IN A NUTSHELL

Otago Witness, Issue 2617, 11 May 1904, Page 46

IN A NUTSHELL

— Entries for the Melbourne- Cup close on June 7. - — It is estimated 4hat hoi se-breecling in Hungary produces 110,520 foals yearly. —in Hungry the Government stallions cover for a nominal fee of fiom 2s to 15s. — • "Wairiki was recently under o-fier to a Sydney gentleman, but no deal took piace. — A complimentary ticket for the Ashburton Racing Club's meeting is to ha,nd, and acknowledged with thanks. — The Eiverton Racing Club's annual gathering proved a financial siiccess, the club corning out JS3IS odd to the good, — r i"he nominations for the D.J.C. "Winter meeting show an mciease of 12 over last year s total. Weiyhls are due on May 26. — Eurus, the winner of the Maiden at the C.E C. meeting on Satuiday, is a five-year-old Euioclydon ge ding owned by Mr R. O. Campbell. — In the Liverpool Grand National, wpn by Moifaa, 29 horses started, and only nine completed the couise — 1G of the field fell, and one refused. — A wiry jockey on a, bony horse and a bony ]ockr-y on a. beefy diorse aud a beefy jockey on •a wiiy horse are in ail cases unhappy combinations. —It is reported that Mr J. Tennant has disposed of the Stepmak — Enchantress filly Fa.c, and a'»so Gleneig, the son of Ike and Enchantress. — According to a Melbourne paper, it is rumoured that Mr Sol. Green intends disposing of his handicap horses, and only keeping Gladsome. — It is reported that Hickey was confident that Moifaa would win th° Liverpool National and the iMatator ge ding was freely backed for tho ra,o& at 25's to 1. —An American writer recently remarked that in your betting operations you don't need a tariff table of exports aaid imports to tell whether the outgo is greater than the income. — A proposal is to be made to the Ijnglish Jockey Club to limit two-year-old races in future to half a mile at all meetings prior to Ascot, which takes place at the commencement of June. — A female speculator once' grew highly enthusiastic over some "mside information" she possessed. She had 1 a tip from, a man who knew all about horses — anyhow, he ran a donkey engine. — A private letter to hand from "Wellington states that Mr B. Patterson has bought the hurdler JLissa. 1h& youngsters recently purchased by the same owner aie said to be very promising looking yearlings. — A new arrival at the Wingatui tracks last veek was Emgman, who lias been put iato active commission after eating the oats of idleness, winch has been his lot since he came down from the North Island. — Hipstone, about w-uom the writer, after seeing him race at the last C.J.C. National meeting, conceived' the idea, that he was the coming 'chaser of Hie colony, figures in the Auckland National Steeples at 9.9. — Manifesto, who won the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase in the years 1597 and 18D9, was one of the few horses which started this year and completed the course. Manifesto is 16 years old, and carried 12.1. — H. Dorotan, who steered Gladsome in her races at Randwick, had the ride on Lady Lillian at the C.11.C. meeting on Saturday. He had five mounts during the day, but failed to catch the judge's eye a.3 a winner. — In a steeplechase run ait Aintree on the day bafoa:© ihe Liverpool Grand' N'aitio'iial came up for decision, 10 horses ©taarbod, and the entire field came to grief before 10 furlongs of the journey had been traversed. — -The Stepmak gelding Kremlin was sold after the Manawatu. meeting to Mr D. Thompson for £iOO. The horse shomd not be long in, returning that figure, even though he has earned the admiration of hajidicapjiers. — The Australian-bred gelduig Oasis (Cranbrook — Mirage) defeated 15 others in the Liverpool Hurdle Handicap, of 436sovs, two miles, run on the last day of the Liverpool National meeting, mming easily by six lengths in 3.50. — New Zealand blood was to the fore at the Albury meeting, hold on April 20 and 21. Three of the winners were got by Mana (Musket — L'Orient), and another was got by Mikado 11, the half-brother by Apremont to Lady Zetland. — During the coursing meeting last week some New Zealand Cup business was transacted, aiid soase of the principal lines laid by Mr J. Loughlin were 500 to 10 Lady Lillian (with nomination in), 100 to 3 Grand Rapids, and SOU to 2 Full Cry- — Of the 27 public mares covered by Bill of Portland in England in 1902, seven proved barren. Strangely enough, the average was not so good with Mr Joel's own mares, and this a well-known authority attributes to their being fed too high. — The English racing season opened on March 21, and the first race on the Lincoln card fell to Golden Castle, a three-year-old filly by the Australian sire Aumm. Amongst those who followed Golden Castle home was an unnamed Carbine colt. — Amongst soTie stud notes in a, late English Sportsman to hand; is an announcement that Mr S. H. Gollan's Freda, by Maxim from Fair Nell (dam of Saracen, Loyalty, and 80-nme Scotland), has foaled a filly to Bill of Portland. — A Christohurch telegram states that the C.J.C*. CoTimitW has Tecommemled an increase of the stake for the New Zealand Cup to "OOOsovs, for the Grand. National Steeplechase to lOOOsovs, and the Grand National Hurdles to 700sovs. — The North Otago Jockey Club have received excellent nominations for the forthcoming winter meeting, which is to come off on the 24tih and 25th inst. The handicaps are due to appear on the 16th, and acceptances must be declared on the* 19th. — Constans, a two-year-old sister to the Lochiel — Consdstence colt sold a<t the recent Palmerston North sales, and also a half-sister to Blackstone, was made a hot favourite for a Uvo-year-old handicap run at tihe Ma-ribyrnong (Vie.) meeting on April 20, and scored easily. — If the best horses had the longest names Matajmata.haraMki would bo good goods for the Auckland National Hurdles, but that name tacked on the 9.7 given her m the handicap may possibly trip the daughter of St. Leger at coxae of the obstacles to be negotiated in the race. — Caro and Ivarno, two sons of Carbine, were sent out first and second favourites respectively for the Liverpool Spring Cup, of 323sovs, one mile and three furlongs, but neither of the pair gained a place. The winner turned up in a colt named Grey Goblin, a three-year-old son of Grey Leg. — A week before the decision of the Liverpool Grand National, the Special Commissioner of the Londion Sportsman expressed a i opinion that Moifaa had no chance of staying the distance if ridden by a jockey who could not hold him, but reckoned that Kiora would be dangerous. — The ycvunir?-s± jockey to ride in the Liverpool Grand National is "W. Woc-dtkvnd, who, when he steered Magpie into fourth place in 1886, had not reacaecd his sixteenth birthday. The youngest jockey to ride the winner of the Grand National is P. "Woodland, who was not 21 when he won on Drcirncree last year. — Ailsa has arrived at Hastings, and created a favourable impression by her appearance and style of moving. She claims an e3igagenieirt

in the Hawke's Bay Stakes, and is to throw down tho gauntlet to Tieudim 1, Machma Gun, Golden Lily. rlher lhe Wallace fiily shapes like a stayer, and -shouid give a good account of herself in the race. — On March 22 the Lincolnshire Handicap," of 148550v3, one mile, which forms the first lmporlant event of the Er.g isli secon, came up lor decision, and vras won by Umusuied, a son. of the Bend Or horse Lavcno. Stoic, a four-yeai'-old Trenton gelding, ran third in the race, and was one of the 22 others vrho followed the winner past the post. On the concluding day of the Lincoln spring meeting the JJrock.esby Stakes, of 650&0V5, five fuilougs, and the first important juvenile race of the season, was won by a> l'lorizel II coll named Vedas. He v/as followed home by Captain Jack, a son of .Rightaway, who is owned by Mr J. W. Larnach, and cost, 1300gs as a yearling. — The l-ist two-year-old to come into winning prominence at the opening of the English season is a co.t r..ani«-d Vedas, who captured thp Biocklesby Stakes and the Sefton Park ! Plate. He was got by Forlzel II (St. Simon — Perdita) out of tho Kosiciucian mure Agnostic, who mr.s buck to Little Agnes, the sister to the grand dam of Ormonde. — The Austrs. ban-bred Hard-a-lee. who isn't hard to leave when she commences her hot-head-ed anVrcs on ihe track, figures amongst the nominations for the Oamaru meeting. It will be remembeied she came across with the smart but ill-fated fh.y. Malfearn, v/lio was kiLed in the early part of tho season whilst; racing in the North Island. — 'jJie Programme C.J.C. Committee have reeoinnieDclecl that the prize money of the next New Zdi'and Cup should be increased to 2000so\s, of which amount 300sovs is to go to the second horse and 200sovs to the third. The Grand National Steeplechase is to be endowed with a prizo of lOOOsovs, and the Grand National Hurdles with one of TOOsovs. It was recently said by the Special Commis&ioi'or of the London Spoilsman thau Aumm was not too certain with ins mares, probably because the son of Trenton is inclined to wax fat. lo remedy the evil, Aurum is to be given plenty of saddle exercise, and as this idea has genej-ally given gocci results, stallion owners should not neglect to see that their horses get a fair amount of work. —In the A.R.C. Grand National Htirdle3 Waiwera has been alloted 12.4, or exactly a stone more than he carried when he won the last C J.C. National Huidles. Waiwera ran. the two miles at Eiccarton in 3min 47sec, and another meritorious win of the Gipsy Bang geldirg ww when ho earned 12 8 at the lasu Wangoimi autumn meeting-, and easily xan 16 fui.ongs over hurd'.es m Sinin 49s«c. — Acootdlng to the conditions attached to the Ashburton pro~ramme Petrovna, by her win on Saluiday last, has earned a oil) penalty for her engagement on the first day of tho A.R.C. meeting. Clanburn gets a. 10lb penalty for the Asiliburton Handicap, and Co&al and Zealous get a sib penalty in the Fairfield Hjghv/eight Handicap. Eutus is another x^enaliy earner, and incurs a 101b increase on his original weight for the Longbeach Jiandicap. — Accordmg to a Queensland exchange, tao imported stallion Vendetta (Orrue — Nemesis; met his death in a rather unusual fashion. Ji« was on his way to flockhampton on board tho Mareeba, and the sea being very rough, he wa3 drowned by the water washing over him continuously. T>vo other stallions wjsre on board, but they escacped. Vendetta, who proved impotent at the Russley Stud, was lent by hia owner, Mr P. H. Morton, to a Queensland friend, who intended turning him out on a station in the hope that a change of scene might bring about a recovery of his powers. —In lookiug over the "Wanganui handicaps one cannot help being struck with what Tiins'a changes bring about, and vis'ons of Cup winners degenerating into cab-pullers fill the ir,ind'3 eye. Shortly after Halberdier won uhe New Zealand Cup, and when the glamour cf the victory was suli fresh upon him, he raced at Wellington in tho Pearce Handicap, and in finishing second with 9.9 to General Syroons he gave 291b and a beating to Cannie Chiel over nine furlongs. At 'V7a- i ganui tho latter is asked to give Halbc-rdier 51b over a mile and a distance, and the pair have not met in the interim. — A well-kxiown character who was present at the recent Taira-na Park meeting was asked i during the ctay how he was getting on. Tho "character"' replied that he had one leg in of a double, and on being asked wha» the double was said that he had walked out to the track, and thai if he had to walk back again he would land the double. Tho same person is also charged with having said at dinner, when asked if he would have his helping of mutton cut saddle-wise, that he preferred it cut bridleuise, so that he could get a bit :n his mouth.t A the last Invercaa-gill meeting he got loaded witili fire-water, and on being ejected from a pub retaliated by smashing on a of the windows. Next morning he was up before the local magistrate, and on being sentenced to a nionfehi brought down the house by asking for time to do it in. — Speaking of Moifaa's display in the Livefpool Graud National, the London Field said that "No iiner exhibition of jumping ability j has been seen at Aintree than that afforded by the New Zealand gelding. He seemed to go half a foot higher than anything else, and to land in most collected fashion, and if he is not a horse of great speed, he is quite up to tha average of 'chasers in that respect, whilst his stamina is beyond cavil. In appearance, Moifaa is rather an odd one, being apparently alicavfc 17litls liigli, and innnenqely tig£ in the withers. He has, too, extraordinary depth through the heart, and about as good a shoulder as we ever saw on a racehorse. Behind the saddle he raiher falls away, and his low set-on tail makes him just a little plain about tho quarters; but he is strongly coupled, shortbacked, and well off for bone, and he was quite the biggest horse in the field." — In some of the principal American cities the authorities arc doing their best to suppress tipslerial firms, and with that object in view are, among other things, denying them mail privileges. Americans may be particularly smart, but they are certainly gullible where religion a-nd racing are concerned. When tire tirsterial firm oi E. J. Arnold and Co. collapsed some time ago, tlie claims put in against it totalled the enormous sum of 3,000,000d0l (i' 600,000), which gives some idea of how th-o American public can be drawn by wjhat are termed these "get-rich-quick" concerns. Where racing is concerned, though, it is -wonderful what people will swallow, and the "tale-taller" v.'ith a "real good thing" i 3 indeed unlucky if he fails to find a victim. It is not only tha outsider who is taken ir, either, as men who are credited with some knowledge of the game swallow the bait, and will often put a hit on a horse on tlie strength of a well-toM tale. —Mr E Somerville Tattersail, in Ilia "Reco'loctions of l-tacchoises," in the Badminton Mnarazine, pays : — "The chi^f impression which I retained of Hie Newmarket Craven meeting of 1873 was thai, Forclharu, in the popular blue, white, and red of M. Lefevre, won nearly all th<? rac«?s. I remembered that M. Lefevre's horses were first and third in the N°wtt?rket Handicap; but en turning back to the calendar, I found <-viiat _ great reason there- -vqas for my having this idea. In tha four days' racing there were 39 Taces! Two resulted in wailcp-ovor for Lord Falmouth. In the 37 other raoes M. Lefevre ran 23 hnr«e=, and had 14 winners, 3-1 seconds, 2 thirds, r.nd only one unplaced horse! On the last day he hr.d tb r ee walks-over, a panic having evidently set; in. Fordbain, who rede most of his horses, hui

Hot all, was up 1G times, on 10 winners, 4 seconds, 1 third, and 1 unplaced horse. In those days it was not recorded who rode in waiks-over, of which M. Lefevre had four." —At New Orleans last month an owner uarued H. T. Griffin v^orked a point which, •while it enabled him to land a big stake at a long price, brought him into collision with the stewards. He had a smart filly — Sweet Pepper — entered in a twc-year-old race, but in place of her paraded a very .insignificant-looking little rag in the paddock, with Sweet Pepper's number on her. The paddock steward was unaware of the deceit, and those intending to "bet were so little impressed by the spurious Sweet Pepper's appearance that they neglected her, and the bookmakers ultimately quoted 40 to 1 against h&r. Meanwhile Griffin and his agents °got busy, and invested money at the long adds. When the horses came out to run, it was seen that the genuine Sweet Pepper was in reality very nice looking, but it was then too late "for the bookmakers to retrieve their error. She won, and Giiffin made a good winning as the result of his trick. Griffin's horses were debarred from running again at the meeting, and the trainer, WClousky, was suspended indefinitely. — One per cent, of the money invesiteci 1 at the "Mutuals" in France during the past year brought in nearly two millions and a-half of francs (£100,000), and the impost has been increased by 50 per cent, for 1904 (write? the Paris correspondent of a London ,paper). According to" actual calculation, something like £800,000 will be dedticted from the capital of the patrons of the 'turf, and the question is li-jw long they can withstand this annual drain. Appetites have been whetted by the success of the system and a man need not be a pessimist to foretell that further pretensions w|ill be raised by the Government. It is an open secret that the choice has been made of the future general manager of racing. He will have the whole of the racing under his control, and tTia turf will become a public spectacle carried on, not for the purpose of developing and improving the breed of horees/but simply to increase the funds at the disposal of the Ministry, who find sinecures for their friends and proteges among the small army of "inspectors" attached to the "Mu'.uais," with functions almost as arduous as stable duty in a manege or r-our^dabout of wooden horses. ; — An interesting law case, bearing on the liability of a trainer to the owner of a horse entrusted to him, was recently settled in France. Referring to ii, an English exchange remarks: — "The Paris Court of Appeal has just given a decision which determines the respective responsibility of owner ard trainer. A horse coming back from morning work got lccse from the lad who was leading him, and, running away, sustained injuries which compelled tha trainer to send the horse for treatment to a veterinary surgeon. The latter endeavoured in vain to cure his equine patient, and the horse had to be destroyed. The bill for veterinary attendance was sent in to the trainer, who repudiated^ all liability, ,and on applying for payment to the o%^ner could obtain no settlement. An action was commenced by the trainer, -who in turn was sued by the owner for 480sovs, the estimated value of the horse alleged to have been killed by the negligence of some person in the employ of the latter. The trainer gained the day, antt the owner was non-suited, and, appealing against the- finding of the first court, the verdict for the trainer has been confirmed by the Court of Appeal." — The Indian Planters' Gazette, in discussing the proposition, to do away with bookmakers, and restrict course betting to the totalisator in. that part of the world, says: — "We would, in the present case, advocate a middle course — namely, the licensing of bookmakers and the exercise of a stricter discretion in the granting of permits to bet. As a class, the ; ringmen in India are a very respectable and ' lionest lot of men, whose word is as good as a haak note, and who, if they are not always overgenerous in the matter of prices, are still as, good as the bank for their money. The crocked owner, trainer, or jockey does not go to these front-rank pen in India any more than he would to Dicky Dunn or any of the other lions of the ring at Home, and we do not think that the abolition of the firms of bookmakers who 1 have thro-yghoiit a long term of years en- J joyed the confidence of the C.T.C. stewards is to be recommended. The past season in Cal- 1 cutta has been fruitful of clisclosures, though » unforfcunatvly ""the misdeeds were not visited •with that swift and ready justice they should liave received. Subsequently, however, things " have leaked out, as they often do, anil •' ■we are not going beyond the facts when we say that we have it upon tlie best possible information that the inside history of a good deal that ha? transpired is now in the hands of the stewards. The only course open to them to mark their displeasure and to put a bridle upon tire wrongdoers is to stop them participating in the game next season, and this, r» is said, the stewards intend to do." — If; appears that the Liverpool Grand National this year had to be won over a more difficult course than in former years, and that Moifaa compassed a task which was anything but an easy one. Before the race, the following remarks about the course were made in the liondon Sportsman: — "The fences at Liver- . pool have been built up tremendously this year and the country which the Grand National--liorses will have to jump has never been so severe. The 'National' has always been the greatest ordeal that any steeplechaser 'has ever -been subjected to, but this year the ordeal is more severe than ever. When the course ■was walked over, one or two of the obstacles occasioned considerable surprise. Probably ck^ now ridin g knows Altcar better than Arthur Nightingale, who won the -cross-country blue riband m 1890 on Ilex, in 1894 on Why Biot, and in 1901 on Grudon, and who has missed few rides in the race for 15 years. He walked round the course while racing was in progress yesterday afternoon, and on returning remarked: 'I have never seen the fences so big. but that will suit my little horse, if he clot sn't get knocked over ' Sir Charles Nugent, the Cranborne trainer, is another man who knows something about steeplechasing. He, tco, walked round the course, and on his return said: 'It is not fair to ask any horse to | jump the last fence along the canal side. The { horse has never been foaled vfio could jump j it without making a mistake. They may eft over it, somehow, but it is an imt>ossiV? fence.' Of course, old 'chasers like Ambush II and Manifesto may ba able to take the jump*. biU whoever wins over the four and a-hr,lf j "■■> »i find t^= =o-t of country indicated will ' liave accomplished a great performance." j