IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 42

IN A NUTSHELL.

Several riders and trainers were drawn in the last ballot. The Canterbury Jockey Club contributed ±'sooo to the War Loan. Nomina-tions for the New Zealand Cup are due on the 21st inst. The Australian-bred Rude scored easily in the Trial Stakes at Marton. The Canterbury Park Trotting Club contributed) ±2OOO to the War Loan. The Southland Racing Club has decided to invest ±IOOO in the War Loan. —J. Oieen has been ordered! to comineneo his military training on October 15. The Finland mare Tikiteie died a few days ago whilst foaling to Kilbroncy. First Glance has produced a filly foal to Calibre, and will visit him again. —R. M'Seveney rode the winners of both steeplechases on the Marton programme, —Mr A. J. Gibbs has been appointed handicapper to the Winton Jockey Club. The September Stakes, which takes the place of the St. Leger, is to be run this week.

The practice of selling complimentary tickets was recently discovered in the North Island.

The Auckland Racing Club will hang up 15,15050 vs in stakes at their summer meeting. The Lantonia Champion Stakes, to be run in Kentucky in 1919, will be worth over 16.000sovs. Acceptances for the first day of the Ashburton meeting are due on Friday of this week.

—Mr W." Kerr's Marie Corelli has. unfortunately, produced a dead foal to the defunct Copra d© Ora. The Hymetlus filly Piano, sent out favourite for the Trial Plate at Marton, is a sister to Hyginas. The heavy going a.t Marton is held to be principally responsible for Bodenham's defeat by Coalition. The distance a.ttached to the Hazlett Memorial Stakes has been increased from seven to eight furlongs. :Mr T. H. Lowry has definitely decided to abandon the idea of racing Desert Gold in Australia this spring.

The well-known trainer and reinsman J. Brankin is amongst those ordered to go into camp for military training. The Wyndham Racing Club gave £IOOO in stakes last season, and paid a total of £557 7s 8d in Government tax.

Tip Tip's efforts at the National meeting have not damaged his speed, as he is again shaping well over short distances. The imported horse Fleetbarn, who has been striding out well in his work, is amongst those engaged at Ashburton. The Treadmill mar© Discipline (dam of Adjutant), who wtt3 bred to Kilbroney in 1915, visits the same horse this season. Amongst the youngsters at the Long Beach Stud is a brother to Silent Way that is said to be a particularly nice yearling. Wars tar, by Maniopoto from Lady Lucy, the winner of the New Zealand Cup in 1909, is the latest addition to F. Christmas's team.

The Auckland mare Ayah, who was showing good form until she developed knee troubles, is again in work at Trentham.

After missing a place in the Trial Plate at Marton, Golden March came out later in the dav and dead-heated the Tutaenui Welter.

—F. D. Jones has purchased a four-year-old brother to Birkline, and also one of the same age by Hymettus from Parula, by Birkenhead. Owners and trainers should note that the distances attached to some of the events on the New Zealand Cup programme have been altered.

Reports from the North state that Multicipal is looking remarkably well and is to undergo a preparation for the New Zealand Cup. The Auckland Racing Club have adopted the rehandicapping condition instead of fixed penalties in connection with their spring meeting.

—Mr H. Hunter, secretary of the Wyndham Racing Club, has had to tender his resignation owing to being called up for military service. —Mr H. Coyle, the well-known handicapper, has been pYissed for Class Cl, and will undergo a special course of training at Feafherston Camp. —At the annual meeting of the Wyndham Racing Club it was decided to contribute as much as possible of the club's surplus funds to the War Loan.

—lt is rumoured that there is a possibility of some S.P. business in connection with the Wingatui meetings of last season being ventilated in the law courts. Master Strowan followed up his Grand National success by capturing the chief cross-country event at Marton. Master Strowan is to be treated to a spell. The Dunedin Cup will again carry a stake of lOOOsovs; but the Publicans' Handicap has been cut down to £4OO, and the D.J.C. Handicap to the same value. Apparently the well-known nom de course Mr "Highden" is to be dropped, as all the horses figuring in that name have been transferred to Mr J. Goring Johnston. The Gore Trotting Club lias lost over £IOO dming each of the past two seasons. The club has a credit balance of £245 ss, in addition to £7OO on loan to the Gore Racing Club.

The popular opinion in Hastings is that

the colours of the late Mr G. P. Donnelly will be taken over by his daughter, who will race the Demosthenes youngsters in her own name.

The committee of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club mee\ this week to draw up the November programme. The starting question 'will also come under consideration.

When the Inst mail from America came to hand it contained on announcement that Lord Rosebery was going to ship a team or horses to carry his colours in that part of the world.

The much-discussed question, starting by yards or seconds, will be considered this week by th© New Zealand Metropolitan Club and the Canterbury Owners and Breeders' Association.

The Charl.j.nagne II gelding Jeannot, who is engaged in the hurdle events at Ashburton, has been doing good work since the National meeting, where he beat far more than what beat him in the Y/inter Cup. Prince Viridis, the winner of the Chelmsford Stakes, was bred by Mr J. Baron, the Newcastle coal king, and got by Prince Foote from La Crosse, an imported urate by Ladas from Lucy Cross, by St. Simon.

—At the annual meeting of the Wyndham Pacing Club the president, Mr E. J. Traynor, stated that racing clubs contributed £IBO,OOO to the levenue last season, and that the clubs were taxed even on the sums contributed to Patriotic funds. A recent visitor to the Hon. J. 13. Ormond's stud informed the writer that a seven-year-old brother to. Audax is amongst the untried horses running in the paddock. An offer to purchase brought a reply that the horse was not for sale.

The following horses claiming engagement at Ashbiu-ton have been getting through good, useful work. —Snub, Masier Hamilton, Jeannot, Euripos, Zuland, Killjoy, King Star, Daytime, Naupata, Fiery Cross, Pod Book, and Ascalaplius. The New Zealand Cup meeting is to be held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, November 5,7, 10. The Cup and Derby will be on the first day's card, and the dropping of one day will necessitate eeveral other alterations on the programme. The smart mare Tete-a-tete, who is to be mated with Demosthenes this season,, has three strains of Musket through Norden'elut, Cissy (sister to Trenton), and Carbine. Small Talk wo aid be a good name for anything got by Demosthenes from Tete-a-tete. The Australian-bred two year-old Gleam ing, that is in work at Riecarton and showing promise, was got by The "Welkin from ihe imported mare Light, by Eager—No Trumps, by Orvieto from Electric Light, the dam of the St. Simon horse Bill of Portland. Good Dav, who got amongst the winners at Svdney on Saturday, is a three-year-old gelding bv Boniform from Sunlight, by Birkenhead from Bonheur, by Seaton Delaval—Chareute by Nordenfeldt, Good Day is thus in-bred to Musket. Bonheur is a sister to Nonette. New Zealand Trotting Cup will not be taken prior to the general entries for the meeting, and if that idea is carried out some of the early spring meetings may enable a few horses at present ineligible 10 join the select band handicapped at 4.34 or better. Owners and trainera should note that nominations for -the D.J.C. spring meeting are due on Friday, September 21. Several of our owners and trainers may be at the Ashburton meeting on September 21, and 3hould not overlook the D.J.C. spring meffiting nominations falling due on the same La Notte, the dam of Nightfall, Noctuiform, and Midnight Sun, is to be bred to the Wallace horse Wolawa- this season. La Notte has made her most successful contributions to the Stud Book when bred to stallions of the Musket line, whilst other matings have not been anything like so sueC€6S'f 111 After his somewhat inglorious displays at Riecarton it was a mild surprise to find Coalition turning up the winner of the Hack Steeples at Marton. He, however, ran a fair third to Tauiia and Kaiipokonui at Wellington, and is evidently a belter horse over smaller country than he found at Riccarton. There will be an upheaval of existing handicapping arrangements if Mr H. Coyle who hae been called up under the recent ballot, is passed "fit and well" for military service. Coyle acts for Wellington, Wansranui, and several other clubs, and, in addition, has acted for the Auckland Racing Club since the death of Mr MoTse._ The Wyndham Racing Club hold assets valued at £IBB9 19s 4d, and liabilities stand at nil. Mr E. J. Traynor has been reelected president. At the annual meeting it was stated that there would be Do railway excursion tickets in connection with the race meeting, and it is intended to interview the railway authorities to get all information possible concerning the matter. Mr F. J. Conn journeyed up to the North Island, and whilst there purchased a four-year-old brother to Birkline. Some mistake, however, occurred in connection with the deal, as he afterwards received information that the horse j had been withdrawn from sale. At Gisbdme he purchased a brother to The Player, and the addition to hid stable is expected to arrive This week. Handicaps for the Kurow meeting are due on September 17, and acceptances on September 22. If these dates are adhered to It will mean that two days' racing at Ashburton and ono at Geraldine will take place after the declaration of handicaps for the Kurow meeting. The Kurow Club, in common with the Geraldine Club, appear to have overlooked the change of dates made in connection with the Ashburton meeting. The Demosthenes filly Elocution was elected favourite for the Railway Handicap at Marton, and scored by a narrow margin from Centre. Elocution won four races, and was four times placed out of 13 starts as a two-year-old, her last win being in the Hawke's Bay Stakes. She was got bv Demosthenes from Rangiao, by Gold Reef— Rangipo, by Pacific —Aconite, and traces back to the short-pedigreed Princess family, wlr'ch includes some well-known performers in the shape of Adamant Administrator, Scottish Minstrel, and Deringcotte. Golden Rupee was apparently go'n«? well when he struck trouble at the second last hurdle in th-3 Spreydon Hurdles run on the second day of the National meeting. At Ashburton lie has beer, sent up slb on what he was carrying at Riccarton. San Sebastian is thus met at slb worse terms, but the Oamaru-trnined sreldinsr should account for him at the weights. At the Dunedin winter meeting Golden Rupee was eivinar Glenthorpe, the winner of the Fairfield Hurdles, 51 b. and at Ashburton he meets the Southland horse on 121 b better terms. Although Master Strowan went out favourite for the Marlon Steeples, he paid a fairly [rood price considering the strength of. the field. When he won the Grand National Steeples ho went out fourth favourite. He was seventh favourite ; when he won the Brooklyn. Steeples at Treiitham, and sixth favourite when he beat Crib in the July Steeples. In the Yittoria Hurdles, run or. the first day of the Wellington meot-

ing, Mn.ster Strowan started fifteenth favourite, and the rank outsider of the field. Ho has grown greatly in popularity since hi» last run over hurdles.