Sporting Review. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1890.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 7, 13 September 1890, Page 1

Sporting Review. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1890.

Last week we had to make comments on rather an absurd leader in the Herald regarding a company being formed to purchase the Sylvia Park Stud and doubting the veracity of the article. This supposition it appears has turned out to be correct, as on Monday a Prospectus was issued in the columns of the Herald very different to what appeared in their leader. The Herald stated that it was intended to form a Company with a capital of in shares. This on the face of it appeared absurd, /T 3,000 being required to purchase the stock alone. It turns out from the Prospectus that appears in the daily papers that it is Col. Carre’s intention to try and float a Company with capital in shares. This is a much more reasonable idea than the other, as in the first place it gives a chance to the general public to invest their money in the speculation, as many would take up a few shares at a pound when they would think several times before they parted with a hundred for one share; secondly, the amount of capital required to carry on the stud profitably is better represented in twenty thousand than fifteen thousand pounds ; at the same time we think that even the large sum is hardly sufficient to carry on Sylvia Park as it is now situated. It should be at least thirty thousand pounds. No one would regret more than ourselves to see Auckland without a stud company and the famed Sylvia Park turned into a dairy farm after all the money that has been expended on it. The Auckland climate is well adapted for the breeding of thoroughbred stock and at the present time a fair remuneration might be expected if the stud was properly managed, but one must not lose sight of the fact that in Australia some of the oldest breeders are giving up and disposing of their studs as they consider that it does not pay them to continue on. The late Mr. Andrew Town, one, if not quite the largest breeder in the Australian colonies lost sums of money at the game and finally died it is said of a broken heart through the failure of his pet scheme.

In Colonel Carre the Auckland Public have an energetic and enthusiastic man, who has had a good deal of Indian experience and has

travelled through a good deal of the world, so he should be able to bring some experience on the matter. The Prospectus says that arrangements have been made with George Cutts to remain as manager, this is a good thing as few men know their business better than he does. When the Company is floated we will go further into the matter, but we must warn Col. Carre that he has a great deal to contend with and it will take him all his time to float the Company successfully. In the meantime we wish him every success as we would not like to see the boxes at Sylvia Park formerly the home of some thoroughly good racehorses occupied by bullocks and pigs.

The Auckland Racing Club have again postponed their decision regarding the passing of of the Onehunga Racing Club programme, therefore the Club have had to put off their day for entries, etc. Why the A.R.C. have done so we cannot understand, as rule 21 of the Rules of Racing, as adopted by the Metropolitan Clubs in New Zealand is as plain as possible. It reads thus : “ Not more than one Club shall be allowed to hold meetings on any racecourse except by special license from the Jockey Chib.” Rule I—Jockey1—Jockey Club “means any of the following Clubs, which are the Metropolitan Clubs of New Zealand, and have jurisdiction over all race meetings held in the districts set after their names respectively: Auckland Racing Club for the Provincial District of Auckland,” etc. Rule 22 gives the amount each Club must give per diem according to the number of meetings held. As regards the Onehunga programme, they advertise £2OO for the one day’s meeting, thus coming under the following Rule 22 : “ Any Club holding two meetings in the year must give an average of at least two hundred pounds per diem ” —therefore they are entitled to two meetings in the year. The whole thing rests on Rule 21. Now so far as we know the Onehunga Racing Club is the only one that has held races at Potter’s Paddock, so surely the Auckland R.C. Committee are not going to stretch the meaning of the word “ Club ” in the 21 rule to include a Trotting Club, as no rules of racing acknowledge Trotting Meetings, so therefore accepting the common reading of .the rule, Onehunga Club has a right to the ground. Only on one other ground can we see any objection* can be made, that is if the second clause in rule 22 has not been complied with, it reads thus : The Programme when submitted shall be accompanied, if required, by a properly audited balance sheet showing the receipts and expenditure of the Club for the past year, and in no case shall any programme be passed « unless it clearly appears from the balance sheet that all moneys received by the club have been expended in stakes, making improvements on the course and stands or payment for interest and sinking fund on purchase money or generally in the interest of racing.” If this clause has been complied with, we do not see any difficulty in the matter, as a Racing Club cannot take cognizance of a Trotting Club. The A.R.C. Committee should strictly adhere to Rules 21 and 22, only granting special licenses .to such clubs as the Hunt Club or a Tattersail’s meeting, or something of a similar nature, being careful not to allow three or four Totalisator meetings to take place over the same course.

The following are horses left in for the Metropolitan Stakes :—Sir William, Bst 121 b ; Marvel, Bst lolb ; The Queen, Bst 61b ; Antaeus, Bst 21b ; Ellerdale, yst 81b; Vespasia, yst 81b ; Bungebah, jst 61b ; Eclipse, yst 41b; Papua, 7st 21b ; Megaphone (including ylbs penalty), yst 1 lb; Whimberel, 6st i2lb; Paris, 6st lolb; Federation, 6st lolb; ’Frisco, 6st 81b; Little Bernie, 6st 61b; Kate, 6st 41b; Retford, 6st.