IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2215, 13 August 1896, Page 33

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Stockfish is turned out. — Beadonwell's fee is fixed at £5 ss. — The English Derby next year will be run on June 2. — Nora Creina, of Tasmania, has gone into Brewer's stable. - ••. ... — Koha, in the same stable »s Reka, is being nibbled at for the Melbourne Gup. — Captive wbb taken to Chrlstchurch .<Jh Tuesday morniDg by Ted Httnkins. — Adam King got a nasty kick on the knee the other day while doing up Silverstream. — Bombshell has left for England by the Rimutnka under the care of Mr Frftaks, seor. — The Cromwell Tradesmen's Club has decided to hold a meeting on October 9 : stakes £50. . — Summerlea was recently bought by Mr W. T. Jone*, who is now iv England, for £200. — Hova has apparently closed his racing career, as he U advertised to stand at a fee of 25gs. — A'ec Taylor did not consider Galway good enough to ucminate" for the Caulfield National. — Mr Higinbotham's Lucifer won the South Canterbury Hunt Club's Steeplechase last week. — "Brickey" Colley's death, at Brisbane was due to the bursting of a blood-vessel on the brain. — The Niagara mare Laura, who was recently sold for 200sovs, will beseut to Western Australia. — M. Ryan, who still has Stimulant in training, has now got his damaged foot pretty nearly right. —If photographs are reliable, Persimmon's shoulders are heavy in comparisoa with his quarters. — The late Mr Charles Penfold, who was about 55 years of ige, was the son of a clergyman in Gloucestershire. — The V.R.C. improved its position last season by £14,500. TheTe was a profit of £9748 over the Spring meeting. — Mr Dan O'Brien's Loyalty has wrenched a fetlock so badly that it is doubtful if he will stand another preparation. —At Ballurat last month Tom Wilson obtained a verdict for £256 against Mr E. Rowlands for training tbe horse Vigour. — The London correspondent of the Melbourne Age says Maluma is unlikely to race in England, but will go into the Gobham stud. — Leyland, who unexpectedly won the Plying Handicap at Mentoae on the 25th ult., is about the only horse by St. Albaus racing now. — Occident's half brother Devon is looking big and well in Melbourne, just as he ought to be for beginning his preparation for tbe spriDg. — The lot that please "Martind»la" best for the Metropolitan are : Bob Ray, Ruenalf, Toreador, Treathain, Nada, Tire, Survivor, Ellengerah, First Shot.' Akarini. — The' Ashburton Hunt Club's Point-to-Point Steeplechase resulted in an easy win for Mr Cla«dge'B Dagmar 10.7, with. Lewis 13.10 second and Skylaik 12.10 third. — Wolf, by Commotion— Quality, once trainedinDunedin, won'the Glehara Handicap with the top weight of 9.9 at the Oaklands (Victoria) Hunt meeting on the 25th ult. — It is now considered certain that Melodious, the dam of Wallace, is in foal. Mr Wilson has had three cablegrams from England asking him to put a price on the mare. — The South Australian hone Forward Btarted second favourite for the Johannesburg Winter Handicap, but is reported to have run very badly in the hands of J Stevenson. —Up to the finish of the Ascot meeting in June the list of English winning stallions was headed by St. Simon with £13,640 ; next coming Serf £9187 and Galopin £7897. — Nipper, who accounted for the Woodlands Amateur Steeplechase at Moonee Valley, is a wonderful little fellow, only about 14hds 2hihigh, but as clever as a cat in his jumping. — It has been estimated that during the season which closed at the end of 1895 the value of trotting-bred horses exported from America reached £540,000' 0f English money. — Nouveau Riche, winner of the North Derby at Newcastle-on-Tyne, cost 180cs as a yearling, and had as previous wins the Dee Stakes at Chester and the City Bowl at Salisbury. — J. Loughlin is taking up Nomad this week. That will make a team of six ; the others being Casket. St. Cloud, Missfire, the filly by St. Clair— Mistral, and the filly by Medallion— Huguenot. — According to Sporting Review :Jonn Flanagan, bookmaker, has been disqualified for life for using grossly insulting- and abusive language to i the stewards at the Johnsonvilla trotting meet-

ing — " Caspian " is responsible for this paragraph : It is rumoured- that' the'A;J.C intend gr*ntiuß licenses only to jockeys that are married and to thoEC, "mar. fed or single, who are engaged in stables. — Rita, with £313 odd, is, accordingto "Pentagraph," at the head of winning trotters for last season, and Opossum follows with £235 odd. Mr H. Mac* very properly tops the list of ownetsvrith — Broken Hill, who appropriated the Australian Cup in 1894, won the Trial Stakes at South Australian Tatteraall'e meeting on the 18th ult., and will not run again until the Melbourne Cup, in which he baa 7-12. • „ , -*, — Bare Jou reared u» before starting for tbo

2mln 19? Ec class trot at Combination Park, Boston, last June ; the sulky ran under him, and he turned a complete backward somersault, landing on his feet uninjured. Next 1

— During the four days of Ascot there wera 200 ! starters. The days for big fields at Ascot seem to have been in the " sixties." In the year 18^4 no fewer than 385 horses ran at the meeting, giving an average of 96 per day. ...... i — Late papers from Melbourne report that the ! Caulfleld Cup was receiving some attention. The Parluienne has been backed at 1000 to 35, Beau Brummel at 1000 to 30, Saddle-up at 1000 to 30, Boston at 1000 to SO, and Wait-a-bit at 2000 to 50. — T. Loates still had a lons lead on the list of winning jockeys when the mail left, his total successful mounts being 69. Cannon has rapidly improved his position, his total winning mounts beiug 49. O. Madden and F. Allsopp come next ; with 41 each. — It is reported in the Canterbury Times that H. Peters would not ride Austral in the Wellington Steeplechase because somebody had dreamt that the horse would fall and Mb rider be killed. Austral did fall, but P.. M'Grath, who was on him, escaped injury. «« Peeping Tom " states that Mr E. Monson has offered f. Scoles his horses Gnatmark and Young Lady Constance to train for the forthcoming Beason. but no definite arrangement has yet b?en made. Young Lady Constance is by Sllvermark from Lady Constance, by Gorton from — There being a lot of talk in Australia about Smith's smart remount at Caulfleld, I wish to chip in with the remark that I once saw Horace Lunu como down with Clarence and get back into the Baddle with the umarttiess of a circus rider. It was in the Auckland Steeplechase won by Chandler. — John Porter was born in 1838 at Rugeley, the town In which Falnier, the infamous po'soner, resided and practised as a medical man. He was first apprenticed to J. B. Day, but was afterwards transferred to W. Goater, and looked after the famous Virago, whom he considers the best mare he ever knew. , ' — Yarran, who went to Africa and ran with some success, broke down so bsdly a few weeks ago that it was deemed advisable to destroy him. Yarran was by Epig'amfromNellie, and he won the Maribyrnonjr Plate. Afterwards Mr S. G. Cook bought him for 650gs, and he ran socond to Paris J in the Oaulfield Cup of 1892. — At Oakley (Cincinnati) the owner of a horse asked permienon at the last moment to scratch his colt, saying that he could not act in the heavy co.ing. The request was not granted. Two other .horses in the race made the pace a cracker, stopped to nothing, and the colt, whose name is Tho Winner, won by two lengths. I — Ascot Heath (Eng.) is a circular course, short of two raileß by 66yds. The first half of it is nearly on the descent, and the last half, which is called the Old Mile, is a mile and 15yds, and is uphill the greater part of the way. With a hill to climb up at the finish it takes a real stayer to win the Gold Cup, run over tiro miles and a-half. — Trumble, of the Australian Eleven, writing to a friend in Melbourne, mentions that he had met the Messrs Gibson in England, who informed him that the Epsom racing men Avere n.ot impressed with the quality of Daimio, and hardly thought him on appearances fast enough. Trumble mentions that Paris was reported to have given way in his l<'gs. „ i —So apparent was Ormonde s exceptional quality that only once was he subjected to a trial at Klng.clere (says John Porter), aud that was on the eve of his first race as a two-j ear old. It was the first stripped gallop he ever had. As a three-year-old there was never any need to try him. They knew at home that he was all right- was galloping like a lion, over everything, and that was sufficient. ' ...nun — Florizel II ran his last race m the Gold Cup at Ascot. Tho son of St. Simon htw deve'oped splints, causing his trainer considerable trouble in his preparation, and rendering it necessary to ease him in his work. An, offer to purchase Florizel TI emanating from an Australian sportsman led to negotiations, but no deal was effected, the price asked by the Prince of Wales being regarded as prohibitive. ' „. „ „ ... — Among the deaths recorded in the late English papers are those of Mr Chris. Cradock, a popular Yorkshire sportsman ; Mr John Sheldon, clerk of the course at several Midland meetings, aud years ago, when a publican, known as tbe promoter of racing sweeps of large value ; and Edward Payne, known as "Speedy Payne, an old-time rider. It is said that he was the only jockey who could ever ride stevens's Cranbury. „.,,, . — Mr Mat Dawson, the English trainer, has loat by death his Btallion Torpedo, by HermitStray Shot, therefore brother to Shotover. Torpedo's best son was Petard, who won some good races for Mr Douglas Baird, among them the Kxning Plate and Champagne Stakes at the Bibury Club and the September Plate at Manchester as a two-yenr-old, while at four years he won the Craven Stakes at Goodwood. — The starting machine did not coma into i«e any too soon in America, judging by the following extract from a San Francisco paper : Jockey Dan Hennessey has been awarded 3Codol damages against Starter Kit; Chirm and his assistant, Oharles Riley. Last fall Hennessey had the mount on a fractious animal at the fair grounds, and Riley became angered at the delay at the post and lashed, the jockey in a brutal manner. — For the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood in 1861 45 horses started, and thrirace was won by Croagh Patrick. For th« Chester Cup in 1852, won by Joe Miller, there were 43 starters. Forty-three also ran for the Cambridgeshire in 1862, when Bathilde won ; while there were 42 starters for ths Cambridgeshire in 1870, won by Adonis, and in 1874, when Peut-etre won. For the Cambridgeghire in -1863, won by Oatch-'em-Alive, 40 bones fitArtcd r ' — Apropos of Smith's performance on Galway at Caulfield, an exchange remarks that many year* ago on the old' Kensington Park course Denny Callanau, the whip of the Melbourne Hunt Club, was riding in a steeplechase when hi 3 hoy« fell and the saddle shifted from its position. Callanan quickly remounted, aud finding he could not get the saddle back to its place undid the strap and slung the saddle on his arm, riding his horse to victory bare backed. , — I never could bring myself (says Spectator ) to believe that Izaak was a clean-bred horse. I have information that Fanny Fisher was served by Dainty Ariel, and that Mr Walters believed that Izaak Walton was the result. But a cro»sbred son of Dainty Ariel who went by the name of Ranftiriri was, according to one of Mr Walters s employees, accidentally turned into the same paddock as Fanny Fisher over night, and the mistake was not discovered till the morning. — The Flemington correspondent of Melbourne Sportman says: There is not ft stouter built thoroughbred anywhere than Bloodshot. He exhibits wonderful power and thickness throughout, and is as even an a table. New Zsalanders say Bloodshot will be fouud to have no particular liking for a journey. Perß.-nally I reckon he'll stay *ll day and b.ilf way into the next. Really it is hard to 6ee how a distance is going to prove I too much for a horse with Bloodshot's breeding, buiid, and faultless action. — The contest for the four miles trotting championship of Great Britain and Ireland was decided ' recently at Dublin. The previous record was made i by My Sweetheart, lOmin 39fcec. The favourite, Ellen M'Kay, went away with the lead from Virgil Morris, with Dc Brino last. At three miles the champion (De Brino) dropped away, and the leader stalling off a resolute challenge from Virgil Morris in the last turn for the finishing mile, she sailed home an easy winner, breaking the record, her time being lOmin 37$ sec. — Mr Redfearn has had bad luck"with Aquarius again, says " Goodwood." The son of Niagara Was backed for a big stake for Carnage's Derby, I but he was discovered in his box on the morning ; of the race with his fetlock sprained, and could not I be raced. Since then several unsuccessful attempts I have been made to train him. He was entered for the two Cups this yoar, but Mr Redfearn has all along been dubious about his standing, and on Saturday the gelding broke down- badly, it is doubtful if he will ever race again. — Sir Henry Simpson, the English veterinary •urgeon, who examined Carnage and Trenton on their arrival in England, writes : We are hoping for great things from the introduction of stout thoroughbred horses of the highest class from Australia, as many of our most speedy racehorses are not to stout as we could wish, and are besides fretful. It took an hour and a-half to get Perslrumon into his box for conveyance to Epsom t9 ion

in the Derby. I have seen Carbine. He is as quiet as a dog, and. is still ridden nvery day. — Believiug that the three most unfavourable months in which foals can bo born are January, February, and March, John Porter has a strong opinion that the age of a thoroughbred should be reckoned from the Ist of March instead of from the Ist of January. This change of date, he contends, could be brought about wi»hin a period of three years by a mandate of the Jockey Club. The benefit would be that the foals in their earliest days would have the advantage of sunshine and warmth to make them grow the right way. — A duel was fought in France laot June between M. de Saint Alary, owner of Arlequin, and M. Saint Dalery, of the journal Paris Sport. Some comments by Dalery upon tho .running of Arlequin offended the owner, and the two met and fought with small swords. Almost immediately swords had crossed both lunged, and M. de Saint Alary was slightly wounded, the sword havinghit his breast bone and glanced off the ribs. His opponent, however, wns run through the shoulder, and is reported badly hurt. — The Duke of Portland was represented by Lady Frivolcs and Smean in the Fourth Clarence and Avondale Stakes at Sandown Park in June, and declared to win with the last-named, who was made a strong favourite. The pair had never been tried together, but Smean, who was making a first public appearance, was reckoned the beßt and backed accordingly. She was outpaced from the stait, but her stable companion was equal to taking the prize to Heath House, though she had little to spare in fighting out a de«per»te finish with the outsider Bomb. — A writer in the Field says that the late Mr W. Filgate, of Adelaide, made his mark on the English turf, seeing that he was an accomplished amateur rider, was an intimate of Admiral Rous, and owned a few horses, one of whioh (The Baron) won the Doncaater St. Leger in the year 1815, though unfortunately not for himself. ' The Irishbred colt had previously bean Bent for the Liverpool St. Leger, and had failed to answer the question. The Baron subsequently went into tho hands of John Scott, 'at Whitehall, and, a 1 } everyone knows, was the sire of Stockwoll. — Says " Asmodeus " : What a »plendid game handicapping must bel The Ballarat Miners' Turf Ohib is in want of a weight adjuster, and offers £20 per annum. There are 12 meetings, and the official is expected to attend at least three or four meetlnga during the season, and of courae defray his own train fare and hotel expenses. At any rate, this is what Mr Dakin did. But the Geelong Racing Club works things much more economically. Its handicapping for the present season coat only £5, out of which amount Mr Dakin paid the expenses of two trips to The Pivot. — The " little double " is a sysiem that has become so popular, says a Sydney paper, that it may be described as being a habit of the people. A George street bonifa^e was recently advised to obtain a mixture of aniseed and horehound for medicinal purposes, and calling in one of the usual loungers of the pub, he gave him a shilling with the instructions to get "a bob's worth of aniseed and horehound." This worthy, accustomed to dabbling in horse doubles, at once resorted to the double shops, but there were no such horses known to fame as Aniseed and Horehound, and he reported to that effect. • — A century ago, renwiks the Sportsman, the distance by road from Newmarket to Ascot Heath, estimated to be 87 miles, had to.be walked by the horses eugaged that were trained at headquarters. Imagine the feelings of a presentday Newmarket trainer with a horse, say, in the Royal Hunt Cup if his charge had to walk to Ascot, takiDg several days over the # journey, and having perforce teput up with the limited accommodation of an eienteenth-ceutury posting house or wayside inn. Would any of our equine exotics under such circumstances, we wonder; be capable of raising the veru ßt apology for a gallop, when the Btarter gave the signal to go 1