RACING AND TROTTING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17345, 18 July 1924, Page 2

RACING AND TROTTING

NOTES BY

ARGUS

FIXTURES. July 19 —South Canterbury Hunt Club. July 24—Wairaate District Hunt Club. July 24. 26—Gisborne Racing Club. August 2—Christchurch Hunt Club. August, 2—Poverty Day Hunt Club. August 9, IS, IS—Metropolitan Trotting Club. August 12, 14, 16 —Canterbury Jockey Club. NOMINATIONS. July is —Canterbury Jockey Club. July I&—Christchurch Hunt Club. HANDICAPS. July 2.2—Metropolitan Trotting Cliib. July 28—Canterbury Jockey Club. July 26—Christchurch Hunt Club. July 28— Poverty Eay Hunt Club. ACCEPTANCES. July IS—Canterbury Jockey Club. July id—Gisborne Racing Club. July 29—Poverty Eay Hunt Club. July MO—Christchurch Hunt Club. : August &—Metropolitan Trotting Club. ; August G—Canterbury Jockey Club. R. S. SIEVIER. A cable message from England this ; week, referring to the fourth bank nip toy of It. S. Sievier, will ho read with interest by many old sportsmen, who can recall early incidents in the career of this irrepressible mail, who has made several fortunes in racing, and disipated them either on the turf or in other forms of gambling. Alxrut forty years ago, he came to Australia, where lie operated for a time as a bookmaker under the name of Bob Sutton. and was mix .d up in at least one unpleasant incident. Later, he bob bed up in England as the owner of the great racing mare Sceptre. Since , then he has frequently figured as horse i owner, punter and newspaper owner, to mention only a few' of his claims to I notice. A few years, ago, in his paper. ; the inning Post.’* he attacked the . Australian trainer. R. Wootton, then in England, a Court case following, in j which much dirty linen was washed | The Joels, who are big racing men in j England, were among the others he fel! foul or. Just before the last mail left England a receiving order was made against him *in the Bankruntey Court. It was explained by the official receiver that, according to statements j that had been made bv the debtor, the latter failed previously in 1894, when the liabilities amounted to ££'33s. Debtor had since been engaged as a journalist and as a trainer or horses Apart from an old outstanding debt of £120,(.100, which would not have been j pressed but for the present proceedi * n S s ; * le estimated his present liabilities to amount to between £6OOO and £7OOO. Such liabilities were mainly due -co money-lenders. His assets he valued at £SO. In addition, there was mentioned 20,000 shares in the “Winning Post,” of which publication he was the managing director and the edi tor. He attributed his present position to illness, to interest on loans, and loss on the shares mentioned owing to the war. With regard to the old-standing debt referred to, amounting to £120.000. debtor had added that he hold a letter from the person, now deceased, who had advanced the sum treating the same as a gift. It wa* stated by the official receiver that he had received a letter from the debtor, j .•who enclosed a draft statement of his affairs. Debtor stated that he had filled up all the forms with the exception of the deficiency account, and in regard thereto he remarked, ‘-'On April 10 I can no more state the amount owing on that date with any I proportion of success than I can skate on water.” The statement of affairs was, therefore, at the present time incomplete. Debtor had sent to the official receiver his gold watch, a gold pencil-case, and some dress studs, which he valued at £SO. He further referred to a debt of £IS.OOO, which he said was due to him from the f ‘"Winning Rost.” Apart from his shares, those were the whole of his assets. Mr Easton, on behalf of creditors, ir.enj tioned that for some two years past there had been litigation between Sievier and someone else with referwere formerly the property of tho debtor. They were afterwards trans- { ferred to the other person referred to. but ran in the names of both parties. Mr Easton added that he thought it would he found, upon full investiga--1 tion being made, that Sievier had an j interest in the horses. J Acceptances and final payments for the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand | National meeting will close at eight j o’clock to-night. j Nominations for the Christchurch j Hunt Club’s meeting will close at eight o’clock to-night. Boadicea carried lOsfc Lib when .she ran second to Sunny .Loch in the' Winter Cup last year. She has 10st 61b in next month’s race and on her . recent form she will have to he seriously reckoned with, as she has never been setter than she is at present. Wassail, who was among the winters at Trentham last month, i» .mong the North Island horses m .avour for the Winter Cup. He is a brilliant sprinter but a mile may trouble him in tho company he will meet at Iliccarton. Lt is in ins favour, however, that he is likely to j Ite well placed in the early stages of i j tho race. j North I stand reports credit Cairo with having a big chance in the Winter Cup.' Ho is a four-year-old by Egypt - from—Beldame, by -Royal Fusp frem La Cloche by St Leger from Campania, and he has some smart i>erformanses to his credit. Yoma showed useful form at Trentham and he looks a good Winter Cup j prospect among the light-weight divi- I sicn.

I The South Canterbury Hunt Club’s meeting will be held at Washdyke tot morrow. The fields are particularly ! good, both in size and quality, and i there should be some first-class sport. ■ j The presence of nearly a dozen Riecari ton horses will give the meeting added interest for Christchurch sportsmen. For their convenience a special train will leave Christchurch at 7.d0 a.m., going direct to the course. It will leave Timaru on the return journey at 6.40 and is due in Christchurch a-t 10.25 p.m. | The South Canterbury Steeplechase should provide a very interesting contest. Master Peter, Palencia, Tigerland and Whipcord represent useful cross-country form, while Sherlock and Paul Pry have recent winning form to recommend them. Master Peter may not bo quite as forward as some of tho others, of whom Tigerland looks a likely sort to get some money. The Hadlow Hurdle Handicap should bo a good race. Flying Master and Pomposo have already shown fair form, while the field also includes The | Reaver, Hiero, Courcelett-e and Wirik-a-Peep, four novices, whose form will be closely followed. Charlatan’s- recent form over the Iliccarton schooling fences suggests that he is going to prove a very useful steeplechase!*. He is in two races at the iSouth Canterbury Hunt Club meeting. Knoc-klyn is deficient in stamina, but she should race well in the moderate company she will meet in the Levels Hack Handicap. Muzzle looks a better class horse than most of the others engaged in the Hunters’ Plate. lied Wink will probably be favourite for the Claremont Welter Handicap. He is a useful customer when lie is *-** Los Ambus is a likely young horse, who should pay Ills way very soon in open company. Hiero has been shaping well in his schooling, and he looks like developing into a useful hurdler. J. M’Conibo evidently contemplates trying Sunny Loch out as a jumper. He was nominated for a hurdle race at the Canterbury Park meeting last Saturday, and was given top-weight, a position he also occupied in the chief flat event of the meeting. That even the greatest experts can fail at times in gauging the situation accurately as to whether a mare is in foal or r.ot many instances can bo cited. The English-bred mare Dancing Doll, owned by the Hon E. W. Alison, is included among the mares’ that beat the experts. In November last Dancing Doll was mated with Romeo, and when siie raced at Ellershe in April last it was roundly believed that the English mare was barren. L now learn from Mr Ernest Alison, writes “ Phaeton,” that Dancing Doll may be expected to make an addition to the Stud Book this season. The fey mare is to be transported to Motukorea Island during the present week to take! a place with the brood mares at the picturesque island opposite Fleetstone and Haoma, who fought out a great battle for supremacy in j the Victorian Grand National Steeplechase at Flemington last Saturday j met last month in the Travancoro I Steeplechase at Moor.ee Valley whom he was conceding 101 b. In tue Grand National contest Fleetstone i.iia to meet Haoma at a difference oi only till,, and a head victory was the voiciict m his favour. Aa it would be dangerous for Herbert, Jones, for so many years the J ockey ’ to ,vaste i he has now definitely retired from race riding with a very well- earned pension from his Majesty. Born at Priam Lodge. Ep som. on November 30. 1880. his first winner was his second mount. Mr Preyton’s (the then assumed name of Mr Somerville Tattersall) Good News. 3yrs try. who iron an Apprentice Plate over toe fast sis; furlong 0 f the Bitch ‘Milon Tuesday, April 14. 18BG and* his m.st Victory was cm his Majesty’s Erne in a Maiden Plate at Ketopton Park, on Thursday, August IC, 1923. Tins was Herbert Jones's last mount, and between 1896 and 1923 inclusive Jones rode 080 winners, his most successful year being 1906. when he was on oi winners out of 321 mounts. , Wh * n the last mail left England Dio merles was regarded as being the best English two-year-okl seen out so rar this season. After winning at J Liverpool Diomedes was purchased bv Mr Sidney Beer for £3500. Ho is not t & fashionably bred colt, and was bred j iu Ireland, and Ls bv Argos (son oi’ j Suydridge and Mesange) out of Cap- ! dalie. a bay.seven-vear-old daughter of j Captivation (son of Cyllene) out oi ; Little Denmark, bv Queen’s Birthday. I KTid traces maternally to the same fain : ily as the Oaks winner. Airs and Graces | (dam of Jardy). Argos’s breeder pur S chased his dam when- carrying him for ' j 70gs. and as a yearling sold the colt ‘| for 200 gs. ( ! Two of tho greatest bookmakers of j all times were “ Leviathan 55 Davis and Richard Henrv Fry. Racing folk are jjroverbiallv generous, and Mr Fry was jno exception to the rule. So generous ten vs 11 Flaneur ” in the “ Sporting Times ”) was he in his treatment of his numerous clients that he allowed some members of that cute Yankee school whg came to these shores during the Tod Sloan era to “ ditch ” him ’ j for £50.000. No laver in my time had ! more bad debts than R. H. Fry. who j never unduly pressed a defaulting clienti if he thought he intended to pav. Un- ; like ** Levithan ” Davis, R, H. Fry . died a comparatively poor man. And yet during the many years he operated - in the ring he must have made several fortunes. V hat • he gave away «xi charity I should, not' cate* to estimate, but in every town where racing took nlace he had a loner string of pension'"c w ' ° on his periodica! vi .ts to •touch’’ him for a noun 1 j? r wo . And they always “clicked.” ' * or fc his most generous-hearted soul ■ j could not say “No ” to an “ear* I ! puller.”

The Otago Steeplechasers Pamplona 1 and Galway are now at Iliccarton, where they will remain until after the Grand National meeting. In the meantime they are having a quiet time, following on their racing at Trentham. Iliccarton stables will have a strong contingent racing at the South Can* fcerbury Hunt Club meeting. Among 1 j them are Hiero, Paul Pry* Wink-;” j peep, Tigerland, Whipcord, Charlatan, Rod Wink, Swindasa, Camel Amble and Taralga. J. J. Kennerley’s team for Addingl ton next month includes the four-vear-ohls Acron, Great Bingen and Logan Chief, three of the finest pacers* of their age ever seen here. The firstnamed pair have only recently been - put into work after a rest. Trainers are experiencing splendid weather for this time of the year. On ' ver 7 fe ’ v occasions have the trotting trainers been prevented from working their horses at Addington. At present the race track is in capital order and a large number of the horses trained there are much more forward than is usual at- this period. Peter King was responsible for a userul work-out at Addington yesterday over two miles. He did not go at top, but he paced in good style. 3 D. M’.Ken dry has Landlord in work at Addington. He was tried at the starting point- for some time yesterday, but his behaviour thire was'none too good. The trotters Red Heather and Nelson 801 l were associated in a useful workout yesterday. The latter appears to bo quite sound again, and he showed plenty of speed. It is not likely that any serious attempt will lie made tc train Rod Heather, who is far from sound. He is a capital working companion for his younger stable-mate. Three useful maidens were worked out together at Addington yesterday. The Nelson Bingen—Country Belle ; mare, the Brent Locanda—Hedvic filly i and the Logan Pointer—Proud Girl ; gelding. No record-breaking task was! attempted, but the three young pacers 1 went satisfactorily. The speed was r.ot on all the way, but over the last quarter of a mile the trio moved along ! a good deal faster. Argus worked out a little more than a mile at Addington yesterday, and showed plenty of speed. He is well forward in condition. Princess Zoo looks at her best and appears to have thrown off her lameness She was worked in harness yesterday, but showed a decided disinclination to begin. She is bad at tho start. W AIR A RAPA NOTES. (Special to the “ Star-”) MASTER TON, July 16. The Jvomball yearlings have been given a try out over & few furlongs, and the filly by Hv mestra—lntention shows the most promise of coming t<: hnugH early. She is very like her sire in general conformation. The three Masterton-ovvned entrants (Sir Rosebery, Mah.iru and Sturdec) ' failed to get into the money in the Yv'ellirtgton Steeplechase, though they ran good races. All three are to be taken to the Grand National meeting next month. i Merry Singer is a promising hurdler and carries the colours of Mr C. F. Vail since, of Masterton, though lie is trained at Hastings. The gelding has pace and is a safe jumper. P. Daly, who for some years has been head lad in P. E. Hazleman’.s (table at Featherston, has .started out as a public trainer, and has the Kiibroney—Chakawana filly Blonde in work, besides a couple of untried i youngsters. Last year’s .New Zealand Derby win- ’ ner. Black Ronald, is still under a > cloud, and this time it is thought an operation will be necessary to the > colt’s throat, as lie lias been showing symptoms of respiratory trouble. Lady Ben disappointed her connections at the recent Wellington mating. and may not l»e taken south for the Winter Cup. Usually a quick beginner, the daughter of - Benison was not in the early leading line, and failed to make up her ground. '‘v'uilea, the sister to Absnrdum, had a lot of racing lately and is is a genuine gnlloi/er, and next season she is expected to do well for the ■ TCemball stable. Bonne tier is beginning to show signs - of her usual good track work, but fit . pi escnt she is backward. B. Burgess c'.oes not intend to hurry the daughter i oi Boniform—Crayton, and it will b=> ! late ill the spring before she races. ' i Litters has not done any work dur- [ ‘in;.? the past month, and is looking aii ; the better for his let, up. The Advance gelding has not run up to his Lest form this season, though h e has | shown good track work at Featherston. > , Aouave has now practically recovered , from the accident he met with at Wa--5 in February, and is doing light • work at Tauherenikau. It will he a ; long time before the gelding will be I ready to race. Nono of Mr O. E. Elgar’s horse-3 ara - to race again until their owner returns ; from England m October. Half a dozen aro being got ready at present, and - they are looking big and well. Mr A. M’ Don aid. of Masterton. who recently returned from a visit to Austraha, intends to send his two-year-old gelding ICillocra across the Tasman to compete in. the spring weight-for-age races. A recent rr allop showed that r the young horse mill retains his pace. , Vagabond is not tho horse he was last, season, and though ho looks well , he does not seem to put much dash into his efforts, either on the tracks at Masterton or in his races. The son n? Martian—-Gins*- Girl is to contest thy* Grand National Hurdle Race again this year, an event in which Mr Kemball has a good record, having won twice and been second once in the last three jPears. Merry Day seems to have lost all form, and a spell would do her good. ! Since leaving W. Garrett’s stable the j mare has built up m condition, but is ! evidently not herself. From the early .j part of the season Merry Day has been • more or less unsound. • and she is a | long wav'behind her Ust year’s total j in winnings £ i There are some very fine looking ' yearling in this district this season end prospects for the cowing would anp-'fir tr> be brighter than u*ual. Standard (Absurd—Peroneal), Race , Day (Hymestra—lntention) and Hyj mestrason (HymestrA—Native Lady) i aro in the Ke-mball stable, Diction

(Nassau —Quotation), and Action (Day Comet-—Animation) are owned by Mr W. E. Bid will, at Featherston; Blue Girl (Kilboy—Blue Ribbon) will be raced by Mr Fred Dorset, of Masterton; and Mr C. F. Vallance has a couple coming on by Martian and Heather Mixture respectively, which on looks should come to hand for spring racing. THE DERBY. (Special tc the “Star."; LONDON, June 5. A more miserable day tor the Derby could not have been conceived, but tho lesuit was such as to dispel the misery of the great majority of a record crowd for tiie favourite won—the first favourite to win, in fact, since Sunstar’s triumph in 1911. Sansovino was tho hero, and quite apart from the fact that he was the general choice in the end the victory was distinctly popular because there is no better liked man on the English Turf than his owner, Lord Derby. in another respect, too, \v«e» the success of Sansovino remarkable. The famous Epsom classic takes its name after the House of Stanley, but only once in its history had the honours been carried off previously by the family—-and that was 137 years ago l In recent years Lord Derby had gone very close to winning on several occasions only twelve months ago had really seemed that he was never destined to achieve his ambition. But Sansovino has broken the spell. And in what a fashion, too! lt was, indeed a runaway victory. As the colt passed the judge Lord Astor’s St Germans was six lengths behind him second, and a neck further off was Mr Somerville TattersalFs Hurst wood, in the same stable as -St Germans. While Lord Derby’s bad luck has at last been broken, it will be seen that Lord Astor’s remains the same. Lord Astor has now provided the Derby second on five occasions with Blink, Tamar, Craig an Eran, Buchan and St Germans. An astounding record of ill-fortune, you will agree, spread as they have been over a very short period. Owing to the wretched weather—it rained incessantly throughout the afternoon—only a few people walked down to the paddock to see the Derby liorscc. and those who did go did not reap full reward for their energy. There was ample time to note the condition of tho field as they paraded. His Majesty’s Resina i o, deputising for the most brilliant Knight of the Garter, who, unfortunately, developed an ailment a few days Ivefore the race and had to be scratched, led the way, piloted by the American jockey Archibald. The Royal colt is an imposing sort, but ho will not

be at his best until later in the season. Tom Pinch, the most discussed horse in the race because" of his favouritism before he had ever seen a course and the futile attempts that had been made to get Donoghue to ride him, had “ class” written all over him, even he might be still a bit too leggy Donoghue, by the bye, had been very anxious to be on the back of Tom Pinch, but Mr J. I>. Joel, who held a retainer on his services, was determined to run his colt Defiance, who had only figured in one race in his life before. Of the Manton trio, St Germans, ridden by the stable jockey, Frank Bullock, looked compact and very businesslike, and was preferred to Lord Astor’s second string. Bright Knight, on account of the latter’s feminine neck and head. Sansovino is a big colt, finely proportioned, and he gave one the impression oi tremendous power and the ability to do well in the heavy going such as it was. The Aga Ivlian’s Diophon was preferred to his Salmon Trout, whose legs are somewhat suspicious, while "Mr Ben Irish’s Dawson City, Mr Sol Joel’s Polyphonies, Woodend—a fairly popular each way choice and the only horse that had previously beaten Diophon—and Sir Hcdvort.il Meux’s Donzolon—at one period favourite for the Derby and now a rank outsider —were also admired. There were twenty-eight horses in the field altogether, and they were by no means an easy lot to line up. There was a breakaway, and two or three times the tapes were broken. At last they were despatched and it was seen that Dawson City was best off, with Arausio and Polyphontes just behind him. This was the order, with Sansovino well in the rear, as they were lost behind the cars going up the hill. Sansovino, however, made up ground in an astonishing way and by the time they got to the turn he was lying third. Halfway down the hill to the famous Tattenham Corner he had been urged to the front, and coming into the straight he held a three lengths’ lead. From that point it was easily seen the race was over. Sansovino, confidently riddqn by little Tommy Weston, just cantered away from the rest and rolled home amidst loud cheering, one of the easiest Derby winners of modern times. St Germans and Hurstwood followed, and then came Parmenio, Polyphontes: and Tom Pinch, while Steve Donoghue’s mount. Defiance —for a change—was absolutely lost, except for Sir Abe Bailey’s Buck’s Yeoman, who fell, though he did not injure his jockey, Smirke. Lord Derby had a wonderful reception, his hand being shaken by everyone who came near as he went out to lead in his horse. Turning to Weston as he ied Sansovino up to the weighing-in room the proud owner said, “Thanks, old bird; you did splendidly and you deserved to win.” Then he patted Sansovino affectionately on tho neck and stroked his face.