IN A NUTSHELL,

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 51

IN A NUTSHELL,

— "Weights are due on September 5 for the Ashti.rton syricg lv.ecting.

— Phaetontis has b&3n returned to his owner's pl;>ce at Oamam.

— A forfeit is due on September 1 for the D.J.C. Champagne Stakes.

— The New Zealand Cup horse Yladimii is very big in condition at present.

— Petronus was scratched for the New Zealaind Cup at 11.10 a.m. on Saturday.

— A Melbourne cable states that the racehorse Grand Rapids goes to Sydney.

— Noxious Weed has changed ownership and is no.v an inmaro of Taggart's stables.

— A Sydney cablegram states that Dividend has been scratched for all engagements.

— Mr S. S. Mj-ers has been re-elected president of the Tahuna Park Trotting Club. The lT\o-yeax-old lsalf-brotu;T by Phosbus ApolJo to Cask&t has besn named' BaJiglet. — BuluTvayo was amongst these supported for the New Zealand Cup during the past week.

— Cuirosettio has come on a good deal in appearance s'noe he joined J. Ruttledge's stable.

—J. TV. Lowe has leased Mr R. Paterson's stables at the Hutt, and intends starting as a public trainer.

— The Aniberite hers-» Cato, who won the A.J.C. Summer Cup and other races, has b&en sold \o go to Japan.

— A Christchurch telegram states that Glad- i sto"ue was scratched for the New Zealand Cup j at 2.40 p.m. yesterday. — The French colt Val dOr was receiving 31b from Cicero in the Eclipse Stakos. Yal dOr -won by half a length — The Hon. G. M'Lean's trio of N.Z. Cup candidates, Notus, Apollodoria, and Anna- | mento, are in good order at present. ' — A Sydney cable states that the racehorses Maniopoto a.ud Haydn arrived in good condition by the Monowai on Tuesday, 22nd inst.

— York, who wor. -the three Grand' National Hurdies at Fieiaington, Cawlfield, and Adelaide, co&t his present owner 185gs in March last.

— Owing to one of her legs giving trouble, last year's Me'bourns Cup winner, Acrasia, is ■unlikely to racj again for a considerable time.

— Afar, the two-year-o'.d sister to Vladi; mir, is travelling on well in her work and should car'-y the Zetancl spots with credit this season.

— The New Zealand Cup candidate Melwood pulled up lame after being worked one morning last week, and ha.s been eased np in consequence.

— Acceptances for the New Zealand Cup fa.ll due on Friday next. Paiiocess and Gladstone have already had the pen put through their names.

— Bellis put up a. record for the Caulfield Grand IXaiional Steeplechase — viz., Bmin 3|sec. The previous best was the Bmm 7£s.ec put up by My Mistake. — Ailsa has filled out and rumished considerably since she was last seen in public, and at "present looks in fine order for this season's work.

— "vVhataToa, who was purchased by Mr Hogau after the gelding won at Christchurch, has been resold to his former owner at an advance of £40.

— Inquirer. — The only Ironsides mentioned in the Stud Book is a grey filly foaled in 1881, and who was got by Daniel O'Rourke out of the Traducer maie Castille.

— Mr G. Mascn has purchased Flying Spark from Sir George Clifford, and if the geldmg can stand up to his work he should make a useful performer on some of our scaithern tracks.

—Mr G. G. Stead's teaan at Randwick are shaping well in their track work, and Nightfall in particular appears to be in fine- order, as she has bee.i making track records up io a. mil a.

— W. Jil'Docald has a couple of promis-ing-looking Lord Rosslyns m his stable at present, and the son of St. Clair appears to be doing better stud work with each succeeding year.

— Nominations for the C.J.C "Wekonue Stakes (190&), Middle Park Plate (li'o7), Champagne Stakes (1307), Dea-l>y (1907), Oaks (1907), and sixteenth Challenge Stakes (1903) close on Ist September. — From Australian papers to hand it transpires that the drawers of York in Tatter-s-all's sweep iov the Adelaide Grand Kational Hurdle Itace laid the owner half the sweep to start the horse.

. — Astrackan, the three-year-old brother to Master Alix and Petrovna, has improved a great deal in looks, and has lost a lot of his pinched-up appearance by lengthening and growing up a bit.

— During the fire seasons ending in 1905 Lochiel's progeny annexed £56,609 in stakes in Aiistralasia, G-raltcn's £53,291, Gozo's £48,096, Bill of Portland's £41,153, "Wallace's £39,508, and Trenton's £30,373. — When noticing the Nelson — Nautilus colt, owned by E. Cutts, amongst the nominations foi* the next "Welcome Stakes, it struck the writer that Sea King would be a fairly appropriate name for the youngster. — Ons hundred and ons horses remained! in the CaulfJelcl Cup after first acceptances were paid, -and Gut of the 143 horses originally nominated for Ills Melbourne Cup 99 remained in after first acceptances. — York, -on foim, was generally regarded as a good thing for the Adelaide Naiional Hurdles, and this v/as further confirmed by the fact tha+ it is stated that £100 was paid for the conveyance of York to Adelaide by the ■express. • — At the T-os Ang&lM meeting last month a two-year-oia tauied Eockaway put up this season's American record for colt 3of his age. He cut oub a mile easily in 2inin 15J=-ec, and as he is only a pony his perfoTina'nce greatly impressed the critics. — Apollodorio has not grown up perceptibly since last year, but he appears to have furnished a bit since he scored at Riccarton. He should make a valuable addition to pony ranks, as he is a very quick beginner, and can travel very smartly. _ —J. Pine is now training Tessera*, King's Guest, and Harvest. Th&ir ownerj Mr Nellig'an, recently sold De la Rev to a southern buyer, but although delivery was -taken of the horsa thers is a possibility that- he will be returned to his former owner.

— The crack cicss-country horseman Percy John&oni has been paying a visit to Diuicdin, and lef b for the North again on Monday. Johnson received three falls at the National maeiing, but it is pleasing to record that lie has shaken off «11 ill effects of his mishaps.

—Mr Whitehead 1 , owner of Dividend 1 , has engaged the Sydney horseman J. Baiden to ride his colt in all his engagKaneoits in the spring. As soon as he heard of this 1 aarangeinent Mr Sol. Green engaged Dividend's old jockey, N. D. Godby t to pilo'b Gladsome in T.-eight-ipr-age races*,

— A rather horsey-looking individual cne day went into a f ancy Jiapei's, evidently with a view to b.isintss. ''What can I do for you, sir?" asked the thopraan. "I want a necktie," was the reply. "Yes, &h , once -round or twice roiuid. &n?"' '"V/ell, say about once round arc! a distance."

— The following horses are still left in the A J.C. Derby, to be run next month: — Refrain, Dantzic Lady Wallace, Roycroft, Jargcon, Emilia, Nortel Head, E.L.C., Lochino, Picturesque, Gran^a, Sun God, Noctuifo/m, Charles Siuart, b o by Musketeer, Fairy Queen, Pius, and Vibrate.

— Mr ~R. H. Pfenning's Be&t Light won the St. Albans Handicap at the Nottingham meeting on July 11. Best Light, who was ridden by the Victorian jockey F. Bullock and trained by J. E. Brewer, staitrcl at 10 to 1 m a field cf 10, and won easily by threequarters of a length from. Caravel and Scrambler.

— Rio Grande, thf three-year-old colt by Stepniak from British Queen, the daughter of St. George and Britomarte, the sister to Euroclydon. in Ruttledge's stable, has a lemarkable deformity of the head in having one of his ejes and the coiresponding ear about an inch higher than those on the other side of his herd.

— Mr A. Robertson passed through here on Sunday last with Abbey Bells, Thurlow, Myrtle Dean (who goes to the stud), and Picnic Palm, the half-sister to Almont, who is in foal to Electioneer. Mt Robertson will probably be absent in Melbourne about a month, and will then return with Thuilow and one or two other horses.

— The "V.R..C. Committee held an exhaustive inquiry into the running of York, the winner cf three Grand National Hurdle Races, and aeoepted! tho explanation cf the owner, who caan« over froni Adelaide on purpose to give evidence, although the manner in which the son of Tostig was handled at Moonee Valley was not deemed satisfactory.

— Ono of the best -handicapped, horses in the New Zealand' Cup is the consistent Scotty with 8.1. The son of St. Leger has not been nominated for the Avondale Cup, and (says the Sporting and Dramatic Review) it looks a,s :f the stable do ml want to incur aaiy penalty for New Zealand's big event. The horse may be given s lun in the Avondale Flying Handicap — The Y.R.O. Committee lias announced that the increased fees for betting at Flemmg'ton will L-e adhered to. The committee granted one concession, ordering that bookmakers and their clerks shall he adniitted to tho paddock on the hill on ths payment of Is each — tha concession, as far as each individual visiting the paddock is concerned, being equivalent to nearly £S per annum. — Peter Jack e on. a two-"year-old colt by Bill of Portland from Light Comedy, won the Wi&lLesbourne Juvenile Plate a.t the Birmingham July -mscuing. Trstnsfer, a three-year-old filly, by "Trenton frem "Wafer 11, secured the Battesham Plate at the iSiewjjiairkct July meeting ; and Aquamaiina, a three-year-old son of Merman — Porte Bosheur, appropriated the Grand Stand Plate at the Carlisle July meeting. — Condor's two-year-old half-sl&ter, who is by St. Simon, and cost Mr Richard Cro-ker 2100gs as a yearling, had her first run in public at Nottingham (Eagland) last month. The halfsister to the New South "Wales horse was sent out a warm favourite for tbe Clumber Plate, five iurlcngs, but was very easily beaten by Parlianiionte, a SimontauH filly, racing in the name- of a lady owner— Miss Clinton..

— Private information to hand from Auckland states that Gladstone was struck out of the New Zealand Cup owing to going amiss. The son of Seator Dclaval had been fairly well bad ed for the race, and was regarded by those who knew most about him as having hewi well worthy of support. Gladstone cost 3ns present ownitr £800, a.nd it is to be hoped that Gladsome' 3 brother has not sesn the last of the tvrf.

- Good Spacid. a full sister to Oblivion, by Medallion— Ta Tw, ha.s been distinguishing herself in New Caledonia, where she was sent i 1 year ago. At the meeting of the New Caledonia J.C., held at Noumea, last month, sh-i won the Prix National}, of one mile and a-quarter, the Grand Prix, of two miles, a.nd walked ever for the Prut Mag-snta. The Sydney horseman H. Farrel rod-e five winners at the same n:eetin°. — Since April 1? the Japanese have shipped abouifc 1600 horses from Melbourne, and it is estimated that over 2000 high-class horses have besn purchased by our allies. New Zealand, where some of the best horses the woxld has even seen first saw the light of diayi, has been neglected, and our breeders appear -to have a just cause of complaint in the faut that they have been entirely overlooked in this matter.

Apollodoris, Koius, and Armamenl— a trio o£ J>Tew Zeiland Cup candidates m the Hoxi. George M'Lean's stables— are looking healthy and well at present. Apollo-d >ris has not grown up p iij.ce he wf*nt into retirement at the end of last season, arm should make a valuable addition tc the pony raxifes. The ethers are shaping fairly well on ihe tracK, but it is toe. early to hazard an opinion as to their Cup chances. — The Castor gelding Paritntu is ill some quarters as having a good New Zealand Cup chance, ancT a good judge who recently had si look at the horse stated to the writer that he was in fine order at present. Paritutu has won over 12 furlongs, and with 8.5 ran second to Quarryman 7.11 in tha Wangamii Cup. and in addition ho has other good foim to his credit. He belongs to the Yatterina family, to which "Wsiriki. The Guard, Pinfire, Libeller, Fusilier, and other good performers trace their origin. — The writer had a look at Vladimir in hia box last week, and although the son of Stepniak is looking particularly bright and healthy, lie appears so lusty and big in condition that it i o problematical if he can be got ready to race over two inil-e3 in the early part of November. His near fore fetlock, which lias been blistered twice since he last raced, stiJl bears a. slightly enlarged appearance, and tha combination of a dubious-look-ing leg a>nd backward condition makes jßultledge's task a by no means easy or.c to aiccomp'lish.

— "When dialling with P. Johnson, who rede Phaelontis on the last day of the National meeting, that well-known prince of the pigskin stated that the Fickle gelding fenced perfectly until he came, down at the post-and-rails, which also proved disastrous to his National chance. At the fence he lierer rose am inch, although the horse pot a clear run; and evidently Phaetontis had unpleasant recollections of the obstacle, and tiled to get even by flattening it ant, with anything but the best of results to all connected with the hcrse.

— The Southland Racing Club made a profit of £698 over the four days' racing held by the club last season. Of this amount £630 was made over the summ-er meeting, and over the autumn meeting, which w.13 held in had weather, a profit of £68 was returned. The sum of £262 ss, or about a third of the total profits on the year wa3 received in fees from bookmakers, and the year with a credit balance of £123 after £3Si had been spent in improvements, 1220 spent in plant and maintenance, and £118 laid out in redemption of debenture*

— Amerio-an owner* anil trainers h&7C been objecting to assistant-starters using a whip to get horses to line up to the barrier, and there is likely to be an alteration. Tho paper in which the abeve appears mentions that ths .'ash of the assistant-startei's whip got caughtm the tail o[ a horse named High Chancellor just as the ba.irier rose for a race at St. Louis. The whip was about Bft lon^, an<i when it commonced to bounce about behind him TTig-h Chancellor must have become thoroughly scared, as ho never galloped faster in his life, and won all the way. — Continental breeders (says the Paris corlespondent of the Sportsman) should study, ihe principles which govern the Jurdy stud,' and! they would discover that it -a more ta their advantage to weed out indifferent mares than to keep on changing sire after sire in hopes of obtaining a "hit." There is no country where these remarks apply more tritely than to Germany, which has stood) still while Austria, and Hungary have developed their equine resourcas, and by judicious elimination of unsuccessful mares have cleared out their studs for the arrival of a better class of matrons.

— The f3ct of only £3,942,230 having passed through the totalisator frora the beginning of this yevir up to May 31 is slid to have foe-en l-espoi-fiible . i or ihf French Government's decisicn to suppress bookniak?i-s on racecourses. In Fiance 8 pet cent, is deducted from xotalisater investments-, and l the money so derived is divided as follows. — 1 per cent, for tho purchase of eligible breeding material, 2 per. cent, for the creation and amelioratdon of certain charitable instiititiors, 4 per cent, for ihe racing societies for the payment at necessary expenses, and another 1 per cent, for the purpose of bringing pure and drinkable; water to different districts where a supply was needed.

— General satisfaction lias been expressed in Victorian sporting circles with the idea of an Australian Derby, wiiicli was the interesting point of Mr S. Miner's speech at tha annual meeting of the members of the V.R.C. held on Monday. The opinion jreyails that the operation of the principle might with, advantage be extended 'ater on : the Maribymong Plate, for irslauoc, might be iun cna year at Flenungior* and another ycai' at Raoid■wick, and the same with the Champion Race. It also seems (says ihe same authority) that tho running of a Grand National Hurdle Race and Steeplechase at Caulfield within •> few weeks tends to overdo jumping, as far *a th.c invnortant events arc concerned.

— Word comes from Denver that Bon' Voyage, W. A. Clark, jun.'s, three-yeai-old trotter, is showing 2min speed and 1 looking like a champion. Mr Clark bought Boa Voyage for 10,OOPdol just after til* colt had 1 won the fewo-year-old division of th« Kentucky Futurity last y^ar and taken a record of 2min 15sec. Bon Voyage started three times ir his two-year-old form: first in the Horse Review^ Stake at Cincinnati, which her won in straight" heats m 2min 17f sec and 2min 152 sec, beatingThe Phantom (which James Butler "afterwards boug-hfc) and five others; next- in the Kentucky Futurity, wk«re ne beat Katherine L. and seven others in straight heats in 2min 15sec an<J 2min 15Jsec; and the third time, a. week--later, when Jack Arworthv bsat him in straight heats in 2min 15£ sec and 2min 16Jsec

— The Hon. George Lee has selected the Hobartville stallion Simmei to mate with hia fptnous mare Efcraweenie this season. To Bill l of Portland, who is by St. Simon, the sire of Simmar, Etraweenic threw the Melbourne Derby and Cmp winner Merriwee, and to the sanx-s sire she produced Wigelmar, one of the speediest and best-looking two-year-olds tha/o Australia has known; but, aftea winning th© Debutant Stakes and carrying th.s extreme penalty into second place behind Finland m the Maribyrnong- Plata, she met witli an accident on the tracks that cut short her racing careier. Leeholme, by Haut Brion, son of St. Simon, followed Wigelmar, but did not train to expectations. He wa.s said to go to Tasmania as a .stud' horse, and! last season hia progeny carried off moat of the two-year-old! racea run in the island State. Etraweenie is by Trerrtcn from Nellie, by Tim Whifflcr from Sappho, bj- Sir Hercules; therefore sho has a double 'cross of the latter in her veins. Lady. Trenton, the dom of Simmer's best horse, Dividend, is brsd on somewhat similar linos, masinuch as she is by Trenton from Black Swan, by Yattendc n, &en of Sir Hercules. In "tho Victorian Legislative Assembly, recently Mr Outtrini asked the Chief Secretary (Sir Sanntel G:!lott) whether the Cabinet considered, -when it sanctioned the new bylaws of the Victoria Racing Club for the registration of bookmakers 1 and l the regwla/tiom of" Iheir fees', it the Parliament or "The Victoria Racing Club 'Act, 1871," ever derigned to sanction bookmaking as a legalised vocation. Six Samuel Gillott replied that betting or -wug-erizig on a racecourse -was not illegal, and never ha-d- been made illegal under common law or by statute. It was illegal to bet in certain places. The new by-laiws of the Victoria Racing Club were designed to ensure precautions being taken to see tha# proper persons were licensed and a-ble to meet? th-sir obligations. These by-laws had been submitted to the Crown solicitor, who- saidl that they were no-t contrary to the act, and; there was nothing in them to jxis-Hfy the Govemor-in-Council exercising the powers of disallowance. Registration and licensing of bookmakers had been in existence for 20 years. Although bookmakers had from time to time threatened to test the legality of this, no ono had been bokl enough io test the question in. the law courts.

—It was not anticipated that as many as 17 would remain us. the A.J.C. Derby after the first forfeit, and (says "Pilot" of the Sydney Referee) no doubt that number will be considerably reduced before the day of the race. Of the local division Lady Wallace and Binnia are doing as well as any, and perhaps the firstnamed will piove one of Charles Stuart's moss troublesome oponents, as there is reason to believe that she is likely to prove a stayer. Eoycroft is doing well, as is Jargoon, who, however, strike? me as more likely to be seea to advantage in Melbourne than in Sydney. North Head appears to have slid ken off his soreness, and is better than his stable companion, E L.C. Lochino is in good condition, and though track form does not say much on his behalf, he is probably one of those horses which can be lehed upon to do a lot bcttc-ir in a race than in private. Picturesque is well, but possibly sprinting is more in his luie t'nau firying, and though the Grafton colt Grama is lurpro^ in? daily, he may noi be seen at h;s best until later on than our meeting. Sun God was Ihe best two-year-old colt in New Zealand last season, which means that he will have to be taken into consideration, but if Charles Stuart is sent to the post as well as when lie last won. at Randwick. he should account for the Dei by, and pretty easily at thai.

— Fred Swindell was acknowledged to ba a sjo^d judge o-f horseflesh, ?vd often, i" !■" had backed a horse tor any amount of nio'icv, a h? would pay a vi&it to his training quarters and watch hhr> at eseicise. AVhile on one n2\ the&e journey* to view an animal which L\'-< li:id backed ior £1000, ihe wily tuifite took if dislike* tc ihe hoise, and, returning to London^) determined to hed^e the money, thouch liov?i io do to vas lather cUfS.nilt to decide, as th'.^l

public did not fancy him in the slightest degree. Shortly after his arrival m the metropolis Swindell visited his bankers, and drew cut £1000 in notes, which he took to his agents; directing them to back his late fancy st the lists for that amount. The clever division who follow the money fell into the trap, and soon the horse was reported to be a good ithing, having been weli backed. In the mean ttime the artful one had commissioners laying (the horse, and so well was the whole affair •worked tihat not only did Fred recover his thousand, but made nearly that amount of profit on the transaction. Whether thi3 anethod of procedure is in strict accordance Jvith the unwritten code of turf morality may >c doubted, but it. answered admirably. As Hho turf Talleyrand expected, the animal m was unplaced in his race, and subsequent running proved that he was pract ically worthless for racing purposes. U —Judge Ghomley recently gave his reserved in the County Court on an application for a. nonsuit in an action brought by • iJolm Gill, of Williamstown, and others against J ;John William Gill, of East Brxinswick, in iwhich plaintiffs claimed the prize money in » "Tattorsall-'s" consultation, which, it was 'Alleged, had been wrongly delivered to this TJie grounds on which the apptileation"\wts based were; — Tliat the County )CouH' had no jurisdiction, as the causa of teetion did not arise wholly in Victoria; that - |the transaction' out of which "payment, by Tatjters'all's to the ' plaintiffs arose was illegal, wecause the application^- for a ticket was sent Irom- Victoria. to Hqbart iu'a-manhcr forbidden f>y the -Commonwealth" Post and Telegraph "'.( act 7' .that -the plaintiffs had not proved tha-t i -Jthe bank draft "was sent to them, or represented ?their ticket; that an action for money had and j iec«ved,' wo'ttld ' not lie at the suit of the j jplaintiffs, as the money had never been their j property. 'His Honor decided against all the grounds. With regard to the first he said j . {the cause of action consisted in the defendant ! ' jhavicg wrongfully appropriated and converted "into, money & bank dxalt which was ih© property of the plaintiffs. That cause arose ■wholly in Victoria. As for the second point, there was no, evidence that the papers m the /faatter did not" form paxt of- a Letter or parcel fcxoeeding lib in -weight. He therefore refused Wiionsuit.- The case was adjourned, so that *he question of tendering evidence on behalf ftf the defendant- could be* considered.