TURF NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue XVI, 17 October 1903, Page 16

TURF NOTES.

F. Speakman, F. Moran, Duffy, ami C Hodder have taken service with J. Thorpe.

Half the horses engaged in the Cesarewitch are Newmarket trained.

Every month a fresh stud is being created In Ireland by French stud masters.

An Irish jockey, with a Scotch name, Mitchell, is leading horseman in Russia.

W. Tozer, who is training K.D.. has had the trotter Rushlight placed in bis hands.

A Home paper regretfully says that all the best known sires are now sold out of England.

Auckland bookmakers had a bad time over the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting.

It is reported that Mr J. Mayo refused £2OOO for Lord Cardigan after the colt won the Rand wick Plate.

Da Cloche, by St. Deger— Campania, has foaled a colt to Seaton Delaval, at Sylvia Park.

The South Auckland Racing Club have appointed Mr J. Chadwick to handicap for their March meeting.

Waiwera has only competed in a few flat races during his career, hut now figures in the Auckland Cup. A notable nomination this.

An English experience, and a colonial one too. is that in nine cases out. of ten the original favourites in big races arc supplanted.

The old time saying, ‘•Faith, hope and charity,” is truthfully represented in the ranks of jmnters, says a Home writer, who writes from experience.

Old Mangore, who is now 17 years old, lias been placed in C. Weal’s hands, with a view of competing in hunters’ races at the November meeting.

Mr Kaynes’ mare Pansy has foaled a colt to Hotchkiss. It is to be hoped that bis owner may have better luck with this youngster than he had with Pansy Blossom.

There are fewer nominations for the Otaki spring meeting than usual, and it is thought that the entry list may have been affected owing to the closenews of the Wellington meeting this year.

It was stated that the double. Lady Lillian and Machine Gun, had been heavily supported locally for the Cup and Stewards. All the money that was secured was £4OO.

Mr F. L. Armitage has sent Marine back to F. Macmanemln. This horse caught the judge’s eye on four occasions last season, winning £315, so that he should have a balance on the right side of the ledger.

Lady Agnes (Neckersgat - Peradventure). and The Shelah (Bryan (I’L.vnu —Eileen Allanah) have both produced fillies to Cyreuian at Cambria Park. At Glenlora Park Princess Alice dropped a filly foal to Souk.

W. Townsend has engaged boxes at C. Warren’s. Ellerslie. A two-year-old by Soiilt and the hunter Major came up from Waiuku this week, and Townsend expects to take up Tabae again shortly.

Newmarket inyariably supports each of the provincial race meetings better than Hie whole of the other training centres together patronise racing at beadquarters itself.—English item.

The New Zealand Cup candidate Rosea 1 Is the eighteenth foal of the Albany mare Rosalind, who has produced nineteen of a family. Watersprlte. Primrose, and Vivandiere are mares that run Rosalind close.

Sir George Clifford. Messrs G. Richardson. and E. J. Watt were lhe principal winning owners nt the Wanganui meeting. £lOB5 was the amount paid away in st ulus, and there la a substantial profit over the meeting.

T. Cotton has the trotters Sir Robert, Victor Hugo, and Erie doing useful work, in view of coming engagements. Sir Robert is a fine looking horse, and bears a much improved appearance, as compared with last season.

Vai Rosa was given a turn over the schooling hurdles last week, with F. Moran in the saddle. He shaped really well, and maybe he will prove a stake earner in this direction. He certainly has pace enough, and is well up to weight.

'l'he Australian Jockey Club have decided that in future ail fees due to jockeys for losing mounts will be paid immediately after the last race of the day; also that the 2i per cent, charged on all sums collected by the club is to be abolished.

In Flushing every commission agent needs to have a permit from the police authorities. In Middleburg and other places in Holland, however, for some unaccountable reason the municipal law’ is nothing like so strict. The venue, therefore, is almost a tip iii itself.

The fences on the steeplechase course at Flemington, none of which are now under 4ft in height, present a formidable appearance (says a Sydney writer). Most people used to think that under former conditions the country was too severe, but it will take more jumping than ever now.

The following foalings have taken place during the week at Wellington Park:— Bangle and St. Lyrist have both produced celts to Phoebus Apollo; First Love, a filly to Hotchkiss; Real Blue, a filly to Seaton Delaval: Mrs J. Leonard's Vieux Rose, a filly to Seaton Delaval; Majorio, a colt to Mensch ikoff.

Boxes have been engaged at C. Warren’s, Ellerslie, for Up-to-Date and Coronation, Record Reign’s full brother. J. Kean, who is training the pair, is expected to arrive with ihe horses in about a fortnight's time. Mr Roulstou will also come down from Pukekohe to see his horses have their final gallops.

W. Smith has had his team strengthened by the addition of Wellcast. This horse was only successful on one occasion last year, when he beat two others in a maiden plate at Ohlneinurl, but he has shown pace on more than one occasion, and never having perhaps been well, may do better things in the future.

If - the police shook up the pickpockets who frequent the railway stations on the occasion of suburban race meetings near Sydney (says ‘•Pilot’’), they would earn the thanks of the sporting community. Some time back the gentry of the. nimble lingers were-thinned cut, but they are as strong as ever again now.

Apropos of the now continuous successes for Yankee horses and men, it is worth recalling says an English writer that the first real American campaign in England—and quite an unsuccessful one—was in 1895 with the Dwyer-Croker combination, G. Campbell being the trainer and W. Simms, their jockey. Our jockeys of to-day are a very much superior lot all round to those of a few years back, says an English authority. My experience of the past few weeks tells me that there are no end of inferior light weights in New Zealand. A number of horsemen at Wanganui handled their mounts shockingly

Mr T. Morri u and Mr J. C. Colbeek, who have been through Hawke’s Bay, Wellington. Wanganui, and Taranaki districts in connection with the flotation of the Wellington Park Stud into a company, returned to Auckland yesterday, and as a result of their trip there are now not a very large number of shares left for allotment. The Wellington Park Stud Company will be floated in due course.

The continuous rainfall put a stop to anything beyond very moderate exercise at headquarters last week. Most of the two - year - olds have been trotting and cantering about the middle. The plough track was practically fit for work before the rain fell, but there is little chance of being able to get on it for a week or two now.

Kobupapa, who dropped dead after competing at the Wanganui meeting, was by Wonderland from Lady Leger, and was therefore half brother to a very usefuL though unsound horse in Philanthropist. Koh upa pa was a fine stamp of a gelding owned by Mr G. E. G. Richardson, and many judges voted him a decidedly useful horse.

Scotty was having the mud washed off his legs the, other morning, and I took the opportunity of strolling over to his box and having a look at him. He has come on wonderfully quickly, and is now nearly looking himself again. Though he has been up no time, he looks as though he may he able to start when the spring meeting comes along.

A part of the Yankee style of training is to have frequent gallops and trials oyer half a mile, which our own trainers would really consider nothing, except in the case of a yearling or a two-year-old, galloped for speed. W. Davis is giving Melwood short racing gallops in public with a view to getting him ready for the New Zealand Cup.

Mr Smothers, the new owner of the American crack. McChesney, is evidently hard to suit in the matter of trainers, says an exchange. At the end of April, after McChesney’s defeat in a race for which he was well backed, Mr Smathers had him in three different in a little over a week. At latest, McChesney was being trained by $5. Hildreth, who lid so well with him last season.

“Betting has undoubtedly decreased of late years,” says a Home paper, “and yet increased —that is to say. there is a very great deal more of it by its being spread out over a vast community, but individually •the amount of gambling is considerably less.” This may be so in New Zealand as in other parts of the world. We have certainly more speculation over racing events than ever we had.

Southern people generally express surprise that Auckland owners do not travel much from homo with their horses. Seeing that Auckland is the great nursery of the thoroughbred, this puzzles them, but they forget that Aucklanders invariably sell their highest-priced stock and have good stakes at home to race the horses the Southerners leave them. They manage to win races, too, when they do go on excursions, however.

On South African racecourses, Jn addition to the recognised stands, there are what ar? called “spy” or stewards’ boxes, much after the style of our judges’ stands, but considerably raised. These are. placed around the course and some distance apart, a larger one being invariably situated about “00 yards from the winning post. These boxes are utilised by at' least one of the paid stewards, who must be there for every race so as to watch the tactics of the jockeys. South Africa knows something, says an exchange in relating the foregoing.

The tracks at Ellerslie have been in a fearful state after the continuous rain that has fallen. Nothing of the strong order has been accomplished, with the exception of some useful three-furlong work by the two-year-olds on Thursday, when the outside of the course was available. Amongst those moving well were the Hotchkiss — Formo colt and Daystar’s younger brother. The latter moves like a tradesman, and possessing size, conformation, and an excellent constitution. there is every reason to expect this colt to make a racehorse of the stamp that is rarely seen nowadays.

The Wanganui and Hawke’s Bay Guineas fields having proved such disastrous failures this season, it occurred to me to look up the list of those left in the Great Northern Guineas, and to try and gauge the likely contestants. There appears every likelihood of there being quite a good field to contest this race, one point being •that there is no “smasher” engaged to frighten the rest away. The Middy has now quite recovered from his attack of strangles, but can scarcely be ready to rnn by November 7th. Ropa, Rose Shield, and Kamo may be looked upon as probable starters, and the same may be said about Onewa and Cordon Rouge. Mr Watt will probably send up a representative, which will add considerable interest to the race, while there are several other likely runners.

The distinction earned by Silkworm, the two-year-old half-brother to Ilohoro. by Seaton Delaval, in winning the Ila&thiga Stakes, is naturally wuch appreciated by and particularly by Messrs Nathan, not only because he was bred at Sylvia Park, where his sire and dam are, but because there are twin yearlings (sister and brother to Silkworm to go to the hammer at the dispersal sale of the stud in December,

By winning the Prince Edward Handicap at the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting. Sir George Clifford's colt Quarryman only did what might have been expected from an ordinary three-year-old in receipt of weight from such as Ringman and Dexterity. Melodian, who was troubled with influenza some time ago, was the most fancied of the starters, however, ami evidently quite failed to run up to anticipations In that race.

When one first visits an American racecourse, it Is a surprise tn sec the pipeopening gallop which nine our oi ten horses for every race are given about ten minutes before the start, frequently mounted by their jockeys, or at other times by stable lads. The competitors for the ensuing rac e are usually taken on to the c ourse immediately the preceding event is over, and given a rousing gallop from two to five furlongs .almost at top speed throughout. This work is frequently led by a stable companion, or the runners themselves go in batches. They are then brought hack to the paddock, rubbed down and subsequently taken gently to the post for the struggle proper. In a sense, some of the American athletes followed a similar plan here prior to their races. — “The People.”

At a meeting of the committee of the Auckland Trotting Club, held last Friday week. seventy - two new members were elected. It was decided to call a special general meeting of members, with, a view of reconstructing the club, in deference to the wishes o-l the association. though the committee are of opinion that the charges made are not proven, and that reconstruction is .unnecessary That some good may come of the proceedings is quite probable, as it will tend t<» make all trotting clubs exceedingly careful in the regulation of the sport in the future, kind owners will realise that any suspicious practices will be dealt with in no uncertain way. As for the local club, as far as I can see the cause for the strictures is not warranted by the evidence, and that something further will be brought to light in connection with the evidence of at least two of the witnesses is quite on the cards.

Here is another par. showing the “advantages" (?) to be gained by having big fences erected:—The Steeplechase was full of accidents (says “Umpire” in the “Referee”). It was raining hard when it was run. Brokerage was favourite, despite his 13st 51b and the state of the ground, but he came to grief. Such a clever jumper as Blackthorn fell also, whilst Moravian came down twice. Then Chevalley, who was not hurt, concluded he would give it up. Venturi', who went one round very well, fell at the logs, and Billy Barton was too slow. lie tailed right out of it. These items left the way clear for Kaffir and Grafter, and they

raced together to the last fence. But Tomlin, who had come from Melbtfnrne to ride Kaflir. always bail the measure of Grafter, and he won easily at the cud, the hunter jumping in fine style.

Racegoers in Australia occasionally have to suffer inconveniences when homeward bound. “Boondi,” in his weekly budget, has the following par:—One other thing to do in order to improve Randwick races is to arrange for a few first-class funerals among the tramway authorities. The service on Saturday week was simply shameful: a wooden-legged man could kick his hat as fast as the cars travelled. And the overcrowding, although heavenly when on * got squeezed flat through being shut in between two lovely ladies gowned in the light and airy summer style, was mose vile when one had a Chinaman to the right of him and a blackfellow to the left. Possibly it was in this crush that a small boy made a very stout, billowy-bosomed lady as mad as a wet heu and set all the rest of the passengers giggling by courteously slipping down from his perch as he saw her enter, and gallantly squeaked out: “I’ll make one of three

men to give this lady a seal!” And he wasn’t even thanked for his chivalrous coucither.

Au American exchange says that at Saialoga recently the turf work! was astounded with the announcement that E. R. Thomas, who had been spoken of as a new lulllionaire arrival ou the turf, hail taken all his horses away from his trainer, W. Karrick, and had doubled up in partnership with A. Shields, a native of Toronto, who owns Advance Guaid and seven or eight useful horses. Thomas put right horses Into the partnership, among them llermis, for whom he pai<l 60,000 dollars. Karrick had taken especial pains to get these horses into shape, and that he had done bis duty by them was proved by llermis coming out and winning very handily from Major Daingerfield and others, canylng the top weight, it was the first race the erstwhile champion had won hi Thomas’ colours, and the owner was especially pleased. Lie won some quite big money in bets on him. and these were paid, though the norse was subsequently disqualified because the partner ship with Shields had not been duly registered. as the J.C. rules require. The race was awaidvd to Major Daingerfield, but it was a fruitless victory, value some 640 dollars only, since—according to the betting rules which obtain at Saratoga the bets do not follow the stake, and after the red board bad been hoisted declaring ••all right.” a disqualification does not affect the bets.

Captain Bird Thompson has related some stories of curious tricks possessed by horses he lias known. An exchange furnishes . ! <• following on the subject: lie once bought, for a very low price. £4O, a mare which for a few days after his purchase of her gave every satisfaction —good and steady in harness. a beautiful light-weight hunter, and a very free goer all round. Ono day a week after she had come into his possession the groom sent in to ask him to come down to the stable, and on doing so ho found that his now purchase Hally refused to go into the stable: whenever the groom tried to xead her ia she placid herself fiat against the wall aml would not move. They got her up to the door at Inst. and she stood with her head inside, but neither coaxing nor tit bits would induce her to go further; then, suddenly, without the least warning, she dashed in of her own accord, nearly slipping up as she turned into her stall. The strange thing was that when she was wanted next morning, she refused to come, and eventually dashed out just as she had rushed in. Captain Bird Thompson contrifed to cure the mare of this awkward trick by hacking her in: and after a long time she was broken of the habit, and consented to be led in and out quietly. Au odd feature was that. Hie mare would go into or come out. of a strauga stable without the least fuss or trouble, but as soon as she got accustomed to her quarters she ••began the rushing game." Last year it will bo recollected that Wargrave won the Ebor Handicap, apropos of which L call to mind a little incident in connection with the matter, says a Home writer, which will go to uphold my frequently made expression that we can oftm know too much and be over clever. I h:.d the emphatic personal opinion (which was endorsed by the horse’s connections) that Wargrave would about win. Having just arranged to take a holiday. I was to have left town ou the day preceding the race. A week or two previously I had sold Mr Bottomley all the horses I then had in training en bloc, and in connection therewith, his secretary, unluckily for me, telephoned me the very day of my leaving, saying that Mr Bottom ley wished to sec inc ami would be in town the following day. I thereupon deferred going away till the following afternoon. I had, as I advised others to do, deferred my investment until the day, and wired in the morning backing Wargrave for “50" each way. only to subsequently learn from Mr Bottomley that since winning at Hurst Park the horse had been amiss; had done no work, ami not eaten an oat. The stable were, therefore, not backing him for a sou. ami his owner did not oven trouble to go down to see the race. In consequence of this undoubted truth and well-meant information I telephoned not more than an hour before the race, and “as a favour,” the bookmaker cancelled my previous commission for War-

grave each way and put it on to Scullion. That evening at a seaside resort I learned that Wargrave had won at 2O’«. The very rest that had been enforced was what he Heeded, and the horse ran a good game race. This is not the first occasion of big handicaps being won unexpected*? under some such similar conditions. Can one know too much? flow many have had similar exasperating experiences? The following appeared in a recent issue of the Dublin paper. “Sport." It gives an excellent idea of how race meetings were announced ami carried out a century ago. The extract, which is a copy of an advertisement of the Athenry races of 1738, appeared in a paper published on October 3 of that year. It reads as follows:—“On Wednesday. October 11. a piece of plate of A 30 value is to be run for on the Course of Atheury, bv any Hors*. Marc, or Gelding. carrying 12 stone at I4?h to the stem*, saddle and bridle Im-ludcd. No crossing or jostling. ex'-epl by the two foremost horses, flinl that only on the List half-mile of each heat. All disputes are to be settled by the majority of the gentlemen of the club then present. Every Horse, Mare, or Gelding that runs for the said plate must be entered an.| shown t«> John Rhodes. Innkeeper, of Al henry, six days before tin* day of running. The winning Horse must pay a guinea for scales and straw. Any Horse. Mare, or Gelding, subject to th* above-mentioned articles, may enter at the post for the above plate, paying three guineas to the minister of the Parish of Athenry for the poor of the said parish. Hunting each morning for the diversion of the gentlemen, and balls for the ladies at night.” Commenting on the above, “Martindale” says: “The second condition, in respect to crossing or jostling, reads very funny. If that rule prevailed in the present day. what excellent exhibitions one would witness from the home turn home! The settling of all disputt s by the whole of the gentlemen of the club present, sav. on a Sydney Cup day at Randwiek. would also provide some fun in its way. B will also he seen that the i’hnrc’n thought mere of racing then than do certain sections of it at the present time, as all entries were handed over to the minister of the parish for the benefit of the poor. Perhaps if the A.handed over al! entries to be divided amongst those ministers who have lately been declaiming so loudly against, horse-racing some of them would all al once di* cover no end of good points about the sport, ami that it was not so bad after all.” The defeat in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas of Treadmill hr his stable companion, Quarryman. must have come as a surprise to his owner. Sir George Clifford, and trainer. E. Cutts. even though there was a 101 b pennltv curried by the first-named for winning tbi- Wanganui Guineas. At Wanganui Treadmill certainly looked strung up, while Quarrynuin was not qu’*te at his best. When wirinir after the race 1 mentioned that the fullest use had not I»e*n made of Quarryman, and that Sen Lion had split the pair, ami was ridden riirht out to do so. The chances are that the work in tin* interval ami Hie race for the King Edward Handicap improved Qunrryman. while Treadmill having no other engagement may not have been kepr right up to high pressure, or it is possible mav have done a lirtle too much. Bo that as it may. the exhibition of temper displayed by Treadmill—or. as it has l\een termed, frotfiilness -shows that ail was not quite right with that colt. The time of the race. 1.47, was slow, as indeed were all other races during the day. Quarryman. it will bo remembered, was in the Now Zealand Cup. but was promptly withdrawn-— not. however, before ho had boon well supported. Were be now in the race he xvould probably have boon first favourite. His running has served to bring Son Lion into favour, and this is what might be expected, though when Sea Lion b°at him for second place in the Guineas at Wanganui the lastnamed was the fitter of th * pair. Horses when really fit will do brilliant things and show great g.unonoss. but when seen out of form sometimes earn tin* character of being currish. 1 heard Treadmill spoken of as unreliable last season, but seeing that ho was had with influenza early in the spring I did not pay much hoed to the suggestion. There will be plenty of opportunities of testing whether the son of Rill of Portland is IS-carat as Hie season advances, and when ho strips pink ho will always be a bad one to heat. From the description of the race it would appear that Sir George

Clifford’s pair of cults Iv. Bin of Portland proved much stq»orfoi- to the rest of the competitors, nnd the victory of the blue nad white chequei's of the worthy Baronet would bt* popular indeed. The Hawke’s Bay Guineas has maintained its reputation once more in that it has furnished yet -another surprise to a rather long list since it was cstnldished in 1880, when obi Rewi won. Sir George Clifford has now won the race in two successive seasons, for last year Golden Vein somewhat surprised j« op!»* hr beating Porirua and Orloff- iuleed. tin* Canterbury sportsinan is rho owner .who has won the rnee t\v » ye;u> in «ur cession. The race was the slowest sin *e Dingo won in lafte. “Bondi." in his smokeroom budget ia th * Sydn *y “Referee,” has tit - following: Soineono who had nothing to do and plentv of time to do R in re.vtiHy figured r.ti't that sime the day that old Archer won Hu* first Melbourne Cup. in ISdl just 12 yarns ago. up to th.* present date out of al’l ihe 26 letters in tin* alphabet. <mly 15 h*tl< rs initial the names <»f the fortunate winners. Out of riiese 15 the I tier T takes top place, for, beginning with Toryboy in 1565 ifol lowed in the tw*> succeeding years by The Barb and Tim Whittl r) nine horses whos • names began wii.i T have won the >!<•!- bourne Cup. Thus we get T as the first "pointer” for the Cup of 1903. Next on th;* list comes the letter M. which is th • initial letter to the names of five other Cup win ners. and although S has only one whmer —Sheet Anchor still, we can safely stand on T.M.S. to win. for these three letters have won and been placed no loss than 15 firsts, 1!) seconds, and 13 thirds. No ether letter is any way near T for the firsts, the next best being M’s live times, and then we get A four times two being Archers, four C’s and four G’s. After that, if T.M.S. doesn’t win the Cup this year. I'll say that numerical figures are quite as deceptive as many of the female figures wo sec skipping round the Block or along George street — by way of “giving the boys a treat." Unfortunately, there is just one fiv in our ointment to-day. and it might he* as well to hedge round Hint insect a tritle. Evervone knows the mortgage old T.M.S. used to have on second place, and ii is right here that the fly crawls in. On looking over tin* list of seconds for the <’up T find that S heads the initial list with eight, and T comes a good second with seven, while M has four. Strange* to say. the h*tt ••• T also holds the highest record for third place With seven, and S takes second place with five, but M has only one. If there is anything in a name or the initial letter of ir, therefore, It seems very evident that T.M.S. Intends tn give us a hot surprise on Cup day, bur w-hat I like best about the business is that he is in splendid buckle, ami the weight suits him to an ounce. Granted a good rider and .a fair run. it is safe I <» say that the Cup “is all over bar the shouting, ’ and will so«»n adorn the sideboard of •‘Mr Marvel.” I feel all the more sure of this, because of the fact (hat I selected T.M.S. as the winner long before I knew anything of the figure faking, and 1 have a madd 'iiing kn.uk of picking ihe right prad whenever circumstances will not allow unto have a copper on my fancy. Some time ago “Mr Marvel” struck q streak of verybad luck, hut of late he has again been “doing splendid." and Hit' winning of the Cup will he a fitting flunk' to Hu* vear’s good fortune. [Memo: “Mr Marvel" is th * racing name of Mr Crick, who recent ly backed his horse heavily' f-r the Cup. | The select committee appointed by Par liament to take evidence on tin* gambling question have held a number of meetings and heard a good many witnesses in S.vd ned. including some bookmakers and train ers, who were examined chiefly on the subject matter of a pamphlet issued by MiJust in MeSweeney in which some serious charges were made against prominent racing mm. The following is some of th<* evidence: - Mr James Brennan, bookmaker, said his operations won* praeti< aily < onflnod to tin* course'. In reply to the chairman, he was unable to offer any opinion as to th* volume of betting at present as compaied with the past, but he had no hesitation iu saying that competition among hookm*<kcrs was considerably keener than bvf<.re. When he embarked in the business there were only half the number operating. As a rule, he onl.v bet one day per week, and he should think that his average turnover was about £350 per day. lie did not ke< p

any elaborate set of books- -practically only a field l>ook, whirl* he would be pleased to show the committee. He had a shop in King-street, and It would be a charity if aay of the coin mil lee would take it off his bands. To Mr Meagher: During the whole of bis 23 years’ experience on the turf, no charge of malpractice had been levelled against him. He didn't know much about the tot a lisa lor. although be had seen it Id operation a few times; be had not stud* ietl the subject. But he was strongly inclined to think that it would not suit henry bettors. Relative to the evidence given by Mr Justin McSweeney, witness said that he did not attach any importance to the allegations. Air McSweeney,” he sail, with a smile, “did a great many foolish things on the turf that his trainer didn't tell him to do." Witness had a shrewd idea that Mr McSweeney would find it hard to prove That be had lost so much money as he alleged. -Why.’* continued the witness, ’ he barked a horse to win £20,000, and it was only beaten by a short head. You must not place too much reliance on what hr says.** To Mr McNeil: He had no Idea of the Im st method of stopping gambling: that was just a little beyond him. William Kelso, horse owner and trainer, was the next witness. He said he had been training for about four years. He had 28 or 30 horses in his stable, some of which were bis own. He was quite prepared to deny almost every word uttered by Mr McSweeney. “Take the case of the horse Reka,” he said **lle backed it for thousands of jwmuds before the handicaps came out. The handicappers, of course, heard of it, and naturally pur on more weight. He says he has s< en his horses pulled, and all that sort of thing, but if anything <>f that sort of thing were done palpably some notice would be taken of it by the authorities. who would take a very drastic remedy. Witness' father won races with nearly every one of McSweoney's horses. and no other trainer won for him. The Chairman: You have seen the pamphlet he published^ —Yes: all 1 can say is that it is a lot of —— lies. You are aware of the identity of the men whom he designates by fictitious names?—Yes. Have you had anything to say to Mr McSweeney lately?—No, If I had anything to say to him at all, I should not be able to keep my hands off him. What have you to say genet ally to his charges?—That they are all false from beginning to end. I think he knows that my father is dead. Mr Meagher finally moved that a copy of the evidence he given by Mr McSweeney be supplied to Mr Kelso, so that he might have an opportunity of replying in detail. '•Martindale,'* in “Sydney Town and Country Journal.” thus discourses on the gambling evil:—At the present time the great topic is the gambling evil. This, no doubt, is the outcome of the attempts made during the past few years by a party In England to interfere with the sports of the people. Il is really wonderful how the evils attributed to gambling generally are ail placed upon the backs of the followers of the turf. It is a somewhat curious fact that this abuse of our national sport- horse racing—always emanates from what may be termed the leaders of the dissenting churches. Now .they are the ■ • We never see them upon a racecourse, or at any other sports gathering: yet they will discourse as fieely as possible upon the evils of horse raving. Under that head they place all classes of gambling. Now. the only members of our religious bodies who could with fairness speak on turf affairs, and how race meetings are conducted, arc the priests of the Roman Catholic Church. Rarely is a race meeting held but what we see one or mote in attendance. Thus they see and know all the evils that are supposed to exist, yet we never hear them declaiming against the sport from the pulpit, and warning their congregations from attending these haunts of iniquity. It would be very safe to say that in no parish in Sydney or its suburbs can a more attentive and numerous congregation be found than that which assembles on eveiy Sunday in the year at Bandwick. If their names were taken, and occupations registered, it would be found that the most attentive to their duties, both in the English and Roman Churches, are borseowners. trainers, jockeys. or others who gain their livelihood through racing. Yet. from other points of view, all these good-living people are to be looked upon as rogues and vagabonds. The following Is about a fair specimen of what we hear from those who never go near a racecourse, and know nothing of racing. It is taken from a speech recently made by one of the anti-gamblers: — “It had been estimated that the huge sum of £20,000.000 was locked up in the gambling transactions of Australasia. They had been told that horse racing was a noble pastime, and that Its chief object was to ‘keep up the breed of horses.’ This was sheer humbug. Training horses for racing unfitted them for any ordinary work. They were only gond for raring, and raring was very largely kept up in the interests of betting and of bookmakers. There was. according to a recent calcul itlon. an army of Ift. 000 professional gamblers in Austinlia. and these men were not only nun-pro. ducers. but parasites, living on rhe earnings of others.” The above reveals the Ignorance of the speaker a< regards the blood horse. That the racehorse is unfit for nny other work Is. as anyone knows, a most foolish statement. I myself hare aeon one of the best-bred horses in this State driven in a buggy to the racecourse, and afterwards win good races. I am pretty sure that Mr J. O. Tngli« used Maine ns a hack, and old Sydney people will remember Mr Thowpwm backing the famous Jorrmks about Sydney sttects. We all know that any horse tn who«e velna course the blood of the thoroughbred, that arimal for hard work la worth far more than the commoner. No doubt we hare a great number nf people making their living nut of horse racing. Many honestly, and anm* othet wise; but It Is pretty certain that the game could be shown in connection w’th any other business, for, after all, racing

horses is a business pure and simple, just the same as mining and other things that could be named. The bookmaker is always put down as a person not fit to live, by those who know him least. My experience is that a more generous body of men are not to be found. No subscription list got up to aid the widow or orphan was ever sent out of Tat tersa ll'a Club but what it was well subsetibed to. What is more, the money was given tn a free and liberal manner, not begrudgingly, as is usually the case when any of the antigambling people are asked for a few pence for a worthy object. Great stress is also laid on the evidence given by some of the witnesses which appear before the comintaaion now sitting on the Inquiry into the gambling evil. I have read some of it. The losses that some have made on the turf are very amusing leading. People who bet with I »ook makers are not asked to do so—they do it with their own free will, just the same as quite a number nf parsons and g<KMI religions people buy mining and bank shares. They Lone to make money without having to work for it. In America, recently, the police raided an establishment run by ft»mc turf adviscis. These people had an infallible system by which money eorld be won. The papers seized revealed the fact that the names of many ministers of religion appeared in their books as clients, and so it is all over the world. The minister poses as extra good, yer no one is more agreeable to take the odds than he. After all. there is little doubt but what this spasmodic attempt Rt knocking out the sporting people generally will end in complete failure.