CURRENT NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1343, 25 August 1877, Page 17

CURRENT NOTES.

Alter the usual winter spell, racing matters are 'becoming more active,' and a good many nags are working for the various Spring meetings;" particlularly the Christohurch meeting.* 'Haines has five in work at For* bury/ including Satirist {Traducar — Miss King);- Satire (Traducer— Little Nell), Sapphira (Traducer— Miss Mettle, Rob Roy's dam): The last is the handsomest of the lot, to my .fancy,. and shows a deal of quality, r though she is on the small side. Besides these, 'Haines has the Sorcerer, Miss Tatton gelding, and Bob Roy. The latter has been schooled at the hurdles, and I hear he doesn't take at 'all kindly to the work, though he ought to jump, as all the Golden Grapes are good at it. -'I have seen' him take several fences in splendid style for bis own amusement .when out at grass, ao he may take to it yet. Lynch has the good-looking Scud — Evangeline-eolt, who has been named Confederate, and I hear he is to have charge of | Cloth of Gold. The other trainers have also one or two horses, bat 1 have not seen any of them jrefc. Good, programmes are going to oe the order of ,the day thia'seaaon, and we may expect to see good fields, as there will be a ioodmany more horses in training than was the case list year. Among the country olnba, the'Waitakl Jockey Club shows well, the programme being' an excellent one, and Tery liberal withal, considering that the stakell "luYe been almost entirely raised by subscrfp&onJ As they cannot expect to realise much from sale of privileges, the pluck of this club is to be admired. Owing to their having railway communication with Christchurchy they may expect good fields, and I hear 1 sereral .Dunedin norses will pay them' a visit. .* The New Zealand Grand National'' Steeplechase will be held at Timaru on. the 27th instant, and a very good bill of ' fare is provided, though I must say I consider steeplechase meetings in New Zealand a mistake, as* we don't breed jumping horses, and when one has got one it's an accidental circumstance. The Christchurch Club'have largely increased their programme, and Is a reward for their liberality they have a better entry this year than they have ever had, 'having 39 for the Jockey Club Handicap and v 54 for 1 the Chip, out of which number no less thaji, 40 are thrae year olds, a fact which speaks well for the increase of racehoneft I have not heard of any business done, on these events yet, though a good deal was done on the Cup only a few months ago, especially in- doubles — the two Le Loups, Tramp Card and Le Loup, Le Loup and Guy," and Trump Card ani Le Loup/being taken pretty frequently. With the exception of _ Le Loup, who is untried, and of whom it is lf impoßsible to form an opinion, the thrwi.year olds of this season are apparently rather under the mark, in which case Guy Fawkesj ahould he come fit to the post, is ukely to repeat his last, year's Cup victory.! The Dunedin Jockey Club held their annual meeting on Monday night, when the old Committee 'were again returned, with the addition of Messrs Hazlett and H. J. M'Lean.' It is time the Club got their programme out, which is likely to be increased in amount this year, to keep pace with the times.' Mr Logan intends to turn Dead Heat ont for a year. He was a promising two year \ old, but performed very badly as a three year old, but a year's spell may greatly improve him, and he may return to the ways of his .youth. V«r/ : little is being done here about the Melbourne Cop. The only horses being backed at all are thoae which the Melbourne public are backing, though I have heard that a lone' shot or two have bees taken about Tooav .This .horse has at times displayed such brilliancy in his performances that, should he be in the humour to go for the Cap, to my' fancy nothing else is in it with him ; but, being so uncertain, he is not an animal, to back' for sich a race. Savanaka still retains the position of favourite, with Vagabond next. However, there are such a number , of three-year-olds well In that it seems folly to, back a horse at the price offered about Savanaka. Chester, First King," Waterfrrd, and Rapidity have been backed for. the Derby, while Salisbury, an own. brother to Sybil, winner of the Australian Cap/ has been fairly supported. I have^' great fancy- for the Tim Whiffiers— if s a' jstrain of blood that always improves withagej' andjs sound in wind and limb. Whether Tim' will bold the position he obtaijieii last year remains to be seen ; but I think he will, especially ait he has Rapidity, Salisbury,, and one or two others to do batfcje |or html The English Derby seems to have created a little astonishment, as Silvio's spring ; performances were so bad. However, he was backed up to the last by a few who got as much , aa 40 to 1 about him. Chaxnant appears to have been oat of form, but it is quite possible he is not a stayer. He is a grandson of Fitz Gladiator; a strain of whose blood we have in Gladiateur, who is at present stationedin Wraganui. Ohamant's dany. Auricaria, is a daughter of that wonderful old a are Pocahontas. Of the first five in the Derby, three were Bons of Blair- Athol, who has now finally settled the question of his stock's staying powers. He has for years been about the top of the list of winning sires, as might be expected, as he was, probably about the best hrrse of the present century. Mr I'Anaon always dedared him to be the best horse ever seen, •nd'ashe had old Callcrou for a trial horse, he ought to have been able to form a good estimate of hi* powers. Rob Roy, who wasi third in the Derby, is from an American bred mare, so that the Yankees have some reason to be proud of their blood stock. It i 3 8a jd his chance waa lost through being interfered with in the race. I

ha\eseen some very good looking two year olds by Cassivelaunus, whose stock promise weJL Persons having Morriß Dancer or Tom King mares cannot do better than give this horse a trial, as the blood ought to mix well. I have received from the Middle Park Stud Company a list of their mares and stallions, and certainly, as far as pedigrees are concerned, I don't think there is a better selection in the Colonies. Not having seen the animals themselves I cannot pass any opinion on their appearance, but I am told that they are aa good looking as they aro well bred. En Avant, by Lord Lyon from Gang Forward's dam, has a splendid pedigree, and as I believe more in pedigree than appearance, I am sure she will prove a profitable investment, especially mated with such sires as Traducer and Castaway, both of whose blood — but particularly the latter's — should mix with ' hers. Fleurange, Rupee, and Aglaia have all capital pedigrees, as has also Strenna. Charm is very much iabred to Touchstone, and should mix well with Traducer, as the Buzzard blood, of which the latter is full, has always hit with Touchstone, whether through Bay Middleton or Pantaloon, grand sire of Traducer. I should like' to see this mare put to a son of Ravensworth's — say Papapa — though it would be a remarkable case of inbreeding. Maria Theresa, a daughter of the celebrated Rataplan, own brother to Stockw^ll, has a splendid pedigree, and is a fine powerful mare as welL Her colt by Traducer was sold at the disposal of the Ilveydon stud for £300. Idalia, Hammock, and Sweetmeat are all capitally bred mares, though the latter has not been a great success at the stud, even when mated with Traducer. However, her Ravenaworth colt, the Marquis of Normanby, who will make his debut at the Christchurch "Spring Meeting, may retrieve her 'character as a stud matron. Cascade, by Sledmere from Waterwitoh, a daughter of Lurline's dam Mermaid, should be a profitable mare to keep ; and Twitter, by Towton from Shybird, is, well enough bred for anything, though Shybird's stock have not been a success hitherto. Opera and her two daughters — Somnambula by Towton, and Norraa by . Ravensworth — come of a good running family, and will no doubt leave their mark at the stud. On the whole, the Company have got an excellent stud, aud with such sires as Traducer and Castaway they can hardly fail of success. Our old friend King Phillip has improved wonderfully, I hear, and will stand this year at the Taieri. He has always shown himself a game, honest horse, bnt has been moat unfortunate in this Colony, never having come to the post fit. As he is full of Weatherbit and Premier blood, he should get good stout stock, and will no doubt be well patronised by the Taieri farmers. I Under the heading Racing Broo jin Germany, in last week's Witness, it is stated that the Germans either hold the following animals or worthy descendants of each. Worthy descendants may mean anything, as there are descendants of most of the animals named in Australia ; but as the statement may mislead, I may remark that the following' out of the list are still at the stud in England : — Saunterer, Dr Estaurnel, Blue Gown, Blair Athol, Knight of the Gwter, 'Hermit, Lord Clifden, and Cape Flyaway, while the Marquis is in Victoria ; so that, except Bnccaneer, they have nothing very great in the shape of sires. A Coursing Club has been formed at Tokomairiro, and there is every probability of one being started in Danedin, The Waihemo Olnb mean to give some large stakes next season, I hear ; so that coursing men may look forward to plenty of aport. I hoye the various clubs will do their best to put a stop to the indiscriminate slaughter of hares, both in and out of the season, for without plenty of hares, coursing meetings [ will afford poor sport.