CAP AND JACKET

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 921, 5 September 1896, Page 15

CAP AND JACKET

BACING FIXTDEEB. Not 9, 11 & 14— C.J.C. Spring.

COURSING,

The August Meeting of the Coursing Club, the final one of the season, took place on Wednesday and Saturday last, and on both days the attendance was above the average, and speculation on the different rounds was very brisk On the §rst day six hares altogether were killed, a bigger percentage than usual on acspunt of thelateneßS of the season, but on the second day there was only one killed. The Club have been unlucky with their hares from the South, as, out of the thirty shipped from Lyttleton, only five survived the trip, and as each hare coßta from 10/- to 12/(5, it is a serious losb, besides making the supply short in the Park for breeding purposes. Of course the hero of the meeting was Mr J. W. Russell's Shylock, the winner of the Chamnion Collar Stakes. Mr Rusßell deserves good luck, as he gave fifty pounds for this dog some time ago, and as Mr Russell is a most ardent coursing man, he richly deserves all he won on the stake. I may remark that he also "supplied" the runner-up in the Recovery Stake with Romp. Mr Martin Taylor was greatly disappointed at not beating Shylock in the third round in the Champion Collar, but the champion Shylock never left the coarse in doubt, as he scored 6 points to Luck's All's (Mr Taylor's dog) I—a1 — a moat decisive victory. Mr Taylor had backed his dog to win a fair stake, and considered his dog had all the pull in condition, as old Martin is a past master at preparing the canine. The winner (Sequah) of the Recovery has only lately come into prominence, but has always been a good, consistent worker, but lacked pace. Mr Freny deserves luck, aa he has Btuck to this particular breed of dogß right through the piece (Busy Bee whip). At one time Sequah narrowly escaped death by having a large macrocarpa tree falling on him, but the great medicine man survived to annex the Recovery Stake and brine joy to the Freny heart.

The Merchant — Katero dogs ran disappointingly. At one time they were conBidered the coming dogs, but they seem to have no stamina. A good puppy that won a couple of courses, and worth watching next year, is Keilor (Merchant — Manna lade), plenty of pace and a good worker. Taking the last meeting of 1895 and 1896 right through, it was far and away the best meeting of the season, and it is the opinion of experts from the South that Auckland in the near future will be the most important coursing centre in New Zealand. The sport is languishing both in Christoburch and Dunedin — exit Carrie.

Kulnine is booked for stud duties. Hippomenes is galloping in great heart. BeHe Clair pulled up lame last ■week. Wells, the Auckland jockey, received £40 for riding Gillie at Christokurch. Beport says that Mr Folmes has made T. Stewart a present of the hurdler Clarence. Barmby, who has been spelled, is in hand again and looking well and g«ing nioely. At the recent sale of trotting horses at Christchurch, Rita was sold for £70, Mr W. Hawkins being the purchaser. At a sale of racehorses at West Maitland (Sydney) Golden Fleece waß sold for £11. Can tfiie be the ex-New Zealander? Mr D. O'Brien's luck seems to stick to him still. Rob Roy being again amiss, it seems doubtful if he will ever agaia see the post. In the case of such a promising one it is a thousand pities if such a prophecy turns out correct. St. Simon's stock are top in the list of winning mounts this season in England. The amount of £27,500 stands against St. Simon's name in this respect, and it is curious to note that one of his sons is second on the list. This is St. Serf, with £9,361.

Lord William Bcresford is the buyer of Bombshell. The ex- Aucklander,Othello,brought 50 gs. at Sydney the other day. T. Fayton considers that, as a two-year-old, Autonomy was better than Carmoola. Newhaven, an all winter Derby favourite, continues to hold his position at the head of Derby qaotations Maruso has been well backed for the Caulfield Cup, and is now as strong a favourite as anything for this race. The Badminton- Plate for two-year-olds, ran at the York Meeting (England) resulted in a dead heat between the three first horsea. ' '' Donald HcKinnon, Tiritea and Chris are entered for the two hardies and two steeplechases of the Sydney Spring Meeting, commencing next week. Mr Donglas, the owner of Donald McKinnon and Leo, was a through passenger en route to Australia on Wednesday last, per a.s. Waihora, no doubt to see his I horses perform. I fancy old Donald, fit and well, will trouble the best of the Australian chasers. B. Edwards, trotting trainer, intends settling at Palmerston North. He has notified his intention of selling off his stock at Christchurcb. B. Edwards has I not had much luck in Canterbury, and this | probably has led him to determine to try i for better elsewhere. ' Interlude, by Abercorn — Prelude, was doing well until very recently And through this colt it was thought the colours of Mr Loyd might be carried prominently in the A.J.C. Derby. A later tile, however, reports Interlude as having wrenched his fetlock. , „-.'.. Business on the big Spring Handi- | caps at present in Auckland is anything but brisk. The Melbourne Cnp is a dead letter, and the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, the double, a thousand to one fails to tempt the wary punters, but now that we | have genial spring weather they may be tempted. Mr Lloyd's motion re two-year-olds was carried the last meeting of members of the V.R C, by a majority of 23 to 14. This new addition to rule 35 reads : — ' Nor shall any two-year-old be allowed to start in any race before the first day of October each year, and no race shall be of a shorter distance than four furlongs.' For some time past the dates of running for the Melbourne and New Zealand Cups have clashed, both being rnn on the same day ; but this year a week intervenes between the two races. The Melbourne Cup will be run ou ihe Brd November, and the New Zealand Cup on the 9th. I notice that Whakawatea's name is in the list of acceptors for the Dunedin Jockey Clubte first Eclipse Stakes of 500 soys ; from which it would appear that the report that Becky Sharpe's son will race in New Zealand during the coming season is quite correct. I would suggest that the Auckland Trotting Club institute class trotting events at their gatherings similar to those now so popular in Canterbury. Such races are a great draw to the public, who love to see pacing of a high standard. The maidens and moderates still have their own especial bill of fare provided, with a better chance of getting a share of stake money. The South Canterbury Jockey Club's Spring Meeting takes place on the 17th and 18th inst., on the i\ rafc day of which the Timaru Cup, the first New Zealand Cup finger mark for Southerners, is run. The entries are not large, but the two or three more or less fancied New Zea-land-Cup candidates causes the race to be looked forward to with general interest. ' Castor ' says tbat Gillie's dam, Bolly, was once nearly the heroine of a big dividend. She fiaished first in a race, and a man who held four of the five tickets on her computed his dividend to be about £100 Accordingly, he treated himself and his ! friends liberally in the matter of champagne, only to find on returning to the weighing room that the rider had weighed ! in short of the correct weight, and that his mare had consequently been disqualified. — Otago Witness. Euroclydon is assessed as the best horse in the New Zealand Cup. His admirers, in showing their preference for him to any other, assume, in their opinion, that he is the best horse in the race at the weights. That is going a deal further. Strong preference for a local horse for a big race is generally just another name for loyalty. This is the basiß of the strong fancy which most Southerners have for Euroclydon. The r,emark made by a good judge comes to me somewhat as an echo of my own opinion, which is, assuming Euroolydon to be as good a horse as is implied by Southern faith, the task for a four year old to carry 9st slb two miles in an early spring cnp handicap will put to the test Carbine qualities.

Bluefire is being ÜBed as a hack by Mr R. T. Mason. The next forfeit in connection with the New Zealand Cup is due on Friday, October 16th. Marton (Taranaki) Hack Steeplechases are run next Wednesday and Thursday, 9th and 10th inst. Out of the fifteen horses which Mr S. Hordern has in training, nine are by Nordenfeldt, and two by Castor. Lord Glasgow has signified his intention of witnessing the Melbourne Cap Meeting at Flemington next November. The first meeting of the Coolgardie Racing Club was a great success. Over £12,000 waß passed through the totalisator. The Club will be m a position to give £1,000 in stakes at their next meeting. Mr Marshall, owner of the Lady Walmsley and Necklace colts, is a frequent visitor in the early mornings at Ellerslie, watching the progress made by the youngsters. A good man to have amongst us. Eeaders will remember Ballater, half brother to Bluefire and Maunlicker, now in India At the May Meeting in Singapore liallater won the Singapore Derby (lOst 10lb.) and the Stakes (Ilßt 71b.). In the latter race Philson was third. The A.8.C., I hear on good authority, have got the Papakura permit, and will hold their first spring meeting after all. This is pleasing news to local owners, who have been "preparing their horses for it, especially the owners of two-year-olds. Son of a Gun has not hitherto been very extensively patronised by breeders as a sire, but in addition. to a well performed one like Cnlverin, there are a/few promising scions of the Antares horse, in the South, and owners are looking more favourably on the pretenions 'of Son of a Gun, and this season, no doubt, will result in his being mated with some good Southern brood mares. Saracen is a horse which seems to be generally overlooked in connection with the New Zealand. Without going so far as to say that I fancy his chance, I cannot help thinking he is jnst one of the sort to upset all calculations. His chief characteristic is perhaps uncertainty ; but there is nothing more certain than that he has the pace, given the humour, plus condition. Though not a proved stayer, he ought to, and that he has not proved it says nothing, when attempting to gauge the probable capabilities of one of his uncertain class. With the opening of the present month (September) the minds of turfites are awakened to the fact that the racing season 18 ( J6-97 is right upon us; and, in a few weeks, those of us who take most interest in the great sport will have our minds full and keen set on the many chances of the various events which march onward from then until June As a proof of the exhilaration and pleasure which attend racing to the sport lover, is the fact that it never tires with good racing, and that the coming season may be full of good quality sport is the wish of us all — and there is every reason to believe this will be so.