IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Volume 02, Issue 2420, 2 August 1900, Page 40

IN A NUTSHELL.

— The new season. — Mariner is for sa-le. — Motto in foal to Casket. — Advance may be going to Australia. —Mr John Grindley is the D.J.C.'s new judge.

— Woodstock is scratched for the New Zealand Cup.

— Carrington is breaking in a young brother to Roller.

— Malatua is first favourite for the New Zealand Cup.

— The office of handicapper to the D.J.C. is declared -vacant.

—Mr H. Goodman won only £112 in stake money last season.

— Hengist, though backward, is galloping all right at Auckland.

— Mr P. Miller has been judge to the D.J.O since February of 1833.

— Patron covered 40 mares at a 50-guinea fee in England this season.

— Some folk like Dundee for an outside chance in the Grand National.

— Twelve yearlings bred by the late Duke of Westminster realised MSAQSI

— Wait-a-Bit has be:n backed for the Melbourne Cup to win a.boufc £15,000.

— Since Mmting's success in 18S6 no English horse has won the Grand Prix.

— The dashing two-year-old Wfgelmai- is doing good easy work at Randwick.

— The Jatest American jockey tG try his for tune in England is a Red Indian .-

—Mr Morrin's English stallion Phoebus Apollo has arrived safe and sound:

—Mi Rulhven has given up the idea of training Casket for further racing..

— The "Winton Jockey Club invites tenders for supplying and working a totalisator.

— When the last mail left Si. Simon's stock had already won over £22,000 in stakes.

— Amiable in 1594 was the lasu winner of the One Thousand Guineas to win the Oaks.

—Mr Fooks forwards the Ash burton programme for Lhe £Oth and 21st September.' — The Westralian horse Tarquin has arrived in Sydney, and is located at Monaghan's.

—Mr C. H. Doweling, once on a time secretary of the Ashburton Club, died last month.

— New Warrior was killed after meeting with an accident in the V.R.C. National Hurdle Jrtace.

— The Ho.n. J. G. Ward is about to introduce to Parliament a bill to stop tote-betting in the streets.

■ — Wfit-a-Bit is not likely to do any more hurdle-racing \intil after the V.R.C. Spring meeting.

— H. Connelly, trainer of Aquarius, had 200 to 4 about the horse for the V.R.C National Hurdles.

- — ■ It is rumoured that Mr Francis Meenan may presently join the D. O .C. Committee. He is a good man.

— Bob Ellis had Plotter and Edelweiss in physic at the cud of last week, prior to taking them up again.

— Aless-rf It. dark and J. "AT. Kennedy are applicants for the l 3osition of handi'capper to the Waran J.C.

— Mr Muskcr asked £20,000 for Lord Melton before he lan for the Forty-eighth Triennial Stakes at Ascot,.

— Advance's winning- total this lsst season is tho highest ?ircc Tirailleur's record of £3501 in tbo 1889^90 season.

— A Wanganm scribe reports that the geldiua Rubin (Tasnmn — Itvibina) has been sold to"j. Halier for £150.

—No English horses ran in the Grand Steeplechase do Paris this year, but the jockeys have all English names. — Mrs Lang try's hbtse Miliorcl met v.-rih a bad accident i.i June, but there were hopes of saving him for. stud purposes. _ — 'i'hc death is aEL.oi.jt,cu oi lur A. J. Parsons, a leading citizen or V^ar-^amu, well known as a member of the Jockey Club.

— Perth II is jointly owned by 11. M. Caillault and Count P. de Pourtales, each having a hall share in the son of War Dance and Primrose Danio.

— Aquarius bruised his heel on the day before the Victorian Grand National Jiurdle Race, and if he hed been a more valuable horse he might not have run. —In chatting ebout the horses racing in California a Chicago writer mentions that "Lncky" Baldwin's string is in change of exparson W. J. Spiers. — On Tuesday of this veok I heard of the rleath o£ Dr Murphy, who 20 years apo took a passing interest in the Otago Hunt Club, and used to own Blush Rose.

— Sydney Mail is responsible for the staicment xhat Mr D. O'Brien has secured rccominodstion for Malatua and Military at Monaghan's stables, Randwick. — I thank Mr Duggan foi pending the Vincent nominations. There are ether secretaries who do not send me these lists. In that way they miss r.. cheap advertisement. — Wait-a-Bit' s time in ihc V-R-C. Maiden Hurdle Race, 3mm 53stc, has only once been beaten— viz., by Response, in 1897, when she covered the distance in 3min £If sec.

-*- Of the 14 fillies that ran lor the Oaks, six are engasjed in the Doncaster St. Leger. These are Paigle, Dusky Queen, Inquisitive, Winifreda, Burn Dum, and Sainie Nitouche. The Totaiisator Abolition Bill was to have come uid in Parliament last week, but, purposely or by accident, the debate on the Libel Bill-lasted so long that Mr Ell got no show. — The naine3 thought of by Mr A. Moss for his Wellington Park yearlings have been definitely pdonted. The Valentina colt is to bo known as Billet Doux and the Tivandiere colt Canteen. — Royal River, who ran Toddington to a neck for the Kempton Park Two-year-old Plate, cost 80gs as a yearling, which is a big difference from the 10,000gs paid by Mr Sievier for his conqueror. ' —Old Paris looks bright and gay, but seems to have a difficult task in front of him in getting ready. At present he shows no symptoms of leg failure, but Allsop hasn't shoved him along yet. — Skopos won the Liverpool Cup last week. The cablegram adds that Maluma fell in the race, injuring her shoulder, and it is feared her racing career is over. Sloan, the rider, was severely &haken. — The report of the Victoria Racing Club for the year shows the receipts to be £24,826, and the expenditure £535 less. The Cup meeting gave a profit of £9852, and the Autumn meeting a loss of £3000. — The money passed through the Muttials on Grand Prix day was enormous, over £160,000 being iaken, no less than £70,000 being over the chief event. Over £14,000 was taken for admission money at the gates. — Vanitas, who is a nine-year-old, would anpear to be getting played out, as he failed to distinguish himself at the last Viceroy's Cup meeting at Calcutta, and at the recent Singapore meeting ran very badly.

— News has been received by Canterbury Times that Mr R. M'Culloch, who owned Blackberry when that hoi=se won the Gir.nd Xctional Steeplechase, and who went to South Africa, was recently taken prisoner l>y the Boers.

—Mr A. W. Beazley has disposed of Floater to J. M' Donald, of Tallangatta. The price paid is said to be £100. Floater is to be used as a hunter, and is also likely to figure in high-jumping contests at agricultural shows.

— The chairman of the Racing Conference, as arbitrator in the dispute as to the dates of the Reefton a-nd Westport Clubs has allotted December 26 and 27 to Reefton, and requested Wesfcport to submit other dajs for approval.

— Frank Weston, described as a jockey, was! fined at Gisborne last month for damaging a billiard table during some horse play in the Masonic Hotel, where he and others practicalfy took charge of the billiard room one evening.

— Marvel's two-year-old half brother, Bar One, trains at RosehilL where he ran third to Leapfrog. He is a beautiful colt, and Li he can stay as well as he sprints, he must be reckoned with in the forthcoming three-year-old events.

— I saw Gauleon the other day, says the Sydney correspondent of Melbourne Spoitsinan, and there is no horse at Randwick looking better or more improved. He is the best tip I am able to foresee amongst our group ior the Melbourne Cup. — Mr T. B. Mortimer, of Waikiwi, offers for sale the trotting horse Berlin Doll, sire of Belmont, Return, Kosie, and others; and the same owner is willing to dispose of The Gossoon, a fest young trotter, and a winner of good races, by Del Pasco.

— Forfarshire sustained serious injuries whilst running in the Derby, it was a work of considerable difficulty to get him back to Newmarket, and he had not been out of his box since arriving there ; indeed, on June 4, he could scarcely walk acioss it.

— ''Penta-graph" tells us that Murmur won seven laces last season, and g«_ place money in five races, yet his total winnings are only £153 ss. Another horse that grafted hard for his total is Picket, this gelding 'winning 12 races, and received in all JE253 28a.

— The death is announced of the Earl of Radnor. The late peer was well known as an owner and breeder of thoroughbreds, and at the last Salisbury meeting his horse, Bkirnenaue, secured the Salisbury Cup. He had been racing for over a qiiarter of a century. —Mr W. $ Yosbrugh, the great American authority, says: Men who profess to tell a racehorse by looking at him I always regard as very ignorant or very insincere. Conformation is a good thing, but nervous force is the motive power, and that is not apparent. —Mr G. B. Bullock has been appointed to fill the vacancy on the Dunedin Jockey Club' 3 Committee created <fey the resignation of MiMiller; and, Mr Ponsonhy's seat having been declared vacant owing to non-attendance, Mr Francis Meenan has consented to again act. — Mr Godfrey tells me that he sent Goldspur up to Christchurch on Thursday last, with the view of competing in ths short races at the Grand National meeting. Goldapur has not had a real gallop since tho Oamaiu meeting, so could not have stayed out the mile of the Winter Cup.

— Mr 11. Allan offers for sale the Tasmanianbrccl horse -viariner, winner of several good rac.->3 and Fire of several promising youngsters. If any intending buyers want to ask a question, about Mariner's pedigree I shall be happy to answer. It is a T>edigree that will stand looking j^.O.

The Duke de Chaulnes, a prominent suppoiCSi- oi the French turf, has offered to make a match for 500sovs aside to run his six-year-old lioras, Bassam, against Mr Prentice's General Peace, a mile and three-quarters, over hurdles, at Auteuil. General Peace to concede 20lb.

— One thing very certain, says "Reginald," is that jumping will not haiin Wait-a-Bit. Alec Taylor says the horse enjoys his schooling, and he is always much better in "himself when alloy/ed to do a certain amount of servicesble work. Spelling does not agree with him ay all.

— The stewards of the English Jockey Club, having observed that confusion occurred near Tattenham Corner in the lace for the Derby, called Sloan before them at Epsom, and, after making inquiries of the other jockeys "riding in the race, severely rejmnianded Sloan for breach of the rules.

— At Ascot tho first portion of the Beenham House yearlings came under the hammer, hut of the 17 lots sent up four failed to find purchasers, and those that changed hands only ->-ent for small prices, the highest figure reached being 145gs, given by Major Coventry for a colt by Chittabob from Cornadienne.

— Hoxteydcw II and Tremolo both broke dowii very badly in the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase. Chelsea was on the tracks next morning none the worse for his fall. My sore knocked himself about considerably during the race for the National Steeplechase. Silver Moor will not ruu again for some time. — The American mare Imp won her first race of the year in the Parkway Handicap, defeating Kinley Mack, the Brooklyn Handicap winner, by two lengths. The crowd went wild, for the "black mar" is popular, and itis now prophesied that she will make all the cracks hustle during the balance of the season.

— The Manchester Cup turned out the good, thing it was generally reckoned to be for La Roche, the Oaks winner, who came out in just the same style at the finish of the Cup as she did at Epsora in the Oaks, and she is evidently a stsyer of the first water. It is to be regretted that she has not an engagement in the St. Leger.

— Says the Australasian's Sydney correspondent: We were in hopes of seeing a couple of New Zealnnders shaping in our next Derby, but the idea has knocked on the head, a-s the pen was the other day run through the names of Connie Chiel, Somerled, "Formosa, and St. Michael, owned by Sir G. Clifford and Mr O-. G. Stead. -

— Settling over the V.R.C. Grand National meeting passed off satisfactorily. Though the bookmakers won heavily over the Gi'and National Hurdle Race and Steeplechase, they lo3t on the majority of the other events. During the day there yas some betting over the Caulfield Cwp. Horace and Cornquist were each backed to win .£2OOO at 100 to 3, and 1000 to 30 went down to Kaaba.

—At Lichfield Park (F,ne.). in June, Greenaway, at 100 to 8 in a field of four, took the Imperial Stakes, wortE close on* £1000, and Lord Provost, an 8 to 1 chance, who has been engaged all the spring in the arduous task of leading Forfarshire in his Derby preparation, came out and decisively disposed of if) opponents, four of whom were to him in the market on thf> Tsden '"Welter Handicap.

— The Duke of Portland has now won the Oaks four times, with Memoir. Mrs Butterwick. Amiable, and La Roche, the same number that carried the other famous magpie jacket, that of the late Lord Falmouth, to victory in the great Epsora race for fillies. Lord Falmouth's winners were Queen Bertha, Spinaway, Jannette, and Wheel of Fortune. The fourth Duke of Grafton won the race six times.

— TII9 time occupied by La Roche in winning the-Onks (run over one mile four furlongs and 29 yards) was 2rnni 45 l-ssec. Musa's time last year was 2min 44sec, the time of Airs and Graces in 1898 being 2min 45 4-ssec, and that of Limasol in the previous season 2min 45sec. The best on record in connection with the race is the 2min 40 4-ssec of Memoir in 1890, and the next best that of Seabreeze in 1888, 2min 42 4-ssec.

— The annual report of the Gore Racing Club states that last year was highly successful as regards racing, the Spring meeting resulting in a profit of £295 and the Summer meeting in a profit of £152 10s 3d — a record for the club. The balance sheet shows the credit in. the current account stands at £133 12s 2d, as against £76 19s 2d at the beginning of the year, in addition to which an overdraft oi JBIOO to the Gore Racing Club Company has been paid oS. v

— The Melton two-year-old Toddington, for whom Mr R. Seyier recently gave £11,000, is something of a giant in height, standing 16.2. And therein may li« tke trouble later, on. ••

good English judges are very doubtful whether the colt's legs will carry his immense frame through many races, especially when the ground begins to get a trifle hard. However, if Mr Sevior has an eye on the Derby, the chances are lie will not ask Toddington to do much more racing this season. — • "Galtee More" writes : When racing in the country it is understood that Rosebud, winner of the V.R.C. Grand National, wa3 owned by a sporting member of the Victorian Police Force, but on her appearance on the metropolitan turf her owner received a hint from Superintendent O'Callaghsm to the effect that the duties of a constable were sufficiently arduous without being saddles with the extra responsibilities attached to turf patronage, and parted with the mare, it is said, for a £10 note.

— When the candidates for the Grand Prix de Paris were stripped, Semendria- was very generally liked, the mare being cool and collected, and making many friends. The favourite, La Moriniere, looked a well-trained horse, and M. J. de Bremoncl's pair were also in good trim. The English representatives, Bonarosa and Most Excellent, were a good deal criticised, but Neither took the eye as the probable winner, and though a few of the English division supported Bonaiosa, Most Excellent was friendless at 50 to 1.

— Mr John -Scott, of Hawera, known in print as "Sentinel," has published in book form a series of "Tales of the Colonial Turf." There are 20 short stories, related in a vigorous and entertaining manner. Some have previously appeared in print, and the appreciation thus earned has encouraged the author to reproduce these stories and add a few more. Mr Scott has the knack of making a tale interesting, and the local colouring is all right. L commend the publication to the rotice of those ■who -want something to read and prefer horse tales.

— Sporting Review reports that while exercising on the roads in the Hastings district, la, "the coming two-year-old full sister to The Shannon, owned by Mr T. H. Lowry, had the bad luck to come down, damaging her knees. This is- hard lines on her owner, whose racing path lately has not been strewn with roses, for it is not so long a§o since St. Conon met ■with an accident that resulted in his death, and the Si. Leger — Ouida filly, Lady Helen, that cost him 500gs as a yearling at the '98 Wellington Park sales, had to be thrown out of work through going sore.

— There was no doubt, says a Sydney writer/ that Turbine won the Warwick Farm Handicap on the 1-lth July, but somebody in authority hoisted Promise's numbei. &be and Turbine carried colours almost alike, and every other backer of the mare thought they had won when the numbers went up, btxl their joy went down to zerohwhen their number v/as taken down and Turbine's substituted. If the judge or anybody else mistook Turbine for Promise they can well be excused, as in the excitement of the moment it was difficult to tell one from the other by the colours they carried.

— Hautesse has already been supported for the Epeom Handicap, but, observes "Umpire," that race has never been a good one for three-year-olds. At the A.J.C. meeting Hautesse sheared herself an improving filly^ as though she was badly beaten in the Champagne Stakes, she subseqaeatly won tvo races, and in one of those she cut out a mile in Imin 4-lJsec with B.]Q on her back. As she will, be about four months older, and will have 211b less to carry, it is only natural to suppose she will run a very slippery mile in Sepiainber, but even '.hen the odds are all in favour of ooniething from ilie older division proving a bit toe good for Her. — When the value of the Derby was altered -to a fixed guaranteed sum, under the new conditions in 1890, that oi the Oaks was changed on similar but less extensive lines. The value of this- year's race was £4150, as was the case last year -when Musa won, but in botb. the preceding seasons there was a surplus accruirfg from the sribscriptions. Airs and Graces in 189S took 437550v5, while Limasol's race was worth 419550v5. In 1892, when La Fleche won, the value was 527050v5, including a surplus of 620sovs and 500sovs given from the fund. The most valuable Oaks was that won by Formosa, in 3865, the stakes in ihat year amounting to £5450.

— The Auteuil Grand Hurdle Race, a valuable French event run in June, was won by the English horse General Peace, who started, at odds on and never left the result in doubt from the fall of the flag. A notable feature, says one whe was present, was the very enthusiastic manner in which the victory was received t>y the French sportsmen, who seemed desirous, by a more than usually marked demonstration as the winner and his jockey returned to scale, to show that whatever impressions to tbe contrary may be abroad, they are as ready and anxious as ever tc welcome good horses and good sportsmen from England in these international races.

— In. the Oaks this year St. Vigila had a Tunning mission for La Roche, who, if just a little deficient in speed, it was shown could stay, and that was what it was sh.rew3.ly suspected a- good many of the others would fail to do when it came to the last" quarter of a, mile of the run, home. So after going a quarter of a mile, the Welbeck jacket on the second string was driven to the front, and St. Vigila came on at a good pace to the top of the hill, where she dropped out. La Roche was always handy, and after rounding Tattenham Corner, , gradually worked her way through, and, taking the lead a quartet of a mile from home, went on and won in a canter.

— There were six datighters of St. Simon among the 14 starters for the Oaks, so that the chance of the Welbeck sire being accorded the unprecedented honour of being the prognitor of the winners of the Two and One Thousand, the Derby and the Oaks in the same season was a very good one. . As a lot, says the Sportsman, the 13 fillies that paraded — Merry Gal being excused by the stewards from taking part — were above the average in point of looks, and if some were inclined to take exception to La Roche as too small to cope with such as Lady Schomberg, Paigle, or Inquisitive, it always has to be remembered that some of St. Simon's best daughters have been little better than ponies in stature.

— Of the Ascot going, a London writer says : The strong sunshine helped to intensify the hardness of the already bare and baked claj' soil of the course. Year after year the same cry of adamantine going is raised, but though the surface is tinkered with from time to time, nothing really practical is done to improve the course. The executive, for some reason 01 p,ther, are either unable or unwilling to apply the only real cure, which is, digging out to a, dejjth. of several feet, and refilling with loam oyer a rubbish and faggot foundation. It iV a large order, no doubt, but, considering the * circumstances', expense should hardly be allowed, to stand in the way of such a muchneeded improvement.

— The best two-year-old field in point of class seen out to date this season in England, came out for the Kempton Park Two-year-old Plate. Toddington, the Woodcote Stakes winner, was among the number, and was opposed by his one-time stable companion, Britannia, and Mirande, both of who were penalised as previous winners, and St. Aldegonde had come from Kingsclere wi+h a good reputation. Toddington was a good favourite, and pulled his backers through, but only after a sharp tussle with the 100 to 6 chance, Royal River, who was beaten by a neck, after once getting his head in fiont. The Sportsman adds that Toddington was probably not at his best, as he pulled up ss?x lams aitjaf jike race.

— Essex, who wound up his Australian caieer hy winning the Easter Stakes at Randwick, has been anything but a success in England up tc the present; but there would still appear to be a chance of his picking up a race or two. At the Epsom Summer meeting he was backed down to 7 to 2 for the Horton Plate, a five-furlong Selling handicap, in which lie carried 8.7, Sloan having the mount. Prior to the start he bolted, and though ridden with a patent bit, he travelled half a mile before Sloan could pull him up. Immediately Essex pot back to the post the flag fell, and the best the Sweet William horse could do was to run into third place four lengths behind the first two, Saucy Jug and Castilian, who were divided by a head.

—At Warwick Farm (N.S.W.) on the 14th July two mishaps in the Hurdle Race brought about the death of two horses and caused serious injury to the jockeys J. Barden and R. M'Nally. Mark fell first, breaking his neck. His rider, R. M'Nally, was knocked about, and sustained a fracture of the jaw. When he fell, Mark interfered with The Labourer, who wa3 ridden by James Barden. The next time round Barden was running comfortably behind the leaders, and coming to the s r^rid last hurdle, he drew in a trifle to take I.lc inside panel, and his horse's hind legs came into collision with Claymore's near foreleg just as The Labourer was about to rise. This collision caused The Labourer to fall and roll over Barden, who was hit again by two horses — Claymore and another — that were in his wake, and when the poor fellow was picked up it was found that his right thigh was badly broken Claymore threw himself over the huidle somehow, but stopped almost dead on landing. Whalley dismounted, and found his horse's near fore fetlock broken or dislocated.