RACING CHATTER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 43

RACING CHATTER.

BY "ADVANCE.”

The fact that Advance has not been entered for either the Great Easter or Autumn Handicaps to be decided at Riccarton and the cabled announcement that the son of Vanguard has been backed for £IO,OOO to win ±h.e Newmarket Handicap, points to his early departure for Australia. Although he has received top weight he cannot be regardett. as other than favourably handicapped with 9st lllbs. That impost has not yet been carried to the front, although Boz got into second place with 10st lib. In the Handicap at Auckland, run over the same distance as the Newmarket, Advance received lOst lllbs, just a stone less than he is asked to carry. The class of horses engaged at Ellerslie in the Ssi and upwards division is equally as good as the opposition Advance is asked to meet. If Advance starts the straight run at Fleniington should be all in favour of such a big striding horse. Followers of the Porirua horse would be wise to wait till the day and get starting price, and a run for their money, sooner than accept the short price now on offer. Advance has other engagements which it may be considered advisable to start in._ The first forfeits for the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup due on Monday next. (Advance and Boreas will be shipped to Sydney to-day.) A Napier sport is reported to have purchased Illumination after the Palii- «■ atua meeting for £l5O.

In connection with the Canterbury' Jockey Club entries. Dunda-s and Benzoin were omitted fro m the Great Easter Handicap, and Dun das from the Great Autumn. Mr Kent-Johnston, who acted as assistant secretary at several meetings of the Wairarapa Racing Club, has joined the well-known Wairarapa firm of Wood and Sons, and taken up his residence at Grey town North. It is hoped his fcervices will still be available at Tauherenikau.

An Auckland scribe mentions that a recent improvement noticeable at the EUerslie Racecourse is the erection of discs, of different colour to those on the course proper, marking the distances on the training tracks. The Wellington ~R.fiAr>g Club might well follow the lead of the northern club for the convenience of trainers and persons whose business it is to tout the training. Some of the local trainers have private marks on the rails at the Hutt and guess the rest, but the visiting trainers experience great, difficulty in timing their horses with any degreei of exactness. This was never more noticeable than at the recent Cup meeting when the number of horses on the track of a morning probably constituted a record. The Don, who claims an engagement in the Maiden Plate at Takapuna today, * is a six-year-oFd gelding by Vanguard—V oitarina, half brother to Gipsy Queen, Steel Shot, et«. At a meeting of the stewards of the Masterten Racing Club, held last, week, an application was received from Mr W. A. Donald' for the removal of his disqualification in connection with the Ethel case. On the motion of Mr C-. A. Pownall, seconded by.Mr Whatman, it was resolved that “if Mr Donald copies before the stewards and gives a. full and satisfactory statement of his connections with the Ethel affair, the stewards will favourably consider lus application.” At, the Lower ’Hutt on January 30th Mr J. R. Jillett, a local gentleman rider, who rode Natella in the Welter Hack Race at the recent meeting at the Hutt, was married to Miss D. M. Mcllvride. Ivan, who won a Maiden Hack Race at the Gisborne meetiiig on Boxing Day, is in the Ponv Handicap at Takapuna torday with 7st 71bs. Ivan is a three-year-old full brother to Tolstoi' (Stepnia.k —Fairy Maid), and is trained by J. Chaafe, senr. . Record Reign is m work at Eilersiie. The Ashburton ponies St. Loan-da- (St. George—Flatter) and Heliades (Phaeton —Jess) owned by Mr H. Friedlander, ar© engaged at the Takapuna meeting to-day. Mrs R. J. Platt returned to England by the Gothic to join her husband. The Napier sport who races a ■s Mr Bedfoid will probably take charge of Chorus Girl and Mitra. , . , , . rf Formula and Bluejacuet for the Cup, coupled with Straybird and Norwest for the Steeplechase, are the favourite picks fo-r the Takapuna double, to be decided this afternoon.

The following are the weights to be carried in the Champion Stakes, seven furlongs, at Riccarton : Fulmen lOst lib ; Blazer, 9st 81b; Glenogle, 9st olb; Maiatua, 9st lib; Dundas, Bst 121 b; Eortmosan Sst 51b; Somerled Bst olb; Cannie Chiel, Bst 51b ; Ladykiller, Bst 21b; Glenaladale, 7st lllb; Cavalry, 7s t H^b, Menschikoff, 7st 101 b; Field Battery, 7st lib ; Red Gauntlet-, 7st lib ; Cruciform 7st lib; Wmdwhistle, 6st 12ib; Royal Artillery, 6sfc 101 b; Goldenmere, 6,st 71b. > T A Sydney writer states that Mr Eden George, formerly of uhristchurch, is getting a useful team of racehorses together in Dobson’s stable. In Shadow Catcher fee has a colt that should win races m the autumn, and in Linlithgow be has one of the finest looking two-year-olds in Australia. This great fine ster is a dark bay, with hard black points, and is the best picture of^ Ins sire Swiveller the writer lias seen. His dam, Bright Heart, is by Precious Stone from Ace of Hearts, by Ace of Clubs (imp.) from Eloise, a member of the famous Melesina family. Other promising members of the team are Kenley and a chestnut Gozo filly, lately purchased at the Tucka Tucka sale.

The “Sydney Mail” turf statistician has compiled a list of winning stallions for the half season ended 31st January. Lochiel heads the list with 39 winners of 71 races, value £B2BO. Other sires who occupy prominent positions are Zalinski, £5110; Gozo, £4984; Bill of Portland, £4407; Malua, £1%70; Carbine, £3621; Metal, £3350; Clan Stuart, £3114; Gossoon, £3010; Light Artillery, £3OOI. A Sydney scribe states that a very strong team: of polo players has gone to New Zealand to represent Victoria in some proposed matches there. Messrs E. Manifold, A. It. D. Hoad, R. A. Affleck, and C. and G. Robertson are a collection of players who would be hard to beat anywheref, and they will be mounted in tip-top style. The oldest race run continuously on the American continent is the Queen’s Plate, at Toronto. It is a stake of 50 guineas, the gift of Her late Majesty the Queen, with 1000 dollars added by the club. The first horse to receive the guineas and stakes, and 700dol. adeed by the club. The .second horse wOOdol., and the third lOOdol. It is open only to three-year-olds and upwards, owned, foaled, raised, and trained in the provinces of Ontario, that have never won a race either on the flat or across country. have never left Canada, and have never been for a period of more than one month out of that province. One

mile and a quarter. These are the conditions of the greatest sporting event of the Canadian season, which had its origin in this way: —A petition to the late Queen from the Toronto Turf Club was sent- to the Colonial Office by Sir Edmund Head, the Governor-General, on Ist April, 1859; Col. R. L. Denison being the secretary, treasurer, and moving spirit of the club, as it then existed, with headquarters at Mr W. C. Keele’-s farm at Carlton. The petitioners asked for a Queen’s Plate of £so— on the 18th July of the same year a despatch was sent- from London granting the plate “to be run” for at Toronto, or such other “place in Upper Canada as Her Majesty might appoint.” For four years, 1860-1863, the race was lun at Carlton racecourse, near Toronto, Ontario, where under pressure from members of Parliament, Guelph, London, Hamilton, St. Catherines, Whitby, Kingston, Ottawa, Barrie, Woodstock, Prescott, and Pic ton, in turn beoame the scene of an annual struggle for Pier Majesty's guineas. Subsequently, in 1882, thanks to Lord Lome, it was decided that the race should revert to Toronto not again to leave it, and this condtion has been strictly adhered to. No better evidence exists of the popularity the Queen’s Plate -has for Canadian sportsmen than the fact that the choicest yearlings bred by them are held in reserve for this race, which takes place at the annual meeting of the Ontario Jockey Club in May. The meeting has won for itself the greatest prestige as a sporting event, and is not equalled as a social gathering by any meeting on the continent-.

At a general meeting of the members of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club on Friday last, the following new members were elected: —Dr Cleghorn, and Messrs H. A. Banner. T. Bennett, D. C. Campbell, C. Canning, G. Ebbett, J. Hart, M. Herrold, E. D. Plolt, A. Johnstone, D. T. Murfitt-, Mini Taretahi, P. Sainsbury, IP. G. Smitn, and E. White.

The annual gathering of the South Wairarapa Charitable Trotting Club will most probably be held at Greytown on May 24th next.

A total of fifty-five entries have been reoeived by the PI.B. Jockey Club for the Blastings Stakes of 1901, owners being represented as follows: G. G Stead and S. J. Gollan, 6 each; Plon J. D. Ormond and W. J. Douglas, 5 each; L. D. and N. A. Nathan, T- H. Lowry, J. Paul, G. Hunter, Captain Russell, 3 each; E. J. Evans, G. P. Donnelly, C. G. Dalgety, W. Rathbone, W. Robinson,, 2 each; D. Gordon, F. Bedford, T. R. Moore, Sir G. Clifford, H. Friedlander and P. D. O’Sullivan, 1 each.

For the Hastings Stakes of 1902 an entry of 10S has been received, the representation being as follows : T. Morrin, 28; L, D. and N. A. Nathan, 13; Hon J. D. Ormond, W. J. Douglas and J. F. Reid, 11 each; E. J. Evans, 7 ; Captain Russell, 4; G. P. Donnelly, G. Hunter, W. Robinson, 3 each; W. Rathbone, G. G. Stead, 2 each; T. H. Lowry, J. Paul, T. R. Moore, Sir G. Clifford, C. A. Loughnan, L. Cottle, T. Donovan, Taretahi, H. Dimmer, 1 each. The Shannon Racing Club hold their annual racemeeting on the. Thursday following Easter Monday, April 11th. £73 will be given in stakes for seven events, as follows: Sports Handicap of 7 sovs, five furlongs; Maiden Hurdle Handicap, of 7 sovs, one mile and a half; Shannon Handicap;, of 22lsavis, on]e mile and a quarter; District Handicap of 10 sovs, one mile. There) will be no totalisator, six furlongs; Hurry Scurry, of 10 sovs, once round ; Easter Handicap, of 10 sovs, onemile. There will be no totalisator, but bookmakers will be licensed at a fee of £2 2s. Mr B. Coyle is kandieapper, and Mr M. Moynihan, secretary. It was rumoured in Melbourne sporting circles last week that Sir Rupert Clarke, being dissatisfied with the weights allotted to some of his horses by the V.R.O. handioapper, intended to petition owners not to start their horses at Flemington. It would be safe to bet, however, that Sir Rupert Clarke knew nothing of the silly idea attributed to him.

Within the next few weeks the celebrated St. Albans Estate in Victoria will cease to be a training centre, and at the conclusion of the V.R.C. Autumn meeting Trainer C. L. Macdonald will require to find other quarters—Caulfield probably—for the preparation of his team. For many years past St. Albans was continuously a place at which racehorses were trained, for Mr Jamas Wilson, sen., was long in possession, and Mr John Crozier carried it on in the same way during his occupation of the place. And, as most people know, the late Mr W. R. Wilson maintained a big string of horses and an extensive breeding . stud there right up to the time of death, but the present owner of 'St. Albans is not a racing mail nor a breeder, so that the famous place is to be put to another use.

The racehorses Advance and Boreas were shipped in the Moana for Sydney on Saturday. They will be railed to Melbourne. Both-are in great fettle, and it is confidently expected that on recent performances the pair will give a particularly good account of themselves. Advance’s first engagement will be at the V.R.C. Autumn Meeting at Fiemington, and lie will also take part in other leading handicap and weigkt-for age races. Mr Prosser accompanies the! horses on their campaign, and they will be ridden by C. Jenkins in their engagements.