TURF TALK.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12715, 29 January 1906, Page 7

TURF TALK.

(BY "MULTIFORM.")

Racing at Nelson Monday and Tuesday, and at Pahiatua Wednesday and Thursday.

Declination and Apa will have to perform in open company in futm ye; both should pay their way. P. Johnston has accepted an engagement from Mr. G. P. Donelly to act as private trainer, and has broken up his establishment at New Plymouth. Johnston entered upon- his new duties immediately after the first day's racing at Trentham.

Solution's performance in the "Wellington Cup sadly' disappointed her owner (Mr. R Paterson), who made no secret of the fact that he expected his mare to win, and win easy. Solution had a very bad passage in the race. Of late "Wellington pencillers have been paying out the full dividend without deduction when the money has been put up, but Ropa's victory "on Saturday has given them a bit of a fright, and the majority have reverted to the old order of things. The parties connected with Ropahad a good win over that horse's success in the Wellington Cup. In addition to

having £20 on the machine, they had another £20 with the etartingi-price merchants at the full limit. The commissioner in town had £70 to put on, but hs> only succeeded in getting on £20. Mr. J. B. Reid gave 360 guineas for Sienschikoff three weeks ago, and so.'d him the other day for 500 guineas. The week prior to selling Mr. Reid decided to put the son of Stepni'ak to work again, and the horse had actually made his reappearance on the track when Mr. Reid received the offer from Australia for him, which he at once accepted. Machine Gun and Mamapoto figure amongst the nominations for Newmarket Handicap, and the latter horse and Mahutonga are engaged in the Australian Gup. Mahutonga is also engaged in the Champion Stakes. Machine Gun claims an engagement in the Caulfield Futurity Stakes as well as the events above mentioned. He Solomon has, it is said, sold his interest in Machine, Gun to his former partners in the ownership of the horse. A. !o€ of money was invested on Maui and Mobility in' Wellington in their respective engagements on the second day of the Wellington meeting. Both finished out of a place. Mr. R.. Paterson was offered 1700 guineas for his three horses, Solution, Tupono, and Destruction. The offer, which was made by a patron of Mr. T. Tilley's stable, was not accepted. In these days of electric appliances, one could hardly conceive that the totalisator would continue to take investments after a race had started, but in the Tongariro Hack Handicap, at the Wellington meeting, the totalisator bells were merrily ringing even after the horses had passed the post. Several investors got on to the winner. Apa, greatly reducing the dividend. When the horses passed the post in the Wellington Cup one would not have found half a dozen men on the course to agree with the judge's placing. There seems very little doubt that Paritutu was third; in fact, it seemed that he almost got level with Achilles, while Melodeon appeared to be fully a length away. Mr. Hartgill, the club's judge, has the reputation of being the smartest man at the business in New Zealand, but he must be credited with at least one mistake. Photographs taken of the finish from almost m line with the judge's box show Paritutu to be undoubtedly third.—Auckland "Star." The form shown by Sir George Clifford's horses, Clanchattan and Stronghold, on the second day of the Wellington meeting was in marked distinction to that of the first day. In their engagements on the opening day neither had a look in; in fact, they finished a long way back, but on the second day Clanchattan won the January Handicap fairly easy, and also ran a great race in the Wellington Stakes, while Stronghold put ,down a strong field in the Metropolitan Handicap. The performances were decidedly inconsistent, and although no one would suggest for a moment that there was anything suspicious in the circumstances, still they show how easy it would be for a man not holding Sir George Clifford's position on the turf to get itno trouble.—Auckland "Star." A number of jockeys now wear stiff skull caps (made by a Melbourne hatter) under their ordinary caps when riding in jumping events. This has probably saved some of them from serious if not fatal injury. The skull cap* breaks tho fall in the event of the jockey, when his mount comes down, being" thrown on his head, and concussion is thereby averted. The V.R.C. committee have decided that in future all jockeys riding in jumping races at Fkmington must .wear one of these skull caps. This is probably another innovation that racing authorities in other parts of the world will adopt from Australia, as they did the starting machine and numbered jsaddle cloths.