IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2427, 19 September 1900, Page 40

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Multiform has had his first mare. I — Le Var has in all piobabihty run his last race. • — Dirk Haininerhand struck out of the Caulfield Cup. — The Longford Derbj- in T<i_:naiiia has besn abolished. — Blue Jacket was the rage in Dunedm for the Avondale Clip. i — The C.J.C. book of piogrammes is to hand —neatly printed, as usual. ! — The (! rafter broke down while lunmng in the Drayton Handicap, at Goodwood. ', —It was " '.the Count who ]a*d the £4000 agonist Seahorse lor the Melbourne Cup. i — The Hawke's Bay Spring Handicap has at- ' tracted only Scottish Minstrel and Cannic Chief . trom the South. | — According to Tod Sloane, the crack English ' two-year-olds of this season aie 14'b behind ' those of last year. I — Skopos, winner of the Liverpool Cup, holds a peculiar record — that of having started at the '!iiwnp,oii odds of 500 to 1 in the Leger. i — 'ihey bet m Kalgoorlie (W.A ). At a re- i cent race meeting liolcl there £1-1,000 was passed through the totalizator m one day. ! — Hova, by Ingoznar — Happy La ad, is now the property of Mr Oas. Pigdon, who intends forming a small stud at Dunrelen (Vie). i — I should not be surprised to hear of Volley lYinmng a good race in the Wanganui Spring Handicap. Rosella is another that may shai:e well. — The colonial horses accepting for the English back-end handicaps are all hkely-'coking on weights, bar The Giafter, who was said to .have broken down. '— "It is not definitely stated that Douglas has been retired fiom the turf; but :t n undeistood that the son of Crawfurd Pr:o:y will perform stud duties this season. — Reliance, by Trenton — Elsie, who cost P. Bolgcr 20gs last November, has since won eight races, inclusive of the Coolga-die Cup, of , oOOso-vs, and Boulder Cup, of 7Soso' s. I — No fewer than six dead heats have been recorded in connection with the Debutant Stakes, | when it was known as the Foal Stakes — two for first, three for second, and one for third. 1 — A fair representation oi Canterburytrained second-classers is engaged at Geral-", diiic. As these are apparently the horses ' catered for the club is no doubt satisfied. — The Hon. H. Mosman's Circe (Castor — Cissy), with the minimum weight, started a big outsider m the Queensland Tar I Club Handicap, on August 18, and was one of the last to finish. ! —At Tc Mahanga stud, la, by The Mute — \ Waitiri, has piodused a filly to Torpedo. She j is a good deal inbred, for her dam is a grand- I daughter o' Musket, and her sire is a son of | the Toxophilite stallion — The Australasian says that La Caiabine may not be a luaner lor the Melbourne Cup, and another paper warns backers that she may not start for" the Caulfield Cup. Is the owner going to keep the mare to look at? — Miltiades, winner of the South Australian j Derby, is a St. Albans-bred colt, purchased as i a jearlmg by his present owner, Sir Rupert \ Clarke, for the sum of 350gs. liiltiad.es is by ' Eiridspoid — CJmilta, and thus a half-biother j to Foxtail. ! — Snowden, by Pyrhus I, came to Melbourne horn China in 1863, as a present to the late J. Henty. No pedigree was sent, and when landed he was taken to be an Arab. His redigree arrived afterwards, and also word that he had raced in England as Panmuie. — Eiridsdale, says " Asmodeus," is the most commanding racehorse at present on the Australian turf, and would have long since ac- i ccmplished something big in Victoria but for , being afflicted "with rheumatism on the occa- • sion of some of his previous visits. — From Melbourne it is learned that Sir | Rupert Clarke accepted cSIOOO to ,£ls about La Carabine for the Caulfield Cup, but declined ; to take it again when offered. .Report says he may not start her in the Caulfield Cup, but her owner took the wager on the off-chance. — Kiora, who was wrecked at the Cape on his way to England, ran in a hurdle race at the Down (Ireland) Royal Corporation meeting a few weeks ago, but with 10.4 finished unplaced, as did Achra, ,by Martini-Henry from Acme, in the Thorn Cup. Both horses are owned by Captain Scott. —An approximate balance sheet presented ■ to the South Canterbury Committee showed a j profit over the late meeting of £66 18s Bd, with- | out including subscriptions. Last year at the . Spring meeting there was a piofit of J3102. j There were two extra races this year which t increased the expenditure. r Lhe first descendant of Carbine to tackle the jumping game is Carbinier, who scored in his initial effort at Maribyrnong (Vie). •According to the Australasian, Carbinier was a ! great rogue on the flat, Trot he went so straight m his jumping essay as to give room for the hope that he will, ot least, be honest over j fences. j — The New Zealander, Tirant d'Eau, carry- i ing 8.4, ran second to the American Jiffy II 7.9 iu°the Goodwood Plate, at the Goodwood meeting, on August 1. Theie were 10 starters, including Old Clo' 7.10, who ran fourth. Tirant, d'Eau, ridden by L. Reiff, staited favourite at j 9 to 4, with Jiffy II next in demand at 7 to 2. Old Clo' was backed at 7 to 1. — 'iliere was no foundation for the statement which appeared in some nswspapeis to the effect that Mr W. H. Walker had given .£IOOO to J. Rein" for winning the Princess of Wales' s Stakes of £10,000 on Merry Gal. As a matter ol fact, Mr Walker piesented the trainer of the filly with £50, and gave a proportionately adeqaate amount to the jockey. Sir Edgar Vincent's Stoccado (late Cranberry) started favounte for the July Handicap, one mile and a quarter, at the Royal Windsor meeting, on July 28, but in a field of eighu could get no nearer than sixth. The Australian carried 8.7, while the winner, Samt Noel, had 9.6 up. Stoccado was reported to have done some wonderful track gallops before the lace. — Fotheringay and Stuart King fought out the " rubber " m the Morphettville Plate at Adelaide, and Stuart King was victorious. They ran first and second, it will be remembered, in the Fulbam Park Plate, with Stuart King in front, and finished at the head of the field in the Dequeteville Stakes, with Fotheringay in front. There is piobably not much between them. Lochiel, who headed the list of Australian winning sires last season, was well to the fore at Hawkesbury on the Ist, when his daughter Jenny Moore won two races. Jenny Moore is a five-year-old mare, full sister to Loch Leigh, Pope and Sayles, her dam Lola being by Roodeo from Keepsake, by Yattendon. She was bred by James Thompson, of Oakleigh, New South Wales. The Prince of Wales lias requested one ox the oldest and most experienced trainers to report upon the state of the racecourse at Ascot, and at the same time to suggest what he considers necessary to be done in order to make the track fit for racing upon. An exhaustive report has been submitted to his Royal Highness, and also to the master of the buckhounds. — Mr S. G. Cook, of Melbourne, is gradually licking his team into racing shape. His, two-year-olds by The Admiral are full of promise, especially The Austrian, who can already use hia legs to some purpose. The Mariner has recently been nutting in some good work, and £h.e Undine, TU^ U;uoa }j&k t £he British, Atl-

niiral, and The Merry Prince have also been movnig along. — There were 19 starters for the Goodwood Stewards' Cup, which we learnt by cable was I won by Royal Flush 7.13, with Americus 8.4 I second and The Grafter 8.12 third. Royal j Flush staited favourite at 11 to '2, Americus being at 100 to 7, and The Grafter at 50 to 1. The race was won ]'i a canter by six lengths, The Grafter being thiee-quaiteis cf a length behind Americus. — At Oamiru last week before Major Keddell, S.M., John Mason and William Noiman were charged with betting at totalisator odds at the Oamaiu races. Atter hearing evidence, the I cases were dismissed. One ol the. witnesses, ' named John 'Miles, declined to give evidence, for fear of iiicriminp ting himself. He was then charged with being a party to the betting transaction, and was fined £5 and costs. — Steersman, winner of the Caulfield Champion Steeplechase, luns m the name of Mr W. K. Lee, a well-known member of the ring, and is trained by G. Sliiimoie, and was on this occasion carefully ridden by H. Howie. He is by Irish Home Rule (son of Julian Avenel), £rom Pecores. The winner possesses pie/sty of pace, and, assisted by a light weight,^ should prove difficult to beat in any company. —At the annual meeting of the Southland Eacin« Club it was stated that the year began with a bank balance of £263 9s Id. The summer meeting resulted m a profit of ,-5261, I and a loss of £125 was inclined m connection ' with the Autumn mooting. Improvements to j the value of d 6165 were in progress, which I would lepve p. balance of £172 in hand. Ninetee.i r.ew members were elected, bringing the total up to 103. — At first it was thought that Maluina had lolled over Sloan in the Liverpool Cup, but i this was not the case. It was o.ie of thp horses behind him that caugrht Sloan and toie his ear. 1 He never lost consciousness, and he makes no , charge ot foul ridine. Maiuma had no f-hocs, i and Sloan attributes the accident to the mare'i slipping on the dry grass. But for this he believes he would have won. Sloan was doing well when the mail left. — Hova's half brother, Regained, who won ihe Heatherlie Handicap at Caulfield m very | meritorious style, has oily 7.3 in the Cju'field i Cuy and 7.0 m the Melbourne Cup. These are ■ handy weights for a five-year-old who possesses blood which has nviue its mark on the Aus- | tralian turf in the best of company. George j Frecleiick, whom .Regained defeated, was heavily backed, but the son of Robinson Crusoe beat him very decisively. — Writes " Javelin " : In bestowing the title " Champion Steeplechase ' the V.A.T.C. Committeemen proved themselves genuine humorists. A " champion " event in which some of the competitors — although winners — mry claim 371b allowance reads like a Christy Minstrel joke. The figure record for this Champion Steeplechase wa« : — Fourteen entries, live starters and three finishers, who straggled home at intervals of something like half a street. —Mr Sinclair, who wad nominated for the position of picsident of the Southland Club, declined to stand, stating that he intended shortly to leave the district. He very much regretted dissociating himself from the club, the members cf which lincl worked harmoniously during the several terms m which he had been their president. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr Sinclair was recorded in the minutes for the valuable seivices he had rendered the club. — Details are . to hand by the mail of Mr Alfred Joseph's death in London. On the morning of his demise he goo up at about halfpast 8 o'clock, and took a ba^h. As he reniaineJ a long tirue in it, Mrs Joseph went | in, and found that he had fallen in an apo- i plectic fit and cut his face. Pie was quickly got into bed, but never regained consciousness, and passed away peacefully some hours after- | wards. He waa buried in the Jewish cemetery at Willesden. — The New York cciT°spo:i^ent of the Sportsman writes that the question of the supeiiority of the American two and three-year-olds has been settled, and that he doubts very much whether there is a better two-year-old anywheie than Commando, who is by Domino from Emma C, by Darebin. This colt is engaged in next year's English St. Leger and several of the big £10,000 stakes. We have several Darebin mares in Australia, but up to the present Flodden is probably the best horse fiom one cf them. — The b.own gelding 'Frisco, who as far back as ISB7 ran second to Stanley for the 'Hawkesbury Autumn Handicap, and later defented Kitawa, Tom Browa, Nelson, The Jewel, Ringmaster, Myall King, and other cracks in the Sydney Cup, was sold a few days ago, says a Sydney paper, for sgs. Sorella lost her rider and Nelson fell in the Sydney Cup alluded to. 'Frisco, who is by Grand Flaneur from Verbena, was then three years old, and carried the brown and white livery of the unlucky '"Teddy" Sanroson. — -After the Liverpool Cup had been thrown I at Skopos b3' a series of accielents in his favour, a quantity of champagne was sent to | th? press room at Amtree with Mr White's ! compliments. To decline to accept hospitality if a most ungracious task always, but, says an English paper, that had to be done. The sporting press, in its endeavour to voice popuI lar opimoj, had unanimously condemned the Australian's tactics, which, after all, bi ought him no move piofit than he might have made if playing an open hand. — From the Naseby correspondent of CroniI well Argus : The Maniototo Jockey Club held its annual meeting a few clays ago, when the office-bearers were elected aud the date of next meeting was fixed. Much indignation was expressed by the members at the action of the racing authorities ciushmg trotting at country meetings — that is what it amounts to. It seems almost incredible that old-established country clubs cannot be allowed to manage their own affairs. Why not a country combination to manage their own business? —An appeal by G. Rains, owner of Starlight, against the action of the stewards of ihe Marong Club in declaring Thistle winner of the Hurdle Race has been decided by the V.R.C. Committee. The ground of the appeal was that Thistle did not carry his proper weight. The handicapper intended to awaid Thistle 11.12, but he wrote very indistinctly, and the figures appeared to represent 10.12, and that was the weight printed on the official cards. The committee dismissed the appeal, and the race, therefore, remains) with Thistle. — The suggestion made by Mr Crick at the annual meeting of the A.J.C., that a Federal Cup should be offered for compete ion, is finding support in some quarters. It is pointed out that the time for the institution of such a race, valued at least at 5000sovs, is most opportune, taking the new century and the establishment of the Commonwealth into consideration. The cup could be run for at the Autumn meeting, and would not interfere with the Caulfield or Flemington fixtures, and would free the A.J.C. Committee from any complaint of lack of enterprise which, it is asserted, has been displayed by them in the past. — Diamond Jubilee won the Eclipse Stakes in fine style for his owner and breeder, tho Prince of Wales. Huggina, the- Heath House trainer, remarked before the race that in his opinion Diamond Jubilee was a better horse than Flying Fox. " I ought to know," said this clever trainei, " for I have tackled them both with the same horse." Richard Marsh concurs in that view. " Not so good as Persimmon, but certainly better than Flying Fox," j said Marsh, then adding, " but of course Per_si^monjraajh£^^

with." Flying Fox's reputation* rests oh his. home trial. ' — Fred Wilner, a prominent farmer of Livingston County, New York, repoits to the Spirit of the Times an astonishing occurrence. On j numerous occasions he lias found in his pastures young lambs with their heads eaten off. Not having time to buiy one carcase he threw it into the yard, when, suddenly, to his amazement, a family ho 1 so rushed up and began eagerly eating the head off. When the next lamb died, Mr Wilner placed a lot of cayenne pepper on the head and threw it to the horse, who, after taking a few bites, dropped thecarcase, and now cannot be made to touch a l> lamb or any other animal. —At the half-yearly meeting of the Australian Jockey Club rules 55 and 61 were altered in accordance with mle 21, making it compulsory for all entrance fees to be paid at the time of nomination. In the event of this hot being done, and the 'money not being subsequently paid, the secretaries of clubs are to ba held responsible. The conditions governing the payment of winning and losing mounts in. hurdle and steeplechase races as applied to country clubs have been withdrawn, leaving owners and jockeys free to make their own terms, pnd making it optional with clubs to insist on the payment of the lees at scale. — Several Japanese racing men have recently visited America to inspect breeding farms and. | become acquainted with Kentucy's method of ! breeding fast horses. Each member of the j paily is wealthy, and ihey own a number of racehorses, and are anxious to improve their breeding. "Racing in Japan is quite popular now," Mr Tange said, " and good horses are in demand. A good yearling sells for 1030 yen in I Japan. He is sent to a nursery and trained for two years, and then sent out to race. He I is raced for a year and then sent to the stud. { Many of our best horses come from Australia, and our visit nere is for the purpose of becornI me, acquainted with the method of breeding." I — Breeder and Sportsman says: 'Ihe indications now arc that Tha Abbot, 2min GJsec, the unbeaten, iree-for-a'.l trotter of 1599, will be in the exhibition class in the coming campaign. The fastest class thus far is the 2min 1 S3ec class, from which The Abbot is barred I by his record. If an opportunity to race him is not offered the great horse will probably be 1 fitted for an attempt to beat the record of I Alix, 2mm 3|sec. Not a few horsemen believe ] The Abbot has a fighting chance to accomplish j Ihe feat under favourable conditions: Geers drove him a. half in lmin 2Jsec at Louisville the other day, and jn disrnounting^iiorn the sulky complained that" the track was' slow. — The Leader gives particulars of the sensational shooting affair at Rockhampton. At the Auguvt meeting of the Rockhampton Jockey Club, John Smith, a well-known jockey, -was disqualified during the pleasure of the stewards for the contradictory running of Glendon during the month. Smith had twice applied to have the disqualification removed, and the committee refused to restore him. Smith drove to the residence of Mr R S. Henderson, late ol Marchmont ststion, a nJeniber of the committee. M>- Henderson came to the door, and Smith - filed at him with a revolver, the bullet entering his stomach. Smith then lied towards Litton Creek, threatening to kill other members of the committee who were in the neighbourhood. — A Sydney writer says : Btutemut, the winner of the Hawkesbury (N.S.W.) - Handicap, made the best of his light weight and kept tothe front, outpacing his field. Rc«k of Ages made a desperate iun at the finish, and, Butternut tiring, she drew on him quickly, but the son of Eiridspord just managed to get home in j time. Butternut is a half-brother to Symmetry. I In December last, at Tattersall's meeting afc I Randwick, Butternut won a two-yeai-old race, and though he has appeared in public over a, dozen times since then he did not sticeeed un- ! til Saturday in earning another winning bracket. He is r. young horse, however, and Duggan has him in good trim just now. "His stable companion Pelissier also ran well in the race. — Some years ago Robert Standish Sievier managed to get presented at court, but when it was discovered that he was identical with Bob Sutton, erstwhile cash bookmaker, the presentation was cancelled. Time brings its revenges, however, remarks " Javelin," and Bob, after a long and patient wait, has got even on the court of St. James. At the sale of the late Duke of Westminster's stud Sutton was bidding for a yearling filly by the Prmce of Wales' s Derby winner Persimmon from Ornament. , When the bidding had reached 6000gs, Sutton was quietly informed that the Prince of Wales wished to secure the filly. "And so do I," was the laconic response of the ex-Australian bookmaker, who, outlasting all his aristocratic competitors, secured her at the unprecedented figure of 10,000gs. — As an instance of the value of Irish land in the rearing of blood stock a very striking example is furnished in Lena Rhodes, the winner of the Purdysburn Plate for two-year-olds si the Maze. This filly was purchased as a foal at the break-up sale of the Yardley Stud, in September, IS9B. She was then the smallest foal at Yardley, and when she arrived at the Rtraft'an Stud, County Kildarc. Mr Kennedy had her weighed, and found her upwards of 2cwt lighter than any of his foals ; in fact, she was said to be little more in weight than a. "dried rabbitskin." On the fine lands at Straffan. this filly throve exceedingly, and the following October, when put into training at The Curragh, was then alluded tc as "the big filly." The Purdysburn Plate, at the Maze, was her first race. The Straffan stud is, so far as the number of animals there is concerned, not a large one, but no stud in Ireland or England has a better overage of winners. — News of the death of Mr Michael Power came as a stsggerer to racing men present at Rosehill, se>vs "Umpire" in the Sydney Referee. He went off as the lesult of a collapse of a, bloodvessel on the brain. For many years the deceased had been the head and front of the horse department in Mr Sam Hordem's city business. Whenever purchases were to be made for the Wilton Park stud Mr Power was the chosen agent to go in quest of the required animals. It was he who journeyed to breakingup stud sales and selected what was required", whether they cost much or little. The 5600gs he gave in New Zealand for Nordenfeldt was a record price in Australia at the time, and afterwards several of Mr Morrin's yearlings, were secured by Mr Power for his employer at big sums. It was he who was despatched 1 to England in search of stallions and mares about four years ago, and he came back with . Haut Brion and Gigue, haying also secured the mares Meridian and Nineveh, and other stock.