Sporting Items.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 55, 13 August 1891, Page 7

Sporting Items.

' Dudu is to visit Chainshot this season. Mr. W. Douglas’ cheque over the Victorian Racing Club’s Winter Meeting was Mr. M- S. Laurie’s mare, Priscilla, is now an inmate of W. McMinamin’s stable. Mr. Henry Driver has been re-elected starter to the Dunedin Jockey Club. Silver Knight and Scots Grey, who were taken over to Sydney recently, have been sold. J. B. Williamson has bet Jimmy Kean a suit of clothes that he never works a horse on the tan at Ellerslie. It is reported that the Victorian Trotting Club propose purchasing the Oakleigh Park

racecourse. Lochiel has found great favour with the New South Wales breeders, and his subscription for this season is full. Tartar, by Musket —Steppe, who was taken to Australia by J. Chaafe, has been sold as a stallion sire in South Australia. The Dunedin Jockey Club have again voted £5O to the Otago Hunt Club, towards their expenses for the hunting season. A horse called Explosion broke a bloodvessel while running in a selling race at the last Rosehill (Sydney) meeting. We hear the Hon. J. D. Ormond of Hawkes Bay has purchased Worth, by Natator —Grecian Bend. The Green Island {Trotting Club have received 69 entries for their inaugural meeting, which must be considered satisfactory for five events.

Reflection, by Tasman from Moonray, has been purchased by Mr. G. Matthews. The sum paid to Mr. Dan O’Brien is said to be 150gns.

Black Diamond was scratched for all his engagements at the N.Z. Grand National meeting on Tuesday. „Mr. Dan O’Brien does not intend going over to Austral® with his team, owing to so many owners sending their horses away. The Pakuranga hounds will meet at Mr. James Hayr’s farm, Hillsboro, on Saturday next at 1 o’clock.

If it is any information to “ Waikura ” and his friends, we may inform them that the Australasian of July 25th docs not answer their question. Any sportsman wishing to purchase a good trotting sulky may get particulars of one for sale on application to the proprietor of this paper. The first foal of the season is announced.

Major Mair’s Sweet Alice (dam of The Dreamer) produced a fine brown filly to Nordenfeldt on Monday. The Nelson Jockey Club have voted the sum of to be given in stakes at the Club’s annual race meeeting, to be held in February, 1892. Harry Harrison has at last disposed of Raglan, by Cap-a-pie—Tenambra, to Messrs. Barr and Suttie, of Onehunga, for cash, and more by end of year. The jumper Chance has been placed in Jimmy Kean’s hands to be trained for forthcoming events. He has also a black gelding by Musket in hand. On account of it being ’Frisco mail day on /Friday the Committee of the A.R.C. have postponed their meeting till Monday next. We understand it is their intention to add to the first spring meeting programme a one mile Hunters’ Welter Flat Race of 50 sovs., for gentlemen riders. “ Freelance ” says : Perhaps, after Carbine, the most marvellous performer, more particularly. early in the season, was Megaphone, a Queensland-bred colt, who made the old horse gallop so hard in the Craven Plate run at ♦ Raniwick, that Mr. Donald Wallace at once purchased the son of Newfold at a big figure. When twelve months hence the chronicler of the period is’expatiating on the qualities of the racehorses seen out in the season ’9i-’92, ’tis quite on the cards that the name of Megaphone will be accorded a prominent position at the head of tfie list of winning horses.

J. Robinson, an Australian jockey, rode no less than six winners in the one day s meeting of the Rangoon Jockey Club. Penance is suffering from a severe attack of strangles, and it is improbable that he will fulfil his engagements at the A.J.C. Spung Meeting. The first annual general meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club will be held at the Club’s office, Durham-street, on Monday next, 17th inst., at 3 p.m.

The Rebel, by Newminster — has incurred a 51b penalty for winning the Two-Year-Old Handicap of 300 sovs., run at the V.R.C. Grand National Meeting on 24th ulto. We learn that Mr. McMillan, who held a lease of the jumper Bit o’ Blue, has now purchased him, the sum stated being £l5O. We trust Mr. McMillan will soon recoup his outlay, which no doubt he will, as the little “ roan is game as a pebble, and ought to win a good many races during the coming season. Mirnee, the brother to Malua, simply played with his field in the July Handicap at Flemington, and the manner in which he romped home in front of such performers as Tourbillon and others shows him to be following in the footsteps of his famous brother. Mirnee is engaged in the Caulfield Cup with 7st 31b, but his name does not appear in the Melbourne Cup list. In our advertising columns will be found an advertisement of that well-known and popular jockey, Tommy Hodson. In looking up our records we notice that he had some 19 winning mounts to his credit during last season, many of which he rode with considerable judgment. “Tommy” informs us that he can ride 6.12 if necessary, at four days’ notice. The Auckland Racing Club have decided to extend the saddling paddock at Ellerslie, by taking in about two acres towards the Agricultural Society’s ground. The present boxes will be shifted, and the site on which they now stand will be allotted for members’ carriages, the present road being curved round by the railway line. We have been shown a letter from a Southern friend, in which he says that the Aucklandowned dogs, Blue Cap and Spruce, had exceedingly bad luck at the Oamaru meeting, as both of them met with a serious accident by breaking their toes. Both dogs were winning their individual courses when the accident happened.

From private advices received from Australia we learn that Mr. W. R. Wilson backed She to win him 500 guineas in her last race which she won. Mr. Wilson is still of opinion that Strathmore, by Nordenfeldt —Ouida is the best of his New Zealand purchases, and is the most likely forthcoming Derby horse. From Melbourne papers to hand by last mail it seems as if Porcius held an excellent position in the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race; it is said that he was “ pulling double,” but on coming to the last jump but one the saddle slipped, and, at the same time, he ran off, thus spoiling what looked like more than a possible show of winning. He was ridden by Mr. J. 8. Hedge. The Grand Steeplechase de Paris is the richest stake of its kind in the world, the stake being worth more than £4,800, that being the added money, besides a piece of plate value £4OO. It is run at Auteil, and this year was won by Baron Finot’s mare Saida, who defeated a field of twelve, including several English horses.

The Referee speaking of the Rosehill Steeplechase says :—“Takapu, by Isaac Walton —Physic, a recent arrival from New Zealand, was looked upon as invincible. From all appearances it certainly looked like it only for an accident, which brought him down heavily at the sod wall six furlongs from home ; at the time this occurred he was going better than anything. From the stand it appeared as though the horse got too close on the heels of Bushman, Recruit, and Inverell, who were about level, and did not see the obstacle. At any rate he breasted it, turned a complete somersault, throwing his rider violently to the ground fully twenty yards away. From all appearances it looked all Lombard-street to a China orange that both rider and horse were killed, but luckily such was not the case, though both were badly shaken.”

Mr. Holgate, one of the proprietors of the Kawau, has already secured about ten brood mares, and a first-class thoroughbred stallion named Trafalgar.

The purse presented by the South Auckland Racing Club to their popular secretary, Mr Carter, was found to contain twenty-nine sovereigns.

Mr. F. C. Sharland, who was elected a steward of the Auckland Racing Club at their annual meeting, finds he is unable to act, as such, and has withdrawn his name.

The owner of the Grand Prix winner, M. E. Blanc, has been decorated with the Legion of Honor, for services rendered to the breeding of blood stock in France.

The Napier sportsman, Mr. S. H. Gollan, is now on a visit to Christchurch, and will bo present at the Grand National Meeting. Mr. J. E. Henry, the Canterbury Jockey Club’s handicapper, is also on a visit to that city.

James Allan made application to the Dunedin Jockey Club to remove the disqualification from the mare Cinnabar, who was disqualified on 23rd March last, for six months. The application was declined.

The Victoria Racing Club evidently intend to make a handsome provision for Mr. E. T. Barnard, who is retiring from the position of handicapper. The following resolution, taken from the Sportsman, was to be submitted for the consideration of members at the annual meeting on the 3 r d inst.:—“ That the committee of this club shall, pursuant to the provisions of Act No. 706, be at liberty to pay out of the funds of the club an annuity of £5OO as an inalienable personal provision for Edward Thomas Barnard, a retired officer of the club. Such annuity to be vested in trustees, to begin as from the 3rd day of August, 1891, to be payable by equal payments on the third day of each month, and to terminate on the death of the said Edward Thomas Barnard, or whensoever such annuity, or any part thereof, shall, but for this provision, be payable to any person , other than the said Edward Thomas Barnard or the trustees.”

We have to acknowledge 'the receipt of theCanterbury Jockey Club’s book, containing the programmes for the season 1891-92. This useful little book contains a list of events for the season ; names and officers of the club ; regulations ; also nominations received for New Zealand Cup, Welcome Stakes, Derby, Oaks, Champagne Stakes, Challenge Stakes, etc. The amounts of added money are as follows :— Grand National Meeting, /A, 150; Spring Meeting, Summer Meeting, £680; Autumn Meeting, Total, We notice that the club have inserted the following clauses in connection with all meetings during the season : —“ The stakes in the subjoined programmes are subject to revision by the committee prior to closing. As to the dates of entry, acceptances, &c., amount of added money and conditions, the committee also reserve to themselves the right to alter the dates on which the handicaps appear, should they deem fit to do so.”

The following is the Referee's account of the Rosehill Steeplechase, in which the Auckland owned jumper Takapu came to grief:—Recruit and Takapu were first to begin, but reaching the first of the treble Reuben and Takapu essayed to act as pilots. All the horses fenced ’ beautifully, but Bugler preferred to j ump inside, and consequently lost all chance, while Jupiter was too slow to pace with the others. Takapu then went away, and pulling Collins all over the place, led Ruben, Laurel 11., and Bushman round the back. At the three furlong post Reuben deprived Takapu of the lead, but ran round the fence, and at the first of the treble the second time Laurel 11. also jumped inside and pulled off. All the others stood up manfully over the treble, but the fence opposite the river proved disastrous to Jupiter. This only left Takapu, Recruit, Inverell, and Bushman, on their legs, but the sod wall at the back brought the former down, and left Bushman in the lead. Kelso’s gelding was never afterwards troubled, and won easily by ten lengths from Recruit, who passed Inverell in the straight. Time smin 36£sec. Betting: sto 2 Takapu, sto 1 Recruit, 6 to 1 Bushman and Inverell.