GIGANTIC PRIZES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 42

GIGANTIC PRIZES.

Won by Princes, Premiers, Dukes, and Millionaiues. Whatever opinion may be held as to the morality of hoiee-raciog and betting, few ■will deny that the money prizgs of the turf are umvholesomely large at preaeat. During the past racing season—a little over eight months, roughly speaking — the enormous sum of £000,000 waa given in prizes and stakes. Of this sum Mr H. M'Calmont secured tho comfortable amount of £37,674, the m-.jor portion of this being through the icstrumentality of the all- conquering Isinglass. The present Premier, Lord R>sebery, comes next with £17,206, which includes the amounts gained by Ladas in the Derby, Two Thousand Guineas, and Newmarket Stakes. The Dake of Portland, who is always fortursaU in securing a nice slice of the tujf cake, follows with £11,301, and the Duke of Westminster with £10,939. Sir J. Blundell Maple, whose annual expenditure in connection with racing and his magnificent bresding etad— avast, fortune in itself— must amount to a fabulous sum, only stands accredited this year with £7,765. The Prince of Wales, particularly unfortunate as he is with his horses, has had — for him— a wonderful slice of luok, and, with the aid of Florizel 11, won five raws, worth £3'i99, The winnings of the principal owners, fluctuate in a most extraordinary manner, as the following table will show : —

Mr M Calmont vras at the top of the tree in '93, owing to the prowess of Isinglass, who has during his three years' victorious career won a fortune, as tli9 following particulars of the winnings of the four champions of recent years will show. Donovan in 1888 89 won £55,154, and wa3 then sent to the stud; Isinglass, from 1892 94, secured £52,628 for bis millionaire owner. The Duke of Westminster's Orme stands credited with £32,52G as the result of hla successes in 1891-93 ; and hi 3 sire, Ormonde, belonging to the same owner, and never beaten during his career in 1885-86-87, only won £28 465. But in those days the mammoth £10,000 races did not exist. For instance, his son Orme was nothing like so fine a horse, and yet he won the valuable £10,000 Eclipse Stakes twice ; and Isinglass last year only raced three times and secured over £30,000 1 Tbe progeny of St. Simon have, during the pact six years, won the gigantic Bum of £215,702. Isonomy's descendants, in seven years, have ascumulated £155,538 ; Hampton*, £120,440,- and Galopin's, £124,023. To go in for racing thoroughly a man must be little short of a millionaire, as the numerous expenses attendant upon the sport of kings are almost ruinous, the forfeits alone amounting in some instances to thousands of pounds ; while to have first claim for a season upon the services of a crack jockey a retainer of three or four thousand pounds ha 5 ! to be forthcoming, In addition to the ordinary riding fees of £3 3a for a losing mount, and £5 5s for a winning one. The training expenses amount to £2 10d per horse per week; and then there are the.

heavy entranoa feea and railway fares for the horses and attendants to the various courses ; and these combined soon take the gilt off the attractive sutnß won by the various owners. The formation of a first-class breeding etud will run ihe ambitious nportsman Into anything between £20,000 and half a million. Here are a few price 3 paid for various equlao heroes for stud purposes. Matchbox, wkohas done nothing in particular except get badly beaten, fetched £18,000; Common, £15,000; and his owner, Sir J. B. Maple, has since refused £30,000 for him. ' Doncaster was bought by the Duke of Westminster for £14,000 ; Ormonde, the umoh-eold, clanged hands the last time for £30,000; Blair Athol realised 12.500g5, St. Blaise £20,000, and Kangaroo £12,000 and contingencies.

low. icvi. iova. louo. £ £ £ £ Prlnco of Wales ... <W4 4,118 190 _ 372 Lorclltoseljcry ... I.SS7 — 195 0,/t>s Dulw ofl'ortlnml ... 25.203 5,208 7,338 13,527 Duke of Wajtmin- ]0 C3olond North ... 10,(«t 20.118 15,«K) <>,(>l4 Baron de Hirech ... 1332 2.9!)!) 3:53-3 «.(J7fi Sir J B. Maple ... 4.550 12 GM 17,l(il 30 74(5 Mr H. M'Calmont 928 1,073 8,107 25.131