SPORTING ITEMS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 39, 25 April 1891, Page 5

SPORTING ITEMS.

Crackshot is now an inmate of Bob Ray s stables at Riccarton. “ Mick” Carmody has lately joined the ranks of the benedicts. Moonrake, the hurdle horse, is now in Mr. A. Ellingham’s stable at Napier. Armourer, by Tubal Cain —Sea Shell, has been purchased by Mr. Mclntosh of Waipukarau, for Don Caesar after having had an operation performed on him for a tumour had to be destroyed. We regret to notice that George Laing met with a nasty accident while schooling Wairua over the hurdles at Riccarton. Moderator, the winner of the Selling race at Avondale last Saturday, was purchased by Mr. A. Buckland and re-sold to Mr. S. Bradley, of Onehunga, who has since disposed of him again to Mr. Birch of Awitu. Mr. D. O’Brien has sold his trotter Calista, about whom there was some talk at a late trotting meeting in Canterbury, at a satisfactory figure during his last visit to Melbourne. Rufus, the winner of the Victorian Derby of 1884, and Newstead, the winner of the Maribyno’ng Plate the same year, met in a race at a small meeting up country in Australia, and failed to get a place. The New Zealand horse Orator seems to be regarded with a good deal of suspicion in Australia, and the uncomfortable feeling is not allayed by the fact that the ownership of the horse is now in dispute before the Supreme Court. A man named Crisp was charged at the R.M. Court, Oamaru, on the 14th instant, for working a pocket totalisator at the North Otago J.C. meeting. He pleaded guilty, and was convicted and fined with 275. costs, or in default of payment to be sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour m Dunedin gaol.

The Dunedin J.C. have received good entries for their May meeting. The Baron has been scratched for all his engagements at the Onehunga Autumn Meeting. Nominations for the Melbourne Cup of 1891 are due on Ist June, and the weights on or before 22nd of June. The sum of was passed through the totalisators at the Avondale Jockey Club s meeting on Saturday last. Mr. H. Chaplin has presented the skeleton of his. celebrated racehorse Hermit to the Royal Veterinary College. Mr. N. Grace has been asked to be relieved from the post of starter to the Wellington Racing Club. Blizzard had the weakest of weak fields to beat in the North Otago Cup the other day, and it was not surprising that he won easily. From private information we learn that the two mares that Dr. Ross took by the. mail st.P9.Tn er have arrived safely at San Francisco. We are informed that all horses under Fletcher’s care are to be sold by auction next Friday. On May 24th a sweepstake flat race of 2 sovs, with 12 sovs added, will be run at Te Puke between the following horses May, Gillie, Saint, and Uncle Bob. The distance is two miles, with Bst up. The six-year-old gelding Bacchus, by Anteros Ratafia, full brother to Tupaki, and the racing pony Minnie Grey are in the private sale list. It is a true saying we must go from home to learn news. The following is taken from “ Carbine’s ” notes in Public Opinion : “ At the Auckland Tattersall’s Club annual meeting on Saturday, at Onehunge course, the Cup, one mile and a half, was won by Leorina gst 41b ; Try Fluke yst gib second, and The Dreamer yst 61b third. Five started. Dividend, / 2 165.” We have received from Mr. Wanklyn, the secretary of the Canterbury Jockey Club, the programme of the N.Z. .Grand National Steeplechase meeting, to take place on August 13th. The programme consists of the following events, viz., Hunters Hurdle Race of 50 sovs., Grand National Steeplechase of 500 sovs., Ladies Bracelet of 60 sovs., Grand National Hurdle Race of 300 sovs., Maiden Steeplechase of 75 sovs., Welter Flat Handicap of 50 sovs., Final Handicap of 100 sovs., The entries for the prand National Steeplechase and Hurdle Race are due on the 20th June next. Mr. C. Dawes on Thursday morning met with a severe accident on Ellerslie racecourse. He was riding Minnie Grey at exercise when she bolted. On going through the gates she collided with the post, throwing Mr. Dawes heavily. On being picked up he was found to be badly hurt about the head and face. It was also thought that his leg was broken. He was taken as soon as possible in a cab to the Hospital, when it was found that no bones were broken, but his knee was hurt, and he was considerably knocked about the head and face, and that one eye was injured. We regret to record the death of that good horse Isonomy, by Sterling out of Isola Bella, who was foaled in 1875. As a two-year-old he ran four times with only one winning bracket, having won the Nursery Handicap at the first Newmarket October meeting, beating a field of fifteen and starting at Bto 1. As a three-year-old he only ran once, winning the Cambridgeshire Stakes at the Houghton meeting, carrying 7st 1 lb, beating a field of thirtyeight, starting at odds of 40 to 1, and winning easily by two lengths. As a four-year-old he ran eight times, winning six, and as a five-year-old he ran twice, winning each time. He carried gst izlb in the Manchester Handicap, one mile five furlongs, and won by a neck, beating a field of twenty, and starting at the nice price of 100 to 6. Mr. Gretton, his owner, over this race is supposed to have won 80,000. During his short racing career he annexed the most valuable Cups in England, having won the Gold Vase twice and the Gold Cup at Ascot, Goodwood, Brighton, and Doncaster Cups; and during his three year’s racing he won a sum of

We have received the Ninth Edition of the New Zealand Stud Book from the publisher, Mr. A. D. Willis, of Wanganui, and copies can be had at the office of this paper. Price 30s. F. Holmes, who is one of the most accomplished and trustworthy jockeys we have in this country, contemplates a trip to Australia. It is stated on good authority that Mr. S. H. Gollan will send Tirailleur, Na Moa, and Tiraillerie to Australia during the coming winter. —Canterbury Times. On Monday there was but little doing on the Ellerslie course, but on Tuesday Priscilla was walking. Takapu did a steady gallop four times round the training track. Prestissimo and Chance had a sharp spin for seven furlongs on the course proper. Flint also went once round at a steady pace. Forget-me-not did the same. Neck or Nothing went three times round the trial track at a steady pace. Bon Voyage went once round the course proper at a good gallop. Memorandum was schooled over the hurdles in the middle of the course. On Wednesday Takapu went four times and Flint once round the trial track at a slow pace. Satanella cantered twice and Chance three times round the course proper. Williamson’s and Macminamin’s teams were working away from the course. On Thursday Memorandum went three times round the trial track at a slow gallop, Takapu doing the same distance at a steady pace, and Bon Voyage once round a fast gallop. Hopeful Kate did a good working gallop twice round, while Priscilla did slow work in the middle of the course. In the N.Z. Referee there is a most uncalled for and unwarrantable paragraph under the heading of “ our special wire from Auckland,” referring to the steeplechase that took place at the late Tattersall’s race meeting held on the Takapuna racecourse. It reads thus: “,Ingarangi, the Autumn Steeplechase winner, started for the Steeplechase, but it was palpable from the fall of the flag that the son of Bothwell was not wanted for that particular voyage, and finished fifth or practically last.” When our comments appeared on the handicap we remarked that it was doubtful if a big, longstriding hosre like Ingarangi could act on an np an down hill and twisting course like Takapuna, at the same time expressing our preference for Nap, who had previously won over the course. We also know as a fact that his owner and friends backed him. Let us ask any reasonable racing man if a trainer was likely to throw his employers over for some paltry which is the most he could have made, even if he had skinned all the bookmakers as well as the totalisator. Unless the N.Z. Referee has recently changed its correspondent he was neither in the saddling paddock or the grand stand, though he might have been among the oipolloi outside. Ihe young fellow who has been their .correspondent, and for what we know is still, has presumption enough for anything, and from what we hear this par is likely to lead to a law suit, so we will refrain from making any more remarks. London Truth says: —It is rarely indeed that the most heavily engaged two year olds in the Calender win a sufficient sum in stakes to pay their forfeits. Last season, however, Mr. Louther’s Cleator, by Charibert, who was entered in 70 stakes, won five races worth upwards of /"4000. Lord Zetland’s Friar Lubin by St. Simon, who was entered in 64 stakes, won two races worth a little over fiiQQ. Colonel North’s Sheldrake, by Isonomy, which cost 2500 guineas, as a yearling, was entered in 56 stakes, and won nothing; and his Sir Fredrick Roberts, by Wisdom, a 2300 guinea yearling was in 50 stakes, of which he was credited with one, the Hurstbourne at Stockbridge, worth only because Cereza, who won in a canter, had carried the wrong weight, and was therefore disqualified. Lord Zetland’s Retribuation, by Isonomy, was engaged in 55 stakes, but won only a single race worth and this was the Cheveley Stakes at Newmarket for which she ran a dead heat with Bumptious, who was giving her 181bs. The Duchess of Montrose’s Hermence, by Isonomy, was in 51 stakes, and won nothing. The Duke of Beaufort’s Choralist, by Philammon, was in 52 stakes, and started five times without winning. Mr. Louther’s King’s Evil, by Charibert, was in 50 stakes, and won two races value Colonel North’s Penzance, by Hampton, who cost 3000 guineas at the Hampton Court Sale, was in 5 1 stakes, and won nothing.