Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 114, 29 September 1892, Page 6

Turf Topics.

LBy

“Sir Launcelot.”]

As we were going to press Mr. Morrin advised me that his mare Moilena, by Patriarch Rosabelle, had just foaled a filly to Castor. It seems that when Dilemma, the son of Rubezahl and Lady Emma, won the Kensington Handicap, the principal event of the Otago Hunt Club’s Races—and which victory, by the way, does not cause him to incur a penalty for the New Zealand Cup, in which his weight is 7.0— he ran in the colours of Mr. J. B. Reid and not of the Hon. G. McLean. Mr. Reid is a wealthy Oamaru landowner. In commenting 1 on the results of the O.H.C.’s meeting 1 , Mazeppa, in the Otago Witness, remarks ; —“ There was only one horse in the Kensington Handicap from start to finish, and Dilemma’s party —a pretty numerous one, for Mr. J. B. Reid told all his friends to back the colt —were on excellent terms with themselves from the time the flag fell. This was the first time, by the way, that the son of Lady Emma had appeared in Mr. Reid’s pretty colours, scarlet with white cap, though it is some months since the Hon. G. McLean, disposed of the ownership for a fairish consideration. I hope that Dilemma will win many more races for Mr. Reid, for this gentleman is a keen lover of the sport, an owner who may be relied on to go as straight as the Zetland spots and always give the public a square run for their money. The only horse in the Kensington that at any period of the race threatened danger to the favourite was Galtee, and he distinctly failed to stay. * * * Dilemma was perhaps a bit lucky at flag fall, but he won with half-a-stone in hand, and the result would probably have been the same, so far as the first money was concerned, if he had got off last instead of first.” Dilemma, I may mention, was well backed in Auckland for . the New Zealand Cup some weeks back, a commission on behalf of the stable being executed by a well-known Figaro. Tn further commenting on the Otago Hunt Club’s Meeting (the full report of which appeared in our “Turf Record” column last week), “Mazeppa” says:—“ The question may be asked whether there were any horses competing at the Hunt Club Meeting that are likely to be heard of during the season. My answer is decidedly in the affirmative. Rebel has pace enough and is sufficiently clever to have a chance in second-rate steeplechases, even if he does not aspire to the best company. He is by the same sire (Duntroon) as Smuggler, another smart horse that will win money over the little sticks. Trimolite must be reckoned now as a steeplechaser as well as a hurdler. He takes log fences as easily as anything that we had running, and his turn of speed enables him to stay. Of the recognised flat racers Wayland has improved out of all knowledge, and will, I think, knock up a decent cheque before the season is out. Glencairn also should win races. Allan seems to have found out and removed the cause, whatever it was, of his keeping so poor last season. Bay Bell is another that will be heard of. Her win was immensely popular, cheers being given for Stuart Waddell as the clerk of the scales declared ‘ weight.’ She is hardly a Cup mare, however. Conjuror is another that has improved. He can now get a mile without distress, and is really a better colt than his performances last week would seem to make him out to be, since he was specially handicapped with the heavy going, being a long striding horse that rolls and slips about in slush. But it is to his stable-mate Dilemma that we may look with the utmost confidence for good performances. He is now thoroughly well, thanks to his inherent soundness and McGuinness’ care, and I would not be much surprised if he were to win the New Zealand Cup, for which he has been legitimately backed as heavily as any horse in the race. I recognise that there is a deal of difference between winning a Kensington Handicap and a New Zealand Cup; but he takes a stone off for the long race, and he can be made half a stone better in the interval, and he appears to be rather partial to a distance. It would be absurd to say just now that he is a really good thing; at the same time this performance of his is not to be altogether despised, and we may at any rate hope that the son of Lady Emma will follow the example set by Wolverine two years ago. The big son of Tangi, it may be remembered, won the Kensington Handicap just before he got home in the Cup.”

At the time Kulnine won the C.J.C. Grand National Hurdle Race I remarked that his dam Caprice (who is by Anteros ont of Fancy, and is therefore full sister to The Poet) was somewhere in New South Wales, having been sent there by Mr. “H. Horsford” along with some other mares and Lochiel and Cadogan, and sold. I now note that, according to the Sydney Referee, Caprice is the property of Mr. J. B. Clift, of Breeza station, N.S.W., who has a filly two years old that is a full sister to Kulnine. The mare is heavy in foal to Newminster’s son Acolyte, who won the A.J.C. Metropolitan of 1885.

Says the Melbourne correspondent of the Otago Witness :—“ The individual who first indited the memorable words, “ The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong,” certainly indited naught but the cold truth ; and yet methinks it is equally as certain that on the colonial turf victory does not always declare itself in favour of the highest-priced yearlings. In fact, so far as the experience of this season’s Sapling Stakes tends the reverse has been proved to be the case. Meg, the treble winner in Victoria, was picked up by the Messrs. Miller for 50gs.; Pharamond, who sailed away with Tattersail’s Two-years-old Stakes on the 27th ult., was secured by his owner, Mr. W. J. Franks, for 48gs; whilst Innamincka, the winner of the Nursery Handicap at the South Australian Jockey Club meeting on Saturday, was purchased at the sale of Mr. Sam Gardiner’s Bundoora Park yearlings last March for 30gs ! Of course these are only notable exceptions to a pretty generally accepted rule —to the effect that if you want a really first-class article you must pay a good price for it. But only to think if one owner had happened to have had the unparalleled good luck to purchase such a trio of youngsters as Meg, Pharamond and Innamincka for 128g5.”

Up to August sth last St. Simon’s stock had won £31,273 in England this season, Wisdom came next with £13,109.

According to the report of the race for the Doncaster St. Leger cabled to the Melbourne papers La Fleche won easily by two lengths. When the flag fell Sir Hugo went to the front and held his position for the first half mile, yfiej 1 Orme took command and led into the straight. Just before reaching the distance post, however, La Fleche challenged the favourite, and after a good struggle won as abovementioned from Sir Hugo and who both passed Orme m the run home. La Fleche has followed up her Leger victory by winning the Lancashire Plate of £lO,OOO. Mr. Houldsworth’s four-year-old Orvieto, by Bend or—Napoli, who has shown some good form this season, was second, and Mr. J. Snarry’s three-year-old Llanthony, by Ormonde —Agnes Bentick, third. It is said that Mr. W. T. Jones who owned Bravo when he won the Melbourne Cup and is now on a visit to England, will not at present return to Australia, but will race horses in the Old Country. The steeplechaser Chance, well known up this way, changed hands in Dunedin the other day, being bought by a Mr. Mason, of Tapanui, Otago. Mr. J. O. Evett, the handicapper, and Mr. J. Lynch, the owner of The Dancer, will leave for Napier to-day to assist at the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting, which comes off on Monday and Tuesday next. Mr. Evett will remain m Napier to witness the Napier Park Racing Club’s Spring Meeting, and then journey to Wanganui to be present at the W.J.C. Spring tryst. He will then return to Auckland to adjust the handicaps for the Auckland Racing Club’s Spring Meeting As a result of their successes at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting, Crackshot and Vogengang have each incurred 31b penalty in the New Zealand Cup, making their respective weights 8.11 and 7.9. Stepper was taken to Wellington by the s.s. Takapuna on Monday, and will be shipped thence to Calcutta by the s.s. Rotokino. I have to acknowledge the receipt from the secretary of the Manawatu Racing Club of a copy of the programme of that Club’s Summer Meeting, to be held on Monday and Tuesday, December 26th and 27th. The added money is £715, divided among fourteen races, the most valuable of which is the Palmerston Cup Handicap of 200 sovs., one mile and a half.

Mr. J. McNicol held a most successful sale of horses in Cambridge last week, so I hear from several enthusiastic Auckland sportsmen who were present. Among the lots quitted were the jumpers Onslow and Selwyn. The former went to Mr. R. Williams of Auckland for 185 gns., and the same buyer secured Selwyn for 60 gns. At the annual parade of entires held at the same time, the thoroughbreds shown were Gipsy King, Cap-a-pie, Aorangi, St. Patrick, Muskapeer, Kenilworth, Raglan and Tetford. The committee of the Auckland Racing Club met on Tuesday afternoon and passed the programme of the Gisborne Racing Club’s Spring Meeting. The president of the club attended, and answered certain financial questions to the satisfaction of the committee. The Thames Jockey Club’s summer programme was passed for December 27th and 28th, the secretary being instructed to specially communicate with the club, pointing out that these dates would be more beneficial to their own interests than those previously decided on. There was quite a little excitement infused into local racing circles yesterday by the arrival from Sydney of the s.s. Te Anau, for she had on board Major George, with his horse, The Workman, and Mr. George Cutts in charge of Impulse, and Mr. D. O’Brien rather unexpectedly turned up also. The owner of Florrie is on his way back to Christchurch. Owing to the late hour at which the boat arrived I was not able to have any chat with him about his most recent experiences in the land of his birth, but I understand he won a good stake over Florrie’s victory in the Sydney Handicap. Of course Dan is anxious about the welfare of some of his old pets now located at Wellington Park, and as the southern boat does not leave till to-morrow he purposes to-day renewing his acquaintance with both Florrie’s sire and dam at Mr. T. Morrin’s stud. Florrie and Freedom remain in Sydney at present in charge of Alsopp.

The Australian thus comments on Florrie’s win in the Sydney Handicap :—“ Mr. Scarr had a habit of taking liberties with horses when he thinks them out of form, and he must be given credit for making few mistakes in this respect. But he sadly miscalculated the effect a 7.1 b reduction in weight would have on Florrie. Under Bst 21b this mare ran last in the Metropolitan. Lowered to 7st gib she won the Sydney Handicap in a canter. There were other contradictions of form at Randwick, but Florrie’s case seems to a casual observer to stand out from the rest. Her owner, Mr. Dan O’Brien, is said to blame the totalisator for driving him out of New Zealand. Rather should he thank the machine for sending him to a land of milk and honey where he can win /500 handicaps at such prices as Florrie started at on Thursday.” An effort is being made in America to revive long distance races, and the Coney Island Jockey Club has announced its intention to give a valuable prize for a race of the distance of four miles. The conditions show that the race will be worth 20 sovs. each with 1000 sovs. added, while if the winner should cover the distance in 7min. 25sec. he will receive an additional sum of 500 sovs., and in the event of Ten Broeck’s American record of 7min. 19fsec. being reached, a further sum of 500 sovs. will be added. The event will be called the Old Time Race.

The St. Leger—Miss Laura horse, Town Moor, was placed second to Paris’ son Tumult in the light horse section of the Royal Agricultural Society’s show in Melbourne the other day. The verdict gave by no means general satisfaction, many good judges thinking Town Moor infinitely superior to Tumult. Town Moor had not been long over from Tasmania, and after the judges’ verdict his owner straightway took him back to the island colony. From Sydney comes intelligence that Mr. Vincent Dowling, owner of Prelude, has resold that mare to the Kirkham Stud establishment on special conditions, one of which is that her first foal by Abercom is to be the property of Mr. Dowling.

The secretary of the Waikato Hunt Club advises me that the Club have made an alteration in the conditions of the Waikato Produce Stakes by which the second forfeit is to be declared by noon on Thursday, December 15, or the nominator will be liable for the whole stake.

The secretary of the Dunedin Jockey Club announces by advertisement in another column the closing of certain entries for that Club’s Spring Meeting, which is set down for November 29 and 30 and December 3 —dates which fit in very well for any North Island owner visiting the New Zealand Cup Meeting. The events to which Mr. Sydney James first invites the attention of nominators' close on Saturday week, October 8, and they are the Otago Cup of SOOSOVS., one mile a-half; Federal Handicap of zoosovs., 6 furlongs ; St. Andrew’s Handicap of 25050V5., one mile and a-quarter; and President’s Handicap of 23050V5., one mile and a furlong. The entry fee in each case is 2sovs. The following Saturday, October 15, is general entry night, and the stakes to be then nominated for are detailed in the advertisement.

In another column will be found a precis of the running for the principal events on the first and second day of the Australian Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting. Owing to the late arrival of the mail from Sydney last evening I am only able to make brief comments on the events of the third and fourth days of the gathering, reserving fuller details for next week.

The following weights were declared last night by Mr. Evett for the Hawke’s Bay J.C.’s Spring Meeting : —October Handicap, one mile and a distance. —Strephon 8.7, Rosefeldt 8.6, St. Malo 7.12, Dreamland 7.12, Queen of Trumps 7.11, Swivel 7.11, Brown Duke 7.8, Free Lance 7.7, King George 7.7, Wyvern 7.6, Prioress 7.0, Jeannie Deans 6.7. Corinthian Stakes, one mile and a quarter. —Gondolier 12.8, St. Malo 11.9, Zaccho 11.7, Link 11.3, Aronoel 10.5, Queen Rose 10.0, Vision 10.0.

The Secretary of the National Coursing Club of New Zealand announces by advertisement in another column that all litters of greyhounds must be registered with the N.C.C. before they are three months old or otherwise they will not be allowed to run as saplings or puppies at any meeting held under the Club’s rules. Forms of application for registration may be procured from the secretary of any affiliated Club or the secretary of the N.C.C., Mr. G. W. Williams, Dunedin.

There is at last a prospect of coursing being established on a firm basis in the Auckland district, the rival clubs having met and settled their differences, it being understood that next season will be opened on the Avondale ground on a Plumpton track. The full programme of the Matamata Racing Club’s Annual Meeting to be held on Boxing Day appears in the Sporting Review’s advertising columns this week. The sum of 60 sovs. is to be given away to seven events, the most valuable of which is the Matamata Handicap of 15 sovs., one mile and a half. Entries are to be made at the post in all events.