by him at Howbury are N so good, and I hear he has seven or eight foals (yearling according to our time) in Australia. Then there is Gigue, also by St. Simon, at Mr Hordern's stud, and in New Zealand there is Soult, a pretty smart horse in his day, but faulty of hock—and here is the point where breeders should take warning as to the combination of Galopin or St. Simon and Musket. Both of these breeds have a tendency to imperfect hocks, and in any inter-breeding especial care should be taken in selecting the individuals. I need hardly say to the initiated that because Sfc. Simon or St. Simon horses succeed on mares of Musket blood, it does not in the least follow that the reverse cross will be equally successful. Musket horses need an altogether different study."

Foliage, whose name has become notorious of late in Sydney, broke down in a selling race at Canterbury Park. He went out favourite, but stopped suddenly when looking dangerous in the straight, and hobbled past the post.

" Pavo," chief of Bell's Life,o£ London, during the period when that had almost a monopoly in racing news and information, will shortly publish his sporting "Reminiscences of the Past Sixty Years." This will be a history of the most stirring years of the English turf, beginning before the Running Rein fraud was exposed. " Pavo's" knowledge of the subject, as well as his literary ability and long experience and intimate acquaintance with some of the greatest turf characters of the "forties," "fifties" and early " sixties " are a guarantee that this will be the most interesting sporting volume of reminiscences published for many a day.

It -will be remembered that at the last Johnsonville Trotting Club's meeting, held Borne time ago, Mr J. Sharpe's Bob, who won a race there, was protested against by Mr E. Day, owner of Gazelle, who ran second, on the ground that the animal was not what he was represented to be in the nomination paper sent in by his owner. The stake was withheld, and the totalisator money impounded. Exhaustive inquiry was made by the secretary, Mr Bennett, and the stewards of the club, a number of meetings being held to investigate the matter, and inquiries made in ail parts of New Zealand. It was supposed that Bob was really Rasp, a trotter who had won a number of races in the South, and a communication was received by Mr Jamieson, of Dunedin, giving full particulars concerning Basp, whom he owned for two years. A number of people were taken out to Petone by Mr Bennett to see Bob, andHm Sunday Mr Jamieson went there, with the result that he said that the animal was not Kasp, who was a much bigger horse. The stewards will probably hold a mooting to consider the matter this week.

The monthly meeting of the stewards of the Wellington Eacing Club was held on Monday afternoon, Colonel Pearce presiding. The business was mostly of a formal nature. The treasurer was enabled to plaoe before the stewards a moat satisfactory statement of accounts in connection with the Autumn Meeting. All accounts to date were passed for payment, and a sum of .£4OO was ordered to be transferred from the current account to fixed deposit.