AUSTRALIAN,
The following are the quotations at Sydney on the Bth : — NEWMARKET HANDICAP. 12 to 1 agst Master John 14—1 • Oranbrook, Moorhouse, and Don Giovanni. AUSTRALIAN OUP. 10 to 1 agsfc Australian Peer 12 — 1 Carlyon 14 _ 1 Nelson and Bravo 16 _ 1 Enfilade and Arsenal, Doubles range from 1000 to 5 to 1000 to 2. A Melbourne telegram states that the news of Nelson having left Auckland for Australia has been the cause of his installation as first favourite for the Australian Cup, and he is being heavily backed at 100 to 10. He is also supported for a large amount in the doubles, being a public favourite for the Cup ; and he is coupled with lots of others for the Newmarket Handicap. Trident, last year's winner of the Australian Cup, and who beat Nelson by a head, will not this year measure strides with the son of King Cole, as Mr White is dissatisfied with his weight (9st 81b), and this morning the pen was run through his name for the' Australian Cup. Thirty-four have cried content, and these include such performers as Trenton (9st 121b), Nelson (9st 121b), Malua (9st 91b), Dunlop (9st ! 71b), Australian Peer (Bst 91b), Spade Guinea (Bst 81b), Niagara (in the weights published on Tuesday Niagara's name did not appear), Ben Bolt (Bst), and Enfilade (7st 111b). Seventy horses have accepted for the Newmarket Handicap. (Australasian.) The announcement that the Victoria Amateur Turf Club had determined to add lOOOsovs to to the Grand National Steeplechase to be run . at Oaulfield created quite a flutter of excitement among racing men, especially those who affecu the cross-country business. . In the interests of horse-breeding it is well that such races as Grand National Steeplechases should be ( liberally subsidised, for events of this description have been instrumental in bringing to the fore some of the grandest specimens of Australian horseflesh. Without going so far back as the days of Walkover, Young Camel, &c., it is only necessary, in support of our argument, to point io Ballarat, Banker, Ingleside, Reindeer, Narcisse, and other steeplechasers who performed so well over a dozen years ago, or to Sussex, Lone Hand, Left Bower, Game, Simpleton, Denmark, Mernder, Blue Mountain Kangaroo, Royal Oak, and other great performers who have distinguished themselves during the past decade. At present we are not blessed with a superabundance of first-class steeplechasers, and the [paucity of good cross-country horses is attributed to the drain upon our resources made by the exporters to India. The stoutlimbed, well grown thoroughbred, which does not find much favour in the eyes of racing men who believe in quick returns, is generally purchased, by those who aw connected with,
Indian trade ; but under existing circumstances' with a probability of steeplechases becoming more valuable every year, this particular description of horse is likely to be more sought after, and breeders will thereby be encouraged to raise something capable of carrying. 12st across country as well as horses of a speedier type. Sires like King Tom, Sussex, and Sheet Anchor, horses of great substance, will be in greater demand, and we shall hear less of the deterioration of the Australian throughbred. We take it as a healthy sign of the times' that the members of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club were influenced in their determination to raise the Grand National Steeplechase to lOOOsovs by the success which attended their efforts last season. It will be remembered that they then struck out a bold line of their own, and increased the distance from two miles and a-half to four miles. This new departure did not meet with the approbation of several of the owners of steeplechasers, who shook their heads ominously and prophesied a failure. It was bad enough, said they, at three miles, which generally brought most of the competitors to grief, and with an extra mile one horse would come in alone. What was ,the result? The most interesting steeplechase ever seen af Caulfield. ("Augur.") , On Monday next the members of the Victoria Racing Club will be called together to conßideir ' a new rule which seems to have been introduced to legalise entries which are supposed to have been illegal. There are members of the V.R.C. and V.A.T.O. committees who run their horsefe in other people's names, and numbers of others follow their example. I believe counsel' 6 opinion has been taken, and it has been given to the effect that all such entries are illegal. The rule which is to be proposed on Monday is to the following effect: — "Every entry heretofore made shall he good and valid, notwithstanding that the name of the owner of the horse has been omitted from Buch entry." I've my doubts as to whether this rule can be made retrospective. A club may be able to make what rules it chooses, but while they are in force it cannot go outside them. Besides, such a rule as that proposed is not likely to bo conducive to fair and square racing. At present we see men who hold high positions on the turf running their horses in the names of various people, and this rule seems to me to have been framed for the purpose of protecting them. Surely Mr William Pearson, Mr Samuel Gardiner, and other members of, the V.R.C. committee who are averse to racing men hiding their lights under a bushel, are not in favour of a proposal which can have anything but a beneficial effect upon the turf. (" Asmodeuß.") Those who are a bit behind the scenes need not require to be told that there are in existence on the Australian turf anomalies and evils akin to those disclosed at the Gimcrack dinner. They are self-evident to nearly everybody, save perhaps racing stewards, at nearly every succeeding meeting ; yet rarely are the powers thai: be moved to action. This is no doubt partially accounted for by the fact that some of our lead- ] ing stewards are not of the Lord Durham type. On the contrary, certain of their number are notorious gamblers, men associated with doubtful stables, owning horses who run in other I names than their own, and who possess wellearned reputation for all-round chicanery, j Neither do they hesitate to break with impunity the recognised laws of racing by the foul running of their horses. They belong to the most accomplished of turf coupists, and we need go no further back than this season and last for 1 evidence of both their malpractices and their triumphs. This may be thought very sad, i but 'tis none the less true, and the most deplorable aspect of the whole affair is the , slim prospect of a change for the better so long ■as such men continue in power. There are certain jockeys who are also not above reproach, and whose connection with a well known section of bookmakers has aroused grave suspicion on more than one occasion. One jockey in particular will be remarkably clever if he does not j come to grief sooner or later. More than one owner has complained to me of his conduct, and positively assert that they have been largely ' victimised through having their horses pulled when heavily backed. Two notable cases have occurred with the individual in question since the last Bendigo meeting, in both of which instances the horses, piloted by fresh riders, have proved victorious within a week or so of being palpably roped. Another owner declares he was had to the extent of £400 at a suburban meeting within the last month, and in other hands his horse has displayed a marvellous improvement in form. In cases of this description ifc would be well were victimised owners to petition the stewards for an inquiry, as did General Williams with Success and Wood ; then the delinquents would stan,d a chance of meet- j ing a merited reward. Again, it is a mystery j why stewards do not more frequently drop down j upon the " stiff ones " that take part at almost I every meeting. Their dilatoriness in this respect has caused a large team of waitists to be on the gui vive at the present time. Protests are of common occurrence at Hurlingham, and Tuesday's meeting was not wanting in this respect. In the Selling Race Lady's Maid achieved a very easy victory over the field opposed to her, but she was protested I against for crossing Wairarapa in the first furlong, and the protest being sustained she was disqualified and the race awarded to Wairarapa, who left the paddock an odds on favourite. In the 13-Hands Pony Handicap the rider of Grievous, the winner, lost his cap, and the same being handed to him on his way back to scale the trainer of Parvey desired to lodge a protest for infringement of rule 92, but on representing the matter to the stewards he was assured that a protest on the ground named would not be entertained. This would be right enough were not jockeys known to have been disqualified for offences precisely similar to that committed by the rider of Grievous. If I recollect rightly, Cracknell, in order to avoid sunstroke on a very hot day at Wyndham Beveral years ago, received his cap from a bystander while returning to weigh in, and forfeited the race through it. The rule is very explicit on the point; it reads thus: — ."If a, jockey do not weigh in, or be short of weight, or dismount before heing ordered by the stewards, or touch (except accidently) anypersonor thing other than his own equipments before weighing in, his horse is disqualified, unless he can satisfy the stewards that he was justified by extraordinary circumstances." According to the foregoing, Mr R. Mitchell, the trainer of Parvey, had substantial ground for lodging an objection against Grievous, and, despite any irregular action the Hurlingham officials may have taken in the matter, his complaint would in all probability have been upheld on appeal to the V.R.C. Talty clearly violated the rule by accepting his cap from a bystander, and as there were no " extraordinary circumstances " to justify the same disqualification was almost inevitable. For the Hurlingham stewards to have pooh-poohed Mr Mitchell's proposal when he presented himself to lodge a protest was simply to reveal their ignorance of racing law. But perhaps Parvey's trainer is equally blameable for nor persevering with the objection regardless of the, intimation that he received, viz., that a protest on such grour^ds would not be entertained.
Their refusal to do so would not have hindered an appeal to the V.R.C.
Another amusing incident came under observation at Hurlingham. A strong second favourite for one of the pony races was supposed to be a non-trier ; at any rate, orders were said to be given the jockey to that effect. This came to the ears of the boy's employer, a well known trainer, who thereupon interviewed the lad, and told him on no account to pull, but, on the other hand, to do his utmost to win. He ■won, thereby causing grievous disappointment to those who took liberties with the animal in question on the supposition that ib was not a goer. Moral: Never let thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth— especially in regard to pony racing, which is r as the veteran Sir Thomas de Coker would say, •' a funny little game." (" Trumpator.") The Hon. Henry Chaplin, who is spoken of as l'kely to come here as successor to Sir Wm, Robinson, is the owner of the Blankney Stud and the crack sire Hermit. Ho began racing early in the sixties, and was then the man who bought Bredelbane and Broomielaw from Mr I'Anson forll,ooogsinthehopeof winning the Derby. Both these colts were beaten by Gladiateur in 1865; but two. years later Mr Chaplin won the Derby with the now famous studhorse Hermit. This was about the most sensational Derby on record. Owing to his having broken a bloodvessel a few days before the race, Hermit started at 1000 to 15, and it is said that only Mr Chaplin, Captain Maehell, and the trainer saw the horse saddled. The race was run in a thunderstorm, and the victory of Hermit and the defeat of the Danebury crack Vauban cost the late Marquis of Hastings £100,000. Mr Chaplin never seems to have been known as a heavy bettor, but he raced at a time when betting was heavier than it has been before or since, and Hermit is generally supposed to have-been the subject of the biggest wager ever made. When a yearling tho colt was knocked down to Captain Maehell (then Mr Chaplin's racing partner), and the Captain at once accepted an immense bet at very long odds, from the Duke of Hamilton, that the son of Newminster and Seclusion won the Derby. I forget the exact figures, but the Duke afterwards paid a stiff sum to get out of his contract. Of late years Mr Chaplin has not raced much, but the Blankney Stud has always kept his name before the racing public. His interest as an active participator in the sport seemed to lessen after his rival, the Marquis of Hastings, came to grief and died.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 1890, 10 February 1888, Page 23
Word Count
2,202AUSTRALIAN, Otago Witness, Issue 1890, 10 February 1888, Page 23
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