SPORTING ITEMS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 50, 9 July 1891, Page 5

SPORTING ITEMS.

Occident was scratched for the New Zealand Cup at 2 p.m. on Monday, 6th inst. Harry Taylor, at one time a well-known jockey in Auckland, is dead. " It is reported that a lady to whose care Murrumbidgee, the man with the monkey, had entrusted £l7O odd, has taken her departure from Wellington with the same. Vagary, from whom poor Charles Parker was thrown, and fatally injured, was trained by H. Tothill, so that the mare, trainer, and rider have been killed within three weeks. — Canterbury Times. With reference to the rumour to which we gave circulation in a recent issue that it was the reputed* intention of Messrs. Hobbs and Goodwin to invade Auckland with three of their machines, we think it only fair to Mr. W. Blomfield to state that he has had charge of the machines for the last five or six seasons, and'has always ;given the public general satisfaction. Mr. Blomfield has six machines of the latest pattern, has a staff of well-trained assistants available; in the face of this, his popularity with the general public, and the satisfaction he has given to the various racing clubs,-we cannot help remarking that Hobbs and Goodwin would be ill-advised were they to come to Auckland with their totalisators at present.

Ramage, Carbine’s jockey, was out on crutches last week. Forget-me-not has failed to pass the 14.2 standard in Sydney. The steeplechaser Takapu arrived in Sydney perfectly safe. Mr. Windsor of the Waikato has NeverMiss in hand, who is being schooled for jumping purposes. Harry Prince, the well-known New Zealand bookmaker, but for some years has resided in Melbourne, died on June 25. The Pakuranga Hounds will meet on Saturday next, July 11, at Mr. A. E. Harris’ farm, East Tamaki. George Wright is back in Auckland, looking all the better for his trip across to Australia. He brought no horses back, but he is full of anecdote. The Press states that Ahua will, after the Grand National meeting, retire from the turf, and will stand at his owner’s (Mr. D. Rutherford) station at Leslie Hills. Cusden, the New Zealand jockey, joins Walter Hickenbotham’s stable as second jockey at the end of this month. It is wonderful how owners allowed him to leave this colony. The Committee of the Pakuranga Hunt Club have decided that the hounds shall visit the Waikato for a fortnight either at the end of this month or the first week in August. The first meet will take place at Hamilton. The complimentary race meeting tendered to Mr. C. DeMestre at Randwick on June 15, resulted in close upon £lOOO being available for the beneficiare. Mr. DeMestre was too ill to attend, but the Governor and all the leading sportsmen were present. Mr. D. McLeod, who went across the water a fortnight since, has, we are informed by private information received by the last Sydney mail, been singularly fortunate. At a pony meeting he came out with on the right side of his book. “ Athos ” has been informed that Hickenbotham proceeds to Mr. Wallace’s place at Queensclifi. taking with him nine horses, viz., Carbine, Megaphone, Tantallon, Aster, Bendigo, and’ four youngsters, and will remain there until Cup time. Although the weights for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups have been published there is very little doing in betting circles. For the V.R.C. Derby and Melbourne Cup 1000 to 5 is offered, and 1000 to I the two Cups. The following are the latest quotations :— GRAND NATIONAL HURDLE RACE. Run Saturday, July 11. 10 to 1 agst Dillon (off) 10—1 Elfle (off) lo — 1 Hesperus (off) 10 — 1 Priscilla (off) 10 — 1 Redleap (off) GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE. Run Saturday, July 18. 7 to 1 agst Sir Wilfred (off) 7 — 1 Fearless 11. (tk and off) 10 — 1 Blister (off) 10 — 1 Maybe (off) 10 — 1 Tyro (off) V.R.C. DERBY. Run Saturday, October 30. 4 to 1 agst Stromboli (off) 7 — 1 Penance (off) 8 — 1 Swordbearer (off) MELBOURNE CUP. Run Tuesday, November 3. 10 to 1 agst Carbine (tk and off) 14 — 1 Vengeance (off) According to the Sporting Standard Carbine was supported last week to win £5OOO at the absurdly short price of 10 to 1. Fancy there being fools enough to take that price about a horse with lOst 121 b on his back, and who has also an unsound hoof, four months before the race is run. At the next December meeting in the Waikato the South Auckland Club’s Produce Stakes should prove a great success, as a large number of owners are preparing for it. General regret is expressed that Fusilade should be allowed to leave the district for the small sum of 375 guineas, as his stock are turning out remarkably well. There are three or four engaged in the above race that are likely to make names for themselves.

During the past racing season Mr. AV. Blomfield has passed through his totalisators the undermentioned amounts. It will be seen that at the four A.R.C. meetings £50,568 was the total passed through out of £94,305 negotiated during the year by the proprietor of tne machine and his assistants. The following are the amounts passed through at the various meetings :— ' • AUCKLAND RACING CLUB. £ Spring Summer 26,396 Autumn ... ... ... ••• ••• Winter ' "• ' —22, 50,568 TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB." Spring ... :.. ... - 3-720 Summer ... ... ••• ••• Wintpr ... ... ••• 4,500 W 1 18,520 SUBURBAN MEETINGS. Pakuranga Hunt Club Autumn ... ... 2,713 Onehunga Autumn ... ... ... ••• L 607 Dargaville Autumn ... ... ... ..., 608 Tattersall’s Annual ... ... ... ••• ",566 Paeroa Annual ... ... — 180 Cambridge Annual ... ... ... ... 335 Thames Summer Meeting ... ... ... 2,163 Waikato Hunt Club Annual ... ... ... 285 . j Helensville, Annual ... ... ••• ••• 443 Whangarei, Summer... ... ... ... 1,316 Botorua Annual ... . ... ••• ••• 202 Pakuranga Racing Club Spring ... ... 1,452 6 *■ 10,07 v AUCKLAND TROTTING CLUB. June Meeting... ... ... ••• Spring ft™ Summer ... ... ... ••• ••• Huntly Disaster Meeting ... ... ... 1,34 b Otahunu Trotting Autumn ... ... ... 1,521 ■ 1 —- Total ... ... ••• ••• £94,305 George Wright says the Australian ponies are regular fliers. They do their 6 furlongs in 1 16£ and 1 17, and believes they are capable of doing it in 1 15, and he emphazies the aboyh by asserting that the ponies cut out a mile fetlock deep in mud in 1 42. Mr. Miller, who is the owner of Brian Boru, has sold out his interest in the Pukekohe Hotel to Mr. “ Joe ” Robinson, late of the Aurora Hotel, Auckland, and it is presumed the. new landlord will take over the horse; he is in great heart at present. It will be remembered he ran a good second to Cambria at the last Takapuna summer meeting. Mr. Paul Kerekere of Gisborne, has bought the two-year-old colt Brigand from Mr. T. M orrin, the price said to have been paid for the son of Brigadier and Gannett being £3OO. Gisborne will be the colt’s new quarters. The sale was effected by Mr. 8. C. Caulton, of the Central Hotel, who selected him in preference to Master Pat and Tulloch. ; : 1 We are sorry to announce the demise of our old contemporary, the N.Z. Referee, which was first published in Christchurch nearly eight years since. It has been purchased by the proprietors of the Canterbury Weekly Press, and. 1 is now incorporated with that journal. The Sporting Review thus becomes the only journal devoted entirely to sporting matters, &c.,‘ in the colony. : , • ‘ . -v On Wednesday evening of last week a number ' of trotting enthusiasts met at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, for the purpose of forming a 1 Club. Mr. G. Mcßride was voted to the chair, and Mr. E. P. Goldsborough was elected secretary pro tern. After a lengthy discussion on the suitability of a name, it was agreed to 1 designate it the “ Onslow Trotting Club.” A meeting is to be held to-morrow night at the 1 same place to elect officers and arrange all details necessary to make the “ Onslow” second to none in the Colony. Messrs. Yuille & Co. have been instructed to sell the whole of Mr. 8. G. Cooke’s valuable' stud of racehorses at Pytchley Lodge, Newmarket on July 20. It will be well worthwatching into whose hands they go, as many of l them are engaged in both Caulfield and Mel-? bourne Cups, and one or two are well handi- f capped. The principal ones in the stud are The Admiral, The Spot, The Harbour Light, and The Commodore. Among the two-year-i. olds are The Rebel, Yarran, The Jester, The Pioneer, The Doctor, and The Magistrate, also many other useful horses. At the same time will be sold Pytchley Lodge, the furniture, and’ all the racing gear, etc. Mr. Cook, who for many years has been one of the most prominent racing men in Australia, has determined to abandon turf pursuits as he finds that under existing circumstances he cannot race with either pleasure or profit to himself. /'

On Saturday last, on the Lake Beach, an amateur race meeting took place. About 200 persons were present, including several wellknown pencillers from town. The following are the results :—Trotting Race, in saddle, Mr. George’s mare.; Trotting in gigs, Mr. George’s mare; Hack Race, Mr. ScherifE’s Rob-tail. Mr. J. Forth’s Seaweed won the Pony Race, but he refused to accept the stakes, and the race being run over again, Joker won. It turned out that “ Seaweed ” was no other than Red Rose. Mr. Davies’ (the ’bus proprietor) mare won the Hurdles. A match has > been arranged between . this mare and The Joker, to take place some morning this week. We give below the amounts put through the totalisator by Messrs. Adams and Andrews during the past season. Those gentlemen almost invariably worked the machines at the suburban meetings during the past season, and are in no way conrected with Mr. Blomfield’s totalisators. Messrs. Adams and Andrews always give their patrons and the .general public the greatest possible satisfaction, and we commend them to the favourable notice of any racing club requiring their services:— Pakrranga Hunt Club ... ... — 2 2 Avondale J.C. Spring ... ... ... ••• 2,358 0 0 South Auckland R.C. ~. ... — — L 447 0 0 Manaia Racing Club ... ... — — 1,265 0 0 Drary Racing Club ... ... ... ••• 860 0 0 « a » 01 " b ? Henderson’s Mill Turf Club ... .. ... 2,220 0 0 South Auckland Autumn ... ... ... — 1,480 10 0 Avondale R.C. Autumn ... ... -•— 1,984 0 0 Te Aroha Jockey Club ... ... — — 410 0 2 like Racing Club ... ... ... ••• 718 10 0 Thames Jockey Club ... .. ... ... ••• 426 0 0 IVaipa Racing Club ... ... ... — 201 0 0 Total £17,142 10 0