SPORTING ITEMS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 30, 21 February 1891, Page 5

SPORTING ITEMS.

Quadrant arrived safely in Dunedin on Wednesday last. Romulus, the hurdle racer, has changed hands.

Julia Ann won a jumping competition at Sydney on the 26th January last. Captain Winter has accepted the post of starter to the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. Mr. Paneti has purchased Radiation, full brother to Retina, from Mr. G. G. Stead. The Danevirke Jockey Club have donated the sum of £lO to the Waipawa Hospital. Argos has been scratched for the V.R.C. St. Leger and Champion Stakes. Luna, who fell in the Free Handicap at the Whitford Park races, is dead. Captain Webster (St. Albans-Pussy) is again on the training tracks. Report says that The Admiral is an unlikely starter for the Australian Cup. Adam Byers is now in charge of George Hope’s stable, during the latter’s absence in Dunedin. Antelope has been placed.in Tommy Taylor’s hands, and is now located at Jimmy Kean’s stables at Ellerslie. The proprietors of the Hobartville Stud have decided to keep all their fillies by Trenton for breeding purposes. Tom Sullivan, the New Zealand sculler, has deposited £2O to make a match with George Bubear for £5O or £lOO a-side. Hickenbotham expects to be able to get Megaphone to the post for his Autumn engagements. The Auckland Tattersall’s Club will hold their annual race meeting at Takapuna, on the 11th April, when £2BO will be given away in stakes. It is reported that W. Brown will leave for Melbourne shortly to ride Pygmalon in the Newmarket Handicap. J. Hickey applied to the H.B.J. Committee to have the disqualification inflicted on him .by the stewards at the Waipatu, regarding his connection with Mountain Boy in the Hurdle Race, removed. The Committee, after hearing a considerable amount of evidence, decided there was no reason to interfere with the decision of the Waipatu stewards.

Rewi, while being conveyed by train to the Geelong races, had the misfortune to break one of his ribs. From Australian files to hand we learn that Grey gown, the favourite for the Australian Cup, is not as well as he might be. Tantallon, the winner of the Geelong Cup, was purchased when a yearling for £5O by. his present owner, Mr. Turnbull. Mr. Day, the celebrated Sydney veterinary surgeon, shortly leaves for England to purchase twelve thoroughbred mares for Mr. S. Hordern. Mr. C. Sprong, proprietor of the Maribyrong Hotel, Victoria, was fined £2 and costs for allowing a game of euchre to be played on his licensed premises. Priscilla got hurt in her box the other day, and has a very big hock, which will most likely prevent her appearing in public for some time. Megaphone has displayed symptoms of lameness again, and it is hardly likely Hickinbotham will persevere with him for his Autumn engagements, though he has accepted. Mr. W. Bobbett, the Thames sportsman, left for Dunedin on Thursday last per Rotomahana, with the view of being present at the Dunedin meeting. Jimmy Keane, the well-known trainer, left for Sydney per Wairarapa on Wednesday last. He intends visiting Melbourne during the V.R.C. Meeting. Owners of trotting horses should not forget that Friday next is the nomination day for the Otahuhu Trotting Club’s Meeting. Kneecap, who won the Geelong Hurdle Race for the Hon. D. S. Wallace, was trained by Billy Crafft at Queenscliffe. Crafft was well known to most New Zealand sportsmen.

In our advertising columns may be found the conditions of the New Zealand Cup, of 1,000 sovs, the distance being two miles. Nominations are due with the secretary, Mr. W. H. E. Wanklyn, Christchurch, on March 2nd. We have been requested to call the attention of the A.R.C. officials to the fact that Adam McEwen, who was warned off the course for six months by the stewards of the Takapuna Jockey Club, on account of his disgraceful conduct at the steeplechase at their last meeting, which sentence was confirmed by the A.R.C. Committee, is to be seen every morning doing riding work on the Ellerslie Course. This is in direct contravention to Rule 27 of Rules of Racing, as adopted by the Metropolitan Clubs in New Zealand. His employers perhaps are not aware that every horse he rides is liable to be disqualified for future engagements. Messrs. Walter Mountain and F. H. Winch have issued a programme for a Grand Sheffield Handicap, to be run at Potter’s Paddock on Friday, March 27. Is is set forth as thus : — A handicap of 75sovs, run under Sir Joseph Banks’ rules. First prize £6O, second £lO, third £3, fourth £2. Distance, 150yds. Nomination fee 10s, acceptance ss. Mr. E. O’Hare has been appointed handicapper. The idea is a good one, but there are many difficulties in the way to make it a success, which we hope it will be, as something of this kind is greatly required in Auckland to prevent the juveniles of the working population from idling their Saturday afternoons and evenings loafing about Queen-street and frequenting billiard rooms, etc. "We beg to point out, without prejudice, to the promoter the difficulties that lie in his way. First of all, he is quite unknown to the Auckland public. Naturally the first question that arises, who is he ? what guarantee have we that the affair will be faithfully carried out ? Secondly, who are to be starter, judge, referee, etc. ? Then arises the question, are there enough professionals in Auckland to make it a success ? as Mr. Mountain must well know that amateurs cannot compete in a thing of this kind. Now, in a friendly spirit, we suggest the following to Mr. Mountain. Let him put himself into communication with some of the leading athletes of Auckland, asking them to act as stewards, and appoint a judge, starter, referee, etc., at the same time depositing in some well - known public person’s hands a guarantee for the stakes. Then the thing will go ahead, and if not a financial success the first time, it will be the second, and eventually become a popular kind of sport. If well managed, the amateurs might join in. Unless the promoters do something of this kind, we are -afraid it will be a failure.

b The privileges for the Pakuranga Hunt Club Races were sold yesterday by Messrs. Digby Tonks and Co., and realised the following prices: —lnside booth, £lB, Mr. T. Foley ; outride booth, £23, Mr. Quinlan; cards, £l6, Mr. H. Hayr; stabling, £2 10s., Mr. Parker; fruit, £3, Mrs. Mclntosh. Total, £62 10s.

We regret to learn that Dan Morrigan, who went over to Melbourne in charge of Orlando, had the misfortune to break his left arm while schooling Scatterfield over the hurdles. This is a bit of bad luck for Morrigan, as it was probable he would have had the mount on Orlando in the V.R.O. Autumn Steeplechase, to be run on 7th March.

Mr. H. Praetoria, of Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, showed us yesterday two plaques very cleverly coloured by candle smoke, out of which portraits of Melos and Carbine were executed. The smoke was then enamelled, and a lasting photo is the result. The process in Germany is known as Rauchbielder, which, in English means Smoke-picture.— Sportsman. i Mrs. Jiames White’s manager and the Hon. N. Long, it is stated, are sending to England for stallions. This appears to be an extraordinary proceeding, considering there are so many good stallions in the colony, though there are a lack of mares. They will have to give from £5,000 to £lO,OOO for a really good sire in England. “ The Barb,” in the Sporting Standard, has theJfbllbWihg:—“ Marvel, it is said, will be out fbr business purposes only in the Newmarket Handicap, arid one of the shrewdest trainers in Australia told the the other day that he would go very close, indeed he (my informant) faricied liim to win outright. Certainly, if the son'of Marvellous is ever to do anything, it should be now or never.” The same writer states,'“ Our Derby winner Gibraltar is one of the gamest horses in training, besides being a brilliant galloperJ He will probably be the best horse engaged in the Australian Cup from his side (Sydney). On Wednesday and Thursday last the Egihont Racing Club held their meeting. On the first day the Handicap Hurdle Race was won by Jenny, nst lolb; The Peer, pst rib, second; Rere, lost 51b, third. Sapling Stakes, Fraternity, first; Cretonne, second; Rosefeldt, third. Egmont Handicap, two miles, D.udu first; Leorina, second ; Eileen, third. Won easily; time, jmin. 4osec.; dividend, Bs. No account of the other races. The second day. ;• Handicap Hurdle Race, of 75 soys.,' 2 miles, The Peer, first; Sentinel, second; Waterfall, third. Won by a length; dividend, gs. Waimate Handicap of 150 sovs., i| miles, Leorina, 7 st gib, first; Dudu, gst 71b, second ; Boulanger, 7st gib, third. Recluse als9 started. Won by a length; time, 2min 42^-secs; dividend, 'l6s. Nursery Handicap, of 55. soys., seven, furlongs, Rosefeldt, first ; Cretonne, second; Fraternite, third. No account again of the hack races, which were of'great interest

• ! The Australian-horses appear to have it all their own way. Myal King won the Viceroy’s Clip at the Calcutta Meeting. On the third daythe Cobch Behar Cup of 1:0,000 rupees in specie,'presented by H.H. Maharajah of Gooch Behar, G.C 1.E., added to a sweepstakes of 150 rupees, second horse to receive a 1,000 rupees; one foile and a-quarter, was won by Mr.. Apcar’s Bravo, by Grand Flaneur—The Orphan, aged, Bst 111 b; Lord William Beresf ord’s Hbnest Ned, Bst 111 b, 2; Mr. Apcar’s Moorhouse, 6yrs, 9st 71b, 3 ; Mr. Macklin’s Recall, 9st 31b, 0 Won easily by a length arid a-half ; half-a-length between second and third. ' Time, 2min ,12sec. The Dhurbhunga Cup,' -Value £l5O, and a purse of 80 gold mohurs, presented by the Maharajah of Dhurbhunga, H.C.1.E., added to a sweepstakes of 80 rupees; second horse to receive 20 gold mohurs, the third 10 > gold mohurs out of the purse; one mile six furlongs, 132yds, was won by Mr. Macklin’s Recall, by The- Drummer — Crbchette, Bst 41b ; Mr. Apcar’s Bravo, 9st, 2 ; Lord William Beresford’s Myal King, 3; Moorhouse, 9st 91b, Miladi, Bst 41b, Camillus, Bst 21b, also started. This was a grand race, all being close together until entering the straight, when Miladi fell, away; Recall won -by a neck, a head between second: and third, the other two close up. Time 3min 17jsec. • : -i