IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 37

IN A NUTSHELL.

■ — xiorelei is to be trained again. / —Mr F. S. Cooper is the purchaser of Maintocm. . — I^auser's new owner is Mr A. G. Mißken, of Kaikonra. — Jack Rae, of Auckland, has got his riding license again. — The V.RjC. has added a £100 trophy to the Melbourne Cup. — Witchcraft has been placed in George Smith's stable. —On the second day at Timaru Lepanto "Was "bought in at £17. — The juniper Dr Bill is reported to have "been bought for £200. — They say that Bush Rose could nave boen sold recently for £450. — Miss Emmy, Mr It. D. Nathan's mare, is being schooled to hurdling. — Inspector Emerson, -who died recently, was the breeder of Guy Fawk%B. Indian Shot has been scratched for the Waiwetu and Railway Handicaps at Wellington. ' —No less a sum than**24,s7B went through the totalisator at Onkaparinga on Easter Monday. — Red Lancer has been scratched for the first day's engagements at the Wellington meeting. — Chesney, Parthian, and Reviver have been . backed in "Sydney for the double of V.R.C. . Derby and Cup. — Pitch and Toss has been temporarily thrown out of work. She is not engaged at the Birthday meeting. — Black and Red can be bought for £100. His owner Bays that the horse will probably . race next season. —Mr Goodman has purchased the yearling gelding by Cuirassier — Tasmania recently bought by T. Buddicomb. . — Lepanto was bought in at £21 after winning at Timaru, and on. the same day Hypnotist was bought back at £18. Mr Piper's starting at Timaru is highly j>raised, and Mr Dowses handicapping ia said to have been quite up to the mark: — Barleycorn, -winner of the Trial Stakes at Caulfield on the Ist inst, is by Abercorn from Percussion, by Musket — Sister Agnes. — The death of Hippona, the dam of Boreas, is announced by " Spectator," who says that the mare was again in foal to Sou- wester. The Sydney jockey, Albert Smyth, had Sis license suspended by the A J.C. for using offensive language to one of the officials of the club. . — For the Alexandra Handicap, six furlongs, to be run at Gatwick on May 12, Amiable has been allotted tho 'ridiculously light weight of 7.11. — Isola, winner of the Booran Two-year-old Handicap at Caulfield, is a full sister to Waraka, by Malua from Cypriote, and cost 400gs as a yearling. — Diffidence finished so freßh m the Sydney Cup that her rider did not succeed in pulling her up until she waß a couple of furlongs past the winning post. Selections for Ashburton: — Grove Farm Handicap, Belligerent.; County Handicap, Skirmisher; Fairfield Handicap, Lepanto; Flying Handicap, Nantes. — Manifesto, twice -winner of the Liverpool. .Grand National, has now won about £6000 in stakes. After he won last year he was sold to his present owner for £4000. — The Vienna Trotting Club has decided that 65 »er cent, of the money offered in 1899 Bhall go" to home-bred horses, leaving but 35 per cent, for those imported. — Our Christchurch correspondent tele-, graphs: — Mr G. G. Stead informs me that in all probability he will ship Multiform to England by the Ruahine, on May 11. — Mr Albert Miller did not lose much money by liamoo's downfall in the Hurdle Race at Onkaparinga. He thought Tramoo would win, but would not take the short price. — Happy J&ck was nulled up in the Great Eastern Steeplechase without completing the last round of the course, the jockey being under the impression that he had won. — Legal proceedings have been instituted on behalf <5f certain residents of Dublin with a view to obtaining an injunction for the prohibition of Sunday horse-race meetings. — A mounted trooper was stationed at each fence in the Steeplechase at Caulfield on April 1 to prevent jockeys who might be injured from falling among pickpockets and pinenatchers. Tofa, by Artillery — Fare-well, -won two races at Helena Vale, West Australia, last nionth, and later on wou the Easter Handicap, the chief event of the March meeting at Canning Park. . . . —On leturning home after running third in tho Hurdlo Race at Caulfield on April 1, the Chestnut gelding Vagrant died suddenly. Vagrant was a New Zealand bred son of Gipsy King and Barbara. — Sir Rupert Clarke is likely to come out as a candidate for a seat on the V.R.C. committee next August. If he stands, there should be great interest in the contest between him and Mr Frank Madden. — There are no fewer than 120 thoroughbred Btalliona advortised for 1899 in Great Britain. Among those whose feei are highest are Isinglass, £300; Sheen and Common, £200; and " Boyal Hampton, £150. —It is stated that ,there were some very suspicious cases of riding at the Hokitika ' races the other day. One jockey escaped disqualification by six votes to five, and another •was fined a fiver for /oul riding. — On tho first Say of tho Sydney sales the highest prices were 240gs foi Amiable' s halfbrother, by Projectile, and 210gs for a» handsome chestnut colt by Gigue (imp) from Golden Fleece, by Goldsbrough, one of Mr Hordern's draft.

—It is improbable, says Canterbury Times, that Douglas will leave this-colony. The price ~put upon the son of Crawfurd Priory — Good Fruit is £3000, which those who were negotiating for his purchase consider, so it is stated, too high. —It is a little difficult to gauge the form of the horses entered for the Nelson Cup, but I fancy that Hillstpne has a chance, being a better staj'er than some of the others, and Weary may have a show in tho Grand Stand Handicap. — Though Arabs get an allowance of 421b in the Viceroy's Cup, the owners of these horses decline to enter tho lists against English and Australian horses. As a matter of fact, 1856 •was -the last year in -which an Arab won the -Viceroy's Cup. — During the preliminary to th< Hills Railway Stakes at the Onkaparinga meeting, one of the horses ran straight into three men who •wore on the course. One of these, Thomas Sincock, sustained concussion of the brain and fracture of the skull. On Monday of this weekthe secretary of the D.J.C. was served with' a summons to appear at -the Police Court and answer a charge of advertising that the D.J.C. would receive ■ money for investment on the -totalisator. The case was to come on to-day. — Toxtail, the chestnut son of Robinson Crusoe and Umilta, who, among otbeT races, ■won the V.R.C. Hotham -Handicap and the Van Yean Stakes a few years ago, could not even obtain a place in a £5 race at an unregistered meeting at Doncaster (Vie.) on Easter Monday. ' — The South Island Trotting Association has decided that the appeal by Mr M'Kewen against the decision, of the Tahuna Park Trotting Club dismissing a protest against St. George on the ground of a cross could not be entertained, as the stewards had decided on a question o£ feo.i» i

— " Peeping Tom " says that Mr A. JBarnett's colt Gold Ring has been added to the list, and it is to be hoped that it will be the means of curing this very spe«dy horse of his villainous temper. If Gold Ring can only be induced to run honestly he -will stretch the necks of the best up-country peuformers.

— A bold experiment of in-breeding has been made in Hungary by sending the celebrated mare Hero, by Fulmen, to Matchbox, by St. Simon, as the sires of both the horse and the maro are sons of Galopin. The result is a colt, and fhe running of this animal will be watched with much interest.

— In the first day's Hack Race at Timaru the trainer of Hypnotist declared lib overweight and -when the rider -weighed in he was 2Jlb »ver. It is said that the conference i 3 to bo asked to decide whether this was according to Cocker. I confess that I do not understand ■what there is to ask a question about.

— The track at the Hutt having been altered before the last meeting, the -fast times registered at that gathering created a suspicion that the distances were not correct. The club has had the course chained, with the result thftt the four, five, and / si« ■ furlong ami the mile distances are slightly over the distance, and the others correct.

— A proposal haa been mooted and -will likely be carried into effect for the organisation of an unregistered clubs' association and the holding of race meetings at Avrahu'ri, Sandon, Rongotea, Kakarika, and "Pohangina. The Mail says -that the association will control the sport, and its establishment should have a beneficial effect upon racing of this character.

— Whilst competing in the bunting contest at the Sydney show Duchess crashed into one of the hurdles, somersaulted, and broke her neck. This daughter of Duke of Cleveland -was 15 years old, and for 12 years was one of the prinoiyal attractions at the metropolitan and country Bhows, winning 86 blue ribbons and £780 in prize money during ihat period.

— "Malua" says that Otago is likely to be well represented at the trotting meeting at Christohurch next month. The following southern trainers intend making the trip: — Grant with Colonel and Cling, J. M'Kewen with Honest Wilkes, Gerkins with Ophir tuid Lauderdale, Scott with Candidate, Pringle with Comus, J. Allan, with General Tracey, Croesan with George M. Patch on. — The Free Press says that complaints having been made regarding the formation of the Dew track on. Paterson's Flat, the committee of tho Clutha Hack Racing Club inspected it, and Mr Patereon was subsequently interviewed and promised to fall in with the suggestions made. When completed the track will measure n. little over six furlongs, and in no part will be of less width than 55ft.

— Says Melbourne Sportsman: Diffidence is only a pony in stature, but size is no bar to staying; in fact, if statistics were prepared, I think it would be found that small horses stay better than big ones. Bobadil :s little more than a pony, and he won the Australian Cup, while Richmond is another notable instance of a email liorse possessing stamina to a remarkable degree. — Captain Holloway, who died recently, recollected, the victory in 1828 of Bobadillo in the A.scot Gold Cup, and he witnessed no fewer than 70 contests for that event. The lato Mr Comyns Cole saw The King's colours successful in the Somersetshire Stakes of the same year; and the late Alderman Nockil, of Doncaster, whs eye-witnes3 of 60 St. Legers. All three have died in -England within tho short space of nine raoalhs. —A. E. Eagleton, hairdresser, of Napier, was on Monday fined £20 and costs for laying totalisator odds. Louis Freedznan, his assistant, was fined £5 for aiding and abetting. Constables Torr and Baker proved the case. The defence was that they were liable as accomplices, and that their evidence was inadmissible without corroboration. The S.M. ruled against the contention, and gave certificates of indemnity to the constables.

— Mr J. Crowther Harrison, well known for a long period as a breeder of blood stock, died at Boxdogno in March. His first yearling sold there was a colt by Newminstcr out of Mi.ss Lavinia, by Tho Cure, that made 330gs, afterwards receiving the name of Dr Syntax. Another, Flying Childers (by Blair Atbol), won 24 races. Many other good ones hailed from the samo stud, and among them may be mentioned Zanoui, Preciosa, Loonie, Lowland Chief, Tomahawk, and Gay Hermit.

— Though the majority of .the books won at Caulfield on April 1, writes " Ai'ax," one member of the ring made an unlucky bet. He might bo taken for a twin brother of Maurice Quinlan, and when a bafker accosted him as " Mau--rice," and offered to take £100 to £20 about Isola for the two-year-old race, he replied that the backer bad made a mistake in regard to 1 his personality, but all the same he would lay him £100 to £20 against Isola. Tho wager was made, and Isola wou. "

— " Tiny " Edwards -was at one time counted amongst tho smartest of tiainers. Fortune often favoured him, especially one season, when, on putting Kis youngsters through the mill, Tiny discovered that at least five of them ■•vere up to Derby form. P The greatest surprise, however, was that the pick of the bunch should be Mameluke, who had been knocking about in the straw yard all the winter, it being generally supposed that for racing purposes tho colt was of but little use.

—In the course of a debate on the Budget of Agriculture hf the French Chamber of Deputies, M. Chauvin called attention to the fact that althouprh under the law of 1891 the totalizator was the only form of betting allowed, tho bookmakers continued to receive bets on French racecourses,, and caused a loss to the State of 18,000,000ir to 20,000.000fr yearly. The Minister for Agriculture replied that henceforth strict measures would be taken to put a stop to betting with bookmakers on the racecourses. — Says "Ajax": The defeat of Bobadil at Raiidwick was a crusher for his admirers in Melbourne. Many who bad backed him at short /prices^r the Sydney Cup laid odds on for the St. Leger, with the idea of saving themselves. The books bere have had a splendid innings over Bobadil. They simply gambled against him at the price the public were prepared to take. Ono well-known member of the ring, who had no book on the race, laid £1000 against Bobadil at prices ranging from 4 to 1 to 2 to 1.

— - Old John Day was at times apt to be unduly sanguine. Once this undoubtedly smart trainer believed he had a positively unbeatable cert., and, in accordance with his custom, advised his familiar friends of the came. " But he can't be beaten," emphatically said John to a somewhat sceptiral punter to whom he confided the secret. " Why, it's good enough to take the clothes off your body and hide yourself in the wood until the race is over." Fortunately for those concerned, this advice was not taken, Day's "snip" failing to score. — The chief races on the Tahwna Park programme for next month are the Birthday Handicap (5.35 class), of 60sovs, two miles, in saddle; President' 9 Handicap, 55sovs, two miles, in harness; Queen's Handicap (4.11 class), of SOsovs, onei mile and a-half, in snddle ; Winter Oats Handicap, 45sovs, two miles, harness. The pony races are made open to ponies that have not done better than Smin ISsec for two miles, and two other events (Trial and Advance Handicaps) are made for horses that have no', done better than ouoin Wsec. t — William Day saw no harm in racing thoroughbreds early. The famous trainer remarks in " The Racehorse in Training " : Little horses, as a rule, seldom improve much after their second year; some, I think, are never better than as two-year-olds at half a. mile. Are

I markable instance was Schism', a leggy, overgrown, half-furnished sort of mare, IGhds high at the time, and the least likely animal to run as a yearling that can possibly be imagined. I Yet a race, in which' she carried 7.4, did not ' hurt her, as she ran successfully for many years afterwards. ' — When an objection was raised to Blue , Gown for the Champagne Stakes, Admiral Rous was called into the weighing room. Wells, ( the jockey, it will be remembered, was consi- | derably overweight, though no declaration »to I that effect had been made, and the Admiral accordingly pronounced against him. " Wait a moment," said Mr Chaplin, as Tiny was ] about to get out of the weighing chair ; " let's see how nuich he is over." " Certainly not," sternly 'interposed Rons; "it's quite bad : enough without the public learning what Hawley's liorse really carried." 1 — There" were 15 runners for the Great Eastern 'Chase at Onkaparinga. A finer con- ! test over the 'jumps has never been witnessed at Oakbank; indeed, it is safe to say in Aus-' tralia. The whole 15 candidates went twice round before a mistake was made, and the way the obstacles were negotiated created great enthusiasm. When Domino eventually won, beating Bombastic, ho received an ovation, and his owner, G-. Russell, was the recipient of congratulations. Domino put up a" Tecord for the race, as he carried 12.13, while Mahdi and Flashlight, -when they scored, carried 12.12, ! and 12.10 respectively. — Bay Middleton was generally regarded as ; one of the most perfectiy-propoTtioned animals j ever foaled. Critics of the old school swore I by him, moreover, owing, in a, great measure, j to- the fact that "Bay" bore witness to the ' old adage that tho length of a "horse's head, ' multiplied by three, -should give his entire I, length, -which saying, by tho way, caused the owner of. Bay Middleton to sharply answer a i critic who spoice unfavourably of his favourite's | head, alleging that it was too long. " Sir," ; rejoined the somewhat pnnoyed nobleman, I " please recollect that if there was not so much I head there would not be so nruch horse!" ! — " Peepinrr Tom" writes- It is to be hoped ! th&t before the next racing conference takes ! place delegates from country clubs will have i fully recognised the immediate necessity of ! altering tho Tules so that the minimum amount ' 1 of added money for a day's racing shall be £120 instead oi £150, as at present. Tear by year old-established clubs, such as Cromwell. Lake County, and .elsewhere, find it vtry hard to make ends meet and give away £150 per | day for a two-days' race meeting. There was i a heavy deficit over the last Cromwell race ' meeting, while Lake County had nothing substantial to carry forward to next year's credit. — "Milroy" writes: Nature beat Bobodil. Ho is not made of the stuff that will stand banging out race after race as first-class h'orsea must bo banged out twice a year in Australia, if advantage is to bo taken of the only two great w.f.a. opportunities that are offered at Randwick and "Flemington in the spring and autumn. To see out the A.J.C. and V.R.C. spring meetings in a- few weeks' space, and thfcn a* short spell before starting to prepare for the two big autumn fixtiires, it is necessary that 1 horses should be hardy and not hysterical, | or they will not stand the racing and rough rail- , way travelling, as well as, the difference in cli1 mate, water, etc. i — ••Phae'ort" writes: — All through the c-x-I citement over the Hobson Handicap starting I embroglio, a sensational case of a like character ' that occurred at Ellerslie quite escaped 1 memory. Just 15 years ago this autumn, in 1 iho Consolation Handicap four horses went to ' the post — Mitrailleuse, Sham, Woodpecker, and Fish. woman. Woodpecker was left at tho post, and the riders of Sham and Fishwoman under the impression that it was a false start, i pulled up their horses. But uot so the rider , of Mitrailleuse, who continued on, and passed | the post. The starter, Mr W. M'Laughlin, declared that it was a start, and Mitrailleuse > was declared the winner. j — The sate George Foidham's first successI ful ride in tho Cambridgeshire was on Little j David. Although then weighing but 3.12, the i youthful jockey managed to steer bis mount ■ through the 40 runners who on that occasion ! formed the fipld, but after passing the post i he experienced the greatest difficulty in pullI ing ud the winner, who, as can be imagined, j had something in hand. At that period even 1 crack jockeys were not vi the habit of receiv- ' ing very expensive presents from their em- ' ployers. In presenting Fordham with a Bible ! and a gold-mounted wbip, therefore the | owner of Little David conceived be had done ! all that could be expected of him. I — Mr Vyner's brood mare Mintsauce was j phot- in March tit the Fairfield Stud, York, jon account of old age. Sbe was foaled in 1875. I Her first foa!, in 1879, died, but her second, I in 1880, was Tartar Sauce, and hei next, the following year, was The Lambkin, winner of the St. Leger in 1884, both being by Camballo. The following year she missed to Camballo, and was mated with Lord Lyon, the produce being Minting, whoso successes, among other races, included the Middle Park Plaxe, the Grand I Prize of Parid, Jubilee Cup, and Hardwicke I Stakes at Ascot, also the Kempton Park Great Jubilee Stakes, which race, with 10.0 up, he won by three lengths from a large field of horses. — New Zealand Mail says that there was a novel bungle in connection with the District Race at the Shannon meeting. Lancer won, but a protest was entered on the grouiTS. that his rider hadn't been appointed in writing to ride according to somo peculiar condition attached to the contest. TJic horse was disqualified, and the bame course was adopted by the stewards on their own initiative in regard to Creswick. They gave the race to Ironsides, but as his jockey had not weighed in they were confronted with a difficulty. After a^ong consultation it was decided to call it "no race," and tho bookies were told to return money less 10 per cent., which they were to keep for their trouble. — Parker rode a pretty race on Johonaen, in the A.J.C. Leger, writes " Milroy," and in less patient hands the colt may have been defeated. He was waiting in front at the bend. \\ hen Bobadil and Lee-Metford made their runs at the straight entrance he would not go with them, but let them have a cut at each other till well inside the distance ; then, having a little left in his horse, lie suddenly chali lecged tho pair, who had been stiugghng together for over a furlong at their top. This I unlooked-for opponent was too much for LeeMetford, and he at once tried to bore out, and , in doing so gave Bobndil a hearty bump, and Johamsen got bis neck in front. He finished very resolutely, but was all out at the end. b I — The late Marquis of Hastings made his j "final appearance on the turf in ii*Gß. It was j at tho Newmarket First October meeting, when Athena, once bis own property, won a race, and the youthful plunger quitted hi 6 carriage in order to pat his old favourite's neck. Athena, who the previous season had carried her then owner's thousands, did the marquis a small turn on. this occasion, he having

backed her for a pony. Even to obtain this, for him, ridiculously small bet the brokendown backer had to endure what was, under the circumstances, an unnecessary insult. " Don't forget I've got to be paid for this, growled the bookmaker with whom the transaction took placo as his client concluded the interview. — Sporting Sketches. — " M.A.P." tells the following yarn of a tyro sportsman: — "The hero of the following true little tale is well known in the city, and not long age graced a foreign racecourse for the firs>t time. He was. entirely ignorant of the rudiments of racing, and bifrely knew the difference between a racehorse ajid a clotheshorse. Anyhow, it seemed to be the proper

thing for. a rich, men to own a horse or two, so he acquired a few well-named, fairly-sized youngsfcers. He was in the weighing room, watching the weighing out or the jockeys, when the clerk of the scales said .tc him: 'Mr Blank, your jockey declares three pounds overweight.' ' Indeed,' said the owner, diving his hand into -his pocket, " I'm so sorry. Can you oblige me with change foi a fiver?' "

— Writes London Sportsman's special: The objection to a gelding winning the Derby should one ever do so can only be a sentimental one, and sentiment, though all very well in its way, 13 not always in accord with common sense. There can be no possible use in making the Derby a fool's paradise, and deluding ourselves into the belief tho winner is worthy of all praise, if there are any limitations such as the one proposed. If a gelding be in fact the best of this year, it will not make the Derby winner other than second best even though the gelding is debarred from meeting and beating him at Epsom. Similarly there is no proved value in the blood of the British thoroughbred if it cannot hold its own in open competition against nil comers. Thus, should there be n halfbred good enough to -win the Derby, it would riot mend matters to prohibit him from running for i*. - — San Francisco has, according to the New York Telegraph, developed a new plunger in the person of Harry Hill, an Australian. This article out of the Antipodes hag been burning up the ring out there in an American fashion. He Reams to know nothing about form, doesn't cultivate jockeys, doesn't, in fact, do anything •that a well-regulated plunger is supposed to rlo; yet he is going right along acoumulatiug good gold in good causes. He guesses like an oracle. Hill seems to have no definite method of play 'except to pick winners with a constancy that is unvarying enough to trouble the San Francisco a bookmakers almost to death. Hill has come into prominence only since the Winter meeting began at Oakland last October. Recently he bet George Rose £120 on one hor«e that won, and in the next race, the iast of the day, shouted from the next book (in which he is interested—-" Do you want £200 on Bendoitm?" Mr Rose took tho bet, laying 6 to 5 against thf horse, which won all tho way. He frequently has from £400 to £600 on a lace. Those in a position to judge pretty well any Hill is £10,000 to the good in America.