SPORTING NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8666, 5 July 1906, Page 1

SPORTING NOTES.

. Birkenhead's half-brother, Condor, won a race in Sydney last month. Siege Gun is among the sires represented in next season's two-year-old races in Australia.

J. Chandler, a well-known English trainer, committed suicide in May by cutting his throat.

Sydney writers speak in terms of high praise of Achillean, the yearling brother to Achilles. The Carbine colts. Ramrod and G-ingal, were scratched for the Epd.om Derby about a week before the race. The American Jockey Club voted £10,000 towards the relief of the sufferers by tho San Francisco earthquake and fire. D. J. Price is not taking any of his team to Melbourne for the Grand National meetings. In the meantime they will do their racing on the Sydney courses. One of the oldest racing men in Victoria died last week, in the person of Mr J. Q-. Heywood, whose son, P. T. Heywood, is a well-known trainer near Melbourne. An American jockey, named Charles Gray, who has been very successful recently m Chili, is about to try his fortune in Australia, tie has tha reputation of being a first-class horseman. , When the last mail left England it was thought likely that Presto 11., who beat Pretty PoUy when she was a three-year-old, would be sent to England to take part in. the Ascot Gold Cup. Bellis, who won the Grand National Steeplechases at Fiemington and Caulneld. .Ast year, has bsen awarded 12st 13* bin the Victoria Kaciug Club's Grand National Steep.ecbase, which will be decided next Saturday. A few weeks ago at Longchamps, f** ls > several Englishmen and others were arrested for contravening tie law which prohibits bookmaking. They were locked up, and oply released after the English Ambassador had intervened. Flair, who was second favourito for the Derby prior :io being scratched .on May 14. was adferin* from a cracked h«tl» and ait

herself badly, causing injuries which may necessitate her permanent retirement. Two Ausfcralian-bied twc-year-o.ds yere sent to CJiili a. few months ago. They were both started in a race in March, which one of thorn — Primrose, by Gossoon — Fearnought, skter to Dreadnought, won. The field inoiudid several well-bred Argentine juveniles. Xhe American Jockey Ciub was to consider the fol.owihg new ruie at a recent meeting: — Ail horses sha.l be properly schooled before starting, and, upon the report of the starter, the stewards may fine or suspend any trainer who, after boing notified, shall start any unruly horse. Achille3, who finished thiid to Bachelor's Button <in the Ascot Gold Cup last month, won the Burwell Plate, >7eig«ht-for-age wita penalties, one. mile and a ha.f , at the Newmarkot meeting on May 15. Bachelor's Button, who was a hot favourite »t 6 to. 1 on, was beatea. by & neck. | The stables of tho Hon G. Lambton, at Newmarket, England, which sheltered upwards of sixty horees, caught fire on tho night of May 12. the damage done being estimated at £10,000. All the horses were got out safely. The stablo3 were built about four years ago, at a cost of nearly £50,000. Less' than three weeks before the Epsom Derby was run Spearmint was quoted at 33 to 1, Laliy being then favourite at 2 to 1. A few days later Spearmint began to shorten in price, several big wagers being taken about him, and a week before the race was run he was second favourite at 11 to 2, Lally being at 5 to 2. Recent American files bring news concerning- Sysonby, whose death was recently announced by cable. It appears that a strange epidemic, whioh had been puzzling the American veterinary surgeons, got hold of him, and, settling in his feet, completely xuiued them. Mx Keen* took his personal physician to examine the" hoise, to see if th© human subject afforded any clue, but it was in vain. A writer in. a- Perth paper suggests that the West Australian Turf C*ub shou.d adopt ■a rule which will enforce the reasonable nding out of horeea for place money. At a recent meeting it was noticeable- i hat so soon as a horseman came to the conc.usion. that h e had not a chance, of gaining first place, he made little or no effort to finish in second or third position. This, of course, is distinctly unfair to those who patronise the place totalkator— 4hat instrument from which the raoe clubs derive such enormous profits. Further, it often robs a race of much of its interest. In any case, it should not bo left) to the judgment of a jockey who. her he could gain first place. So long as he does not unnecessarily puuish his mount he should be forced to use every endeavour till the wuuungpost ia reached. A recent race at Cauifteld threatened to provide material for some disputes. Some backers bet on the system of 'Supporting at starting price the horse that iB quoted favourite. Lexington was favourite for/ the race in question, but the field was ten* away before he was in the starter's hands, and, according to the betting rules in force in Victoria (they differ in this respect from the Sydney ruies), he was not considered a starter, and all wagers made on him were off. Lexington was the real favourite, Dut those who backed, "at starting price, the favourite for the race were really on Laughing Waiter, who was next in demand to Lexington. I| Laughing Water had won tne bookmakers would have had all the worst of the betting figures, but an outsider cam© to their rescue; Cipper slipping up on the rails and beating Laughing Water by half a length. The following from a Calcutta paper suggests that some of the Australian " pony jockeys who have visited India have not too favourably impressed owners in that part of the world: "There is at present a difference of opinion existing between a number of owners a>nd the stewards of the Calcutta Turf Club. In view of endeavouring to improve the status. of the turf, and to ensure straighter running, the jockey question has been gone into, with the res\Ut (hat a protest, signed by a large number . of owners, has been addressed to the stewards, objecting to their granting licenses to boys who come up from Australia, and who have failed to get licenses down there through having ridden at unregistered meetings. They say. these boys ire the riff-raff of Australia. The stewards, however, have, we understand, declined to move in the matter, but we are led to , believe that they will be approached again." Mr W; H. Croker; the. most eabqutmt men!-" ber of the Victoria Racing Club's commihee, bays the Melbourne " Leader," has been appointed counsel and solicitor to represent New Zealand in Victoria. Collaterally, it is pleasantly significant that New Zealand is the home of the totalisator, and that Mr Croker is one of the most earnest advocates- of the legislation of the machine for operation on courses upon which race meetings axe' held under the auspices of the Victoria Racing Club. Mr Crcker could not do the public of Victoria a better turn than by using his ! eloquence and influence to induce the Legislature of this State to take a wiser and broader view of this important matter, and cease to be misguided oy wild statements and misleading argumeuts of people who, though no doubt conscientiously earnest, have blocked a public benefit through their utter ignorance of the subject. There are plenty of rich m<ai in the racing game in America, and one of the eenaationa. buyers of blcod stock in that country this year is a gentleman named Mr Paul Kainey, who recently gave £15,000 for a two-year-old named j.*ewton Bennington, and dESOOO for Horace E., another colt of the same age. Both youngsters have shown themselves gcod, and they would need to at the figures - mentioned. Horace E.s dam, by the vray, d.ed when ho was four days old, and he was reared oa cow's milk. He was fed at tho kitchen door, and eventually became such a nuisance that (according to a New York paper) when the youngsters on Mi Schrieber's stud farm were being selected to go to California Horace E. was added to the number at the special request of the cook. It was not thought that he would make much of a record in California, but the cook was getting tired of having him hanging around the kitchen door.

. A Perth writer remarks that while there will be no registered meeting in ihe local metropolitan, area until the G-old3e"ds spring carnival is concluded, there will be a plethora of meetings. In dealing with the 'situation the Banie scribe adds: "So weakly ha 9 the effort to curtail racing been, put forth that we find the position to be this — controlled racing has been stopped altogether and outlaw racing has full sway. There is one chance of remedying this, however. The West Australian Turf Club may recognise the absurd situation, and allow the metropolitan clubs to run meetings during July. In it's well-meant endeavours to meet the demands of the public and remove jhe necessity for tb.e cry of a surfeit of racing, the administrative body ha 3 not received the legislative assistance that was hoped for, and. in fact, promised. Should it decide to checkmate the unregistered peop'e by allowing the suburban clubs further" fixtures, there surely cannot be any complaint. It will bo a case of ohoosing the lesser of two syils.".