IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 36

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Blazer is having a spell. — Mountebank has been taken up Again. — Black and Red's near foreleg has filled. — Mauser has been sold for stud purposes. — "VVai-iti won the Easter Handicap at Pa- — Resolute haa wintered very badly in England. — Jas. Allan is now training -fhe trotter Cottage Boy. — Blizzard was "bought in at £8 after winning at Beaumont. — The two-year-old sister to Scorn has been named " Scornful." — F. Harrison, a Palmerston North trainer, died there recently. — Bush Rose is now trained by G-. Penman at Palmerston North. — A good crowd of high-class horses .aie entered for Ashburton. — Mr Jr M'Ke-wen Las bought Lord Zetland. The price at auction was £G. — The Victorian colt George TTrederiok is said to be touched in the wind. — The Napier .Park Club made a profit of JE4OI over its Autumn meeting. — Vigorous, the Doncaster Handicap wiuaer, has been sold for export to India. —Mr Noake paid 320gs for Johansen, the gelding that fluked the A.J.C. Leger. —Mr Stead, evidently tirsd of his English colt Benzoin, has sold Mm for 130gs. — Bogan, one of tho Australian dogs in the "Waterloo Cup, is by Clement's Tonic. — The Lancaster Park Club talks of enlaiging its trotting track to half a mile. — The starting at "Wairarapa is said to have been hardly as good as could he -wished. — Some of the running at Fielding has an in-and-out appearance to the outsider's eye. — If the protest against Cora Linn at Patea is overruled, ihe dividend will be £3 17b. — Marquis of Zetland and other good horsea figure amongst the Southland nominations. —Mr Stead' b cheque over the C.J.C. meeting came to JE9SO and Mr Goodman won £660. — The death is announced of Shotover, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and Derby, 1882. — Jumbo, a winner at "Wairarapa, is by York, who in past years used to race for Mr Goodman. — A special meeting is to be held by tho Taieri Club to consider the question of erecting a grandstand. — The sum of -66236 passed through the tote at the Wairarapa meeting is £591 ahead of last year's total. — Mar.geriv winner of the Steeplechase at Sydnoy last Saturday, was bred in Auckland, got by Billingsgate. — The 'Wellington Metropolitan has endorsed the disqualification of R. S. Henry for ringingiu at Masterton. — The nominations for the Clutha Hack Racing Club are very good — 15 for the Cup and 18 for the Flying. —It is said that tho Kentucky Futurity in '94, which was 31,630d01, was the biggest purse ever trotted for. « — The best finish at the Ettrick races was in the Flying Handicap, won by Saturn by a. head from The Gleaner. — The importance of disinfecting Tacecource stables properly and effectually is attracting attention just now in England. — When the last mail left Melbourne. Domino, the winner, was favourite for the Great Eastern Steeplechase at 3 to 1. — Top prica at the sale of Mr Gates's horses was brought by Lady Zetland, this New Zealand Cup winner bringing 260gs. — Mr M. Kaiwhata .has sold Jadoo and T3n Avant to Mr Robertson, of Moteo, and Hinepara to Mr G. Walker, of Wairoa. — Tukapa, winner of the Flying at Patea, is by Lebel— 3 ermy, therefore full brother to ono of the Hon. li. Moasman's yearlings.

— The nominations for the Dunodin BiTthday meeting number 132, aa against 141 hist year. The quality is fail to medium. — Sprig o' Myrtle, by Twenton, won a selling hurdle race at Rotherham (Eng.) on the 21at February, and was bought in at 95g«. — Harry Jackson is now looking after Mr Solomon's yearling colt by St. Clair — Yaultress and will shortly break in the youngster. The Harness Trot at Auckland was to have been Taced over again yesterday, owing to Bob E.T-. getting away before his tinfe. — Ebor 12.1 finished third in the February Steeplechase, of 253sovs, two miles, /decided at tho Hurst Park meeting on 18. — It does not say much for Sydney form that Merloolas, an aged gelding, should wipe out all opposition in the long weight-for-nge race. Blazer has been scratched for all engagements at the ■Wellington Racing Club's meeting. 130 not know why he was handicapped. The Taieri' Club made a decent profit over its Easter meeting, and would have done better if the.privileges had fetched a iair price. — American-bred horses advertised for stud service in England arcs Ramapo, 24gs; Dobbins, 18gs, and Americas, late Rcy del Careres, Mr Goodman sent Black and Red and Cherrystone home from Christchurch, and went on to Timaru with Clinker and Pitch and Toss. . „ Star of Honour, the pcratch horse m the chief event on the Upper "Wairau Club's first programme, broke badly, and thus lost -Ins chance. _„-,,, — Mr J. L. M'llroy, who won the Trial Handicap at Waipukurau with Cossack, is, I .believe, brother to Hugh M'llroy, who has gone up there. — Murray Hobbo ought ~to like the Lady Zetland family, and I am glad to note .that ho has bought the old mare's yearling filly by Pliacthon.

The Hon. H. Mosman has not only taken away his horses, from Otago, but left New Zealand altogether,' his horses having been shipped to Queensland. Altair, Starshot, and Marenima seem to be as -well in as anything in the Thompson Handicap, but I have not had time to go carefully into the weights. — Conqueror was let go 'at Mr Stead's -sale last week at tho .low price of 53gs. Mr Grigg, the buyer, presumably intends using>the colt -for breeding purposes. v< — A regulation permitting the donation of £100 to tho widow of any jockey df good repute from tho Distressed Jockeys' Fund has been adopted by the .A.J.C. — A new thing in starting machines has been constructed by a lady in Hampshire (England). It'works by compressed air, and is in tho form of a screen. The Referee reports that the Greymouth Jockey Club is, at tho request of the starter, inquiring into an allegation 'against fhat official of impropot motives. S. Callinan, who won the Melbourne Cup on The Grafter, was much in evidence at the Hawkeqbury Autumn races, where ho steered April Fool and Fireman to victory. Feilding Star thus opens its mind on a subject that wants writing up all over the colony: "The luncheon was -decidedly secondrrtto, "an-d the attendance -very bad." Mr H. Piper ia to be asked to act as Btarter at the D.J.C. Birthday cmoeting. I expect this will lead *to Mr Piper's permanent apijointmcnt if ho cares for the job. — .QTie Now 'Zealand 'chaser Levanter .was in February backed -at 66 to J. for the G rand National. He is trained in Ireland "by M'&uiie. Ab will be .remembered, he did not .start.

— Scotch Wisdom, who was picked out of 100 classically-bred ones by <& leading rtrainer tor. Ppi2ns Sqtth, who g«ve '2500g8 for iiim as

a .yearling, was said' in. England recently for

42ga.

—W. Carr is appointed- to take to England Tirant cFEauv Freds*, Tiraillerie, and Bessie Macarthy. Th& Referee says that N. Noble, the jockey,, goes- Homer by the name boat on, his own. account. ' — Balance; by Trenton, from. See Saw, and ' bred' by Mr W. R. Wilson, was recently sold in Sydney/ to Mr F. J. Martell, of Dundalone station.. Her. new- owner intends reserving her fox- stud purposes. — One; at the idols of* the American, turf is Sir Walter, by Midlothian (imp.) from La Scaltu During- the. six: years he has been racing, Sir Walter started in 85 races. He won 35, ran. second, in 17, third in the same'- number. — The Easter Handicap at Patßa was a splendid race, won by. a head after a desperate finish. Dr Paget rode a- really good race, and came in. fox 1 an. ovation, from the crowd, which ■was renewed when weight was declared. — Two bookmakers, named William Hill and George Lynch were fined £20, with. 2a 6d costs, l»y the Flemington Bench recently for using a. " point of vantage "" — to wit, a kerosene case — for the* purpose of betting at Flemington course. — The only man who made racing pay in England ioz a. series of years during the latter naif of the century was tha late Lord Falmouth. The sport, it is said, costs the Duke of Westminster £30,000 a year over and above his winnings. — The stud owned by the Prince of Wales . is, perhaps, tire best '* spec " that H.R.H. ever entered! into. It is- only a small one, and th» brother* Persimmon and Florizel JI earn between .them no less a sum than £16;000 a year in stud fees. — Gold Medallist, now m England, is nomi- _ nated* by Mr E, Cohen. London Sportsman's ■' editor remarks of this horse • " There is no means of gauging the value of New Zealand 'fbrm, though I should not be disposed to rate it very highly." • — A,fe the- Dubbo Club's meeting on March 30 Fritz attempted 1 to lower his record of 2min 13s'ea "for tho mile. The horse moVed off in rare style, but tired towards the finish in the heavy going on the grass track, and finished in 2min 17sec. _ — Tha s>p. bookmakers, Being at loggerheads with the London Council over the tatter's bylaw which prohibits any person from " using or frequenting any public place for bookmaking, betting, or agreeing to bet," have collected £446 as a fighting fund. — Two of the prizes in connection with Tattersall's Consultation on the Ballarat Cup went to Victoria. The first (£2070) wo 3 won by Sir Biipert Clarke, tho second (£621) by Mr M. P." Lynche. The third (£414) camo to Mr W. Jones, of Auckland. — The sport of horso racing is at such a low ebb at Madras that there is a proposal that the general public should assist the local race club out of its difficulties. The recent meeting, at which Messmate won the Governor's Cup, was a big finanial loss. — There was a curious coincidence in the draw for the Waterloo Cup, Wild Night and Bogan, winners respectively of the English and Australian Waterloo Cups last year, coming together in the first round. Odds of 2to 1 were laid on Wild Night winning tho course. — A cablegram from London on Monday announced that the great Aurum had broken down. This in a great misfortune for the ; colonies.' •Of all the horses sent Home, this was the fellow who was looked to to make Australian form respected at headquarters. — Some sensation waa caused in sporting circles "in Melbourne when J. B. Cullon and J. -Wren were committed for trial for attempting to suborn a witness who had been sub- • peenaed to give evidence in the recent Collingwood " Tots " prosecution. The trial was fixed . for April 17. — Two sports, lamenting the slackness of betting on< Otago courses: — "Why," said one, " they bet more at tha oats meetings up north." " Yes," replied the other, "in this Scotch place I don't believe you'd get anybody to bet that the suu would rise tomorrow morning." — With the view of enabling spectators to witness more fully the running in the mile and seven, furlong races, Mr Frank Madden has made a proposal to the V.R.C. that a new course be formed, starting from between the judge's box and the mile and a-quarter post on tho inside of tho course. —At the Tasmania^ Turf Club's meeting a totalisator paying first and second horses was given a trial. Dividends were declared at the rate of 75 per cent, to the first horse and 25 per cent, to the second. The innovation did not find favour with backers, and there was very little speculation. — Tha report that the English Jockey Club has passed a rule excluding American thoroughbreds from registration in tha English Stud Book has a tendency to create some uneasiness on. the part of American breeders and owners, but the publication of the rule had not, up to the date of last advices, been" made. — The Taieri secretary reported to his club last Thursday regarding the horso Kiatoa, which accepted for both trotting races, but did uot put in an appearance, neither was it scratched. He mentioned that tho ownei was liable to a fine up to £20. It was resolved _ that the owner be asked for an explanation. ' — A question having been raised as to - whether the D.J.C. was legally within its rights ' in authorising the talcing of totalisator invest- , ments in town over the last Cup meeting,, four informations have- been laid by the police, and the interesting and. new points involved, will . be argued before the stipendiary magistrate • " to-day. —At Wangaratta (Vie), in the Town Plate; for which there wore three competitors, the starting gate failed to open when the cord was pulled and tho starter cried "Go!" Cenci Tcmained at the post, but Oudeu and Qualigy rode through the gate and the latter won. The owner of Cenci protested, but the stewards disallowed tho protest. — Tho Australian-bred horses Ilchester (Abercom — lolanthe) and Cinder Ellen. £Trenton — Cinderella) havo found their way to England from Indm, and are advertised for sale. They are described aw " gTeat " racehorses. A Sndjtey paper corrects this by stating truly that the mare was a fair performer, but Ilchester wttc an indifferent one. — There was a Tattersall's sweop on the Ballarat Cup, but none of the owners were laid tho covetad " bit to nothing." For once in a way, says Melbourne Sportsman, the secret regarding drawers of horses was well kept, though it has since transpired that the lucky holder of the ticket which represented the Miss- . ing Link, was Sir Rupert Clarke. — The day if not very far distant, says Wairarapa Leader, when a wintei steeplechase meting will be held at Tauherenikau. Everything at present points that way and whether , or, not th« Racing Conference sees fit to grant an additional permit, the Wairarapa Club will make auch disposition of its affairs as will enable if to- Hold its own. Grand National. — A history of the turf for the last 3Q years has- been written, by Mi Sydenham Dixon— " Vigilant " of the Sportsman — and Mr Grant Richards will publish it in the early spring ' under the title " From Gladiateui to Persimmon." The volume will contain many hitherto .unpublished facts supplied to the author by owners and trainers, and will be illustrated with numerous portraits. — "The Squire," of Napier, reports that F red Stone is looking well and strong again, and has started work at his profession. He is at present educating a couple of rising four-year-otd fillies by Natator — Kie Kie and Jet d'Eau — Florin. W. Stone, who has charge of Mr RathboneT a establishment at Waipawa, ia

handling a brace of Gold Reef's offspring, from Merganser and Thyra.

— On the- opening day of the Tumut (N.S.W.) meeting, the- jockeys felt aggrieved at a registration fee being' imposed in their case, which had the immediate effect of putting them on strike. As the 1 racing could not proced without them, they became masters of the situation, and the club,, being driven into a corner, was obliged to give way by reducing the objectionable registration charge by- one-half.

— The Greymouth. Trotting Club, on the sth, further considered the. evidence regarding Campbell and Denver, and unanimously resolved: that Campbell be disqualified during the' pleasure of the club for refusing to come before the stewards when called upon. S. H. Corrigan. waa disqualified for life for the attempted' ringing-in of Silver Rose II as Nancy Till. The mare is disqualified for life.

— The cause of the change of the Ballarsrt date from November or December to March was the sweep. Tattersall could only give the club a sweep* in March. As it happened, observes " Texlinga," the sweep waa no help. The result of the drawing was not kuown at the timo the race was run, so there was no money for owners. By being so avaricious owners have robbed' themselves of any chance of getting sweep money.

— The well-known Duckenfield' Pa*k stallion The Australian Peer has been sold to Mr E. R» Edkins, of Thompson River, Queensland. The Australian Peer, who was lone the property of Messrs Eales Bros., and 1 latterly the- property of Mr John Eales, wa3 a great performer in his day, and at th« stud he has sired several good horses, among them Nobleman (Metropolitan Stakes), Fadladeen (Tattersah's Cup), and Lelamino (New Stakes).

— Says one of the Wairarapa reports : The starting was successful in the majority of in* stances, but the breaking of the line of the machine was responsible for a very long delay in one case, and the conduct of the jockeys for others. Mr SAS A Cundy will have to " come down " on some of these riders, or they will continue to meas about at the starting place with increasing disregard for- any but their own convenience.

— The Australian dogs, Bogan and Tarana's Prido, were both beaten in the first round of the Waterloo Cup, but, says the Sportsman, it was a most unsatisfactory course in which Bogan waa beaten by Wild Night, the former having no opportunity of averting defeat. A very weak hare favoured Wild Night, and_ there was not sufficient of the course for a big dog like Bogan to show any ability. Wild Night was beaten nest timo by George Tinclar. -

— Tho following nominations have been received for office-bearers of the Tahuna Park Trotting Club: — President, Mr S. Myers; vicepresident, Mr H. Gourley; committee — Mes6ro J. M'Donald, J. C. Short, J. A. Millar, M.H.R., J. M'Kay, C. Allen, and^L Jeffs, but I understand that Mr Jeffs has retired. The president and. vice-president aie returned without opposition, and there will be a ballot for three committcemen at the annual meeting this month.

— One of tho features of the Ballarat meeting was the riding of D. Gillies, a lad formerly in J. H. Davis's employ. He won three races tho firat day on Reola, The Missing Link, and Oriel, and in each case the result was due to superior horsemanship. I believe, writes the SportsMan's special, James Scobie recognised Gillies's ability some time ago, and offered him an engagement, but the lad preferred to remain a freelance.

—Mr J. Sinclair-Thomson, being about to visit the old country, has been granted leavo of absence by the D.J.C. Committee. It is customary to grant leavo in such cases, and I should be sorry to suggest that the courtesy should* not hava been extended to such a desirable committeeman as Mr Sinclair-Thomson i 3. I do thinh, however, that the club ought to adopt a rule for temporaxily filling a seat when, a man is going away for, say, more than throe nionth.3.

— vVairarapa Leader, speaking of the local Easter meeting, says: Mr W. Armstrong may fairly be congratulated on his work as handicapper. There is no gainsaying the fact that tho handicapping of the horses " on paper" 'oy a handicappei nt a distance cannot be the sueCQS3 it undoubtedly is when a man who not only knows the performers but witnesses their performances fixes the impobts. Our opinion is that handicapping as a whole for tho Valley should be entrusted to Mr Armstrong.

— A writer in London Truth says . I mentioned recently that the Duke of Portland's two-year-olds by Carbine, at Kingsclere, do not compare favourably with tho Duke of Westminster's team in the same stable. I am told, however, that thore is a- remarkably promising and racing-like son of tho Australian horse at Newmarket in Mr Rose's Durbar, and he is a splendid galloper. This colt is by Carbine out of the famous Distant Shore, and nearly everything produced by this mare csmi race.

—An English authority, Mr Richard Johnson, was asked how much weight did he allow when handicapping? His reply was: Well, generally 2lb for a head, but if the race was very severe, or the weights very high, perhaps only lib ; lib to 2lb would bo about right; slb would go to a length for, say, a mile, or a mile and a-half. Undoubtedly you must take into consideration if the pace was good- all the way and if the horses were carrying nearly as heavy weights as they could race under. .

— The Victorian writer " Javelin " remarks as follows.— Old turfites will remember how F.. C. Goyder, in the days that have been, frequently won a. good race after violently attacking the handicappers in print. Following such an excellent example, Mr D. O'Bnen, the Western district owner, immediately after writing to the Warrnambool Club bitterly complaining of the weights which had been awarded to his horses, came up to the metropolis and won the Gordon Steeplechase at Caulfield with Butler.

— The Reefton Jockey Club contrived to save what looked like a. certain loss on one race at the recent meeting. For th* Jockey Club Handicap only one horse — Speculator — was left in. The starter went to his place, the horse did not arrive, the advertised time for starting had passed, and the starter dropped his flag and sent an imaginary field galloping down tha course. The consequence was the club saved the stakes, owing to tho jockey, after the manner of his kind, not coming up to time.

— General Peace, who won tho Lincolnshire Handicap, was bred in Ireland, and is by Gallinulo (son. of Isonomy and Moorhen^ from Moira. by Victor from Lady Jacob, by Uncas from Princess of Prussia. He made his first appearance as a two-year-old under colours at the Curragh September meeting, at which he ran unplaced in tho Nursery Plato, foi which Clondalkin and Sheeroe dead-heated, but the following day he won the Railway Stakes with 8.10 in the saddle. He was then bought for England. — There were some contemptible thieves present at the recent race meeting at Newcastle (N.S.W.). The whips of Tracey and Wilson were stolen after the lads had fallen in different races, and before their friends came on the scene of the accidents. The bridle, too, was taken off Cromwell after the horse had fallen in the Cup, and the write says he has no doubt that if the thief could have got Cromwell into his pocket before Mr James Mayo reached the spot, the veteran would now be deploring the loss of the gelding as well as the bridle.

— The London writer "Vigilant" said of Levanter in February. I understand that, unlike others from the Antipodes, he Jumps smoothly

and without unnecessary effort. Moreover, he is said to be doing well in his work, but after what we have seen of Daimio and others I think most speculators will be prepared to let Levantei run loose. His colonial record is no doubt a very respectable one, but experience has proved that we have nothing to dread from colonial 'chasers — at any rate, until they have unlearned pretty nearly all that they know in regard to jumping. — The V.R.C. Committee have decided to give distinctive names to the steeple and hurdle race 3 run at Flemington. The Hurdle Race at the Queen's Birthday meSting in future is to be laiown as tho " Victorian Hurdle Race," the Steeplechase as the " Imperial Steeplechase," the Two-year-old Handicap as the ' Queen's Handicap," and the Welter Handicap as the " Empress Handicap." It is also decided to reduce the sweepstakes and increase the prize money. The added money to the Grand National Hurdle Race will now be lOOOsovs instead of 600sovs.

— A disturbance took place at the Richmond pony course, Victoria, the other day. In the 13.1 Handicap Mrs Barlow's pony Cherry was made a strong favourite, an<? won pretty easily, to tho joy of the punters. When the jookey Barbour came tc weigh, Thomas Barlow, Mrs Barlow's husband, dragged him from the pony's back, and beat him, while a man named Jones ripped the saddle off Cherry and threw it into the crowd. It fell at the feet of a constable, who took it into the scale, and Cherry, weighing in, was carried out. Barlow and Jones were arrested on a charge of insulting- behaviour.

— Says an English writer: Coronation 11. a great, leathering, Queensland four-year-old, will make a fine chaser some day if he fails on the flat, and it should not be forgotten thair though ho is nominally four years old here lie is really only three until next August. I read from time to time that handicappers are unduly lenient to Australian, horses, but no one ever seems to pay any attention to the fact that they have half a year the worst of it with European or American bred ones in the matter of age. The socalled four-year-old Coronation 11, for example-, is really on a par with what an English three-year-old is in Mny or June. — The American writer " Hidalgo " says that of the sires now in California he prefers the English horse Goldfinch, sire of the English filly Chelandry, who won the One Thousand Guineas of ISO 7 and ran second to Galteo More in the St. Leger Stokes. The only horse in America that might, in his opinion, win a Melbourne Cup, with, say, 9st in the saddle, is Ben Holladay, a 3on of Hanover, who for four years in succession has headed the Hat of winning sires in the United States. He is a big brown horse, resembling Tirailleur, who met with fatal injuries when he came down in the mud at Flemington in Glonloth's Cup.

— Writing in February, the London Sportsman's Bpecial said: The continued backing of Uniform for the Licolnshire Handicap is beyond any power of mine to explain, for I have no inner knowledge on the subject, savo what I know of the horse himself. It will be better anyway for the public to wait. Should Uniform be the genuine stable candidate it will be right enough to back him when this is known, but tho3o who rush blindly in at present might find themselves throwing away their money. One thing ia clear, that if Uniform is good enough for the Lincolnshire Handicap, he is belter handicapped for the City and Suburban.

— Say 3 " Miiroy " : Wher the first stock of a young stallion show great speed and a liking for short courses it is a good sign for his future as a setter of stayers. The" first of the Chesters and the Lochiels all went fast, but did not stay well. " A son of his mother and a daughter of her sire " is an old and well-tried axiom of the horseman that has worked out well with Carbine, Grand Flaneur, and Chester. It is a fact, particularly noticeable, that the best brood mares Goldsbrough got were like himself; consequently I suppose it was from him they got their fondprful vitality. Thes'o Goldsbrough mares liavo been a great power In our land.

— A remarkably large number of costly failures were entered for the Annesley Maiden Hurdle Race, of £40, run for recently at Nottingham. Sweet Aduro cost 2500gs as a two-year-old, and has since won nothing. Miss Primrose, who won the Spencer Plate at Northampton in 1897 for the late Mr Barnato, has won nothing for her yresont owner, who paid 1350gs for her. Scotch Wisdom sold as a two-year-old for 2500g5, has won a paltry hurdle race value £10 in two seasons. Sir Michael has won nothing since he was bought for 1400gs, after having run second for the Wokingham Handicap at Ascot. Kumasi cost loOOgs as a two-year-old, and has won nothing in throe seasons.