SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 85, 18 December 1906, Page 3

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

It is reported (says the ' Post ') that a Sydney buyer is on his way to New Zealand m quest of horses, and that he has his eve on the Canterbury Cup winner, Multiiid. It is understood that as a two-year-old Poseidon was under offer to a New Zealand racing man, who neglected the opportunity that was offered of picking up a small fortune. When the last mail to hand left England Ladas still held his place at the head of the list of winning stallions, with a grand total of 25£ wins, worth £18,773 ss. Carbine, who had two wins at Newmarket, changed places with Ayrshire, the former with 17 wins worth £15,203, and the latter 30 wins worth £15,530. Gallinule comes next with 23 wins for £14,450, folloAved by Persimmon, 24 for £14,302; Isinglass, 29£ for £13,195 : Maro, 20* for £12.968 ; Dinna Forget, 10 for £12,246; Love Wisely, 27^ for £10,337 15s; WildfloweT (half-brother to Fori. J. D. Ormond's Birkenhead), 6 for £9,921. The Stepniak— Ranee Nuna filly purchased at the Elderslie sale of yearlings by the local owner, Mr W. Foss, for 75 guineas, succumbed to an attack of strangles at Auckland on Sunday, the 2nd inst. The loss of the filly is a pretty severe one to her owner, as such a highly -bred one would have been valuable as a brood mare after her racing days were over. J. Gainsford, the well-known trainer and rider, has decided to give New Zealand best, and leaves for Sydney shortly after Christmas. Gainsford has been out. of luck for some time at the Tacing game, and intends giving it best. He has purchased a bvsiness at Morpeth, New South Wales, and takes possession as soon as he arrives. The Manawatu Racing Club Committee have decided to give from the odd money from, the "totalisator at the next meeting IU guineas each to the Hospital, the Consumptives' Sanatorium Fund, and Atl Saints' Children's Home. \t Flemington on one of the recent race days (writes an 'Argus' contributor) a vcunff and unsophisticated damsel, who had neve? been on a race track before, was completely fascinated by the scene, bhe speedily developed the sporting spirit, and declared that she must make a wager with a bookmaker all by herself. H*r friends instructed her as to how the thing was done, and stood afar off, watching, while she picked her way through the crowd to the bookmakers. When she returned to them she said : " I think I did it quite properly, but why did he seem so very surprised when I handed him my half-a-crown? He hesitated, and then said: 'Not had much experience m this line, I think, Mjss ?' 'My very first bet,' I said. ' Thought so, he said ; "* I have given ycu eights, though they are only laying sixes.' Here's his card. I hope he is honest." When her friends saw the name of tho bookmaker on that card they realised that the fair damsel had had the temerity to make a half-crown bet with one of the biggest men m the ring. Needless to say, that girl was more than ordinarily good-looking. There is joy m American Turf circles (writes the correspondent of Sydney 'Referee') over the performances of Roseben, the strapping son of Ben Strome. The big gelding is now known as the king of sprinters. After failure to round to m the middle part of the racing season it looked as though the speedy five-year-old had lost his crown, but on October 16, at the Belmont track. New York, he sprinted seven furlongs in' lmin 22sec, and he is now as much of a hero as he was when he set the world's record for six furlongs at lmin llfsec. The lmin 22sec for seven furlongs cut three full seconds from the record. In the Victorian Legislative Assembly forty members declared themselves against State totalisators, while twenty voted for them. With a view to further testing the feeling on the subject, Mr Boyd proposed tin institution of racecourse totalisators controlled by the clubs. This was also s rejected, the division showing 22 to 7 against the motion. . ... The many friends of Mr S. G. Cook will regret to heaT of his rather serious illness. He was running to catoh a train at Loch, Victoria, when his heart became affected. .\n unusual number of Englisn racehorses? have been bought for India this year, and, touching on the relative successes m that countrv o of English and Australian importations?, '" Shaughnun " writes as follows m the 'Indian Planters' Gazette:— The return of the English vogue is greatly due to th" "nfluence of Mr Galstaun and Mr Bell-Irving. All the othei* big private owners stick to the Australian, especially the Hon. A. A. Apcar and Dr Spooner Hart, who believe that the gee from ' down under ' has a much better chance m India than the thoroughbred brought up on the soft pastures of En eland and Ireland. Figures are m favor of their view. Smce th© present century began Australian horses have won the' Viceroy's ' Cup four times, the Cooch Behar Cup six times, the Macpherson Cup four times, the Metropolitan Stakes six times, the King's Plate four times, the Merchants' Plate five times, the Princes of Wales's Cup the only time it was run, the International Pony Stakes, four times, the Eclipse Stakes five times, and tho Indian Grand National six tunes. The eloquence of these figures is irresistible, yet the faith of the loyal Homelander is not dead, and Mr Bell-Irving believes that if the selection at Home were made with the same, knowledge of Indian requirements as* as possessed by buyers m the Australian market, the ase'endancy of the English thoroughbred would be as great as m the days of Lord 'Bill' Beresford. He will have a chan. ecof proving his theory this year, for it was he who brought the Irishbred Steinhager to win the Viceroy's Cup for 'Mr Charles.' " The handicap events at Feilding were full of interest, m view of the fact that a number of the runners claim engagements m the Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap. Ghoorka and Douche displayed form sufficiently good (say 6 " The Tout ") to warrant their being given a chance of distinguishing themselves at Auckland. Tlie increase of the prize money for the Grand Prix de Paris from £8,000 to £12,000 has had the effect- of greatly augmenting the nominations for the race to be run m 1908, for which the local entries total 410, and the English 170 — a grand' total of 580. Poseidon's trainer, L. Earnshaw, contracted a severe cold while on a visit lo Tamwortb recently, and, bronchitis and other troubles, developing, he was compelled for some days to seek treatment m the local hospital. Concerning the Canterbury Park (N.S.W.) meeting on the Ist, the 'Argus? ' says: — When the betting opened on the Canterbury Handicap, the Niagara maro, Lowlynn, was installed favorite, while 10 to 1 was on offer against Grafton Lass. The latter had the benefit of J. Barden's fiervices, and after Red Flag had cut out most of the Avork to the home turn the favorite easily accounted for Lochiel's daughter. The Russley gelding, Clover, scored with consummate ease m the Park Stakes. Paree was the popular selection m a field of eleven, with Clover a. strong second favorite, but though the favorite ran m a forward position all the way she had no chance with Clover, who took charge m the first furlong, and romped home m front of the demoralised field. The best finish was that for the Stewards' Mile, m which Zenda, Lady Florence, and Thargomindah flashed past the judge m that order, aud on very close terms. The stipendiai'y stewards took

exception to the backward position held by Thargomindah, who tailed off m the early part of tbe race, and warned A. C. Thomas that a similar performance on his part would be followed by a recommendacion that his license should be withdrawn. Form at Epsom (Vie.) the previous week pointed to Graftondelle having a first-class chance m the Sandown Park' Cup on the Ist, and he was made favorite accordingly. At a difference of 171 b, he ran Corroboree to a length, and while Corroboree had been raked 81b from 10.1, Graftondelle was only up 51b from 8.12. Both Kalnuck and Paraloch were spiritedly backed against Graftondelle, but each ran badly, the outsider Bluster being the only one to give the favorite j ar.y trouble, and he way beaten by a good | half-lennth. Graftondelle had, however, a little m hand. Lady Doris ran better than at Epsom, and got third place ; while Menschikoff, as usual, showed plenty of pace m the early part of the race, but finished badly. Corroboree shaped very well for a time. Up the long Sandown straight 10.9, however, effectually stopped him. — Pretty Polly's Adieu. — Lovers of horses and the "great game" everywhere will be sorry to hear that the racing career of Major Eustace Loder's famous mare Pretty Polly has come to an end. In the first week of November Polly left Newmarket for the Major's stud farm at Eyrefield, Ireland, and it is safe to cay that liar career as a brood mare will be followed with considerable interest. ' That the- daughter of Gallinule and Admiration was one of the finest mares that ever looked through a racing bridle no one can deny. During her four years on the turf she won twenty-two races, and .only suffered defeat twice — once as a three-year-old, across the Channel, when Presto 11. beat her m the Prix dv Conseil Municipal, and m this year's Avcot Gold Cup, when Bachelor's Button proved her master. On neither occasion was Polly quite herself, but both Presto n. and "The Button" were very much above the ordinary run of racehorses and stayers of the first water. Pretty Polly won m stakes £37,297. Of this sum she earned £18,440 as a .three-year-old, appropriating among other races the ' One Thousand Guineas, 1 the Oaks, Coronation Stakes, Ascot, and the St. Leger. As a two-year-old Polly won nine races, of the total value;' of £13,502, including the National Breeders' Produce Stakes, Sandown, the Champagne Stakes, Doncaster, and the Middle Park Plate. Her defeat by Bachelor's Button was her last race, for shortly after this event it was discovered ' that tho mare's legs were showing signs of weakness, and it was deemed inadvisable to subject her to further training, especially as the gallops at Newmarket were m adamant condition owing to the prolonged spell of sunshine experiehced this 3*ear. That Polly will achieve a measure of. fame as a matron equal to that she won on the turf is hardly to be expected. Few mares that have made big names for themselves m racing have reproduced their excellences m their offspring. . '