IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 29

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Wellington meeting turned in a large profit. — Ikey Deen is what they are calling Mr Stead's mare. — Fraternite is turned out for the rest of the season. — Romeo's win was the popular one at Tuapeka. — Pinroße won the chief event at the Wairoa meeting. Prioress, the Takapuna winner, is by Puriri — Voltarina. . -Mr Henry appointed handicappor to the Nelson Club. — Ted Hankino has only two in work— Langley and Armature. ™~Js* D j en scratched for the Taranaki Jockey Club Handicap. — Amateur was sold at Lawrence to Mr Palmer, of Mount Stewart. — Kauri Gum, who won a double atDanevirke is a son of King Quail. — Two Huias racing last week, one at Wairoa the other at Tuapeka. -Merganseris, as I supposed, scratched for the Australian Cup. — A Rubezahl pony named Naiad was sold the other day in Sydney at7ga. — Brin and Wayland have been taken home to their owner s place at Berwick. — The pony Vortex, by Gorton— Fairy, was recently sold in Sydney for 51gs. — Jupiter, the steeplechaser killed at Caulfield, was by Mufti from a Daydawn mare. j ~i Mr v.T ce u n ? nt ' s llorsel lorse Retrenchment dropped dead while being taken to the Wairio course «T7w 'V^S l^ from Wollongong (N.S.W.) , that Heather Bell is under the care of the vet — I hear that Mr H. Craig, piqued at the protest, has resigned hia stewardship at Tuapeka —Mr J. M'Kewan has bought the trotter Dawn, and Caberfeidh also has joined his stable — A Melbourne [cablegram states that Havoc has heen scratched for the Newmarket Handicap — T. Daly has been fined £2 2s for training on. the Geraldme course when not authorised to do so. , — Alf. Ellingham had a leg broken by Dainty falling in the Hurdle Race at the Wairoa meeting. — Late item : Sternchaser was on the 30th ult. aa good a favourite as Carnage for the Australian — Mason and Roherte passed £1983 through the totalisator at Tuapeka, or £IC3 less than last year. — T. Buddicombe tells me that on account of his eyes being so weak he fears he will have to eive up riding. 6 +k~^H ff n re %i ays tbat Philson wUI not in the D.J.C., Champagne. Afraid of the 71b extra I suppose. •

*iT~ r T 9F eswe , U has accepted the proposals of the D.J.G., and will act as starter at the forthcoming meeting. — Correze has recently been fired at llandwick and hopes are entertained that he will stand another preparation. , r, Th ? Bl l m %\ £mi was Passed through the totalisator by Mason and Roberts at Tapanui, or £20l less than last year. — The sum of £61 was taken at the gates at Tuapeka-the first. time, I think, a charge has been made for admission. b — John C. Chappie writes approving of the susr. ration that the D. J .O. should take cognisance ff the bogus races at Maniototo. 6 ™ot — From "Spectator's" notes I observe that Blarney's dam ib Flatter, not Flattery! The co*t is therefore not brother to Cajolery •■■"«»•««* * •~ The . Tua P e 1 k a i Times tells of two softies who fell heavily at last week's meeting One man a miner, dropped £98 and the other £40 — Pennant, by Natator or Sou-wester and therefore New Zealand bred, won th 7' Trial Handicap at Sandowa Park on thSd uit.

— The Albury Club has received with regret the "resignation of the hon. secretary, Mr R. Rutherford. Mr D. Stewart is appointed in his place. — Portsea 10.6 was unplaced in the Anniversary Handicap, one mile, at Williamstown on the 26th, won by Rudolph 8.1. with Goldreef 8.1 second. — The Martini-Henry colt Martindale ran third to Turpentine and Oak in the Selling Handicap Hurdle Race at Nottingham on December 20 — Mr George Smith has sold Johnny Faa to Mr O'Neill, of Wanganui, for £250, and the Otagobred horse has been placed in Willie Butler s — The Cootamundra (N.S.W.) Club compels bookmakers doing business on its course to deposit £30 beforehand, as a precaution against WW — At Kensington (N.S.W.) last month Forest Maid, 21 years old and the dam of six foals, won the 14.2 race, beating the favourite Happy — Sternchaser carried 9.2 and won the Sandown Park Handicap very easily from Best Bower 6.8, Prior 7.3, and Wolf 7.6. The mile was covered in lmin 47sec. _„ . — Mossburn, the two-year-old by Glorious— Aphra, is coming on nicely in James Allan s hands, and will shape better at the Cup meeting than she — Messrs H. Piper and J. A. Connell, the Lancaster Park handicappers, have received an expression of the club's satisfaction with their work at the late meeting. — Domino in his one season has won more than any other horse America has had during the past 15 years. Parole's ten seasons turned in not quite half of Domino's one. — In the London market on December 14 the only feature in connection with future events was the booking of 1000 to 60 and 500 to 30 about Arcano for the Derby. Everybody may not know that at one period. towards the close of Occident's career as a racer an offer of £500 was made for him and promptly rejected by the owners. — Bulletin tells us that the New South Wales Minister for Justice has frightened even the big Sydney totes The biggest ot them declined to do business on the 20th ult. — Captive stumbled at the start for the Lawrence Handicap and nearly came on his nose. He trod on one of his feet in making a recovery, but the result was not serious. — H Ellison, who was find £50 for betting without a license at Takapuna, says that he was only laying doubles, and that he was not infringing the regulations by doing so. — The Canterbury Metropolitan Trotting Association has been appointed to revise programmes and issue permits for the use of the totalisator in the sibter provincial district. — It is reported from San Francisco on good authority that Mr Hugh M/Calmont, the wellknown English sportsman, is about to locate a breeding farm in the Golden State. . — First Shot, winner of the Nursery Handicap at Rosehill, is by Nordanfeldt from Lady Norah, who is now in Mr S. Hordern's stud in New South Wales, First Shot being her first foal. — The Tuapeka Club made an attempt to excludecash fielders from the enclosure at Lawrence, but I am not prepared to swear that the movement was crowned with entire success. — Two or three of the Adelaide bookmakers fined for betting in pubiic could not raise the necessary funds on the day the cases were heard, but Mt Gordon, P.M., allowed them time. . — It is said that the Maniototo stewards signed a stamped agreement binding each of their number to pay back to the club the stakes in the bogus races should he start a horse and win either. — The produce of May Temple, granddaughter of Flora Temple, 2min 19$ sec, all have thin tails and carry them to one side, like their dam, although her seven colts are by five different sires. — Particulars of Highborn's Viceroy Cup victory are to haDd. The son of Grandmaster and Her Ladyship won easily, and carved out the mile and three-quarters in the respectable time of 3mm — Owners are hereby cautioned to look out for a chestnut mare, a trotter, that has arrived in Otago under a' false name. I cannot give particulars, else I would. The mare is distinctly branded. — James Allan has for sale the mare Laverna, winner of the Members' Plate at Oamaru on Boxing Day. She is five years of age, by Taiaroa from a sister to Princess Royal, by Cassivelaunus — Miss King. .„«-.,. — Questions having been askedabout Mistletoe, winner of the Trot at Tuapeka, I may say that she is Otago-bred, being by a Berlin colt out of a grey mare that Professor Sample tried his hand on, named Caller Ou. . — J. W. Want was fined £2 at Warwick Farm (N.S.W.) pony races for leaving the saddling paddock and signalling by means of a handkerchief to the rider of a certain animal in the Unique Selling Race. — Mr A E. Isaacs, one of Auckland s old sportsmen, died recently in Sydney. Krupp, Carbineer, Foul Shot, and Ricochet were among the horses he owned at various times. Krupp was the fellow that made Trenton race. — Mr Robert Jennings, the American vet., says that drenching a horse for bots is liable to kill a horse. He adds that in an experience of 10 years he haß met with but one case in which death could be attributed to bots. — Clarence fenced badly on the first day at Wellington, and Bob Phillips, the Melbourne bookmaker, offered to bet £20 or any part of it, when there were only two jumps to go, that the favourite would not get home. — Employer: "Yesterday you asked for a day off to get married ; yet in the afternoon I saw you coming back from the races." Clerk : " Ye-e-s, sir, I— l was trying to win money enough to pay the preacher, sir."— New York Weekly. — Eli Jellett and T>. Fountain, two well-known trainers, had a quarrel in the saddling paddock at the Caiilfield meeting, and blows were exchanged. The disputants were brought before the stewards, who had them removed from the course. — A strong effort is being made to restore the waning prestige of the old established Chester Cup. To the race to be decided next May 1200sovs will be added, 1000 being given by the Company and 200sovb by the Duke of Westminster. — The term "Johnny Armstrong' 1 is robbed of its allegorical signification, so far as New Zealand is concerned, by the straight riding of the jockey of that name) in his races on Kent. He, at any rate, made no mistake about getting off the mark. — Hundred to four was the price offered in Melbourne about the Newmarket when the last mail left, 100 to 10 the Australian Cup. Fortunatus and Lord Hopetoun for the short race and Carnage and Loyalty for the other were the prime .selections. — Baron de Schickler, the French breeder, recently refused an offer of £8000 for the right of selecting four of his yearlings. Like the Duke of Westminster, the Duke of Portland, and the Duchess of Mkratrose, Baron de Schickler does not breed for tale. — I saw no drunkenness at the Tuapeka meeting, but one gentleman who attended on the first •day expressed himself highly indignant at what he deemed the unfairness of the club. They had eight races on the card, said he, and why did they run only three ? — The Trier, who scored his maiden victory in the Anniversary Handicap at Sydney, is by Trident from Ladybird, by Yattendon from Lady Kingston, by Kingston, and was bred by Mr John Lee. The colt was sold as a yearling to Mr W. Brennan for 115gs. — Queensland Sportsman reports that the brilliant August, a son of July, who showed a rare turn of speed on more than one occasion on the Creek tracks, recently broke his back tendon. The accident means that the chestnut's racing days are at an end. — Goldsborough was represented last season by 17 winners, who won 29 races, the prize money for which was £4676. This makes the 14th season that Goldsborough has been at the stud, during which time he has produced 419J winners, which won since 1579 £61,8^9. — " Rata" telegraphed on Wednesday :—Loveshot hfcs arrived at Riccarton to complete hjs prepaiat'oa for Autumn engagement?. It is evident that Jack Butler has not been idle with him during his stay up country. He looks a real good two-year-old now. — Mr Teschemaker, who had been vice-presi-dent of the South Canterbury Club, is elected president in place of the late Mr E. T. Rhodes ; Mr C. N. Orbell vice-president in succession to Mr Teschemaker. Dr Lovegrove is chosen to fill the vacancy on the committee.

— James Turner, the Adelaide ringman who made himself known by " having a go" at one of the State officials when the books were at the police court on the betting charges, leaves for the old country. It is said he ia worth £8000. His first rise was out of silver stock.

— The Hurdle Race at Williamatown on the 26th ult. was looked upon as a certainty for either The Indian or Nell Cook ; but both met defeat from the patched-up Tongariro, by Cast-off-Peeress, who started at 10 to 1 in a field of four. He was nominated by Mrs C. Rudings.

—At Rosehill (N.S.W.), Utter, by MartiniHenry, carrying 9.3, won the six-furlong Flying Handicap by four lengths in lmin 15? sec. The January Handicap, one mile and a-quarter and 100 yds, fell to All Sorts, by Marvellous, who, under 9.0., got over the journey in 2min lSJsec.

— Mr William M'Culloch, of Victoria, has lost Marden Lass, a mare imported from England by him 18 months ago. She was by Beaudesert (winner of the Middle Park Plate) from Cornelia, by Beadsman from Plunder, by Buccaneer, and was foaled in 1886. She had a foal to Trenton last year.

— Horse World says : The moose is a trotter, and is large, powerful, and homely, with a shuffling gait. A Texas cow is light-limbed, longhorned, and can run like a deer. Query. Would you cross a buffalo and a Texas cow, expecting to get a trotting moose ? Some men breed horses that way.

— Inserted for the benefit of stewards.— lt is said that an American trick much used for stopping a horse in a race is to give him a little common soda in water before sending him to the post. While running the concoction is churned into a froth, filling the nose and throat and choking the horse.

— It is noteworthy, observes London Sportsman, that both Carbine and his three-parts brother, Carnage, are inbred to Brown Bess, by Camel, who is the tap-root of La Fleche and Memoir, and Carnage gets through his sire a cross of Old Fisherman, so there is no wonder that he stays well.

— It may or may not bo of importance to note that, whereas Buddicombe is accused of wilfully losing the Gore Consolation on Specton, in favour of Aldershot, these horses met at the same distance in the Tapanui Consolation, and Aldershot again won, though conceding 61b more to Specton than at Gore.

— Received from Sydney " Form at a Glance," being a tabulated statement of the performances of Australian Cup and Newmarket Handicap horses. This is an up-to-date publication, quite in the front rank of sporting pamphlets, and I endorse the recommendations of other sporting scribeß concerning it.

— Capital nominations have been received for the Tahuna Park Trotting meeting on the 23rd inst. Tommy, Susan, Bedale, Telephone, Berlin, Abdallah, Jane, and Dexterina are about as good a lot as can be got together in Otago, and there are a large number of lesser lights of whom good form may be expected. — The Lancaster Park Amateur Trotting Club continues its policy of big prizes and up-to-date management. It is decided to offer £250 for a Class Trot in harness, two miles, with a limit of 6min, to be competed for at the November meeting, nominations for which will be at the extremely low rate of £1. — Prioress has of course accepted for the Egmont Handicap, and with 7.2 she must take a lot of beating, though somehow or other I hardly favour her to win right out. Rosefeldt is no fancy of mine as a rule, when she has anything of a weight, but for once in a way I am going to select her to win this handicap. — Although the Prince of Wales supports a racing stable of considerable size, the end of the year shows that his horses were only twice returned winners during the season of 1893. Will a fact of that sort impress those wellrmeaning innocents who keep on proclaiming that races are all squared beforehand ? — New Zealand-bred Alcinous, by Ingomar— Corcyra, who used to be trained by T. Sheenan, won the Anniversary Handicap at Deniliquin on the 26th ult., but there is a protest against him. Later on Alcinous ran second to Primavera in the Amateur Turf Club Handicap, and this time Alcinous's owner entered a protest. — At Sandown Park, reports "Asmodeus," there was an organised rush at one of the gates leading to the outside enclosure. Mr Skinner, the club's caterer, happened to be on hand at the time, and going to the gatekeepers' assistance, he dexterously floored a number of the trespassers, and thus effectually put a stop to the intended sortie.

— The Argus calls attention to the fact that Carnage has incurred a penalty for the Champion Stakes. The conditions, which in this respect are new, stipulate that the winner of the V.R.C. or A.J.C. Derby of 1893, or the St. Leger of 1894, shall carry a penalty of 31b, and Carnage's victory in the Victorian Derby places him in this category. — The annual meeting of the Tahuna Recreation Company, called for Monday, lapsed for want of a quorum. The retiring directors are Dr Closs, Messrs H. Gourley and J. Hazlett, but Mr Hazlett does not offer himself for reelection, and Mr J. C Short and the other retiring directors are the only candidates who have been nominated for the vacancies. . —On Wednesday of last week the Australian trotter Honour beat Statesman in a two-mile match at Richmond (Vie), cutting the colonial record to 4min 57sec. The winner had a previous record of smin 343ec. A gait of 2min 25£ sec per mile is pretty fair, but what a lump there is to slice off the possible before we can begin to compare with America. — There is alife-sizedportraitof Flying Childers at Chatsworth in England, with the following certificate : " Chatsworth, county of Derby. Duke of Devonshire, September ye 28, 1719. This is to certifie that ye bay stoned horse, bis grace ye Duke of Devonshire bought of me, was bred by me, and was five years old last grass, and no more. Witness my hand, Leo Childers." — The foals of 1893 at Rancho del Paso, California, number 160 in all, and are principally by imported sires. Thirteen are by Maxim, the only Bon of Musket ever brought to America, of which but four are colts. The dams of thece youngsters are native mares in the main, and great things are expected from the crossing of the blood. Sir Modred is represented by 25 and Darebin by 15. — A writer in National Stockman says : A useful liniment for sprains, rheumatism, and all aches and pains is made by dissolving an ounce of gum camphor in a pint of coal oil. It is good in case of man or beast, and a bottle should always be kept in the barn. It is only through experience that wo learn valuable information, so try this liniment and you -will never be without it.

— In reference to the application made by Mr J. B. Clark to the V.R.C. committee for a public inquiry into the alleged unfair handicapping of Warpaint, Duke of York, and Nelly Bly at the Spring meeting, Mr F. F. Dakin has notified that he is quite aereeable that such an inquiry should be held, and it is expected that the V.R.C. committee will institute an inquiry into Mr Clark's allegation. — Since the first of this year horses three years old and upward are not eligible to start in races at less than six furlonps over courses governed by the American Turf Congress. This rule was enacted at the last meeting of that body, and the original proposition was not to permit races at any shorter distance than one mile, excepting of two-year-olds, and the three-quarter mile limit was a compromise. — To estimate the height a colt will grow to : Take a colt at any time between six weeks and one year, put him on a level surface so that he will stand naturally, then measure the distance from the hair of the hoof to his knee joint, and for every inch or fraction thereof he measures he will be hands high when matured. If he measures 15in he will be 15hds high ; if 15} in he will be 15Vhds high, and so on. — Gorry, who had been refused a jockey's license by the V.R.C, was presenton the Caulfield course at the recent meeting, and was requested to attend an interview with the stewards. He explained that he had retired permanently from the pigskin, and claimed his right of admission as a citizen to any racecourse in the colony. The stewardsappeared satisfied with thisexplanation — at any rate they did not order him off, as was the case at Moonee Valley.

— Mr Justice Denniston does not by any means approve of trotting horses forming part of the property of an estate to be worked by trustees for the benefit of infants. In Chambers last week,

says the Press, an application was made in an estate to dispose of some trotting horses at a valuation. His Honor said he would make the order, as be hardly thought that trotting horses were desirable property to be worked by trustees for the benefit of infants. — A good deal of interest was taken in the operation of Mr Scott's starting machine at Sandown Park (Vie). It was used for the Springvale Welter Handicap, which attracted nine horses. Many practical racing men and horseowners were present, and they were almost unanimous in praise of the invention. The result of the experiment was in every way satisfactory. The horses were quiet at the post, and were sent away without delay to a faultless start. — A writer in the Sportsman contradicts the statement in Sporting and Dramatic News that Hobbie Noble was trained by Ducker for the Derby of 1852. Hobbie was trained by Saunders, far away from Ducker's stable. The horse prepared by Ducker for that race was Chief Baron Nicholson, the property of Mr Dorrien, not Dorian. Chief Baron Nicholson, ridden by Kitchener, finished third to Daniel O'Rourke for the Derby, Hobbie Noble being fourth. — A couple of Australian-bred horses are beiDg hunted in England with the Blackmore yale hounds in Dorsetshire. One is by Uproarious from the dam of Wessex, and the other by Young Angler. Both jump the open fences splendidly, and are much admired for the manner in which they stand off and fly them in place of touching them as the English horses do. The narrow hedge doubles, however, puzzle the Australian hunters, and they sometimes come to grief at them. — Backers, says the Argus, are asked by the double-event fielders to accept the absurdly short price of 250 to 1, and in some cases of 200 to 1, about the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup. How cramped these odds are may be readily seen when it is pointed out that the nominations for the Newmarket numbered 103 and for the Australian Cup 62. A year or two ago the ruling price for this double was 1000 to 1, and the entries were then very little, if any, larger in number. — A very funny little game aliened to have actually occurred at Lillie Bridge (Sydney) racecourse. Coming up the straight there were only two left in it, and there was not more than half a length separating them. The jockey on the second horse, thinking to relieve the anxiety of the leading man, suddenly sang out, "All right, Charlie ; go on and win, I ain't a-tryin'." " Oh, ain't yer, replied the other, "then 'ere's orf," saying which he proceeded to fall off, as his orders too had been of the milking description. — Truth. — Two Australian-bred noraes, Arquebus and Yarran, who were sent over to South Africa some months ago, took part in the Johannesburg Summer Handicap, run on December 23. Both horses are owned by Mr Wicke. They were beaten three furlongs from home, the race falling to Stuart, who won easily from Border Chief and Marco. The winner, who started at 15 to 1, was imported from England a few months previously. He is a four-year-old coll; by Exile II from Flora M'Donald, by Prince Uharlie. — Tapanui Courier regarding the races : Only four bookmakers and one spieler came on the scene, and the club, with the able assistance of Constable Parker, after ejecting the offenders several times on the first day, and preventing them from doing business, induced them to leave the district altogether before the second day's racing commenced. The Tapanui Club can safely pride itself on being the only similar institution in the colony that has successfully coped with the "spieler" and "walking tote" tribe. — The annual meeting of the Beaumont Jockey Club elected Mr W. Phillipps president, Mr T. Bowman vice-president, Mr J. Bennet judge, Mr C. Bennet secretary and treasurer, Mr J. Tyson starter, Mr A. Meikle clerk of course, Mr A. M'Cunn clerk of scales, Mr J. M'Kinnon clerk of totalisator. The programme for the ensuing meeting was approved of. The course has been put in thorough repair, and it may now be classed among the best racing tracks on the goldfields. The committee decided to engage a private detective to suppress the " tote " bettors. — Captain Machell and Judge Robinson are both very ill at Newmarket. I am afraid, remarks the London sporting correspondent of the Leader, that the captain's case is very serious indeed. You would scarcely imagine this to read our papers, but these are incorrect in. their bulletins regarding the invalid's health. The fact is that the daily telegrams from Newmarket come from Captain Machell's doctors, who know that he reads them when printed in the sporting papers. They cheer him up a bit, so it is a pious fraud which does no one any harm. — Rather a novel case of jockeys resenting the interference of the starter is reported to have occurred at North Rockhampton on New Year's Day. In consequence of sonic of their number having been fined for disobedience at the post in the Hack Race the jockeys refused to accept mounts in the concluding event unless the fines were remitted. The stewards, however, were not inclined to yield, and the race fell through. The sequel to the strike was that three jockeys were punished. John Smith was disqualified for two years and James Wilson and James Todd for a year each for improper behaviour and threatening language. — The Wellington and Auckland ringmen had a "rocky" time of it at the Wellington meeting. They went down with a thud for amounts ranging from £1000 to £100. Respecting the Auckland pencillers, it is related of one of them that prior to the meeting, and on the night of the opening day, he was most particular in locking his bedroom door and in taking general precautionary measures against the thieves that break through and steal. But on the night after the meeting anyone passing his bedroom would have noticed the door wide open, and the ponciller's trousers and bag lying on a chair within easy reach of any chance passer-by. — Sporting Review. — Says the Argus : The presence of a well-per-formed horse in the kind of race known as a Trial Stakes, intended to be confined to animals of moderate calibre, has often robbed the race of all interest. In the past we have seen a horse like Spokesman " farm " these races for months at a stretch, care being taken that a race over a certain value is not won. The Sandown Park authorities, with a view to bringing horses of the Grand Brig stamp on something like a level with those whose performances are not above mediocrity, have decided that in connection with the Trial Stakes the winner of any handicap shall carry 71b penalty, and of two or more handicaps a penalty of 121b.