IN A NUTSHELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3380, 25 December 1918, Page 42

IN A NUTSHELL.

Kilboyne has been nominated at the Wellington Cup meeting. —H. Deeley will have the mount on Red Ribbon in tho Auckland Cup. Nominations for the Dunedin Cup meeting are duo on Friday, January 17. Rokelaine is looking big and well, and skips along fast in her sprinting work. —A. Prmgle has left for Auckland with Moneymaker, Succory, and Lady Haldane. The Rokeby-Madder gelding Cave Roke seems to be coming on nicely in his Work. A patron of P. T. Hogan's- stable has purohased Eleus from Mr G. D. Greenwood. Handicaps for the Wyndham meeting are due on December 27, and acceptances on December 28. Thaddeus has built up since he was last seen in public, and is bowling along fairly well in his work.

—F. Holmes is sending Billy Parole arid Ovexrato to take part in the Auckland Trotting . Club's meeting. The Dunedin Giiineaa Long* Range, is reported to be looking big and hea-lthy after his spell.

Tremena pulled up lame after working at Riccarton last week, and will not be raced at the holiday meetings. . The half-brother to Bimeter, got by Linaore, and eold at 850 gs as a yearling, has been named Lincome. / Palamon is shaping like an improving horse in his work, and should not be long in getting amongst the money. Thistlecrown is moving along nicely in her work, and, although only a small chap, seems to have the gift of galloping. The Calibre gelding .Bore has been recommissioned. He was a smart hurdler, but a comparative failure over fences. 'Sedd-el-Bahr, Royal Star, Lindin, and Sleepy Head, part of C. Gieseler's team, are all working .well at Wingatui. Bimeter got amongst the winners at a recent Rosehill meeting. It was his first success since leaving R. J. Mason's stable. Hiero is showing improved form in his track work at Riccarton, and last "week shaped well in a five-furlong spin with Braid. Winners at Wingatui are liable to be fehandicapped for engagements on the first day of the Southland Racing Club's meeting. —J. M'Combe is experiencing some trouble with. Bon Spec, who was rather inclined to fraetiousness, and now shows signs of lameness. Don Francisco is in work again at Riccarton. He promised l to develop into . a good hurdler when he went out of commission. ... r- ■ ' Marianne has never presented a robust appearance, but she seems to be gathering strength, and moves along fairly well in her work Biplane is doing easy exercise under M. Hobbs's care prior to the son of Comedy King and' Air Motor being shipped to Australia. from the- Auckland Cup "because a suitable rider could not be obtained to do the weight. Mchawk looks a doubtful starter at the holiday meetings, and probably will soon be seeking honours at the stiid instead of on the track. —-Snub has a stayer's"chance in the Auckland Cup, and over two miles he will be going on, despite his load, when most of ' the others are stopping. King of the, Valley, went off after running into a place at the Ashburton spring meeting, but his' track work suggests that he has made a recovery. ■ ' j The postponed pneeting of the North, Otago Jockey Club will take place' on February 20 and 21, , the week following the Dunedin Cup meeting. Kilboyne skipped over a smartish five furlongs oh Monday morning, and is coming on nicely after his holiday following l the New Zealand Cup meeting. Although Punka has been withdrawn from her Wingatui engagements, she is shaping well on the track, and last week broke 1.3 in a dash over five furlongs. The Martian—Grand Rain horse First Rain was sent out favourite for a' Trial Stakes run at Rosehill, but failed to get nearer the money than third place —The North Otago stallion Marvin Wilkes had a winning representative in Melbourne on Deceinbjr 2. Jessie Wilkes scored from a fairly large field in a lOOsovs stake. * —One of the interesting features of the Auckland Cup will be a meeting between Sasano'f, Snub, and Kilmoon, the trio who fought out the finish of the Canterbury Cup. i . ' -,' ' :■•;•.. Something unique in the way of nomenclature cropped! up in connection with a race at the Newmarket October meeting. The dam of the winner is named X as 2 sticks'. Daytime is showing a fair amount of brilliancy in his track work, and at the .weights he is getting should bo able to get near tho winning mark for his.- new owner. \ . Gazique has been galloping in attractive style in his work at Auckland, and is evidently back, to the form he displayed when winning the Templetoh Handicap with 8.6 in 1.12 4-5. . Nocturnal's experience over big fences at the Wellington spring meeting was probably the cause of his jumping a bit big when schooling over the hurdles at- Wingatui on Saturday. * Euripos is being schooled over hurdles, and should prove useful at that branch of .the business if he standi* up to his work *■ without showing recurrence of trouble in the icspiratory organs. The Wairio Jockey Club, in, giving 175sovs for a hack class, is entitled to the honour of providing the most liberal programme offered by any club in the South Island outside of Riccarton. Wild Night is showing improved form in his track work at Riccarton. He is a half-brother to Don Pacifico, . and finished third in the Apprentices' Handicap run at the New Zealand Cup meeting. . Gamecock is commencing to move along in his work, and if he can be brought back to his two-year-old \ promise should prove useful at some of the coming metings toward the end of the season. Stefan the Great, one of the best two-year-olds' of the present season in England, was got by The TetrarchifromPerfect Peach, by Persimmon from FascinaHbn, by Royal Hampton —Charm, by St. Simon. When Linden deadheated with Tin Soldier behind Ardmore over seven furlongs at the Dunedin spring meeting the first-named was giving Tin Soldier 231 b. In the Invercargiil Cup they meet at even weights. The Wairio Jockey Club's meeting and the South Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting will clash on the racing calendar for January. The former meeting is dated on the 15th and tho latter for the 16th. The four principal events to be run at the Dunedin Cup meeting will be fhe Dunedin Cup, of 1500sovs; D'.J.C. Handicap, of 650sovs; Publicans' Handicap, of SOOsovs; and Hazlett Memorial Blate, of 50Osovs. Kilbrogan trod on a stone about two weeks ago, and as a result went sore for a day or two, but soon recovered. Since being purchased by Mr F. Biggins Kilbrogan has remained in J. Hymer's stable. The yearlings sold! in public thi3 year in England totalled 280, and they made 146grs and 965 gs under the hammer. _ This amount is the highest, and supplies the best average, that has been made since 1913. The North Island Owners and Breeders' Association has requested the Minister of Railways to take the necessary. steps to reintroduce the pre : war railage charges affecting the transit of horses to and from race meetings. Nominations close on Erida.y, December 27, for the Soxith Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting, which was postponed from last month to January 16. The principal ,event will be the November Handicap, of 250sovs, one mile. Good reports come from Trentham concerning the two-year-old Solfanelto, who has been galloping attractively, and will fulfil engagements at the Auckland Cup meeting. Solfanelto was got by Solferino from Rosalia, by Stepniak. The principal events at the Forbury Park Trotting Club's summer meeting will be tho

Dunedin Cup, of GOOaova, and the Forbury Handicap, of SOOsovs. Both events are for a 4.40 class or better. Nominations fall due on Wednesday, January 8, at 5 p.m. Two New Zealand-bred horses in Martinmas (Martin—Lady Lochiel) and Canute (Charlemagne ll—Lady Helen) sold at small figures when under the hammer at a recent sale of blood stock held in Sydney. The former sold at 70gs and the latter at 14Jgs. The Southland Racing Club's summer meeting is not likely to lose anything through lack of publicity. Mr W. A. Saunders is keeping the racing public well supplied with scrip, which makes it iniposaible for anyone to overlook the fact that the meeting is to take place. Prince Chirr ay, who effected a surprising defeat of Gainsborough in the Jockey Club Stakes, of 424350v5, one mile and . threequarters, was got by Chaucer (St. Simon— Canterbury Pilgrim) from Gallorette, by Gallinule—Orlet, by' ; Bend Or—Ruth, by Scottish Chief. The Wairio Jockey Club have again issued a programme, making a special appeal to owners of horses eligible to race under hack conditions. The principal event will be the Wairio Cup, of 175sovs, one mile and aquarter. Nomination a*- are due on Monday, December 30, at 5 p.m. The Ashburton Trotting Club are inviting nominations • for the liberally-endowed New Zealand -Sapling Stakes, of 525sovs (including ft • cup - valued • at- -25sovs), to be run at the winter--meeting- of 1920. The race is open, to two-year-elds,-and nominations close on -Menday, January--20.-• —lt will cost 21sov8 to start a horse in the Dunedin Cup, of. ISOOsovs. The winner receives 1050sovs,' second horse 300sovs, and third horse 150sovs, so that the place, money represents fairly good odds to cost of starting, which is, of course, not inclusive of training and riding fees. Although the Hazlett Memorial Plate has been increased in value from 300sovs to SOOsovs, the penalty conditions remain the sime. Winners of lOOsovs since August 1, 1918, incur a penalty of 3lb; 200sovs, 71b; 400sovs, 101 b, and 600sovs, the full penalty of 141 b. The distance remains at one mile. It is reported that surveyors are mapping out the plans- for the proposed alterations at Trentham. It is to be hoped that the appointments will be modelled on a more up-to-date plan then the existing arrangements, which do not permit the outside public to see the horses until going down to commence a preliminary. , D J Price saddled up a winner a* a recent Sandown Park meeting, when a mare named Carlovna won a Welter Purse carryin" a lOOsovs stake. She went out second favourite in a field of 18, and the fact suggests that the win was anticipated. Carlovna was got by Bobadil from the JS,ew Zealand-bred mare Celerity. . ... Over 82,000 people paid for admission to Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, but the crowd included some thousands who do not require. to pay. About 1000 chauffeurs, 600 waiters and waitresses, and about 400 employees of the- club are included in the free list, as well as the ladies' tickets granted to tho 1100,members of the club. . Samiel • looks distinctly flattered in the Invercargill Cup in being placed amongst the top-weigths. Necks divided Samiel, Rose Pink, and Sedd-el-Bahr when' the lastnamed was giving 7lb to. the winner; who now comes in on 20lb worse terms. Rorke s Drift is met on 2Slb worse terms, Margerrne on 241 b worse terms, .: and Thaddeus on 221 b worse terms. • '■ .',"'. _ The English-bred filly Glamus; m C. Gieseler's stable, is shaping fairly well on the track,'but has grownup a good deal, and requires time to furnish out a bit. She shows pace on the track, but at present does not appear to stay on too well. Glamus was got by Forfarshire from Claire de Beaupre, by St. Serf—Madge Robertson, by Kendal—Teacher, by Lecturer.' The Bobadil horse Hoprig, who has latterly been showing good winning form in Victoria .(where he has won three races on end), is bred on lines interesting to New Zealanders. Bobadil was got by Bill o' Portland from She, a sister to Stepniak, and Voluta, the dam of Hoprig, was got by Wallace feom Conchology, by Trenton- from The Shell, by The Marquis from Cocoanut. —ln the Fendalton Handicap Kilboyne won with 8.6 from Adjutant 8.3 and Marsa 6.115, with a two-length margin separating the placed lot at the end of the mile journey. In the Invercargill Cup, run over an extra quarter, Kilboyne goes up lllb, Adjutant 81b, and Marsa 2Jlb. On the figures Kilboyne has been nicely treated, and if sent to the post should beat more than what will beat him. . African Arrow, a* three-year-old son of Javelin from African Slave, a mare by The Trenton horse Kano, recently won over 10 furlongs in America in 2.4 2-5. Javelin, the sire of African Arrow, was got ' by- Spearmint from Full Cry, by Flying Fox—Lady Wilkins, by Hajioscope, a son of Speculum. African Arrow has an interesting pedigree, as it shows in-breeding to Musket through two of his best lines based on Angelca (sister to St. Simon), Galopin, and Speculum, a son of Galopin. \" A fairly smart sort of a filly named Nautch Girl was amongst the winners at a recent meeting held on the Rosehill course. She was grot by Syce (son of Cyllene) from Blue Stocking, by Havoc (Nordenfeldt — Frailty) from Blue Bonnet, by Autonomy from Blue Sleeves, by Trenton—Blue-and-White, by Wilberforce —White-and-Blue. The filly is thus rich in the Musket—Frailty strain through Havoc and Trenton, and traces back to the same taproot as the Melbourne Cirp winner Revenue, Carlita, and Gold Medallist.

Some handicappeTs m.ake a grave error of judgment in handicapping horses trained by the clever division as if their losing form was absolutely correct. They should be handicapped asi closely as possible to winning form, otherwise they run off so mitcb weight by losing a couple of races as to make an absolute certainty of something or other. Under existing circumstances this is quite possible, and one cannot imagine a greater inducement to fneadulent running. An instance could be cited where on this year's opring form a rather doubtful-looking trier now meet 3 his victor on about 2st better terms. Such a state of .affairs i 3 ridiculous,' and an obvious incentive to fraud."

The Invercargill Cup candidate, Mazama, won the Wainui Handicap, one mile, at the Wellington spring meeting with 7.10, beating Galore 7.7, Wapping. 7.11, Foiin Up 9.7, Ladogeur "9.5, and; several others. Coming to Riccarton he put. up. a good performance by finishing fourth in .the. Metropolitan with 6.10, Devotion 7.10, Kiiinoon. .7.13, and Kiliush 7.1 filling ' the places. , The time put up _Wa.3 2.32 3-5, Eland, gelding is nicely treated at 7.6 in the Invercargill Cup, as only a few in the race could finish so close up in the Metropolitan even; if acting under a light weight. In the early part of the season Mazama 6.10 finished third to Rose Pink 7.5 and All Over 7.13 at Dannevirke when a head and half length decided the placed lot. They apparently have the idiotio rule existing in Melbourne which it was enestablish in this country, and that is one which debars a jockey from

smoking in the jockeys' room. Such a room 13 almost exclusively reserved for tie use of riders, and if they are not allowed' to smoke there some othtfr place-should be at their disposal. Jockeys frequently have to waste and ." keep short" in order to fulfil engagements, and about the only thing to sustain them without carrying the bugbear of increasing weight is a smoke. The prohibition of smoking under certain conditions, such as when wearng colours in the paddock, may be justified; but when enforced in the semi-privacy of the riders' quarters it ia a senseless and harassing rule, which does not contribute to the. amount of respect with which riders should regard those in authority. ~~ ln the Metropolitan Royal .Star, carrying 71b over, and in receipt of 3lb from Sedd-el-Bahr,_ ran a hotter race than his stable companion, and in the Invercargill Cup is-in •- receipt of 121 b. Mazama, however, finished ' * v/ell in front of both the Wingatui horses,, and in the Invercargill Cup meets Sedd-el-isahr on- 21b worse terms and Royal Star pn 91b worse terms. Royal Star could thus be considered to hold a much better chance .than Sedd-el-Bahr, who apparently holds no ■ chance with Mazama on paper. In the Metropolitan Mazarna was in receipt of 16lb from Rorke's Drift, and also reads well treated in meeting the Calibre gelding at 271 b. Rorke's Drift was left at the post, and gave no line to his form, but he has been set a task to concede an extra lllb' to Mazama, who finished' fourth. In other : words, Rorke's Drift appears to have been handicapped as the winner of the Metre-, politan as far as concerned.', ' i A Press Association telegram from Christ- - church eta.tes that Mr R. H. Aldworth has been appointed judge for the summer meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club. The Cromwell Jockey Club has been granted Friday, January 24, for their post- -' poned race meeting. ' "".J;