IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 51

IN A NUTSHELL.

— Siege Grin is ir. work at Randwick. — Nominations for the Kew Zealand Cup close on June 5.

— Pallas was never prominent in either of his races at Oamaru last week.

— The Australian trainer J. Scobie has at present 30 horses in his stables.

— It is likely that Gray's improved starting machine will shortly be adopted on the metropolitan courses of Sydney. — The American trotting stallion Rex Derby was sold at auction in Melbourne recently fox 105gs to Mr W. .Weatherby, of Mortlate. A London cable states that the Derby betting is as follows : — Evens on Cicero sto 2 agst JarSy, 6 to 1 Yedas, 100 to 3 the others. — A. -Pringle steered no less than four win-r.-ers out of 'the eight races decided on the fiist •day of -the Plumpton meeting held last w^ei — The well-known rider E. M'Kewen was carpeted last week by the Oamaru stewards ior his riding of Yankee .Doodle, but satisfied the authorities -with the explanation given. A Cb.ristchur.ch telegram states that in consequence ol next Monday, June 5, being a public holiday, the date for entries to the JNew Zealand Cup has been postponed till Friday, June 9.

— "Regiment displayed attractive form at OamaTU 'by registering a dual win, and subsequently running close up to Master Alix and Petrovna, after having a race into him -earlier in "the day. — The French grey, cerise belt and cap catried 'by Guard of Honour was strongly rensixrisoent of -the la*e Mx "Bob" Ray, and somevrhxt similar to "the racing- banner carried by 'Templeton and co.

— -Bombastes, -who scored an easy win in the Te Puke Welter at Oamaru, ia a brother to Blarney and Palaver and a half-brother to Fleka. He is a lightly-built gelding, but can hop along a bit.

— A private wire is to hand stating that W. Brown, the well-known jockey, has been disqualified for three months for the suspicious rifling of Good Sight at the recent C.R.C. meeting at Chrietclrarch.

— On the occasion of the June round of W. A. goldfields meetings the clubs have again decided to pay the railage on all raoehorse3 from tbe coast-, and also the fare of an attendant accompanying each horse.

— At a sale of bloodstock held last week in Oamaru Bill Perkins sold at 12gs a Musketry — Jeannie Deans filly at 20ga, a Double Event ■^Quiver youngster at lljgs, the Cajolery gelding Toney at 29g>3, and one or two others were passed in.

— Flower o' Clutha was taken to Oamaru, 1 but owing to giving her trainer some cause, for anxiety, the mare was not started. R^' M'Donald has had bad luck in temporarily 10-smg the services of two such useful horses aa 'Heirloom and Flower o' Clutha.

— Since Kirkland won the Liverpool Grand National his brother Kirko has been bought privately for lOOOgs by Mr J. Widger. Kirko, who is an aged gelding, has won a few races, among the number being the ln'wh Grand National, three miles, with 11.7 up. — Sandy was taken to Oamaru, but did not start owing to giving one of his legs a bit of a knock when doing a working gallop after his arrival at the White City. Hi^ leg filled a bit, but it is possible he may accompany Machine Gun to Sydney this week.

— An American paper says that a Minnesota congregation has asked its pastor to resign because he owns a fast horse, while a New York clergyman has had trouble with his flock for riding to church in an automobile. Clerical brother, where do you get off?

— Quagga, the half-brother to Bulawayo, bobbed up at Oamaru, and paid the fine price of £6 Bs. The gelding won nicely, but

in his second race he reproduced an old trick of his by whipping round at the rise of the barrier, and taking no further part in the race.

— There is often more in owning a good show-ring performer than a racehorse. From January 11 to April 26 of this year Mr Morton has won £429 9s 4d at shows with Desmond and Demos. Altogether (says the Sydney Keferee), Desmond has won £1G43 11s 4d for Mr Morton.

— On Saturday last the Forbury Park Racing Club licensed 11 bookmakers at 7gs to bet in the paddock, and 15 to bet outside at a 3-guinea fee. The fielders report having a bad day, and, judging by the way the favourites got home, there is reason to believe there is truth in their statements.

— Horses for courses. De la Rev has won three consecutive races at Oamaru — two in the spring and one in the autumn, whilst some indifferent form has been shown in the interim. Still, on his first day's form, De la Rey should have made a bolder fight in his second race at the meeting.

— The death of M. Mooney has evidently made a marked effect upon Mr S. Miller, as that gentleman decided upon submitting all his hurdlers and steeplechasers to auction in Melbourne on May 29. Among those to be offered are Error, Adjuster, Cardinal, Sarasati, Colenso, and Abdallah.

— Convoy is a powerful galloper, and a bit of a pile-driver in his action ; but although Tie- has got throug-li a good deal of racing and its naturally accompanying training work, his legs are remarkably clean. He was termed a bully goer, and if he takes kindly to "lepping" business, he should make a quick hurdler.

— "Now, Dr Pullen, I want you to fix my teeth up in good shape," said the lady to her dentist. "Depend upon me to do that, ma'am," replied the man behind the chair. "¥ou see, I'm keeping company with a veterinary surgeon now; and I know, before he proposes, he'll want to look at my teeth to see how old I ami"

— PJißetontis and Convoy -were booked to leave for Christchurch on Friday last in order to join D. Monaghan's' stable at Riccarton, where they will undergo their preparation for future engagements; but it is quite possible that the "Vanguard gelding will be found competing at Wingatui if his owner deems the weights suitable.

— At tbe conclusion of the Oamaru meatm** the following was handed' the writer for publi° cation:— Daea- Mr Sporting Editor,— May I, through your sporting columns, thank the management oi the North Otago Jockey Club on behalf of myself and friend for their kindness and courtesy to us at their late meeting- — Yours, etc., Lady Visitors. — Malakoff, the brother to Orloff, who cost 330gs as a yearling, and who displayed pace m his races as a two-year-old, has entirely lost cast, and was passed at 30gs last we.»k when he was under the hammer, with a 50guinea reserve on him. He also appears io have developed a temper, and does not behave himself very well when at the post. j — Amongst those who were present at the Forbury meeting was the well-known handi- I capper, Mr J. E. Henrys, who has not wit-.l liessed a race there since Liberator won the : Dunedin Cup. Like others who witnessed racing at the Forbury when the track was in possession of all its power and glory, Mr Henrys- i egrets that the Forbury was ever closed up.

— Tivoli has been a fairly good and consistent performer since he won at Timaru, and although he raced as gamely as one could wish, he appears to have lightened up a bit as the result of his campaign during the last few weeks. J. ivT'Ginnis's old Dunedin friends who were present at the gathering were pleased to see him lead in a winner at the meeting. — Mr H. Goodman left on Monday to" make final arrangements with Mi St. John Buckley about taking over the train 'ng of his horses. It is quite possible that Goodman may make an immediate start, as he is anxious to get to work on the youngsters. Mr Goodman is also desirous of selling Apprentice, and as his price is not high, he should have no difficulty in doing so.

— The stewards of the South African Turf Chib have resolved to hold a steeplechase of £1000 in November next on the Kenilworth Racecourse, near Capetown. It is intended to make tiie * event a kind of South African Grand National. The distance will be about three miles, and the conditions will be advertised in the "United Kingdom and Australia as well as locally.

—An Australian exchange States that old Bungebah, the hero of the Newmarket Handicap of 1891, and other important races, is enjoying the ev-ening of his days in one of Mr Busby's paddocks at ■Cassilis. One who saw the straight-legged chestnut there lately sa-ys fae was full of play and masterfulness, and he amused himself hy rounding up a, number of other horses, skipping about like a, "two-year-old.

— -Tho suspension by tlie D.J.C. of L. H. ' Hewit expired on Thursday last, and in connection with it there was a bit of hair- splitting, as tho OaniftTU stewards would not allow him

nde until after 3 o'clock, in order that the i punishment should end at the exact time at which it started. Hewitt was suspended in connection with a race which was run at 1.55. but his punishment was not meted out until about an hour" later.

— The number of hors&s of different ages that ran in Gssat Britain in 1904 was 3019. Of these 1154 were two-year-olds, 684 three-year-olds, 456 -four-year-olds, and 525 five-year-olds and upward. Of the races run, 615 -were at six furlongs or less, 218 at distances between six furlongs and a mile, 302 at a mile, 435 at over a mile and under tyro, and 80 at two miles and under^ three — a total of 1663 races of which the officiate took cognisance. — The party behind St. Michael would have ■"ittidpc! r good slake if the erstwhile bearer of the yellow and black had succeeded in catching the judge's' eye as a winner at Oamaru. St. Michael looked a bit in the rough, as he is paddock-trained, in addition to sporting the ragged coat horses usually -wear at this time of the year. He pulled up sound, so tha.t he may not yet be written down a back number, as he showed a glimpse of his old form in both his races.

— The following ia a list of the settling sheet in connection with the North Ortago Jockey Club's winter meeting : —Messrs J. and A. M'Lean £33, J. Buckley £82, F. Nelligan, £73, G. P. Payne £70, J. O'Brien £45, O. de S. Teschemaker £45, J. S. Woods £45, H. Robb £40, M Kerr £40, J. Franks £35. F. Finnegan £35, Jos. Biggins ±30, R. Longl-ey iZS, Haarris and Solomon £10. T. Tilson £10, J. Jeffs £1, T. Sounness £5, W. E. Kirton £5, Mrs J. Glen £5, W. J. Wright £5, O. R. Wise, £5.

— During the currency of the Oainaru meeting two stewards were posted in a crow's nest situated near the home turn, and from that coign of vantage had an excellent opportunity of viewing how the various horses were handled at the critical stage, .where it can best be judged -whether they -are after the goods or not. Their presence may have been responsible for the apparent honesty of th-e racing, as, with one or two exceptions, there did not appear to be any cause for ringing the bell.

— This year's winter meeting of the North Otago Jockey Club was one of the most successful if not the most successful, gatherings both from a sporting and financial point of view that have been held at the White City in recent years. During the two days JE4085

was put through the machine, and, in addition, the club garnered £106 in license fees from bookmakers, which easily represents an additional thousand through the "legal channel," as the totalisator is sometimes called. — A name is wanted for a Casket — Mountain Maid youngster. The writer christened Cairn, a full brother to the above, and peihaps Pyramid, which is a mountainously-made (no joke intended) casket, would fill the bill. The American buildings, which are formed of steel caskets and tower to the clouds, sxiggest Skyscraper. Mountain Maids sometimes dwell in caves cut out of cliffs, and perhaps Cliffdweller would do, but if neither suit, another squeeze will be taken out of the nomenclature box.

—We have always been told that when a horse falls down the proper thing to keep him from kicking is to srt on his head, but in one of the London courts the other day a judge, of the name of Addison, condemned that as a very foolish proceeding, and said the proper thing to do -when a horse is down is to take hold of his ear and keep his nose up in the air. He said : "A horse cannot kick when his nose is in the air ; I have seen a lady keep a horse quiet that way without soiling her gloves."

— The Bundoora gelding Spider, who was one of the crack trotters of a few years back, was amongst the starters at Oamaru last week. Spider was a smin horse, and at Naseby went 2£ miles in 6.32, and was one of the first horses in the colony to get inside of Bmin for three miles, when he went to a record of 7.59. Spider, who, by the way, must be well over 20 years of age, showed a bit of his dash in recent races, and was out on the 25sec mark in a mile and a-half race, which would have suited him very nicely in those old smin days. — There are not many men over 50 who take kindly to steeplechase riding, but an Irish paper of March 18 remarks : — The veteran, Mr H. Beasley, wlio ie now in his fifty-third year, rode a capital race yesterday on his own horse, Lively Lad, when he beat Captain Staopoole on Ascetic's Silver in the Regulation Plate at Baldoyle. There wag tremendous cheering v/hen the winner returned- to the scales. The Regulation Plate referred to was -a three-mile steeplechase; Mr H. Beasley, it may be mentioned, won the Grand National of 1891 on Coxue Away, his brother Tom steering Empress, Woodbrook, and Frigate, the victors in 1880, 1881, and 1889 respectively.

— The high jump at the Moree show (N.S.W.) excited a lot of interest, owing to the fact that tho competitors included Countess and the wonderful 13,2 pony Playmate, who T-'as siiecessful at the recent show in Sydney. Both jumped splendidly, clearing 6ft 4in, but when the bar was raised to 6ft 6in Coniitess touched it with one of her hind 'feet, knocking it down. Playmate also hit the bar, but without bringing it down, and after three tries each, the owners agreed to divide. A local paper says that -from the take-off the height negotiated v.-as pr ibably 6ft TJin or 6ft Bin. If Playmate is really only the height stated, he must indeed be a marvel.

— Whilst at Oamaru la.st week the writer was informed by Mr T. Liken of the death of Happy Home. It appears that the mare's attendant attempted to give her a ball by the somewhat crude method of placing the physic on the end of a pointed stick, in order to lodge it in her gullet without risking any injury to his hand. Owing to her efforts to refuse the ball, the stick unfortunately penetrated the mare's throat, and the injury terminated fatally a, few days later. The mare's racing ability was discounted considerably by lier flightiness, which, there is reason to believe, was the result of injudicious handling, and as she was wellbred and shapely, the loss to the owner is by no means small.

—It was always one of Fred Archer's proudest boasts that he kept his weather eye open under all circumstances. His victory on Minting in the Middle PaTk Plate was, this famous horseman asserted, solely due to the observing optic referred to, for, had he not taken notice of the splendid style in which Braw Lass went in a gallop on the Limekilns one morning, his previous estimate of that filly might have cost him the race. "I never like to let anything that can go a bit get too far away from me," Archer said, when referring to the event in question, at the same time congratulating himself on having seen his smart opponent at exercise. "People may hardly credit it," went on the punter's favourite, "but I win many races by seeing others run."

— I hear, says our London correspondent, that G. Williamson, whose accident on the morning of the Grand National at Liverpool prevented him from riding ±he New Zealand horse Moifaa on behalf of King Edward, was thr recipient of a letter from Lord' Marcus Beresford which conveyed his- Majesty's sympathy and regret that Williamson should have ■been incapacitated in tho manner and' cireunistances he was. The King also expressed his thanks to Williamson for the assistance -which the latter had rendered during the training of tho horse. A furthear communication was received from Lord Marcus Beresford, enclosing a cheque from King Edwaxd. and -expressing the hope tbat the joe-key had fully recovered fiom the effects of his accident. It is iv little -ways like this that King Edward endears himself to hia subjects.

— He was a young roporte-r, and green to the game of race-reporting; but duty called him to one of the looa.l National Hunt meetings, when bp -<ms lnosi persistent in his inquiries- into the betting, the description of the races, and the other little matters which go to complete the work of the turf journalist. At last the meeting drew to irts conclusion Th-eTe were but three runners for the closing race. He had received particulars of the wagering, and the request was far a description of the running. "Well," said the patient soul that had listened to the inquiries of the local pross-■uia.-n all day, "there's no difficulty about that description. They ran as arranged, throughouu —•■winning by a length; a bad third." And the "description" will be found printed in the files of a South "Wales evening paper -within tbe last 15 months.

— Convoy was fairly well fancied for both his engagements at Oamaru. and ran a good hprse in his first race, but failed to sustain his efforts, and faded away in the last couple of strides, and was beaten a neck after looking a likely winner inside of a hundred yards from the post. On the second day he was la a galloping humour, and, taking up the role of pacemaker, ran his first half in 51 2-5. without appearing to exert himself, as Derrett seemed to have a nice hold, but breasting the hill, when still in the lead, the Vanguard gelding appeared to quit -without making a fight when Tirole challenged him. When Convoy returned to the paddock after his first race, he was heaving a bit. but on the second he was not nearly so much distressed, and probably the recent racing he has had when above himself has sickened the horse a bit.

— The practice of running unnamed horses in races is common in England, and referring to this, a writer in Horse and Hound say 3: — "I note that on the first day of the flat-raoiug season no less than seven unnamed animals •were started. Owners are- better 'Jian they used to be about this matter, but surely the stewards of the Jockey dub could easily insist on no animal starting without a name. Let them be entered to any extent unnamed, as this prevents good names being given to foals end yearlings -which afterwards prove worthless ; but by the tinie a horse- is ready to run for a. race something is known of its

merits, and, if good, an appropriate name can be fouud, whilst if of no use, anything does. Ln every other country but this no unnamed horse is" allowed to start, and not in steeplechasing here ; so surely Lord Durham and the other stewards can 3top a troublesome tlung, thkt shou'd have been prohibited years ggo." — The engagpnieni of Pretty Polly in the Pnx dv President de la Republic, run at Maisons Laintte on Jti'.y IG, h»3 caused quite a sens-ation in French racing circles. She i? the only engagement made in London, and figures fimong a total number of 40 entries. The race is of the value of £4000 (lOO.OOOfr), ajicl is over a course- of one mile four and a-haJf f'-.vlongs; weight for age. Last year the event was won by Gcuvernant, from Hebron, an<J Major Kustace Loder's mare's sensational conqueror — Presto 11. This yeaT (says an exfhauge). nearly ovc-ry horse of note in France- 1« entered. They include Cams, Turenne, Mac-c-onald II Crcnverrant Fifre 11. ar.d Presto 11. M Edrccud Blanc also supplies a famous batch of three-year-old 5 ; in Jardy, Ada-m, Val dOr, Michel, Genial, and Lecleur, while i-h-ere are many others with big .eputatiens. It is thought that Pretty Polly's owner and trainer wishes to avenge last autumn's defeat in the Prix dv Conseil Municipal, and this chance is an exceptional one.

— Racing in Western Australia is financially in a pleasant oemdition, as the report of the Committee of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club for the year ending April 30 discloses a most satisfactory state of affairs. The receipts, inclusive of £2544 brought forward from the previous year, totalled £27,282. The expenditure aggregated £25.169. Of the expenditure .£7356 was distributed in stakes, and £7079 expended in additional buildings and improvements. After .making -a liberal allowance for depreciation, a iiet profit is shown for the year of £'2912. In the last paragraph of the report legiet is expressed that the W.A.T.C., contrary to a, promise given in 1901, and faithfully kept uiitii this year, had granted racing dates to_ proprietary clubs clashing with the goldfields racing fixtures for March and June. Thise the report goes on to state, has, so faa- as the summer round of meetings is concerned, been lesponsible for diminished fields, although the inducement offered to owners and trainers to take their horses io the goldfields were greater than in the ppsf. The members' list totals 271.

— One of this week's cables from Sydney announces the dearu of the one-time well-known lider "Johnny" Higgerson. who -wa-3 accidentally shot on the Sic inst.. Higgersan, who wag 9*5 at the time of his death, a Sydney scribe wiites. figured in some- great matches, end rod© Veno in the memorable race when he defeated Alice Hawthorn, each carrying 10.1, for £2000, at Flemingrton. on October 3, 1857. On the s-arne day Veno, again ridden by Higger&on, defeated Van Tromp over the same distance, and with similar weights as mentioned above, for £800, the losing horse being- piloted by Malion on each occasion. Veno was afterwards sold to Mr J. H. Atkinson, of Nbw South Wales, for £1000, and in May of 1858 was pitted against Mr J. Rome's bay filly Lauristina over two miles, on the Homebush course, for f2OOO. Veno, however, who -was again ridden by Higgerson, carried 9.2, while Lauristina (Snell) had 8.11. and the former had to strike his co-louis. A few -weeks later Higgerson had his revenge, on Ben Bolt, 9.5, who defeated Lauristina (Snell). 8.11, over the same cc/urse, in 3min sG3ec. Higgerson also rode Mr A. Town's Tarragon in his memorable dead-heat with Mr Tait's Volunteer, in tie Champion Stakes, in 1866, the three miles taking smin 47sec. The run off, smin 48sec, was ■wan by I'arragon, whose weight, 9.13, is the hea-vie-st which has ever been 'carried to the front in the history of the race.