IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1952, 23 July 1891, Page 26

IN A NUTSHELL.

—Dispute is turned out at Tapanui. —Billy Sharp is now riding exercise for Jimmy —The Onslow Trotting Olub has been formed |a Greaves has been scratched for the' Mel°^oßenxon has been scratched for the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups. —The losses of Joe Thompson on the Brooklyn Handicap were 23.400a01. — Ohariie Parker, the jockey, is aald to. have be«i worth £3000 when he died. — Eamsge hopes to be walkiDg about without crntohes by the middle of August. —Twenty-three of the 33 Grand National candidates were bred in the Worth Island. — Qouverneur wa3 operated on for a dental affection prior to running in tbe Guineas. —Taken as a body the Epsom Derby candidates of 1891 were voted only a moderate lofc. —When the mail left England (June 13) Common was beiog backed at evens for the Leger. —The richest Derby was that of Lord liyon In 1866. who then won for his owner £7350. — Waitangl was an aged horse when he was running in haok races for Mr Hughes in 1883. —The New Zealand light-weight jockey Ousden hat accepted ft retralner irom Mr W. H. Wilson. —Mr Hungerford has sold lixohange, who will be put to covering duties in the Hswke's Bay diatrlot, — Carbine carries 2i)lb over weight for age in the Melbourne Cup. There are several with 401b under weight for age. —vf he Press says that Mr Tatham is importing from Austmlla the stallion J Henchman, by ABgler fromChrysol te — Bagimunde started first favourite for the Ascofe Stake;, but bis saddle slipped rouud when nearly a mile from home. — Martenhurst, who ran third for the English Derby, was purchased on the following day by Lord who rode Common in the Derby, had hit first mount in 1876, on a mare called Titania, in th |b P^SS 0 r a uießof racing will come into force on Ist October next, without prejudice to existing ««* Lancelot" that the Attel'Pearl oolt engaged in the Hew Zealand Cup <W«SSSS* if* * in**!***.

voted, by a majority of 172 against 83, the bill for reestablishing mutual betting. —The delaying £f the V.K.O. meeting must prejudice the chancai^ of Mr Douglas' horses at the New Zealand Grand National meeting. —The Lowbum Sporting Olub's balance sheet shows a credit ot'£77. The stakes at the next race meeting will be not less than £125. St. Simon iof the Book, who cost Colonel North 2500gs as a yearling, won hit first race at Ascot, the Derby, worth J2oosovs to the winner. By cablegram from London dated 76h lnst., we learn that Mr O. W. Blake, who, under the name of " Augur," contributed to Sporting Life, is dead. — I'he conundrum of the week is Why has the cable man l'-l England made us pay for the item that something or other is irsb favourite for the Liver-P<^-At the Annual meeting of the Cromwell Jockey Club the balance sheet showed that the olub's position had been improved during last year to the extent of &00 —The Duke of Beaufort's Benburb finished second in a field of 13 for the Grand Hurdle Race of £2102 at Auteuil,. the winner being the French horse Augure, w bo. started favourite. —Word comes from Melbourne to the effect tLat Mr S. G. Cook, wtoo announced bW iDteotion to dispose of his racing s.took, has reconsidered the matter, and has withdraws, the notification. —The Natal 3?urf Olub has made it a rule that a jockey is to be fined or disqualified for having any interest in racing, and any bookmaker taking jockey's bets is to ;• V warned off the oourse. —Mr Labouohert, Vent down to Bpsom on the Oaks day. He says be never saw a more orderly and well conducted crowd, and he is prepared to certify that there was not one drunken man there. —The Oaks was not run in fast time this year, for the record was 2mln 54 3-Sieo, as against the 2min J4O 4-sseo of Memoir last year, which constituted a best on record in connection with the race. —The Wanganui Herald states that the yearling colt Ballanoe (by Administrator— Buby 1 ), purchased by Mr N. Grace, of Wellington, at Mr P. F. Tancred's recent sale, met with a fatal aooident last week. Mt . —An Kngliih paper says that amongst those met and defeated by Common in the Two Thousand certain is it that not one behind him, if we except St. Simon of tho Hock, possesses any claims to staying powers. — " Search for the woman " is not a racecourse proverb but it would have applied at Bpsom where Capsicum, one of the starters for the Grand Prize, fell through colliding with a woman as he was "^-Common was disqualified for the Bens Memorial Stakes at Ascot from the fact that the partnership between Lord Allngton and Sir Frederick Johnstone had not been registered 'when the entries for the race eloied. , __ —Sporting Eevlew says that Goodwood, a Hew Zealand Cup candidate, by Ascof— Maid, of Eoeleiton, was in Patea the other day, and he seems to bs getting a rather rough time of it, being backed abowt very freely. —When the last mail left there was a bill before theTasmanian Parliament to legalise the totalisator, From Tasmania the machine will attack and carry vfotoria. Its advance is irresistible, and wheu it comes it comes to stay. —Messrs Stephensou and Hazlett have bought from Mr B. Brown, of the Taieri, the yearling filly by Sir Garnet out of the St. Albans mare lona, imported by Mr Symmons at the same time that Captain Cook was brought across. —At the inquest on Parker, killed while riding in Adelaide on June 22, the jury censured the lesiees on- the Morphettville racecourse (the course on whioh the South Australian Jockey Club race) for not having it fenced on the inside. The Bacing Conference appoiuted a deputation to interview the Bailway Commissioners and ask them to provide better horse boxes and put the fares for racehorses on the same footing as hunters, whioh are allowed the return journey free. — Martenhurst once or twice refused to join his horses at the post for the Epsom Derby, and was the cause of three or four breaks away, and in the single false start that took place Old Boots ran a quarter of a mile before he could be pulled up. —A cure has, it i» said, been discovered for splints, the horse to go on, working whilst the remedy is being applied, and no blemish to be left. The reported discoverer is Mr Browne-Cave, who, it seems, found the materials he uiea in Australia. —The Americans want £25,000 (as a minimum) for St. Blaise, who is now regarded as the moit successful sire in the States, and when put up at auction it is expected that be will realise by far the largest sum that was ever paid for a horse. —At a meeting of the committee of the V.B.C. on the 14th inst, the question of filling the vacancies occasion by the resignation of Mr B. T. Barnard (handicapper) and Mr Harrie Smith (stipendiary steward) was postponed to a future meeting. Colonel North's two representatives in the Derby cut but a moderate figure. Old Boots came in seventh and Simonian was the absolute last. The latter was almost left standing still when the other competitors were descending Tottenham Hill. - Since the institution of the Derby a dead heat has been run on only two occasions, namely, in 1828, when the Duke of Rutland's Cadland won after a dead heat with Mr Petre's The Colonel, and in 1884, when St. Gatien and Harvester divided the stakes.

—The Qippsland horse Burglar was leading his j field iv » race at Ooongulmerang, when he suddenly staggered, and died within five minntes. Tbe only way of accounting for the animal's death ia tbat he must have received internal injuries whilst jumping. ! —Mr I'Anso&'fl Blair Athol and Colonel Townley's Kettledrum, who won in 1884 and 1861 respectively ran tbe Dirbv course in the same time as Merry j Hampton and Ayrshire (2min43seo), and that record hasnot been beaten. Common's time was 2min 56 4-Steo. —Although many foreign horses have competed in the Derby only three have proved victorious. These were Gladiateur (French), , Kisber. (Austro-Hun-garian), and Iroquois (American). Kisber is tbe son of English parents, as also is Gouverneur, who ran second this year. —Mr W. 0. Cullen, who was supposed to be mak- . ing suoh a good thing ont of Oakleigh Park, has filed i bis schedule, liabilities, £36,000 ; assets. £29,000. ! Mr Oullea was the man who took the £1000 to 1 about Bravo for the Melbourne Oup from the late Lawrence Zuoker. — 'lhe Grand Steeplechase de Paris, run on the 3Cth May, was won by the fir«t favourite, Baron Finot's Saida. by Clooher Arisone, carrying 11 1. The French horse Grossman (116) was second and the Bnglißh horse Innisfail (11 6) third. The value of the stake was £1638. —Dan Godfrey, who wa% with the exception of Prtronel, tbe only Musket horse at the Bngllth stud, died recently at Ludwick Hall, near Hat field, from inflammation. The best of his stock have been exported, chiefly to South America, where they have gained considerable fame. —The only betting on the New Zealand Cup that I have heard of during the week is a little supp >rt accorded to Btrepbon at prices varying aocording to clrcums*a'OP». There is not enough business to constitute a market, and a list of prices would be thre^-fourths imagination. —How Olamart, winner of the Grand Prix, is bred i By Saumur or Soukaras out of P> incesa Catherine, by Prince Charlie— Catherine, by Macaroni ; Soukarat, whoae pedigree is accepted, being by Faublas (son of Orphelin) out of Peraante, by Dollar— Partlet, by Birdcatcher. - Tbe total passed through the totaUsators by two Auckland proprietors during the past 8.-aaon amounted to £111,447 10s. Included in this sum is £2122 put through at Manaia and Opunake, in tbe 'iaranaki dUtriofc, which leaves a total of £109,321 10) for tbe Auckland distriot. —Sporting Bevifiw. -Mr Henry Sampson, proprietor and editor of the Heferee. expired after a brief illness from pneumon'a, following a oold contracted at Kempton Park on the day of thedeolslonof the Jubilee Stakes. Deceased, who was only in his 63rd year, was very popular with the itaff ct his paper, by whom he is deeply mourned. —lhe Cromwell committee for the ensuing year comprise Messrs J. Cowau Jolly, Fergnson> Turton, Moss, Danbam. Kane, Mountney, J. Stronaoh, W. Stronach B. Oldl, and T." Huddleston. Mr James Cowan was elected president, Mr D. A. Jolly vicepresident, Mr J. Fergnsnn hon tronsqrer, Mr Jame ■ Marshall seccel ary. and Mr H Hilton auditor. Necklace is expected to produce the first foal of the season abou*. the middle of next mnnth to Castor. *' Old Turfi'e " says that when Dr Boss was in Auckland on behalf the American svndioate he beoarae quite entbu«iait'c over thi* mare, and pronounced her to be the finest brood matron In the world, bar one, the famous American mare Flrenzl.

—Milord la Improving fast and should be as forward aa a lot of them by the time thi Hunt Olub meeting comes round. At present he is aotlng as companion for Wattangi. The IKfcle horse did not have much of a obanc j last season ; he got knocked out in training for the Otago Cup. for whioh he did a gallop ever to muoh better (jhau he showed in the r*QS ftfeUi

—The Imp has broken the spell of 111 luck which has attended his efforts since he became the property of the Prince of Wales by an ea»y win in the De lrafford Handicap at Manchester. The son of Bobert the Devil waa ornamented with blinkers for tha first time, and running generously enough easily overcame the efforts of the evergreen Tommy Tlttlemousd to wear him down. —The Dowager Duchess of Montrose still has at tharp an eye as ever for a horse's good points, or a jockey's failings. Her Grace's retainers, indeed, have no easy time of it ; even Llddiard, her favourite jockey, being tied down by all sorts of instructions before he is allowed to mount. Naturally, he would do much better if he were left a free hand to manage his horse as btst he could, —When D. Munn was in Auokland last summer with Mr Douglas 1 team, says " Phaeton," I learned from him that Strephon was a great gnfferer from toothache, and it was always necessary to rub his gums ( which had been well tanned with oil of tar) before he could be induced to take water. As might be expected, he was not a good feeder, but he may now be rid of tbe ailment. —The opinion of Harper's Weekly:— "A raoe meeting in Australia is as orderly as a tennis tournament, and among the 160.000 people the police have little or nothing to do in the preservation of order- The sense of reserve and personal pride is high in the character of the people. To them racing is a recreation, not a dissipation. It ia as much a part of the life as a fair or a wake was in Ireland 25 years ago." -Anxiety was felt in Melbourne on the 13th. when iD became known that the Bichfield racecourse war flooded, and nothing could be ascertained as to the safety of Mr A. F. Bradshaw, who left Melbourne for his private residence on Saturday evening. All fears were, however, set at rest by a telegram stating that Mr Bradshaw was safe on the racecourse building along with others. Provisions were taken them in a boat. . , . . —Commenting on the Grand National weights, ■' Castor," in the Canterbury Times, says :— " Of the 11 who have been given the minimum in the Steeplechase, Freeman and Ohriatma9 are the only two at all likely to make a formidable ditplay. To sum up, Ahua, Darnley, and Otaleri are the four that at present commend themselves to my judgment, Begina Kulnine, and The Idler are the pick of the handicap in the Hurdle Race, and one of these will probably win." — MrEllery, in foreshadowing the intentions of the clerk of the weather, is represented a» being emphatically in favour of fine weather for V B.C. raoa day. Here's the record, says " Freelance," as I write (Monday morning): - Flemington racecourse under 3ft of water, Bpsom under Bft, Mordialloc unapproachable for miles, barring by boat, and then undiscoverable save by sounding for the grandstands. The gentleman known as Jupifcer Piuvius has thua upset all calculations —Canterbury Times tays that the well-known sire Bundoora has been shipped back to the land of his birth, and will be disposed of in Melbourne. The son of The Peer, who was bred by Mr S Gardiner, of Victoria, it now 12 years old. A brilliant raoehorae himself, Bundoora has left nothing of any note— no horse at all likely to emulate his own tnrf deeds— but some of his progeny have been useful and the great majority of the hacks g«t by him are serviceable animali ; big, atont and temperate. — A very unusual thing occurred at the Brighton meeting in connection with the Southdown Welter Handicap, after the race, whioh resulted in a dead h>at between the Ashgrove colt and Frank.it was discovered that the starter had dropped his flag llmin before the time advertised on tbe card, and the rider of the third horse, Theosophist, at once lodged an objection on the ground that the raoa had been started before the proper time. The stewards upheld the objection, and ordered the race to be run over again —By tho victory of Bueil in the Whitsuntide Plate at Manchester, says the Sportsman, M. B. Blanc has now been credited with this valuable race two years in succession. In 1890, Reverend, starting at 100 to 8 against, won from Orvieto, who was favourite at 11 to 8 against, and St. Oyr, the field om that ooowion numbering eight. Another curious feature of this dual success Ia the fact tbat Ruell is an own brother to Reverend, while a further coincidence may be noted in Mr J. H. Honidsworth supplying the second both this year and last. —A long-familiar face waa, says " Atlaa " mloaed from Bpsom Hill this Derby day. For 30 years Lord Londetborougb has driven his perfectly-appointed and splendidly horsed coach to the great Cookney festival, laden with well-known friends of the literary and theatrical professions. There, on the brow of the bill immediately opposite the grandstand, the popular nobleman exercised open-handed hospitality, and his coach was one of the featurt* of the gathering A severe attack of gout hat compelled bis genial lordship to relinquish his driving for the present. —Common has added another to the eeveral previous instances in which, with odds betted on, the favourite has won the Derby, the others, being : In 1788, Sir Thomas, 6 to 6 on ; 1789, Skyioraper, 7to 4 on ; 1792, John Bull, 6 to 5 on ; 1866, Lord Lyon. 6to 5 on ; 1886, Ormonde, 85 to 40 on ; and 1888. Ayrshire, 6to 5 on. In 1831 6to 4 was betted on Biddlesworth, and in 1870 the odds laid on Maogregor at the start were 9 to 4 ; but they b >th suffered defeat, and another striking instance of the overthrow of a warm favourite waa supplied only last year when Surefoot, with 95 to 40 betted on him, ran fourth.