Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 125, 15 December 1892, Page 7

Turf Topics.

[By

“Sir Launcelot.”]

At the end of last week there was a little emeute between The Dancer’s owner, Mr. J. Lynch, and that horse’s trainer, which ended in Mr. Lynch removing the roan son of Sword Dance to Adam Byers’ stable. However the horse hardly remained there 24 hours, for Mr. L. D. Nathan purchased him, and he was at once taken to his old quarters at Wright’s. I believe the price paid for The Dancer was 35ogns.

Mr. Morrin has, judging by previous experience, lost a good buyer at his forthcoming yearling sale, for Mr. S. H. Gollan left Melbourne for England the other day. Mr. W. R. Wilson has either left for England or contemplates voyaging there, so two good customers of the Wellington Park studmaster will be absent from the sale ring on January 4th. However, I hear on good authority that two prominent Melbourne sportsmen have already sent commissions over here authorising the purchase of one or two of the yearling colts or fillies.

Mention of Mr. Morrin’s name reminds me that he experienced a stroke of cruel bad luck on Saturday in the death of his colt foal by Castor out of Cissy (sister to Trenton and Cuirassier). It was Cissy’s first foal, and a real gem at that. It succumbed to the same affection—inflammation of the bowels—that carried off Frailty’s colt last year.

I am glad to be able to report that that accomplished gentleman rider, Mr. E. D. O’Rorke, who recently broke his leg while playing polo, is rapidlv recovering from the accident. J. Rae has returned Sir Roland to his owner, and the colt has since been placed in the hands of J. McHugh, who now trains on the old Takapuna racecourse.

Mr. L. Harris left for Sydney yesterday with that sterling pony Antic. He will race him in Sydney for a bit, and try and find a purchaser for him there.

Yum Yum, who is engaged in the Auckland Trotting Cup, arrived from Sydney on Tuesday, and now occupies a box in James Kean’s stable.

First Nelson was brought over from Takapuna during the week, and is now located at Millison’s stable, Epsom. In the advertising columns of this issue will be found the full programme of the Wellington Racing Club’s Summer Meeting, to be held on the 23rd and 25th prox. The total to be distributed in added money is £l 6lO, in addition to a piece of plate of the value of ioosovs, which the lucky owner of the Wellington Cup winner will receive. The stakes on the first day amount to /■940, the principal prizes being the Wellington Cup of 4oosovs, in addition to the piece of plate above mentioned, and four handicaps of ioosovs each. On the second day the stake money is £670, the principal item being the Wellington Racing Club Handicap of 2oosovs, one mile and a quarter. Friday, January 6, is general entry night. The Bay of Plenty Jockey Club will hold their annual race meeting at Tamanga on January 30 (Anniversary Day), when, as will be seen by the programme advertised in another column, will be given away in stakes, with the Bay of Plenty Handicap of josovs, 2 miles, as the principal item. Nominations close on January 7.

Messrs. D. Tonksand Co. will offer for auction on Tuesday next, at noon, the privileges for the Auckland Racing Club’s Summer Meeting, (December 27, January 2 and 3). and Auckland Club’s Summer Meeting (Dec. 27 aud 31). Messrs. Hunter and Nolan will, as per advertisement in another column, submit to auction on December 30, at their Durham-street yards, at noon, a quartette of yearlings bred by Major George. All are by Nelson, who has already shown his ability to get winners, as witness the Victories of Pegasus and First Nelson. They comprise three fillies and one colt, the latter being a half-brothet to Fiesole and Coalscutrle. ' One of the fillies is a full sister so Pegasus, which is a strong recommendation. Another is a half-sister to that brilliant horse Reprisal, and the third is a half-sister to Vendetta and The Workman.

The secretary of the Woodville (Hawke’s Bay) Jockey Club has been courteous enough to send me a complimentary ticket for that Club’s races on January 2nd which, as I shall be unable to be present, I have passed on to the Napier correspondent of the Sporting Reyiew. There were half-a-dozen horses on board the s.s. Waihora when she arrived from the South on Tuesday. One of these was a trotter named School Girl, which B. Edwards brought up with a view to competing at the Auckland Trotting Club’s Meeting, but the others had deep attractions for lovers of the thoroughbred,for they comprised three Auckland Cup candidates, viz., Crackshot, Merganser, and Brigand; Aorere, who is engaged in the Auckland Steeplechase; aud Stepniak’s two-year-old half-brother Mahoki, who will figure in the juvenile events at the A.R C.’s Summer Meeting. Crackshot was in charge of that painstaking trainer, C. O’Connor, who has not been up here for some time. Merganser was looked after by Andy Robertson. Mr. A. Boyle, the owner of Aorere. came up with that horse, and so did Redmond, who will ride him in his engagements. Brigand and Mahoki went to Adam Byers ; Aorere is at the Ellerslie Hotel stables ; And Crackshot and Merganser at the Harp of Erin stables. I had a look on Monday at the recenrly imported Shire horse Substitute, who was recently sent out from England to the order of Mr. Angerstein, of Surrey Farm, Pokeno. He had just returned from his enforced fortnight’s quarantine when I looked at him at Pullen and Armitage’s stable. The “ Shire” horse is a stamp that has hitherto been unknown in this colony. It is somewhat of a lighter stamp —so to speak—than the ordinary draught horse, and such a horse as Substitute is undoubtedly a great acquisition to this colony. “ Shire” horses are quite the fashion in England at present, as witness the fact that just before the last mail left England at the dispersal of the famous stud of Shire horses bred by Mr. Arkwright, of Sutton Scarsdale, the highest price yet obtained for a horse of that breed was realised, Mr. Crisp, of London, giving iqoogns for Marmion 11., a five-year-old stallion. Fortyeight stallions, fillies, and mares realised I found Substitute to be a very fine stamp of horse, bay in colour, with white hind feet. He is only five years old, and is by King of Trent out of a mare by Boxer. His sister was sold recently in England for 88ogns. Mr. Angerstein had him taken to his farm at Pokeno on Tuesday.

Mr. D. McLeod, the well-known Auckland metallician, has a business announcement in our advertising columns. Mr. F. Whiting is another of the pencillers who announces his business through the columns of the Sporting Review.

Merganser remains a firm favourite for the Auckland Cup, 3 to I having been taken, and the same price is wanted. St. Hippo is backed at sto I. Crackshot has been nibbled at 6’s, and Coalscuttle and Impulse at 7’s. From 10 to 1 to 100 to 3 is offered about any of the others. The favourite double of Cup and Steeplechase is Merganser and Fishmonger, which combination has been backed at 12 to I; 14 to 1 has been taken about Merganser and Mangare, and the same about the mare and Aorere.

The weights for the Thames Jockey Club’s Summer Meeting appear in another column. As there are several horses engaged that are also entered for the Auckland Racing Club’s Summer Meeting, I will defer comment till after the declaration of acceptances to-morrow night.

Mr. J. H. Aislabie received a splendid nomination on Monday night for the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s annual meeting. There are 14 in the First Hurdles, 19 in the Flying Handicap, 14 in the Second Hurdles, 20 in the. Publicans’ Purse, 19 in the Stewards’ Handicap, 11 in the County Stakes Handicap, 13 in the Turanga Stakes Handicap, and 15 in the Sunderland Stakes Handicap. The ‘ class ’ too is very good all through. The weights for the first day’s events are due at noon on January 3.

The weights for Drury Races appear under our usual heading in another column, but I refrain from analysing them owing to several horses being entered that are engaged at the A.R.C. and Thames Meetings, and consequently it will be better for my readers to wait till after the declaration of acceptances to-morrow night.

In addition to the two yearlings already advertised in these columns, Mr L. D. Nathan has decided to submit a quartette of his own breeding after the sale of Mr Morrin’s yearlings at Wellington Park on January 4. These are fillies respectively by Nordenfeldt out of La Dauphine; by Nordenfeldt out of the Leonidas mare Inisthona; by Leolinus out of the Castaway mare Outcast ; and by Leolinus out of the Musket mare Cantiniere. Anent the dams of these fillies, I may remark that La Dauphine is by The Dauphin (winner of the Canterbury Derby of 1881, and sire of Fraternite, &c.) out of the Panic mare Brassolis; Inisthona is by the Australian-bred Leonidas out of the Patriarch mare Moilena; Outcast is by Castaway (brother to Le Loup and Lurline) out of Moss Rose, tracing back to the same blood as Chancellor, York, Awarua Rose, Black Rose and other good racers; and Cantiniere is dam of that smart little filly Brown Bess. Intending purchasers can see the yearlings at Sylvia Park, a portion of which has been leased by Mr. Nathan. Another batch to be offered at Wellington Park on January 4 are those bred at Glenora.by Mrs. W. Walters. As usual with youngsters from this stud the Fisherman blood—and fine old blood it is—is largely in evidence. There are half-a-dozen to be offered, comprising only one colt, and this is by Nelson out of the Musket— Hipporina mare Muskerina. A fine combination this of Voltigeur, King Tom, Musket, Fisherman and Yattendon. What better could a student of pedigree desire ? Among the fillies is a daughter of Nordenfeldt and the Yattendon—Fanny Fisher mare Fishgirl—another fine combination of blood —and a full sister to Carronade, who has won several races in the South Island for Mr. Stead and Mr. ‘ W. Russell.’

Our Taranaki correspondent writes:— ‘ The local trotter Ike will be taken up to compete at the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting. I don’t fancy his show in the big handicap, but he may pick up a minor event during the meeting if the handicapper treats him on his merits. Mr. Stohr, Ike’s owner, has now in his stable an aged black gelding Darebin, by Izaak Walton, which he hopes to knock into a hurdle and cross country animal.”

The following handicaps have been declared for the Whatawhata Cup and Hurdles, to be run on January 2nd :—Whatawhata Cup—Memorandum 9.10, Pretender 9.7, Sceptress 8.12, Fiver 8.3, Hornpipe 8.0, Tamaitiora 7.10, Deceiver 7.7, Last Chance 7.4, Taffy 7.4, Jack 6.12, Bella 6.12, Tangirau 6.12. Hurdles—Pretender 11.4, Sceptress 10.7, Opawa 10.0, Taffy 9.10, Jack 9.7, Lifebuoy 9.7, Locket 9.7, Loyalstone 9.7. A Galloway race, of 5 sovs, for horses 14.2 and under, has been added to the programme.

Commenting on the past season’s racing in Yankee-land “ Hidalgo,” the American correspondent of the Australasian, says: - “ The close of October ends the American racing reason, as far as concerns anything like legitimate sport; and while the representatives of Australian-bred horses have not won a single one of the large- ' stake events in America this year, they have done very well for all that. Dr. Hasbrouck has proved himself the greatest sprinter in America, for he has beaten the great Kingston twice at even weights (9.1), and on another occasion was beaten only a short head in the fast time of 1 min I4sec for six furlongs. . This is a great showing for a four-year-old to concede two years’ weight to such a horse as Kingston, who won nine races out of ten in 1890, 14 out of 16 in 1891, and is winning 1 more races this year than he is losing. It is about time they got done talking about ‘ the fainthearted Sir Modreds,’ as they have been doing.on all occasions for the past two years. The only one of his get that I deem entitled to such an adjective is Tournament, the great three-year-old of 1890 by long odds, but he is a rotten-bred horse on the dam’s side, his fourth dam being Minerva Anderson, by imported Lugborough. Minerva’s granddam had no authenticated pedigree, and used to run at 2 J and 3 furlongs. From her have sprung some great performers, however, notably Duke of Magenta, who was taken to England, where he became a roarer, and never was saddled for a race. Jake Pincus will die in the belief that he was a better horse than Iroquois, as he won 18 races out of 19 starts before leaving America. As for Sir Modred’s son Dr. Hasbrouck, he is the most consistent performer on the American turf to-day, having run unplaced only once in nineteen starts, and winning sixteen times, being twice second to Kingston, whom he has since twice beaten at even weights. He is, beyond doubt, the best six-furlong horse that has ever run in America. Sir Matthew, who won the Junior Champion of last year, has been a badly-managed colt, in that he has been run to death after older horses. Had he been restricted to events for his own age he must have won several races for which he was scratched. He is a very large colt, and takes on flesh so firmly during the winter that it is impossible for any trainer to get him in shape for April or May races. Every horse has his pet distance, and Sir Matthew’s is a mile. The great two-year-old of California to-day is a son of Darebin, who has never appeared in public up to the time of my September letter to you. He was bred by Colonel Harry Thornton, at Resaca, and is out of Carrie Covey by Monday, from Camilla Urso by Lodi from Annette by Lexington. As Monday was by Colton, a son of Lexington, Dare is inored to the greatest of all American native sires. But that is nothing to his infusion of Glencoe blood, of which he has three courses. * * * In 1890 Sir Modred was third on the list of our winning sires, without a single good two-year-old to his name; last year.he had two good two-year-olds in Shellback and Sir Matthew, but nothing good in any other age. Had Sir Matthew been a year older Sir Modred would have headed St. Blaise in 1890, or if Tournament could have won any one of six big handicaps in 1891 he would still have headed the heap. Cheviot, his brother, has done fairly well as a sire of sprinters, but up to date has no winner as far as nine furlongs. However, he gets the finest looking fillies of any horse in America, and my E rediction is that he will prove himself a great rood-mare sire. His progeny ran very well in the spring, but have done literally nothing since J uly. Idalium is reported sold in San Francisco, but although he is a much better looking horse than Cheviot Ido not fancy his chances. To begin with, there are only three mares in history that have produced great sires; and, secondly, the regret over Sir Modred’s expatriation was so great that Idalium would not have been allowed to leave had he possessed any merit.”