TURF TOPICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2031, 18 August 1920, Page 5

TURF TOPICS.

Another big consignment or northern horses got away by last night's steamer, and only a few- visitors are now left at Riccarton. Yesterday's batch consisted of Imaribbon, Hurry Up, Walton, Arch Salute, Mcltehikoff, First Salute, Gratuition, Waimai, Thrace, Kauri King, John Bunny, Gold Kip, General Advance, Oakleigh, Deviation, Consultation and Gaekwar. la consideration of the high cost of living the committee of the Auckland Racing Club has made a substantial iuereasa in the salaries of all its leading cfii. ials.

L. Manson has been granted a jockey's license by the Wellington District Committee, so that all the jockeys concerned in the Avondale incident are now reinstated. F. A. Williams, who at one time trained at Ellerslie, has been granted a license by the Australian Jockey Club to train on courses other than at Randwick. Wicilow, who sported silk in the hunters' events at Riccarton last week, changed hands recently and will in future be trained by 11. Coker, at Rivertou. Owners arc given a reminder that entries for the New Zealand Cup close at 8 p.m. on Friday. The race is again endowed to the extent of 2000 sovs, of ■winch amount 1400 goes to the winner, 400 sovs to the second and 200 sovs to the third. The well-known Melbourne trainer, Mark P. Whitby, died at Flemington recently at the age of 69. He was most successful -with horses, among his most piorainent -winners of late years being Uncle Sam, which he trained for Mr Eeid, and which won two Caulfield Cups. Included in the Wanganni Jockey Club's Spring programme is a new wc-iglit-for-age race, the Eclipse Stakes, of 500 sovs, nine furlongs, tor three-year-olds and upwards. The Auckland Racing Club stakes for the coming season total £01,050, an increase of £II,OOO compared with last season. The stakes for the Great Northern Hurdle Race and Great Northern Steeplechase arc each increased to £2"00; Great Northern Derby, 1922-2:!, lias been increased to £2500; and the stakes for all standard weight-for-age races have been raised to £IOOO. Fixed penalties have been abolished and rehand i rapping adopted. The successful horseman L. 11. Hewitt loft Auckland a few days ago for Australia en route to India! L. 11. Hewitt is piobably one of the best known horsemen in the world, and lias ridden in New Zealand. Australia, England, and coi 11 if Continent, which is a record held only by the horseman named. He has had :\ wonderful career in the saddle, ji!i,| np to the present has ridden in :;251 races, being placed first in. 755, sordid in -12:;, aiid third in ;(44, while hi- earnings total something l*e £45,000, including retainers, etc. The Blenheim sportsman- Mr A. Frceth returns home tomorrow after a lengthy stay in Christchurch. He in--1-!! Is taking Ballin with him, but Peter King will remain here to be got ready for spring engagements. Two very promising juvenile pacers (hanged hands at Mr n. L. Barnes's sale yesterday. F. Holmes paid 210gs for a two-year-old sister to Ouyx, while B. Jarden gave for a similarlybred yearling colt. The North Island-owned trotter King

Capitalist has gone into J. McLennan's stable at Oamaru to bo prepared for the spring meeting at Addington. Dean Dillon is in light work at Ricearton, preparatory to starting on bis NewZealand Trotting Gup preparation. More than average interest was evinced in Hal Junior's appearance at Addington on Monday, in view of the favouritism being accorded him for the New Zealand Trotting Cup. He looked in rather big condition, and failed to show the expected speed, finishing a longway back. With another 11 weeks in hand, Hendricksen cau be expected to make a lot of improvement in the goodlooking son of Hal Zolock. The ex-New Zealander, D. J. Price, trained Silver Heart, winner of. the Australian Hurdle Race, and his son, B. Price, had the mount. Sandule led in the Australian Hurdle Race until he fell at the second last obstacle. According to reports, he was beaten at the time of his mishap. According to latest adviees, Finmark divides favouritism with Richmond Main and Silverton for the A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap. Chrysolaus, a staunch favourite for the A.J.C." Epsom Handicap, made his first appearance this season in the Auburn Handicap at Rosehill, on August 7. He was nastv at the barrier, and by twisting round when it rose, lost a dozen lengths. Even so he finished sixth, without being knocked about. Altogether, his effort, with the exception of his behaviour at the post, must have been reassuring to his Epsom backers. Some inquiries were made by Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., i* the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth, as to payments received by a jockey apprentice who was before the' Court, when it was stated that the pay was 5/- per week for the first year, 7/6 for the second, 10/- for the third, and 12/6 for the fourth. In reply to a question as to whether that was all ho got to live on, the jockey in the case said it was, unless he was fortunate enough to get a mount in a race, when the owner might offer an allowance of £2O or so if he rode a winner.

In a recent issue of the Sydney "Referee," a writeft. says:—"Gloaming and Vespucci are now among the workers at Raudwick, and the former looks bigger and stronger than when lie arrived hera towards the spring of last year. However, that may be due to not having done a great deal of work prior to his recent departure from New Zealand. In his first spin at Eandwick subsequent to his arrival, by easily cutting out half a mile on the middle grass track in ClJsec, he demonstrated he could gallop as fast as ever. Nothing better was done during the morning, and it is fairly safe to say he will be in good trim by October.'' TEMPLAR,