SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 7491, 1 June 1885, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

/From the New Zealand Mail , May 25J Queen's Birthday appears to have been a fine day all over the colony, and race meetings were conducted successfully at several places. The principal meet, however, was the Dunedin Birthday, which commenced on Saturday. The hero of these races, apparently, was Capta'n Webster, with whom Mr Stephenson won the Trademen’s Handicap and the Birthday Handicap, so that the son of St. Albans made.a rather nice thing of it for his owner. The Provincial Handicap fell to Tim Whiffler, whd at 7st 11b could hardly fail to win if he were in anything like form. Both hurdles events Were won by Tittle John, who seems, on this artd last year’s running, to be a very hard one indeed to beat on the Forbury ground. With the exception of Rocket's victory in the Maiden, there was nothing else worthy of mention. Up at Wanganui The Druid has-distin-guished himself by winning the Wanganui Steeplechase 1 and Billy-gp-by-’em paid his supporters a dividened of £l6 7a by winning the Grand Stand Steeplechase, Welcome Jack was never dangerous in the Adelaide Cup, and he finished about tenth, being ridden by Ivemy. The Australasian sitys of the Maori crack “ Strolling amongst the intending competitors wo first came across the New Zealand champion, Welcome Jack, a stylish, symmetricallymade son of Traducer. Waiting until he was stripped of his clothing, we saw evidence of plenty of work of a certain kind, but he lacked the thoroughly trained appearance of a horse that had been Wound up for a Cup contest. His ebat was blooming, and his quarters muscular, but there was just a trifle too much upon his ribs to please ils. Yet the party behind this Maori king’s throhe expressed themselves satisfied as to his condition, and showed their faith in him by supporting him to win about £IO,OOO ; and still we were sceptical r<specting his ability to get even a place, because we did not consider him as fit as he might be made. Sardius we found a vastly improved colt, and with due deference to those who were ' in ecstacies over the good-looking visitor from New Zealand, Sardius struck us as being even a grander horse.” The owner of Lord Wilton, winner of the Adelaide Cup, wou only about £3,000 over the victory. Says “AugUr’’ :—The announcement that Welcome Jack is to be sold by auction has created quite a flutter among racing men.” I clip the following paragraph from “ Phffiton’s notes s—“ Caspian,’’ the sporting contributor to the Sydney Town and Country Journal, republishes the remarks made in these columns on the blackmailing that took place at Christchurch on the Great Autumn Handicap, and also the remarks of “ Senex ” on the subject. It will be seen from the following remarks which he makes that the Sydney scribe is quite at one with the opinion formed by myself on this blackmailing question. He says i—“ Now I would like to be informed on what grounds aji owner Can make a claim upon the holder Of a horse in a sweep. Perhaps that man may have spent hundreds of pounds in sweep tickets, and he at last draws a horse, when the greedy owner tomes down on him and demands half. Why ? Will that owner repay that man half the amount of money that it has and will cost him since he first began with sweeps and until he draws another 1 The liberal horseowner would look upon that as a hardship, but it would only bo fair." It is satisfactory to find that there are some opponents of the sweep blackmailing system. I am indebted to “ Phselon ” for the following interesting items Carbineer, the three-year-old son of Musket and Una, has undergone firing on both fore legs, so that it will be sometime ere we again see hint sporting silk in public. After having undergone a very severe firing on both forelegs, old Lone Hand made his re-appearance in public at the meet of the Paknranga Hunt Club on Saturday last. The old grey was still on his bad behaviour, and stuck up at almost every fence during the run.—Clarence did not start in the Steeplechase run at the South Australian Jockey Club’s Meeting, and it is quietly whispered about that he is being kept tor the V;R:C. Grand National, to be decided at Flemington next month. The old ’chaser has gone into the Dowling Forest stable’ and Mr Norman Wilsrn is put down as his new owner. For my part, I decline to believe that Mr Pilbrow has parted with the old 'chaser, and I shall be quite prepared to hear of the son of Ravensworth again carrying the green and salmon jacket of the Canterbury sportsman at an early date.—lt may interest turfites to know that, as a yearling, the highest priced among Mr John Field's horses that have since become famous as racehorses was Blink Bonny,' who realised £BS. Ringu ood was sold for 35 guineas, and Malua for 40 guineas, Stookwell £sl, Sheet Anchor £4O, and Tasman £35. Blink Bonny will be remembered as the winner of the rich Caulfield Cup last year, Ringwood annexed both the Hobart and Australian Cups, while Malua won the Newarket Handicap, Adelaide Cup, and Melbourne Cup, in 1884. Maktini.