IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3031, 17 April 1912, Page 54

IN A NUTSHELL.

Crucinclla is reported to be safe in foal to A'.awa. Autumnus at hi* best will always make it winter for the rest of his age. The Aspendale Park Club gave SOOsovs in stakes at a recent meeting, and made lOOOsovs profit. Nominations for the Foibury Park Trotting Club's winter meeting are due en Wednesday of this week. The South Canterbury Jockey Club's autumn meeting takes place on Wednesday ai;c! Thursday of next "week. The North Otago Jockey Club have included two stakes of lOOsova for hurdlers on their winter programme. Lady Medallist started a pronounced fa-'ourite for the Doncaster Handicap, in which she ran seooind to Lochano . Although Winning Way did not score at Kiccarton, she ran much kinder than in some of her previous races. The Charlemagne II —Sequin filly broke one of her legs whil-ct being taken off the steamer at Sydney, and was destroyed. Owners are reminded that nominations for the Ashburton County Racing Club's autumn meeting are due on Friday, the 19th inst Los Augeloa was handicapped to carry ]O.O in last season's Thompson Handicap, or 3lb more than what he was allotted this year. The Southland Racing Club gave 8380sovs in stakes for the past season, and in addition hung up 2700sovs for trotters and pacers. Confide, the winner of the Steeplechase, run at Kandwick on Saturday, was auccessfnl in the last Victorian Grand National Steeples. San Francisco has sired two Great Autumn winners jn Seal Rock and Los Ar.gelos, and a New Zealand Cup winner in Downfall. Prwidins that they have not won ''Osova in ono race, two-year-olds are eligible to f-tart for two of the events on the N.O.J.C. winter programme. Turn* ran a good race in the Final Handicap at Riccartryn. Ho was second last into the straight, and had to put in a good run to get fourth. Dearest gave flash in the pan displays at Riccarton. and h<r form did not appear to make her out so good as when slie ran at the Wanpramu Cup meeting. Specialform carried a good deal of money in the Autumn Nursery, in which she finished very fa»i, but did not arrive until the race was practically over. The opening run of the newly-formed

Otago Hunt will take place on Saturday next. Antumnus put up a race record when he won the Champagne Stakes in 1.14. —lt was given out some time back tual the Wellington Racing Club intended to abandon the St. Leger, and this weeks race may be the last, unless the club alters their decision. The Charlemagne colt Peppm at oOgs lcoks a bargain in horseflesh. It is understood that about double that sum could be obtained for the colt if his new owner desired to sell. The Xew Zealand Trotting Association has issued volume 111 of their Stud Book,, end those anxious to procure a copy fthonld do so at ©nee, as only a limited namb(ir will be published. Byron has been resold to a patron of A. Shearsby's stable. The gelding was on offer at 250sovs, and as he walked thoroughly sound after running two good races, looks remarkably cheap at the price. Thoroughbreds were a drug in the market last week whilst some of them were under the hammer, but immediately after the mallet fell increased prices were on offer for some of the hoTses. —A. H. Wilson has headed the list of winning riders for the past racing season in Southland with 20 wins to his credit. He also topped the list in the previous season, and had J. Ofeen as runner-up on both occasions. " Culprit was a strong order for tho Temple-tori' Handicap, but she got badly away, and evidence of that fact was shown bv the mhd-bespattered appearance of the fil'r and her "rider on return to the birdcage. Trafalgar's victory in the A.J.C. Plate marked his third success in the race, and his record equals the achievement of his famous sire in the same race. Trafalgar s winrinsrs place him second to Carbine, who won £29,476. _ _ _., —lt is understood that Mr ,J. B. Roid, who recently left on a visit to England, may send out a stallion, the importation of which, if brought to a climax, will rank as by far the most important made in recent years. Those present at the Rivertoii meeting crdhnse over the form shown by Sombrero and Palisade. One could judge claims that the former could have won either of the big events at Riccarton. If_ that is so, w© should doff our Sombrero to him. Word from the north states that Fireside (dam of Fireiron, winner of the Great. Autumn of 1907) died whilst being shipped to the North Island. She was in foal to Charlemagne 11, and was sold at 70gs at the dispersal sale of the Elderslie Stud. —At the start for the Metropolitan Handicap, run at Addington on Saturday. Ruby S. swerved across the track and collided with Glendalough and Bright. Lord Hrathcote refused to leave the mark, and neither of the quartet took any further part in tho race. The Tuapeka and Beaumont meetings appear to have mutually benefited by being brought closer together on the racing calendar. Both clubs experienced very successful meetings, and attracted attendances much larger than what has previously gathered at either course.

The Great Autumn was a really good betting race. Eos Angelos was practically no better favourite than Broazo. whilst Masterpiece was a close third choice. Wuipaku carried a gocd deal of money, <and fii ished up a good fourth favourite, and then came Midnight Sun. The Madder colt which sustained a fractured jaw after being sold at the yearling sales in November, has "become quite sound under the treatment of Mr H. Tinker, the well-known dental vet., and was taken north with the rest of " Mr Highden's" horses after the Riccarton meeting. Mt Bruce Christie has exchang>d his colt by Boniform—Rhine Gold for Achilla, the two-year-old daughter of Achilles and Bluewater, that carried the Messrs Stead Bros.' cokmrs at Riccarton. Achilla will be kept in work and given a chance to score a win before joining Mr Christie's stud. The Aspenda-le Park stewards recently disqualified N. D. God-by, the gelding Mezzo, and Mr F. Godby for 12 months on the grounds of suspicious practices. Mezzo gave a most unsatisfactory display in the steeplechase. Ais the result of an appeal the term of disqualification was reduced to three months. Autumnus. the crack two-year-old of the «eason, claims an engagement in the A.J.C Berby, of 5000scvs. Sir George Clifford has never invaded Australia, but with such a fighting force as Autumnus there ie a strong temptation to have his colours unfurled in the richest classic race ever decided in Australasia. Suzannah, a half-sister by St. George (brother to Chester) to Watershoot, could not extract a bid from the' spectators when sha was under fho hafrtmer last week. Suzannah is in foal to 'Tasco, and, considering that Watershoot gold'at 750g3 with a Charlemagne II foal at' foot, her halfsister ought to bo worth considering. crease was offered for Ortbn ' after he fell to tho bid of' R. Ellis at 35gs when under the hammer on "Wednesday "last. Orton shows evidence that one of his hind legs hap been in trouble; but he walked soundly enough when in the ring, and looks a gift at the figure for which ho was sold. At the. conclusion of the last race on the programme at Feildinp on the Bth a strange thing happened. The horses had just passed The post, when Ladrone, who was second, fell. The jockey was not hurt, but his horse had cleared away, and he had to sit on the scales while the horse was hunted for and caught before ho could woirh out. Society's Building, which was destroyed by fire recently, is the famous Ascot Gold Cup, won by James R. Koene's noted racer, Foxhall, in 1882. K is the only Ascot Gold Cup ever won by an American turfman (says Ihe New York HeraldV and to keep it safe Mr Keene had stored it in his vault in the Equitable Building. The field of 31 which started in the Eadie*' Bracelet, confined to un hoppled trotters, made a record for New Zealand. The race, however, furnished a very poor spectacle, as horses were spread all" round the track in a very short period after the start. Still, a Revenue or two may have been there, although at present an undiscovered quantity. . TheTe was a 300 guinea reserve on Teviotdale when he was under the hammer last week, and pas Fed at 230 guineas. He has grown ir. to a fine big colt, and «s a son of Achilles and Strathspey was not sent in at an expensive reserve. Strathspev was got by Gipsy Grand from Reel, by Medallion frcm Pibrech. the dam of "Mcnschikoff. Teviotdale iost 250 guineas as a yearling. Glenfinnan was expected to play a prominent part in his races last week. He had been showing fair gallops on the track, hut is a bit sluggish, and cannot nt present hop out from the barrier with other youngsters whom he would probably beat from a moring start. Glenfinnan, who is out of the

Soult mare Lady Annie, shares with Masterpiece the distinction of being one of the biggest horses left by Clanranald. Despite the feet that Stardancer the aptly-learned daughter of Martian and Stepdancer comfortably annexed the Russley i'lato in lmin 0 4-s&oc, backers did not enthuse about her chance in the Autumn Nursery, in which she started a moderate fourth choice. Evidently it was imagined the filly was not up to the weight, but she ran a good, race, after getting badly away, and *»PPea out because she could not concede both weight and ground to the majority of the Masterpiece lias again demonstrated that he is not at home in a bustling held, and anyone who has noticed the fact must have bsen mildlv astonished to see the colt so solidlv backed for the Great Easter. He ran a really good race in the Great Autumn, and ho clearly has more stamina (probably inherited from his dam) than the majority of the Cknranalds. Snch a raking big colt has dono remarkablv well in his first and second seasons, and if' he trains for another season or two a good handicap should fail to his share. , That the cutting off of a day s racing from the Auckland autumn meetmfi by the Racing Commission has not had the effect of reducing speculation, was fully evidenced at. the dub's recent, meeting (says the Auckland Star), when the record sum <A ±*8..«7 10s was passed through tho machine on the two days. This represents an mcreaso of £21.296 "10s for the corresponding period the previous year, and £1251 over last year -j gathering, when the racing extended over three days- , , i Emmeline. who established a race record by pacing around in 2.10 whenoeieated on Saturday! is rich in thoroughbred Hoed. Prince Imperial, the sire of her dam had two strains of the running blood through Dexter and Prickwiilow. She receives strain o* Dexter through her eeocHMf dam., ar.d one of Hornby (a C.J.C. Derby winner) through her third dam. Dexter was got b 5 Talisman (son of- Traducer) from Azueena, the winner of the second C.J.C Derby .1863) and by a coincidence the winner of the hrst C J C 'Derby was a mare named Emmelme, his heart or his respiratory organs- — Dorando over-reached when racing on the second day at Riccarton. and in addi,ou to bruising one of his heels twistedthe inside of his plates, and made it project in a dangerous maimer. Fortunately the horse escapea without serious injury, but tf» mishap was no doubt responsible for him losing a lot of ground when landing ov™ a fence about half a mile from honia When seen a few weeks prior to racing las* week Dorando had an enlargement above the knee, but this has fined down so much that it is baielv noticeable. ni„V« nro--The North Otago Jockey Clubs programme for their whiter meeting, to take place on May 23 and 24, came* «* «£«ta ranging in value from lOOsovs to 200sm s. will be the Oamaru Cup. of 200sevs. one mui and a-quartet; the Victoria Handicap, o 150SOVS. one mile: the Stewards' Handicap of ISOsovs, six furlongs; and the Membe«' Handicap, of Ils=ovs. five Nominations are due on Thursday May J.— Effort put up an excellent performance in the Yaldhurst Welter by running seven furlongs with 9.8 in Imm 27 4-ssec. She was fully three .lengths or more away fronn Kilts at the foot of the straight, and won by close on a length. Under 7.10 this gallop suggests that she should have been very dangerous in the Great Easter, in which she and Oratava were hopelessly left Kilts, whom the writer gave an outside show in the Great Easter, also ran a good ra.ee. He was meeting Effort on worse terms than itn the Easter, ana with a couple of stone off both their backs, they should run up to better than lmin 27tce. Byron was a remarkably cheap horse at 150 guineas when sold last week. Tt is und?rstooH that Mr G. Stead had no intention of buying until the figure on offer was so meagre that he could not resist the temptation to make a bid. Byron ran two good races at Rieoarton, and when in the ya.rds walked perfectlv level and sound. He has a slightly enlargfd joint in front, but it does not seem likely to trouble him. In fact, the horse was pa=s<ed sound for raoing purposes, and went into the rinjr with a 400 guinea reserve-, which was called off by Air G-. D. Greenwood in an attempt to thin out his team prior to sailing for England. bleeding from his injured foot after winning the Great EaFter, and that after the race a copious discharge came away from the hieof. The damage v/as caused by a bad shoe, and the trainer of the colt invited a pTGSsman to examine the foot in order to phew that it was far from an imaginary trouble. Under the circumstances, Royal Scotch must be given credit for running a vory gamo race. When Casket won the L'unedin Cup he was suffering from a badly-bruised foot. His trainer, H. Goodman, lanced the badly-bruised quarter a littie before the race, and it was only by his skilful treatment that the horse got to the post and won. After the race Casket was lame for some time. Mira won a heap of friends by his dual win at Riccarton. In the Autumn Plate be eet out in what looked hopeless chase of Blakeiicy. but he beat him handsomely tt the finish. The grey had a hard fight to score in the Final Handicap, in which Bellah and Oratava were hard at him over the last furlong. The trio were dead in line 50 yards from home, but under vigorous riding Mira won by about a head from Bellah, whilst the filly was a similar distance away' Mira_ reminds one a good deal of Canteen. but is hardly such a handsome horse as our old friend. The merit of Mira's form is accentuated when it is recalled that about three months ago he was suffering from a bad attack of the strangles, but nidging: by tin resolute manner in which he finishes the illness has caused' no ill effects to either Mira figured on the card amongst'the Credit Autumn field, but he was sent, after the Final Handicap, in which the opposition was not so strong, and a chance, of success consequently much greater. Some were inclined to give him an outside chance in the big event, and no doubt ho was entitled to show up as well as some of the field; but it is doubtful if his condition would have carried him over 12 furlongs and held enough power to fight Los Angelas in the run home. Mira boat True Knight out of a place in the- Final, and the latter showed form a small fraction worse than The Cornet, who in turn failed to get nearer than fifth in tho Great Autumn. Mira would consequently not only require to be a heap better than The Cornet (which no doubt he is), but also seasoned to run a journey, nnd it is. doubtful if that was the case last week. Midnight Sun was to be acting the TOguo in his work prior to the Riccarton meeting. but the C.J.C stewards were not aware, or ignored the report, and asked for an explanation of his running in the Sockburn. which whs Tathcr different to the run he made in tho Great Autumn. In the Autumn Midnight

Sun did' not appear to start galloping until the race was almost over, or otherwise he must; have extended Las Angelos, whose win was never in. doubt over the lasi quarter v/i a mile. If Midnight Sun is an honest horse, and is as good as his finish in this Great Autumn suggests, then he must have been badly ridden in both his races last week; but all the Archers in the world cannot make some hordes gallop unless they (the horses) choose to do so. In any case, a horse with such a, name should not create a surprise if he is eclipsed in one race and shows up like an aurora borealis in the next. When Mercedo was sailing along in front of his field in the Peerswick Hurdles, it was commonly imagined that lie would come back to the others. Tlie Welbeck, however, successfully saw out the distance, and is evidently an improved horse. Ho has been regarded as a likely hurdler for some time, but prior to last week's win generally stopped to nothing at the finish of his races. It is worthy of note that he is a half-brother to Pilgrim's Way, who is one of the most brilliant horses in training. That one-time well-known performer Lady Lilian, who won the Great Easter and Great Autumn of 1903. was represented by a likely sort last week wheal Lady Marcia, whom she threw to Martian, finished second to Lady Georgia. Ladv Marcia is a mediumsized filly that will probably develop into thai same type of mare as her dam. The Martians, however, are not shaping too well ot present, but may do better with a little age. Boniform i 3 enother sire that has not come up to expectations, but seems to have struck an unlucky season Gapon's win in the Temploton Handicap wn.s one of the happiest results of the Riccarton meeting, as Dunedinites (remembering what a mud lark he is!) backed to almost a man. Apart from that, however, he ran a. real I v good race in the Great Easter, in which he was always with the first flight, and staved there until less than a furlong, when ho died out. In the TempJeton Handicap he won by staying on. and he finished &o strongly that hi.? run in the big event probably worked an improvement in his condition. Very few who raw him b-ea'sn amongst a moderate lot at Inverca-rgill, where"he appeared to fail because he was not quite ready to race, were prepared to see him win at Ricoar;- \ Gapon pnt up an unusually brilliant gallop over five furlongs after his" arrival at Riconrton. and this won him a lot of support despite the fact that he was considered a bit backward to see out a sound seven furlongs in a high-class field. Gapon s dam was picked up for a few pounds when carrving the Templeton winner by K. M Donald, "who subsequently passed him on to his present owner. . Los Angelos has long been recognised as the best handicap horse in New Zealand, and his decisive win in the Great Autumn gave further emphasis to that fact, if it wore required. At present there is nothing in sight likely to oust him from his pride of plaee at the top of our chief handicaps and his recent success was well deserved by his owners, who paid a good figure for the San Francisco gelding. Los Angelos was got bv San Francisco (brother to St. Frnsquin) from La Yahere, by Seaton Dolaval (son of Melton) from Charento by N'ordenfeldt (son of Muskets from La Dauphin, by The Dauphin from Brossolis, by Panic San Francisco was got by St Simon from Isabel, by Plebian from Parma, by Parmesan from Archeress. a. daughter of Longbow, the grandsire of Musket. In the female line nothing of any great note so far as New Zeal: -1 is concerned has come from the family except Nanette (one of the best three-year-olds ever seen in this country) and Lop Angelos. La Valiere, the dam of Los Angelos,- was purchased at the dispersal of the" late Mr G. G. Stead's stud at 260 guinras bv the Messrs W. G and G. L. Stead, and her pick with San Francisco proved such a decided success that it is a matter of regret she has not re-visited the son of St. Simon. Despite the- fact that a heavy fall of rain was in evidence when the field paraded for the Challenge Stakes, the horses were ordered to the post et the usual quarter of nn hour before the advertised time of starting. A further delay of about five minuses at the post meant that horses and riders did! n perish in a torrential downpour for about ?0 minutes before the race actually started.. The unfortunate riders sought shelter under the trees, where the small lain drops ga-tber volume before finally descending; on their victims, and if clubs intend carrying out such a castiron and ridiculous observance of a rule they should erect shelter sheds at the various startingposts* Picture the boys. r or fear of carrying an ruriee or two overweight, clad in nothing hut silk—both pants and colours.—-subjected to such treatment. The whole thing traces back to the greedy system of crowding eight rac-es on each div's card with the object of giving the totalisator every opportunity of threshing i>ereen tage* out of the money on a course. Consequently the loss of a few minute' at this period of the year would mean that the superfluous eighth naoe (to sav nothinT <A the abundant *ew»thl would have to be converted into a torchlight process inn in order to locate the field'. Autumnus put up an impressive performance when winning the Challenge Stakes as he had to concede Bandiera fully three lengths start in the run up the ■straight. The pair were loth under pressure a furlong from home, but the colt made a game rc'spon**. and gradually -forgt-d •head, to win by three parts of a length The colt oarr'ied a 101 b penalty, whilst Pandicra. who now races as a gelding, was reported 1o have carried fi.S. or 31b more than his oof-set weight, as he is entitled to an allowance. Sandier* is an exceptionally brilliant horse, and although it was his first rac:. of the season, put nn a really pood run. fi'd the gallop lmin 2Ssec. on a sloppy track after being about a quarter of an hour in a torrential downpour whilst at the po=t, makes it a good performance on the part of both. Antiimmis has unquestionably proved himself the be-rt two-year-old of the vear. and is the best hons.o left by Treadmill, who was a really highclass ro*t in his dnv Ke wis got by Treadmill from Gold Leaf, by Stonylrarst from (-olden Crest, by Apremont from Aurife r a. Treadmill was got bv Bill o' Portland from Catherine Wheel, by Maxim from Miss Kate. Geld Loaf produced Applegarth and Saxifrage, both of whom went amis* in the respiratory organ, and it is to be hoped that Aiifuninus. who looks like a sure Derby winner, will not become troubled with the same complaint Geo. Price, who has bean gathering tlv> shekels with horses carrying *' Mr Highden's" colours, met with lit'fle luck nt Kiccarton. The publi: accorded strong support to Hlakcrey in the Autumn Plate; but the Soult ge'ding. after showing a great turn of speed, failed to see out a mile, and for the present he is more likely to shine over a short course. Bronze ran a great race in the Faster, and was right with the winners at the finish, after not getting the best of runs. With matters a shade in her favour, she might have won, but it should not be forgotten that her Tare was the |i;irdest contract undertaken this season. The winner in the early part of a season nuturally travel up in the weights, and

"bad luck," in other words, generally means rot good enough at the weights. Ermengarde" is as speedy as ever, but the moving s.tart at the rise of the barrier in the Champagne Stakes favoured Autumnus more than what would have been the case had they been sent away from a stand. The filly was also prominent in the Challenge, but a heavy downfall of rain and sloppy going would not favour her chance. It only seems, however, a question of health to find her winning good races over short courses; but she is not of the same calibra as Autumnus, who is an exceptionally good colt. Another bearer of the " Highdeu " colours was a colt called Lockwood, * halfbrother to Porirua, who strode out well when going' down for the Russley Plate, but he failed to show up in the race.