TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIX, Issue 3008, 21 December 1896, Page 4

TURF TOPICS.

By “ Silverspur,” in N.Z. Hail. The Wellington Stakes event, to be run at the next meeting of the Wellington Racing Club, pi onuses to bo interesting. Tho race is for two and three-year-olds, aud there arc 30 entered. Thoso that have already attained the standard weight are St. Paul and Uniform. Both have won .£SOO each, while Dauntless and Dare Devil have each won .£2OO. Tho Auckland races have still to take place, and if any penalties are incurred they willboaddod subsequently. The weights go from 9st slb to Ost 7lb. St. Paul and Uniform are at the head of the list with 9st 51b. Blazer, the Dunedm horse, is very well in with 7st 21b, and Choroid is a very fast animal. Ocean, who is in at Ost 101 b, is a half-brother to Newhaven. lie is by Eridispord—Oceana. Following are the entrants and weights:— WELLINGTON STAKES.

From Messrs Baillie Bros., Cuba street, I have received a radiated pedigree plan of Newhaven, by Newrainster—Oceana. The chestnut was originally purchased for 120 guineas, and was sold for 2000 guineas later. The amount be has won in stakes totals .£7991. Newhaven is certainly the horse of the century, and deserves all credit he is awarded. His performances are as followsY.A.T.C. (Oct.) Nursery Handicap (Coil and Kobold second and third) j V.K.C. Maribrynong Plate (second and third had a nice chance); Normanby Stakes (Jan.) second to Kobold, Bright Eyes third; Geelong Sires Produce Stakes, Newhaven, Kobold, Bonvardia; V.A.T.C. Oakley Plate, Coil, Maluma, Newhaven; y.E.C. Ascot Vale Stakes, Newhaven, Kobold aiid Tiro fought the battle out. In the All Aged Stakes it was Hova, Newhaven, Tiro; and at Band wick the placed horses wore Coil, Gozoozar, Newhaven. That was in the April Champagne. At the same meeting the running was reversed, andj Cydnus and Gozoozar were placed in Imin 16seo. Then Newhaven won the Balaclava Stakes, the A.J.C. Spring Stakes, the Craven Plate, the V.R.G, Derby, Melbourne Cup and Spring .Stakes. He was beaten in the Caulfield Guineas, The Officer being first and Coil third. The following letter has been sent for publication:— Sir, —If half what I hear of certain stewards is true, it is high time the attention of the Colonial Secretary was dmwn to their actions. It is common report that certain officiate of a club whoso name I forward are in the ownership of racehorses in conjunction with other officiate, and they invested heavily on their horses. When they failed to win, the utmost pressure was brought to bear upon the other stewards to have the winning horse disqualified, with the view of paying out on the horse that the officials backed. Humour goes on to say that it was only by a bare majority that justice was done to the owner in one case and backers of the winning horse. A groat turf scandal was averted. Tho above is common talk, and, if incorrect, it should be contradicted upon the authority of the club’s officiate.—l am, iVc., Sportsman.

" The above refers to a country club -which held a meeting the other day. They say that things were very hot up the line the other day. If it is true, as asserted, that the stewards toolc A heavy part in the affair, and were parties to swindling, inquiry ought to be made by the Metropolitan Club. The yarns that •were current in town over the racing at that meeting were very uncomplimentary to certain people, and it is to bo hoped that, for the sake of the sport, they will not be heard again.

In regard to the attempt of the Wellington Racing Club to shut out the public —or the metallioians—from the outside, we notice the following in the Canterbury Times “ Those of the public who patronise the people’s portion of the Hutt Park racecourse wore somewhat dismayed and annoyed at the action of the officials at the club’s spring meeting in putting on a number of constables to prevent the outside racegoers from looking over the fence into the saddling paddock whilst the horses were being saddled. The climax was reached whan the secretary in person made his appearance and stretched a rope across the course, and instructed the mounted police to allow no one in front of the grand stand or saddling paddock. Loud and deep wore the murmurs of those thus prevented from enjoying themselves. Neither could they see into the lawn from the outside on account of a seven-foot iron fence having been erected since last meeting. This somewhat arbitrary action on the part of the club is stated to have been taken with a view of preventing backers on the lawn betting with the bookmakers who were outside the enclosure, [Surely some bettor plan could be adopted to prevent illicit betting than to inconvenience and interfere with the outside public by depriving them of a privilege they have enjoyed ever since racing was*hold on the Hutt Park course. Many of the public were hoard to declare that they would in future withdraw their patronage from the Pacing Club entirely.” Trainer W. 3. Miller, of Eandwiok, intends giving West Australia a trial. He has had a number of good horses through his hands at different times, including Osoulator. Common, Tridentate, Checkmate and Sabretache. A five-year-old sister to the Newmarket Handicap winners, Churchill and Wild Rose, by Newminster from Primrose, has recently been broken in at Newminster Pai-k. In the Deloraine Steeplechase, Launceston, twelve horses started, six fell, and threej jockeys had their collar-bones broken. The race was won by Gabby, ridden by MoCoombe, by a nose from Montrose.

Two superfluous teeth have been removed from Newhaven’s jaw. The colt had not lost his milk or baby teeth, several of which were extracted during his visit to the A.J.G. Spring Meeting, and tho growth os the permanent teeth was being interfered with by two of the upper • molars, whose sharp edges were cutting Newhaven’s cheek. The teeth wore drawn quickly and apparently without pain, and are to be .mounted as mementoes of what is styled “'the colt of the century.” At Kensington (Sydney), Antic, his rider and trainer were passed out for six months in connection with the animal's running in the hurdles. In the Convention Handicap, Martini, his owner and rider, and Lady Lock, her owner and rider, wore given a similar period. Storm was likewise hauled up also, but his connections got off free. Coolgardie, a colt by St. Serf from Trentonia, a Trenton mare, sent to England from St. Albans a few years ago, ran unplaced in the Maiden Plate at Newmarket on October 28. Coolgardie, who is owned by Mr William Cooper (part owner of Newhaven), is engaged in next year’s English Derby. That racehorses of the present breed do not last long upon the turf is a fact of which w.e have frequent reminders. The Champion Stakes sit Newmarket for 1898 has just closed with fifty entries, and not a single four-year-old has been engaged ; while there are actually only four three-year-olds—Mr Brassey’s Macbriar and Bay Ronald, Lord Stanley’s Melange, and Mr Lorillard’s American colt Diakka. There are few two-year-olds, and all the others are yearlings. The entry of two-year-olds is a good one, including Lord Rosebery's Velasquez, Mr Gubbins* Galtee More, Lord Derby’s Crestfallen, Mr L. de Rothschild’s Brigg, Duke of Devonshire's Minstrel, and Mr Lorillard’s Sandia. The wife of a well-known trainer succeeds about three times a year in persuading him to accompany her to church. On the last of these occasions (says the Melbourne Leader) the parson based his discourse on the words “ The last shall be first and the first shall be last,” and on reaching home the trainer’s wife said, “ Now, George, I’ll bet you a shilling you can't toll mo what the text was.” “ I’m jiggered if I can recollect the words,” said George, “but I know it was something about reversal of form j running last one day and scooping the next. -I know he trotted opt something about the wagers of sin and bets, but I didn’t exactly catch what he said."

St. Paul (121b penalty) .. st lb 9 5 Uniform (121b penalty) .. 9 5 Dauntless 9 0 Dare Devil ... S 9 Marquis of Zetland S 7 Belle Clair 8 •1 Bavaria S 4 Bijou 8 4 Derringshot 8 0 Multiform 7 12 Forest Eose 7 11 Osmanio 7 11 Mist 7 11 Te Kapa 7 11 Blazer , 7 2 Choroid . 7 0 Daunt . 7 0 Girofla . 0 11 Ocean . 0 10 St. Crispin . 0 10 Valiant . 0 10 Eabone . G 10 Murmur . G 7 Alionora . 6 7 Beauty Sleep ... . 6 7 Pull Moon . 6 7 Gold Leaf ... . 6 7 Britannia . 6 7 Dottrell . 0 7 Chainshot—Psycho filly . . G 7