THE TURF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 27 July 1907, Page 3

THE TURF.

A Melbourne message states:—"Great excitement was caused on the flat at Flemington on Saturday afternoon, when un elderly man who had a moment before been seen to become suddenly rigid fell forward and ffiy quite still. The Grand National Hurdle Race had just been run, and the stricken man was holding a betting ticket bearing the name of r beaten horse. Lion Heart. lie was I taken to the casualty-room, where it was found that life was extinct. Death was due to natural causes. Deceased, whose name was John Coghlan, was nil ex-senior constable."

The Russian winner. Hammurabi, was successful at his first appearance in England. The London Sportßman nays:—The condition* of the Run- | ningdale Park Plate at Keinpton Park | was ko favorite for Hummuralii, the rare being not for maiden* lint for horses that j had never won a race in England, that . it was not surprising to find this chosen for the Russian crack to make his English debut. He is by no means a hand , some horse, being leggy and stilty, nar row and angular, standing close upoi 17 hands, and he is never likely to se the Thames on fire, but he heat th moderate lot opposed to him rcadil; enough, as well he. might, seeeing tlia the best of these proved to be Deville Truffle, who twenty-four hours previous ly had been tailed off behind St. Peterburg. As many state ;ents have liee: made concerning the ownership of Ilani murabi, it may be stated that the liors belongs to the Russian Governmcntthat is to say, the Czar, whose Crowl is stamped upon his neck—but he is leas ed for his English racing career to eigh partners. "Ribbleden'' writes iu the Auatrala sian: Tlie rating authorities have showi their sympathy with steepleehasing re form by taking a little bit oir the toj of several of the fences at J-'lemingtoii and otherwise altering others, and cros: country riders, who, after all, are thi persons most nearly concerned, will, pgr haps, be satisfied. But, small fences 01 big, there is no guarantee that they wil continue to "go the pace." Speed is the feature of the day, the essence of th( contract. Record is piled on record, and everybody is exclaiming, What next! During the last quarter of a century speed ill all branches of horse-racing increased amazingly. In 1883 the distance of the Crand National Hurdle ltacc

was two miles .tlx furlongs and 307 yard*. Till' winner was Dizzy, and it took him ISB7 tlie distance hast been three miles but, notwithstanding the extension' Kavdon, in IDU2, ran the distance in .""in 48ner, and Rawdon was by no means a good horse. It is hard to believe, but hurdle races ami steeplechases arr; now run in faster time than the Mellxmrnc C'uj) was run in the early davs of its history.