IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3312, 5 September 1917, Page 46

IN A NUTSHELL.

The Martiaii mare Bte has broken down. The brother to Bee and Snub has been named Rebuff. The * smr.jt filly Kilrea is striding out nicely in her work. Replete, the dam of Clynelish, is to visit Markhope this season. The New Zealand Cup winner Tortulla io to bs bred to Martian this season. The Wellington Racing Club has decided to invest £IO,OOO in the War Loan. Mr A. Dickson has been reappointed judge to the North Otago Jockey Club. Nanna, a three-year-old sister to Marsa, is showing promisinjr work on the track. The Marton Jockey Club's spring meeting takes place on Wednesday of this week. Moneymaker is said to be A. Pringle's trump card for the New Zealand Trotting Cup. Reports from Riccarton state that Fiery Cross continues to get through good striding work. The Core Racing Club has decided to increase the stakes for' the spring meeting by £2OO. A chestnut gelding by Bonny Glen from a once smart mare in Octave has been named Bontane. Bridget Galindo, a six-year-old sister to Michael Gnlindo, has been purchased by a southern buyer Marc Antony has again made his appearance on the Riccarton tracks, but is still restricted to walking exercise. The North Otago Jockey Club has decided to change tho date of its winter meeting from May 22 to May 23. The next New Zealand Trotting Cup will be restricted to horses who have done or been handicapped at 4.34 or better. Handicaps for the Ashburton spring

meeting are clue on Saturday, September S, and acceptances on Sept-ember 14. —Mr H. P. Nicoll's Pearlchild has produced a colt foal to Logan Pointer Gianella, unfortunately, produced a dead foal. Snub ia doing- useful work, and Wardarcer, who lias been suffering from sore heels, rejoined the active list last week. ■ Mr A Gibbs lias been reappointed handicapper to the Gore Racing Club, and Mr R. E. Harlcy will again act as starter. The tlirce-year-old colt Gamecock, who displayed good form as a two-year-old, is Setting through useful tasks at Kiccarton. Bmilius and Evelyn are both receiving a special preparation for the New Zealand metropolitan trotting meeting in November. . D - Henderson, who has been generally identified with the light-harness horse, is now assisting m D. P. Wilson's stable at Wingatui. Grand Rain, the dam of Kilrain and th© 625-gumea yearling Gcod Rain, has foaled a chestnut filly to Markhopc, and visits him again. A writer in the London Sportsman states that 12 special trains carried passengers to a' recent race meeting held in Berlin. A successful sire of several years' standing in New Zealand is said to have been rather unsuccessful with his mares last season. The German Derby of 6250.30 vs was run on June 24, and was won by Landgraf, a brown colt by Louviers from Landora, by Ladas. The Dunedin Jockey Club are adhering to their rule which provides for the rehandicapping of winners after the declaration of weights. _ —The Wellington Racing Club received £7013 in nominations and acceptances, or just about .a-quarter of the amount given in stakes—£2B,l7o. The imported niaro Love Token is again in work. Winter Cherry is also doing useful work, and, with tuition at the barrier, suould soon pay her way, Nominations for the kurow meeting can be made with either the secretary at Kurow or Mr G. M. Procter at Oamaru, up to 9 p.m. on September 10. The Wellington Racing Club lost about £IO3O in revenue last season owing to their decision not to allow the liquor bars to be m operation on the course. „ Unless the labour troubles in New South Wales soot come to an end, the intention of sending Desert Gold to Australia may have to be abandoned. The Wanganui Jockey Club intend holding an inquiry concerning the training of some horses in the stables of a, couple of owner-trainers in the district. —Mr W. T. Hazlett, who has occupied the presidential chair of the Southland Racing Club for the past nine years, has again been returned without opposition. The Sledmere stud yearlings have been purchased by an American buyer. This is the stud which bred Spearmint, the most distinguished son of good old Carbine. —D. P. Wilson and A. H. Wilson, after having their licenses hung up for two or three weeks, received them last week with a " caution" tacked on to the certificates. G. Hepburn, who has been acting as private trainer for Mr L. C. Hazletl, is amongst those drawn in the latest ballot. The wellknown rider L. G. King is also on the same list. Malvolia is exhibiting signs of soreness, but is probably not so sore as some of those who supported her for the Tradesmen's Handicap, for which she did not go to the post. Several North Island horse 3 brought south for the National meeting were delayed for_ oyer a week at Riccarton before accommodation could be procured to ship them home. Owing to a misprint in the conditions attached to the Trial Plate, for two-year-olds and upwards, to be run at the Kurow meeting, three-year-olds are erroneously made to carry 9.10 instead of 8.10. —R. Young, who won the N.Z. Cup on Lady Lucy, is now in Sydney after being invalided home from the front. Like other New Zealanders, he cannot complete the voyage home until a boat is available. Amongst the visiting mares already booked to Markhope are Marsovia, Lady Orizoni, Unawares, Fender, Fondrette, Red Start, Novoe Vremya, Quota, Quiz, Thistledown, Pretty Face, Replete, and Linda. Killjoy failed to show up at the National meeting; but a horse should not be discarded for getting lost in such a crowd as that which contested the Winter Cup. She is getting through useful tasks on the track. Owners of hurdlers should note that the Kurow programme includes the Waitangi Hurdles, of 120sovs. This means that with the hurdle events at Wingatui hurdlers will have an opportunity to race three times in eight days. Forbury Park shows signs of the heavy fall of rain which set in on Saturday last; but it, at least, is not submerged in water as Tainui, where the club once contemplated making their course whe.i shifting from Tahuna Park.

Sleight of Hand has been allowed to drop out of the Marton Handicap, but still figures in the field for the Jumpers' Flat, run at Dannevirke. The intention of taking the National Hurdle winner to Australia has been abandoned.

The well-known Wingatui trainer and rider, J. Ra-e, is about again after being an inmate of the Dunedin Hospital for about three weeks. His stay there was necessitated by the after-results of the fall he had at Timaru some months ago. —'The Southland Racing Club made a profit of £65 19s 4d last season as a result of cultivating the infield of their racecourse. In the previous season *he profit ran to £3l 12s 6d. The S.R.C. in the above respect supply a good example to others.

The principal event at the Kurow meeting (which takes place on the Oamaru Racecourse on October 4) will be the Kurow Handicap, of 200sovs, seven furlongs. All other events range in value from lOOsova to 120sovs. Nominations are due on Monday, Septt-mber 10. The Southland Racing Club has a membership of 187. and of that number IS are now, or have been, on active service. Several have been wounded, and one, in Private J. M'Neece, has made the supreme sacrifice. All members on active service are treated as honorary members of the club. The Winton Trotting Club commenced the season with a credit balance of over £6O, and it now stands at £2O. The loss is held to be due to reduced subscriptions, and also to a shrinkage in nominations and acceptance fees. It has been decided to give £BOO in stakes, the same amount as last season. The annual general meeting of trie Southland Racing Club will be held on Friday, September 7. The members will consider a motion proposing to invest £3OOO in the War Loan. Last year's racing resulted in a profit of £968, which must be deemed very satisfactory under existing circumstances. The death is reported of Mr A. Kidd and Mr P. Lannigan, both of whom raced Thunderbolt, Necklace, and others in con-, junction with the late Mr T. Morrin and Mr John Marshall: The syndicate owned Necklace when she carried Mr Marshall's colours

into second place behind Nelson in the Dunedin Cup. Two of the latest foalings at the Elderslie Stud consist of a filly by Kilhroney from Grey Linnet, and a filly by Sunny Lake from Prank. Grey Linnet is an imported mare, by Thrush (one of the fastest horses of his day) from Marie Le Graye, by Diamond Jubilee. Prank is by Picton from Spreo 11, by St. Frusquin. The applications for the position of handicapper to the Auckland Racing Club close on Thursday of this week. Apropos of this, it may be remarked that the late Mr G. Morse seldom or never witnessed any racing at Riccarton, at least, during recent years, even when no other meetings clashed with the O.J.C. fixtures. The Manawatu Racing Club has decided to donate £2OO to the fundß of the Manawatu Hunt Club, as the latter body encourages the breeding of a desirable class of horse. The Hunt Club gave up its permit, and in consequence the M.R.C. did not lose so heavily in racing days as what might otherwise have been the case. The Metropolitan Trotting Club has decided to hold a' three days' meeting in November, and give 10,000sovs in stakes. It is understood that the New Zealand Trotting Cup will carry a stake of 2500sovs, or onefourth of the total pTize money on the programme—a policy which savours of putting too many eggs in the one basket. The San Francisco horse Flying Start has been shipped to the North Island. He has been purchased by the Hon. "W. D. S. Macdonald, and will do stud duty in the Gisborne district Flying Start was a firstclass colt, and but for unfortunately going amiss in the respiratory organs, would have taken much higher honours on the turf than he did whilst in training. The writer has received a cable from Mr J. O'Brien, who is hung up in Sydney owing to the strike, giving instructions to advertise that his stallioi Marvin "Wilkes (2.12 J), the sire of Hardy "Wilkes, will again be at tliA disposal of breeders this season. Marvin Wilkes is a fine type of s+allion, and with puch an excellent advertisement as Hardy Wilkes, one of the very best trotters ever Been in Auetralasia, ther s should be a big demand for his services.

According to the Brace Low© theory, the imported man Grey Linnet, who has just produced a beautiful fill v to Kilbroney, would make an ideal mate for Markhope. Bruce Lowe claimed that the most suitable s+alHon for a mare is one that will return him the best blood in his dam. Grey Linnet is ont of a daughter of Diamond Jubilee, whilst Markhope is out' of a sister to Diamond Jubilee. Seeing: that Diamond Jubilee is such a great success in South America, it is a mating worthy of a trial. The principal handicaps to be decided at the Dunedin spring meeting will be the Mosgiel Handicap, of 250sovs, one mile and a-quarter; Electric Handicap, of 150sovs, six furlongs; Ranfurlv Handicap, of 200sovs. ei<?ht furlongs, and Shorts Handicap, of 150sovs, six furloners. Tn addition the programme also includes the M'Lean Stakes, of SOOgovs, and the Dunedin Guineas, of 400sovs. Nominations for the meeting are due on Friday, September 21, and on the same date a forfeit also falls due for the M'Lean Stakes and Dunedin Guineas.

The annual report of the "Wellington Racing Cltib states that the stands at Trentham are now more or less obsolete, and extensive improvements will have to be made in the near future. Nothing, however, will be done in the matter until the conclusion of the war. The Trentham Racecourse was first opened in 1906, and so it will be seen that the stands have lasted only a comparatively brief period. The main fault is, however, the unsatisfactory positions occupied by the lawn stand and that in the outside enclosure. The most popular lay-out in racecourse accommodation is that which has the birdcage between the lawn and ou f side enclosures, and thus permits patrons of both places to obtain an excellent view of the horses prior to a race. The Dunedin Jockey Club recently decided that all races on their programmes would bo handicapped on the basis of a 7st minimum unless otherwise stated. The programme for the spring meeting has been Issued, and it includes the Ma-ungatna Handicap, furlongs (7.7 minimum); the Taioma Handicap, six furlongs (8.0 minimum); Otago "Welter Handicap, one mile (8.0 minimum); KaikoTai Handicap, seven furlongs (7.7 minimum); Telegraph Welter, one mile (7.7 minimum); Clarendon Handicap. six furlongs (8.0 minimum); and the Trial Plate, run at special weiehts. This leaves only four handicaps (not including the two-year-old handicap on the second day) to be framed at the 7.0 minimum. The advertised programme does not, by the vtay, state that, a 7.0 minimum is to be in force at Wingatui." The Geraldine Racing Club has decided to ex + end the time for taking acceptances for their meeting until September 22 owing to the Ashburton meeting taking place on September 20 and 21. Thera has been no alteration in the date announced for the publication of the handicaps, which are due to appear a few days before the running at Ashburton. As several horses running at the Ashburton meeting usually run at Geraldine, it is a most injudicious move to decln.re the handicaps for the latter meeting before the raciner at Ashburton, where the form is sure, to have a direct influence on running taking place Ihe following week. The original dates for the Aslitmrton meeting were September 13 and 14, and the weigh + s for Geraldine would then follow on the 15th; but apparently the change of dates for Ashburton has been overlooked. The once-brilliant mare Nones, who at her best was not many ounees behind Desert Gold, is to be bred to Kilbroney this season. This mating represents a strong inbreeding to Stookwell through its most successful lepresentative in Bend Or. As Lovelorn, the dam of Aones. comes from Stockwell through her sire Melton, and her second dam Hebrew Mia id is a gra.nd-dausrhter of Bend Or. Kilbronev is inbred to Bend Or. and he also supplies an infusion of the Galopin—St. Simon strain, as Angelica, the dam of Orme (g.s. of Kilbronev). is a sis + er to St. Simon, and on the other side of his Eedig ; ee it is again picked up through King iud, a eon of King Tom (sire of St. Simon's dam), who is out of Qui Vive, a sister to "Vedette, the sire of Galopin. Lovelorn did well in throwing Nones to a representative of Stockwell in Martian, and, perhaps, ano'her representative of the same line in Kilbroney. who supplies a desirable infusion of St. Simon blood (missing from Martian's pedigree) may do even better.