CAP AND JACKET

Observer, Volume II, Issue 44, 16 July 1881, Page 492

CAP AND JACKET

MY NOTE BOOK,

By "Saul."

"Is Saul also amongst the prophets,

— Drake is still in Melbourne. —Mi- Driver has been offered £3000 for his grand trio of horses — Sir Modred, Idalium, and Sornnus. — It is very unlikely Welcome Jack will start for the Melbourne Cup, as he is badly amiss. — Lowlander and Result have been scratched for the Melbourne Cup. — There is no betting whatever in Auckland at present on racing events. — Grip and Betrayer are most fancied down South for the C.J.C. — Major George is getting Tinambra and Florence into form for the coming season. — Mr Banks has placed Rewi in the hands of Leng, who will prepare him for the Summer Meeting. — Mr Buckland has sent his colt, by Papapa oiit of Una, to Leng's, to be trained. — Liberator lias been backed to win £30,000 for the Melbourne Derby and Cup. —King Quail goes to Napier for the September Meeting. —"Augur," referring to the purchase of the Musket— Sylvia colt, says the price paid (1250g5.) is about the highest ever given for a foal in Australia. — Jack Thorpe hopes to pull off an event or two with "VVhitefoot at the Pakuranga Hunt Club Meeting 1 . The old horse is in active training. — A half brother to The Agent has just been broken in by Mr Bucklaud, who hopes to win some of the jumping races with him at Christmas. — Town and Country says that the other day Joe Thompson laid £20,000 to £100 against a double for the Melbourne Derby and Cup. —Bend Or's time in the City and Suburban, 1\ mile, carrying 9st, in 2m. 9|s., easily puts Australian records in the shade. — It is believed that Kennedy, -vvho brought out the Stud Company's mares, will train for Major George. — Four well known equine cripples are luxuriating in Mr Percvial's stables at Ellerslie, namely, Lara, Harkaway, Prunella and Vumpire. — Jack Thorpe has blistered Lone Hand on all his legs, and turned him out for the winter. It is to be hoped this drastic treatment will do the beast good. —Albert White wired to all his friends to back him. They are not quite so friendly as they " used to was " now. — Jimmy Poole has been admitted a member of the Sydney Tattersall's, and is doing a good business amongst the New South "Weighers— we beg pardonWelshmen. — Sweetmeat, Suwarrow, Bosworth, The Pontiff, Wandering Jew, Zambesi, Chatterer, Monmouth, Orient, Blue Ribbon, and Whcatear, are " Caspian's " fancies for the Sydney Metropolitan. — Jack Leng has quite a big string of horses under his charge just now. I was out the other day, and noticed Konilworth, Ratcatcher, Miss Domett, and Moton at exercise. — SirModred and Somnus were, "Beacon" says, fully meant to be nominated for the Champion Race as well as the Melbourne Cup, but by some mistake Mr Driver omitted to enter them for the big weight-for-age race. —The disqualification of Mata and Bob Eay i has given great satisfaction to Auckland sports, who ! foresaw a repetition of the same "little games" here. The Dunedin Club have only disqualified Mata in event of his coming to New Zealand, which is an absurdly half-in-half way of doing things. — A telegram to the Australian papers informs us that the Fernch Derby (Prix Dv Jockey Club), I run at Chantilly on Sunday, May 29, was won by Count F. de Lagrange's b c Albion, a son of Consul, dam the Abbess; Patrie, second; and Royamount, third. Albion's two-year-old parformances in England last year were very second-rate. —The action of the Canterbury Jockey Club in refusing to disqualify Mata and Ray has naturally been much canvassed in Auckland. The Club excuses its conduct by saying that it has received no written notice from the "V.R.C. My readers should, however, bear in mind that immediately after putting forward this absurd justification, the President of the C.J.C, (Mr Lance) eng.aged Bob Ray as a trainer. I trust the i V.R.C. will send the usual written notice, so that the C.J.C. may not be able to shelter themselves even behind that informality. . — The publication of the weights for the three big Australian events has (says a Sydney paper) fiven but a slight impetus to speculation. In the ouble event betting, Spinningdale and Monmonth are fancied for the Derbies ; Hesperian and Wandering Jew for the Metropolitan, and Hesperian, Zambesi, and Sayanaka for the Melbourne Cup. Considering the weights, and judging by previous running, Hesperian, Wandering Jew, Strathearn, Gipsy, Cooper, Zulu, Etna, and Milbrodale are best in for the Metropolitan, and Savanaka, First Water, Lord Burghley, Zambesi, Wandering Jew, Hesperian, Waterloo, and Wheatear for the Melbourne Cup. —The Gaming and Lotteries Bill introduced this session will be a great mistake, especially the clause referring to the sweepstakes. It is well known that fully £100,000 (if not more) is annually subscribed throughout New Zealand for sweepstakes. It is very certain that if people are prevented getting them up they will simply act as agents for others in Australia, and the money, instead of being kept in the Colony, will go over there. I can quite understand the idea to prevent swindling (a la our friend North), but why not license those who wish to get up a sweep and have the whole thing carried out under the supervision of the police or some authorised person ?