Sporting Items.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 67, 5 November 1891, Page 7

Sporting Items.

George Wright has got a good hack up from the Coast.

The pony Cupid, who ran second to Sepoy at Pakuranga races, was sold privately on Friday last. S! • The Whangarei Racing Club have appointed Messrs. A. M. Rust and E. D. Halstead handicappers. There would be some difficulty in getting two more capable men. The Onslow Trotting Club received very fair entries at this office on Friday for their inaugural meeting. They will be found in another column.

Prospector was brought up from the Thames; on Tuesday last. He is a fine cut of a horse, something like Cloth of Gold, but more compact, with better loins and quarters. The result of the Melbourne Stakes and Derby were posted up on the totalisator at Potter’s on Saturday immediately after the result was made known in Auckland, the news' having been telephoned out to Mr. Frank Lawry, M.H.R. , Mr. Douglas’ mare Waitiri, that ran second to Nelson on two occasions for the Auckland Cup, has produced a fine colt foal to that horse. A peculiar coincidence, it will be remembered, was that Victoria was third on each of those occasions. Now that the management of the tramways has changed hands, we would suggest that the two paddocks at Epsom be thrown into one and a good track formed that would be suitable for trotting in harness. This could be done at small cost, and we should then have trotting events well worth seeing, and probably do away with the pony difficulty. Sunol, the trotting mare who has just broken the world’s record, was bred by Governor Stanford, at his Palo Alto farm, San Francisco, was I foaled on the 14th April, 1886. She was got by Electioneer out of Wexana, stands 15 hands high, and is of a bay colour. She is a very, peculiarly-shaped animal, very high and large in the hind quarters. Her trainer, the great Marvin, predicted years ago that she would prove a perfect trotting machine. The result has borne out this prophecy. The following prices were realised by Messrs. Digby Tonks & Co., at their auction mart, on. i Friday, for the privileges fortheA.R.C. Second, i Spring Meeting, which takes place at Ellerslie.' 1 on the 9th and lothinst.: —Grandstand bar, S.C. Caulton, Central Hotel, £39 ; lean-to bar, A. Dunne, Market Hotel, £45 ; No. 1 booth, P. Quinlan, Edinburgh Castle Hotel, £25 ; No. 2 booth, T. A. Allan, Waverley Hotel, £l2 ; stabling,'Parker, £3 ; sole right to refreshment stalls, Mrs. Macintosh, £l2; cards, Mr. Blomfield £32. The privileges of the Agricultural Association were next submitted, when the sole right to the booths was knocked down to J. Hawkins, Queen’s Hotel, at and the refreshment stalls to Mrs. Macintosh at £']. The Demonstration Sports privileges, to be held in the Metropolitan Ground, were then offered, but there was no bid for either of the three booths or cards. Adam Byers got an awkward shock at the’ Otahuhu Trotting Club races on Saturday. He had been speculating on the inside machine, and had given someone a ten-pound note for a one, and, as is usual in such cases, he was certain he gave it to the totalisator clerk, who was equally certain that he did not. Byers naturally was very excited over the matter, but had to take the inevitable and look elsewhere for his “ tenner.” He tried a boy to whom he. had given a note, asking the boy to show him the pound he gave him, which was at once, done, and it proved to be the ten-pound note, the boy being unconscious of its possession. ' Much to Byers’ credit, he immediately returned to the totalisator clerk and explained matters, making a full apology at the same time.

The secretary of the Auckland Racing Club is now the happy possessor of a sulky. Probably this may be the initial step to sulky racing on the Ellerslie racecourse. Only one out of the numerous tips sent into us on our prize coupon now remains good. Mr. C. A. W. having picked G’Naroo for the Caulfield Cup, and Malvolio for the Melbourne Cup, has now Freedom running m the N.Z. Cup to win him the prize. The following New Zealand horses were to be offered* for sale in Melbourne on the 21st ult.: Teksum, Whakawai, Leopold, Red Cross, Little -Arthur, Lady Darling, Mikado 11. G’Naroo, the Caulfield Cup winner, was to be submitted at the same time. Adam Byers’ horses narrowly escaped serious injury the other day. By some means the railway gates got open, and the horses got on the line as a train wjs approaching. Instead of running off they made up the line, and the train had to be eased up several times to save them; Eventually no damage was sustained. The Onslow Trotting Club pony measurers went out to Potter’s last week to put some ponies under the bar. The Auckland Trotting Club measurers were also there, and showed them a certain rule which makes it imperative that all ponies racing under their rules shall be measured by them and possess a certificate. The Onslow people did not appreciate this little attention from their mother club. It is explained that the Auckland Trotting Club made this rule simply to avoid mistakes and collusion, as on previous occasions ponies have been accepted by country clubs which do not possess a proper measuring stand that could not pass at Potter’s, and refused others which were amply and fully proved to be eligible. By giving certificates all this is avoided and unanimity assured. The Metropolitan Club make no objection to the Onslow Club measuring for their own satisfaction if they desire to do so.