IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2376, 14 September 1899, Page 36

IN A NUTSHELL.

■ — St. Paul occasionally seems sore. — Screw Gun is in work once more. — Jib is to be mated with Musketry. Jas. Allan is talking about taking a hotel at Gore.

—Mr Dowse is appointed handicapper at Winton. — Barmby is for sale privately. Jim Allan" has him.

— There was no bidding for Megaphone when put up to auction at Sydney. — Miss Delaval is our Auckland correspond-! ent's fancy for the Avondale Cup. Bookmakers got a little the besi of Dunedin backers over the. Timaru races. — Tarcoola, winner of the Melbourne Cup, has been shipped to San Francisco. Further improvements to the Southland Club's course are being carried out.

I have received an invitation to the North. Olago meeting, for which I return thanks. Word came from Australia on Tuesday of the death of Dunlop, who won the Melbourne Cup. — A London cable states that Georgio will pay the final forfeit for the Cambridgeshire Stakes.

At the Birchwood Steeplechase last week Robin won with 16.12 on his back. Is not that a record?

— Backers are recommended to leave Fleet Admiral alone for the Melbourne Cup till a bit nearer the day. — The Cromwell Club will give £300 in stakes at the meeting to be held on the 26th and 27th December.

— Goldspur is once again in work ; at any rate he is being hacked about by J. Allan to see if he will- stand.

— The Winton Club has decided to pay over the stakes, deposit, and costs in connection with the Waikaka appeal case.

—In 1888 the chief event at the S.C.J.C. spring meeting was won by Evening Star, dam. of Jupiter, this year's winner. — Mr "Wrightson having declined to become handicapper to the Cromwell Club, the appointment is left to "the committee. — Bruce Lowe, by his victory in the Coolgardie Cup, has incurred a 71b penalty in both the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups.

— Burrabari, the Melbourne Cup candidate, after flattering his new owner, has gone off again. The same old kidney trouble. — The entries for the English Derby of 1901 include horses by Sir Modred, Carnage, Carbine, Trenton, Chainshot, and Artillery. — Sir Rupert Clarke intends to reduce his string of racehorses, but will still keep a few in training with James Scobie at Ballarat. —Mr Goodman will shortly take Motto and perhaps Transport to Christchurch, and stop there till the New Zealand Cup meeting is over.

— The double Prince Carbine for the Caulfield Cup ancl Bobadil for the Melbourne Cup has been backed in Melbourne to win £20,000.

— Manatee, who 'is by Sir Modred, won the Regulation Plate, one mile and three furlongs, at Leicester (England), on July 18. Manateeis owned by Lord "William Beresford. — The nominations for the Dunedin Jockey, Club's October meeting appear in this issue. It will be seen that Fulmen is not engaged, neither is Pitch and Toss.

— Hugh M'llroy, once the leading horseman for Stephenson and Hazlett, is now working in an iron foundry at- Dunedin, and quite satis* fied -with the change, so he tells me. — The hackney stallioD Cock o' the Walk IT, travelling this season in the Dunedin and Palinerston districts, can be recommended as ona of the best horses of his class in Otago. — The York Plains Estate, Tasmania, which is announced for sale, was the birthplace of Quack, Nimblefoot, Poet, and other' celebrated horses bred by the late Mr John Lord. —Mr E. J. Dalton has arrived at Sydney, from New Zealand with Fair Nell and Ferret. It is intended to race both of them among the galloways competing at the unregistered meet- — Lord Cureton, of whom Ike Foulsham had great expectations, has been absent from the training track for some time, which would lead to the supposition that the Cup candidate has gone wrong. '~ — According to "Bona Fide," Mr J. Paul 8 filly Perfection, by The Wqrkman, is a very taking youngster, and moves pleasingly. Black Jacket, in the same stable, is undergoing a satisfactory preparation. — After many previous disappointments, M!elodeon registered his first win at Rosehill (N.S.W.), when he won the Granville Stakes. He is a nice, natty colt, by Sweet William from Melody, and should be heard from again. — The following nominations have been received for the Winton Guineas: R. Millar's c g The Masher, A. Cochrane's b g The Captain, AY. Kennedy's br f May Queen, W. Johnstone's blk c Pyrmont, W. Swale's b g Memmbn. — It is stated that Mr T. Hope Murray, of Adelaide, refused 300 guineas for his colt Every Time- Yes, who is full brother to Gungadin, by Carlyon from Brown Alice. Every Time Yes is 'engaged in the Maribyrnong Plate. — There can be no doubt, says an English writer, that owners have only themselves to blame if jockeys misbehave themselves. In olden days a jockey touched his hat or cap to his employer. Now lie talks to him as an equal. — During a race at Moonee Valley (Victoria) on the 16th ult., a horse fell, bringing down, six others. The jockey Howie was fatally injured, and several others were hurt. The horses Faugh-a-Ballagh and Investor were destroyed.

— So far as I can see, Stockmaid and Silvercrest are as likely a pair as one can pick for the Matakanui Handicap, but it is too early to make a selection on judgment. A Cromwell bookmaker has a book on the double at 40 crowns to 1.

— The Referee reports that Rubin continues to train on satisfactorily, ancl is given long work, while the, other "Wanganui New Zealand Cup candidate, Roseplot, is looking well, but ia doing nothing like the work that the former horse is doing.

— The English Jockey Club has unanimously passed a new rule to the effect that "upon all racecourses having four or more clays' racing during the year (except those having only one fixture) there shall be at least one race confined to apprentices."

— For the V.R.C. Derby, after the first day of the A.J.C. meeting, Cranberry was favourite at 100 to 30, while for the double Derby and Melbourne Cup, Cranberry and Plodden and Cranberry and Hymettus were~-backed to win £5000 each way.

— Private advicea from England state that Mr H. Oxenham's horses, Syerla and Sailor Boy, who are in charge of J. E. Brewer, are standing the change of climate remarkably well. The Grafter has also stood the change well, and enjoys the best of health.

— Jupiter has not yet got a penalty for tha New Zealand Cup. The conditions of that race are that the winning of races of the collective value of lOOsovs after the Ist September entails a 31b penalty. No Cup candidate has so fat come within the range of that liability. — The jockey D. Allan, who was hurt by Doondiah falling with him in the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase, is about again. — In July £600 was refused for a polo ponj named Bread Sauce, owned by Mrs Purcell, of the Four Oaks Stud, near Birmingham. — The following have been nominated as country club representatives on the Metropolitan Committee for this district:— Messrs H< Craig, Join. Eduiqnd, A. J, Oibbj, ftad W. &.

Ward. Voting papers have been forwarded to all clubs, "and are returnable by September — Viscount 11, -whilst galloping at Randwick, collapsed irom a spinal injury, and had to be destroyed. A fortnight earlier he reared over and hurt his back, but the injury was thought to be a light one. Last spring the owner refused 1000 guineas for the son of Russley and 3?ine Lady.

— Splendid nominations have been received for the Tahuna Park Trotting Club's meeting, to be held on the 6th and the 11th of October, the enterprise of the club being rewarded^ by the candidature of such fast horses as Cling, Scrutineer, Honest Wilkes, and others of undoubted quality.

— The Southland Club has decided that its trotting races be run under the place totalisator system — i.e., the money invested will be divided at the rate of, for two-place tote, 70 'per cent, to first, 30 per cent, to second ; or in the event of three places, 50, 30, and 20 per cent, respectively. .

— On Wednesday of last week the 123 rd contest for the St. Leger took place at Doncaster, and Flying- Fox won. This colt thus takes lank with' 'West Australian, Gladiateur, 'Ormonde, Common, Isinglass, and Galtee More, as a winner of the "triple crown" — Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, and St. Leger.

. — The pari-mutuel system was invented by a little Spaniard named Oiler, and during the ■war he brought one of his machines over here. It is now in Scotland Yard. Admiral Rous nearly had a fit when he saw it on Newmarket Heath. The question of its legality went to the Court of Appeal, and the decision was hostile. „„ — They do more than pay train fares for Horses in some parts of Great Britain. For instance, a London exchange- of a recent date contains a notification from the Hurst Park Club that stabling and forage for racehorses taking part at its August meeting would be free. The horses could arrive the v/eek previous, and stay till after the meeting on those conditions.

— The backers of Orb for the Adelaide Grand National Steeplechase had bad luck, the horse being rendered ineligible to start on the eve of the race by the disqualification of his nominator, Gibson, for his connection with the now notorious Fund case. Inj Orb's absence the prize fell an easy prey to Allahditta, but the field was miserably small, and only four horses got the course.

—It has been decided to hold the Summer meeting of the Southland Club on January 2 and 3, and a programme with £530 in stakes — being 80sovs in excess of last year's total — was approved and apportioned as follows: — Open handicaps, £270; trots, t£110; hurdles, £80; district races, £70. It was decided to hold the Autumn meeting in April, with a. programme on similar lines.

_ — Canterbury Times Teports that Percy Martin is sendiiig Major George's pair, Seahorse and Labourer, along. The former has created a very favourable impression among the Hastings track followers, and he is likely to make a bold bid for the Hawke's Bay Guineas. With Screw Gun out of the way, and Rosella reported to be amiss, there will be no chaminons to beat in this race.

. — A meeting of the committee of the Taieri Club was held on Thursday last, when the programme for the November races was drawn up as follows : Trial Handicap, of 25sovs, one mile ; Two Mile Trot, of 30sovs ; Taieri Cup, of 55sovs, one mile and a quarter; Stewards' Purse, of 30sovs, seven furlongs; Mile and a-Half Trot, oi 25sovs; Flying Handicap, of 25eovs, six furlongs ;• Selling Race, of 25sovs, six furlongs ; Novel Eandicap, of 25sovs, four furlongs.

— Mr Chaplin made a present of £3000 to the jockey who rode Hermit to his astonishing victory. Beside this magnificent present from Mb employer, the lucky jockey — Daley was his name — received from one gentleman who had Lacked Hermit a gift of £500, and from another tacker £100, so that in all he received £-3600 for a few minutes' work. And it is said that the vahie of other smaller presents brought the value of that Derby to Daley up to -£5000.

— In the Hurdle Race at Adelaide last month Lees Monic clouted his rider (Cox) off in trout of the stand, and the poor fellow 'hung in the stirrup, and was dragged about 50 yards. An onlooker jumped over the fence and got knocked down in trying to stop the horse. Cox was taken to the hospital, suffering from a "broken rib and internal injmies. The club lias presented Mr T. J. Callaghan with a gold medal for his gallantry in saving the jockey from falling.

— After a few months' sojourn in the old country, P. Regan, the well-kno.wn cross-coun-try rider, has returned to Australia. He went to Ireland tinder engagement to Captain Scott, but he was not impressed greatly with his prospects abroad, so he took the first opportunity to get back again. Melbourne Sportsman says that Regan did very little riding while away. He had a couple of outings in public on the New Zealander, Levanter, whom he speaks of as likely to win races.

—An incident which is likely to form the fiubject of further inquiry was an alleged attempt at '"ringing in" in one of the minor faces at Kalgoorlie. It came to the stewards' ears that a well-known performer in Victoria, now under a term of disqualification, had been smuggled into the colony, and entered in thi3 particular race under an assumed name. The eewards held an informal inquiry, with the result that the horse was a non-starter. Further investigation is to be made.

— After his accident at Melbourne Spencer ■was with difficulty removed to Mr S. O. Woods's private veterinary hospital, just outside the xacecourse gates, and was made as comfortable as the broken shoulder would allow. The Sportsman says it is hoped to save the horse for stud purposes, but very few horses get over such injuries as Spencer's. Tirailleur met •with a similar accident -when running in the Melbourne Cup, and was in slings for six or seven days, only to succumb at the end.

—Mr John F. Reid, of Elderslie, sends the following as the list of foalings at Elderslie, to date:— August 14, Rainbow (Cadogan— lris) bay filly to Gipsy Grand; August 16, Pibroch (Lochiel — Fallacy) chestnut filly to Stepniak; August 21, Whirlpool (St. George — Watersprite) bay colt to Gipsy Grand; August 2S, Coronal (Medallion — Corolla) bay colt to Gipsy Grand; August 31, Fairymaid (Albany — Titanic) black colt to Stepniak ; September 5, Madder (Gossoon — Madras, by Chester) brown filly to Stepniak.

— The late Henry Savile was fortunate enough to win the first Grand Prix de Paris ■with The Ranger, and he not only gave a munificent donation towards building the English Church at Chantilly, but devoted the remainder of his winnings to the poor of Paris. His example has not been lost sight of, and every Englishman who has been fortunate enough io win the Grand Prix de Paris has always made a point of returning the money with a view to alleviating the wants of the sick and poor. — "Native" says that the Winton Jockey Club ifl pressing on the improvements at the racecourse. The racing track has been drainploughed and laid down in grass. The training track has been ploughed, disced, harrowed, and sawdusted. The saddling paddock haß also had particular attention paid to it in the way of drainage, enlargement, etc. The totaliaator house is now in the carpenter's hands, alterations being effected to cope with the increase of business. Altogether over £100 is being expended. —Mr John Kent, writing to the Sportsman, says that prior to 1897 (with one exception), he attended the Goodwood meeting "70 consecu-

tive years," and adds: "In 1844, at Goodwood, there were 13 races run the first day, three being extra heats, one a dead heat. There were also three matches, not run. The first race was run at half-past 12 and the last at halfpast 7. The second day there were nine, the third 12, and on the fourth nine— 43 altogether in the four days. No fewer than 242 horses competed, of which Lord George Bentinck's stable supplied 75."

—As a racehorse, Manton was Trenton's equal, if not his superior, says "Milroy," and as regards the shape and vitality of the pair, Manton is easily jfirst, being as he is the best likeness of himself that Musket ever got, but the opportunities Trenton had never came Manton's way, yet, withal, he has sired winners of decent races, and if they are not up to Aurum's standard, they at least are particularly sound and honest. Their mothers were homely and useful, which is all that can be said in favour of them, while the matrons that produced Trenton's great sons and daughters were the very purest Vere de Vere.

— "The Fly" writes: -The list of totalisator permits at present decided upon by the Racing Conference and the Colonial Secretary was published on August 23, and I notice that the Alexandra and Vincent Jockey Clubs are omitted. These two clubs had a difficulty last year in procuring permits, and perhaps they are going to experience the same thing this year. It was also mooted last year that one permit would be given between the two clubs in order to induce them to combine. Perhaps they are trying the same thing again this year. You had better shake yourselves up, Alexandra and Vincent, and get jour member on the warpath."

—In the Park Stakes at Canterbury Park (N.S.W.) on the 29th August there were 15 starters. G oleonda fell at the five furlong post, and Flower Girl and Autocrat tumbled over him. When in the straight Tranquil came to grief, and Repartee fell over him. J. Macfarlane and J. Kuhn were thrown in the straight. M. E. Brooks, rider of Flower Girl, was found to have received a shock, and H. Robinson, rider of Autocrat, had dislocated his collarbone. Macfarlane, rider of Tranquil, was found to be the worst of all, having sustained a fractured jaw and concussion of the brain. He was taken to the hospital, and his condition is regarded as serious. The only horse to sustain injury was Repartee, who left the course lame. "Milroy" writes: — The value of a horse is reckoned by the stakes which it is possible to win with him, and as any yearling niay turn out first-class, and all programmes teem with valuable two-year-old races, it is only human that people should give prices for foals, that in every case have not fallen into their proper shapej on the merest off-chance of their turning out as good as Bobadil or Cocos, and winning barrels of money before the stabling and care cost much. In consequence of the anxiety of owners and trainers to capture the alluring baits put up by race clubs, 90 per cent, of the yearlings bred for sale are useless at three years old, whereas at least 60 per cent, of the failures would have been good or useful horses had they never known the taste of hot fattening foods or the inside of a racing stable until their bones were at least formed.