FAR AND NEAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8156, 2 November 1904, Page 1

FAR AND NEAR.

(By THE POSSIBLE.) 1 hear excellent accounts of the working of Robertson's double totalisator at the Wellington. Racing Club's Spring Meetnig. The machine gave the greatest satisfaction, both to the officials and 1 to the public. The clpb.was so well s pleased/ in fact, that permanent arrangements have been made for working it. at. future .meetings. Double, event betting, through the medium of the totalisator, appears to have come to. stay, and, under .these circumstances,'clubs' caanot do better tiiahn give this machine a trial. It: is very simple, and yifc «ff«ctive, having many; advantages .over any other double mfiicbine that 1 have so far heard of. ' The : VictorianHacing Club's meeting was commenced' on Saturday under very favourable conditions, and it provided some excellent raoing. A strong fiel-d went out for the M<^bourne Stakes ; . in fact it may be set-down as one of the best that has been seen in Australia this v sea3on. In scoring smother win tinder weight f»r age oonditaons, Gladsome has given further proof , it was needed,; that- she i$ in. the. highest class, ait any. rate up to a mUe and a quarter. W.earefcold by Australian critics Chat she isnot'a Wakeful,- but the' Trenton mare it'her beg* w«4 v an-:exoeptiohal performer; and it is iio ■ disgrace to be classed some-' what below, her.; IJord Cardigan has evidently coihe on sincevthe; meeting at Randk wick in. September, and. a».. Jje ..if a great stayer he should be seen to advantage. i«L sofa* til the^ffg^disfca^ce :'^v^te to " : bi( *<$&•' cideiJ this Week; Emir apjieiars to have run Well up- to a ceitain . point. He.' ia, however, a peculiar horse, ;and evea though he. failed .to ,see cmt the journey -it,- dioes not follow" thatribe" will not run' well .later, in. the meeting, even .over longer courses. The Derby prodiioed a far better contest iaau. usual, and- judging by the details available, the struggle between Sylvanite and Lord Fitzroy must h*ve been most exciting. In placing the second D^rby^to his owner's credit this season,, Sylvanite has fairly establis&Ad* his right to be regarded as the best colt of the year. His stable companion, DemaSj however, appeals to haive had all the, worst of the luck in the race, and he" may yet show that he is not so very much, behind Sylvanite. The Maribyrnong Plate is alwavN full of interest. It has been, won by many first-class racehorses, and there is reason to believe that this year's winner, Murillp, is a- co}t of some promise. His victory draws attention once more to the success which has followed horses bred from the most fashionable English blood of the present day. Whatever may be said of them in other respects, there can be no doubt that recent importations, from England, and stock bred from them z are very brilliant animals. "* , When it was found, after the last payment for the New Zealand Cup, that M.' G. G. Stead; had left both Grand Rapid* and • Nightfall in the race, they were quickly established at the head of the betting quotations, Nightfall being made a slightly better favourite than her stable companion. At the same time, however, doubts were expressed by many as to which of the pair, was .likely to start. At the beginning of the week a report was current to the effect that Nightfall was not likely to go to the post. On Tuesday afternoon I called on Mr Stead, in search of information on the subject, the result being 'that I had the. whole position pot before me very clearly. Until the day prior to the last payment for the New Zealand. Cup became; due, Mr Stead' had every hope of .being represented' in, the Derby by Golden 'Knight,, 'the WallaceAura oolt, which /has not yet sported silk, ia which case. it ; wa<s his intention to start Nightfall in the Cup; An- attack of influenza,' however, 1 necewitated the withdrawal of Golden Kaigfafc' from the Derby, and left Mr Stead» with <$be two fillies, Nightfall and Golden Lily; "•■ for tb& classic rape. He decided to pay up with Grand Rapids and Nightfall, in the Cup, so that he might eee'the stuengthi of the fields, but on seeing th* list of horses left in. the various races the following morning, ha made U£ his mind! to rely on Grand Rapid? in tii« Cup, and, to reserve Nightfall for the Derby; ' As may be readily imagined, their owner would rather wui the Derby than tie Cup,> and he did not care to prejudice the filly's chance in her classic engagement by racing, her over two miles two days before the Derby; hence the decision arrived ' at. - Mr Stead made no secret of his intentions, and on it being represented to him that the public was likely to suffer through backing - Nightfall for the New Zealand Cup, he promptly scratched her for the two-mile. handicap. While on the subject 'of Mr Steads reprceentatives in the- leading event^i at the coming meeting, it 'is wortjb noting how his candidates for this year's Derby Have been reduced) in numbers. Six months ago, in addition $& the -two Multiform .fillies, . now remaining in tin© race, : Nightfall and Golden Lily, he had five ooj(te engaged, each of whom appeared to have excellent prospects of carrying his colours with i credit in the classic Tace, but from one j cause or anothf r they had to be pa^ed over; Silkwocm (Seatoa Delaval-rliady v Moth), Caroti^et, (HoU^j^^rmaia), Savoury {Sijn^r— Melodia). end Uranus (eJastor— Ciasj^ all went wrong or. r were ; found vttaA^ag. This left Golden Knight as the, last hop^ of the stable, so |ar as tte colts -wsiTp'o<meern&i, He developed a ip^t •cnreral* indi^hy!^^

treatment proved successful, and everything • was going well .with him till the attack of influenza, mentioned above, desLruyedr all chance ot having him ready. Thus wtoat looked like being an extremely powerful team" of Derby candidates has been sadly reduced. Mr Stead's horses beings trained privately, little is known of their doings. It will, therefore, be of interest to learn that the Yaldhursb division in active commission at present inclucks the following : — Cruciform, Grand Rapid's, Xightfall, Golden Lily, Uranus, Savoury. Eubia, and the two-year-olds Munjeet (Sftepniak— Madder), Sungod (Multi-form—-Obterden), Delaware (Seaton Delaval -^-Sbepfeldt), Eden (Stepniak— Far Away), Larg^ce-s (Seaton Delaval — Keepsake), and Soltykcff (Stopniak — Hermcea). Several of those mentioned have been i coughing of late, while a few of the inmates of the stable, including Golden Knight and soms of the two-year-olds, have had to be eased in their work in consequence of colds and influenza. Notwithstanding these ailments, however, the Yaldhurst team is a very, strong one, and it loots like playing an important part in the coming carnival at Biccarton. ■ j