IN A NUTSHELL

Otago Witness, Issue 2675, 21 June 1905, Page 54

IN A NUTSHELL

— The Maltster— La Carabine filly belonging to Sir Rtipert Clarke, has been named "Pretty Peg."' — A yeai-ling half-brother to Cridhion was recently sold under the hammer at Brisbane for 35gs. — After a, short spell, Gladsome has been takeu up again at Flemington by Frank M'Namara. — A Melbourne cable states that !daydn ha,3 been scratched, for the Grand National Steeplechase. — The St. Swithin horse Dangai, who was recently sold for 750sovs for India", died: on tha voyage to that country. — Machine Gun's new owners have nominated him for the Epsom Handicap, which is run over an eight-furlong course. — Victoria, tins dam of the Great Northern Steeplechase winner, was sold out of the Wellington Park stud for seven guineas. — The English stallion Common, by Isonomy, for whom an offer of 25,000gs was one© refused, is now standing in England at th« low fee of 19gs. — During this currency of the coursing meeting heid last week, Mr J. Loughlin 'aid both Quarrvman and. Sir Tristram at 300 to 11 each for -the N.Z Cup. Already something like JIO.OOO is said to have been secured about the two Murillos ios the Derby and Cup. The best part of it was placed at 100 to 3. Carbine is said to be showing signs of decay, and nruch difficulty is experienced in giving him exercise. The Mu3ket horse ia i:ow rising 20 years old. In Japan a law has been passed which nrovides for the compulsory gelding of all two-year-old stallions not considered of sufficient quality for s>tud purposes. At a committee meeting of the Canterbury Jocksy Club held last "week, -the appeal of J. Lewis against bis disqualification imposed by; the Ohristchurch Racing Club was dismissed. Owners are reminded ihat nominations close on June 23 for ihe C.J.C. Grand National Steeplechase, G.N. Hurdles, Winter Cup, Sydenhani Hurdles, and Lincoln Steeplechase. — Tho well-known Victorian trainer J. Scebie is said to entertain the opinion that

Charles Stuart, a^ -going w?ll, is a better thing for the Melbourne Cup than Clean Sv.eep was in. his year. — The Dread aought mare Trumpery, who has Bhown excellent form over hurdles, and who figures amongst those claiming engagements in the next N.Z. Cup, will, it is stated, be shipped <to England at an early date. — The well-known Australian penciller, Mr S. Green, has been anxious to make a further addition to his team, and while in Brisban* lecently asked Mr M'Gill to put a price on Fritz-Giafton, but -so far no d<c-al has resulted. —La Tosca, who won the A.J.C. St. Leger •nd A.J.C. Plate in 1892, as well as other good races, is to be mated this season, an Adelaide rapes: states, with the imported stallion Pistol. La, Tosca is at present in foal to Wallace, wother son of Carbine. — The steeplechaser Up-to-date was reehipped to Sydney by the s.s. M'araro*. Ths Auckland-bred horse has beisn nominated for the V.R.C. Giand National Steeplechase, but docs not at>pear amongst those engaged in the Caulfield G.N. Steeplechase. — Cicero won the English Derby Stakes ty three-quarters of a length. It was won in the record time of 2min 39 3-s®ec. The nearest approach to this was made in 1901, •when Mr- W. O. Whitney's Volodyovski ccv«r«l the distance in 2miin 40 l^Ssec. — Revenue> who won iho Melbourne Cap •f 1901, figures stinongs- tb* nominations- fot thia yeaE's-race. He has only been taken, lip, quite recently *fter his prolonged spell, -which was necessitated owing to the severe knocking about he got in the Australian Cup. -*-A San Fraaciseo> sports paper records the jitrfamianaei of a couple of trainEd! ostriches owned by a. loc*l turfite. In single- harness each of the birds has been pitted against many noted horses, and has won, more races than he has lost. Owner values them at 20 : 000dol rhe pair. — The sirea r.ominated for the A.J.C. Sires' Produce States of 1907 are as follows: — Dalxneny, Diplomat, Haut Brion, Gossoon, Acusnen, Aprib Fool, Sir Tristram, ,Fortun»tu3, Grafton, Maltster, Positano, Gambol, Havoo, Jolly Hampton, Sir Eoflg£j. Trussing Cup, Sim- , n.w, Bobadii, Wallace, and Orzil. — The literary staff of the* Lyttolton T3m«s, Canterbury Times, and Star met in the editor's loon* one day last week for the purpose of presenting Mr Alfred Dickson, th^ sporting editor, with, a dinmir service, on the occasion of his approaching marriage. Mr S. Saunders made tha presentation on behalf of the staff. — Ostiak, who was brought down from the North Island by Mr J. JeSs> was sent up for auction on Saturday, with a 50sovs J reserve on liim, but 2050v3- wa» thie beat price offered. The- Stepniak gelding appears- to walk perfectly sound, and should! prove a bargain at the 15gs st which/ his present owner acquired him. — An, authority states that for an animal •which, suffers from chronic rheumatism, 2dr -of carbonate of potass, with lOgr cf iodide of pctassiuia and £oz of powdered sulphur, in the food every second day for tvo or three treefes would be beneficial. If thtf animal i& an old one, there is not much cliarce of'cilift-. —Although fhe IT.Z. Cup isr still about fiv.s merttha away, some people are - evidently' anxious to- get on early and avoid the crash, as there is a fair amount of busmess reported in connection wftn 1 the race. Some of the horses which have received' support are Maniopolo, Melodeon, -Manawaau. Paritutu,. Gold Cicwn, Golden Knight, Veneer, Achilles, G-hborka, and. Joe Chamberlain. — During the first four weeks of the current English racing, seasoa 145 races were decided, in which 1433' torses started. The American jockeys ''Sfceisite" Martin and D. Maher show cut of 23 average of winners than any of their ■EnghsK rivals. The former, with six winner, out of 38 mounts, has a winning percemtage of 2&.0&, -while Haher claims a. percentage of 19.44, as thie result of seven wins in 36 mounts. — A Tasmanisai-bred four-year-old named !Lord Allendale jut -up. a very attractive performance at the- Melbourne Hunt Chab meeting just before the mail left by scoring over five furlongs in a hollow fashion, and coming out later on. in the day and winning again over six furlongs. Lord Allendals is by the successful sire CherteTman out of The Pet, a half-sister by St. Albans to our old friend Occident, who landed the Dunedui Cup of 1892, and other races. — Tie Medallion gelding 1 Oblivion, who taced here in the early part of the season, won a hurdle rjoe at Randwick on. Juno 3. Oblivion was one of the outsiders o£ his field, and won easily over the two miles of tho journey. An exchange says that in the raco the son of. Medallion never gave anything elsa • chance, and, jumping in good style, won with the greatest ease. Oblivion is a splendid type of hurdler, and-, all going well, should figure prominently in the coming Grand National's. — A member of the Tuapeka Jockey Club who •was in. town last- itfeek; informed the writer that Iris club intends making strong efforta to have a iiew course for its next season's meeting. !The defcenSnres and nearly all taken tip ; in fact, the only person who declined to subscribe is »ne : to vihom the- T. J.C. gatherings have proved a golden harvest./ In the past th© faulty formation of th'a track has greatly hampered the club in itg effort* to cate for owners, trot -with a new course it should soon haves excellent financial reasons to be pleased with a change of venue-. — The prominent English jockey W. Lane. tvho was so badly injuredf some time ago, left England! on April 30 for a> voyage round the •wcrld. He sailed by £h» Union Castle R.M.S. Walmer Castle for Capetown, and from there goes up to Durban. From Durban ha makes his way back to Capetown, and goe3 to Kew Zealand, where he intends to spend seme little iiinfe. From New Zealand he travels tc Canada, and on through the States to Ntm Ycrk, returning' home across the Atlantic. He may be away three months, six months, or a year. He will please himself entirelyk H» is accompanied by his eldler brother. The Great Northern Hurdle Race winner Irish does not find a place in the New Zealand Btud Book, the reason for this, I understand (says "Phseton"), being due to a missing link in the pedigree on his dam's side. Irish is, however, a well-bred horse, and on the sire's side especially: some illustrious names occur in his pedigree. His sire, Eton, was got by Castor (grandson of Hermit) from Lady Walmsley (a full sister to Carbine), by Musket from Mersey; while his dam, Asthore, is by Orestes '(son of Nordenfeldt and Clytemnestra, by Blair Athol) from Cushla, a daughter of The Dauphin (son of Traducer) and Jennie. The 'disputed point is whether Jennie was got by Sir Watkin or Garryowen. — A a recent conference T»etwe'eß the Victorian Rachig Club and delegates representing the leading country clubs with the object of discussing questions affecting the ?best interests of tho turf «Jnd the desirability ©{•restricting racing, the following resolutions (Were carried unanimously : — "That the Government be requested to adopt efScient measures for the suppression of shop betting and street Dotting in the city and Buburbs, as well 83 in tho country districts, aud uhat this resolution he presented to the Premier by tha V.R.C. Committee, with a request that action fee taken. That, in the opinion of this conIfeseneei th« legalisation of the totalisator^

i under proper restrictions, is to the advantage of racing as a &port and conducive to the ertouiagement of horse-bieeding. ' —In England nearly all racing, officials are licensed. Judges, starters and handicappers j have to be approved as competent by the ' Jockey Club. If this were done in Victoria (a writer in the Australasian states; ihe V.R.C. committee could lay dewn some rula as to the 1 fees to be paid thesa officials by nlubs em- ; ploying them. If this were dor.c, handica.pI pers fit to do their work should leceive a fair salary. As matters stand now, the fees paid by some olubs are absurdly small. There should be no cutting down of prices in handicapping. Fees should' be fixed Ky the raciag club controlling the aff.iirs of tho State, and the clubs employing tbe handicapper, and also Ihe owners concerned, should have an official pronouncement from the controlling club that the man employed is competent for the work. — A point worth noting is contained in the following: anecdote : — The market showed that it was little supposed that Mamia would beat Jack o' Lantern in the Hurstburne Stakes at Stockbridge in 18SG, for the betting was 6 to 1 on Jack o' Lantern and 10 to 1 "bar one. ' Mamia was the property of Tom Jennings, jun., and (says an English writer) he said to his friend Tom Cannon before the race: 4£ can't tell you how to ride her. Do what you think best. On paper Jack o* Lantern is sure to beat you." Tom- Cannon pondered for a moment: "If you can't win on paper, the thing is together a false run race," he presently observed. "You know they can beat at five furlongs ; see if you can beat them at two." It came off,, for when Mamia challenged Jack o' Lantern, who had cut out the work at a slow pace, she had him in trouble opposite the stand, and won by threequarters of a length. — The sporting reporter on a country paper -in a neighbouring State, having obtained leave of absence to enter the bonds of wedlock, a member oi th© staff who knew not sport was sent to "do" a local race meeting. A "coimp." who had part of his copy to set up once resided at Flemingtan, and therefore his surprise on reading, "the chocolate mai& got away badly" may easily be imagined. He krew (says an exchange) the mare referred to was a liver-coloured chestnut, and he said to the reporter, "Where did you get this from?" at the same time showing him the manuscript. "That's right," sakt the reporter, "it's on the- card — look here!" And triumphantly prodtucing the official programme he pointed out the Jirie, "Mr C. Watkins's eh m Daffodil, syrs, 5.8." The boy •who "pulled" the; proofs overheard the con- ■ versation, and when the reporter's back was turned he said to the "comp." with a contemptuous grin, "Where was he brought up, I wonder?" — Perhaps no jockey of our time (says an English writer) ever made more prodigiousefforts to baulk the onward progress of Nature developments than Fred Webb. After he had settled down at Newmarket, his long walks ! became a frequent topic of conversation. From : ITewmarSet to Cambridge and back was his xisual stroll, and at no lounging pace did he L travel either. For some time he had Fred JefEery as a companion, and subsequently the late Fred Barrett used to 'accompany him on his "out and home" journeys. As often as not, however, Fred pursued his walk alone, which, of course, on such occasions increased its monotony,. Had poor Fred Archer adopted this method < of ' wasting — the only natural method, after all said and done — he might have , been alive now. W-ebb served h's apprenticeship with good old Matthew Dawson, and he it was who really taught Fred Archer the art of race riding, and the late great jockey could not have modelled his seat in the saddle on better iines. — Men who are accustomed to ride racehorses in their gallops are, of course, familiar with the movements achieved when a horse, while striding out, "changes his legs." Some do this very quickly, and it does not seem to appreciably affect their speed; while others cannot do it so cleverly, and do not always give their rider a pleasant "feel." Recently a young nobleman visited a trainer's stables to look at some horses, and to "ride out." He greatly fancied his own ability as a jockey (entirely without reason), and (says an exchange) told the lad. after the first canter that he had ridden with great success — in India. Then he essayed to perform in a long gallop, and was gasping horribly I>efore it was over. "Well, and how did the horse go with you, sir?" asked the trainer, politely, aa he watched the patrician trying to get his wind. "G- — go with me!" replied the nobleman, somewhat hysterically; "why, he went very badly. He was always changing his legs." "Great Scott! I wish he 'could' clange them," said th* trainer, devoutly, "for at present he h»3n't got a sound one at either end." —Mr W. Reid, president of the Victorian Owners and Trainers' Association, a candidate for a seat on the V.R.C. committee, in his address • *t& tho membera touches on> many needed! reforms, and respecting the decline of horsebreedrng in Victoria writes: — "As we conduct properly, and on right lines, breeding \the" thoroughbred horsa will increase . and' prosper; and as we conduct it wrong-iy, and on wrong lines, so breeding will decline. In New Smith Wales last season, besides colonial horge3, there were no less than 41 imported thoroughbred stallions advertised! at the service of the public at reasonable fees. In Victoria, I think I am correct in saying, therw was just one. According to the Sydney Mail, tho yearlings 'sold at the recent sabs attained l the highest average far year?, and, ii-cluaing untried lota, horses in training, and private sales, the turnover for the sale w-eek aggregated upwards of 30,000g5. I would not liko to ask what our similar sale> week amounted to. In Sydney we have strong indications of enlerpori3et-*nd' progress due to ■well-managed racing. In Melbourne stagnation, if not retrogression, due to some cause or other, which my readers can supply for themselves."- — Anoth&r of Australia's most promising horses in the St. Leger winner Munderah is to go to the East, having been purchased! for a Calcutta sportsman, who has designs on the Viceroy's Cup. He is a very likely customer, too, to succeed in that event (says an exchange), but though it may be another good advertisement for the Australian thoroughbred, it is to be regretted that the drain on' our resources is being continued. Some particu'lara are published in the Asian of the winnings of every horse placed in the Viceroy's Cup since 1887, and, as most of thffin are Australians, the figures are rather interesting. Cherry is first, with Rs. 59-,38o; Cxieat Scot third, with Rs. 41,300; Leonadas fourth, with Rs. 40,010; Security eighth, Rs. 32,115; Highborn ninth, Rs. 31,030; Courallie tenth, Rs. 29,145; Myall King eleventh, Rs. 29,000; and Fortunatei twelfth, Bs. 23.235. Bui it is worth stating that there has been a great increase in stakes during recent years. For instance, Myall King, although he wan ihe Viceroy's Cup three times and had altogether 14 wins and places, is only eleventh on the list, while Great Scot, whose only winning peiformiances in India have been the Viceroy's Cup twice, is third. Cherry won the Viceroy's Cup in 1899, and his wins and places in India total 25. The claim for £500 cfamages made by Maurice Relit bookmaker, against three jcolica

constables for vTongful ejectment fiom ihe Snowtown (S A.) racecourse, and for £250 damages against one of the three policemen for slander, has been dismissed by Judge Hcmburg. TII3 Snowtown Club advertis-ed that all" bookmakers plying their calling in oi position to the tote, would bo ejected. In spite of tiiis, plaintiS wem along and was removed by the three policemen, whom he alleged treated him in a manner that wasn't the least bit gentle. Rout also alleged that one of the constables said to him in the presence of others : "Why don't you go and earn a respectable and honest living, and not come here thieving and taking people down?" In giving judgment for defendants, Judge Homburg said these words had only baen coiroborated by one man (Riley), whom it was shown went with Rout to do business together at the race®, though Roul had previously said that he did not know what Riley was doing there. Nobody els© had been called to piove that the constable had uttered the slandei His Honor was of opinion, notwithstanding the evidence of rebuttal, that the plaintiff had. been ordered to leave prior to his expulsion, and that he was ejected because he refused to do so, and he persisted in betting. Now the decision has been appealed against. —At the annual meeting of members of the V.E.C. a proposal will be made on behalf of the "Victorian Owners and Trainers* Association, with the object of anisnding Rule 68, which reads as follows : "Should a trainer or bookmaker have any interest in a horse, it shall be raced in the names of all persons having any interest therein, (a) In any other case, it shall be raced in the name of some person whose property or interest is at least equal to that of any other person, and has been registered under Rule 67." "Until recently" (says the Melbourne Argus, in referring to the subject), "the particular clause providing that in cases where a trainer has an interest in a horse, it shall be raced in the name of all persons having an interest therein has been more honoured in the breach than the observance. This information has always been given in the nomination papers, but has not been published in the race card. A few weeks ago, however, the V.A.T.C. authorities caused some surprise by publishing on the card the wholo of the names of the persons interested, in the horses engaged at its meeting, and the V.R.C. and other clubs have since followed suit. To some extent the information is misleading. For instance, a breeder may lease to a trainer a horse, and, by the terms of the lease, the lessor has no control over the animal. He simply draws, as agreed upon, a proportion of any stake won. By the new arrangement his name now appears on the card along with the trainer's. The majority of those who have leased horses under thesis circumstances object" to their names figuring on the card, as the public naturally assume that they hav-e some control over the horse in question. The members will be asked at the annual meeting to so amend the rule that it will not be necessary for the name of the owner leasing a horse to a trainer to appear on the race card, unless such person has some control over the hcrse's racing." Another reason put forward in favour of having the rule amended i» that the publication of the names of private individuals as being interested in horse racing is calculated to cause desirable patrons of the sport to sever their connection with the turf for business reasons. J