THE TURF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13268, 27 April 1905, Page 4

THE TURF.

. By Skntikei.

RAOING-CALENDAR." ' ■ ■■ 1905. ■:..'■■ April 27 una 2S-Wca'tland R.C.- Autumn. Apiil 29—Australian'-'.Jockey. Club's Autumn (Doncaster Handicap and Sydney Cup). May 3 find I— Marlborough R.C. Autumn. May 3 and I—Hawke's Bay J.C. Autumn, Hay 6—Christchurch' B.C. Autumn. ' May 10—Tahuna Park meeting.. May 10 and 11—Egmont-R.b. Winter.-' May 11 and : 12-Ashbiitton"County E.C. .Autumn. .' : - ' - May 20 and 21—Takapuna,' j.C. Winter. May 21 and 25—Wangauui J.C. Winter. May 24 and 25—North Otajo J.C.-Winter. Juno 2 and 3—Dunedin J.C. Winter. June 3 and s—Otaki Maori R.C. Winter. June 3, 7,' and 10-Aucklaud R.C. Great-Nor-thern Steeplechase. ' ■ June 21 and 22—Hawke's Bay J.C. Winter. Juno 28 and 29—Napier Park R.C. Winter. July 6 and 7-Gisborne R.C. Winter. July 11 and li-Wcl!irigton R.C. Winter.NOMINATIONS. ' '' May 4-N.O.J.C. Winter.May 12—Dunedin J.C. Winter. , HANDICAPS. April 29—Ashburton meeting. May I—Tahuna Park ineetiiig. May J5-N.O.J.C. Winter. May 20-Dimedin J.C. Winter. ACCEPTANCES. April 28—Hawke's Bay J.C. Autumn. May s—Ashburton meeting. May 6—Tahuna Park meeting. . May 18-N.O.J.C. Winter. May 29-Dunedin J.C. Winter. — Gold Medallist has won anoiher King's Premium. --Nominations tor the Forbury Park Racine Club s winter meeting close on Friday, May — The salary of tho Johannesburg Turf Club's haudicappev last year was £973. Tho starter received A'2oo. —Mr S. Miller has sold the V.E.C. Grand National Hurdle Race winner Sarasati for 150 as to Mr C. N. Meyers. — The "triple crown" hero Common, for whom tho late Sir J. B. Maple gave 15,000«s, is how serving mares at 19gs each. " -Out of the JE2OOO it netted aa profit over the summer meeting the Kalgoprlic Racin" Club has donated £150 to the Kalgoorlie Bene" volcnt Society. — Querist: The Fleinington course is somewhat short of a mile and a-half in circumference; The exact circumference is l\ miles I(i chains 5 links.

■the \ .R.C. Committee has not dropped the quesUon of tho appointment of stipendiary Stewards, and the mattor will probably be considered next month.

— The Stepniak colt King Log lias recently been displaying winning form in South' Africa. What has becomo of tile Hotchkiss horse Evelyn Wood, who accompanied the first-named to tho hind of diamonds?

-K. Lewis, who had one of his legs broken while piloting Emir in the V.R.C. Champion Stakes, is progressing favourably in Sir Thomas Fitzgerald's private hospital, but it j* l ill three or four weeks yet before he can be well enough to leave. , —At the West Maitland -show a horse named All Fours cleared 0.11, which equals the record put up in 190,1 by Moral, Stratlillioro, and Nowhavon. Ther'o is expected to be some great 'lopping" at the forthcoming Sydney show, where it is expected all tho country cracks will be competing. — The quest-ion o! "betting shops" and their effect on the attendances at raco meetings was before the V.R.C: Committee at their last meeting. It is understood that the committee have decided that the application tor registration of a bookmaker 'who is connected directly or indirectly with a "betting shop" -will not bo favourably entertained at tho annual licensing meeting in July, — Ribbonwood and Mambrino Abdallah recently mot at Bathurst show, New South n ales, in a contest for speed, style, and action. Ihe distance was half a mile, which Mambrino Abdallah trotted alone in Imin 15soc, and Ribbonwood in lmin 18sec, but in the final run tho former misbehaved herself at tho start to such an extent, that tho judges had no other option but to award tho prize to Ribbonwood. -His Royal Ilighnoss the Prince of Wales will be in India during tho racing season r.ext December, and in addition to the Viceroy's Cun an important ovent, to be known 'as tho Princo of Wales Stakes, will be run. Tho Princo intends to present a gold cup, and tho racing club authorities will add lOOOsovs. Tho raco will bo a handicap, and the distance probably a mile and a-half.

— From January 1 to March d of this year some of the English crops-country horsemen put up splendid averages. h\ Mason had ridden in 89 jumping races in England, winning 23. _F. Hartigan had a better average, witli 17 wins out of 55 mounts, and P. Woodland beat both tho above-named with 12 out of 35. A. Birch had scored nine times out of 21 mounts, and an amateur, Mr S. J. Bell, had the good record of seven wins for 14 rides.

— Belle ,et Ronne, the dam of M, Abeille's celebrated mare La Camargo (considered ono of the best marcs that has ever carried silk), died recently in France, after giving birth to an own brother to that famous French dual winner of the Prix dn Conscil Municipal. Except La Camargo, Belle ct Bonne never threw anything of much value, and the young foal—Blondy, by Childwicfc—may perhaps show that Sir J. Bluntlcll Jfunle's stallion was responsible for the merit of La Camargo.

— A committee meeting of the Ashburton County Racing Club was held on Saturday last. Mr J. M'Leod wrote accepting the position as honorary veterinary Burgeon. It was decided to grantthenseoflhetotalisatortothe Ashburtoft Trotting Club for its' autumn meeting. , It was decided to forward suggested amendment to the Rules of Racing to the secretary of tho New Zealand Rar;iiig Conference, and spocin.l stewards were appointed to watch tho racing at the club's antumn meeting. — The first thoroughbred mare of whom there is an accurate record imported into New South Wales from England was Manto, who arrived in Sydney early in 1R25. She was imuorted -by Mr T. Iccly. Prior to that date, howover, the English Government sent out several mares, some of whom, it is held, were thoroughbred, but 110 pedigrees came with llieni. There is a legend that the mares came in ono ship, and their pedigrees were sent in another, which was wrecked. Manto is the ancestress of a'largo number of famous Australian horses, chief among whom is Trenton. — Last year over ]30fl races were run in tho metropolitan area of Sydney alone, and the average is holding good for this year. This a population of COO,OOO aro called upon to support. So much racing (says an exchange) is nut of all proportion to the population, and, certainly, too much for half a. million people to legitimately maintain. England, the home of home-racing, with its 40 millions of people and untold riches, gets along satisfactorily enougii with under 3000 races a year. 'Tis the racing that causes gambling 011 horses, and liie worst sort of gamblers arif those that know little or nothing about, homes. 1 — Recently tho police authorities raided the premises occupied by the Democratic Club. It-appears that the club's membership roll embraces 2250 names, including, those of nearly 1000 civil servants, while even magistrates and M.l'.'s havo joined. It cosls nothing to become a member, as the haltguinea nomination and guinea subscription fees are handed to intending members at the door. and paid back to the secretary in an inner office. At a meeting of the members a motion was passed to tho offcot that any film which might be imposed be met by-a general subscription from the members, and not out of the club's funds. .

_ — Thuar the English writer "Ranger": It is a quaint idea that a. man's lite should 1)0 insured by t>, porson whom lie has never seen and of whose existence lie as not even-' aware, odd things happen in-connection with racing. An old friend of liiiml tells mo that he Ims insured It. Blanc's life. He has taken 2000 to 1000 about the French horse for the Derby, and, having dons so, it occurred to.him that owners, like other nion. being mortal, M. Blanc might die, that 1 then lio ,might lose his bet, and consoauently ilmt the expenditure' of a few pounds in insurance was a .judicious course—my friend .knows the Monte Carlo tables and is familiar with the dealer's frequent cry nt Tronte et Qunrente. As a matter .of fact, however, the precaution was unnecessary,. for the death of an owner before a race invalidates all bets, and the insurer would not have lost fiooo and secured--11200 had M, Blanc departed to a rouletteless 'land. Now my friend's perplexity is whether to save liis money by hacking Cir.eto? — "Ranger," in the Snortinc and Dramatic News, says: A friend of Cantain Tudor tells me'that' he is. a little vexed, with that good sportsman. .As followers of • jumping are. aware, Captain Tudor has a- horse called Eedeemer, a creature of- modest capacity, wljoec very appearancc oil;-a racecourse struck his friend as ' rather, ridiculous.' ,r Wliy not put ■ the'horse- into vlmpgy?" tho critic asked. "Then you could drive Kim to. the station, and if you allowed plenty 6f time you would generally ca'cFi "pnr train." Thin was Redeemer derided, and his,, owner instructed in the duties of a hor'seonaster: nnd one day, when our sarcastic frietia had n r horse that he fancied, running in. a. steeplechase, he wo* vastly amiised to see Redeemer in tlie paddqclc. for tlipush ; . ttie animal lwd .been entered it had struck him jis probabV that lie would be «pnt down to do.battle with the good thing', What is more, Redeemer fool; the preposterous liberty of winning. There wa= no more • talk that afternoon of buggies and. catching trains. , .

— Gold Medallist, • the son , of Medallion and Coro'la, • who successfully carried the colours of- onr ' premier owner,-. Sir" G-. fT. Stead." in this .colohy. has . recently gained another. King's Premium.. .There' .were 1.1 entries in his olnss, so thai the expatriVted. New Zsa'ander did not h'ave.si wiillrover: The entries of thoroughbreds nnd hunters totalled : .W, .which'compared with .132 for.last year. The history of-th^'Ring's Premiums is an

interesting one, and is given as follows:— I "Prom the time ofQueon Anne until 1887, • £8000'.' was; given ".yearly the -reigning sovereign to bQ raced lor in. tho shape o£ King's' or Queen's. Plates. 'Then, however, matters were re-arranged by the Government,' which added 32000 to the.£3ooo that Had previously been devoted to racing, and hinded .tho amount over to the Royal Commission on horse-breeding to award premiums to thorough-■ bred stallions. - Fqt the purpose of apportioning these premium's, the commission divided 1 Great Britain—excepting Ireland, where King's Plates are still in existence—into IB districts, and to every, ono of these awarded from one. to four of the 28 premiums. The, conditions stipulate that the stallions must be between four and 20 years old. If necessary, the successful animals are required to serve 60 halfbred mares during tho year at a small fee, and have.to travel according to the commissioners' direction in the district for which they are exhibited."

A majority of the Skopos tribe have pronuonoed dropping quarters, a formation, with a bent, hind leg, much appreciated by men of experience and admirers of a good stayer if the hocks are good,-but there are people who object to the droop, and prefer a straight level rump and an upright hind leg. Tho upright formation is (says "Milroy"), of course, technically the proper tiling, that is from a scientific point of view, it being calculated to uphold weight better than the droop and a bent hind leg, but, however, desirable it may be in a saddle or road horse, it does not count for much in racehorses other xhan sprinters, for a. straight-legged horse is invariably quicker off bis feet than ho with the bent ,hock and drooping quarter. It may interest those horsemen who, like the child in tile soap advertisement, "will have no other" but a straight drop from tail butt to hock to know that the famous Pretty Polly, probably the best filly the world lias known, has a very pronounced drcop and a bent hind leg; while Tho Barb, greatest of all Australian stayers, was very lliuch drooped besides being sickle-hocked; the best of the Gozos were also built a bit that way, and in respect to the bent hind leg, Overdale is a proof that the formation does not hinder a horse much. The droop, combined with a bent hind leg, is not so likely to tire a horse over a long journey as the Straight formation,-and it gives them greater reach and leverage, —An English writer Bays:—Running down the Jist of .professional '.cross-country jockeys who take their turn in the pigskin at the present Hmo as public performers, I fail to notice many velerans amongst them. Here, obviously, youth will be served first. \Y. Dollery is one of our 'oldest horsemen in this branch, still showing any amount of skill and confidence. He . cannot bo much over 40, though it certainly seems a long time ago that I first saw him weighed out to ride for Mr Arthur Yates's stable. A careful, steady mnn, Dollery lias been pretty fortunate in escaping terrible falls, and I do not recollect ever fse&'ng him brought back, in the ambulance. That is not a receptable which jockeys admire with admiration. "I'd as soon be in a hearse,' 1 on« of them remarked, shivering, "and I cm certain not to be paid for overtime spent in either compartment." Not quite a chicken, so to speak, is "TatTy" Matthews, who continues to steer winners of steeplechases with brilliant ability when his horse is good enough. .Many funny stories have been told to me by Matthews, who is an amusing teller of racing stories. His tale about the Irishman who sold a 'chaser who had never been beaten, "because ho had never run,' 1 is full o! breezy sporting suggestions. That horse was started tit_ last in a race which did not want much winning—it was almost plating company— when he went round the course so slowly, jumping with painful deliberation, that "his jockey aged visibly during the journey,' Some of these cclebrtjes wear very well, however, when they have ceased to "waste" perniciously. — Tho annual meeting of the Johannesburg Turh Club took place at the end of last month. It was shown that at the four meetings held during the year (12 days' racing in all) St, 800 lintl been given away in stakes. Tlr's is an advance of £7275 over the distributions of the previous year. Considering the (lire depression the country has been suffering frorii it says much for the sound financial standing of the leading club that justification was found for the increase of stakes to the amount' stated, Owners have to provide a good percentage of what is run for, Under the heading entrance fees £10,900 of the club's revenue for the past year was provided. This, too. after a reduction in the charge for entries had been made. The percentage now charged is 2 per cent; There has been a'big shrinkage in the income of the club from rent of course. The Johannesburg Pony and Galloway Club pny as subtenants of the parent club a third of the profit made. Pony and galloway racing, at Turffontcin has, however (says an exchange), suffered a mild eclipse of late, consequent on a great number of tho "small horses" going over to the unregistered clubs. The Pony Club meetings are not so profitable as was the case a year ago, bes'des which there are fewer of tliem—one a month, instend cf two. Thus the revenue to the turf club from this source is less by .01270 compared to the previous yoar. From the totalisator the club made a profit of ju3t on i 20,000. while bookmakers' liccnsc fees brought in £(GG!). The sale of race-cards produced more than enough to nay for all Iho pirating a"d advertising, The Chairman ■stated that, rotrhlv speaking, .£IOO.OOO had been spent on tho Turifontein course, all of which had been written off.