IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 41

IN A NUTSHELL.

Snub is to be schooled over hurdles. Hylaus is being schooled over hurdles-. The Martian mare Bee is again in. work at Randwick. Mr H. E. Trcutbcck has sold Simonides to Mr J. Harle. Wairoa meeting. Multiply broke down when running in the Wellington Cup. '■ -T- Desert Gold landed safe and sound in Australia. Good luck to her I Judging by Margerine's track work he* mission is the Midsummer Handicap. The Southlander Mohawk has been engaged at the Wangamii Clip meeting. Large fields promise to be the order ol the»day at the Forbury Park meeting. Eedowa and Polonius are booked to race at the C.J.C. midsummer meeting. After a long series of successes the ex-> cuse- book has been opened for Desert Gold. The Wangamii. Chip nominations in« chide- Sasanof and the Australian race* Alrno. Banna's running on the first day 6f the Wellington meeting was the subjec-tt of an inqujry.. Disdainful should make things lively in the Craven Plats with 8.1 on her back if she figures in the field. First Dine, one of the winners at Foxton, was got hy Advance from Ballarat, a halt-sister to Square Deal. Silver . Quick, a half-brother to Greaß Britain, has been linked up freely with soma of the Bvunedin' Cup horses. The price paid for the New Zealandbred mare Livonia at the Shipley Stud sale was 1-lOgs, and not HOOgs as cabled. Margarine is striding out in pleasing style in her work at Riccarton, and will put up some good racing in the near future. Adjutant's name is being mentioned in connection with the Dunedin Cup. He has also been engaged in the Wanganui Cup. —Te Onga. the winner of the Great!, m-*hern Hurdlea of 1914, showed a return to form by scoring at the Takapuna meeting. The new 10s notes issued by the Bank of New Zealand have been worked off as " tenners" at some of the northern meet-, ings. ' Hymest.ro- pulled up 10-me after being worked at Trent-ham, and it is doubtful if he will be able to start again for somo little time. Fiery Cross, winner of the Auckland Cup, and Nobleman, winner of the Wei* lington Cup, were foaled in the same paddock. . —The Waimate Racing Club's programme includes a Trainers' Trot with a stake of 120sovs and a Saddle Trot with a stake of ltiQsovs. —At the 'Shipley Stud sale Mr G. D. Greenwood purchased a Comedy King— Petruvia- colt at 210 gs. Petruvia was got by Stepniak. The New Zealand-bred .Kilowatt, who was a member of. the team taken to Australia last ; season, recently won a small race in Hobart. , Five applications were received lor the position of handicapper to the E-iverton Rao> ing Club, and Mr A. Jones was appointed to & the position. . , ' Adjutant received a bad passage in the WR.O. Handicap, and had to make up si good deal .of ground to get second to Mens*. laus at the finish. —According to statements made by U onea, Desert Gold caught the tapes in the Kelbura Plate, and the mishap interfered With net chance of success. . -'^ Bill Brown is on the boom for the Forhury meeting. Dome Rumour credits hint with being able to go anything from 2.20 down to 2-terrible. ; ',,.,,, The principal interest in the Middle Park Plate, to be run on Saturday, should! be supplied by Almoner and Long Range meeting in the race. Messrs Riddiford Bros, have sold Ayah and Matilda to J. M'Laughlin, who will .in. all probability not place them so highly* as their previous owners. . —After White Star was sold at STOOgs at tho dispersal sale of the Shipley Stud, an advance offer of 50Ogs failed to bring abou.l another change of owners'. . , # Adjutant received a bad passage m the W R C. Handicap, and an inquiry was held, The stewards failed to find a culprit in connection"' =with the matter. ,'-.,-. The Kentuckv Stock Farm Shid, including the imported stallion Mauritius and several imported mares, is to be sold by auction in Melbourne in April next. Scornful, the promising two-year-old brother to Disdainful, may make his appearance at the C.J.C. midsummer meeting. . He has been shapine nicely in his work _ The Trial Plate, of lOOsovs. on the Waimate programme is for two-year-olds and upwards that have not won a raco exceeding SOsova in value at the time of starting. The imported horse Lanius. who -was so much on the boom in connection with- tho last Melbourne Cud. is to go under the hammer after the Sydney Cup meeting, Reports from the north state that Noblemar. may not fulfil his Dunedin Cup enL'accoraent owing to the proximity of the Wingatui meeting to the Wjmsranui Cup. Solace created such a jrood impression when ho won on the occasion of his last visit to Forbury Park that he will probably staTt at a 6hort, price in the Otogo Handicap.

Adelaide Direct's efforts in the earlier part of the season do not seem to have left any damage in their wake, as the crack pacer arrivtd at Forbury Park looking bright and well. .. *" Desert Gold has recorded two consecutive defeats. It is to be hoped that it is only a couple of frowns-: preceding the smiles Dame Fortune will bestow on her m Australia. . .. . -r:_ ' —Biplane strode over a circuit at tticcarton on Saturday, and then came over a final five furlongs in 1.3 3-5 under a pull. Evidently Biplane-is just about cheiry-ripe Pink. apparently thrives on globetrotting, and' bobbed up as the winner of the Foxton Cup. She is also engaged at iticoafton on Saturday next, and then is booked for "Wingatui. . , r . Handicaps for the first day of the Dunedin Cup meeting are duo on Monday next February 4, and acceptances and entries for Wa Apprentices' Plate fall due on Friday, February 8. . , ._ ~ The death is reported from Melbourne of the New ZWand-bred horse Grand Marshal, a son of Soult and Lady Hester that oost BCogs as a yearling, but who proved a failure on the turf. . ... _ Wardancer is galloping well on the itrack, and he may soon show a return of the form which carried him into second place behind Rorke's Drift in the Otago • Handicap, run last season —Acceptances for the Midsummer-meet-ing do not close until Thursday, January 31. or two days before the card is decided. It 3s very seldom indeed that acceptances fall due so close to the day of running. ■« —The death is reported of the Warrington $ stud bred mare Afer, a sister to Vladimir, but ndthing like the latter's equal m racing merit. Afer is the dam of Barley Rigs, a winner at the recent Oamaru meeting. Both Demagogue and Bionekm bolted prior to lining up to the barrier for the , Kelburn Plate. Demagogue dashed into some trees and injured Carmont so batfiy that C. Reid replaced him m the saddle. The death is reported from the West Coast of the well-known trainer El Griffen, who has for several years past been located at Ashburton. One of the best horses hehandled was Chudio, the winner of the trreat Easter of 1914. , . ' At the blood stock sales held at New- ' market in December 123 lots sold -for 9640g5, i or an average of only 76gs per horse. Some sold at next door to nothing, and apparently at that particular time horses were an absc- '_ hvte drug in the market H There are some fairly smart maidens engaged in the Trial Plate to be run at the . C J C midsummer meeting. Amongst those engaged are Phil May, Post Haste, Subter- • fuge, Lovesick, Glehdower, Thames, Theskus, Kilrush, and several others. opinion that a Few Zealand Cup winner. never doe. 3 any good afterwards. Menelaus wen at Wellington; but he is not the only exception thai has upset the fallacious opinion concerning- the big Riocarton race. Mr N. Falkner is the new owner of Comedy King. The son of Persimmon was BUiehased to replace Land of Song, who died »o*utly as the result of an a.ccident whilst running in a paddock. Mr Falkiner bought Air Motor, with a colt foal at foot \ (brother to Biplane), at 750 gs. The Takapuna Cup winner, Glenopal, ■was got by Glengowrie from Opal, by Pounamu—Seal Brown, by Ascot —Last Chance, hy The Painter from' Chance, a mare tracing tick to Finesse, an Arab taproot, &o which several good winners, such as Trump Card and'Variety, trace their origin. . F. Ellis has never gathered any great kudos as a; rider on. the flat, owing, no doubt, to the fact that he is generally regarded aB most at home over sticks and fences; but lie appears to have achieved something when he snort-headed th*j recognised crack horseman Hector Gray in the Douro Cup. ,;. m The best two-yoar-old seen out in England last season is oaid to be Gainsborough, who was got by !&&yardo from Rose Drop, by St. Frus-jura (won of St. Simon), from Jtotmline, by Trenton from Rosalye, by Bend Or. G ainspm-yuofli a pedigree shows three strains of Galopin on a Musket foundation. The salary accompanying the position of bandieapper to the RiveTton Racing Club attracted five but it is very doubtful if any of the northern weightadjusters would trouble to apply, as the remuneration for the two days' work is less than half wbat is received by them for one day. The imported horse Land of Song, who met with an accident whilst galloping in bis paddock, had to be destroyed, as efforts to save him proved fruitless. Land of Song was purchased at 4AoOgs after winning the Irish Derby, and won races at both Caulfield and* Flemington prior to being sent to the stud. According to a statement recently made by Mr G. D. Greenwood, there is not much prospect of Biplane being taken to Australia, as there was more glory than gold attached to the colt's spring' cornpaign. After paying excess war profits and the abnormal expenses at the end of the trip, there was little more than the two "Blue Ribbons" as the result of his venture. The Wainiate Cup, of 300sovs (including ' cap valued at dOsovs), one mile and a-quarter, will form the principal event at the Waimate Racing Club's annual meeting to be held on March 14. With the exception of the Trial Plato, of lOOsovs, every other flat race on the card is worth 120sovs or more. (Nominations for all events are due on Monday, February 18. Fiery Cross has not been engaged in the •Wanganui Cup. He is, however, getting through a fair amount of work, and is nor eating the oats of absolute idleness. The Olonapp gelding may fulfil his engagement in the Hazlott Memorial, or, failing a race on that occasion, may be found heading a procession about the Great Autumn meeting. A bay colt by Comedy King from the New Zealand-bred mare Cross Battery made top price of IOOOgs .amongst the yearlings Bold at tbn Shipley Stud sale. Cross Battery won the Great Easter of 1906, and was taken to Australia in company with Sea King byMr H. F. Nicoll, who sold hear to Mr S. Green. Cross Battery, with a colt foal at foot to Comedy King, sold at 723g5. greatj horseinan Tod Sloan, an American writer stated that Mr W. C. Whitney offered him vj-OOOsovs and his expenses back and forth to America to ride Ballyhoo Bey in the Futurity of 1900. Tod Sloan made the journey, and won on Ballyhoo Bey by sheer horsemanship, and, it is understood, received far more for the win than the amount stated above. Some of the Australian scribes are bemoaning the introduction of tho 1-2-3 totalisator, as a winner wins next to nothing, even when suoc?ssfully exploiting a day's card. This reminds one of the punter who, on the introduction of the 1-2 dividend in this country, declared niter a day's racing that he backed tho first five winners, and that if he had any more money left he would have backed tho next two! The Shipley Stud paddocks are to be used as o dairy farm. Perhaps they are more suitable for* that purpose than for raising thoroughbreds, ns the percentage, of good class horses from such a choice collection PI marcs gathoml by Mi- S. Green was rather

small. Some of flie Shipley Stud mares are getting on in years, and it will be interesting to note if they produce better goods in "fresh fields and pastures new." Kilboy is getting through a considerable amount of work at Caulfield, and it is hoped that he will strip fit* and well for some of the autumn meetings. He would probably do bettor if trained down Mordialloc way and treated to a regular course of swimming to work off the lumber and joints, as he is a top-heavy colt, and his legs would not be subjected to the jar inseparable from galloping on even such turfy and easy going as exists on the Caulfield tracks. Fionnuala, tho winner of a double at the Takapuna meeting, is a sister to Glendalough, and got by Spalpeen from Waimangu (not the Auckland Cup winner of the same name) by Explosion from Stepniak, by "St. Hippo—Stepfeldt, by Nordenfeidt—Steppe. Last season, she won the Rotorua Cup, one mile and a>quarter, and was pla-ced twice over a mile and a furlong. In the Rotorua Cup she beat amongst others Glenopal, the winner of the Takapuna Cup. man dearly loves a lord, and, apparently, jockeys are considerably attracted by a nobleman. In any case, there seems to have been a good deal of glamour about Nobleman on the second day at Trentham, where, it is said, others were bumping into him like moths into a candle. This somewhat undesirable attention did not completely extinguish his light, but it prevented it from, shining steadily forth and giving a clear run to the winning post. The imported Carbine horse Pistol continues to show out as a prolific sire of winners, and at a recent meeting in Adelaide had four winning representatives on the card to his credit. Pistol has -sired a large number of winners since coming to Australia, although none of his get have achieved the distinction of being the best of .their time. Pistol's pedigree contains several strains that are familiar to us through their success in the Dominion. He wsjs got by Carbine from Wenonah, a mare by Galopin from Esa, by Uncas (sire of Ingomar) from Fleada, by Hermit (half-brother to Steppe, the dam of Stepniak, etc.) from Cradle, by Saunterer, the sire of Steppe. The New Zealand-bred mares sold at the Shipley Stud sale made fairly good figures. Artillerie, with a Comedy King colt at foot, made. 550 gs; Cross Battery, with a Comedy King colt, 725g5; Gladsome, with White Star colt, 120 gs; Indian Queen, with a Comedy King filly, 275g5; Ingoda, with a Comedy King filly, 325g5; Kora, 400 gs; Lady Fisher, with a Comedy King filly, lOOgft; Livonia, with a Comedy King filly, 140 gs; Maple Leaf, with a White Star colt, HOgs; Petruvia, with a Comedy King colt, 450 gs; Problem (dam of Solution), 35ga > Rattler, with a Comedy King colt, 150 gs; Watershoot, with a Comedy King filly, 350 gs; and Zemlia, with a Comedy King filly, went at 180 gs. Tho imported mare Ronetta sold at the Elderslle Stud sale with a filly foal to White Star, sold at 400 gs. Sasanof, Sweet Corn, and Blended have arrived back in New Zealand, and were accompanied by Almo, a horse purchased in Australia by Mr W. Richmond. Mi- Richmond is the gentleman who gathered a considerable amount of publicity as a result of conchlng his spear—or, rather, a chequedrawing pen,—and tilting at the Australian ring during the spring meetings. Strange to Isay, none of the Australians recognised him as " another Richmond in the field," but they knew to a fraction the extent of his wagering. So drops the sentimental side of sport and gives way to commercialism. Some racing Richmonds would, no doubt, cry with their historic foe Richard. 11l for "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!'' to carry therni on a field of glory, consisting of gold and gain, in a successful battle agiinst an army of foes whose warcry consists of " even money the field and totalisator odds the favourite." The Forbury Park Trotting Club's programmes invariably carried a lOOsov purse for any horse capable of creating a track record over a mile ; but it was cut out in connection --with this season's summer programme, when two of the fastest and best performers in New Zealand were likety to have a shot at the special prize for an exhibition of speed. It is understood that Adelaide Direct and Cathedral Chimes would have both made an attempt at the record, but their trainers Wanted expenses paid by the club. On more than one occasion M. Edwards and R. M'Donnell have brought horses to Forbury Park with the object of attacking the record, but, were prevented from making the attempt owing to adverse track or atmospheric conditions; hence it is not surprising to find trainers of CTack pacers seeking their out-of-pocket expenses in connection with tho star attractions of a programme. Bad weather has so frequently been identified with proposed exhibitions of speed at the Forbury Park meetings' that probably the stewards grew superstitious over them and decided to cut them out. It may also mean that perfect weather may be on hand for the coming meeting. The Aucklanders Harold Junior and Shanghai were amongst the latest arrivals for the Forbury Park meeting. Both horses look in good shape, and are stepping, nicely in their work. Harold Junior is occasionally galloped when worked without the straps in a sulky. A Press Association cable message announces that Desert Gold has reached Sydney, and :1s in good health after the trip. The inside of the training track at Forbury Park has been railed off by the Dunedin Coursing Club, and it is understood that several small stakes will be run off during the coming season. In the appeal case lodged by Mr J. C. Gleeson, part owner of Colonel Scult, against L T ncle Ned receiving the stake attached to the St. Andrew's Handicap at the Takapuna spring meeting, the judges. Sir George Clifford, and Messrs C. P. and O. S. Watkins, declared that there was no foundation for the objection, and forfeited the £2O. It will be remembered that H. Gray weighed in without the breast plate, which had been dropped close to the scales. Gray was declared short weight, but when it was discovered that the breast plate had not been placed on the scales he was reweighed with it and passed correct. It was declared a frivolous objection by ..the Appeal Court.