NOTES BY BEACOH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1488, 22 May 1880, Page 20

NOTES BY BEACOH.

Mr Siegfried Franck has arrived in Dunedin with his totalisator, which is not, alone the genuine thing itself, but one for which he has taken out a patent in this Colony. The recent occurrences in Auckland have tended to lessen public confidence in this instrument, but Mr Franck claims for hi 3 patent that in its working fraud i.j impossible, and we are bound to say, from an inspection of this totalizator, that he goes a long way towards establishing his claim. The registering process as each ticket is disposed of is carried on upon the face of the instrument entirely. There is no moving of springs whatever from behind. Besides this, the same movement that registers an additional number against a horse registers it aleo as an addition to the total above. Directly tbe horses start in a race, the whole machine is ingeniously locked ; not that it is fastened up, but by the application of a key to a blank in one corner the word " stop " is brought into view, and by that operation a check is put upon the whole registering apparntun, so that neither the total nor any of the pingle figures can be altered. The instrument is placed so high that the marker can reach if; only by meano of steps, and thus any of the official* wishing to make an alteration whilst a race was being run, would be almost certain to be noticed by the public or police. Further, directly the word " stop " is turned on, a list of tho number backing each horse, and of the total in the pool, is hung out in front of the instrument. Thus, if the number of any horse is altered, the disparity is made apparent. In these, and in many other ways that would bo tedious to enumerate, honesty is so ensured as to render it as certain as things mundane can be rendered. Mr Franck will have his totalisator at work at the Queen's Birthday race meeting, when an opportunity of practically judging of its fairness will be afforded. We understand he intends to proceed against several of the New Zealand Jockey Cluba which have allowed an infringement of his patent upon their grounds. I again remind owners of tho two-year-old colts and fillies that nominations for the Southland Derby of next season, a stake of 75 soys. added to a sweep of 8 soys each, close on Tuesday next, the 35th iuet. Mr W. Tuohy has sold to G. Fraser, a jockey well known in the Cromwell district, the filly "Rebecca, by Boebuck — Rubina, for 40 guineas. Fraser has Mr M'Kenna's Haricot and a King Philip filly in hand also. Riverton races on the 24th insfc. have attracted the following nominations :—: — HURDLE RACE, Bride Waiam Mayday BothwolL MAIDEN PLATE. Paddy Little Bobby Stormbird Darky Hastings Mulatto. MVERTON HANDICAP. Atlas DarkyHornpipe Zonobia Bothwell Hastings Mulatto. WALLACE STAKES. Bride Mayday Hornpipo, The above may be considered very fair entries for the time of year, and they should encourage the Riverton sporfcsineu to form permanent Jockey Club, and hold an animal race-meeting at a more genial period of the season. Amongst the nominations will be noticed with interest the name of old Atlas, who was foaled so long ago as the year 1864, and has had strange upsanddewns since then. In addition to the stakes above-mentioned there are four minor events, for which entries will be made at the post. Entries for the Tapanui Hurdle and Birthday Handicaps close this evening, and for the other races at the meeting they will be received by the secretary on the morning of the day. Of the Wyndham and Ettrick meetings I have heard nothing, nor has anything in the shape of a programme for either yet appeared. For the Dunedin winter gathering the following acceptances and general entries were sent in on Saturday evening :—: — HANDICAP HURDLE RACE, Of 30 soys. Two miles and a distance.

These are exceptionally good, being 55 in all against 35 at last year's meeting; in fact, so numerous are the entries that it ia an unusually difficult task to select probable winners. The Hurdle Race contains some old stagers, with a sprinkling of new blood, and of the lot I should prefer Eildaro, if ho were in his old form. I think, however, he is not at his best, and I shall therefore give tbe palm to Huntsman, with Kildare and Black Bess next. The twelve entries for the Maiden Plate show that I was right in blaming the Jockey Glab for abolishing this event from its spring and summer meetings. As I know very little of what work the various candidates have been doing, many of them not having yet arrived at the Forbury, I shall in making selection b9 guided mainly by breeding. From this point of view nothing looks better than Nautilus, who ia full sister to tbe handsome Natator, and I shall expect to see her returned the winner. Next to her commend me to Playboy, Messingham, and Boro. In the Birthday Handicap, Mr H. Goodman has Titania, York, and Tera ; with one of tbnm he should win, but which will be the stable representative he possibly does not yet know himself. The Trot is unworthy of notice, but the Novel Race should produce a good struggle between Sir William and Mr Taggart's pair— Concrete and Spey. The Tradesmen's Handicap hafl filled well with ton acceptances ; but here again Mr Goodman has hia trio entered and again one of them should win. His most dangerous an tagonists I take to be Adamant aud Boro. The Rev. J. U_. Davis wrote to the Daily Times last week intimating that if I read his book of lectures I should find most of the objections I made to his lacture on " Gambling" met. I cannot see how objections made to statements in a lecture can be " met" in the self same lecture, delivered a week before the objeotions were made. A lot of stock bred by Mr M. Studholme will be sold by auction at the homestead of Waimate station on June Ist, the day before the steepleohases. There are twenty seven lots, and included amongst them are two-year-olds by Pertobe— Zigzag ; by Pertobe— Flying Fish ; by Ham— The Witch ; by Ham— Darkness ; by itnottingly colt— Oorella ; also three-year-olde by Ham out of The Lute, Beta, The Witoh, and other well- bred mares. " Voltigeui" expresses regret that the Canterbury Jockey Club did not follow the example of the Dunedin Club in removing the disqualification hanging over W. M'Kay, as the latter body doubtless had good reason for what thoy did ; besides whioh the Canterbury Club followed Duntedin's lead in inflicting the sentence, and ought to do so in removing it. He is in a position to state, however, that the G.N. Steeplechase Club intend following the example of Dunedin, so thafc M'Kay will be able to ride in the Grand National. The G.N. Steeplechase Club have granted to Mr F. Hill permission to worka totalisator in the paddock at the meeting, and to Messrs Hobbs and Goodwill to work one outside the fence. " Sinbad" hears from Ashburton that a capital course has been selected for the steeplechases there. In about three miles there are eighteen jumps, two of them water and the others nasfcy stiff gorse. The acceptances for the Grand National Steeplechase meeting are as under :— G.N. STEEPLECHASE, of 200 Soys.

MAIDEN PLATE, of 100 eovs, w.f.a. OMIy-ho Blueboll Clarence Miss Hungerford Tarn o'dhantcr Swindler Stella Venture. Harkaway HUNT CLUB CUP, of 150 soys, w.f a. Lone Hand Agent ■Royalty Mickey Free Grey Momus Loch Lomond Little Joha Magic Banjo Harkaway Baron Miss Hungerford. From the above there is a good prospect of tho fields being equal to those of last year, when twelve horses started for the big race, seven for tbe Maiden Plate, and six for the Cup. I rather fancy Royalty, Thilo, and Little John in preference to the great guns ; but having had no opportunity of seeing- the lot at work, it will ba better perhaps to give " Voltigenr'u " training notes, which refer to Tuesday's work : — " On tho way to the course this morning I passed Lone Hand at tbe forge. I fouuda number of hoises already on the ground, and learned that Misa Hungerford bad worked. Thilo was tho firs!; performer, going three times round the plough and taking the usual fences — viz., two top ones and hurdles. The latter he jumped very shiftily indeed, and I rather think has had aa much work as he carea about. A very interesting flutter next took place between Tho Agent and Clarence, ridden by Derritt and Clifford respectively. They went twice round tho plough on the fiat, coming home very fast, and although Clarence finished behind thd cheetnut, it struck mo he had nor.c Ihe wwat of it. Stella did a nice useful gallop. Tho horse tha f . rlcaaed me much thin incrniiig was Mickey Fron, if ho can only travel four juiks ovsr tb'i big fuiice.3 in the way ho did this inoruiug. He in about tho roughest onlairier in the racp. He was ridden by A. Keith in hh usual dolorimoe'l style, but in tho r<ica I think he will have to go with a bit mors deliberation to geb to the end of tho journey. 1 never nrvw the horse pifcher gallop or jnmp bo wp.ll os ho did to-day. He was accompanied part of the v/ay by Bluebell, but she soon had ei>ough of it. H>r action is none of the beat, as nhe goes with her kneeo up to her noee, and must boob tire in a fast race over any distance-. Shi-t was slow at her fences. Mario Antoinette) did about three miles at three-quarter speed by lureelf, and Loch Lomond had a solitary long blow gallop with a rug on, sweating freely on being pulled up. Baron and Harkaway had not ap.

peared when I left, and S. Osborns's team were also absentees."

The above-quotod writer last week visited Mr Steady stud, and fnmisbes amongst other notes the following :— " In an adjoining paddock to that occupied by Leolimw were five fon|s, all by him oufc of different mares. One, which from hiti sizo is cortaiu to strike one at fir.<t, although by no inearw the bout looking, in my opinion, ia a big bright, chestnut colt, out of Petroleum Ho has certainly plenty of bi'zo and bone, and, although so big, does not as yet show any signs of leggineßS ; but I c.«raot say that he shows very much quality. Another who is ahead of him in this respect is 'a remarkably neat bay filly, with a whito star, out i ri<3nt » wto was my pick of the lot ; and although at that age they may grow into anything, I thirik with luck she ought to develop into a racer. A dark chestnut filly, out of litama (imported), was the next that attracted me, being a real good topped one, with very good quarters." Weights for the Little River races, on Monday next, have been issued as under :—

Messrs Mason and Vallance have sold Vampire to Mr Mitchelson, of Northern Wairoa, for 125 guineas— a cheap figure for the handsome little brown. "Old Turfite" suggests that the numerous little race meetings held in the Province of Auckland should be abolished, and the only fixtures recognised be those of Auckland town Papakura, Pakuranga, Henderson's Mill, Cambridge, and Waikato. The same argument I might be used with reference to the Southern Provinces, but the fact is that in any place where even only a few Britons settle down they will have their own races. In commenting on tho weights for the Canterbury J. C. Handicap, that writer makes the following pertinent remarka :— " It appears absurd, especially in this Colony, to publish the weights so long before the day. Fiwt of all, there is a long winter to go through, aurl borsea may greatly altar their form ; secondly, owners cannot find out the merits of their young one 3 engaged till much later on, therefore tlwy will be obliged to accept with them on the chance of their turning out well. This may help to swell the coffers of the Club j at the same time it affords great latitude for ' milking,' and that is pretty Bure to be done freely before the day. The handicap, as it now appears, unless there is a mistake in the telegram, is quite on a, par with Mr Caleb Moore's celebrated handicap for the Dunedin Cup. with this exception : there is only one in the C. J.O. Handicap, while there were two in the Dunedin Cup. What Mr Lance was thinking about when he let Le Loup in at Bst 41b (? Bsb 91b) lam at a loss to understand. . . . Mr Lance may argue that he is an uncertain horse, and will not do his best at times. That has nothing to do with the handicapper, whose business it is to weight horses according to their form. Being so long before the day, something may turn up to upset the certainty it appears at preßenfc. It is not my intention to touch further on the handicap till the acceptances appear, but at the present time it appears on paper a bad handicap. Mr Lance has a great name as a racing authority, bufc where did he get his knowledge? Hia handi. caps throughout the year have for the most part been unsatisfactory, especially the Auckland ones. He is evidently either not competent, or he is too careless and lazy to give it proper attention. As it is my intention at a future date to review the last racing season and the handicapping, I shall refrain from writing any more at present." The good number of twenty-two nominations have been received for the Wanganui Steeplechase Handicap of 175 soys, as under : — Mr Murtagh's The General Mr O'Callaghan's To Whe Mr Gibson's Otawa tumarama Mr Cameron's Tupupaku Mr M'Alister's Eclipse Mr Gardner's Tricotrin Mr Keith's Ada Mr Keith's Hard Times Mr Keith's Venture Mr Fraser's Rangatira Mr Daves' Matau Mr Rollo's Raven Mr Higgres' King Don Mr M'lvor's Grey Momus Mr M'lvor's Loch LoMr Butler's Agent mond Mr Jackson's Old Ireland Mr Scott's Abolition (late Victory) Mr Abbott's Sunbeam Mr Douglas' The Baron Mr Douglas' Harkaway Mr Dillon's Mickey Free. The Hawkey Bay Jockey Club are already in lha field with the programme for next season's Spring Meeting. The handsome Bum of L 365 will be given in stakes, the principal of which are the Spring Handicap, of 100 boys ; Hawke's Bay Guineas, of 105 eevs, added to a sweep of 5 soys each, for three-year-olds : Flying Handicap, of 60 soys ; and Maiden Plate, of 50 soys. The meeting does not take place until October 7th, and I am therefore surprised to read that nominations for the Spring and Flying Handicaps must be in by Tuesday next, or four months and a-half before they will be run. This is a great mistake, for the programme has not yet had time to circulate amongst owners in the Middle Island, and the result will probably be the loss of several nominations. Besides, the two handicaps are surely not of such importance aa to require entiies to be made so long beforehand. Then look at the absurdity of making acceptances due on July 20th, almost three months before the meeting 1 There must be some mismanngement in connection with this Club's affairs, and doubtless there was plenty of reason for the establishment of its rival, the Racing Club.

Mr H. Gourlcy's eh g Kildavo,, aged .. 10 0 Mr W Sutherland's br g Theodore, aged . . 9 10 Mr 11 Hunter's br g Romance, aged . . 9 5 Mr A Smith's br g Huntsman, aged , ..95 Mr D M'Mastor's blk m Black Bess, aged . . 9 0 Mr C Samson's b g Isaac, aged . . ..90 Mr W ltoss' br m Antoinette, G yrs . . . . 8 7 Mr A Thomson's Castro, by Elswick, 5 yrs . . 8 7 MAIDEN PLATE, Of 25 sots. One mile. St. lb. Mr Walter Ross' eh m Maud, 4 yrs . . . . 8 12 Mr A Thomson's br g Castro, 5 yrs . . . . Sl2 Mr T Dryden's eh m Boadicea, 4 yrs . . Sl2 Mr WII Taggart's br m Grace Darling', 4 yrs . . 812 Mr Thomas Allan's b g Botanist, 5 yrs . . 812 Mr John Stephen=on's eh c Mesbinyham, 3 yrs S 7 Mr A C M' Kay's br f Miller's Daughter, by Pertrobe— Maid of the Mill, 3 yrs .. ..8 5 Mr D M'Lay's eh g Boro prathoncco, 3 yrs . . 8 4 Mr WII Tacfgarli's br g Concrete, 3 yrs . . 8 4 Mr H Goodman's brgPlaj boy, 3 yrs .. 84 Mr J Morkane's eh c Manuka, 2 yrs . . C 13 MrT George's'chf Nautilus, by Traducer— Walerwitch, 2 yrs . . . . 611 BIRTHDAY HANDICAP, Of 80 soys. One mile and a-half. St. lb. Mr n Goodman's b m Titania, 6 yrs . . 8 12 Mr II Goodman's eh h York, -1 yrs . . . . 7 13 Mr AM'Kay'sg y ISluc Fetor, aged .. 7 0 Mr G Stevenson's g g Satellite, aged . . 7 7 Mr II Goodman's di f Teni, 3 yivi .. ..7 7 Mr P Kuhaw's eh c Adamant, 3 yrs . . . . 7 3 NOVEL lIACE, A. handicap of CO boys. One mile and a-half. The Avinnor to bo sold by auction with his engagements, and the whole pioumls of the sale to go to the funds. st.lb. Hr"J King's eh g Sir William, aged . . 7 1 Sit W H Taggart's b g Spey, aged . . ..75 Mr \V H Taggart's b g Ooncrete, 8 yrs . . 7 0 flr W A Johnß' b m Polly Banvon, 4 yrs „ 012

jone Hand igent „ trey Momus iocli Lomond taron „ loyalty ianjo .. st.lb. , ..12 7 Black Prince .. 12 7 Thilo .. .. 12 0 Swindler ..11 5 Harkaway ..11 4 Mickey Free .. 11 0 Little John .. 10 10 St. bl. .. 10 7 .. 10 7 .. 10 6 .. 10 6 .. 10 0 .. 10 0

HORDLB EAOS. St lb Robin Hood .. 31 7 Tyro Tarowa .. „ 10 12 st lb 10 7 PUBLICANS' PURSE. Malvina .. .. 9 2 Titokowam Turewa .. .. 812 Blue Ribbon LochNeßS.. ... 8 0 Minnie 8 0 7 6 7 4 WAIREWA HANDICAP. Robin Hood .. 9 2 Tarewa Orange Poel . . 9 0 Symphony . . Marie Antoinette 9 0 Johnny Eolat .. .. 812 Titokowaru 8 9 8 7 8 7 7 10

Mr D M'Mastcr's b g Seagull, 5 yrs . . 6 9 Mr W Ross' eh m Maude, i yrs . . ..60 Mr J Atkinson's 1) m Mera, 5 yrs . . . . 5 10 HANDICAP TROTTING RACE, Of 30 soys. Three miles. No weight under lOst. Seconds. Mr W A Johns' g g Native Cat, f. yrs . . 72 Mr R Goodisson's br g Sam, aged . . . . 07 Mr T Dryden's b g Donald, aged .. ..02 Mr \V Il'Taugart's b m Kate, a^cd . . 02 Mr W Watson's b m Fanner's Daughter, aged 62 Mr D Mathieson's b g Kafoozleuni, aged . . 57 Mr C Samson's eh g Charlie, aged . . . . 52 Mr T Geary's br m Polly, aged . . . . 40 Mr R Winkficld's br in Modesty, aged . . 40 Mr J Reany's b g Snip, aged . . . . 35 Mr T Fairley's br m ßella, aged .. ..12 Mr J Vezcy's blk g Zulu, aged . . . . Scratch. TRADESMEN'S HANDICAP, Of 50 soys. One mile and a distance. The winner of the Birthday Handicap to carry 71b extra. St. lb Mr H Goodman's b m Titania, 6 yrs ..90 Mr H Goodman's eh h York, 4 yrs . . . . 8 0 Mr A M'Kay's g g Blue Peter, aged . . 712 Mr G Stevenson's g g Satellite, aged . . 7 9 Mr H Goodman's eh f Te'ra, 3 yrs . . ..'79 Mr P. Schaw's eh c Adamant, 3 yrs ..74 Mr T Dryden's eh in Boadicea, 4 yrs . . 610 Mr J Stephenson's eh c Messingham, 3 yrs . . 6 7 MrD M'Lay's eh c Boroprathoueeo, 3 yrs . . 6 0 Mr J Morkane's eh c Manuka, 2 yrs ..57