IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2579, 19 August 1903, Page 50

IN A NUTSHELL.

— "Weight? for the Tiniaru meeting are duo on August 29.

— Waiwera has a double strain of the Tr&ducer blood jn his veins. — Xotninations for the G eraldine spring meeting clo9o on August 27.

—J. Low has a team of eight horses in active commission at the Hutt.

— Stepniak'a stock captured £480 iv prize money at the National meeting. — Gipsy King's son Waiwera won £160 in Stakes in his two wins last week.

— Boldrewood is to be thrown out of work, and will take up stud duties this season.

— Wallace and Gra-fton are regarded as two of the most promising- stallions in Australia.

— The Palmerston Racing Club are- constructing a new track for their next meeting. — Fairy Rose, who was amongst the winners last week, waa priced by her owner at 350g?. — Horses belonging to the Hon. H. Mcsman won £1719 on the Australian turf lost season.

— Kimua. was presented to his trainer, R. Ellis, at the conclusion of the National meeting.

— Defiance, the winner of the Hunters' Plate, won the Grau'd National Hurdles of 1809.

— The Southland horse Andy Began was not started at the National meeting, owing to going amiss.

— Awahuri is undei orders to leave for Sydney this week to take part in the A.J.C. spring meeting. — Owners are reminded that nominations close on August 24 for the Ashburton Spring meeting.

— Dreadnought's stock won. three races at the National meeting, and captured £230 in place money.

— Croupier, whom many pouters h?.d earmarked for a. bet at the National, did not start at the meeting.

— Benzoin pulled up sound after his races at PLiccarton, and, despite his ugly-looking knees, may train on this season

—Mr W. H E. Wanklyn, secretary of the C.J.C, was unable to be present at the National meeting owing to ill-health.

— Agitator, the winner of the C.J.C. Hunt Club Cup and Hunters' Steeplechase, is a half brother by Artillery to Liberator.

— Exmoor has not filled out a great deal siice last spring, and- was evidently a bit abeve himself at the National meeting. — The crack Australian colt Emir, who was highly fancied for his thrse-year-old classic engagement, is reported to ha amiss. —L. H. Hewitt is to- leave this week for Australia to ride Orloff and Cruciform in their engagements at the A.J.C. spring meeting. — Glenaladale is supposed to be touched in the wind; henco the small figure which he realised after his win in the Woolston Plate.

— Casque went off his feed after his arrival at Riccarton, and looked very light and tucked up when going- out to contest the Winter Cup. — The Gryphon wa3 put under the hammer on Saturday last, and was passed at 143gs, which was 7gs less than the owner's reserve. Stepniak, who headed the list of winning stallions for the past season, commenced tlm year by his son Vladimir scoring in the Winter Cup.

—Mr J. O'DriscoH, the owner of Waiwera, had the: nice bet of 500 to 5 about- the winning combination Awahuri- Waiwera, for the two Nationals.

— Thei National winning double was well supported, and most of the books laid the full extent of their volumes, and in some cases a little over.

— Hipstone is a highly promising 'chaser, and with more time and schooling he will, with ordinary luck, win some of our big cross-coun-tr; events.

— Awahuri, the winner of C.J.C. Grand National Steeplechase, was amongst the starters in last year's race, and was the rank outsider of tho fie'd.

— Kotokoto has beeu taken up again by G. Smith, and the Eeflector gelding has filled out considerably during his retirement from active work.

— A Melbourne cable states that the New-Z?a-land hoise Westerly has quiie recovered from his injuries, and is expected to be shortly racing again.

— Judging by the way Defiance ronmed home in the Hunters' Plate, it looked as if the son of Dreadnought and Legacy was a, rod m pickle for that event.

— The total amount of money put through the totalisators during Ihe three J<>ys ot the National meeting was £41,777, and last year's total was £30,583.

— One of Auckland's leading trainers, who was a visitor at the National meeting, speakq very highly of Kilmnrnock, the two-year-old so.i of Simmer and Kilmore.

— The Gryphon, who fell in the Lincoln Steeplechase, has sustained rather serious injuries, though the exact nature of them has not so far been ascertained.

— Tupara went slightly amisi through striking one of Ids' fences in the Maiden Hurdles, but showed 110 signs of soreness in his race on the last day of the meeting. — The Australian stallion Finland wa<s on view at Christchurch during the National week, and was muoh admired by all who inspected the son ol Bill of Portland.

— Of the five Winter Cups which have beeu run, four winners have been sired by descendants of Musket, and the other is out of a mare got by a son of Musket.

— Until Waiwera scored in the C.J.C. Jjadiea' Bracelet, he had not won a race since last March, and prior to his last week's win had registered 10 successive losses.

— Awahuri was the outsider of last year's G.N. Steeplechase, with £86 invested on his chance, and 111 last week's race he was second favourite- with £5i3 investments.

— Maimont, the winner of the V.R.C. Grand National HurdNa, by his lecent victory in the Caulfield G N. Hurdles completed a series of sis consecutive wins over hurdles.

— "Vladimir was kicked by Rawiri when at the post for the Winter Cup, but the result of the race proved that the blow did not seriously affect the Stepni«k colt.

— Bombardo, the three-year-old son of Hotchkiss, was brought south with Pampero after tho National meeting, and will 111 future be trained by J. M'Guinness at Wingatui.

_ — The South Australian Jockey Club have giver, to th? charities a num. of £5213, being the fractions on totahsator dividends paid by the club since the machine came into use.

— Stepdancer, the sister of Menschikoff, registerod her first important win when she scored 111 the Sumner Handicap. Previous to that she had one small win to her credit.

Vaiwera's form last week was as opposite ns the poles, and lus poor display on the last dr.y of the meeting is accounted for by the fact that the horse 13 a very poor actor in. soft going.

— The glorious uncertainty of racing was well illustrated' last week by the winner of the Grand National Steeplechase falling in the Grand National Hurdles after crossing three fences.

— Pipi struck several of the Riccarton fences rather heavily, and on the last day of the meeting the effects of the faulty fencing prevented the Natator gelding from running up to his best forai.

— Tradewind was chopped across in the Sydenham Hurdles, after landing over the last fence, and losms his position 011 the niU.

had to come on the outside of Huku to get second place. — Defiance, Reliance, and Victory, who each.

scored a win at -the National meeting,

sold at the last annual sale of tho Hon. J. D. Ormond's bloodstook at 22.J, 24, and 40 guineas respectively. — Fighting Mac was found dead in his box recently, and the death of the Vanguard gelding reduces the strength of G. Robertson's team to one, in the shape of the Euroclydon filly I Happy Home. 1 — Tupara, the full brother to Battleaxe, 19

a good cut of a gelding, possessing, plenty or size and a nice style of getting over the- ground. 1 One fore pastern shows signs of having, been.

severely blistered.

—H. Carr badly hurt his right hip when Plain. Tom fell with him in the Second Hunters' Hurdles, and had to have the assistance of a crutch to enable him. to attend the last day of the meeting.

— Fairy Rose, the daughter of Gorton, who

scored in the Second Hunters' Hurdles last week, whilst running in that race struck one of the hurdles and made a very nasty gash in one- of her shins.

—Mr Jerry O'Driscoll, the owner of Waiwera, gave vent to his feelings when- last week's National winner sailed past the^post by dashing his chapeau on the lawn and booting it akj; high with great gusto.

— Messrs Clark and Robinson are at the head of the list of Australian winning owners for the past season, with £6950 opposite their names. Mr G. G. Stead tops the N.Z. owners with £7145 to his credit.

— After his win in the Jiinrpers' Flat, the Australian-bred gelding Victor II was a strong fancy for the Final Hurdles, but was in trouble quieter of a mile from, home, and failed to gain a- place in the race.

— The New Zealand Cup candidate Lavalettegave a very poor display of form in. the Sumner Handicap, and will have to show considerable improvement before he is entitled to » chance in the Riccarton two-nailer.

— Single Event, the half-brother by Apremont to General Symons and Double, Event, who has been a failure on the turf-, mai.aged to get second in. the Third Hunters' Hurdles, and reward his backers with a £2 Is dividend.

— Ringlet, the daughter of Castor and the Musket mare Bangle, 13 in foal to Conqueror, the son of Medallion and Siesta. Bred on these lines, the offspring of the above pair should prove something abovo the common.

— Peri Huon, the winner of the Swift Handicap on the last day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting, is advertised for private sale by his owner, Mr C H. Fitzgerald, of Dubbo, New South Wales. — The hurdles- at Riccarton last week wer» too straight in the ground, and through being without their usual cant, some of the horses who raced over them knocked themselves about more than would otherwise have been the case.

— The North Island mare Aldinga is to join A. Godfrey's stable at Wingatui. Godfrey, who was responsible for the training of Goldspur, Pipi and Petrovna. up to some little time back, has now no connection with those horses.

— Bombardo looked considerably on the big side m condition when going out to contest the Winter Cup, and, judging by his form at th.meeting, should repay watching during the present season.

— Many good judges hold the opinion that had Hipstone been allowed to run along in the Grand Natiranl Steeplechase instead of being pulled about in the race, he would-have seriously troubled the winner if he i had not won outright.

—W. Clark, a several times hero of tha C.J.C. Grand National meeting, was seen in the saddle once only at last week's- gathering, and his mount was Wet Blanket, who was sent out a strong favourite, and came to grass at the first fence.

— Sirius looked light and stale when, going 1 out for tlie only race he started in at the National nieetiug. This gelding had gone off considerably since leaving Dunedui, aa?d his- owner attributes it to catching a chill during the last heavy snowfall.

— Grand Rapid 3, tlie son of Gipsy Grand, who was Mr G. G. Ste?.-d's representative in the Winter Cup, looked a bit backward in condition when being saddled for that race, and when more forward should help to maka a nnme for his sire.

—An Australian punter who has played up liis winnings on a sovereign investment on the first of Marmot's wins has run his original bet into close on a thousand pounds over the six wing- which the National winner has registered during the pa-sfc few weeks.

— Admirers of Waiwera' s chance in the JJational Hurdles were further enamoured with him when they saw Stepdancer score in lh» Sumner Handicap after being unp-ble to extend the Gipsy King gelding in the Ladies' Bracelet on the first day of tHe meeting. — Shvapnel Shell was not himself at Riccarton last week and galloped short and sore ia his preliminaries. On the last day of the meeting, with the soft going more in. his favour, he gave a- better display, and finished Sb gcod third in the Heathcoto Handicap.

— Hipstone is just the sort to develop int9 a crack chaser. He is a powerfully-built horse, looks well up to weight,/ and has plenty of courage and pace. la his race in the National he got too close into his (fences, and' the manner in which lie was ridden did not improve his chance of success. — M. Allan informs me that he has disposed of Cherrystone to Mr G. Kuthven, and as ho has shifted to new quarters at Palmerston, he i<» desirous of also selling Fichu. Allan is on» of the unfortunates who suffered considerable) loss by the reduction vote whioh was carried at the last elections. — Hawthorn (by Gorton — Mayflower) and Amazement (by Perkin Warbeck II — Little Wonder) are advertised for private sale. The former is in foal to Casket, but the latter is ready to go into work, and both arc to bo sold because their owner intends to discontinue racing for the present. — Josephine, a pony mare by the defunct Miisket horse St. Clair, is advertised for -ptU vate sale in Jlelbourne. Thia mare will be better known aa LeprecEaun, who, after racing here some few years ago, was taken to Australia, and raced in, the name she is now advertised to be sold under. — The many friends of the Dunedin trainer George Smith will be pleased to heat that, although he gets about with difficulty, he ia able to supervise the training of. Kotokoto and Red Banner. It will bo remembered that seme months back Smith broke ono of his legs, and his recovery has been very slow. — The music supplied by the ChristchurcK Professional Band 19 quite a feature of the N.Z. Metropolitan Trotting Club's meetings, and on the last day of the club's recent gathering the band established a unique record' bjf having to respond to an encore for their capable rendition of the "Jolly Boya' March."

— Just before the horses went out to contest the C.J.C. Grand National Hurdles the owner of Waiwera stated that his horse would establish an Australasian record for two miles over hurdles if there wa» anything in the race capable of making tlie Gipsy King gelding display hi? best from over the little sticks. — Mr O. R. Wise has again taken up Leeside, the son of Euroclydon and Broadsido (sister to the Melbourne Cup winner Arsenal), who was turned out after being broken in last spring. Molly Dear, the three-year-old daughter of Gipsy Grand and Molly Darling is also in work again after being indulged in a spell. — ilatuku. tlio dauahtei of Gold Reef and

Kotuku, who placed the Selwyn Handicap to let owner's credit last week, 13 only a pony in .appearance, and would only go over 15 hands through possessing high withers. Although very smell, Matuku displays a lot of quality, and should be worth a big figure foi galloway racing.

— The prize money attached to the Hunters' events at the C.J.C. National meeting look very meagre in comparison with the other Taces on j the programme, and considering th 6 amount of Tevenue the club derives from them an m- | crease in value would only be fair to the people , -who may be said to be the backbone of ctos6coirhtry racing. For the annual meeting of the Talnrca Park < Trotting Club, to ba held next Monday evening the fo'.lowing nominations for offices have | "been received:— President, Mr S. S. Myers; , vice-president, Mr W. J. Gore; committee- I Measrs J. G. Green, H. J. Gourley, and F. J. I Townsend. As only the required number have , been nominated the above-named will be declared duly elected. ] — Ayrdale does not at pre=ent look so well as Dunedinites were accustomed to see the son of Ayr Laddie when he was trained by J. , M'Guiness at ""'ingatui. and the gelding Ins lost a lot of the muscular appearanc? he formerly presented. 'lie C.J.C. handicapper. by the way, takes great-care of Ayrdale when al.ot- ( ting him his burden in a handicap. j Considering that the Duuedin horses were ' three or four days in their oozes through a heavy snowfall, which occurred about three weeks before "the National meeting, and were , ah-o unabe to be -worked fast for some time ; afterwards owing to the length of time which | the unow took to disappear, their form during the -meeting was very good, or else the majority of the horses they met are a bad lot.

iPhe list of -successful -riders at the INational meeting was headed by Mr P. Neagle, who steered four -winners ; J. Pine and P. Johnston come next with two wins each, and ecch of the f olowing registered a single win : — H. Carr, R. Derrett, J. Cameron, J. Boyd, Raxirorthy, J. Ashby, J. M'Chiskey, Mr IV. Wood, E. Fergus, F. Davis, I). M'Gregor, J. M'Comb, J. Graham, A. Hall, S. Smith, and E. Scoullar.

— Haydn's display -under 12.9 on a heavy titck in the Lincoln Steeplechase was very meritorious, as he .was under punishment over the l«st half-mile of the journey, and wore Amn Straybird by sheer gameness. Both horses -were hard ridden over the IRBt two or three fences, and the scanner in which Fergus •nd Johnstone charged their beaten horses at the obstacles was deserving of the Victoria Cross.

— Red Gauntlet's form on the second day of the meeting was viewed with euspicion. and it was rumoured that the club held a private inquiry into -the son of Lochiei's xraming. Those who know the horse best are prepared to see him do anything, and on the last day after looking all over a winner ialf -way up the straight he never fought an inch when challenged by Windwhistle at the business pnd of the trip.

— Rawiri, the full brother to Waiuku, who •was made a strong order ifor the "Winter Cup, is a mas3ivly-built, handsome horse, who would make an ideal charger for the comrnantier o: « crack regiment. Be was -very fractious at ■the post, and after being one of the last to begin at the start LeTaced round his field, and showed up behind-tho -leaders as the field Bwept into the straight, but was Ticver dangerous Afterwards.

— Mr H. Elworthy had an uncomfortable ride ' on Swagger in the Hunters' Steeplechase on Saturday at Riccarton. The horse struck thesecond -fence of the Eennels double, and his eiddle shifted. At the next fence it slipped right round, and for this remainder of "the journey Swagger was Tiddcn bare-backpd. Mt Elvrorthy received a hearty cheer on passing the post, and it was renewed when he returned to the enclosure and drew weight.

— J. Pine, who was for several seasons premier horseman for Sir G. Clifford, legistered his first win over obstacles when he steered Huku home a winner in the Sydenham Hurdles, and judging by the Tesoluta and capable manner in which Pine drove the Yanguaid gelding at his fences, lie will make a valuable addition to the ranks «I cross-country horsemen if he is desirous of following up that 'branch of his profession.

— The annual meeting of the Gore Racing Club ■was held at Gore on "Wednesday afternoon. Mr *£ Green (president) occupied the chair. The committee, jn forwarding its .report, stated that it wa-s intended to purchase a totahsator »n3 erect a new totalisator -houep. The second meeting of the season is to be held in Jairaary. i Mr Thomas Green was elected president, Or , Copland and Mr D. L. Poppelwell were appointed vice-presidents, and Mr G. Brett ' auditor.

— A number of charges to trespass were laid by the C.J.T!. against several bookmakers who sported 'betting bags, etc., in the paddock on the firat day of the National meeting; but several fielders who discarded "their paraphernalia when -warned, and did not again advertise themselves by its means at the following 'days of the meeting, have siuce 'been informed that the charges against them have been withdrawn. TElio charges against those \vho did not do co ■Kill be proceeded with by thp club.

— Judging by the way Hipstone pets into come of his fences, in what fuiuie schooling lie is asked to do it would be a good move if some brushwood were laid in front of the obstacles, to make him stand off them a bit rnoTe. In lumping one of the fences in front of the stand, lie did jiot appear 'to rise at all, hut struck with iii 3 arms, and then slid over -the- obstacle. If the St. Hippo gelding had been «llowed to run along and take the risk «f making -his o-.vn Tunning, he might have fenced with more proficiency. — When the Batting Comni''it-tee which was formed some time ago in England to see what couM be 'done in the -way of controlling betting •was pursuing its investigations one of the gentlemen forming that body Stated that irom ■what he could find out the true ethics of S.P.t brvtting was to find out what had won a iac© and endeavour to back it with some bookmaker •who "was not over wideawake. That old game ■was tried on here during ths National week, and the horse Eolcctcd paid a good dividend, but the bookmakers, scenting misohief, held a. «cnfab, and as a result decided to fine tho clever punter the amount of money which he had invested with them.

— The annual meeting of the Alexandra Jockey Club ivas hold at Alexandra on Tuesday evening last, Mt J. D. Buchanan (president) being in the chair. The bnlance sheet showed a credit balance of £95 18s 3d. Aftsr discussion, it was decided to hold the races on the Alexandra course, the date to be Friday, 18th December. The following office-bearers were elected- — President, Mr J. D. Buchanan (re-elected); vice-presidents, Mb3sts T. P. Back and S. Cameron 1 judge, Mr John Butler; starter, Mr J. Earley; clerk of course, Mr J. Nieper, treasurer, llr IV. S. Laidlaw ; handicapper, Mr J. Paget. It was decided that i 265 be the amount given in stakes this year. The quesiion of purchasing a totalisator would come up ior discussion.

There are about 1297 telephone exchange connections in Christchurch. In Dunedin there are about 1420, in Auckland 1554, and in Wellington 1902.