TURF TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 52

TURF TOPICS.

.In England the? correct _, height for bapouche horses to 17 hands; landau -horses, 15.3 to 16 hands; victoria horses, ■15.1 to 16 hands; coach, horses, 15.3 hands. Sir Walter Gilbey, in describing the proper fehape and action of a carriage horse, says : *'To describe' a perfect animal in writing is * impossible : the attributes which go to secure - the essential qualifications of tJie horse; for active ' road work- are beyond'- the power of the pen' or brush to record, ana can only be appreciated- in the "moving .animal. . Despite the unsatisfaetpriness of- verbal . description, , "it" 'may' be desirable to Sketch th~9 outline of the perfect carriage. Jiorse^ He should be upsiaridin^r; the tneck^ springing well from the ' shoulder, Jwhich^shoald be deep arid! well set back into the loins'; . back riot too short, .or cob-like ; riba well - arched ; _ hindquarters broad and muscular; and tail, set high. In harness fee must bend— or, in ..-ether words, wear himself ' gaily — and be" full of ' fire and animation ; -he must " move with true, direct, and pliable shoulder, and knee action in front and freedom Behind. The advice o£ all greatest judges of*:horses.i® -never breed, from-worhQufc' old- mares j';breetK from young, pound mares,' because" as^a, rule' when 'the :£nare>~ is -not fit for ' work L hev- constitution, a g-one;- 'and howjearii we expect .good "re--cults?'- "Never cross a'thbrou'gh'bretl'mare-^ .with 'a beavy stallion; the best"' results and'j I*he- correct ' way- is to' put" a 'thbTqughbrfed j ; stallion, with ' a large,- heavy, mare. "'" ' When^ fhe offspring ■is - generally "of- „an imperfect;.] form. -Years ngo England used*, to' produce J horses" of every class, and supply other" couh-.'l fcries ; now most of the carriage horses -seen in England are bred! in." other, ' countries. tt"his 'is because 1 " the Continental . horse breeders bought all the mares they cquld in England." • Starting with but little, the late Fred Swindell managed to accumulate; a hand- i 'some pile, but the greater part of his money ! /was made by backing- his own - a!nd other j people's horses — not, as many might suppose, by making a book. Of course, "Lord j iFreddy" did lay 'em, and , in a big way ! joccasionally but -frequently' this part of the business was only used' to .accelerate the .working of the' many backing' commissions ■ he frequently had in hand. One day pre- j /vious" to .the St. Leger someyßo years back, ' a gentleman who had. attracted ~ some attention by his plunging, " propensities repiarked that it was a million to one against an animal that had. been put up as a likely -outsider being returned- the winner. "Is it?" rejoined Swindell, with his pronounced twang" more noticeable than usual. "Well, I wish' you'd lay me, half that price of a quarter of it, and stake the money. I'll - guarantee the horse should • ">ein -right enough. Oh, yes ! he'd certainly win; with -half* a million , I could easily" afford to square the others, and then pocket enough to make it worth my while." This' ,was rathe* a.--large order, and probably the, challenge war. ■ thrown' ous in 1 , fun, but, those , /who -knew the "Turf Talleyrand" welK de- ; tected an undercurrent of- 'seriousness inthe remark that .'told of the arrangement; not feeing* so improbable as "it seemed. - In-" 1 iwhat=it is the'fashion to term-the^'good old JSays" squaring was by no means" uhcom--mon,-4nd the^turf<is' certainly" in a healthier"; ..condition how thato in SwindeH?s time.-

Some} SO year's' ago Boricaster -possessfed- a fey n.o" means 'enviable .reputation on account of the rough element that frequented the the crowd in this respect "-differing altogether from ' the orderly throng which assembles on the Town Moor nowadays. £The .St. Leger day, especially, was generally one to be remembered by visitors who did ■not care to patronise the enclosures. On ith.6 afternoon when -Voltigeui and Ruesborough fought out their now historic close' 'finish the outside crowd was greater than " ever. It was impossible to keep course tslearj and when the two horses" mentioned ■passed the post- so close together that it was difficult to say which ha,d won, the judge's view of the race was greatly im/peded. Before the man:- in the box, had /time io give his decision he was surrounded (by an enormous crowd. "Voltigesr's won! fVoltigeuv's won!" was the cry J they raised, ■ and, -confused by the clamour, to say nothing of the threats made if the verdict were Wgainsfc the favourite, the judge gave it as f& dead heat, though many backers of |"Vqlti" declared that the other horse had /won. "When the numbers were hoisted »ide by side the disorderly assembly quietened down somewhat. • Directly it hefcame known that. the dead-heat was tc be trim . "off, "excitement again ran high. On Mhisj occasion the crowd, despite J the efforts jdi the -authorities, spread- jighi apross. the T«oUMe,\and some yard* irom the winhing lf'" osfe-it sfeem«d r impossible that, room could 6 made for~tlie horses, so thiclcly were the people p*okad: A clear passage was,- however 1 kept for Job Mareon's mount, whilst iftushborough was • .greatly hampered. Another close finish was witnessed, and once Again the judge was mobbed and threatened $itE personal violence if Voltigeur was not fciyen the decider. Fortunately tho favourite had won by a head, and further trouble j^i Avoided, but as a specimen of racecourse

rowdyismi the scene -witnessed on this occasion wanted som© beating.