Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 120, 10 November 1892, Page 7

Turf Topics.

[By

“Sir Launcelot.”]

At a meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s committee held last week there came up for consideration an application from Major George re the nomination of his mare Coalscuttle for some of the events at the Club’s Spring and Autumn Meetings. The secretary stated that on the 27th October he had received a telegram from Major George nominating Coalscuttle and The Workman for several races, the entries for which closed on the 29th October. On the Ist Nov. a letter came to hand, in which Coalscuttle whose entry for the Dunedin Cup did not appear in the telegram, was nominated for the Cup. Inquiry showed that the error rested with the Telegraph Department, who had omitted the word “ Cup.” Major George now asked that the nominations be received. The secretary was instructed to reply that the committee regretted they had no power under the rules to comply wirh the request. Old Paddy is almost as good ‘ ‘ cast iron ’ ’ as Rewi, for on the 22nd ult. he won the Selling Flat Race of loosovs, 5 furlongs, at Moonee Valley, Melbourne, carrying 7.4, and beating a quartette including another New Zealand - bred one in the shape of Omaha, 7.1 r, who was ridden by White. On the same day the Moonee Valley ,Cup of 25OSOVS, 7 furlongs, was won by Mr. Morris Jacobs with Little Bob, by St Albans out of Sheet Anchor’s dam Queen Mary. This horse carried 8.1 1, and got home easily by a length from Ulric, 7.8, with Magic Circle, 8.1, third. The two-year-old Lochiel —Nonsense filly Loch Ness ran unplaced in the St. Albans Handicap, 4J furlongs. The ex-New Zealander Little Arthur, with 10.0, and ridden by Cochrane, annexed the Steeplechase of loosovs, two miles, from a field of 10. Mikado 11., 10.11, and Wairua, 10.5, were unplaced behind Osric 11.0, in the Hurdles, one mile and a half, at the Oaklands (M.) Hunt Club’s races on the 25th ult. Little Arthur with 7.5 was third to Elton 10.7, and Kremlin 10.9 in the OpenjSteeplechase, 2 miles. Glenloth, who it is now matter of history, afterwards turned out to be the winner of the Melbourne Cup, carried 8.9 to the front in the Warlaby Handicap of 100 sovs,, one mile, beating 15 others. Ste.nchaser 8.0, and Ilium 7.2, were unplaced.

The Auckland Racing Club’s committee held their usual monthly meeting on Friday last, when the programmes of the Avondale Spring and Whatawata meetings were approved. The question of the Club being represented at the next Conference of Metropolitan delegates was brought up, and it was decided that owing to the insufficient notice given the A.R.C. would not send a delegate. Several jockeys were granted licenses, and their names will be found in the Sporting Review’s “ Official Column.” Some of the lads were only granted their licenses on condition that their conduct was satisfactory. Another meeting of the committee was held on Tuesday, when the following additional jockeys’ licenses were granted :—Moberley, H. Smith, E. Headley, J. Mitchell, and A If. Cook. The stallion Cruiser died the other day at New Plymouth from the effects of a broken leg. The loss will be a severe one to Mr. W. Elliot, who refused a big offer a short time ago for the handsome son of Robinson Crusoe and Radiance. Lady Florence, the dam of The Sharper, died the other day at Kohimarama. Her filly foal by Biigadier is also defunct. I understand that Impulse will on Monday be transferred to the care of James Kean, who has lately experienced a well-deserved change from that bad luck which has so long attended him. A Diury correspondent writes me that Mr. J. Cummins’ mare Locket by Flinklock —Mermaid, with foal at foot by Tasman, has been sent on a visit to Mr. Holgate’s recently imported stallion Paddy’s Land. I am glyen to understand that Paddy’s Land’s list is now full. Mr. Mangan informed me the other day that he had every reason to be satisfied so far with the patronage accorded to Imperious, his imported American standard-bred trotting station. The nominations for the Takapuna Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting are a good deal below the Club’s expectations, and they certainly deserved better encouragement. There are 13 in the Maiden Hv”d : es, half-a-dozen -in the Devonport Handicap, 11 in the Handicap Maiden Plate, 13 in the Hurdles, 14 in the St. Andrew’s Handicap, a dozen in the Novice Handicap, 15 in the Steeplechase, and 17 in the Spring Handicap. The weights are due to-morrow. By La Fleche’s victory in the St. Leger, the winnings this season alone of St. Simon’s stock were increased secured by 17 different horses. On September Bth at Saratoga, Mary Stone, by Sir Modred, beat Doubt, Misfortune, and Leonawell a mile in imin 4osec flat; this is the fastest mile ever run in America by a mare with full weight. The only faster performances are Kildeer, 4yrs, 6.6, in imin 37|sec. ; and the imported mare Maori, by Poulet, syrs, 7.6, in imin 39|sec. Mary Stone, 4yrs, carried 7.13, and it was only about three weeks before that she ran a dead heat with Zampost in imin 4ojsec. In allud’ng to La Fleche’s g.'eat w.n in the, CambridgeshGe, I mentioned that as she had 8.12, I thought she would have somewhere about that impost in the Cambridgeshire, andlate English files to hand show that her weight in the latter was 8.10, which is 41b less than Foxha 11 had when he won in 1881, and 21b less than Plaisantecie carried when she won in 1885. I have to acknowledge the receipt of a very neatly printed book programme of the Takapuna Jockey Club’s operations for the present season. The Club will bold three meetings during the year, their dates being : —November 26, Spring Meeting ; January 28 and 30, Summer Meeting ; and May 24, Winter Meeting. Six of the twelve races decided at the Victoria Amateur Tu -f Club’s Spring Meeting fe 1 ! to New South Wales trained animals, and six went to Victoria, the other colonies failing to score. With Camoola and Autonomy the defunct Chester held his own among the sires, but Trenton had two capable representatives in Calculus and Light Artfllery, who are calculated to do the son of Musket and Frailty fu”ther service. Frying Pan had a good winner in Fortunatus, who inherits this s : -e’s wonderful knack of jumping off at flag fa 11 . Priam, by New Warrior from Poppet, a once well-known handicap horse in the days of Reprieve, Jave’ui and The Prophet, had a good representative in Pilot, who won both the Steeplechases. Paris put a good stake to the credit of Grandmaster. Neither Newminster nor Robinson Cruiso claimed a winner, though both ran into places. Of the jockeys James Hayes, Huxley, Bolger and Parker each annexed two races, leaving four to be divided up among the many knights of the pigskin, who took part in the meeting. There were very few close finishes for Mr. Woods to decide, the only race which was fa’ fly in doubt unt’ 1 the verd’ct was given being the Debutant Stakes. The colours carried by Paris in the Caulfield Cup were scarlet, white cross. How unlucky (says the Australasian) Mr. S. H. Gollan has been with his horses since he began racing in Australia a little more than twelve months ago. No less than nine of P. Martin’s charges have been in the hospital during that time. Tirailleur is doing mild work, but Sternchaser, Culloden, Captain Webb, and Shean are all under a cloud just now. Escutcheon, the sire of Mr. Paul’s two-year-old colt Westmere who has already been returned a winner this season, is now in the stud of Mr. D. H. Hill, of Lindenow, Vic. Mr. Hill owned the Melbourne Cup winner Sheet Anchor at the time of that horse’s death. The colt by Rubezahl—Malice has been sti uck out of all his engagements at the Auckland Racing Club’s meetings, and Mistral has been eliminated from the Great Northern Derby. Melodious, the dam of Melis,has foaled a colt to Carbine. Melodious is closely related to Sou’wester (who is now at the stud in the Wanganui district) for she is by Goldsbrough out of Melody, by The Barb out of Mermaid, and Sou’Wester is by Goldsbrough out of Melody’s full sister, Seabreeze. The Victoria Racing Club have appointed a “ stipendiary reporter ” to take shorthand notes at all inquiries of that body.

A cablegram from Melbourne conveys the intelligence that Mr. W. R. Wilson has sold Pygmalion to a South Australian sportsman, the price paid being £6OO. Though it never. transpired exactly what Mr. Wilson paid for Pygmalion when he bought him as a two-year-old from Messrs G. H. Clifford and G. Hunter, I think I am quite within the mark in stating that it was somewhere about £lOOO. Since Mr. Wilson has had him, the only races he has won have been the Hopetown Cup. and Malvern Handicap at the V.A.T.C. Summer meeting last season. The Waikato Trotting Club have received but poor entries for their meeting on the 30th inst., there being only a total of 34 for five races. The Maiden Handicap has attracted a dozen ; the Cambridge Trot half that number; the PonyTrot seven ; the Handicap Hurdles only a couple; and the Wheel Trot seven. The handicaps, which will be adjusted by Mr. E. D. Halstead, are due to-morrow. The privileges in connection with the Auckland Racing Club’s Second Spring meeting, were sold by Messrs. D. Tonks and Co., on Friday last, when the following prices were realised :—Grandstand booth, £43, Mr. S. C. Caulton; lean-to bar, £4O, Mr. P. Quinlan ; No. 1 booth, £23, Mr. Purcell; No. 2 booth, £l2, Mr. Toomey; cards, £45, Mr. Blomfield ; sole right refreshment stalls, £7, Mrs. Mclntosh; stabling, £4, Mr. Bond. At the same time and place the following prices were obtained for the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association privileges : Sole right publican’s booth, £3l, Mr. Purcell; sole right refreshment stalls, £6, Mrs. Mclntosh. A serious accident is reported in the Melbourne papers to have happened at Mr. W. R. Wilson’s stud farm, the other day. Dillon was galloping at top speed when he came into collision with a cow, which by some means, had got on to the track. The force of the smash was so great that the horse turned over twice or three times before landing on his back. The lad who was riding was picked up insensible, and at first the worst was feared, but there now seems a chance of his getting round. Dillon’s injuries are very serious, and it is highly probable that his racing days are over. There seems no end to Mr. Wilson’s bad luck. First Zalinski broke down, then Steadfast threw a splint, and now a common ordinary milker stroled on to the track and burst up Dillon, one of the few sound horses in the stable It is satisfactory to know that the boy is likely to survive the accident. The Victorian Amateur Turf Club’s profit on their recent Spring meeting was £4OO more than last yea". The Fitz Hercules —Slander mare, Reproach, lost her foal by Tasman, the other day, at Wellington Park. It was very sickly from its birth. The mare has visited Castor. La Flecbe was the worst animal in the Leger for place bookmakers, one leviathan speculator laying as much as to on Baron Hirsch’s filly finishing in the first three. The Ascot Gold Cup of 1893 will still be worth 1000 sovs., added as has hitherto been the case, to a sweepstake of 20 sovs. each, half forfeit, but 2000 sovs. in specie will be given in addition, out of which the second is to receive 500 sovs. and the third 250 sovs. It is hoped that this increase in value will have the effect of infusing more interest into a contest wnich is quite historical in its associations and has been won in its time by some of the best thoroughbreds. In commenting on the Colonial Secretary circular re the 18 per cent-, “Mazeppa,” in the Otago Witness, somewhat sarcastically observes that “ so far as my memory seizes me the Conference which it is or was proposed to hold in Christchurch during the carnival week is or was for the special purpose of seeking to bring about a uniform charge of 10 per cent, on totalisator investments. If wrong I am open to correction. It is a job to remember all that has been done of late and all that it is proposed to do. lam not even sure that there is to be a conference in Christchurch. But assuming that such has been resolved on, and that its business is, as stated, to formally withdraw from the regulation authorising clubs to deduct the State tax in addition to the 10 per cent. —an authorisation which the Dunedin Jockey Club has never ’complied with—we may take it that the chaiiman will simply meet the delegates, show them the circular, express pleasure that the Colonial Secretaiy has taken the business off their hands, and dismiss the delegates to enjoy themselves in searching for dead birds for totalisator investments at Riccartqn. The Colonial Secretary’s announcement simplifies matters considerably. His statement that the charging of over 10 per cent, is contrary to the spirit of the Act is worth a dozen resolutions of a conference.” At the last committee meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club it was resolved that the Hon. G. McLean and Mr. F. Meenan be asked to. act as delegates at the Conference of Metropolitan Clubs, to be held at Christchurch during the progress of the C.J.C. Spring Meeting. A letter was received from the Wanganui J.C. enclosing copy of rules for the regulation of hunt clubs and hunt races, which it is proposed to submit to next conference of delegates. The secretary stated that these rules did not seem to be in any way suited to the circumstances of the D.J.C. in connection with their Hunt Club races. It was resolved to hand the letter to the delegates to deal with at the conference. The secretary reported that there had been correspondence with several clubs that had expressed annoyance at the new code of rules, in consequence of which they were called upon to increase the amount of added money at their meetings, and stated that the secretary of the Gore Racing Club had waited upon him, and that letters had been received from the Maniototo Jockey Club and Maniototo Racing Club, to which he had replied stating that the D.J.C. had endeavoured to do everything they could in favour of their country clubs, but were outvoted at the conference. The secretary mentioned that he had published the letter which had been forwarded to the club’s delegates at Wellington at time of conference. It was resolved that the action and letters of the secretary be approved. At the same time a general opinion was expressed that there should be some alteration in the mode of representation so as to give more representation to country clubs, and more in accordance with the amount of added money given.

The reserved decision of the Melbourne magistrates who were engaged in hearing the charges against Robert Phillips, tobacconist, and James Swallow, his manager, for conducting betting in a shop in Little Collins-street, Melbourne, was delivered in the District Court on October 17th. It was against the defendants, and Phillips was fined £25 with £$ 3s. costs, or in default of distress six weeks’ imprisonment, and Swallow with £3 3s. costs, or in default of distress one month’s imprisonment. The same distinction as between the occupier of the shop and the manager was followed in the remaining cases. “Jack” Cohen and “ Barney ” Allen were fined /25, with costs, and Frederick Norman, John Regan, L. Lyons, and Alfred Burbury were each fined £l5 and costs. Execution was stayed for seven days in most of the cases at the repuest of Mr. Gaunson, who said an appeal would be made to a higher court against the decision. The Nordenfeldt—Nelly Moore horse Steadfast, the property of Mr. W. R. Wilson, has thrown a splint, and will have to be put out of work for a while. “Teddy Weeks,” the well-known Indian trader, died in Melbourne on the 21st ult. He was well known to many New Zealanders, who will endorse these remarks made by a Melbourne paper in his obituary notice :—“ With all his objectionable coarseness Weeks was a good-hearted man, who is not likely to have left any enemies behind him. He had a rough kind of wit which he often used at the expense of others, but having got the joke off—the ones he prided himself most on were inclined to be coarse—Teddy was never disposed either to resent the retort or to cherish enmity against any one, no matter how bitter the things he and his antagonist might say in the heat of a struggle for the possession of some selling plater. Weeks was all sorts of things at different stages of his career, but it was as an Indian trader and an owner of horses that he was known during the last ten years. The proprietary clubs knew him as a staunch friend. He was always in the enclosure to send a promising winner of a selling race to a good figure, and if he lost his money over one which, in his opinion, had not tried, he generally sought his revenge by claiming the animal. By virtue of his position as a buyer of platers, he was allowed liberties which he was not slow to take, and Teddy Weeks at a suburban meeting was a decidedly prominent figure. In his day he bought many good horses, and ran them with varying luck before taking them to India. With Sting he won the Adelaide Cup in a big betting year, but the horse was not supposed to be ready. It was the Birthday Cup Weeks wanted him for, and the stake was all he landed over his Morphettville victory. When in India on his last trip he was laid up in the hospital for some time, and on his return to Australia a few months hack he was only a shadow of the burly Weeks who was always at the ring side ready not only to buy, but to break a lance in repartee with the auctioneer at every opportunity. Despite bad health he set to work to get together another shipment of horses diiectly he arrived in Victoria, and about a fortnight ago the cargo left for India, but Weeks was too ill to go himself, and gradually sinking passed quietly away.” “ Terlinga” describes the A.J.C. and V.R.C. Derby winner Camoola as “a nice round-ribbed colt with very good loin and quarters, but his light neck and lop ears detract from his appearance. In many ways he takes after Trident. One respect in which he resembles his illustrious uncle is in the habit of striking in the same place, and he also stands over at the knees slightly.”

“Terlinga,” who recently looked over the Fulham Park, S.A., stud of Mr. W. Blackler, where Necklace’s brother Thunderbolt is now located, says of that horse : —“ Thunderbolt is in great buckle, having filled out and furnished in a remarkable degree since settling down at Fulham. He is a very handsome dark brown, standing about 15.3, and the Musket quarters and thighs stand out very distinctly. His stock are very promising, and this season he has been given more mares than Richmond.” Richmond is his companion at the Fulham Stud, where Mr. Blackler, I know from personal experience, has some beautiful strains of blood, for he owns such proved brood mares as Instep, dam of Sandal; Footstep, dam of The Admiral ; Gratitude by Countryman (imp.)—Serenity (imp.), who was a rattling good two-year-old ; Queen Consort (imp.) dam of Prince Consort; and Blue Lake, the dam of Richlake. At one time Paris, Yarran and Clonard, who filled the places in this year’s Caulfield Cup, were all trained by our old friend J. Monaghan, who ■ was associated in this colony with Pungawerewere’s Dunedin Cup victory, and the successes of many other horses, such as Templeton. He trained for Mr. F. AV. Delamain, at Yaldhurst, the historic training ground where Mr. Stead’s horses are now located in charge of Dick Mason. - As there is a great deal of money sent out of this colony to Sydney yearly for investment in Tattersail’s sweeps, the following answer given by the Australasian to a correspondent who enquired as to the decision of a wager there anent. He said :—“ A bets B that if a person invests £5 in Tattersall’s £lOO,OOO cash prize consultation, the chances that he loses his money absolutely, or gets neither horse nor cash prize, are 7 to 1. Also, if Ais wrong what are the odds ?” The Australasian answers: — “The chances that any named ticket will not draw a prize are as follows : In the first drawing 999 divided by 1000 ; in the second drawing the same ; in the third drawing the same; in the fourth drawing 998 divided by 1000 ; in the fifth drawing 99 divided by 100; and in the sixth drawing 99 divided by 100. Again, assuming that there are 40 horses left in the race, the chances that the same ticket will not draw a horse are 9996 divided by 10,000. Hence the chance that the ticket will draw neither cash prize or horse is represented by the products of the preceding fractions The approximate value of the product of the fractions is 975 divided by 1000, or 39 divided by 40. Hence the chance that any named ticket will draw one cash prize, or more than one cash prize, or a horse, is represented by the fraction 1 divided by 40. Hence the chance that five tickets will not draw one cash prize, or more than one cash prize, or a horse, is represented by the fraction 5 divided by 40 or 1 divided by 8. In other words, the odds that a person who buys five tickets will lose his money absolutely are 7 to 1.”

In alluding to the new scale of added money for trotting meetings which, according to the president of the New Zealand Trotting Association, the Colonial Secretary is willing shall be adopted, “ Mazeppa ” in the Otago Witness makes the following pertinent remarks: “I foresee that such a conclusion will not satisfy those who have been making such an outcry about what they call the abuse of the totalisator. . But after all, the question of added money is of secondary importance. What we want to know is whether the proprietary clubs are to be compelled to expend their receipts in the furtherance of racing instead of in paying dividends to shareholders, and the point on whicn the president’s utterances would be listened to with interest is as to the degree of encouragement or otherwise the parties he speaks for have received in the desire to avoid the necessity of producing their balance sheets as evidence that they deserve a continuation of totalisator permits. It is on this particular point that there is conflict between the Association on one side and the rest of the clubs on the other, and sooner or later Sir Patrick Buckley will have to decide which side has made the better case, unless he succeeds in shirking a decision till next session, and has the whole thing settled by an amendment of the act. This would mean that trotting matters are to be left in a chaotic state for the best part of a year. We ought to have a settlement before that if possible, and I suppose it is possible, for the same authority that could go so far as to proclaim the necessity of giving so much in added money could surely go one little step further and make the production of balance sheets a condition of receiving the permits. I don’t envy Sir Patrick his job, but really he ought to speak up one way or the other.” Alluding to Wanganella’svictory in the’Nursery Handicap at the V.A.T.C. Spring Meeting, “ Terlinga ” in the Australasian makes the following remarks about the prices given for young stock now-a-days :—“ Wanganella was a 1,400 guineas yearling, and she is the first animal that has carried Mr. Wentworth’s once familiar colours for some time. There is a satisfaction in seeing a youngster like Wanganella turn out well, b 'ause after all, in these days when all horses are well bred, and they race in ‘ all shapes and forms, ’ sticking to running families is the only true guide a man can adopt in buying a yearling. And, moreover, it is satisfactory to see men who pay good prices for young stock getting a good return for their money. As a rule, colonial studmasters do not get paying figures for their yearlings, and the increase in the value of stakes during the last few years has not brought about the improvement it should have done. Admitting the difference in the cost of the services of fashionable sires in England and Australia, the values of yearlings are decidedly out of proportion. The fashionable goods may sell beyond their value in England, and certainly the ordinary colt or filly out here rarely brings a price big enough to give the breeder much margin for profit.” The same writer in commenting on the Caulfield Cup, says :— “ When half a mile had been traversed Pygmalion took charge of McGowan, and started to cut out the work. For a long way—right into the straight, in fact—he kept the lead, and then his efforts told and he was beaten. I shall not join with those who say he threw it up, because I saw no signs of anything of the kind. The horse was too strong for McGowan, and simply ran himself to a standstill. * * * At the turn Ulric looked very like a winner, and up to this time a conspicious figure was Pigeontoe. Then, as they straightened their heads for home Yarran and Clonard looked dangerous, the latter, wide on the right with his head up, being particularly prominent; but before the distance Paris shot up on the inside, and in two strides the race was over. He simply dashed past the leaders as if they were standing, and going on without the sign of a falter, won as easily as ever I remember to have seen the race- won, although Blink Bonny and Chicago both had plenty in hand in their years. Parker on the winner, had instructions to keep away from the leaders till well into the straight; he carried them out to the letter, and they panned out correctly, Paris’ brilliant run being made the most of. The winner stands 15 hds. l| in., and but for having a high wither he would not measure so much. There is nothing to gush about in his appearance until you see him extended, and then his action is simply perfect. Between the first and second days of the meeting Monaghan gave him a good deal of work, but his victory was a surprise to both trainer and rider. * * * Paris’s defeat in the Caulfield Stakes was a fortunate circumstance for the ring. Even as it is, the layers, as a body, have little cause for self-congratulation over the Caulfield Cup, but they would have been worse off if Paris had run up to anything approaching his proper form in the weight-for-age race. Year after year the fallacy of relying upon the placings in the initial event of the V.A.T.C. is made apparent, and yet sound judges allow themselves to be swayed by the good or bad performances of Cup horses which compete in that race. James Monaghan, the trainer of Paris, had little hope of winning, although he made excuses for the running of his horse when Camoola won. Parker, the jockey, professed to think the horse must be off, and probably his feeling in the matter had something to do with the result of the race. Entertaining very slight hopes of a victory, Parker did not ride for a position to the first turn. There were only two behind him at the stand, and when he did move towards the front he had the remarkable luck to get a clear berth on the rails, and never be interfered with. Doubtless, while it assists any horse, a position free from interference of any sort is very essential to the little Grandmaster gelding. Had he been driven for a place in the first half mile, the odds are he would have encountered a stray bump or two which would proved fatal to his chance. In a race like the Caulfield Cup, where so many horses are fancied, there must necessarily be more losers than winners, but Paris was, I think, a bad horse for the books, and he might have been a worse one. There are a few good winners, and as often happens, some won against their will, but there would have been more money for Paris, and he would have started at a much shorter price, if he had not run «.u the first day.” Up to September 1, the get of Sir Modred, Darebin, and Cheviot in America had figured thusly in the races they had run in this season :— Sir Modred 32 starters, 279 races, 63 wins; Cheviot 10 starters, 55 races, 16 wins; Darebin 14 starters, 82 races, 18 wins.