IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2707, 31 January 1906, Page 54

IN A NUTSHELL.

— The recent Gore meeting resulted in » profit of about £250 to the club.

— Becky Seaton and Gypsobel both visited PaHas whilst they wore ait Tapanui. —Mr A. J. Gibbs has been appointed haadicapper to the Biverton Racing Club. — Nominations close on February 3 for th« Gore Tro'itiiig Club's annual meeting. — The Maniototo Jockey Club's annual meeting takes place on Thursday and Friday of this wsek.

— The total amount paid foi blood stock at the Newmarket (Eug.) sales last month was 109,668 guineas.

— Handicaps for the first day of the Tahuna Fark Trotting Ohib's atutumn meeting axe dv« en February 7.

— It is estimated that tho Wellington Racing Ciub will make between £1000 and £5000 over the recent Cup meeting.

—In Russia, from 1902 to 1905, Gartee More's progeny won £48,784. In all, 132 of them raced during that period.

— The Victorian Racing Club Committee will in the near future discuss the question of admitting ihe press to its meetings.

— Nearly all the best lots at Newmarket sales, whicn were held just before the last mail left England, were secured by foreigners.

— According to Melbourne advices the- otallion Menschikoff has been purchased in Canterbury, and he will go into Avery's stable at Caulfield.

— Solution, Tupono, and Destruction have joined J. Lowe's stable at the Hutt, and the erstwhile Dunedinite has now 10 horses under his care.

— The Riverton Racing Club made a profit of £200 over its last meeting, and will start next season with a balance of over £500 clear of all liabilities.

— — A^v ii_ Pal*tsoh, "to.*: owner of Soltiiioii, Tupara, and co., has removed his hoisea from, Tilley'9 stable, and they will in future be trained at the Hutt.

— The saie of the Rancho del Paso Stud, held in Air.erioa recently, exteaided over four days. During that period 400 horses were sold for a total of £81,055. — The "Welcome Stakes winner IvanoS gaye displays at Wellington considerably bslow expectations, and was never dangerous nt ihe finisih of either of his races.

— Petrovna was well backed ior her rac« on the second day of the Wellington meeting, but she gave a very poor display, and probably could not gallop on the hard going. —J. Scobie has put Emir into work again at Dowling Forest, but a Melbourne writer says the horse may not be seen in public again, unlil the spring. -Sweet Nell i& at present enjoying a sipell. — Tho A.J.C. Derby winner Cranberry (now known as Stoccadoj was sold under the hammer in England early last month for 100 guineas. When Mr S. Fielder sold him the figure was 3000 guineas.

— There waa & literal respond from owners on general entry day for the Duiiedin Cup meeting, and the list of names received ior the various races totals 328, or au increase of C 2 over last year's figures.

— The latest legislation of the Tasmanian Racing Club is to the effect that jockeys who have suffered on account of foul riding without lodging a complaint will be held equally ct'Jpable with the wrongdoers. — Though the opponents of the totalisator assert that the restrictions of wagering to the machine is killing the turf in France, Frenchmen were among the largest purchasers) of blood stock at the December sales in England.

— The leg in which Vladimir went amiss some time ago, but which became thoroughly sound again, filled a trifle as a result of his race in the Wellington Cup. It is expected that a few days' rest will effect a complete remedy.

— Tiie result of this season's meeting of tiio Tapanim Club should put fresh heart into the leading spirits of the club, as it should prove a financial success, although some of the riding at the gathering was not altogether above suspicion. —In connection with the recent big meeting at Perth, the W.A. Government received) about £2000 as totalisator tax, and it is reckoned that during the current year the Stale will derive between £12,000 and £14,000 from this source.

— Mt J. K. Mackenzie has sent his horses .n training back to Oama.ru, where they will be prepared for future engagements. The team at present consists of Becky Season, Sweet) Nell (half-sister by Musketry to Pallas), and The Brat.

— Some fairly rapid times were registered on tho new track at Tten-thanv Chivalry reeled off five lurlongtf in, 60 3-sseo, Stronghold won aver six fin longs in lrain 14 2-6 sec, and.- Ropa ran. out tho VI furlongs of the Wellington Cup in 2mm 33sc-c. — A well-known North Island light--w©Lgnt rider is said to have commenced proceedings ajjainot an cvraw, vhs> also inhabi+s that part of the world, for making allegedly libellous statements concerning the fairness of tn« former's ruling. — A Sydney owner recently imported from America a six-month-old colt by Parole from Meadow Queen, a sister to Great Heart, who has a 2min 12Jsec record. The youngster, who is related to Major Delmar, will be known as tho Australian Parole. — A Sydney cablegram stages fhat the Annjvcasary Handicap resulted as follows. : — Birifia 1. Kaffirpan 2, Cako Walk 3. Twelve started. Betting- 3 to 1 agst Cake "Walk, 5 to 1 Birida. Won by half a- neck after a great Uriah. Time, 2min 35Jsec. — Sir Eupert Clarke has, through a Sydney ftgancy, sold the well-known racehorse F.J.A., winneT of the V.R.C. Derby of 1903, as ■well as many oth«r races. Tho son of Wallace and La Tosca t= dp<stin-ed for India, where he will h^ spec .'ally reserved for the next Viceroy's Cup — Speculators at the "mutuals" in France-, barking hor-es each way, have offen expressed th'-ir disappointment at seeing- horses pullecl up, their jockeis uot trying for a place. Witli

• %tew to having horses ridden otrt, the Jookey T Club is increasing tße place-money in most of the events. - — The erstwhile Auckland trainer J. Rae, yrho has been in Western Australia for some time, is reported to be on his way back to New Zealand, and is also accompanied by Strafiiavon and The Needle, two of the horses ■fehici partly composed the team which he took acioßs to Australia.

'-Machine Gun haa been awarded 11.1 in the OaJdeigh Plato (five and a-half furlongs), to 1» decided at OauMeid! on February 17. Syivanitß 9.13, Gladaoms 9.11, and' Pendant 9.5 are the only other horses asked to carry over nine stone, whilst only seven, are asked to cany eight stono or over. — Qaarryman is making but a slow Tecovery from his breakdown in the Auckland Cup, and stiH Tem«ns tinder J. Gainsford's care in fiie-northern city. Sir George Clifford and kis veteran trainer (E. Cutts) are unlucky in losing tie services of such a good horse as the son of Bill of Portland. — Bopa-, who scored with something m nand •*h«n Be landed the first Wellington Cup decided at Txentham. appeared to be in deep trouble when «A the home turn in the principal race on the second day. The son of Brown &Iio» finished well under tha whip, however, «nd gained the almost barren honour of thud jpLaoe* —D. J. Price "has left for Sydney, and will finish the preparation of Machine Gun and Bere&ina for their Australian engagements. Ii is quite on the cards that if the swallowcatching eon of Eubina brings plenty of grist to the mill during his forthcoming campaign lie jmay afterwards be shipped to America or England. — The yellow-and-fclack of Mr G. G. Stead ■wiH probably be represented in this year's Middle Park Plate by either Cuneiform or Isolt, as the Yaldhurst stable has both these fliera engaged in the race: Stronghold unexpectedly defeated Noctuiform in last year's race, but the latter was amiss owing to getting cast in his box. —At a well-attended meeting of the Lake Cotraty Jockey Club, which was held recently, satisfaction was expressed at the excellent work done by th« secretary (Mr P. M. Tobin) in connection with this season's race meeting, »nd the club's appreciation was responsible for the voting of an extra five guineas to his honorarium. A Waikawa correspondent writes as follows:—"Have you noticed the remarkable coincidence over the Wellington Cup of the three B'b— Rosa, Ropa, Reid, -with four letters in each woTd. Four threes are 12. I wonder if Ropa's number was 12 on the card? Nap, my dear sir, rap!" LRopa was No. 12 -on the card.— Sp. Ed.] — The Stepniak— Ambush filly Beresina was the medium of a big commission when she was beaten in the Hack Scurry on the second day at Foxtou. She has since been sent on to Sidney, and although it seems ambitious to take the defeated horse to the other side, there is no doubt she -will prove better than her latest form suggests. — Geologist, who scored from end to end in the First Hurdle Race at the Wellington Cup meeting, fenced badly on the second day. and lost a lot of ground through punching his fences. > Although not a gaudy-looking customer, he is a fairly well-bTed horse, as he •was^g'ot by Pounamu out of the AlbanyHelena mare Seraph, and can travel fast ov«t fences. — Achilles does not figure amongst the nominations for the Wanganui Cup, one mxle and three-quarters, or the Wanganui Stakes, one mile and a-half, which form the chief items at the Wanganui Cup meeting; but the son of Medallion and Nereid has been engaged in the Flying Handicap, six furlongs, and in addition also claims an engagement in the Jackson Stakes.

—Mt W. H. Hartgill, who is the leading "man in the box" on our racecourses, is an official "who gives prompt ani accurate decifcions to close finishes, but he, as mentioned last week, made an error in placing Melodeon third in the Wellington Cup. A snapshot of the finish clearly shows Paritutu almost upeides with Achilles, whilst Melodeon has daylight between him and Pantxrtu. — Soltykoff, the son of Stepniak and Hermosa, who cost Mr G. G. Stead 425 guineas as » yearling, but who has been a failure up to date, figures amongst the nominations for the C.J.C. midsummer meeting. Mr A. Moss bid up to about 400 guineas -when Soltykoff was under the hammer as a yearling, but s» far he has had no cause to regret that the youngster did not fall to his nod. — Cuneiform was recorded a* the best of good goods for the Wellington Stakes, and although he appeai-eel 6© have the race in safe keeping at the homo turn he swung o«u.t wide, and Joßt a g«od iit of ground. This allowed Clanchotten •to la»m up prominently on the Tails, but it diet net improre "tflie chance of Mo*cow, who had Hewitt fairly busy on th» YaWhuM* Horea v.-hea racing over ihe last half-furlong. —We have «, rule which states that no xaoe shall -exceed 20 minutes in duration, and Ibis is brought to mind by. the fact that in * steeplechaee at Folkestone (Eng.) recently five «f the six starters fell early in "the race, an'! the remaining one, after «afely clearing all the other jumps, repeatedly refused the la=it fence. The stewards, after •liowing his riUtT 10 minutes to get the hor?e «ver, declared the ia-ce void, all bets, of cOuTse, being "off."

— The party kshintl Ropa- had a fairly good win in connection with the St. Leger horse 3 victory in the Wellington Oup, but were unfortunate enough to miss -Iks successful pla^ingT of £50 frith fen S.P. merchant be<:au?e the intended commission "was handwl iv shortly after the starting tima of Vac races. Th« leading We!lingtan fielders btt full limit for cash, and consequently ths failure to get the money on n-eaxit » difference of nbout £1500.

— Moscow, the 625-guinea. son of Stopmak and OcTonal, has not grown into ench a big colt a.3 what might have been expected by anyone vrlio made his acquaintance as a yeailir.g, bu-t. ha i 3 a fair-sized and goodly-shaped «quine for all that. Up to date he has not foeen a conßpioumi3 success on the turf, but (there was not a little merit in his display in the Well«slcy Stakes, in whih he had tJunedform stepping along a bit, and he may ibe found amongst the- winning youngsters m the autumn.

— A gerrtlonvan who pent a commissions to ask the price of Stronghold seme months back ;wws informed Ihat the Clftfiranftld colt was valued at lOOOgs. After bis display on tLe first day of the Wellington nictating the injte*nding buyer «t*ted to tSe writer thai he •would not give £100 for tih« horse as -a yaoer, but next time Stronghold appeared ~n» Somewhat retrieved his character by defeating .-Chivalry in pood style. The latter, however, SfViaa giving a way 19Jb, and that somewhat dis.connts the merit of tie win.

— The Onkaparinga Racing Club has spent in. improvements to the course and in buildings for the accommodation of the public iflttting the last 17 years no less a cum than 511,561, and during the same period paid in et flies to owners £38,320, the total disburse-cn-snts by the club since ISBB amounting to tover £72,000. The club has not been having | lhe be3t of luck as far as its totalisator jreturns go, as during the last three years the amount handled shows a big decrease, as follows:— 1903, £21,228) tfQi, #9 ; 278l £905, ,

— The performances of some of the jockeys •who rode at the West Australian Turf Club meeting do not seem to have given satisfaction to the men they rode for. A W.A. paper, •writing of the meeting, says: "There is talk of a far-reaching conspiracy, in which a bookmaker, a heavy punter, and three jockeys are supposed to be concerned, and which may yet come to light. Several owners -are dissatisfied with the form their horses displayed when they backed them, and their success when they ran loose —as far as the owners were concerned."

— The ex-Australian crack Parthian is standing at Newmarket at a fee of 18gs. "He was a smashing good horse in his day, and perfectly sound for stud purposea," says the Special Commissioner o-f • the London Sportsman. "He not only combines the hardy blood of Grand Flaneur and Trenton, but he comes, as does Cyllene, of the Maid of Masham family, and that, too, through Lady Masbani, the dam of Peter and Timothy. He won over .all distances from five furlongs to three miles-, and is just the sort of horse to improve our more or less effete breed."

— The latest English files to hand contain several /interesting iteme, among these being one to the effect that M. Brugmaa, the Belgian .sportsman, who gave 4500 guineas for Roquebrune (dam of Rock Sand), refused to sell that mare at an advance of 2000 guineas. Delaunay, who was sold to go to France for 7500 guineas, is to serve a firnited numbeT of mares at a fee of £129 this season; and Diamond Jubilee, "for -whom the Argentine sportsman; Sfgnor Ignacio Gorreas, paid 30,000 guineas, will do stud duty at Sandringham during the current season on account and at the risk of his new owner.

— A somewat remarkable verdict was recorded by the stewards of the Takapuna Jockey Club on Saturday- in connection with the running of the hurdle event on the day's card. After the race the stewards, who were dissatisfied with Ranana's running, had the owneT (Mr A. Hughes) and the rider (O'Connell) on the carpet. The latter stated that Ranana broke down half a mile from the winning post, and the stewards came to the conclusion that a severe caution to the jockey would meet the case. If it was true that the horse broke down, the administration of the censure seems ridiculous.

— The principal buyer at the recent Newmarket (Eng.) sales was M. Halbronn, whose purchases were for France. Among those he bought was the four-year-old horse Delaunay (Fortunib — Pet), for whom he paid 7500 guineas. Touching on the fact that so much French capital was invested, the Special Commissioner remarks: "I must really demur to the suggestion that racing in France is on the down line by reason of the totalisator. This week's sales are a convincing proof to the contrary; indeed, there is reason to fear that France will absolutely take the lead in racing and blood stock-breeding if owners and breeders in this country are left to shift entirely for themselves, as they are at present "

— A number of people have been speaking glibly about the great improvement effected in Ailsa smce she went into Prosser's stable, but with ail due respect to the Porirua trainer's ability, the writer is of opinion that the element of luck and aiso a slight change in class is responsible for the Faraway filly's recent successes. Her performance on Wellington Cup day in the Telegraph Handicap, which she won comfortably with 8.4 in lrnin 15 '2-ssec, does not completely eclipse her Templeton Handicap win. with 8.1 in lmin 14 4-ssec, which she accomplished at the back end of last season. In the Telegraph Handicap Petrovna lost her position after going a little over a furlong, and in the last half had to. give Ailsa fully five lengths' start for home from that point, so that it was no great wonder that Ailsa beat her comfortably by a length at the finish.

— One of the largest winners in connection with the recent Wellington Cup is a smart young man who relates that -when he b'ew into the windy city some 10 years ago he had bullion lo lhe extent of about one florin concealed on his person. A favourable flourish from Fortune's wheel however took place, aud now he has ship 3up country, farms at sea, hou&es in the bank, and money to burn. Furthermore, he is, like Alexander, sighing fox fresh worlds to conquer, and contemplates an assault on the Australian turf, as New Zealand, where he has corrai/ed several barrels of good bright gold is becoming too cramped for his operations. X landing in Wellington with only a florin in the "wide world is absolutely necessary to win a few miles from Dame Fortune (there are many, many persons who are prepared to do so every day in the week, and twice on Sunday.

— One thing is as certain as death and taxes. The aanateur steward must go, and be replaced by the paid official. This (says an English writ*) is no new fad, as the urgency of the need has been alluded to in these and other columns years ago. The feeble sportsman "who now accepts office, -without emolument, in this desperate age, knows, or ought lo .know, that ths betting is at least 15 to 8 that he will not put in an appearance on the course- at all. If the judge and starter are paid, why -on earth should the appointment of -stewards upon whose decision matters of the utmost importance laay depend, be an honorary one? At present the local stewards, for lack of knowledge of racing law, almost invariably refer the issue, whether in point of fact or law, to the stewards of the jockey club How c*n men selected at haphazard, deputising for absentees who neveT intended to fulfil the. offices tkey have accepted, answer the mandate- "Give aai account of thy stewardship ."

— The roceni coming of age of Fred Archer's only child recalls the fact that his h arriage was a pure love match, and (says an English exchange) -when lie weaded Nellze Pawson .the daughter of the celebrated trainer, Matthew Dawson, in 1883, he annonuced himself as "the happiest man in the world." Ht«j daughter was born on the day her fatiier won the Liverpool Cup on the Duchess of Montreal's marc Thebais. Archer had just weighed in wJien he grot the telegram announcing the ev&u-t "^'hat a splendid double!" he exclaimed,. Then when the race w-aa over he hurried by trap and special tram back to Newmarket to be with his wife and child. But in a few hours- the latter was motherless, and the great jockey was broken-hearted When he got. over his grief all his thought was for his little one, aud never did daughter have a more doting father. Her interests were ever iiis chief care, and how -well he looked after thsin is si»en in the splendid fortune, some £200,000, she now inherits.

— The train arrangements for the Wellington Coip attesting left a good deal to be desired. There was a fairly quick service, but each "train" was small and lacking in accommodation when compared with what is usually placed -at the disposal of the public at either Ricearton or_ Wing-atui. On an easy grade eudh as exists between Wellington and Trenthain, -ens number of carriages and ■waggons -could have been materially increased, and so obviated the necessity of keeping the club's patrons cooling their heels while undergoing •vexatious warts before being allowed to get a train back to town. The writer on fcha second day had to wait over threequarters of an hour on the fringe of a. huge crowd of people before there was a possibility ot getting a train home-. It may be Aiviaablfi Jfc nut & gjlick BVWiXiS Composed t\

small trains for the out journey, out whon everyone is ready to leave after the last race these small teiins should bo doubled and their carrying capacity increased so as to allow people to get home •with a, minimum waste of time

— After referring to the sale of the King's stallion Diamond Jubilee, a -writer in the London Sportsman relates an interesting incident :— "Who that was present at that July meeting "will forgot the race ■when Diamond Jubilee reared bolt upright at the start, and «s th« neck-strap which Watts took hold of to steady himself broke, the jockey slipped off, and Diamond Jubilee came careering riderless towards the carriages on th» left sid» of the course 9 He was caught, taken back, and remounted. This time he started ■with the rest, but made a dreadful exhibition of himself, refusing to try a yard, and dropping farther and farther astern sis the raca proceeded. What a shocking brute! more than oeo person ejaculated, and no one was surprised to learn that Mr G-eorge Baxrow, M.E.CV.S., had been instructed to add him to the list the very next day. The veterinary surgeon attended at the Egerton House stables far that purpose, and the operation would, beyond all question, have been performed, but it was found that there was a physical difficulty which stood in the way. " For that reason, and no other, the entire Diamond Jubilee was eared, and that episode seemed to mark the ending of his evil ways." — The family to which the Wellington Cup winner Ropa belongs is one which does not possess a particularly lengthy genealogical line, as he is one of the Cutty Sark tribe, or better known as the Ouida family, and consequently his pedigree stops at that point ; but it is generally contended that the taproot of Ropa's ancestors i<? of pure, although unknown, origin. Cutty Sark wa3 imported from England in the same ship as Spae-rdfe and a mare called Fortune Teller, who has sometimes been assumed to be Cutty Sark. Fortune Teller died on the voyage out, and Cutty Sark's pedigree has never been ascertained, but, like several other males of unknown breeding whose offspring have proved good horses, the merit of the family, together with the fact that it was unlikely that any but thoroughbreds were imported, strongly suggests that she wa3 purebred. Ouids>, the granddam of Ropa. was bred in New South Wales, and got by Yattendon out of Gulnare, by Little John from Gufnare, by Gohanna (it son of 'Kous Emigrant). Artillery, Hilda (dam of Antares, Fulmen, and granddkm of Jfahutonga), Strathmore, Kelburr, and The Australian performers Haulette and Sweet Nell are the best-knowji members of the fainilv.

■ — If one were inclined to be superstitious it could be sadd that the reason why Achilles has proved so vulnerable m muny of his races is on account of the undignified manner in which he received his turf baptism. Prioi to malting !his d-=b\it on the turf in the C.J.C. Pioneer Handicap, in which he "was d*feated by Helen Faucit, the story runs that the son of Medallion did rot oome soubh with the res* o f Prosser's horses which were to compete- at the meeting, but arrived on lii=i 'Own, and was supposed to be a trotter. He was the msdiuni of a big commission for Ms firsrt race, but the 'fact of his being landed on the sc-ene as a plebeian instead of a patrician horse probably caused Achilles to forget his Tole, and he ran like one of the former instead of the latter type of quadruped. When an Achilles goes to win his &p.nrs in the arena it should bo in the full light of day, so that all tiie world may stand aside and! look with expectant admiratioD, and it is probably becau&> the horse occasionally thinks of the stain on his escutcheon that lie fails to run Hka >a warrior. His mythological namesake was dipped' in the Styx, and thereby rendered invulnerable except in the one heel by which he was held whilst being plunged into the wa-ter, but our Achilles has proved vulnerable in four heels, probably because his first plunge into the ssa of public life was taken under allegedly unsportsmanlike circumstances.

—In an English paper a writer, who is o,f opinion that most buyers ai? inclined to attach too much importance to big bone in horws, expresses himself as follows on the subject • — "Keference to big bone reminds me how I first had it demonstrated that (he bjigjgest bone doe 3 not necessarily contain the most substance The demoustiator was a well-known veterinary professor, who, taking two metacarpal or cannon bones of the horse — of course, from different animals-, one being at least half as large again as the other — ynl them in a scale (one at each end), with the result that the smaller was decidedly the heavier of the two. Then, to explain the cause »i such an apparent paradox, he sawed them both through the centra, when the seeming absurdity was explained. The tissue of the bigger was porous, while that of the smaller one was quite dense, which, of course, flccoiuilcA for the great disparity in weight. Ihis is a lesson ihose who look for big bone in thoroughbreds anight w-ell bear in mind. TLoso who will carefully look over our best racehorses -will find that they are- not overburdened with bone, while if in a race you see ■on* or two toiling along in the rear you will generally find that in the matter of bone Nature has endowed tlhein with much more tkan their fleeter opponents. Then take the hunting field. Tjook at the thoroughbred and ihe haffbred (with plenty of bone) before they start the day and after a good, gallop, carrying th? sani-e weights. Which is the fresher at th« finish? I think most of our hunting friends would answer in favour ot the lightbone done-. Many folk seem to forget that it is not the bona* that generally give way — it is the aocftssorieSj the ligaments and muscles."

— The glorious uncertainty — or, as some unkind cntiC3 would call it, the inglorious inconsistency—of the turf was strongly exemplified at the Wellington Cup meeting by the wms of Clanchattan and Stronghold. Both these horses were never in the hunt in their fiist day's races, but were all right on the second day. Stronghold in his first race was one of the smartest away from the barrier, but quickly retired to the rear, aud was lie veT dangerous afterwards. In his second race he set out after Chivalry, who had established a commanding lead, and after finishing with astonishing resolution, wore down the Conqueror gelding in the gamest manner imaginable. There is no doubt that Stronghold is one of the erratically brilliant Eort. but the small price he paid was a bit astonishing when his previous form and general unreliability are takcrii into account. It may. however, be partly accounted for by the fact that Stronghold did not figure amongst the acceptors, or was not even on the race card, and superstitious punters probably acted on the omission as an omission which should not be overlooked. Clanchattan, is addition to winning the January Handicap, also ran a good race in the Wellington Stakes. Letherin'a comfortable win in the principal race on the second day came as a bit of an astonisher, even after allowing for the merit o? his second to Boris; -while Xioftus, who won the Fitzherberfc Handicap from end to end, was fr long way behind the winner of the first day's iwo-vear-old race.

Constable "West, stationed at Waitahuna, has been appointed to the Roslyn station, his place at Waitahuna being taken by CsnstaWft Trsahei^ «f Deaaistoj*