Sporting Items.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 89, 7 April 1892, Page 7

Sporting Items.

Mr. John Knox will sell on Saturday next at the Hamilton Auction Mart, the privileges for the South Auckland Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting. The owner of Jess, the winner of the Pony Trot at Hastings on the 25th March, gave the performances of his pony as follows :—“Two years in milk cart, and in the trap on Sundays driving the wife to church.” The following prices were realised by Messrs. D. Tonks & Co., at iy \uart on Friday last, for the Avondale JociMyOub’s privileges:— booth, £24, Mr. Foley; gates, Adams & Andrews; cards, Scott Printing Co.; refreshment stall, ios., Mrs. Hunt; stabling, 165., Belcher. Previous to the starting of the Novel Race at the Helenville Racing Club’s Meeting last Saturday, the jockey Pennell lodged with the stewards a claim for £2 against the horse Comet, he having ridden for Mr. McGee at the last Avondale meeting. The stewards, after hearing the evidence on both sides, decided that Pennell had no claim against the horse Comet, as his claim was for riding another horse the property of a brother of Mr. McGee. “ Mazeppa ” writes that immediately after the late Dunedin Jockey Club meeting Stewart Waddell severed his connection with the stable of Stephenson and Hazlett, but he hopes that the breach will be healed. As the trusted manager of the stable, ever since it was a stable, it has become quite an institution in Dunedin, and it is simply owing to his ability that Stephenson and Hazlett’s colours have become so much respected on the turf. A correspondent of the Field writes: “ A Yankee asks for the definition of these, and you can give him my view if you like. A cob is a thick-set horse, not over 15 hands, and up to weight; a galloway is a whippy-snappy useless animal, except to carry little misses in their teens at the seaside or bolt out of a course at a country meeting—height, 14.2 to 15.1 ; a roadster is a fine mover, suitable either for harness or saddle, up to weight, and not over 15.2 ; a hack or hackney is the same, but showing more breeding, and making one think of a tandem leader or meet of hounds ten or fifteen miles away. “Castor” writes in the Canterbury Times that the yearlings purchased by Dan O’Brien have arrived at Riccarton and that he had seen them. He says that he prefers the filly by Richmond—Bis Bis to her companion, a colt by Dunlop —Result. “The filly is dark brown in colour, and is a powerfully-topped youngster standing on short legs. She shows plenty of quality, and though unfortunately one of her hocks is spavined, has thriven wonderfully well since her arrival.” It is hard to believe that Dan O’Brien, one of the best judges of a racehorse in the Colonies, has purchased a spavined filly, as she would be unfit for training purposes and useless as a brood mare, as it has been proved without doubt that it is an hereditary disease ; so the most charitable way to put it is that “ Castor ” does not know what a spavin is, so that the remainder of his article may be taken cum grano salts. At a recent meeting of the Nelson Trotting Club, which is in a very satisfactory condition, the following officers were elected: Mr. F. Trask, president; Messrs. Warren and Kirkpatrick, vice-presidents; Mr. J. W. Askew, secretary, vice Mr. T. A. Askew, whose resignation was accepted with regret, and the thanks of the Club recorded for his past valuable services. Mr. J. Glenn was appointed judge, Mr. C. Bird starter, Mr. C. S. Sharp treasurer, Mr. C. R. Harley, clerk of the course, Mr. W. Coleman handicapper, Mr. R. Turner timekeeper, Mr. W. J. Gorrie clerk of the scales, Messrs. Turner, A. Green, G. Green, S. Bolton, H. Harley,. Gay, and D. Andrews, committeemen. Without any knowledge of the late secretary’s abilities, we can congratulate the Club on the appointment of Mr. J. W. Askew, who from his general knowledge of sporting matters, and his recent sojourn in America, coupled with tact and energy, ought to make a secretary hard to beat.

• < Van Diemen and four others of George Wright’s are to be submitted to the hammer to-morrow (Friday). Colonel North has taken £\5,000 to /"ioo about El Diablo, and another £ 15,000 to £ 1000 about Lady Hermit for the Derby. The hurdle racer Christmas has been placed in Mr. P. Butler’s stable, to be prepared for the Grand National Steeplechase. The jumper Nap has left Williamson’s stable. His owner informs us that it is his intention to give the old horse a spell of at least nine months. Mr. G. H. Carter, the secretary of the South Auckland Racing Club, is at present on a visit to this city, on connection with that popular Club. Special trains will leave the Auckland Railway Station on Saturday next, at 12.30 and 1.20 p.m., conveying passengers to the Avondale races, returning at 6 and 6.30 p.m. Horse owners should take notice that the acceptances and general entries for the Auckland Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting are due with Mr. Percival, the secretary, to-morrow, Friday, at 10 p.m. A rumour is prevalent that Stennings take s over the Kohimarama establishment almost immediately, and George Wright takes a stable at Ellerslie to carry him through the next two months. Messrs. Digby Tonks & Co. will sell the privileges in connection with the Auckland Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting, tp-morrow, Friday, at noon ; after which the booth, gates, cards, etc , for the Auckland Trotting Club’s Autumn Meeting will be offered. The Auckland Racing Club have endorsed the disqualification passed by the Wanganui Club on the bookmakers, Messrs. Yuille and Nathan of Wellington and R. May of Auckland, for laying totalisator odds at their recent meeting. In our last issue we gave currency to a rumour that George Wright was about to leave Auckland, and since then it has been contradicted. We are now in a position to reassert what we stated, and further, we can say that Wright takes charge of Stratford Lodge, Hastings, for Mr. Stock on July Ist. There has been but little betting on the Great Autumn and Easter Handicaps. Kulnine is the fancy for the latter, with Palliser next in demand. Cruchfield, Merrie England, and Prime Warden are in about the same demand for the Great Autumn Handicap, and 100 to 3 is the best offer for the double. We have received a letter from Mr. J. Redmond, the rider of Somnambulist in the Napier Park Hurdle Race, denying that he struck the rider of Whalebone in that race. The paragraph in question was intended to convey the meaning that the striking took place after the race, when the placed horses came before the judge for identification. Redmond asserts that Vine repeatedly crossed his mount during the race, hence his protest. Mr. Cambell’s mare Engagement, by Musket —Sylvia, was shipped to London by the s.s. Pakeha. A special box was fitted up for her, so as far as possible to ensure her safe arrival. Engagement is seven years old, and has had two foals, one by St. George and the other by Apremont, and they are both good looking ones. Should the mare arrive safely in England she should be valuable, as there is little, if any, of the Fisherman blood in England, as he was thought little of until he had made his name in Australia. In another column will be found an advertisement from Mr. James Ryan., practical horse-shoer, of the Criterion Shoeing Forge, Victoria-street West. Mr. Ryan has been in the business for the past sixteen years and does all the shoeing for the principal merchants in Auckland, and has for a number of years shod the horses for one of our largest livery stables. He guarantees first-class workmanship, makes a speciality of trotting shoes, and all work is carried out promptly under his own supervision.

England beat Ireland in the annual football match, of which England has now won 13. Miss Amy Vaughan and her clever troupe of specialty artistes, who have just returned from a most successful tour of the Southern provinces, have taken the Academy of Music, Lome St., and open with a most attractive programme on Easter Saturday. The company left yesterday on a tour through the country towns in the Upper Thames District, where no doubt they will be well received. A challenge has been issued by a boxer named Chris. Dunn to box Dick Sandall for the amateur championship of New Zealand and a £io trophy, and we have authority for saying that Dick is willing to accept provided that there is a £25 side wager as well. In answer to this, we learn that Dunn’s party are quite agreeable to a wager of from to so that the match would appear to be certain to eventuate. If so, the lovers of the “ noble art ” have a treat in store for them, and one of the most interesting “ mills ” ever seen in Auckland should be the result. Owners, trainers, and others will do well to peruse the programme of the Wanganui Jockey Club’s Steeplechase Meeting which appears in another column of this issue. Tuesday, 24th May (Queen’s Birthday) is the date selected. There are no less than four Steeples provided for — the Wanganui Handicap Steeplechase having 225 sovs. attached to it; a Hunters’ Steeple carries with it 50 sovs.; Trial Steeplechase 60 sovs.; and a Final Steeple of 40 sovs. The other three events on the programme consist of a Flying, 6 furlongs, 50 sovs.; Winter Oats ot too sovs., 1} miles ; and a Hack Race of 25 sovs., 1 mile and a distance. Mr. Freeman R. Jackson is the secretary and treasurer of this prosperous Club, and that in itself is a sufficient guarantee that the meeting will be as successful at least as its predecessors, and that is no small prediction. “ Robin Hood,” of the Australasian writes that “ Colonel North celebrated his 50th birthday on February 6th, by a grand banquet at Avery Hill. There was a great deal of afterdinner oratory, in which the host took considerable part —indeed, he was in great form. Among the guests were General Sheridan and another American, the Mr. Easton who has been a large buyer of English blood stock of late, partly for himself and partly for Mr. Foxhall Keene. During the evening Mr. Easton stated that he had offered the late Mr. Hume Webster all the money that was wanted for Ormonde, but without avail. Writing of poor Hume Webster and of Ormonde reminds me that there are no signs of the horse being here in time for the coming season. This is rather awkward for those who through Mr. Webster had taken the 300 sovs. subscription, and reserved their best mares therefor. They will now have probably to put their mares to somewhat unfashionable .sires, for it is certain that at this late hour the best of all the highest price stallions are full.