TALK THE DAY,

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 29

THE DAY.

*^"x"" x" At a recent meeting, not in Ota-go, ibe'o was a rsce in which there were only two starters, and the result seemed to be a foregone conclusion. Yet, to everyone's astonishment, one backer was found prepared to put £100 on the other joker. He get £40' on, and tlun the bell ra»g and be had to &top. For a whilo ha was taken for a madman, bub when tbe hor.-ehe was backirig had lost and the whole thing came to be " s zed up" it; was die-covered that; there was system in his operations. Someone else, presumably a person not present, was sending investments all round to other places, and the dividend was very much larger than it would have been but for the appaieutly erratic proceedings of the man on the course. Some of the investments bore fruit in Duueelin, some elsewhere, and altogether ifc was a gord stroke of "financing," even though nob quite up to expectations. *;t* The coming Now Zealand Cup i-i at present a good race for betting on —more no than usually. The leading peneillers tell me thafc they are doing a steady business with all-round goods. Such is the report of Mr Martin Taj lor among other?. I had a chat with him at the coursing mtebiug, and he assured n>ethat within 10 days he bad booked the following wagers : —300 to 18 Outpost, 300 to 12 Tussock, 400 to 16 Stanmoor, 200 to 10 Webtmere, 200 to 10 Hippomenes, 100 to 5 Prime Warden, £00 to 10 Saracen, 100 to 6 Skirmisher, 2CO to 8 Bcadon-we-11, 200 to 8 Tomprst, ,500 to 9 Visccunl, and 100 to 4 Pega&us. That ib a capital range of

FIXTURES. JUNE. 112-TJnited H.O. (Wel23—Hawkc's Bay. | lington.) JULY. AUGUST. B—Wellington 110,12—Grand National. BEST BECOHDS TO DATE IN NEW ZEALAND. Four furlongs—Sextant, 47fsec, in the C.J.O Nursery Handicap, November 1886. Five furlongs—Forester, lmin lsec, O.J.C. Flying Handicap, November 1886. Six furlongs—Loyalty, lmin 14sec, 0.J.0. First Challenge Stakes, April 1893. Seven furlongs—Ruby, Imin27isec, C.J.O. Craves Stakes, January 1888. One mile—Merganser, lmin 41isec, C.J.O. Jockej Club Handicap, November 1892. One mile and a-quarter—Titbit, 2min B£sec, C. J.C Grand Stand Handicap, January 1887. One mile and a-half—Merganser, 2min 35Jsec| C J.C. Great Autumn Handicap, April 1893. One mile and three-quarters—Waitiri, 3min sseo' Auckland R.C. Handicap, 1887. St Katherine, 3min ssec, Wanganui Cup, 1893. Two miles—St. Hippo, 3min 30£ sec, New Zealand Cup, November 1892. Two miles and a distance—Occident, 3min 50see, Dunedin Cup, February 1892. Two miles and a-quarter—Nelson, 4min, Auckland Cup, December 1885. ! I

Four furlongs—Australian: Bis Bis, 4f sec. Ameri. can Geraldine, 46sec. Five furlongs—Australian: Acme, lmin If sec. American : Dr Hasbrouck, 57sec. Six furlongs—Austra ian : Volcano, lmin 14sec; and Ascotvale, lmin 14sec. American: Yemen, lmin 9|sec. Seven furlongs—Australian: Trieste, lmin 27sec. American : Bella 8., lmin 23isec. One mile—Australian: Boolka, Kingfish, Paris and Bungebab, lmin 40sec, American : Sal vator, lmin 35£ sec. Nine furlongs—Australian: Cerisa and Blue lmin 55isec. American: Teuton, lmin 52|sec. One mile and a-quarter —Australian: Carbine, 2min 7sec. American: Banquet, 2min 3fsec. One mile and a-half —Australian: Prince Imperial, King Olaf, and Megaphone, 2min 35Jsec. American: Lamplighter, 2mm 32f &cc. One mile and three-quarters—Australian : (Jorreze, 3min 3sec. American: Hotspur, 3mia OUs6C Two miles—Australian: Carbine, 3min 28Jsec. American : Ten Broeck, 3min 27Jsec. Three miles—Australian: Trident, smin 252 sec American: Drake Carter, smin 2-isec.

business at fair prices, which represent the ' odds on offer, so far as I can learn, in connection with this race. Speaking of Mr Taylor, I offer him my congratulations on his success at the coursing meeting. He is a plucky and constant supporter of the game, and deserves the double win he has just achieved with Bird on the Wing and Bees Morley.

**# Looking through some old documsnts the other day I came across the pedigree of Blackwood Abdallah, the handsome and useful American-bred trotting stallion whose name has become specially familiar here by the doings of his sons Tommy and Bedale. Out of love for Tommy, a particular favourite of mine, I append the sire's pedigree. Blackwood Abdallah is a dapple brown, standing about 15hd8 3in high, foaled May 1878, bred by Bryant Hurst, Fayette County, Kentucky. The horse was got by Homer, first dam by Blackwood 2 31, second dam by Alexander's Abdallah. This lastmentioned horse was sire of the world-famed Goldsmith Maid 2.14. Homer was by Mambrino Patohen ; firßt dam Sally Chorister, by Mambrino Chorister ; second dam by Blood v Black Hawk ; third dam by Moore's Pilot. Mambrino Patchon waß by Mambrino Chief; first dam by Gano, son of American Eclipse ; second dam by a son of Sir William. Blackwood was by Alexander's Norman, first dam by Mambrino Chiof. Alexander's Norman was by The Morse Horse, eon of European. Alexander's Abdallah was by Rysdyk's Hambletonian ; firab dam Katie Darling, by Bay Roman. There is a lot of fast blood in this pedigree. Homer, himself a fast horse, was out of the dam of Protfcine 2.18; Mambrino Patchen was full brother to Lady Thome 2.18; Alexander's Norman was sire of Lulu 2.15 ; and in Alexander's Abdallah we have the sire of one of the earth's champions. It used to be said of Blackwood Abdallah that when a youngster he could trot without training a full mile in 1.50.

*** " Sir Modred," of the Southland News, has several lecal items of interest. James Lawson, he says, has parted with Matamata, after trying to get a race out of him in almost every possible way. T\ie son of Apremont and Speargrass has passed into the hands of a LimesbonePlainssportsman. Matamata is possessed of considerable pace, but of late has rarely shown it in public, and has therefore been classed as a rogue. The trotting mare Camerine, who won the Maiden ,Trot at the Howell meeting, has found a new' owner in W. M'Raß, and in his hands should at some future day score a win in some of our open handicap trots. A rather nice looking colt by Bverton Lad from the trotting mare Tut dOr looks like a galloper. It may not be generally known, but it is a fact, that Tut dOr can gallop considerably, for I once saw her run a good, race in a Maiden Plate at Lumsden. Banshee is now the property of a Gore owner. She was a profitable mare to Mr Aitken,as she won six races out of eleven starts, which is a splendid v average for a trotbing'horse in thisijpart of the world. She is a good trotter, and I doubt if her late owner will easily find one as good to take her place. I hear that two trotters new to Southland arrived here last week, but I have not yet learned their names. It was ever so. The owners of trotters are the shyest horse-owners under the sun, and take all kinds of precautions to keep their pets from becoming known to inquisitive newspaper men, and those who keep racing going— the guileless public. The hurdle mare Fairy Queen is being qualified with the Birchwood Hounds, with a view, I believe, of competing in steeplechases with Hunt Club conditions attached.

*** The brood mare Fleurange, whose death is just reported, was bred in 1872 in France, where she was a good performer. Her sire, Consul, was even more noticeable on the turf, his numerous victories including the French Derby of 1869. Going back one more generation, we find that Monarque, sire of Consul, was also sire of that " great avenger of Waterloo," Gladiateur, who won the Two Thousand, Derby, Leger, and Grand Prix in 1865, and captured the Ascot Cup the year following. Monarque was also sire of Reine, the Oaks winner of 1872. Fleurange's maternal grandsire, Heir of Lynne, wa9 also a noted horse, if only has having begotten Lord of Lynne, whose son Loup Garou won both Australian Derbies in excellent style. Coming of such sbeck as this Fleurange was an eminently desirable selection for the Middlepark Company to make, bub somehow or other her good qualities have not shone out in her immediate descendants. The be6b of them, so far as I know, was The Jilt, the mare who helped Adamant to win the Dunedin Cup by makingthe pace a cracker for a mile and a-quarter and thus bustling those of the cracks who allowed her to get away early in the race. Longwaist, another of the family, was for a while in the Hon. W. Robinson's stable, bub evenbually found his way to one of the northern distriebs, where I presume he died, since nothing has been heard of him for years past. The Jilt may also be counted the best of the crowd in another way— viz., by producing such a promising filly as Eve, one of Auckland's best two-j ear-olds. Probably this Eve will keep alive the memory of her grand-dam, and others of the family may one of these days follow suit. I can never believe that a mare like Fleur. nge has no influence for good on our thoro ighbred stock.

*** The new rules of racing are now out of the hands of the V.R.C. committee, and will be submitted to a general meeting of members of the V.R.C. for approval. The following are the principal features of the new rules :— The minimum amount of stakes to be given at suburban meetings will be reduced from £100 to £300. The metropolitan radius in this connection is again placed ab 20 miles. There must be at least four stewards acting at each race meeting, and no paid official will be qualified to act aB » steward. If aoy of the fete wards or a stipendiary steward report a case of inconsistent form the V.R.C. Committee may call upon the committee of local clubs to hold inquiry, and, if it thiuks fit, may disqualify. Stewards shall not entertain disputes relating to bets. Jockeyß' licenses are to be taken out yearly. No entry will be accepted with respect to any horse unless such horse be described by name. No person proved to be a defaulter in betting such be allowed to enter or run a horse. If any owner or trainer employ a disqualified person he may be warned off the course, and any person proved to be a defaulter in bets may be disqualified. A sliding scale of jockeys' fees has been arranged as follows : Winning mouot on the flat, tt ike under £100, £3 ; under £200, £5 ; uuder £300, £7 10s ; over £3CO, 5 per cent. Losing mount on the flat, under £100, £1 ; under £200, £2 ; over £200, £3. Winning mount, Jaurdla race and steeplechase events), under £100, £5; under £200, £10; under £300, £20; over £300, 10 per cent. Lo3ing mounts, under £100, £3 ; under £300, £5 ; over £300, £10, No jockey shall have any interest in any wager on any race directly, or indirectly, and any person betting with or for a jockey may be warned off, but under oxcep<

tional circumstances jockeys, who are also trainers, may own horses provided they are trained in their own stables.

! *** There is nothing startingly original in the above provisions — they are corrective rather than revolutionary, and so is the other new rule to which I desire to refer, that viz. which provides that the top weight in any handicap on the flat shall be not less than 9.0 and in jumping races not less than 12,0. The object is said to be to dispose of what are called "flattering handicaps," but the question may very well be asked why such adjustments should be deemed objectionable. What I understand by the term " a flattering handicap " is one in which so many horses seem to have a show that owners are tempted to accept largely and have a run. Surely such a consequence is not so very dreadful as to call for reform. A handicap of that sort may be one of the best ever made. Bub I suspect that the committee mean something more in making the recommendation referred to. They possibly eeek to prevent the passing over of large fields to the light-weight contingent of riders. If so, all who have studied the subject will be with them. Only it occurs to me that the object in view would be more directly furthered by raising the minimum weights, and thus at once strike at the evil instead of as it were merely making a demonstration in the rear. I mention the matter in the hope of doing something to help forward the growing notion that ib would be to the general advantage if racehorses were ordered to carry reasonable riding weights instead of merely nominal burdens. A good horse ought to be able to race with 10.0 without suffering any detriment, and if the weights were raised all round, say by a stone, we should bring to work a lot of our best riders who, under existing arrangements, have to stand down in all but welter handicaps. Thus we should have more first-class horsemen employed, fewer accidents in races, and less of that wretched and unnatural wasting which nob infrequently kills in their mere boyhood lads who, under other circumstances, would grow to be an honour and an ornament to their business. The advantages accruing are indeed bo obvious as to require no advocacy on my pant. All that is needed is that those of us who think this way should keep hammering away until at length, by sheer importunity, we get a hearing from our racing executives.

■ * # * Akin to the above considerations, and of close importance to sportsmen all over the colony, is the question of weights at trotting. The usual conditions are that ten stone is to be carried by horses and nine stone by ponies. Experience has now shown that this is a mistake. I think I am well within the mark in saying that over half the well-known riders who go to scale at Dunedin and elsewhere are considerably over ten stone — so much- over that it is useless for them to try to get down to the weight. Consequently they present themselves as they are, and while there are a few, such as Bob Allan and the Crossans, who come under the ten stone, the greater number have to declare from, say, half a stone to three stone overweight. The average is perhaps eleven stone. Now, would it not be wiser to make the weight carried not less .than eleven stone, and thus give owners a chance of putting their horses together fairly on the terms of the handicap? By present arrangements there are practically two handicaps — one of time, which Mr Dowse or some one else arranges, and the other a handicap of weight, of which no one takes any notice excepting the official whose duty it is to register the weights. The tendency, it seems to me, is to upset the handicapper's calculations and cause any amount of trouble among the investing public. Some may think that a stone or two overweight on a trotter is neither here nor there ; but I can assure them that such is not the belief among men of experience. For a horse that is specially wanted and that has a show there is often a rush for some particular rider who can scale somewhere near the weight. Why not bring in others, and give the eleven-stone menashow ? That would be high enough, perhaps, to fix the minimum for the present. I may remark that a racing man of extensive experience has asked me to mention this matter, and that I am nob simply theorising.

*** The North Canterbury Jockey Club's Trotting meeting was held last Friday in fine weather, but the attendance was small, and only £677 went through the totalisator. The results were pretty well foretold. Mr Lynskey's Midnight 14-sec went out an even- money chance for the Maiden, and got home very easily from The Speaker, doing the two miles in 6min 25sec ; Mr Jardin's -Dorothy 19sec was backed down to a £1 12s dividend in the Ashley Handicap (in harness), and managed to win, though with nothing to spare, as Ida II 26sec got within half a length at the finish, and made the winner show a pace of 6min 7sec ; Mr Martin's Toby II 303 ec beat Polly Plum 6sec very easily in the Rangiora Handicap, tho time being 6min 23see; Mr P. Butler landed the Galloway Galloping Race with a daughter of General Thornton named Lady Thornton, who did the four furlongs in 56sec and paid £1 Us; Mr George's Ida II 36sec led all the way in the North Canterbury Handicap, beating Bideawee lOsec with the greatest ease and paying £3— the time, smin 56sec ; and Me Holder's Fair Nell II 35eec beat Bideawee lOsec by 30yds in the Recovery Handicap, time 6min 18sec, the dividend being £2 10s. The only races that were not won by first favourites were the Novel Race, in which Strathallan beat Commodore through the lattar breaking, and the Dash Handicap, a mile, in which Boulanger 19sec, the favourite, cracked up and Dennis 18sec gob home, paying £6 18s, the best dividend of the day. The stewards made public their opinion that Gentle Annie's performance in the Novel was unsatisfactory, but nothing seems to have been done.

*#* Very lively interest was taken in a special meeting of the Victoria Racing Club, held last week, ab which the V.R.C. Committee was formally challenged by a considerable number of horse-owners upon two decisions recently come to. The firfat was the intention of the committee to retain sweepstakes and nomination and acceptance fees received from owners, which at present go to swell the stakes, and a spirited attack upon this policy was led by Messrs C. D. O'Halloran and H. V. Crassweller. These gentlemen represented that the sum to be impounded would amount to about £16,000 per annum, and they warmly protested that the club should, insbead of taxing owners in this way, retrench its general expenditure, which they maintained was excessive. They also suggested that the Melbourne Cap stake for this year should be reduced to £5000, and the added money for all other rac33 similarly reduced, bo as to cover the financial deficiency. The committes, however, adhered to their determination aa the best in the interests of the club, and on the question going to the voto beat their opponents by 53 to 42. On the second point t'uo owners endeavoured to secure the continuance of the system of fixed penalties for the winners of handicaps instead of, as now proposed, submitting the winners of handicaps worth over £100 (after the declaration of weights) to the discretion of tho club'a

handicapper to impose what penalty he thought rigfib. In this attempt the owners were also declared to have lost on the show of hands, but a ballot was demanded. The whole question created a great deal of excitement among racing men, and the discussion was remarkably lively at intervals.

*#* Danedin horses are not, I am afraid, going to form a very stroDg division among the jumpers of the current steeplechase season. There is not, in fact, an approved steeplechaser amongst them. Bub with a little luck we may land a hurdle race, or perhaps two. The Idler has been entered at Wellington, and may perhaps make one to represent us at the Grand National meeting ; while Poole is almost sure to enter both Rebel and Moonlight for the Riccarton fixture, and will doubtless have a go if the weights suit, and Loughlin has Rothamstead in training for the Maiden Hurdles at the same meeting. That is about the lot that Dunedin can muster in the way of jumpers that have any show at all at outside meetings. Not a very bright crowd, certainly, but perhaps the Southland owners may come to the help of the provincial district by nominating some of those hunters that we occasionally hear of. If any of ■these have any pace at all, they should be able to pay their way in such a season as this promises to be. It is possible that Dunedin may send one or two ,flat-racers up to the Grand National for the Welter. Galtee will bs nominated at any rate, and perhaps Paramu.

*#* The New South Wales Parliament has at length wakened up to the fact that it is not a good thing to have its capital the headquarters of the consultation, and the result is the passing of the Postal Bill, which prohibits the using of the post office as a medium of carrying on these affairs. As the bill ha 3 passed both Houses the new law is already in force. And lam glad to hear of it, for several reasons, the chief of which is that the consultations did a considerable amount of harm to legitimate racing. 'Twas so in this country in the days when "Ada Mantua" and other promoters were collecting from the many and disbursing to the few and charging 10 per cent, for their trouble. I have known owners and trainers forage out the lucky drawer of their horse and tell him straight that unless they were laid so much to nothing the horse would not start; and that sort of thiDg became so common on the other side as to be a regular practice, interfering considerably with the purposes of those concerned about various stables. And, again, there never were such things as consultations for making gamblers of those who cannot afford the luxury. At one time I was inclined to the opinion that the consultation was comparatively innocent, but close watching has led me with others to the belief that New Zealand has been better without it, and I don't desire to see it reintroduced into this colony. As to the ability of the New South Wales Government to enforce the new law, everything depends on whether the authorities are m earnest. If they are, the consultation is dead in one act ; if not, there are lots of difficulties in the way any one of which is sufficient to make the statute a dead letter.

*#* The three-year-old Warpaint, a colt that for ever co long has been going to do something, came out of his shell at the Sydney TattersalTs Grand National meeting on the 3rd inst., and showed himself to be a real workman by gettiDg home in the Flying Handicap with 8.2 up, beating Bel Giorno, a recent winner, the latter conceding 121b for the year's seniority. Other good ones, such as Hero, St. Blaise, and King Olaf were in the field, and the six furlongs were run in lmin 16^sec. For the Winter Stakes, one mile and a-quarter, our New Zealand-bred Florrie 8.9 was most in request at 4- to 1 in a field of 22, which included Wyvern 7.3. But nothing had a show with Grand Flaneur's daughter Gingham 7.11, who led all the way and won easily by two lengths from Lady Trenton 7.5, the time being 2min 14-f sec. Gingham's performance would seem to be a fairly good one, but you can never be quite certain as to these winter results being true. Half the runners are only partially fit, and some of the others probably have thsir ej c on spring events. The Grand National Steeplechase, a handicap of 250sova, three miles, was reckoned a fair thing for Albury's son Albert 1i.9, against whom only 6 to 4 was on offer. Of the six other starters, Tatta ran round, My Jack, Criterion, and Ontario fell—a nice lot of Grand Nationalers !— and the favourite won easily by three lengths from the veteran Bashman 11.2, with New Zealand-bred Recruit 9 0 third. The last-named has surely pretty well earned a spell now.

*k* The Auckland Steeplechase meeting is over, and the favourite double of Kulnine and Norton not only did not come off, but was not near it. What price was ib, say, when the weights came out, that both horses would stait and neither be placed ? Very short odds, I'll be bound. But that was what happened. Kulnine raced himself out in the Hurdles and then fell, and Norton, having a big weight and being not over well, according to what we are told, came to a stop before the finish of the Steeplechase. Bub the results are not to be taken as anything like aa indicition of form. The weathor was bad both days, and true running out of the question. Mutiny, winner of the Hurdles, won his Maiden Plate at Waitara last December, and the same day captured the Clifton Handicap. He was twice beaten by Melas at Taranaki, and also failed bo get home in the Summer Handicap. At Opunake on the 2nd January ho pulled off threa races in the one afternoon, and a fortnight later won the Stratford Handicap and ended a, dead heat with Shiela in the Flying. Going to Egniont in February he won a hack race, but was defeated in another event of the same class, and twico failed to score at Taranaki a little later on. At Patea he annexed the chief event, downing his old foe Melas, who was conceding half a stone, and was beaten in hia second essay during the albernuon. Tho Marton meeting found him twice defeated on about level terms, first by Jack in the FJying and then by Monte Carlo in the Autumn Handicap. At the WaDganui Steeplechase meeting he carried 7 9 in the Winter Oats Handicap and finished behind Musket 8.7 and Kapua BG. That is nob an exhaustive record, for Mutiny has, they say, won 10 times out cf 21 starts this season, but there was no very conspicuons merit, so far aa ,1 can see, in his running, and for the life of me I can't see anything in ib bo make mo reproach myself for not backing him ab Ellerslie. Kapua seemed to hold him safe on the flat, and I reckoned that Criminal wad much better than either if one wanted an outsider. As it turned out, Criminal did not start, and bo uiy recommendation went for nothing, but I still thiuk that he would have had a chance if hu had been shipp9d. He had previously won four hurdlo race 3 since the begimiing of the p.eason, and his runaway victory ove.r Belmont on the second clay makes him out to be a pretty fair horse, notwithstanding the story about his having boen knocked abouc while being shipped at Gisborne. Ib would be foolish to say that ! Mutiny is not a good horee, but even his

warmest admirers would probably not contend that he is quite as good as the result of the race would seem to show him to be. With Kulnine well and the going firm it would take something better than Mutiny to win by 15 lengths. The victory of Despised in the Steeplechase is even more surprising. This horse came from Taranaki way. He won a selling race at Manaia in December and was then sold for £25 , also captured a scurry at Taranaki, and a hurdle race at Bell Block. These successes were discounted by two reverses in about the same sorb of company, 'and then he seems to drop out of sight till the Takapuna meeting in May, where he was second to Belmont in the Hurdles, the latter conceding 141b, and second to Deceiver in the Steeplechase, receiving 71b from the winner. What sorb of^form was that ? Deceiver, at any rate, held him safe. Yet this awful outsider, who had been sold a few days before for £60, was able to fall down and then win from about as strong a field as we shall see tteeplechasing this winter ! Well, that is the eoit of thing that keeps people racing, and we must not begrudge the outsiders a turn sometimes. Despised is said [to be by Cap-a-pie from Mavis, but I can't make out what mare this is. There are two Mavises in the Stud Book, bub neither of them can be Despised's dam. Some halfbred mare, I suppose.

* # * A few years back it was an easy matter to select a winner (writes •• Nemo"), and I remember on one occasion, when writing for Bell's Life in Sydney, selecting 17 winners out of the 24 run at a meeting. Such a feat would be next to impossible now. Then one could take public running and condition as infallible guides, and the morning gallops could be relied on as affording a line as to probabilities. But now a change has come o'er the spirit of the scene, and owners' intentions have to be discovered and men have to be judged even more than horses. Trainers put their wits to work, and sharp wits they are, to hoodwink the handicapper, the early risers, scribes, and the public; and he that can effect an unexpected coup is looked up to and regarded as being particularly "clever" by his fellows. Market movements have to be watched and analysed before anything like a conclusion can be formed. How often do those who make a study of racing ite a horse that they know can cover, say, a mile and aquarter in 2min llsec' disgracefully beaten in some seconds slower ? Sometimes an animal whose form and appearance would justify his leaving the paddock at 3 to 1, goes to the post at 100 to 5 as plentiful as flies at Kensington, and his position at the fioish of the race fully jußtified his place in the maiket. Times out of number when strolling about the paddock one hears the remark that so and so is not on the job, &c, and yet though everyone appears to know that the horse referred to is not going to try, not the slightest notice is taken of the circumstances by those in authority. Is it then to be wondered at that the selection of winners has become a dangerous task ? Handicappers and sporticg scribes are the parties especially selected to be deceived, as through their unwilling instrumentality the public money is brought into the coffers of those who live on the game. In view of such surroundings it is 'a matter for surprise that scribes often get as near the mark as they do, and that handicappers are not trapped more frequently.