CAP AND JACKET.

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 45, 23 July 1881, Page 508

CAP AND JACKET.

MY NOTE BOOK, By "Saul."

"Is Saul also amongst the prophets." —That fifty pounds was easily collared ; eh, Rutherford ? — The V.R.C. are being asked to remove the disqualification from Mata. — Hornby is to be relegated to the stud this coming season. — The annual meeting of the A.R.C. takes place on the first Monday in August. — The Aitstralasian notices the arrival of Roddy Mclvor in Melbourne. — The hounds meet at Hunt's farm at Panmure to-morrow (Saturday) at 11 a.m. — Bob Blaikie is in Sydney doing a lot of touting. He goes out to Eandwick every morning. — -Barney Winters, one of the oldest jockeys in Australia, died in Launceston about a fortnight ago. — There has been a lot of speculation on the Melbourne Cup and Derby, in Auckland, this week. — The Cambridge folks have got out a very nice programme for their one day's meeting in September. — The match between Sportsman and Bide-a-wee was a complete farce. The former won by twenty lengths, in a canter. — Monmouth is "very good goods " for the Melbourne Derby, with Welcome Jack scratched and Spinningale reported quear. — Mr Fred Fox, who was pretty well known in Melbourne racing cirles as a bookmaker, and as owner of the hurdleracer Dutchman, is dead. — A well-known horse named Lolo, who was disposed of some years ago for £100, was purchased out of the Camden (N.S.W.) pound the other week with another for 3s. — My tip for the Melbourne Clip is Ci'eswiek, Hesperian, Sweetmeat, Lord Burghley, Lori Lisgar, Falmouth, Elastic, Bathurst, and Darebin. They'll all see good hedging. —"Nemo," of the Sydney Mail, thinks the best dozen and one in the Great Metropolitan appear to be Sweetmeat, Creswick, Venom, Lord Lisgar, Henchman, The Wanderiug Jew, Stmtheara, Monmouth, Marmora, Wb.ea.tear, The Gem, Milbrodale, and Zulu. — When the well-known Melbourne bookmaker, Mr Branch, heard of the sale of Baltic and South Hamilton, to go to India, he notified that ho wo\ild scratch all wagers which he had laid again&t either horse, including many doubles. This is unusual generosity. — " Beacon" says the A r aluable Epsom Grand Prize, run the day after the Derby, was won by Mr Blanton's Scobell, one of last season's best two-year-olds. He was to go to Paris and run for the Grand Prix on June 12th, and it will not surprise him to find that he actually won that race instead of Foxhall, as telegraphed out here. — Mr James Durie's horse, Scud, which promised to furnish into a very useful animal over fences, has thrown a sprain which caused him to go lame, which will prevent his owner bringing him out for the Spring events. A two-year-old from Welsh Maid, got by Dead Shot, and. owned by the same gentleman, has had to put back in his work, owing to a mishap to one of his legs. — The crack racers, Sir Modred, Idalium, and Somnus, have been disposed of by Mr H. Driver for £3000. The nominal purchaser is Mr H. Prince, but it is generally known that his name appears in the transaction as only that of an agent. There are various rumours as to who are the owners of these horses, but the most reliable is that they are secured for Melbourne buyers. — "Augur" thinks that Mr Barnard's handicap for the Melbourne Cup_ will givo pretty general satisfaction. In a lengthy review of the list, down to the weight of 7st 71b, he prefers the chances of Suwarrow, Lord Burghley, Odd Trick, Fahnouth, and Venom. He speaks very highly of Sir Modred, but does not take his chance into consideration as yet, the horse not being there. — Apropos of the big wager referred to last week, the -Bulletin says, " The really gigantic wager of £20,000 to £100 was laid last week by the Leviathan fielder, Mr Joe Thompson, on the double of Derby and Cup, the taker selecting the favourite Monmouth for the first event. It is doubtful whether so large a bet, and at such long odds, was ever surpassed, or even equalled, by any home bookmaker. — The two-year-old, Tubal Cain — Queen of Hearts' colt, which, it will be remembered, was purchased upwards of twelve months ago by Mr G. W. H. Lee, at Mr Gardiner's first yearling sale held in Christchurch, has grown into a very promising looking yoxingster showing a good deal of power. Mr Lee has obtained the services of W. Milne, to take the colt in hand and train him for the coming season. — Speculation on the Victoria Derby and the Melbourne Cup continues very brisk in Sydney, and several doubles, such as the two Monmouths, the two Darebins, the two Nautilus, &c, have been backed to win fully £25,000. Mixed doubles have also been well patronised. The extensive betting on the Melbourne events has caused the betting on the Hawkesbury and Eandwick meetings to be almost at a standstill. — Baron Rothschild, of Vienna, has a favourite horse for whose accommodation he has had a special loose box built at the cost of £2400. This magnificent room forms part of a new stable which cost £16,000, and which has marble floors, encaustic tiles painted by eminent artists ; rings, chains, and drain-traps of solid silver, and walls frescoed with splendid hunting scenes from the pencils of of eminent animal painters. Fortunately, however, the Barons annual income is a largo fortune, being about £32,000. — The New Zealand representatives for the Melboiyrne Cvp — Sir Modred and Somnus — have, says "Martingale," of the Canterbury Times, no reason to complain of the weights allotted t,o them. Sir Modred, with Bst 41b, is, I think, favourably enough treated compared with Progress ; as also is Somnus, 6st 71b, compared with Monmouth, Darebin, and other three-year-olds. Of the two New Zealauders, I think I prefer Sir Modred' s chance, who, with weight-for-age is only asked to concede 31b to Sonnvus. * - — At a committee meeting of the Sydney Tattcrsall's, held on the 4th instant, the following very important by-laws (which are worthy the consideartiou of the Auckland Tattersall's) were proposed by Mr A. H. Prince, and unanimously carried, " That the committee shall exercise their discretion in the receiving of the subscription of any member should they deem that such member is an ineligible person." " That, in the interests of the club, the committee have decided from and after the 4th July, 1881, bookmakers will not be allowed to propose or second nominees for membership." —Mr Thomas Henty has pointed out to " Augur " a racing case which may interest turfites. At the Epsom meeting in 1854, Child of the Mist stnx-ted for and won the Derby and Oaks Stakes, but the race was claimed .by the owner of the second horse, Vaultress, on the ground that while Child of the Mist was proceeding to the post, the owners scratched him and had the number taken down. The stewards of the Jockey Club gave the following decision : — "The stewards of the Jockey

Club, having heard the evidence with respect to the Derby and Oaks Stakes at Epsom, are of opinion that, althoug-h Child of the Mist's number was taken down by the desire of his owners while the horses were proceeding to the starting post, yet, as the person sent by them to prevent him from running did not arrive in time to carry out their change of intention, the horse must be considered the winner of the race. — (Signed) Exeteb, Francis Villiebs." — Says "Augur:" — "As there has been a demonstration against Darebin, during the past fortnight, an idea has become prevalent that there must be something wrong with him. I saw him canter on Tuesday last week, and visited Flemington again on Thursday, when I discovered that the set made against him was consequent upon the reports circulated by the watchers that there was 'not enough flesh upon his bones to feed a crow with.' No doubt the colt is fining down and losing all appearance of coltishness, but the touts talk as if his trainer were going to keep him incessantly galloping up to the Derby day. Mr Dakin is too sensible a man to do anything of the kind,_ and those who have backed him may rest assured that in his hands Darebin will have ample justice done him. Surely he knows better than the touts what woi'k the colt requires. The fact is the colt is a gross one, and, being possessed of a temper of his own, he gets a bit bumptious if allowed to put on flesh. It is necessary, therefore, to keep him well in hand. — "Pendragon," of the Referee thus refers to the respective performances of Bend Or and Petronel in the City and Suburban Handicaps. He says "No horse can ever hope to get home with 9st more easily than Bend Or did. Once to have given the winner of the Two Thousand 211 b and beaten him out of place at his own distance would have stamped the animal that did it of " century " name ; but this is not so now for a variety of reasons. Taking Petronel's exploits during the last twelve months, and adding to them the exploits of the majority of Guineas winners during the last dozen years or so, it must be conceded that the Kowley Mile race rarely enough introduces us nowadays to anything but secondclass calibre. When we think of the horses that did not win the Two Thousand Guineas, though they stai"ted for that race under apx>arently favourable circumstances, and compare them upon subsequent form with the | horses that did win it, we ought really to consider Petronel's fourth in the City and Suburban, with 7st 71b, something respectable."