SPORTING ITEMS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 42, 16 May 1891, Page 6

SPORTING ITEMS.

Crackshot has gone into Charlie O’Connor’s hands owing to R. Ray’s ill health. Mr. Stead has placed half a dozen of his mares in Harry Thompson’s hands, at Middle Park, for a short time. Colonel Gorton a well-known figure in sporting circles (?) up Rangitikei way, has gone home on a visit to the old country. Bendigo’s record of imin. 36 4~sth secs., for the mile in 1885, Lincolnshire Handicap, is still quoted by the London Sportsman. The St. Leger—Necklace filly left for Sydney on Thursday last, in charge of George Wright, with a view of being trained for her Australian engagements. Reports from all sides of increased totalisator doings make it look likely that this season’s records in this form of gambling will be larger than ever known before in the Colony. Hon. W. A.. Long has a daughter of Barcaldine (sire of Mimi, the One Thousand Guineas winner); She is a three-year-old called Merry Agnes, out of Dame Agnes, by Hermit. “Trumpeter” understands that the V.R.C. will make no fresh appointment now that Mr Harrie Smith has resigned the post of Stipendary Steward. A horse bearing the following extraordinary name took part in a hurdle race in Brisbane recently :—Schlecmucentriatsic. It.is needless to say that, owing to being so overburdened in name, if not in weight, the said horse did not win. “Kaiser” Myers, who was disqualified by the V.A.T.C. stewards last year for twelve months, for the suspicious riding of Mercy Merrick, is once more free, as the time expired on the 3rd inst. The Earl of Durham will succeed the Earl of March as senior steward of the Newmarket Jockey Club. The present Lord Falmouth is going to re-form the breeding stud that made the name of Falmouth famous in the racing calendar. Mr. Clibborn, the Secretary of the Australian Jockey Club, says that three of Mrs. James White’s horses—Somniloquist, Solanum, both by Somnus, arid Thionville, by Cranbrook—were wrongly nominated for the A. J.O. Produce Stakes of 1893, as neither Somnus or Cranbrook were nominated for the stake. It has been currently reported that Mr. Byron Moore, the' popular secretary of the V.R.C., who has not been in good health lately, contemplates a trip to the old country, This he denies, and hopes to. recuperate during the slack season. Bookmaking must be a good thing in the colonies when “punters” are willing to take the following odds before the entries are even made: — For the Melbourne Cup, 20 to 1 Carbine, 40 to 1 Tirailleur, 40 to 1 Tormentor, 25 to 1 Correze, 25 to 1 Greygoun, 25 to 1 Gresford, 33 to 1 Cuirassier, 33 to 1 Megaphone, and are offering 100 to 1 on the double, V.R.C. Derby and. Melbourne Cup. “Diamond” writes: —Judging from the number of clearing sales lately, breeding thoroughbred stock would not appear to be at all. a paying game in the Australian colonies. Within the past four month the two principal stud farms in New Zealand have had to give the game best, and it is now announced that Mr. S. Gardiner’s Bundoora Park stud is to be sold by order of the mortgagees at the end of the present month. For some years past there has been very little demand for Mr. Gardiner’s stock amongst racing men, chiefly on account of. their being got by unfashionable sires. During the last 12 months, however, thanks to the doings of the young Precious Stones, Bundoora Park was looking up again, and the last lot of yearlings put into the ring were a credit to the place, and they realised what must have been highly satisfactory prices. However fiat has gone forth, and another choice collection of blood stock is to be dispersed to the four winds of heaven. There is sure to be considerable competition for the majority of the lots to be offered, and that rising sire Precious Stone should realise a good round sum, as nearly everything got by him can gallop. After Loyal Stone ran second for the Caulfield Cup last year Nir. Gardiner refused 2000 sovs. for the colt, and it will be interesting to note the price that he will bring now.

Mr. Stead has sold his colt Clanranald, and the brother to St. Andrew goes into H. Lunn’s stable. It is not known who are the aspirants for the post of handicapper to the C.J.C., but Messrs. G. P. Williams, J. Cresswell, J. Henry, Donne, and Murray, are known to have submitted their names. It is said that there is an intention to resuscitate the Middle Psrk Company, and the following names in connection with the projected Stud Company are freely mentioned : Messrs. Gollan, Stead, G. Rhodes, W. O. Rutherford, Blackwood, Pyne, and the Hon. E. W. Parker. “Diamond” writes: —In connection with the next Melbourne Cup there is already a noticeable desire in numerous quarters to back Dreadnought. This is the more remarkable from the fact that, according to rumour, the understandings of the son of Trafalgar are not as sound as could be wished, and in view thereof I should advise punters to stand off" Dreadnought while in the dark as to the horse’s condition and surroundings. At the Flemington Court, May sth, one Robert Kurtz was charged with obtaining £5 by false pretences from Edward Aitkin, on the 4th November last, at Flemingtrn. Inspector Brown, who prosecuted stated that since the offence the prisoner had levanted to New Zealand, and had been brought back on warrant. After hearing the evidence of Detective Charles and that of the prosecutor, the Bench decided to commit the accused for trial. The defence raised was one of mistaken identity. Harry Laing, the champion boxer of the Colony, has been committed for trial on a charge of having been connected with W. Noble in the alleged theft of £230 from Mr. Joseph Abbott, a settler up the Wanganui River. It was understood by some that Laing was going over the other side to try conclusions. This is unfortunate for St. Clair as he had come from Queensland to try conclusions with him. As the case now stands he will have to try conclusions with some one else, and he (St. Clair) will be found a hard nut to crack. The foliowingappears in the Weekly Press :— “ A case of some importance to racing men and racing clubs will not unlikely have to be fought out in the law courts shortly—that is if a wellknown local owner and a Metropolitan Racing Club cannot come to terms about some nomination money the owner wants returned. These are the facts that are represented by the owner. He nominated his horse, or rather mare, for a number of races at a two days’ meeting at one of the northern Metropolitan Clubs. The weights appeared for the first day’s events, and he was not satisfied with the impost his mare received and did not accept. For reasons best known to the Club, they did not, in posting the handicaps for the second day’s events, include his gee-gee in the list. He now claims a return of his money on the ground that he paid to see how the handicapper would treat his mare and to know what the handicapper’s estimate would be in the event of his again wishing to enter for the same moeting or at any other meeting where she would be likely to meet the same company—his contention being that the Club once receiving a nomination is bound to give quid pro quo in the shape of a handicap. The defence that the Club will no doubt advance is that it is known that the animal was not at the meeting and not likely to be a starter. The question left for the legal gentlemen to decide will be should such a plea be sufficient, and perhaps we cannot do better than have the legal version, and in the meantime committees of racing clubs might do worse than consider whether some rule on the subject is required. So far, we do not remember the point having been raised.” If this case is brought before a jury it will be interesting to racing men and amusing; Years gone by it used to be the custom for owners in the old country to enter their horses at outside meetings, and go to such clerks of the course and handicappers as Frail, Topham, Merry, etc., either giving them a chopping-block or saying, “ Put what you like on, I will not accept,” or a favourite game has been, “If I win you can keep the stakes.” One or two cases like this have been tried, especially one at Warwick, but it is to be hoped that such a pernicious habit will not be introduced into this young colony, though there is a suspicion it has been tried more than once.

Common is first favourite for the Epsom Derby—the last quotation being 6 to 4 against him. Sir Maurice, who fell and injured himself while contesting in the Egmont Steeplechase, is dead. Neil Miller, who was riding him, was seriously hurt, and is at present in the hospital. Mr. W. R. Wilson has conferred the following names on his yearlings :—Colt by Trenton —Paquita, “Wellyama”; colt by First King —Pilgrimage, “Repudiation”; filly by Trenton —Jessamine, “ Trentonia ” ; filly by Grandmaster —Crystal, “ Parthia ” ; filly by Nelson —Memphis, “ Lady Nelson ” ; filly by Ouideis —Mary Gladstone, “Facta”; and filly by Neckersgat —Meg Merrilies, “ The Shrew.” On May sth a pigeon match was held at Yaldhurst. Mr. P. J. Mason won two sweeps and Mr. D. Roberts tied him for one of them, only being beaten in the shooting off. Hur combe and P. White divided one sweep, and Hurcombe won another. Sparrows being used in the concluding match. Pigeons are very well when there are good shots engaged, but it is cruelty when the reverse. A good afternoon’s amusement could be had in Auckland if sparrows were used, and proper traps obtained, as they would teach young colonials to be quick with hand and eye. The following appears in an Australian exchange, and one may be quite sure that the same things occurs in Auckland, as there are many ponies (?) that run as such if properly measured would not pass under the standard. There is only one way of properly measuring them.—“lt is really wonderful to note the difference in the heights of the various ponies as measured by Messrs. Kendall, Allen, and Harrie Smith. At Moonee on Friday there were ponies running in the 14 hands class that could not get under 14. 1 when Mr. Smith rah the rule over them. A contemporary, remarking on the hounds that have lately been imported to Auckland, makes the following statement:—“ The strains imported are the most valuable in England?.’ This may lead colonials astray. Without detracting from the. merits of the hounds, which are good ones, it must be borne in mind that both the Pytchley and the Cottesmore hounds have changed hands several times during the last fifteen years ; they are therefore what are called made packs. The real blood that is so much valued at home is the Belvoir (Duke of Rutland’s), the Fitzwilliam, the Eggesfor, formerly Lord Portsmouth, and for large hounds the Duke of Beaufort’s. These packs have been kept intact for years, as one can see by the Stud Book. Discussing the importance of breeding trotters in a recent number of the Fottnightly Review, the Duke of Marlborough says:—“ I am certain that if our breeders could realise the great work that has been done in Kentucky within the last forty years, they would go and judge the results for themselves, and it would not be long before the trotter had become naturalised in England. By this Ido not say that trotting races would take the same place in our English sports as they do in America, but I am certain that the excellence of the breed in real utility as well as its acknowledged sporting and thoroughbred qualities would appeal to the mind of a sporting people like the English, and afford them an enjoyment and pleasure of which they have as yet no idea.” We have received a letter from “ Sport ” which we cannot publish in full, at the sametime we agree with him in some things, therefore we will only deal with the first part of his letter. He says:—“ I&can quite sympathise with the remarks of ‘Victim’ in your last issue, and it is quite time there should be some unity among horse owners. The idea of Octopus giving Warrior 161 b over a mile is very handy to have something to start on.” If it was possible to get unity among horse owners it would not be difficult to get rid of what “ Sport” complains of, but such a thing is almost impossible ; but if a few horse owners only agreed not to enter horses where the handicapping is so faulty the clubs would have to meet their views or give up their racing meetings. As regards Selling Races, that “ Sport ” writes about, they have always been and will be a curse to racing, the only thing they are any good for is to enable a man to get rid of an inferior horse at a fair price, but, as in Auckland, they are used only for gambling, the sooner they are done away with the better.

Peter Jackson and Jim Corbett fight to a finish in the California Athletic Club on May 21. George Wright left for Sydney on Thursday evening last in the “ Te Anau,” taking with him the well-known horse Satyr, by Leolinus, who is engaged in the Grand National Hurdle Race. We hope George Wright will have better luck than that which fell to the Jot of Jack Rae last season, when he left on a similar mission with Donald. Occasional wagers on the New Zealand Cup have been booked during the week by the Christchurch pencillers, and the following transactions which have been recorded will sufficiently indicate the state of the market: 100 to 8 agst Palliser, 100 to 7 Sternchaser, 100 to 6 Prime Warden, 100 to 6 Freedom, 100 to 6 Merrie England, 100 to 5 Tassy, 100 to 5 Flinders, 100 to 4 Huguenot, 100 to 4 Fiesole. <Mr. T. D. Halstead appears to be in a dilemma regarding the horse Ironbark, which he claimed out of the memorable Selling Race at the late Onehunga Race Meeting, and has written ,to the Onehunga Racing Club Committee for a rebate of the money paid for him on the ground that he has since been disqualified and is practically worthless. The Committee declined, and quite right too. Mr. Halstead has his remedy under clauses 1 and 2 of Rule 148, which read thus: - (1) If the objection has not been made until after the horse has been bought the person who bought him shall, if the objection be declared valid, have the option of returning him or retaining him at the price of a beaten horse. (2) If the objection be made before the horse has been bought the time for delivering him is thereby postponed until suuh time after the determination of the objection as the stewards appoint, and if the objection be declared valid the person who has bought him shall have the same option as in the last mentioned case. I do not, indeed, know a more remarkable instance (says the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News') of the way in which, with the best of all conceivable means of judging, an owner and his associates have judged wrongly. Here is the story: —The Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, founded in 1840,' was a race at which Lord George Bentinck always aimed. It was his ambition to win it in 1843 with African, whom he backed for a very large sum, and who started first favourite at 3to 1. On the day before the race Lord George’s confederate, the late Duke of Richmond, resolved that he would start his four-year-old filly Balena for the Steward’s Cup, although she. had been tried as being slightly inferior to African at the weights. They were, however, so near together that Balena was thought to be dangerous, and Lord George was obliged to back her, partly to cover his outlay on African, and also to make her a good winner, and here let me add that I cannot in the least understand what the Duke meant, or hoped, or anticipated. However, at the last moment it unfortnately occurred to Lord George that he had backed The Whaler, a three-year-old belonging to the Duke of Richmond, heavily for the Goodwood Stakes, and that Kitchener, who then weighed less than 3St, was to ride him. Thinking that it would give the little boy confidence if, before the Goodwood Stakes,' he had a mount in another big field, Lord George desired John Kent to send for Yorkshire Lady, and to start her wirh Kitchener on her back. Yorkshire Lady was a four-year-old handicapped at 6st 41b in the Stewards’ Cup, but having been amiss she was totally untrained. A boy was immediately dispatched on John Kent’s hack to the stables at Goodwood, and he galloped back to the course on Yorkshire Lady as hard as she could put legs to the ground. With her ordinary shoes on her feet, and blowing like a grampus, as she had been fed and watered, she was just in time to get to the starting post, with Kitchener up, before the flag fell. There were several false starts, during which Yorkshire Lady regained her wind, and to the, horror of Lord George the end of the race resolved itself into a struggle between Yorkshire Lady and Balena, the former winning by half a length. In the race African met with two or three disappointments, but the lesson taught by Yorkshire Lady’s unexpected victory was never forgotten by Lord George, and to this hour is frequently referred to by John Kent. It was the first race that Kitchener ever won. A more extraordinary turn-up than this is hardly imaginable.

The Duchess of Montrose pays her chaplain £lOO a year. She gives her jockey £l5OO a year. Mr. Noel Fenwick’s b f Mimi, by Barcaldme, won the Newmarket Stakes of 10,000 sovs., Mr. D. Cooper’s Melody being the runner-up. Col. North has followed up his success at Waterloo by dividing the Gold Cup at Haydock, his Young Fullerton and Simonian being left in at the conclusion of the running for the stake. Like Fullerton, who so easily won the blue riband last month, both Simonian and Young Fullerton are by Greenstick out of Bit of Fashion. Mons Meg, by Martini-Henri —Malacca, ran third to Amphion for the March Stakes (Newmarket, England) of 1000 sovs., one mile, but as Mark Price, who has never won a race, was second, this performance may not have been anything, as when details come to hand perhaps it will be found that Amphion, the champion mile and half horse, won in a canter.