Cap and Jacket

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 37, 28 May 1881, Page 404

Cap and Jacket

MY NOTE BOOK,

By "Saul."

" Is Saul also amongst the prophets."

— Mr. Long has rented Grand Flaneur's sister for her racing career, the price being 1001 guineas.

— Grand Flaneur is the only Australian thoroughbred of note that has retired from the turf unbeaten.

— Windsor, a half-brother to Musket, ran in the Lincolnshire Handicap but was uhplaced.

— Fred Archer appears to have taken a lease of the City and Suburban Handicap. He has ridden five winners in six years, the last three in succession.

—The racing at Papakura was first-class, and once inoie demonstrated the excellence of local over Southern handicapping.

— Maid of Eccleston, by Painter from Policy, entered for the Wanganui Derby of 1883, has been backed to win about £2000.

— In the Birthday Handicap, at Dunedin, Lady Emma (to the great delight of the bookmakers) was just done by a neck. The shout that went up when the Poet got his head in front was teriffic.

— Joe Gallagher is finding Kawenata rather an expensive purchase. So far lie lias not won a stiver, and on Tuesday all the brute could do was to run third for the Consolation.

— Although very few spotted the double at Papakura, Grand Duchess was by no means a good horso for the Ring. Nearly all of them had laid two or three long shots against the more.

— The Goodwood Handicap, at the Adelaide (S.A.) Meeting was won by a rank outsider. There was only one investor on the horse in the totalisator, and he received £836 as a dividend.

— " Martingale " thinks Dan literally "chucked" into the C.J.C., ; for my own part, after seeing the way he ran at our Easter Meeting, I wouldn't back the brute for a farthing.

— Beauchamp 11. , by Victorious out of Bergere one of the niares imported by the Auckland Stud Company, won the Four Oaks National Hurdle Race at Birmingham, beating a good field of thirteen.

—Mr H. Prince says "Beacon " appears to be fond of the Goldsbrough blood, for he informs me that he Lad purchased for him, for 99 guineas, at the recent yearling sales at Sydney, a colt by that stallion out of Sea Breeze, and the stranger is expected here daily. Sea Breeze is a daughter of The Barb.

— Strangers to Auckland who take an interest in English sport should make a point of looking in at the Thistle Hotel where prints of several racehorses and photos of Archer and Fordharn are to be seen. The Sporting Life may also be read there.

— It is unfortunate that other people's views do not altogether coincide with John Smith's re the value of his racehorses. He was in a fine state after the sale on Friday, and the compliments that passed between himself and his trainer were models of refined verbiage.

— In Dunedin a totalisator is kept going on almost every conceivable object of speculation, including municipal elections, rowing matches at Home, and horse-races in all parts of the world. It was, of course, opened on the Adelaide Cup, and the backers of Totalisator received a dividend of over £28 each.

—If he liked Mr. Horsfall could tell a nice story about the proposal made to him the other day relative to the Papakura Handicap by an lioncst (! !) owner of racehorses. My own opinion is that lie should report the circumstance to the Auckland Jockey Club. That any man should make such an offer to him was a gross insult, and one which, if I stood in his shoes, I should take care to resent.

— A small bookmaker in Tasmauia named Christopher Glynu has been sentenced to six months' hard labour for refusing to " part " to a backer who had deposited a stake with him on account of a wager and won the bet. Glyun was convicted of larceny as a bailee. Before sentence was pronounced he made an appeal on his own behalf, saying that he was the only support of his mother, and that he had been ruined in his prof ession by these proceedings, the only profession he could follow on account of an injury to his spine, making him incapable of performing hard work.

— On Wednesday afternoon next, the greatest race in the whole world, the Derby Stakes, will be brought to an issue over the far-famed Epsom Downs, and in presence (it may be confidently anticipated) of the greatest crowd that ever assembled there. It is a strange thing, considering what a sporting community we are, that so little interest should bo taken in the event par excellence of the racing world. In India, the Derby and Legcr are discussed animatedly for weeks before their decision, and monster sweeps, wholly putting to shame the £5000 consultations on the Melbourne Cup, got up. Here the cable message announcing the result creates no sort of interest, the daily papers devote a few lines to the race (possibly not even that) and the affair is done with.

— Tlie field which will compete in [this year's Derby does not, judging from the very incomplete data which I have before me, promise to be a large one. The greatest number that ever started for the blue ribbon of the turf was thirty-four. This lot went to the post in 1862 when the little-thought-of Caraetacus, who started at the healthy odds of 40 to 1, j ust managed to bowl over the favourite, Marquis, by a short head. It would not surprise me if there was to be a turn up next Wednesday. The horses that were expected to figure in the first three for the Two Thousand Guineas, St Louis, Scobel, and Bal Gal, were conspicuous by their absence, and instead, the name of a little -dreamt-of outsider, followed by two Americans, was cabled, I cannot of course tell it fc>t. Louis started for the Guineas, if not, he probably lioHs the proud position of first favourite for the Derby but Middle Park winners have always been singularly unfortunate at Epsom, and I don't expect him to win.

—The Americans have several times made a bold bid for the Derby, notably with Umpire who was good favourite m Thornianby's year, and Brown Prince who ran second tor the Two Thousand in 1877 Never however, have they had such a chance of securing the coveted trophy, as on this anniversary. Two Yankees, Iroquois and Don Fulano, were placed in the Guineas and it would not surprise me if the former was to win straight out at Epsom.

—"Picador, Jim.," writes :— "Anteros" in his letter in Saturday's Herald, implies a doubt as to my experience in breeding, and says that I am midtaken about Loiterer. He also wishes to know why I think " Anteros" will never get a racehorse. In answer all I can say is, that Sir Joseph Hawley one of the best judges of breeding in England— was a great friend of mine from the time I was a boy. Bein<» close to him, and having some mares left me, he took great yams to teach me all he could as regards breeding • and hours have I spent with him studying the Racing Calendar and Stud-book to find out the best strains to suit our mares. His great theory, and one that is now looked upon by many of the best breeders as good, is that a Stallion, to be a successful sire, must be out of a mare that has shown good form on the racecourse, or has proved herself a success at the stud, and that the sire should have been a good racehorse. Loiterer, Anteros's srre, did but httle on the turf, and did nothing of not! at the stud, though he had plenty of opportune ties given him. It is a fact, too, that he at last descended to a hunting sire. Ennui, with the exception of Saunterer, threw nothing of much account. Adrasta, if I remember her rightly, was only a sprinter, and one that was not thought much of • while Anteros himself has not distinguished himself either on the turf or at the stud. Therefore, as lam a Arm believer in my mentor's theory, I am of opinion that Anteros will never get a racehorse. He is quite mistaken in supposing that I have run down the horse through spite. If he will get the English Studpooks, I will gladly spend a few houra with him discussing the subject, and I think that I can persuade him that tno theory ia a sound one. With regard to not

knowing Loiterer, I can assure him that I do, having known him from a yearling. I did make a mistake in saying ha won the Northhainptonshirc Stakes ; it was another race that he won. But what impressed it on my memory was the fact that I beat Loiterer at Warwick with Warminster immediately after at a difierence of only a few pounds. The performance was considered so good that he became a favourite for the Derby. About a fortnight after I again met him at Croxton Park. Thinking- 1 had made a mistake in his trial, I asked the Dnke of Beaufort if he would give me a spin with the Eoe. He consented, and the result confirmed my opinion that he was not within 281bs. of Derby form. If I am not much mistaken the gentleman signing himself "Anteros" has been trying to breed a racehorse for many years, and has not succeeded in getting one. Most of them bred by him were weeds, thus showing that his system is wrong ; and I can prove by the Stud-book that I have been successful in breeding some good horses, thus proving that I have some data to go upon. Space will not allow me to go fully into the subject of breeding.so I hope that " Anteros " will discuss it as proposed. lam anxious that the Auckland Stud Company should prove a success after having gone so pluckily into the affair, and paid long prices for their mares. Picador, jck.