SPORTING ITEMS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 45, 4 June 1891, Page 4

SPORTING ITEMS.

Gipsy Prince is reported to hopelessly lame. Uranus has been shipped to Australia. An offer of £250 was recently refused for the jumper Chemist. Weights for the New Zealand Cup will be due on the Ist July. Vasco di Gama has been purchased by Mr. Handyside. That veteran trainer Bob Ray is said to be still in very bad health. F. Holmes, a well-known Southern jockey, contemplates visiting Australia shortly. We understand the jumper Parnell will shortly be taken over to Australia. Lord Onslow has accepted the honorary mastership of the Pakuranga Hunt Club.

The Calcutta Turf Club intend giving 26,000 rupees to pony racing for the season 1891-92. The first coursing meeting of the newly formed Hawkes Bay Coursing Club will be held on the 17th inst. D. Roberts, during the absence of Mr. R. J. Mason in Australia, will have charge of the Yaldhurst team for Mr. G. G. Stead.

Satyr, with 9st 111 b, in the Sydney Turf Club’s Hurdle Race, was leniently treated, but we are informed he did not start for the event.

Mr. B. Thompson has made up his mind not to race the Musk st mare Tamora again, she will therefore be relegated to the stud.

Mr. Robert Ross of Wanganui has purchased Natator, and intends to travel him in the Wanganui district. His Excellency Lord Onslow during his to Wanganui purchased a big upstanding colt by Natator for hunting purposes The Huntly Disaster Fund will benefit some £9O by the recent trotting meeting held at Potter’s Paddock. The Irish division are said to have won over the victory of Come Away in the Liverpool Grand National. Mr. F. W. Petre of Dunedin, is the successful competitor for the design of the Reefton Jockey Club’s new grandstand. Harry Pell, the cross-country horseman, arrived from Wanganui by the Gairloch on Saturday last. It is reported that another Steeplechase meeting, will be held in the Auckland district before the close of the season. Titan, last year’s favourite for the Victorian Derby, is said to be in work again at Queenscliffe. The Spring meeting of the Wellington Racing Club will be held on Thursday and Friday, November 20th and 21st. Mr George Watson has been master of the Melbourne Hunt Club for the last thirty-nine years. Mr. Gollan’s gelding Ival broke down while doing a gallop at Ellerslie on Monday last, consequently he will be a doubtful starter. Two bookmakers were warned off the course at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting for laying totalizator odds. Nap, Omata, and Highland Laddie, did some useful schooling on Saturday last over the Ellerslie steeplechase course, all horses jumping 'in good style. Mr. P. F. Tancred, of Carterton, having disposed of his farm at Clareville, intends offering for sale the whole of his thoroughbred racing stock some time in June. Sam Fergus got another “ cropper ” off the jumper Chance, while schooling him over the double jump at Ellerslie on Saturday last, but we are pleased to hear that nothing serious happened to either horse or horseman.

Kuline, the winner of the Dunedin Tradesman’s Handicap, is said to be a perfect jumper , and will probably be Mr. Rutherford’s representative in the Christchurch Grand National Hurdle Races, to be run next August. *

It is reported that ex-king Milan, of Servia, who is now in London, will be a new patron in English turf circles this season. A commission to purchase racing stock on his behalf has been given.

Mr. W. R. Wilson's Tea Rcse, at Epsom, gave “ Kaiser ” Myers his first winning mount since his return from his forced retirement from the saddle, and his spell has evidently done the light-yyeight jockey no harm.

The following amounts have been paid over by the Wanganui Jockey Club in connection with the Steeplechase meeting held on Queen’s Birthday :—Mr. J. B. Williamson, £2lB 10s; Mr. W. Chapman, £92 12s 6d ; ~ Mr. J. E. Nugent, £3B ; Mr. H. H. Hayr, £3B ; Mr. D. Thurston, £23 15s ; Mr. D. Knight, £2l 7s 6d ; Mr. T. S. Bristol, £l9s; Mr. F. Hill, £9 10s; Mr. D. J. Riddiford, £9 10s; Mr. R. E. Mcßae, £9 10s; Mr. C. A. Durie, £9 10s; Mr. J. G. Wilson, £4 15s ; making a total of £494.

The folloyving gentlemen hold certificates available for the June meeting of the Hawkes .Bay Jockey Club : —Messrs. N. C. Shaw, Langley Shaw, Fred Oaulton, Charles Caulton, Harold Russell, R. C. Pitt, E. Oakenfull, John Olliver, R. J. Neagle, Thos. H. Edwards, S. J. Bennett, Edward Brookes, Jas. Mclvor, A. C. Lang, S. H. Gollan, John Douglas, Wm. Heslop, R. J. Hunter, Robert Harley, — Absolam, Jas. Lopdell, J. I). Ormond, jun., A. Lyon, R. L. Peene, George Crisp, T. F. Ferguson, Albert Couper, Eustace Vernon.

Mr. 8. H. Gollan’s Great Northern Steeplechase representative, Ival, arrived in charge of James Hickey by the Takapuna on Sunday last.

Mr. J. O. Evitt, the handicapper for the Auckland Racing Club, arrived in town on Tuesday, with a view of being present at the Winter meeting.

Charlie Weal brought the jumper Sentinel down from the Waikato on Monday. Sentinel is engaged in the Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase. A billiard match was arranged to take plaee on 26th of May last, in Adelaide, for £5O aside, between Weiss and Power, the later to receive 200 points out of 2000.

Orator has been running in Australia as a five-year old, and as he was foaled in 1884 his owner most likely will have to answer a series of objections

Liberty has proved a good bargain for Mr. Lyons, who gave 70 sovs. for him a few months ago, and since that time the son of A lidor has won several races.

Jack Rae paid a visit to Ellerslie on Saturday last with some of his team, and we regret to say that he came to grief while schooling Relation over the double jump.

Mr. W. Hately, the handicapper for Wanganui and Egmont racing clubs, has arrived in town, in order to be present at our Steeplechase meeting.

At their last general meeting the Calcutta Turf Club raised the added money of the Viceroy’s Cup to 10,000 rupees, and the Cooch Behar Cup was converted into a handicap.

Cusden, the New Zealand light-weight, again showed his cleverness in the Elstemwick Park Handicap, bringing Mikado II home by a smart piece of horsemanship.

A lot of New Zealand money has been sent to Australia for investment on Carbine for the Melbourne Cup, and the champion is now said to be at a ridiculously short price.

“ Spectator ” writes : “At a race meeting held lately a Canterbury jockey was fined. He asked for time when he next went to the scales, but was promptly told that he could not ride again until it was paid, and he had some diffi - culty in raising the cash. On the same day another jockey was fined, and he asked for time, ‘ Oh, yes,’ said the clerk of the scales, ‘that will be right;” and then chipped in a horseowner who was standing near, ‘ You make fish of one and flesh of another here.’ Once more comes back to my recollection those oft _ quoted lines of Adam Lyndsey about riding for lords and standing in with stewards. It will be understood that the jockey who was allowed time*was about to ride for an official of the club, who shall be nameless.

Some good work was done on the Ellerslie course on Monday by the following horses :— Ival went three times round, finishing at a strong pace, pulling up well. -■ Priscilla, Dolosa, and Off Chance did a good working gallop twice round. Neck or Nothing went three times at a steady'pace. Duadine three times, the first slow, the last twice a working gallop. Criminal three times steady. Takapu three times, the first slow, he was then joined by Karewa and the two came home at a good gallop. Yum Yum, after jumping the water and stone wall, went twice round the tan at a steady gallop. Bryan O’Lynn went three times round the tan at a steady pace.

The following clipping from the N.Z. Herald of last week will illustrate how the sporting writer of that journal speaks his mind when occasion demands it, and is a fair sample of the straightforward and outspoken (?) opinions that are usually found in his columns. Writing of the late trotting fiasco he says:—“ The S raiseworthy efforts of the Auckland Trotting lub in promoting a special meeting in aid of the funds for the sufferers by the Huntly

colliery disaster have, we are glad to say, met with a very satisfactory result. The meeting, which took place on Saturday last, was a complete success in every way. One or two unexpected adverse circumstances which had to be contended against were promptly overcome by the management, which deserves great credit for the manner in which it worked.”

The Dunedin Jockey Club ejected a man named Smith off the Forbury racecourse, on account of his being disqualified by the Ashburton Racing Club.

The United Hunt Club (Wellington) intend holding a race meeting on Saturday, July 18th, when the sum of £260 will be given away in added money. George Hope arrived per s.s. Takapuna on Sunday last, bringing with him Takapu and his new purchase Karewa, by Natator — Clematis. Both horses arrived in good condition, having had an exceedingly smooth passage from New Plymouth.

The competition for the possession of the little gambling “club ” behind the Kursaal at Ostend has been keener than ever this year. The tenders are for three years, and the offers received—l2 in number—varied from £4OOO to £12,000 per annum. “ Flashlight ” in his notes from Caulfield says that E. Kelly now has only Cuirassier to put through the mill, the big son of Musket chiefly doing long, steady work with the sweaters on. Town Moor is still on the invalid list, and Mercy Merrick has gone into Carter’s stable.

A novel way of instilling honesty into jockeys is reported from America. A prize was given to the rider of the longest-priced winner at a recent Gloucester meeting, and was won by a jockey named Hollis, who got home on a thirty to one chance. The amount of the prize was £25.

The following horses were backed for the New Zealand Cup during the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting last month, at the following prices:—Crackshot 100 to 7, Merrie England 100 to 7, Freedom 100 to 6, Occident 100 to 6, Prime Warden 100 to 6, The Workman 100 to 5, British Lion 100 to 4.

At the annual general meeting of the Christchurch Tattersall’s Club, held at the Club rooms on Tuesday, 26th May, it was resolved that as the functions of the Club had practically ceased, to abandon the name of Tattersall’s and to recommend the members to constitute themselves into a social club under the title Union Club. A special meeting to ratify the the change of name will be held in about two weeks.

The London correspondent of the Melbourne Leader, describing the race for the Liverpool Grand National, states that Mr. H. Beasley and Captain E. R. Owen, the respective riders of Come Away and Cloister, were both tired to death before the finish, and that had a strong horseman been up on Cloister he must have won.

The fine of £2O inflicted on the owner of Wabba for not scratching his horse for the Epsom Handicap at the last meeting of the Epsom Racing Club has been rescinded, as it has been discovered that the telegram conveying instructions to scratch Wabba was delivered at the office of the club in town instead of at the course. At Messrs. A. Buckland & Sons’ sale last Friday the bay gelding by Patriarch from Valerie was knocked down to the bid of Mr. T. M. Jackson for £lB. A two-year-old colt by King Cole—Rosalie was purchased by Mr. H. B. Kavanagh for 55 guineas. Maud S., the trotter, became the property of Mr. E. G. Sandall for £l5 ss.

The V.R.C. will after the conclusion of their next meeting have given away during the season £4OOO in added money to hurdle races, £4,400 to steeplechases, £23,600 to handicap flat races, £5,800 to weight-fbr-age races, and £"6,300 to special weight-for-age races, being a total of £"44,100. This amount is irrespective of sweepstakes and trophies. Mr. H. Sampson, well-known in sporting circles throughout the world as “Pendragon,” of the London Referee, has, according to a cable received last night, gone the way of all flesh, his death having occurred last week, after a short illness. Mr. Sampson visited Australia a few years ago, and in his later writings in the journal with which he was connected, has frequently made reference to the admirable manner in which racing and general sporting ventures are conducted in the colonies. — Sporting Standard, May 19th.

Jupiter, who was running so prominently in the Wanganui Steeplechase,, but unfortunately went the wrong course, has been purchased by Mr. W. Douglas, of Napier, for the sum of £225, and it is understood that the horse u ill be taken over to Australia shortly. The privileges for the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meeting were offered on Friday last by Messrs. D. Tonks & Co., and realized the following prices: grand stand bar, £l7 10s., Mr. Purcell; sole right outside bars, £25, Mr. Curtis; cards, £l4 10s., Mr. W. ’Adams; refreshment stalls, £2, Mrs. Mclntosh; stabling, £2, Mr. Parker. Mr. Abbington has now won four Liverpool Cups off the reel, as last season Father Confessor carried off those decided at the Spring and Summer meetings, and Lady Rosebery, who took the Autumn Cup, won the Spring Cup on March 21.

The fastest time in which the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase has been won is grain. 3osec. by Huntsman, in 1862. The record weight (since the big chase was made a handicap) remains at 11.13, under which Cortolvin won for the Duke of Hamilton in 1867. Mr. S. H. Gollan has named his yearlings as follows :—B or br c by Nordenfeldt—Florence McCarthy, Taireur: borbr c by Nordenfeldt —Frailty, Mousquetaire ; br c by Nordenfeldt —Nellie Moore. Culloden; b c by Leelinus— Woodnymph, Leontini; br or'blk fby Artillery —Escalade, Forlorn Hope. “ Ormonde ” of the Sporting Standard writes: Walter Hickenbotham has Carbine and Megaphone back again both looking well after the spell they have enjoyed up at Ballart; they are only doing gentle exercise at present. Bendigo has been slipping along smartly, and is looking bright and well. The five yearlings in this string are also in everyday work, and. are a fine lot, a fine lengthy filly by Welcome Jack —La Maresque especially taking my fancy. It is stated that 800 guineas was the price paid by Mr. M. Carmody for Silverstream, by The Assyrian—Silverthread, to Mr. R. O’Connor. This is the longest price paid for a filly in Tasmania, and Carmody must have a high opinion of her. There is nothing to find fault with in her shape and breeding, and she has proved herself a bit of a flyer, so it is to be hoped her purchaser will be repaid for his enterprising deal.— Sportsman. „ The following gentlemen hold office for the Canterbury Jockey Club Programme Committee:—Messrs. G. G. Stead, Hood, Williams, Winter, and Clifford. Course Committee : — Messrs. Stead, Hood, Williams, Donald, Pitman, and Morton. Mr. Wynn Williams is chairman of the general committee. Quite a number of people visited the Ellerslie racecourse on Sunday afternoon. Most of them enjoyed the visit by seeing the following horses work :—The first was Maccaroni, having for a companion The Lad, both doing a couple of rounds together on the trial track at a good smart pace. Ival, Takapu, and Karewa, all of whom had just arrived from Wanganui, were each sent three times found, slow. Highland Laddie, after going a couple of circuits on the grass gallop, was jumped over the stone-wall.

The following particulaas, given by the Live Stock Journal, respecting the Duke of Wellington’s famous charger Copenhagen, which carried.him for eighteen hours on the day of the battle of Waterloo, will be interesting. Copenhagen was the first foal of a mare named Lady Catherine, which had been taken out as a charger on the Copenhagen expedition by General Grosvenor. At the end of the expedition Lady Catherine went back to England, and in due course produced a chestnut colt foal, which, in memory of £her expedition, was called Copenhagen, and when it grew up was sold to Major-General Sir S. Stewart (afterwards Marquis of Londonderry), and was taken out by him as a charger to the Peninsula, when the Duke purchased it for £l5O. The sire of Copenhagen was a racehorse called Meteor, by Eclipse; the dam of Lady Catherine was out of a mare by' the Rutland Arabian, out of a hunting mare not thoroughbred Copenhagen himself was tried on the turf. He ran 10 races in 1811, winning two, but not in very distinguished company, and three in 1812, when he was four years old. He died at Strathfieldsaye at the age of 27,

The following are the probable riders in the Great Northern Steeplechase, to be run at Ellerslie to-day:— Sentinel —C. Weal Ingarangi —R. Wright Omata —S. Fergus Nap—Burns ' Takapu—H. Pell Parnell —W. Macminamin Bit-o’-Blue —Marshall Yum Yum —Windsor Duadine —A. Williams Neck-or-Nothing—K. Heaton Kate—W. Croll Ival —J. Hickey. A “ sport who lost his tin ” was plaintiff in a case heard at the Launceston Court on Tuesday. He had taken the field against Joe Powell’s stable for a tenner with Mr. G. Barber, the host of the International, on the Steeplechase the night before it was run. About an hour after making the bet he came back, having heard it was to be a walk-over for Oudia, and wanted to “ cry off,” but George wasn’t on, so he went to law over it. It was proved that several horses were left in the race up to an hour or two before starting, and the case was, of course, dismissed. — Sportsman. The first annual inriggged four contest between the Napier and Union Rowing Clubs took place in the inner harbour lately. The crews were: —Napier: Hutchinson list 81b (stroke), Chapman list 81b (2), Wilson 12st 91b (2), M’Vay lOst 61b (bow). The Union’s cox did not turn up, and a 18st man took his place. The Napier men took the water first, and, rowing in. good style, got a lead of about a length at the start. Their opponents spurted repeatedly, and doggedly endeavoured to wear them down during the whole distance, but their spurts were always staved off by Napier, and the latter uHimately won by about the distance gained at ’ the start. Mr. W. Taylor was an efficient starter.

Richard Pilling, the famous Lancashire wicket-keeper, died at Manchester on Saturday evening, the 4th April (writes a Glasgow exchange) from consumption. He had only returned on the previous Sunday from a voyage to Australia for the benefit of his health. Pilling first appeared in the Lancashire eleven in 1877, and played regularly down to the end of 1889. Among wicket-keepers he was considered second only to Blackham, the Australian. He twice visited Australia as one of Shaw and Shrewsbury’s teams, and, it is said, that a sunstroke during the former of these trips was really the cause of his ill-health. The funeral took place the following Wednesday at Brooklands, near Manchester, in the presence of a crowd estimated at between 1000 and 2000 persons.

Racing officials received a lesson at the hands of the Supreme Court, Hobart, in the matter of negligence. At the December meeting of the Brighton Racing Club there was a pony race, one of the conditions being that the ponies were to be measured. A midget named Tasmania won, with Mr. G. Smith’s Camille second. Mr. Smith entered a protest on the grounds that the winner had never been measured; but it was dismissed, and he was fined for a frivolous protest. Then he went to law for the amount of the stake, and damages £2O, including the fine, and he got the amount of the stake awarded. The judge characterised the fining of the plaintiff as a very high-handed proceeding.

The following wagers will indicate the state of the betting market in Melbourne at the present time :—V.R.C. Derby and Cup, 2000 to 20 agst Penance and Penance, and 1000 to 5 agst that colt and the following horses for the Cup: Carbine, Megaphone, Malvolio, Marvel, Vengeance, King Olaf and Greygown. 3000 to 30 agst two Strombolis, and 1000 to 3 that colt coupled with Malvolio, Dreadnought, Carbine, Marvel, Cuirassier, Greygown, King Olaf and Megaphone for the Cup. 2000 to 20 the two Zalinskis, and 1000 to 5 agst Carbine, Malvolio, Greygown, and Dreadnought coupled with Zalinski. 2000 to 2 the two Sanctuarys, and 1000 to 10 the two Oxides. Straight out for Melbourne Cup, 1000 to 50 agst Carbine. 1000 to 30 Malvolio, 1000 to 30 Dreadnought, and 1000 to 30 Megaphone have also been laid.