SPORTING NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVI, Issue 2368, 26 November 1894, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

By “ Gipsy King” in N.Z. Mail.

Some stewards are not readily convinced about “jostling” in a race. At the Auckland Spring Meeting, when Ben Godfrey, Forme and First Nelson were running off their dead heat in the City Handicap, Ben Godfrey was bumped on to the rails, and ■with such force that one of the rails was knocked out of its place. A protest was lodged against the winner (First Nelson), but” it was dismissed. I suppose the stewards did not consider it a fair jostle, seeing that the jockey’s and the horse’s necks were not broken. The idea that the progeny of St. Legor, with the exception of St. Hippo, were nonstayers is now exploded. Prestige, Ben Godfrey, Impulse and St. Hilda have proved that they can get a journey. A local billiard-marker was fortunate enough to have a ticket on Lovoshot in the Juvenile Stakes at the Canterbury Spring Meeting, and although his pound was invested on the X6l 16s dividend, it was a satisfactory amount to receive after asking for a ticket on Bloodshot, and getting one in mistake on Loveshot.

A London cablegram of IGth inst. announces the death of the Dowager Duchess of Montrose, who raced horses on the English turf under the name of “ Mr Manton.” Bowshot (Maxim —Rainbow) was bought by the Hawera gentleman who owns Eewa and Ilex, and who races under the name of Mr “ Orchard.” Bowshot won’t win much on the "Wanganui coast. There is a bay colt by Cuirassier, from Aida, the dam of the Cup winner, Impulse, at AVellington Park Stud, Auckland. The Dunedin Jockey Club, says a Press Association wire, are going to use the starting machine at its Spring Meeting. Wonders will never cease!

“Jim” Hickey, the ox-Napier crosscountry jockey, had two ribs broken when Pumau fell in the Hurdle Race at Mentone. When Pumau was taken over to Australia with Mr Gollan’s team, I remarked, “ What is Pumau going to do over there, anyhow? ” But I did not expect the horse to meet with so untimely an end. Mr “Jos.” Prosser, of Porirua, recently sold an up-standing Somnus gelding, out of Pumau’s dam, for a few pounds, having found that he had hardly sufficient pace to drag a cart about. Very few sires seem to nick with Sntor mares, and they are generally voted worthless for breeding racehorses. The Field says that for a stable floor nothing can equal a cement foundation, over which is laid slabs of iudiarubber. To prevent any secretions settling in the joinings, they should bo filled up with liquid rubber. The surface will then bo quite smooth, soft, non-absorbent, nonslippery, and perfectly noiseless. Such a floor is easily cleaned by the use of the water hose, and can bo dried with equal rapidity. The slabs have only one fault—viz., that of expense. At the Woodville Show, Forerunner was placed first, Puritan second, and Wanderer third, in the thoroughbred class. Bailey’s Magazine of Sports and Pastimes for September and October is to hand, and, as usual, contain interesting items for all sportsmen. The September number has a lengthy and sensible article on “ The Totalizator in New Zealand,” by W. Cunningham Maogregor. As the name of the Igomar-Steppe horse is sometimes spelt “ Mahaki,” and. then “ Mahoki,” I asked Mr K. Pere how the name should bo spelt, and ho informed mo "Mahaki ” was the coi’rect way. The horse was named after an ancestor, and the name means “ calm and gentle.” The news has been received in Sydney of the death of Mr Bruce Lowe, who wont toAmerica with Stromboli. and Clieveden about eighteen months ago, and went from there to England. Mr Lowe was an enthusiastic brooding student, and his letters to The Australasian, advocating his red and blue theory, are familiar to all breeders. Mr Lowe was a man who made friends and kept them. The news of his death will be received with regret by his numerous friends in Now South Wales and Victoria. It was Mr Lowe who said that Carbine’s pedigree was that of a non-stayer. Mention of Carbine’s name reminds mo that, at the time of his Melbourne Cup win, particular prominence was given to the fact that he had the valuable strain of Kuowsley (by Stookwell) blood running through his pedigree. There is another horse in New Zealand —located somewhere in Otago, I think —who is similarly bred, on the dam’s side, to Carbine, and that is Digby Grand, by Traducer—Aglaia, by Knowsley. I can remember this horse being draggedround the Ashburton and Methven districts, in Canterbury, serving mares for about £2. Mersey, the dam of Carbine, was got by Knowsley. It was a toss-up, at the difference in price asked for the two horses, whether Mr Martin Baird brought Digby Grand instead of Gipsy King to Hawera. Up to the present, no mistake has been made in purchasing the latter for the Hawera district, but Digby Grand may have turned out all right with similar opportunities. Next racing season will prove Gipsy King to be the Natator of the Wanganui coast. It is any odds, I think, that one of his progeny will win the First Egmont Sires’ Hack Produce Stakes, which will be decided at the Hawera races in February next, although a Manaia owner offered some time ago to take 100 to 10 that one of Strenuous’ progeny would land the stake. Acceptances for the Taranaki Hack Derby, run for on Boxing Day. close on December Ist. I will thus early tip The Friar as the winner.

Already I hear of one of the Wanganui jockeys being retained to ride a son of Gipsy King,in the Bgmont Sires’ Produce Stakes.

, The Ashurst-Poliangina Racing Club and the Rangitikei Hunt Club Steeplechase Meetings are, I hear, to be “disbanded" in August next. The Sandon Club had a near shave, but this would hardly have been fair seeing that one day has been taken away from the neighbouring club—the Rangitikei Racing Club. The Aslrarst Club will now, no doubt, form itself into a Trotting Club, and if it does, it will bo one of the best appointed trotting clubs in the North Island.

In addition to Bowshot, already mentioned, Mr Orchard, of Hawera, also purchased the two-year-old filly by Maxim, dam Bundoora mare.

Turning over some old papers the other day, I came across the pedigree of Voltigeur, Messrs Hume Bros.’ well-known stallion. The similarity of Voltigeur’s pedigree and that of the famous English sire St. Simon may not have struck many but in blood lines they are very much related. I mention this more as a coincidence than anything else, and, personally, lam not an admirer of tho King Coles. St. Simon’s pedigree, briefly stated, is as follows on tho male side : He is by Galopin, who is by Vedette, by Toltigeur—Mrs Ridgway, out of Plying Duchess, who is by Plyino- Dutchman —Merope. St. Simon’s dam (St. Angelo) is by King Tom, who is by Harkaway—Pocahontas (dam of Stockwell) out of Adeline, who is by lon—Little Fairy. Voltigeur’s sire (King Cole) is by King Tom —Qui Vive, Voltigeur—Vedette’s dam, Birdeatcher—Van Darrell. King Tom was by Harkaway Pocahontas (dam of Stockwell). Fenella, the dam of Voltigeur, is by Fisherman —Rose do Florence, by Plying Dutchman— Boarding-school Miss, by Plenipotentiary—Marpessa, grand-dam of Stockwell. The many friends of W. Edwards, private trainer to Captain Bussell, will bo pleased to hear that he was fortunate enough to back Impulse for the New Zealand Cup, having accepted .£IOO to £5 about the St. Le"-er gelding, whom he backed on the strength of his running at the Wanganui Cup, when St. Katherine just defeated him. More power to you, William ! Cmeo, winner of the two Pony Galloping Races at tho Wanganui Trotting Club’s meeting, is by St. Leger, and, if I mistake not, is out of a half-sister to Olga, formerly a successful hack hurdle mare. If this surmise is correct Oraeo comes from the old Loch Lomond family. The local bookmakers have opened books on the Wellington Cup, which will be the means of infusing additional interest in the big mile-and-a-half handicap, to be decided at the Hutt.in January next. At the Doncaster. (England) yearling sales last month a colt by Ayrshire from Cartridge was sold for 350 guineas. Cartridge was bred in New Zealand, and is by Musket from Rosalia, by Patriarch from Plying Doe, by The Premier from Wilhelraina, by Romeo from Miss Rose, by Rous Emigrant. Some of the names in this pedigree will recall recollections of good performances. Plying Doe was a great mare on the turf in the old days, and was half-sister to Plying Buck and Jeanette, the latter being the dam of Barwon and Banker, the Melbourne Cup winner. Flying Doe was the dam of D.0.D., who paid the £839 totalisator dividend when he won the first Goodwood Handicap in Adelaide. I think Cartridge was bought for £250 guineas in Now Zealand.—Austrolasianz

The above particulars should be interesting to the Wairarapa breeders who have been sending mares to Derringer, who is full-brother to Cartridge, the first mare to be imported from Australia to England. Seddon, who competed in the Hurdle Eace at Marton, was in the forfeit list for a small amount (17s 6d), due by a former owner, at the time the race was run, so had he won there would again have been trouble for poor punters. The poor account of the New Zealand Cup sent through by the Press Association, and also the report in the southern sporting papers on the big handicap, has been generally commented npon by racing men, especially those who had not the opportunity of attending the meeting. Returned visitors, men who have seen a lot of racing in England, Australia, and New Zealand, assure me that this year’s New Zealand Cup is the finest long-distance race they have witnessed for years.: Yet, according to the newspaper' reports, one is led to the conclusion there were only three horses

in tho raoo during tho first sis r^o “S°' and throe in it at the finish. I notice that Christchurch Truth is about the _ only southern paper that extends any praise to the handioappor (Mr Henry) for bringing the Cup horses so well together, and for so carefully concealing the winners in tho other events throughout the meeting. A few equine “ strangers ” took part at the Eltham Hack Meeting. Clayton is a bay gelding by The Dauphin; Cloudshot, Foulshot —Kelpie; Crimson Streak, Nordenfeldt —Resina ; Pairahot 11., Foulshot —Adrift; Fair Rose,Diomedes—diamines; Glorio do Dijon, bay filly by Perkin Warbeck—Marchioness Noil; Kaitoa, by Australian ; Kangaroo, by Australian ; Kumi Kumi, by Australian; Loander, by Natator; Miss May, late Darkey (?), by Natator; Prophet, Grip—Lalla Eookh ; Rosemary, by Huntsman; Tell. Tale, by Tim Whifßer — Papapa mare; The Unknown, by Tim Whiffler—Governor mare ; Conscript, by Volunteer. “ Terlinga,” of tho Australasia);, says : “ Abercorn was the best horse Chester over sired, and it looks as though this grand chestnut is going to take his father’s place as the chief male representative of tho Yattendon line.” This opinion should carry weight with those who have stock by Ascot, and who intend patronising him in the Wairarapa district. Aborcoru’s pedigree runs : By Chester, by Yattendon, son of Sir Hercules—Cinnamon, by Goldsborough, by Fireworks, by Kelpie—Brown Duchess. Ascot’s family lines touch closely on those of Abercorn, as the sire of Norton is by Kelpie—The Thorn, by The Baib, son of Sir Hercules—Brown Duchess. The Corrigan fund amounts to JE2ICO. It is to be invested for the benefit of the widow and family. How about securities and shaky hanks over there ? I daresay there was not one owner at the Canterbury Spring Meeting who would have taken advantage of the first eight words in Rule (H, where the starting machines were used, as they were so satisfied with the usefulness of the “ Barrier.” Tho days of the flag are certainly numbered, as everyone I have asked for an opinion about the starting machines express themselves as delighted, and that in the near future owners wilt want to be satisfied if the starting .machines are used on the different race tracks before nominating, and tho clubs that provide tho machines will, of course, bo more largely patronised. I notice at the up-coast hack meetings on Prince of Wales* Birthday that two or three horses were dragged out and started in three events during the afternoon. This is the easiest way I know of for knocking a horse out or breaking him down. A horse must have very inferior company to meet if he can score tho third time of “ Billy ” Hatfield, who now’ has charge of Mr Mcßae’s horses at Manaia, has started off by scoring a w’in for his new employer. One of the stable representatives, Conscript, a son of the defunct Volunteer, lauded the Farmers* Plate at Eltham, while Booties ran second to Roscius in the Curragh Steeplechase at Riocarton. Conscript is now nominated for the Hack Hurdle events at Feilding, and with his trainer handling the ribbons ho should give a good account of himself. Tho others in the stable are lolantho, a two-year-old filly by Quilt —Wood Nymph, therefore haif-sister to Orion, winner of tho Plying Handicap at tho Rangitikei Spring Meeting. Another of tho string is the three-year-old colt by Strenuous—Whalebone's dam. He is a boomer, and I don’t expect will be raced before the Egmont Sires Hack Produce States, in February next. I ran tho tape over tho steeplechaser Roscius tho other day, and the following • are correct measurements of the big fellow:—Height, 18 hands; cannon bone, 9) inches; forearm, 23 inches ; top of wither to point of shoulder, 28 i inches; girth, G feet 5.) inches, flat of hoof across widest part, G) inches. I |The following “ strangers ” wore nominated for the Marten Hack Meeting;—Aim (Torpedo—Clymonos), Laugar (St. Clair— Southern Chief mare), Maggie (by Cap-a-pie), Provoke (P.uriri—Revoke), Mountain Rose (Ascot— Mountain Maid). ;. When a well-known trainer, who is said to be a canny Scot, played tho little game, of “ bluff ” at Kiccarton, and offered to take any reasonable wager that Three Star would win the New Zealand Cup, wishing all the time that Ins remarks would bo noted, and the wager not booked, he tumbled against someone more astute than himself. One.of the brothers of a well-known local firm of metallicians, who was within earshot promptly offered the northern man, £2lO to £l2O that Three Star would not even be placed in the New Zealand Cup. The wager was tardily accepted, and as a sequel to tho bluffing of the wily Soot, who had been nicely trapped at his own game, he offered £25 the next day to cry off the wager. This was refused, and since the race £7O has been offered as a compromise and in full payment of tho wager, but the amount has been indignantly refused!