NOTES BY BEACON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 19

NOTES BY BEACON.

I have received catalogues of the blood stock to bo offered at auction at Christchurch on April 12th, comprising Messrs Mason and Vallance's string of horses, and a selection of yearlings and two-year-olds from the Russley stud. Owing to scarcity of space I must defer any comment on the lots to be put up until next week.

The grey steeplechaser, Carrigheen, has gone into Dan O'Brien's hands to be trained for the approaching Grand National meeting. Intending nominators will note that entries fot the Dunedin May meeting must be addressed to the Secretary's office in lieu of the Empiro Hotel ; for owing to that old sporting hquse being in course of removal, in favour of Watson's new building, the Jockey Club have been temporarily left without quarters. The programme for the gathering shows a slight improvement on last year's, the added money amounting to £445. The principal stakes are the Birthday Handicap, of 100 soys ; Hurdle Handicap, of 50 soys ; Trotting Handicap, of 60 soys ; Novel Handicap of 80 soys ; Tradesmen's Handicap, of 60 soys ; Maiden Plate, of 40 soys; and Consolation Handicap, of 40 soys.

Mr Foster's three supporters in the Mount Ida Chronicle still persist that his horses were badly used by our handicappers ; but I should imagine that that gentleman will pray to be saved from his friends, for one calls Rocket and Sailor Boy "scrubbers"; another calls them " draughts and tussocks" ; and the third —the Chronicle itself— asserts ■ that Rocket ought to have got "maiden weight" at our meeting ! Why if this had been, done Rocket would have had to carry about 2st. more than was put on him, because when a non-performer — as the Chronicle makes Rocket out to be — is entered for a handicap he gets nearly weight for age put on him. The Chronicle sticks to it that " a palpable injustice" was done, though both Rocket and Sailor Boy won their races, still it has the decency to admit that it " does not set itself up as an authority on the general run of racing." I should hope not. Mandeville races have been postponed till April 7th. An adjourned general meeting of Lake County Jockey Club was held at Eichardt's Hotel on Monday, for the purpose of windingup affairs of the late meeting— Dr Douglas, president, in the chair— when sundry outstanding accounts were brought up aud passed for payment. It was stated that a few subscription's had yet to come in, and although the Club was not in such a good financial position as was hoped for, owing to one or two adverse circumstances, it is fully anticipated that, with good management next season, better prizes can be given; and a larger amount raised with less difficulty than hitherto. The Auckland Herald sporting contributor writes as follows :—" I think it will be generally admitted by those who have read the excellent report of the Dunedin races, that the meeting has again taken its place as the premier meeting of New Zealand. The racing all through was excellent, and the fields being large, made it of a very interesting character. The attendance of the public on all three days was good, and the heavy sum of £19,000 was put through the, totalisator, which will be the means of making a considerable addition tothe coffers of the Club."

At the Maniototo races last week Mesars Monk and M'Lean's Skipper won the J.O. Handicap of 35 soys, Selling Race of 15 soys, and the Hospital Race. The Maiden Plate of 15. soys was secured by Mr Beck's Peeping Tom, out of a field of nine. Rocket placed the District Handicap of 25 soys to Mr Poster's credit, but Sailor Boy could only get third place in the J.C. Handicap, and second in the Consolation Handicap— which latter was won by Mr Jones' Yaldhurst. The privileges of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club mooting realised £143, exclusive of the gates. A gentleman who has just returned from Christchurch informs me that the Canterbury Jockey Club's Committee have selected a Mr Pe'nf old as their new secretary. Mr Penf old is a new arrival from the Old Country, and is therefore, of course, much better suited for tho position than any local man would be. If the Olub confirm the appointment it may be necessary to say something more on the subject. The appointee is ' reported to have good credentials— he- should have, to obtain the billet in preference to the sixty-nine applicants who were a few months ago rejected. The declaration of the weights for the Canterbury Great Autumn Handicap has been postponed till after the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's races, which take place this week. A correspondent at Hampden writes to the North Otago Times : — " A walking match has been arranged here, to come off during the Oamaru races, for £20 a side ? between horse and man; our sporting publican and crosscountry rider backing himself to walk any horse that, Mr J. Culling can produce, once round the Oamaru racecourse. At present the quadruped is the favourite, owing to the fact that the four legs made such a good fight of it in the match that took place a few weeks ago, when the distance was only a mile, and the horse came in only about ten yards behind at the finish. There will be a good deal of speculation over the affair."

Oamballo continues his successful career in India, for I sco that at Dacca he won a good race under 9st 51b, and another under lOst 101b — giving two stone to the next best performer.

Handicaps for tho Taranaki races havo been declared as under : —

JOCKIiY OLUB HANDICAP. St. lb. st lb. Volunteer .. 9 3 Taipo .. ..7 6 ltandwick ..9 0 Tally-ho ..7 6 Gian<l Ducbosa .. 9 0 Fly .. ..7 0 Slander filly . . 8 9 Ulue Gum . . 7 0 Pißcatoiiui .. « 7 Artful Joe .. 610 Dan . . ..87 Bon Jour . . ClO Venture .. 8 0 Normanby .. 6 5 Fleur-ilo-Lys .. 7 10 Larry .. ..6 5 Aurora .. 710 Scotch Mist .. 6 5 Wilbcrforcc .. 7 9 Wititora .. 6 3 Orphan ..7 6 Taxation .. 6 0 STEEPLECHASE. at. lb. St. lb. GreyMomus ..11 9 Satanolla .. 9 3 Monk .. ..10 10 St. Swithiu .. !) 3 Suniay.. .. 10 5 Lady Grey .. 9 1 Hard Times . . 10 2 Katipo . . ..90 Totara.. ..9 9 Bull's E>o ..9 0 Carch'em ..9 6 Czar .. ..9 0 Kikoringi .. 9 4 HUIiDLES. St. II). St. lb <!rev Mounts •• U H Citeb't in .. 0 v Monk .. .. 11 0 Liitly (jrcy .. Blf Sunray.. .. 10 7 Katipo., „ 8 Totara „ t . 10 0 t

Three curious coincidences' happened m connection with the Marton-Rangitikei races and Turakina races. Monk won the Hurdles at both meetings. Venture carried ott the "big money " on the first day on the Marton* Rangitikei course, and he repeated the feat by carrying off the "big money" at Turakina. , Finally Rally won the Sapling Stakes' at the Marton-Rangitikei meeting, and he,, repeated , the performance at Turakina. _ i On the morning of the Wanganui Derby; pa,,, advertisement appeared in the ,Wanganui, Chronicle whereby Messrs J. G. Harris, Ej ,F« Yuile. J. Poole, and F. Hill declared that, to,, accordance with a resolution passed^by the, ; Wanganui. Jockey Club, all wagers' on the, Wanganui Derby of ' 1882, made .prior; to §tn November last, were declared off. Timaru races have the following , capital nominations :— ■,''.' , ' i TIMARU CGP.. ,<• ■ ; 1 SirModred Logferdemahv ■' , Holdernesfl Tafeman I ' Natator - Envy filly „ ' Mischief , The Dauphin c , „ , , Kmir Bey Betrayer, Lady Emma Chancellor ' : La Mode The Ppet'- • ' Salvage ' On bit- ' ' > ! Mavis • • i , Libeller Lure . „, ! Luna. . , /, . / _„ I FLYINQ HANDICAP. ' ■',' I King Bird ' „'Lady, ,'Lady Emma- ' ' ! Gltana , ' , ;'; ' R*dcliff^ , • ■ '"■ , Farewell ' ■ La Mode i < i Natator ■■ ,: 'Envy filly- . ' . Mischief - „. Erin , „,, i Emir Bey , Hinemoa ( ■ ' , 1 SirModred Legerdemain. ' " ' Coldstream Chancellor ' ' [ ' ' ," Holderneas ' ' The Joker ' '• ' ' s Salvage " ' OnDit ' ' , • Mavis ' ! NautilUß. • ■ ■ Libeller ■ " . ■ Luna. . , nS.C. J.O. HANDICAP. > !• ' SirModred Legerdemain ' '' ' i Coldstraara ' Chancellor - ' i Holdernoss The Joker i The Poet Salvage , . OnDit A Mavis" Matftku * ' Libeller f Hinemoa Lady Emma ' '■' I Giiana . , ' Redotyto' ' ' s Farewell ' , , '' ' 'La'Modq •' '■ ; Taaman '• Nataiior !< ' < ' . ; Envyfllly ■ Mischief ' The Dauphin • Emir Bey ■ Lure Luna. , . HANDICAP HUSDLEB. • Albion Milo' .. Ruatara ' Mousetrap Clarence Gang Awa 1 Trovatore ' Quamby ■ " ' ' Tho Agent ' ' ' Mokarakara. ' ■ < , WINTER OATS HANDICAP! Mermaid filly Siesta Vanguard • , Toitol fllly.' Te Ata ' ', Wicklow ' , ■ , Nonsense Wai-iti fllly ' , Amazon ' " Clansman. "Soukar" has the following, , which is of,' particular interest to the many New Zealanders who own trotting horses, or are interested in trotting: — < , ; , ' ' With reference to the system o£ handicapping trotting horses, I append the following letter from the secretary of the Victorian Trotting Club, which has courteously been , placed at my disposal by Mr F. W. Evans, , hon. sec. of the Wanganui Trotting Club ;— •20 Colling street West, Melbourne, 1 13th February, 1882; < ' ! The Secretary of the Wanganui Trotting Club. ' ' ' • Dear Sir,— l am in receipt of your programme, which, I presume, is to be run under our rules, although you do not appear to have , got hold of our proper name. I wish to ek plain to you that the system of handicapping in , trotting is one which must be done away with, as it has been a most prolific source of fraud, and has brought the sport of trotting in these Colonies down to a very low position indeed in the estimation of the public, and with this object I would ask you to use your be3t endeavours to do away with the handicaps, and introduce classing, as in America. Now that the Victorian Trotting Club" has" got the matter well in hand here, it will be well for* all! the' clubs to conform to the rules laid down, and , which are based on the , National Trotting , Association of America, and in a very short while I expect to see trotting dragged from the mire in which it 1 has lain so long, and enabled to take its place as one of the foremost national sports. If there are other trotting clubs in- New Zealand^ I would be much obliged if you will kindly send me the names and addresses of their secretaries to enable me to communicate with them. We have a grand mile track here now almost completed, and have advertised our opening programme for April Ist. I would be very pleased if you could pay us a visit to Victoria, and be present at this event. By this post I send you a book of rules, which we have just now published, and would impress upon you the advisability^ of conforming to them in every particular, and, in future, to have all your races— mile heats, with level starts, and official tune records, and get your horses into classes as soon as possible, There are some difficulties about this at first, but it makes the racing far more interesting and satisfactory afterwards; and if we all work together and carry out our programmes under strict rules of the Victorian Trotting Club, we shall bring trotting into such prominence that I hope one day to see it as much a national sport as the regular racing now is. I hope soon to hear of your Club making a track of its own, and showing some good records on it too. It is just possible that Native Cat, lately imported from New Zealand, may have a go for our " Free for All " at the opening meeting.— l am, R. J.iGIBNEY, , Secretary V.T.C.