NOTES BY BEACON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6385, 31 July 1882, Page 4

NOTES BY BEACON.

Clarenco has been nominated for the Camp bolltown Steeplechase of 2500 soys, to be run in Tasmania on September 25th. An Auckland correspondent forwards us the following items of news :—" The Auckland Stud Company, or at lpast soino of the uliareholdersin it, have formed themselves intoa combination to train and raoetheyoungstockmstead, of holding an annual salo of yearlings. I hey have started with Katipo, Gumstick, bmder, and Florin, which have been given to a boy to train. Major George has two or three useful young ones out of tho mares he bought in Australia-Realization, Pearl Ash, and My Idea —but at presont his coachman is their only trainer. Mr John Smith has eDgagcd Rowlands as his trainer, and the latter has charge of Maid of Honour, Tim Whiffler, and a couple of two-year-olds ; but the latter 1 do not think much of. He lost his best youngster, a colt by Yatterdon-Lady Blair, from inflammation. Mr Walters' Slander filly, which I see has been backed for the Canterbury J.C. Handicap is very small and light all over ; she shows a good deal of quality, but there is not enough of her. The Yatten-don-Peeress colt will never stand training, both the suspensory ligament and back sinew of his near foreleg being gone. Piscatorious might stand work with a careful preparation, as he has fined down and is pretty clean. Billingsgate has a nasty knee, and has been severely blistered. I am afraid his day is past; but Libeller is sound enough. Ido not fancy any of Mr Walters' two-year-olds, none of them being bigger than rats. Larry is, I think, an overrated horse, and besides has a hip down, which he managed at the scratch meeting at Merslie in April. Grand Duchess is unsound all round, and goes to the stud. Returning, to the affairs of the Stud Company, I may say that they have lately suffered severaUosses m the* young stock; also Darnley,, an imported Clydesdale. I do not like Musket's young stock—with one or two exceptions, they want size and substance. Martini-Henry, which the Hon. J. White gave 1250 guineas for, will, I think, never make a racehorse; he is pigeon toed—still they run in all shapes, btirlmgworth, their now imported stallion, is a great lumbering horso that may get good hacks and harnoss-horses. Cap-a-pie has grown into a nice horse and if ho gets a chance, should get racehorses." „ , _, ~ Nominations for the Otago Hunt Clubs Steeplechases close on Tuesday next, August We were treated (says " Sir Launcelot") to a look at several two-year-olds in the saddling paddock on the occasion of the Hunt Glub s steeplechases. Vanguard was not out, but Cheviot was, accompanied by Grip, Iris, ana the two yearlings, Barnaby by Korari-Awa-tea, and Oudeis by Albany-No Name. Tho son of Idalia was in clothmg, but from what 1 saw of him, I should say he was particularly forward Messrs Mason and Vallance had lurquoiso down, but tho son of Tubal Cain was very much in the rough, and of the others parading the paddock I was most pleased with_ Mr U. Bates' filly Minerva, who is a full sister to Chancellor. Her contemporary and stable companion, The Jilt, who is a full sister to Fleur-do-Lys, is also very promising, and in these two young ladies the white jacket and blue cap will, if good looks goes for anything, have two very formidable representatives during the season now soon to commence. Nominations for the various events at the Ashburton Steeplechase meeting close on

August Ist. . , , ... The annual general meeting of the Ashburton Racing Club was to have been held on Friday evening, but only six members put in an appearance, and it was resolved to postpone the transaction of any business to a future date The chairman, Mr S. Saunders, stated that there were several matters of importance to be dealt with involving tho expenditure of a considerable sum of money, and it would be unwise to attempt to do anything while there were so few present. Mr R. Parsons' blk g Jack won a couple of trotting matches in the neighborhood of Ohristchurch last week, and was defeated in another. In connection with the Canterbury spring meeting owners are reminded that acceptances for the J. C. Handicap, of 500 soys, close on Tuesday next, August Ist, on which day also are due nomination for the Canterbury Cup (W"slr LaunceTot" writes that Mr Webb has had to destroy Tantrums, foaled in 18bU, got by Cossack (brother to Waimea) out of Termagant, by Emigrant-Twilight, by Gratis. Tantrums' best foal was Jangler, who ran such a desperate race with Trump Card for the Canterbury Champagne Stakes of 1877, and who is now at the stud in the Geraldme distrThe annual report of the Wavedey-Waito-tara Racing Club shows a profit of £113 for the past season. The spring races will be held on November 9th, and the autumn races on March It'would appear that the Wanganui Jockey Club will have to still further draw in their horns this season, the following being an extract from the Committee's annual report which was to be submitted at Wednesday s meeting of members of that club :—" The members will see on looking over the accounts that a loss of £150 18s 7d has been made during the past year This they attribute to the falling ott ot the attendance and subscriptions, owing possibly to the fact of the very many country meetings held in the district during the year. The subscriptions have been reduced from £444 15s in 1881, to £340 in 1882; the receipts for the sale of privileges have slightly increased. The Club have paid away in stakes £2772, as against £2774 last year, lhe amount spent on improvements is much less, being $70 9s Id, as against £357 14s lOd. This brings the account up to £610 11s, as against £370 3s 2d. This account is also increased by the heavy expenses attending each meeting, the printing and advertising alone costing £17114s 3d. The debit balance at the bank is now £700 13s 4d. If this is to be paid off during the current year, your Committee can see no other way except by reducing the value of the stakes. This course the Committee are loth to recommend the Club to adopt, but as the responsibility of the accounts rest on the shoulders of two or three members only, it appears unreasonable to ask them to continue till liability. Your Committee suggest that the incoming Committee should accept the responsibility. Since the formation of the Club in its present form they have spent on permament improvements £3487 15s Id, and have paid' away in stakes and charges during the same period £15,945 15s 7d, making a total expenditure of £19,433 10s lOd leaving only the present debt, including liabilities of future Derbys, £896 18s 4d." • Referring to the recent trotting meeting the Wanganui Herald says :-"Mr Chavanne, in bringing out Tommy, has shown us what can be done with a green horse m eight or ten weeks. It is only about that number of weeks since Mr John Shields, then the owner, offered the horse, a five-year-old, for a small sum to a dealer in horses, and the latter refused to give more than £10 for him. Mr Shields, who is a good judge of pace, then offered him to Mr Chavanno, and described the horse as one that would make a good hunter, and could trot a little. A bargain was struck, and Tommys new owner soon discovered that he could both trot and jump, and, carefully teaching the horse to improve his pace, he was rewarded by seeing him returned the winner of the principal oventat the late trotting meeting. Tommy is a well-bred racy-looking son of Lay Dawn, and looks more like a flat racer than a trotter, and his easy win in respectable time proves that his breeding and soundness alone stood him in good stead." "Cheval," tho new sporting writer to the Auckland Star, says :—" I trust that the Auckland Racing Club will do something towards reducing the difficulties and dangers of the steeplechase course before the commencement of the next season. The height of the jumps would not bo out of the way were the course more practicable. But this is not so; our course is perhaps the heaviest in the Australasian colonies, and the only method ot effecting a permanent improvement is an alteration in the jumps. An unenviable notoriety has attached itself to steeplechasing here accidents being so frequent that owners are loth to send good horses for the big cross country events, and when they do, instructions are given to the riders to run no risks. The natural consequences are that more 'rooks than racehorses aro entered, the starters are few, and the sport degenerates." Creswick has been scratched for the Melbourne Cup. Latest quotations are as follow :— V.R.C. DERBY. i to 1 agst Segenlioe 10 — 1 Navigator 10 — 1 Prometheus MELBOURNE CUP. 100 to 4 agsfc Gudarz 100 —i — — Hereford Bay 100 — 3 : The. Gem 100 — 3 Sweet Williatu, 100 — 3 Paul 100 — 3 Prometheus 100 — 3 Segenhoo. HAWKESBURY GRAND HANDICAP. 100 to 7 agst Kingsworth 100 — 0 Sardonyx 100 — 5 Harebell 100 — 5 Stincr OKKAT METROPOLITAN STAKES. 100 to 6 agst Creawick 100 — 8 Sardonyx . 100-6 Cunnamulla 100 — 0 Sling. A friend in Sydney writes to " Augur" that several of the touts are not in love with Segenlioe, though he is doing nice work , Prometheus was not started at the A.R.C. meetingbecausehohadslightlyinjuredoneofhis feet. Mr Rounsevell, it is said, intends to send the colt early to Flemington to prepare for tho VR C Derby, and he may not, therefore, start for the 5.A..1.C. Derby. The colt's owner was so impressed with tho manner m which he won tho Victoria Cup that he has determined to defer his visit to England until he sees Prometheus fulfil his V.R.C. spring engagements. It has been whispered abroad that there is a screw loose with Navigator. Some reports go so fuv as to say that he lias broken down, others that he is suffering from temporary lameness. As the colt has been rather weak in the market lately, perhaps it will be found that the old proverb relating to tho smoke and the tiro will once more receive an illustration. The law case Phillips v. Lang has been settled, Pell Mell having been handed over to the f ovmor,

Messrs William C. Yuille and Co. report having sold the impoited horse Vasco di Gama, by Beadsman from Salamanca, to Mr Allan M'Lean, Havelock, Hawko's Bay, New Zealand. Vasco di Gama is full brother to the English St. Leger winner, Pero Gomez, who has also been just as successful at the stud; Peregrine, who won thtj Two Thousand Guineas and ran second for the Derby, being a son of his. Vasco di Gama will have an oxcellent show in the Havelock Stud, as it comprises some of the best bred mares in New Zealand. "Augur" thinks that the winner of _ the Molbourno Cup will como from the following: —Commotion The Barber, Sweet William, Bosworth, Koh-i-noor, Santa Claus, Gudarz, The Gem, Paul, Lohengrin, Stockwell, Hereford Bay, Saionara, Bagot, Attach^, Cooreona, Prometheus, Colstoun, King of the Vale, Wizard (Paterson's), Hilltop, and The Queen ; An English bookmaker, Mr R. Sutton, is said to have monopolised all the betting in South Australia; his success being due to the liberal odds he lays.