IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1989, 7 April 1892, Page 28

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Dormeur has arrived in Melbourne. — A trotting club has been formed at Akaroa. — The Linwood down south is a son of Duntroon. — Lady Zetland has a 51b penalty for the Great Easter Handicap. — Beaumont nominations are above the average in point of quality. — Tho cash-fielders' petition to the D.J.C. is printed in this issue. —If Sam Loates can get a license he will probably ride in America. — Mr Stead's apprentice, James Cotton, jun., has rctume'd to his service. — There is a yearling in Yankeeland that was got when his sire was 32 years old. — An American jockey was recently fined 50dol for not persevering for third place. — Schoolgirl wou three events at the Greymouth Trotting meeting on 23rd ult. — I hear that Mr D. O'Brien took L2OOO from the books over Florrie's win at Flemington. — Mr E. Eraser's chestnut colt by King ColeRosalind has been very happily named Royal Rose. — Galtee was intended to be nominated for South Canterbury, but the letter did not arrive in time. — Mariner and La Rose are among the nominations for the chief events at the Wellington meeting. — Hopes are now entertained that Tournament, Sir Modred's big American son, will stand training again. — The Dunedin books are offering from 100 to 4 to 100 to 1 on the double of Great Autumn and Easter Handicaps. — Cinnabar is now running in Mr A. Brennan's name, and is one of the seven nominated for the Riverton Handicap. —Mr P. Campbell's Engagement, sister to Martini-Henry, is now actually on her way from Canterbury to England. — The sum of L 2983 was passed through the totalisator at the Greymouth meeting, or about LSOO less than last year. — Brown Bess, by St. Leger — Cantiniere, won the March Handicap, one mile and a-quarter at Warrick Fa~rm (N.S.W.) — The suggestion is made that the V.R.C. should rename one of their races the Carbine Stakes, in memory of the champion. — Mr Dowses handicaps for Beaumont are in print. All in, I like Lady Mab in the Flying and Milord for the chief event.

— Plumpton Park races take place on the 14th inst. What about Magpie for the Hurdles and Bay King for the Handicap ? — Count d'Orsay is top weight in the Fairlie Creek handicaps. Mr Dowse gives him 9.5 in the Cup and 9.7 in the Easter Handicap. — At the Hawke's Bay Trotting Club's meeting the principal event, three miles, for 50 soys. was won by Tommy in ismin 57 l-ssec. — Mr A. M'Lean, of Hawke's Bay, has made Mr P. Butler a present of a two-year-old filly by General Thornton, the half-brother to Lochiel. — One of the horses entered at Albury is Mr Elser's Lough -Neagh. That was the original name of the great Fishhook, Dunedin Cup winner.

— While running to -within a few yards of the winning-post at Gustenburg (U.S.) a horse named Kentucky Ban dropped dead from heart disease

— Sporting Standard . gives out that Mr D. O'Brien does not intend to return to New Zealand, but is looking out f° r suitable stables in Melbourne. „_ '— The chief performer at the Taranaki meeting ■was Prestige, who is by .St. Leger out of IHulu's dam, Fame. The full report is not to hand in time for this week.

— Joe Thompson was the bookmaker who laid Colonel North the fancy wager of L 30.000 to L3OO about the treble — Waterloo Cup, City and Suburban, and Jubilee Handicap. — A pony 12hds 2in was recently matched in England to trot 15 miles in au hour. The little fellow won with 18sec to spareand without making a break in the whole journey.

— A convict of the Indiana penitentiary hit the nail on the head when asked how his downward course began. He said it began in trying to beat 2min 40sec with a 3mm horse.

— My attention has been called to the fact that at the recent D.J.C. races fractions of a shilling were not paid in the dividends. This is following the rule of many northern clubs. — That smart filly Trieste is doing good work at Randwick, and will very likely render Mr J. B. Clark's team valuable assistance during the approaching meeting at Randwick. — The French Government is keeping a firm grip on racing in the neighbourhood of Paris. For the coming season 222 days' racing are announced instead of 29K as last year.

— A writer in the Star figures out the fact that at Palmerston, owing to the small dividends and the retaining of the sixpences, investors really paid rather over 12J per cent, to the totalisator. — At a meeting of the Wellington Racing Club the disqualification of Messrs Yuille, Nathan, and May by the Wanganui Jockey Club was deferred pending the final decision of the latter on the subject. — Reprisal 9.8 ran unplaced in the Mentone Handicap on the 27th ult. won by J5 8.3. The W*ans;anui-bred Waiter carried 10.10 to victory in the Steeplechase, beating nine others,- including Orangeman 12.7. — Random" writes :— " A friend of mine, who visits many of the country meetings, assured me that he has seen the notorious Williams laying totalisator odds at one of the " bush" gatherings in Hawke's Bay." — The growth of racing in the United States and Canada is shown by Goodwin's Guide for IS9I. During the year 1891 there were OSlil races decided in the United States and Canada, an increase 653 over 1890. — Along paragraph written by our Melbourne correspondent was reprinted by a Sydney paper , without acknowledgment, and nowflia-; found its way into aj»northern journal, which mentions the Sydney paper as its authority. — " Nominator " writes to an Oamaru paper protesting against Melton being permitted to run ' in the district race at the N.O.T.C. meeting. If JVleltc n is owned and trained in thu district why have to ask permission to run?

— Mr S. Mercer has added to his stable a nicelooking black mare named Rondinella. by Idalium out of the Tattler mare Fawn. Rondinella raced at Ashburton last season as a six-year-old, but did not gain a place in her two ventures.

— Artichoke, one of the Morphettville stud matrons, was recently found in a paddock with one of her legs broken, and she had to be destroyed. Artichoke was by Newminster from Celery, and was the dam of Vegetarian.

— The New Orleans officials have appointed a patrol judge, and have stationed him near the turn into the stretch, where he can watch forsuch of the strong armed jockeys who usually do their pulling at or near this iioint in the race. — Mr Dowses handicaps for the Taieri meeting appear in this issue. The winners are not easy to find. My first fancies are Leinster for the President's and Langley for the Flying ; but a formal tip will appear after the acceptances. — A new system of shoeing horses has recently been invented in England. By it the iron shoes are fixed to others made of sail canvas, which are then cemented to the hoof. Shoes fixed this way have been worn < uito thin without niovintr.

—'t 1 were aske at present to name next year's Derby winner (writes "Ajax") I would have no hesitation in fixing on Autonomy. Camoola is undoubtedly a brilliant colt, but I think Autonomy will be found the more reliable. — Natatorial, Howai, and Nat, three winners at Manawatu, are by the Derby winner Natator, one of Traducer's many worthy sons. It will be many generations ere the Traducer blood loses its prominence in winner's pedigrees in New Zealand.

— Says ' ' Beacon " : "That there should have|been a run uppn Hermit and his progeny is, of course, no surprise ; but it will rather astonish the breeding world to learn that no fewer than 251 foals were born to him, his sons and grandsons during the season of 1891." — During the hunting season which opens on Saturday Mr Petre (the master) will ride Pahau ; Jack Poole, the huntsman, will use Pioneer; and there are to be two whips — Jim Allan on the old leaner Kangaroo and Jim Campbell on a nice grey called Bluelight. — The Canterbury Trotting Club is supporting the Owners' Association, but on the other hand Lancaster Park Club seems inclined to be independent, and as a consequence it has been resolved by the Owners' Assooiation not to nominate for the Easter meeting. — At Mr Yuille's sale in Melbourne on the 21st ult. Mousquetaire, the two-year-old brother to Zalinski, was paraded, but there was no market, and he left the ring without haying elicited a bid, it being quite evident that nothing but a very big figure would lead to a sale. — From a casual glance at the weights for fchc Auckland Easter Handicap I should think that Cynisca, Morion, and Queen of Trumps are a likely three, and Kate may have a say in the Steeplechase ; but there are several in the jumping race of whose condition I am ignorant. — Ireland is to have a trotting association, a corporation to be known as the Irish Trotting Association (Limited) being in the process of formation, with a capital of 17,000d01. The track will be built near Dublin, land having been rented from Lord Ashtown for a long term of years. — Some heavy fines were recently levied at the Redfern (Sydney) Court for totalisator business. The parties' fined were William Slowgrove, of Waterloo, LSO and L 3 3s costs ; Joshua Aftithews, L2O and costs ; and John Rowan, LSO and costs. In the former case notice of appeal was given. — According to a correspondent of the Weekly Press, Mr S. Powell has practically decided to decline any negotiations with the D..1.C re the startership, as he does not approve of the terms of the club's resolution. He will only start for one meeting for the C.J.C. unless better terms are given. — There are now eight Australian stallions in service in California : Darebin, Sir Modred and Maxim, at Rancho del Paso ; The Hook, at Santa Anita : Plenty, at Mrs Wolfskill's ; Suwarrow, at M'Donough farm, near Palo Alto ; Oat Cake, at Colonel H. I. Thornton's, and Trade Wind, at San Simon.

— Professor Landsberger, the well known sculptor, has been commissioned by the College of Agriculture of Berlin to make a statue of the celebrated English racehorse St. Gatien, which was bought some months ago by Count Lehndorff for the sum of 280,000 marks for breeding purposes, and is now in his stable at Graditz. — The Ngaruawahia meeting proved disastrous to some of the pencillers. A well-known firm of Auckland bookmakers got hold of the wrong combination, another was stone broke, and three Maori gentlemen who have developed into layers of the odds produced empty satchels when called upon to settle up. — Waikato Times. — A certain horse was entered as the property of a lady for last Caulfield meeting, but before allowing the animal to start the stewards insisted on the lady making a statutory declaration that the horse was her absolute property. The Australasian adds that this practice will probably be adhered to in all future cases of a similar kind.

— Sydney Bulletin has this paragraph :—": — " Lord Knutford : " Hum ! Those New Zealanders want a Governor. Let me see. One of the bonds that bind, &c, is the horsiness of the colonies. Eureka ! Glasgow's uncle sold 'em Musket. Ho ! there, vassal ! Telegraph to old Glasgow and ask him how he'd like to be Governor of New Zealand."

—At Mordialloc (Vie.) on the 22nd ult. the New Zealand gelding Maribyrnong , although in possession of a b^dly bowed off foreleg, found uo difficulty in beating the feeble field opposed to him in the Hurdle Race ; and Ihumata did a big thing in the 14.1 Pony Handicap by winning with 10.10, doing the five and a-half furlongs in lmin lOsec.

— From Taicri Advocate : — " Mr O'Donnell has Knockhaspie in training again, and she will probably be a starter in the Maiden Plate at the forthcoming meeting of the Taicri Amateur Turf Club. Mr J. Christie, jun., has in training Le Roi, Tangi Maid, and Johnny. Le Roi appears to be getting all right again, and is in good condition."

— A correspondent of the Philadelphia Record writes to that paper : " Your argument in favour of starting the horses by the word in preference to having the drivers sight a flag, goes without saying. The idea of taxing a driver to sight a fla£, when ho needs all the sight he has to keep Ins position, and his horse on his stride to get away, is not practical at all."

— The following sentence, written by " Asmodeus," relates to James Cotton's recent win : "The New Zealander is a vigorous and fearless rider, and in addition to riding a good race on the winner he gave further proof of his horsemanship by a splendid recovery he made on Boulevard jerking him out of the saddle in hitting a fence opposite the grand stand." — The Riverton Club has not been overwhelmed with nominations, but as the horses entered mostly belong to the district or somewhere in its vicinity, and are doubtless nominated with the idea of running, there should be some good sport. I would sooner see a race meeting of this kind than one at which there were hosts of entries for novel trots and such like apologies. — New South Wales-bred Ascot is making his mark in the North Island. That good horse Norton is one of his get, and among others that are coming to the front is a six-year-old gelding named Entry, who won two of the chief events at the Manawatu Hack meeting last month. And it must be borne in mind that many of Ascot's stock are from unfashionable mares.

— Mr E. Gates (writes the Ashburton correspondent of the Weekly Press) has come to the conclusion that Lady Mannlicher is scarcely an appropriate name for his Maxim filly, though Mannlicher might do for a colt. He has, therefore, acting on the suggestion of a friend, decided to name the filly Catherine Wheel. The Le LoupMiss Kate yearling filly is named Kitty Wolf. — Isaac Murphy, the American coloured jockey, is more in harmony with his horse than any man I ever saw in the saddle, says an observing writer. Jockeys are notoriously ungraceful riders, but he is grace itself. Stoval, another coloured rider, utterly no account as a man, is also a natural horseman. It was just born in him to ride, and he is as light as thistledown on a hoyse's back. — The breeding of thoroughbreds is carried on by J. B. Haggin, Sacramento, Cal., on a truly colossal scale. The foals of 1891 number 123, the get of 14 stallions. Their paternity is due as follows : Sir Modred 23 colts and fillies, Darebin 22, Hyder AH 18, Hidalgo 13, Joe Daniels 10, Warwick 7, Johu Happy 6, Ben Ali Florentine and Tyrant 5 each, Midlothian 4, Kingston (imp.) 2, Kyrle Daly 2, and Dutch Roller 1.

— The nice little sum of LBO.OOO was handed over to the charities of Paris by the Racing Committee last December. Two per cent, of the bets on the races always goes to the charities of the districts in which the races are held. This LBO.OOO represents the percentage on the bets made between June 2 and December 31, a fact which shows that the amount of the bets themselves must have reached nearly L 4,000,000.

— The question " Can a man look at a horse and be a Christian ?" is answered thus by an exchange : " Well, that depends. If a man is only a little bit of a Christian, has religion badly put on with a poor glue, he might lose it in a crowd at a horse race, especially if he bet on the wrong horse. But if he has the root of the matter in him, he will be like the old prophet who watched the driving of Jehu, just as good a man then and there as ever."

— Two horses have recently arrived in Melbourne via India from England, and are for private sale. Guignol is a bay horse, bred in 1888, by Sterling from Marionette, by Adventurer. His companion, Meadow Queen, was bred in the same year, and is by Onslow (full brother to Idalia — by Cambuscan from Dulcibella— dam of Sir Modred, Cheviot, &c.,) from Emmeline, by Kisber from Evelina, by King Tom from Agnes, by Pantaloon.

— An American who had several times backed a certain horso, and noticed him finish always behind, although he generally ran in the lead in the early part of the race, approached the owner and said, "Why don't you change your horse's name and give him a more appropriate one ? " "I don't know," was the reply. " What would you consider a more appropriate one? " I'd call him Regulator." said the first speaker- "Why so?" "Because I notice all the others go by him ! "

— At Woodville (H. 8.) races the Maiden Plate was won py Florrie, dividend L 24 16s ; and the Hurdle Race by Kahau, paying a dividend of L6l2s. Roger, who finished second, and his jockey were disqualified for three months for suspicious running. The Jockey Club Handicap, one mile and a half, was won by Brookfield 8.4, with Osman 8.6 second and Repose 6.13 third ; dividend, LlO 16s. Lady Play won the Members' Handicap, Lady Isabel the Flying, and Claude the High-weight Handicap.

— Quite true, as a recent writer remarks, that it is good contests, and not good time, that make racing a sport, whether that sport is conducted in June or in November. Not one man in 500 who attends the races has any idea of how fast horses are racing until the official figures are hung out. If it is veiy fast, why there is a bit of extra enthusiasm thrown in ; but a race run in 1.40 could be hung out as having been run in 1.42, and the crowd would lie cheated out of a little enthusiasm — that would be all.

— Late advices say that the recent spell of rainy weather has been a matter of anxiety to Sydney trainers. The condition of the tracks has precluded the possibility of sufficient fast work, and the chances of several fancied horses will not be at all improved by the compulsory rest they have been indulged with. This should be the tip to field over the Sydney meeting. Nevertheless, something must win, and I should think that Florae ought to have a, say in the Doncaster Handicap and Highborn iv the Cup. — " Ribbleden " tells us that a consignment of 5400 ft of specially prepared ribbon of various colours, with the letters "V.A.T.C." woven in the material at intervals of 6in, has been imported by tho V.A.T.C. executive. The utilisation of this material for members' tickets will, it is hoped, circumvent the unscrupulous persons who occasionally obtain admission to the Caulfield course and members' enclosures on the strength of a piece of ribbon of the right colour being displayed in their button holes. — A horse-jockey in Aroostook County, Me., U.S., repented of his sharp practices, joined the church, and announced that, if he had taken unfair advantage of any one in a horse trade, he would be glad to square things by paying the difference in cash. It was scarcely daylight the next morning when a neighbour, who considered he had been " roasted " in a trade with the newly converted jockey, made his appearance at the latter's door, remarking that he had " come early to avoid the 'rush." The jockey promptly settled the case.

— The Byerly Turk was brought into England in 'the reign of William and Mary, by Captain f" perly, whose charger he was during the whole of ing William's wars in 1689, in Ireland. This noted horse and his owner, Captain Byerly, narrowly escaped capture on the banks of the Boyne in the last brilliant charge made by the Irish Dragoons, which broke the English lines and retrieved the fortunes of the day for the unfortunate James. The Byerly Turk escaped unscathed, and became one of the most noted of the founders of the English racehorse. — A couple of sentences from the Canterbury Times :—": — " Bookmaking in New Zealand has fallen on evil days, and much of the business that remains has drifted into the hands of people who have no especial claim upon our esteem ; but we believe that the Dunedin pencillers compare very favourably with their contemporaries in other parts of the country, and it is a hard fate which has selected them as the first sufferers from the new crusade. Whether they will still manage to evade the law is a question which we must leave to time and the police." — " Asmodeus " says : — "A sub-committee of the V.R.C. are engaged in framing the programme for season 1892-93. While certain alterations and innovations will doubtless appear in the new manifesto, I don't suppose anything will be attempted of a sensational character. The cutting down of the Melbourne Cup from LIO.OOO to LSOOO was considered not at all unlikely, but even those who originally opposed the increased subsidy arc now adverse to any reduction, so that there is not the slightest likelihood of the conditions of the big race of the year being interfered with."

— "Wimmera," in the Australasian, records the following incident : — "At n race meet- : ng held recently in Victoria, a well-known jockey was going out when tho owner observed, 'We haven't 'backed him, N ,' 'Ye'av'nt!' said the jockey, in astonishment. ' Well, I tell ye, I have.' ' That's a silly thing to go and do without speaking to me,' said the owner ; ' what aye you going to do?' 'Going to \yin,' was the prompt reply, and he did. The activity of that owner in taking even money where he had formerly turned up his nose at 8 to 1 was worth witnessing." — America is the land of big things, and the latest move in the matter of thoroughbred breeding is that three prominent Chicago sportsmen— W. T. Whiting, E. J. Johnson, and George Hawking—have left for Europe, where they will spend some time and much money in purchasing the best racing ,and breeding stock that can be found. Among other animals which it is stated they will try to secure is Ormonde, which was sold by the Duke of Westminster to the South Americans for the great sum of L 14.000. It is the intention of these gentlemen to establish the largest turf breeding establishment in the world. — Says Turf. Field, and Farm :— " The peculiar names often given to racehorses has been a subject which has given rise to much comment, and many strange incidents have frequently been the means of suggesting names. If there is any merit, however, in originality in racing nomenclature, it remained for W. Timmons to claim it, for his three horses Seven, Forty, and Putman are certainly named after an original fashion, and it is reported that Mr Timmons is endeavouring to purchase the horse Brooklyn, in order to complete his idea, which is that his horses' names should indicate his place of residence, viz., 740 Putman Avenue, Brooklyn !" — The conduct of a well-known jockey at present under disqualification in being present in the paddoclc at Flemington during the recent Autumn meeting was reported to the committee of the V.R.C., and that body has decided that the jockey's period of disqualification should be extended for an additional six months. It has often been noticed, says the Argus, that disqualified persons appear, not only at headquarters, but on many other courses where they have-no right to be during the time of their disqualification, and the V.R.C. has now determined to take action on kucli cases as may be reported to them. New Zealanders should read this paragraph and remember it. — A certain handicapper was said, some years ago, to have bought a two-year-old that had never run, for the sole purpose of entering him, under a feigned name, for his nursery handicaps. He always, gave this colt the heaviest weight. Au owner, therefore, ou looking at one of his two-

year-old handicaps, would see that the highest weight was a heavy one, and that his own horse was weighted, perhaps, 101b lower than he had expected ; nevertheless, the most highly weighted horse that had the ghost of a chance was in reality also weighted 101b lower than he would have been in the absence of the handicapper's own horse, which was to all intents and purposes a mere dummy, as he was never intended to run. — Saturday Review.