IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 41

IN A NUTSHELL.

Subterfuge is shaping nicely in her work.

Estland has won 353550 vs in stakes this season.

Tho Sarto gelding Art is again in commissi on.

Winter Cherry is to be treated to a lengthy spell. —ll. S. Bag-by has outridden his apprentice allowance.

Saeanof pulled up la-mo after running in tho Wanganui Cup.

Acceptances for the Waimate meeting are due on Monday, March 4.

Mascot and Exclusive- are both booked to race at the Nelson meeting. Zuland is again in work after a spell necessitated through his accident. Nominations for the C.J.C. Great Easter and Great Autumn close on March 1.

Acceptances for the Tirharu Trotting Club's meeting are due on Friday, March

—lt is understood that Hornbeam has changed owners at a price said to bo around £2OO. Over 600 bookmakers' clerks have been licensed by the V.R.C. during the present season.

Nominations for the South Canterbury Jockey Club's autumn meeting close on April 3. The Newmarket Handicap will b-3 run on Saturday next, and the Australian Cup on March 5. A South Island liorse has not won a Wanganui Cup since 1905, when Quarry man captured the stake.

The Dunedin Cup winner Margerine ia being kept fairly busy, and got through good striding work on Saturday. —Mr E. J. Watt is practically shutting down his stud farm and shipping most of his bloodstock to Australia. The well-known rider B. Decley rode the two first winners at the Wanganui Trotting Club's meeting last week.

Croesus was made a bit too much use of in the Flying Handicap at Wanganui, and could not .see- out 'his task.

Wedge put up a race record when ho defeated Desert Gold and others in the Ciiulfield Futurity Stakes in 1.27. Toa Tare was putting in good work at the finish of the- Wanganui Stakes, and should soon gather another win or two. The totalisator returns for the Wanganui Cup meeting ran to £80,950, as against £67,688 registered at last season's meeting. —.Australian critics state that Desert Gold is built very much on the same lines as Carlita, but shows mora power and quality than the latter.

Form Un raced at Wanganui in Mrs Perry's "scarlet and white stripes," a- racing banner carried by the late Mr G. P. Donnelly's horses. Moulinet, the runner-up in the Alma Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday last, is a two-year-old daughter of the New Zealandbred horse Broadsword. —lt is reported that the imported Gallinule ""horse All Black may take up a change of quarters, as a Hawke's Bay breeder has been negotiating for his purchase. A two-year-old gelding named Tippity Witchet was recently sold in America at 2-0,500d01. He was got by Broomstick, ■ and has won 12 races out of -15 starts.

The New Zealand-bred gelding New York won the Stanley Steeples, run at. Caulfield on Saturday. Ho was got by the New Zealand Cup winner Frisco. A two-year-old sister to Fiery Cross is amongst the recent additions to the team trained by F. Christmas. Two others by Glenapp have also been placed in hand. Master Lupin still holds the record for the Wanganui Cup, which he won in 3.0 3-5. The Australian-bred racer Almo started the rank outsider in the Wanganui Cup. —F. Davisj the trainer of Desert Gold, said to a Sydney pressman, who questioned him about her staying power, that "She'll stay to further orders- if trained for it." Biplane is said to have looked a shade big when he stripped ut Wanganui, and his defeat in the Guineas is excused through lack of condition to ree out the distance.

The croai-counlry rider R. M'Seveny has been discharged from the Cl camp. The Highden stable light-weight, T Metcalfe, has also been discharged from military, duties. , Estland established a race icoord for the Wanganui Guineas when he defeated Biplane in 1.41 2-5. Reputation held the record at 1.42 prior to Estland's gallop in this vear's race.

Comedy King heads the list of winning sires for ihe first half of the season in Australia with £15,521 to his credit, Linacre is next with £13,226, and . The Welkin third with £10,936. The Tiniaru Trotting Club's programme attracted liberal patronage from _ horseowners, and the club should experience a highly successful gathering of light-harness racing enthusiasts. Disdainful registered ihe best- gallop of the morning at Riccarton on Saturday by defeating Wardancer over a mile. Evidently the hitter's mishap at Wingatui was not of a serious nature.

The All Red gelding All Over, who is amongst the recent winners in the north, is said to be a promising sort. He is out of Mumm, a mare by Oxzil from Fizz, by by Yattendon. —Mr J. M'Laughlin, a prominent Australian owner, f died in -Sydney at- the beginning of the present month. He owned Correze when that liorse ran third in the Melbourne Cup of IS9O to Carbine and Highborn.

The Great Northern Steeplechase, to be run in June next, will carry a stake of 14-OOsovs, and the Great Northern Hurdles will hare a stake of 125030v5. Both stakes are of the same value as they were last season.

—Mr R. C. Hungerford, secretary of the New South Wales Trotting Club, founded the Greymouth Trotting Club in 1890, and was its first secretary.. At the first meeting of the Coast Club £350 went through the totalisator.

The Victorian Racing Club and the Caulfield Turf Club have each voted £SOOO towards the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. During The war the V.R.C. has distributed £44,000, and the Caulfield Club £36,000, to the various war fund 3.

Ascalaphus has won the reputation of being a good track horse, but Battle Eve beat him over a mile on Saturday. Battle Eve caught the tapes in his second race at- the Dunedin Cup meeting, and a-fterwards made up a lot of ground. Koesinn has raced into form since he ran at the North Otago summer meeting. He won comfortably on the first day at Wanganui, and put up a good gallop on thesecond day when finishing second to Croesus with only 31 b between them.

Owing to J. A. White taking up a position as private trainer to Mr L. C. Ilazlett, he has leased Pla-cid to J. Rae. The three-year-old sister to Placid and the San Francisco—Whiplash gelding Whipcord have been turned out for the present. Biplane won the Jackson Stakes "under a pull bj- two lengths" in 1.13 1-5, and iu

the Wanganui Stakes Estland "won easily by two and a-half lengths" in 1.41 2-5. Hence Biplane won easily over a short course, and lost easily over a middle distance.

Croesus went out a strong order for the Flying Handicap at Wanganui, but, faded out at the finish after being prominent in the early part of the race. On the second da}' Croesus stayed on better, and put up a sma.rt gallop by winning under 9.3 in 113 2-5.

Husbandman seems to have, got a smart youngster in Staccato, the winner of a race each day at Wanganui. Staccato is out of a mare named Piriwa.i, she by Obligado from Inipati, by Castor—Brown Alice, by Tvordenfeldt—Ouida, and hence belongs to a good staying family. The Traquair—'Etoscornmon horee La Noir fell and broke his neck whilst running; in the Hobart Cup. He wan "bred by Mr G-. Currie, of Wanganui, Mid sold at 1025g* as a yearling in Sydney. On the turf La Noir had been a disappointing performer. —At the December sales of bloodstock, held at Newmarket, the ex-Australian tiainor E. do Mestre purchased a two-year-old brother to Bronzino at 12ogs. Bron/.irio ia supposed to have cost about 12,000ga when he was purchased for Australia by Mr S. Hordem.

The Grafton horse Cetigne, whom Desert Gold defeated at Caulfield in th& St. Georgo Stakes is one of the best performers at present in commission in Australia. Ha has won 17,13Gsovs in stake 3, said prior to her win in Australia 'Desert Gold had won 17,11550V5.

During the Dunediu Cup meeting Uia Rokeby filly Rokelaine was sold to Mr D. 11. Roberts, but was subsequently resold to a patron of T. Stiven's stable. The filly is fjaid to be developing trouble with her respiratory organs, and may bo. scut to the stud next season.

According to reports from the scene of action Mcnelaus's defeat in the Wangairaf. Cup was partly attributable to bad luck. Ho was coming with a gcod stm at the home turn when he got carried out wirlo. The son of Martian was said to be badly placed in the early part of the race. Panacre, who followed "Wedge and Desert Gold home in the Futurity Stakes, was one of the ruling favourites for the Newmarket Handicap when the last mail to hand left Australia, Pa.nacre was got by Linacre from Panara, a mare by Sir William, a son of the New Zealand-bred Sir Modred. Bed Fox. the winner of the Alma Stakes, is a colt, by Aero-Fox, an imported son of Flying Fox, and Maisie, a mare by Mutiny from Summer Belle, by Hampton. Red Ink, the dam of Eed Fox, was got by Playbil (a half-brother to Castor) from Blue Black," a mare by the New Zealand-bred True Blue Desert Gold and Kilboy are both engaged in the Essendon Stakes, one mile and a-quarter, to be run at the V.R.C. autumn. Kilboy is not engaged in the King's Plate, to be run at w.f.a. over two miles on the last day of tin meeting, but is in the Lloyd Stakes, to bs run over a mile on the second day. The Riverton Cup, of 300sovs, will be run over 10 furlongs this season, and the Easter Handicap, of 200sovs, over one rnile and a distance. The other features ot the Riverton programme are made up with the Great Western Steeples, of 300sovs, and the Riverton Steeples of 20050v3. Nominations are due on March 13. '. The W<vnganui track wes apparently in unusually fast galloping order last week. Biplane "went c10.3e to a race, record when he won the Jackson Stakes in 1.13 1-5, or a tick slower than Ermengarde's 1.18.. put no a race record in the Wanganui Guineas, and several other smart gallops were put up at the meeting. The death is reported from Eoiglend of the well-known stallion Marco, whose stock have won £117,407 in stake,'?. Last season Omar Khayam, a son of Marco, raced with great buco?<?s in America. The Auckland Cup winner Balboa, was got by Varco, a son of Marco and Mr Bruce Christie's stallion Ma.rkh.opß, is a son of Marconi, one of Marco's best sons. According to statements made by Mr A. Bobertson, who (recently returned to Sydney after a visit to England, bloodstock was bringing an inflated value at some of the recent sales. Mr Robertson has for some years been a big buyer of bloodstock in both England and America for importation to Australia, and he also purchased Abbey Bells and Marion Wilkes for the Allendale Stock Farm. Melbourne ladies, says Mr R. C. Hungerfoid, a recent visitor to New Zealand, have a reputation for knowing all about football and footballers; but the fair sex in New Zealand vie with them in respect to trotting. Tha number attending meetings in New Zealand was an eyc-open°r to Mr Hungerford, bat an ever greater one was the knowledge they displayed. The Welkin is advertised to stand next, season at 500 gs, and no concessions allowed for owners of more than one mare. Thia is easily a record fee for Australasia ; but it sounds more like an invitation to patronise some other sire, as the eon of Flying Fox has not been a great success at the. stud, although he has left some brilliant gallopers, including Wedge, who defeated Desert Gold when in receipt of 13lb In the Futurity Stakes.

When the nominations close for the Rivurton meeting it will probably be found that the G-isbonw trainer D. Moraghan ha* patronised the steeplechase events on the programme, and he may also have something inmning between the flags at the Southland meeting. Moragh<m was for many years a -well-known figure amongst the Biccarton trainers, and he won the Grand National Steeples and other races over country with Phaetontis. Client scored a popular win in the Wanganui Cup, marking his second siicccsa in the race. Ho was a shade costly to his follower at the New Zealand Cup meeting; bat his success en !>oth days cf the Wanganui Cup meeting should help to balanco matters. Very few houses hove won more than one Wanganui Cup; but Dudu won three, and the only other to score more than once is Resolution, the winner of the Cups; run in 1577 and 1878.

Desert Gold'-? engagements at the Victoria Racing Club's meeting are the Essendon Stakes, on© mile and a-quarter; C. M>. Lloyd Stakes, one mile; the Governor's Plate, one mile and a-h«lf; and the Kind's Plate, tw) miles. The crack daughter of All Black and Anrarura haa_ time after time demonstrated her possession of remarkable brilliancy, and it will be interesting to note how she shapes in the King's Plate, to be run over two miles at Flemington. Desert Gold was handicapped to giv« Wedge, who defeated her in the Futurity Stakes, 7lb in the Newmarket Handicap. At Snndown Park on February 9 "Wedge won the Opera Handicap, of lOOsovs, seven furlong's, with 10.1 in I.2SJ. Wedge is a four-vear-olc! colt bv The Welkin from Banavie, bv Wallace—Fishery, by Bill o' Portland-? Fisliwife, bv King of the Anglers. Fishery is a full- sister to Finland, the sir of Bobrikoff. and also of Estland, who defeated Biplane in the Wanganui Guineas. _ Desert Gold cannot act up to her best

form -unle-ss the going is sound and firm. At Caulfleld on Saturday tho going was reported to be damp; but apparently the ground was at least in fair order, as a race record was established in the Futurity Stakes. Wedge, the winner, carried 9.0, arid was in receipt of 13lb from Desert Gold, who was beaten a neck, whilst Panacre, who was carrying 21b less than the New Zealand mare, finished a length and a-ha If away. Desert Gold appears to have put up a great gallop under lier big weight, and this is particularly so it the going was against her. Estland added a very conspicuous leaf to' his laurels when he defeated Biplane in the Wanganui Guineas, even though the latter was not quite at the top of his form. Estland won the New Zealand Derby, Canterbury Cup, and acted as runner-up to his stable" mate Deert Gold in the Islington Plate when beaten three lengths in 1.37 3-5. He also acted as runner-up to the same mare in the Champion Plate, run in the spring at Trentham. Estland was got by Finland from Warscare, a half-sister by ■Martian to Bobrikoff, who was also by Finland. It will be seen that returning Finland to Gossip with an addition by Martian has proved a big success. —Mr R. C. Hunger ford, secretary of the New South Wales Trotting Club, and one time a well-known figure ■in sporting circles in this country, on his return to Sydney recently gave an opinion or two concerning the light harases racing in New Zealand. Mr Hungerford said that the practice of Bending out horses so long before racing tended to make them fractious. Speaking of the much-discussed starting question, he Baid one objection to starting by yards is that horses don't get into their stride together, and" they frequently stop on their /marks. Mr Hungerford witnessed some smarting by Ilia seconds system on the West Coast, and/ formed the opinion that many horses got away before their time. In his opinion the slow-mov-ing pi art is tho best system. Apparently Mr Hungerford stands for' the •walking start or slow jojf. Brought down to bedrock it comes to the same old thing, and that is, it is the starter that makes or breaks any system of starting; but so far aa hobbled horses are concerned, the slowmoving start is the one calculated to achieve the best results.

During the Dunedin Cup meeting Me F. Hymers sold Hot Air to a patron of D. P. Wilson's., stable, and Mr A., Chisholm purchased Kilbrogan, who will join Mr Hymers's stable. . -,