IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 54

IN A NUTSHELL.

I —Mr G. G. Stead refused an ofier of £460 I for Delaware last week. j — Nominations for the North Otago Jockey Club's meeting close on May 3. — The Auckland hurdler Tahae recently succumbed to an attack of inflammation. — Achilles has won the last two Challenge Stakes, and is engaged in the race of 1907. — Machine Gun came in for a good deal of support in Christchurch for his win at the R-andwick meeting. — Savoury has been purchased by Mr D. J. Price, and will race xv his interests in the Thompson Handicap — Nominations for the Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase close on Friday next. — This year the Auckland Hacing Club handled £13,446 more than they did at last year's autumn mesting. — Red Gauntlet looked overdone and light when he stripped at Riccarton, but for all that he ran two very good races. — The New Zealand-bred horse Sternchaser (Nordenfeldt — Crinoline) is now doing stud duty in France at Count Geloes's stud. — A Sydney cablegram siates that at the sale of thoroughbreds Charles Stuart was passed iv at 800 guineas and Waroo at 410 guineas. — The imported jockey Nolan rode his first ■winner over fences when he steered Graduated Tax on the second day of the Eiccarton meeting. — A Sydney cable states that the New Zealand horse Tenakoe was withdrawn from the Hurdle Race on Wednesday owing to his legs filling. — Owing to heavy rains in Christchurcli the trotting meeting, which was to have been held there on Saturday afternoon, had to be postponed. — Bagpipes, the daughter o£ Gipsy Grand and Reel, was knocked down to Mr J. Loughlin for 56 guineas in the Christchurch saleyards ]ast week. — Since its last meeting the North Otago Jorkey Clu'j has top-dressed its course and added 12 loose-boxss to the previously existing accommodation. — Mr Abe Moss has left on a visit to Sydney, and expects to be absent about six w^e'is. Mr Moss has not a. Canteen in his portmanteau to dispose of thi? trip. — The disappointing Makaroff was sold 'ast week at 300 guineas to Mr W. O. Rutherford, and, judging by the horse's erratic displays, the money is well worth the horse. — The latest thing in race books has recently been issued in England. In addition to the usual particulars, the cap and jacket of the owner is printed in colours on the margin. — The most notab'.e thing about the field wihch paraded for the Great Autumn Handicap was the diminutive stature of the majority of the horses. It was really a case of "the field a pony." — Rongoa did not look so well when he went out for his races at Riccarton as he did vhen stripped for the Dnnedin Cup meeting, and his late=l form was far below what he displayed at Wingatui. — Cross Battery was not produced on the second day of the Autumn meeting She ■was engaged in the Templ«ton Handicap, in which &he was awarded 5.7, but was allowed to drop out of the race. — A twc-year-old brother to Slow Tom was sold by auction in Chri'-tchurch last week at 21 guineas. He has a =usp'ciotis-looking pastern, which makes it doubtful as to whether he will ever stand training — Porcelain evidently requires pushing along a bit in his races, and when going cut for the Challenge it was noticeab'e that Hewitt had abandoned the perch seat, and rede with his irons several holes lower than usual — Heirloom waa well backed for his races at Rlccartoi, but was never dangerous. He was interfered with in tho Ep=oin Writer at the ris" of the barrier, but it is doubtful if h-» could live won even if he had had the lu'jk of the laco --The Xptv Zealand-bred mars Tiliirui nation has renewed her acquaintance with the Caulfield training tracks. Illumination suffored badly from blood poisoning a few months back, and in < o;. sequence bad to be given an extended rest. — Mr T. Kett's Birkenhead— Merganser colt will join J Rutlledge's slable within the noxt lew weeks, and the same gentleman's Storruont io to be sent up to H Carr to be prepared for lumping honours. — A miiig two-year-old biotber to Cross

T Battery was purchased by Sir F. H. Pyna during the currency of the Riccarton autumn meeting. The colt is a well-grown and proinis-mg-looking sort, which looks like developing ! jnto one above the ordinary. j — A Sydney message states that Machine '• Gun has been sold to Mr Charle3 Baldwin, o£ l^urham Paik. for 950 guineas. It is expected ' tboi he will be used for stud purposes. Up-to-Date was submitted just before the close cf the sacs, but failed to elicit a bid. — The lameness displayed by Master Alix j was caused through the ge.ding getting cast | in his box, and it is anticipated that a spell | wiil socn put hini light again. Mr Buckley I had another piece of iil-luck, as Convoy's race i in the Great Autumn sent him wrong again. j — A numb- of well-known Oamaru sports ! v.ere missing from the Riccarton meeting, and 1 the principal Teason for this was that a j bowling tournament was in progress at the I WLite <*ity during the Easter holidays. Fancy men playing marble 3 in preference to going to racing! ! — Ijou Dillon, 1.58&, queen cf al! harness ! horses, wiil be bred the coming season t.3 : Jclm A. M.'Kerror., 2.4J, H. K. DeveTeux's great waggon trotter. The result of the union, of the two great trotters, which will have a. speed inheritance of 2.1£, will be watched with great interest. — When racing at Riccarton last week I*ady Landon did not look so well ss when sho gained classic honours for her owner's colours i= the JJ.J.C. Champagne Stakes. It appears that the filly went off after her arrival at Riccartdn, and consequently did not race as v/ell as what was suggested by the book. — Owing to a previous sale not being oomrleted. Redstart and the yearling by Blackstone — Red Riding Hood were again put under 'he hammer on Saturday, and were knocked down to Mr J. Imrie at 23 guineas and 37 guii.cas respectively. They were subsequently passed en to Mr J. M'Xewen at a small advance. — The present owner of We.beck holds a fairly high opinion as to the value of his horse, and recently put a price of 1000 guineas on the son cf Perkin Warbeck 11. Some few v;csks ago "Welbeck could have been purchased at something in the neighbourhood of a hundred, and last week tha writar recommended a prospective buyer to inquire about the horse, with the result stated above. — Kirrienniir was saddled away from the ccurse for the Champagne Stakes, and many peop'e were under the impression she was not starting. This probably had as much to do with building up the dividend as the fact that she was labouring under the suspicion of unsounduesa. The filly showed a great burst of speed over the first four furlongs of the race, but was tiring at the finish, probably ov/ing to lack of condition. — The Huon filly Myosotis paced a mile in 2inin 15 2-ssec when she won the Te'egrapb. Handicap on the second day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting. This compares favourably with Ribbon-wc-od's 2min 34 4-ssec, which he put up when he defeated Valour and Flora Cr. in a Free for All at the Addington track, but this was accomplished prior to the improvements being made to the track. Myosotis possesses a lot of pace, and critics expect her to go 2.10 at least. "Where's your bay colt finishing?" queried I of Jack, "Who anxiously was gazing through his glassesup the track. (We'd bet our pile on him, And to me' his chance seemed slim, As I heaved a sigh, and wished I had injr money back.) Jack slowly dropped his glasses, and this is what I heard, 'He's last in this (the second) race, or first ia the third!" —At a recant meeting, . the V.R.C. Committee considered a letter from the Colac Turf Club stewards, asking whether the 13.2 Pony Race, run at its last meeting, and which on, appeal was declared "no race," as the handicapper had started his handicap below 9st, had to ba run over again. The committee decided that a reply should be sent to the Colac stewards to the effect that the race was void, a;:d under rule 149 entrance fees must be returned. This has occurred here, but the lernedy was effected by shifting | up the weights. I ~l n 2fev Zealand we have some people ! who occasionally spill venomous ink about handicapping, and it may be of interest to note that during the recent goldfisld camI paign in West Australia the Kalgcorli" Sun I published a scathing attack upon the K.R.C. handicapper, whom it accused of making handicaps for horses in which one of the committeemen is indirectly interested. The article was treated lightly by the committee, but Mr Geary proposes giving the Sun an opportunity of proving its charges, and it is stated he wiil serve the paper with a writ for heavy damages. — A horseshoer who has shod many of the American stars has m?de public the weights of the shoe 3 worn by some of the more notable trotters and pacers. Among the trotters Sweci Ivlarie 2.4J, Dr Strong 2.5£, Wentworih 2.U, Sadie Mac 2.6J, and Norman B 2.6$ wore bar shoes in their races lasu season, while among the pacers Locanda 2.2 was about the only one that wore that kind of a shoe. In -weight most of the <rotters wore front shoes ranging from 7oz to 9oz, with hind shoes ranging from 3oz to soz. The pacers wore still lighter shoes, those in front usually weighing from. 4Joz to o\oz, the hmd sh-ces weighing from 2oz to 4oz. — The Lord Rcsslyn colt Notus was to have Lean ths Hon. Geo. il'Lean's representative in the Great Autumn, but as a. result of being ]Ait on the i&ils in the Soekburn Handicap he was unable 1 go to the post, owing to being lame. It was quite patent from the <-tand that something went wrong with the colt when thj field was rounding the homo turn, ond 4 he stewards appeared to be somewhat supine in not inquiring into the matter. IVis is not the only time a bearer of the Zetland spots has met with moie than bad luck at Riccarton, fis Pampero was nearly put ovci tlio rails when he had a good winning chance in the last Tenipletou Handicap in which he started. —In commenting on the cost of racing horses in England a London exchange says that '.he political economy of racing is that a man should have an income of JSIOOO per annum for every horse he owns, and he should not, unices his domestic establishment is small, own any unless he has nt least £1500 per annum. Owning horees with less income. lie would he living beyond his means, and that is to Le reprehended equally with the big man a3 with the little one. The^e remarks do not, of course, appiy to experts who breed and tram horses at a small cost, expecting to find . a good maiket for their ware 3. We have in view the man, big or little, who goes on to the tuif for the simple reason that he ia fond of the sport, and in this category will be found the majority of owners. — Nothing daunted by the mishaps which overtook Master Alix and Convoy, Mr St. John Buckley made two additions to hi» team during the C.J.C. meeting. He bought .Starehoot for 300 guineas and Ability for 350 piuncas. Starshoot's dam is out' of Pungawerewere, the Dunediw Cup winner of 1876, who threw Telford, Krupp, Tranter, St. James, Crackshot, and Oeculator. Starshoot has been, a good winner, amongst his victories beinjj the Auckland Century Stakes and Woodville Cup; but seme of the ciitics are inclined to <

jkark" him down ac being a bit faint-hearted. 1 Sisp recent form at Riccarton, however, dees. Hot aiye much colour to that opinion. Starshoot joins Goodman's team, and Ability goes into Moraghan's stables to join forces with Phaetontis during the coming cross-country campaign. — When splints appear they indicate weakness of part 3 and inflammation of the periosteum (bone skin), due to concussion. R-est is, therefore, an important part of the treatment, and is absolutely necessary where lameness is present. To reduce the swelling and allay pain and lameness apply at first either cold compresses, or plat tic poultice, such as andphlogistine or oxy chlorine dressing, and •when inflammation subsides blister with mercurial ointment blister, or use any absorbent ■which has given you good satisfaction in the past- A simple blister is made by mixing one dram of biniodide of mercury in an ounce cf lard or lanolin. It is used after removal of th-? hair, rubbed in for 35 minutes, washed oft in 48 hours, and followed by daily applications of lard. —No medicinal remedy will remov© puffs ■while the horse is worked, and the better treatment is to apply pressure Dy trusses or compresses under cold, wet oandages or refrigerating "lotion, such as a mixture of one ounce each of powdered saltpetre, muriate of ammonia, and- tincture of arnica in a quart of soft water.' This may be "used 1 freely upon bandages aud compress of cotton batting^ In jeevere cases, where 'heat .-and pain (or lameness) arc present.- tho lotion may be used double strength. Flat corks, wrapped in cot-toa.<-and used to bring pressure upon puffs •under, bandages, are fairly effective. For permanent results a plaster of paria cast for two ■weeks, f ollowd by line firing, js recommended. — A most remarkable feature of the C.J.C. ant v ran meeting was the lack of success which attended the bearers of Mr Stead's ■.clouts. In . the past the reverse haß frequentrj been the case, and grumblings of the Riccarton meetings being spoilt through Yaldhurste benefits were- -not uncommon. Last week *he fickle public were talking about "Stead's bad luck," a.nd in condoling with the Canterbury sportsman, no doubt put in a word for themselves, as the great B.P. are strong followers of the Yaldhurst representatives, so that it was probably a case of a fellow feeling making wondrous kind. It would, indeed, be strange if the form of the Yaldhursl horses represented an almost unbroken line of success, and perhaps last week's disasters •will merely form a punctuation in the successes which will follow when the lucky star of the stable has been burnished up again. —Mr J. Montgomery, of Melbourne, purchased three horses during the currency of the C.J.C. autumn meeting. Equiform, a handscm* three-year-old son of Multiform and the imported m*t - e Stressa, was purchased at 300 guineas, a two-year-old filly by Stepniak — La Reine at 75 guineas, and the Medallion gelding Handel at about half a century. Equiform was bred by Mr G. ,G. Stead, but was sever | raced, owing to meeting with an accident when he was first handled. The writer made the : colt's acquaintance when he was a' yearling, and considers it- a- great "pity it was not able to | carry the -yellow- and black, as on looks and j early promise he would have taken high honours on the turf. The colt was under offer; to Mr T. Sheenan at 200 guineas, and Mr Montgomery had to advance a hundred before gaining ownership ofr the colt. The ■ colt has been purchased for stud purposes, but it is within tfee bounds of possibility h« i ■will \>9 raced in Australia. An offer of £tGO for Delaware, which was made by the same gentleman, did not lead to any business. —In America last season of the 6191 horses which were racefl 2723 won 8011 races, and 2359 were not in th« money. Only 3832 of j th«e shared in the distribution of £1.120.311, I which was the granii' total of the stakes and purses given during the year in the United States and Canada. The number of winning hor3e3 of all ages was 2723, leaving 3368 con•winncra, of which 1109 earned money by finishing second or third, and 2359 failed to return a penny of prize-money for their keep. There vT-re 1728 two-year-olds started, 630 won, 313 ■were second or third, and 725 were always unplaced. This division won £283,875. Three-year-olds totalled 1573, of which 723 won, 256 were second or third, and J3i never placed ; the division won £3*2,258. There were 1113 four-year-olds, with 551 winners. 168 second or third, 394 unplaced, winnings being £216 268. Of 765 five-year-olds 362 won, 145 second or third, 257 unplaced, money won being £132 949. Six-year-olds and over numbered 1013, having 397 winners, 197 second or third, 419 unplaced, dividing. £141.861. A total of 5 601,557d0l in all. — Since Huascar made his debut in the sprirg, he has imj-roved a good deal, and piesented a far more taking appearance than •when ho saddled up for the Welcome Stakes. At the home turn in the Champagne Stakes he must have been fully half a dozen lengths awsy from Kirriemuir, who was in the lead, and he had to put in a great mn to gain second place,, as he did not get Ihe clearest of runs in the race. Kirriemuir was stopping badly at ihe finish, -and had not the Yaldhurst icpresenfative been so far out of his ground he ianst have won. Perhaps it is lucky Le did not, as he could have been protested against for wrongful «ntry, as the book and calendar both return him as a brown colt, whereas he is a beautiful lemoncoloured ohestnut. The rule distinctly states that the name, age, colour, and description of a horse has to be handed in with the nomination, and as the same mistake occurred when the colt rr.n in the Welcome Stakes some of the win-tie-or-wrangle owners would have strengthened their protest? by making a wilful misrepresentation. However, this is only a little wee storm in a teacup. — When compared ,with the list of nominations which were made for the Wellington meeting, the acceptances read distinctly disappointing, and the attractiveness of the card ■will not prove as strong as it might have been. A mistake appears to have been committed by starting the handicaps on too low a scale. Particularly is this the case when it is remembered that the principal events are run over short courses, and by compiling the too flattering handicaps, which aimed to please the majority, the result of having satisfied a small minority has been achieved by the weight-adjuster. A proof of this is furnished by the fact that out of 18 horses weighted in the Thompson Handicap at 7.0 or under, only three have paid up. A big ehrinkage is also noticeable in the other races, but still there is sufficient remaining to make a good day's sport for those who intend assisting at the Trentham gathering. The Porirua stable hold's a fairly strong hand in the Thompson Handicap with Esnioor and Gold Ctowm. and they may experience the most danger from T)elaware ;' whilst Ailsa should put up a good fight in the Railway Handicap. — The. Ya.ldhujrst.sta'bje has ip its time sent out some of the greatest equine warriors that have .ever carried -silk in the racing arenas of th« Southern Hemisphere ; but nevertheless wln?n it has come to a duel between a bearer of the yellow and 'black banner and something sporting another ensign, the honours of the tourney have not always been borne off by the knight in the yellow mantle. Last week Achilles stopped Porcelain from winning his spurs, and accentuated the Yaldhurst colt's defeat in the Jackson Stakes. He also beat Cruciform wbeli they met in. thg Jubilee Cup

I of 1902, when the Yaldhurst representative i started favourite, and was defeated by two lengths. Treadmill beat Orlcff in the Challenge of 1903, and Blaaer beat Royal Artillery when they fought out their memorable duel in the Electric Plate. Stronghold beat Noctuifcrm in the Middle Park Plate, and paid £5 19s in a field of three. Stronghold also beat Golden l/ily in the Champagne Stakes, when the latter starfcpd a solid favourite. Treadmill beat Machine Gun in the same race, when the latter started a hot favourite, and confirmed his win by beating OrlofT in the Challenge Stakes in a mest decisive manner. — A foal, the sire and dam of which cost no less ihan £56 500, had just Eeen daylight in England when the last mail left. On 3rd March the celebrated mare Sceptre dropped a filly foal to Cyllene. Referring to the even.. "Vigilant" writes in the London Sportsman : "Good old Sceptre! It is evident that there is nothing of the 'shy breeder' about the glorious daughter of Persimmon and Ornament. The message goes on to say that her newly-born foal is a 'big one. My message unfortunately did not give the colour of Sceptre's foal. Her sire is, of course, a chestnut and Sceptre is a bay. However, a 'good one is never a bad colour,' and of whatever hue the young 'un may be let us hope that she will turn out a flyer, and that both on the tuif and afterwards at the stud she will do much in the way of rewarding her breeder for the enterprise he showed in giving the big price of about £35,000 for her dam, and ' then the still greater sum of 30.000 guineas for her sire. When one considers that ihe big baby fcal is the first result of an alliance representing r.n investment of no lees than £56,000, it becomes plain that the youngster has established a new record at the first pop." — Before "starting-price" became ihe geneiaily recognised medium of speculation, it was easy, by capturing the volumes of the bookmakers at the large towns, such as Liverpool, Birmingham, and Manchester, to back a horse at the lists to win a small fortune. When this was done, it was easy to "square" owneis of the others likely to run, and so secure a walk-over for the potted article. Eventually, however, the bookmakers spotted the little and declined to pay on walks-over. Ihu3, when Vici had been "readied" and backed all over the country for a race at Nottingham, it became necessary to have another lunner besides the good thing, and Jemmy Barber's Contract was eventually pitched upon «s the safest, for even when spinning he had not the faintest pretensions to beat Vici. The non-favourite was ridden by a stable lad. while a fashionable jockey was .on Vici. Nothing of interest occurred until tho Manefield turu was reached, when, to the horroi of his backers, Vici bolted, and despite his rider's efforts jumped the rails, afterwards continuing his flight across, the course. Although the boy, who knew the strength of the game, pulled his horse into a trot, it was evident Vici could not be stopped, and Contract was accordingly obliged to win. — Even during the Hastings era, when plunge succeeded plunge, the heavy betting on the Derby of 1867 attracted the attention of the sporting scribes of that period, and some of the transactions recorded may easily test Ihe credulity of the turfite of the present day. Captain Machell and Sir Frederick , Johnstone were ciedited with winning £60,000 each by Hermit's success, the first-named gentleman having laid 7000 to 4000 against the favoxirite, Vauban, to the Marquis of Hastings. It was this unfortunate nobleman who laid an even 10,000 on three for the race in question, not one of the trio, however, being placed. Altogether, the marquis lost £120,000 over this memorable Derby, the next heaviest sufferer being Lord Stamford, who had to produce £100.000 before all the claims against him were settled. The most unlucky part of thi3 transaction was that at one time his lordship stood to win £40,000 on Hernut. but he was. evidently induced to lay this off, and in .the belief that the horse was a "safe 'un" went on. with the result chronicled. Mr Merry and Mi Chaplin also had a £5000 bet about their respective horses, the Scotchman backing Marksman to beat Hermit, and how well the twain had weighed the situation up the desperate race home between these two proved. —As regards the question of in-breeding, it may safely be laid down that this practice is not only justifiable in some cases, but absolutely essential ; but in this departure, as in other things, there is a limit which must not be exceeded. A subject of such vast importance it naturally one that cannot be done justice to in this column ; but (says an American authority) yet «t a time when breeders of possibly not very great experience are in search of crosses it may be pointed Gut that in-breeding is valuable inasmuch as it tends towcrds fixing "type p.nd the production of certain hereditary points which are characteristics of a family. On the other hand, there is always a possibility of bad points being transmitted and impressed wpon the young stock, and if a long course of in-breed-ing is resorted to most probably the constitution and size of a strain will be affected. Ponie3 afford a very valuable illustration of at all events some of the main effects of inbreeding, inasmuch as the diminutive size of some familieS and their close -adheience to type are the result of the very close relationship which existed between the parent stock. On the othei hand, the constitutions of most ponies are so robust that they appear to offer a flat contradiction to the generally accepted theory that close breeding tends to the degeneration and weakening of all animals. Possibly, however, a solution of a problem, which perplexes the minds of many people may be forthcoming by the fact that the constitutions of the remote ancestors which foinied the taproots of certain pony tribes were so robust that they defied the effects of close breeding. — An Irishman who had made money on the turf in Australia used to be fond of fefeiring to the "castle" in which he was born in Couiity Claie, and boasted rather ostentatiously of his lineage. An Australian who knew him well (says "Javelin"), while doing Ireland in the course of a tour, dropped upon Mick's birthplace and discoiered that his parents lived in a cabin winch the local people facetiously designated "Rooner's Castle." He sought out Mick's parents, an aged povertystricken couple, and told them all about their son in Australia. The good old folks wept tears of joy over their visitor, put on ihe turf fire a red herring — the only thin? edible in the cabin — served it on a battered tin plate, with hii knees for a table, and a tin mugful of rmlk to wash it down. When he returned to Australia he said -to the Irishman in the piesence of some mutual friend", at a race meeting: "While I w-».s in County Clare, Mick, I looked up ycur old neople at The Castle!" Poor Mick'sbook in his shoes, fearing what was to follow, but the good-natured Australian, instead of giving him away, added : "It must be one of the most ancient homes fn Ireland, and talk about hospitality' Why! They roasted a beast whole in my honour! And the table' By the Lord Harry, you's part with your life as soon as part with such a table, and the metil vessel that they "gave me to drink out ol — well. I never drank out of anything like it before!" Afterwards, when they were alone, the Irishman said • "Sure, it's a dacent man ye are fur not eivin' me away," and the other replied • "Well, before the next mail closes you let roe see you post the o!d man a draft for fifty quid, or, take it from me. every man in the +own shall know about that red herring banquet at Rooney's Castle and the tin mug of milkl"