Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 131, 26 January 1893, Page 5

Turf Topics.

[_By

“Sir Launcelot.”]

In Melbourne of late they have taken to a new way of fixing up ‘ stiff ’uns.’ They indulge in what is known as the ‘ girth-tightening ’ business, which means that the jockey walks his horse about in the straight till the latest possible moment, and then the trainer comes out ostensibly on the pretence of tightening the girths and gives the boy his instructions as to whether he is ‘jigging' or not. Commenting on the result of one of the races at Epsom, near Melbourne, on the 7th inst., ‘ Terlinga,’ of the Australasian, says in this connection:—‘The credit of winning the Ivanhoe Handicap must be divided between Wheel of Fortune and C. Moore. There was an amusing incident before the start. After all the others had gone to the post Tat remained in the straight with her rider anxiously looking back to the stand. Presently the trainer of the mare started at top speed for the place where Tat was waiting, lifting his hat once or twice on the road by way of assisting locomotion. Having spoken a word to White, the trainer returned and Tat hastened to the post. Arrived there she jumped off well and looked all over a winner until a hundred yards from home. Then White, too full of confidence, allowed Moore to get Wheel of Fortune alongside, and when it came to a question of jockeyship in a final finish, Tat’s rider was not in it with the Queenscliff jockey, who outrode him, and won by a head. Backers of the favourite were in ecstasies, but the punter who had 900 to 90 Tat was not at all pleased at the way things eventuated.’ The White alluded to is our New Zealand boy, whose trip to Australia with Mr. Gollan’s horses does not seem to have improved him by any means.

The prices paid for the horses in training, the property of the American racing man Mr Ehret, were phenomenal. This young gentleman headed the list of winning owners in America last year, and at the end of the season all his horses went to the hammer. According to the Spirit of the Tinies it was the greatest sale ever held of horses in training, not only in America but in any other country. We thought Lord Falmouth’s sale in 1884 reached an average unlikely to be surpassed, but Mr Ehret’s has surpassed it, not to mention Mr Lorillard’s sale in 1886, when the best American record was thought to have been reached. Here are the figures of the three sales: —Lord Falmouth’s in 1884 had 38 head offered, bringing 273,95°d01., an average of 7,209.21601. Mr Lorillard’s in 1886 had 27 head, bringing 149,040 dol., an average of 5,52060!. The Ehret sale had 26 head, which brought 223,25060!., an average of 8,58760!. (£1,71/)• Our Taranaki correspondent writes, ‘ I notice in a recent issue of the Sporting Review that you complain about persons doing the ‘ never ’ at race meetings on the pretence that they represent your paper. I might mention that cases of the kind nave occurred on this coast, and a couple of years ago at the Wellington Winter Meeting a ‘ spieler,’ who was posing as a correspondent of the Sporting Review, had a Taranaki Jockey Club properly. I only mention this in order to expose these frauds, and also in justice to your bona fide correspondents, some of whom may be put in a rather humiliating position some day through these pseudo-reporters claiming privileges from Racing Clubs’ secretaries.’

It is authoritatively stated that the American millionaire studmaster Mr Charles Reed (who already owns the English Derby winner St. Blaise, for whom he paid £20,000) will shortly visit Australia in quest of a stallion for his stud farm. He seems to be somewhat piqued at Mr McDonough just buying Ormonde over his head, and he wants to go one better if possible. Some of the American papers, in discussing his proposed visit to Australia, make invidious comparisons between English and Australian racehorses. One of the turf scribes, “ Augur,” in the New York Spirit of the Times, says that “the best English horse is 2olb better than the best Australian.” He does not, nevertheless, overlook Carbine’s Melbourne Cup performance with 10.5 in the saddle, for he says that the fame of this achievement went all over the world, and was a proof that a good horse can carry any amount of weight. But he qualifies this admission by saying that, “ admitting that Carbine is the best horse in Australia, why should we conclude that he would be a good one here ? The Australians have never imported a first-class horse from England. They have not imported as good horses as America has. How then, can their strain be looked to to improve ours? Because Carbine beat everything there, it does not follow he is great. Australia is hardly a good trial ground. Mr Reed would have done better to go to England, a better trial ground, where horses are bred from a higher class, than go to Australia. Probably he could not have got as good a horse in England as Carbine in Australia, but it is fair to believe that there are twenty good horses in England for everyone in Australia.” This writer has been replied to by the ex-Australian Mr R. E. de Lopez, who had a bit the best of the argument. The Australasian takes up the cudgels on the same side as Mr de Lopez, and says :—“ Doubtless the Americans have imported more highclass horses from England than we have. But when “Augur ” goes on to say that no first-class English horse has come to the colonies he talks nonsense. What horse in England was superior to Fisherman in his day, and surely the American “ Augur ” ought to know that Musket retired from the turf with the reputation of being the best stayer in England. Then, again, The Marquis, whom the Messrs Dakin brought out, was a Two Thousand Guineas and St. Leger winner, and he only missed the Derby by a neck. A number of others, snch as Tim Whiffler, Ace of Clubs, etc., might be mentioned ; but these three should suffice to show that in years gone by we had men ready to spend their money in bringing to the colonies horses which were at the time regarded as first-class. We must admit that the Americans have taken out of England more good horses than we have, but although Leamington, Bonnie Scotland, and Rayon d’Or were all at the top of the tree on the turf, St. Blaise, although a Derby winner, was a long way removed from a good racehorse, and did not come under the category of ‘ first-class ’ at the time he was imported. That he should have developed into a twenty thousand pounder is a pretty sure indication that as long as a horse is well bred he may make a great name as a stallion, even though only a middling racehorse himself. By the same rule many of the sires we have brought out were just as well qualified to take stud honours as St. Blaize. It can be taken for granted that nothing has been selected which was not well bred. Horses combining the blood which happens to be the acme of fashion at the time cost more money than could ever be got out of them in Australia, but depend upon it the great majority of the horses on the English turf are well if not fashionably bred, and with the fashion constantly changing a neglected stallion of to-day may be all the rage ten years hence. Musket had left England before Petronel and the few others he left behind had made their mark. Afterwards the Englishmen would have been glad enough to get him back.”

That sporting business in New South Wales is not confined to the sterner sex is shown by some police court proceedings the other day in Sydney when one Mary Wilson was fined £lO and costs at the Water Police Court. Her offence was running ‘ a tote.’ Mr Bobbett has decided not to take Quadrant over to Melbourne to fulfil his Newmarket Handicap engagement. On past form I, for my part, cannot see that the horse is badly treated.

And yet another trainer for Mr T. W. Hungerford ! I wonder how many he has had since he embarked in racing. His latest employe is H. Hull. Hull learnt his business with Dan O’Brien in the days when Trenton was a three-year-old. He went over to Melbourne with that horse, and has remained there ever since—in fact he was associated with Carmody when that trainer prepared Glenloth for the Melbourne Cup. Hull came over here the other day on a pleasure trip, and now evidently intends to stop. Mr Gollan’s disappointing colt Sternchaser has at last won an important race, for he proved victorious in the Anniversary Handicap of 250 sovs, one mile and three furlongs, run at the Victoria Amateur Turf Club’s Anniversary Meeting on Saturday last. He won by two lengths from the Hon. G. Davis’ Dramatist, with Mr A. Swanston’s Marco third. All three placed horses are four-year-olds. There were 18 starters. Sternchaser, who was bred by the N.Z. Stud Co., is by Nordenfeldt out of Crinoline (imp ) by Lord Lyon —Crinon, by Newminster.

Baron Hirsch, of course, tops the list of English winning owners for the past season, his total of £33,383 being the outcome of twenty two races won by a small stud of eight. Sir Blundell Maple comes second. He won no fewer than forty-two races with twenty-three animals, the stakes amounting to £17,156. Colonel North has had terribly bad luck, but nevertheless ranks thir6 with £15,589, won by nineteen animals in thirty-one races. While the Metropolitan Racing Clubs have been vainly endeavouring to cope with the “walking totalisator” nuisance, the Tapanui (Otago) Jockey Club have advertised on their programme the following notification:—“No bookmakers or spielers will be admitted to the racecourse, and any person laying totalisator odds will be at once ejected and warned off. Admission to the grounds is by ticket, upon which the regulation alluded to will be printed, in case any of the spieler fry should have defective memories.” I don’t know on what tenure the Tapanui Jockey Club hold their ground, but I can at least say that they have coped with the difficulty boldly.

At a meeting of the stewards of the Rotorua Jockey Club, held on the 18th inst., certain tenders for work on rhe course were accepted. The treasurer (Mr Dansey) stated that he was going away from the district on a month’s leave of absence, and therefore he was not likely to be present on the day of the races. He, therefore, asked that some one should be appointed to fill his dual offices of judge and treasurer, and the meeting thereupon appointed Mr W. T. Carr as treasurer, leaving the election of a judge till a future meeting. Mr M. Harris, the owner of Crackshot, has been in Auckland on a visit during the last few’ days. He is en route for England. He is at present recruiting his health at Waiwera. The following is taken from “ Vigilant’s” note book in the London Sportsman of Decomber 1 :— “ I doubt not a large majority of my readers are aware that for the second year in succession Mornington Cannon has headed the winning list, having for his nearest attendant the elder of the Barrett brothers. Twelve months ago the pair finished well ahead of all rivals—as far, one might say, as Paddy and Newcourt did of Portland and Co. for the Manchester November Handicap last Saturday ; but w’hereas only four pairs of brackets separated these accomplished horsemen w’hen the ballot w r as taken at the close of 1891, a gap of twenty-eight divides them on the present occasion, and, to use a common expression, the Danebury middle-weight won ‘ in a canter.’ The placings were pretty well certain more than a month ago, and Morny retires into winter quarters with a very proud record. Of his abilities as a professional rider it would scarcely be possible to speak in too flattering terms. His brother jockeys have long since admitted that in every sense he is a veritable chip of the old block, and if not so brilliant a rider of two-year-olds as his father, who holds a record in that respect w’hich no living man will ever see equalled, let alone eclipsed, Morny is in some respects as fine a jockey as ever breathed, and if he is able to keep his -weight down, which, I fear, must be marked ‘ doubtful,’ he may yet live to be regarded as a greater star than his paternal relative. Peculiarities of riding are abundant, and at the same time very marked, amongst the leading exponents of jockey ship. It has been admitted on all hands that for close upon a quarter of a century no one could do so much with a two-year-old as Tom Cannon, sen. I think it may be taken as admitted that the late Fred Archer, as a ‘ hurricane ’ rider—by w’hich expression I mean a daring horseman, whose physical qualifications, added to an unprecedented supply of nerve and judgment, literally swept all before them—stood out by himself. A a patient, careful, but ever wide-awake rider, John Osborne possessed inherent abilities that have survived the test of an average life-time. For neat hands and cool judgment, w’here can we point to the superior of such a finished artist as Fred Webb ? Can anyone name a more conscientious or a stronger jockey than John Watts ? Says another English journal:—“Mornington Cannon has done wonderfully well this year as a jockey, his number of wins being 182. He has ridden in no less than "29 races—an extraordinary number, considering that he cannot go to scale at much less than 8.4 now. This is the greatest number of mounts one jockey ever rode in one season. Archer’s greatest total of rides was 667, but (with 246 winners) Archer had a far better average than young Cannon. This was the Tinman’s best year, though the year before his average was even better, as he had 241 wins out of 577 mounts. Cannon has very rapidly got to the top of his profession. It was only in 1887 that he had his first winning mount, and that season he had nine successes, increasing to a dozen in ’BB, twenty-one in ’B9, and thirty-nine in ’9O. It was last year that he made his great jump, as he had 139 wins out of 609 mounts.” Another obituary of a brood mare has to be recorded. The death is announced in Otago of the brood mare Fleurange, who was bred in France in 1872, and imported to Canterbury four years later by the Middle Pack Stud Company along with Vanguard’s dam En Avant, Merrie England’s dam Rupee and Strenuous’ dam Strenua. Fleurange was a good performer over country in France, but a little “ hanky-panky” business indulged in by her stable connections led to her enforced retirement from the Turf early in her career. Her first foal at Middle Park was Fleur de Lys (by Traducer), who won several races for Messrs- Mason and Vallance. His full sister The Jilt, foaled in the following year, won the Dunedin Maiden Plate for Mr. “ G. Bate,” but is better known as dam of that game little two-year-old Eve. She is now in Mr. Morrin’s stud. There was a chestnut colt by Traducer —Fleurange foaled the next year that died young, and as Traducer had also departed this life Fleurange was mated with King of Clubs. The filly she foaled to him in 1881 was named Queen of Clubs, but what has become of her I know not. To St. George the following year she produced Nemesis, who won the C.J.C. Spring Nursery Handicap for Mr. “ G. Bate,” paying a big dividend Longwaist, her next year’s progeny, sired by Apremont, was purchased as a yearling by that good judge the late Hon. W. Robinson for 175 R S > but he turned out an arrant failure, and the hon. gentleman soon sold him. He won a hack race or two in Hawke’s Bay, in which district I believe he still has his habitation. Longwaist’s full brother met with an accident when a yearling and succumbed to the effects of it. Fleurette, who was Fleurange’s filly of 1885 by Apremont must not be confounded with the mare of the same name who is dam of Boulanger. She won one or two small races, and is now the property of Mr. J. Dooley, of South Canterbury, who owns First Lord. The rest of her progeny did not achieve distinction on the turf, but their blood should make them valuable to any studmaster. When the Middle Park Stud was broken up Fleurange was sold to Mr. “ H. Horsford” for 25gs, Mr. H. Cassidy at the same time giving Isgs for her colt foal by St. George. When Mr. “ Horsford” gave up breeding she was sold to go to Otago, where, as above mentioned, she has ended her days. She was by Consul (winner of the French Derby) out of Mddle de Fontenoy by Heir of Lynne, out of Twilight—a mare whose name crops up in the pedigree of old Moonshine, who was originally imported here by the late Major Walmsley. With the exception of a mare called Alsace, now in the Hobartville (N S.W.) stud she was, as far as my memory serves, the only daughter of Consul ever imported to the colonies.

The annual meeting of the members of the Patea Racing Club was held ou the 12th inst. The balance-sheet presented showed that the receipts for the year amounted to £385, and the disbursements to just on leaving£7o to be added to the deposit account in the bank. The balance of assets over liabilities stands at close on £2OO. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year :—President, Mr. G. Hutchison, M.H.R. ; vice-president, His Worship the Mayor ; judge, Mr W. Wilson ; handicapper, Mr. J. E. Henry ; clerk of the scales, Mr. T. E. Hammerton; timekeeper, Mr. W. Symes ; treasurer, Mr. R. A. Adams ; stewards, Messrs. R. A. Adams, W. C. Symes, W. Brown, G. Williams, A. Bretherton, W. Symes, and G. V. Pearce; committee, the stewards and Messrs. Mahoney, T. E. Hammerton, C. Potts and E. Derrett. Honorariums of £lO each were voted to the secretary and handicapper, and £5 to the starter. A programme was arranged for the next annual race meeting with stakes amounting to £lBO. The first meeting under the auspices of the Stratford Racing Club was held on Thursday, January 19th, in the newly-formed course at Bushford Park. The heavy going made times a bit slow, but some really excellent racing was witnessed. A feature of the day was the paying out on three horses in the Flying Handicap. Full particulars will be found in the Turf Record Columns. The total put through the machine by Messrs Adams and Andrews was ,£1,583. A well-known Melbourne bookmaker got fairly into a tangle over the Open Handicap run at the last Richfield meeting. There were only three runners, and he began by taking an even score about Stoneberry, then he turned round and took 30 to 20 about Aberdaron, and finally laid 20 to I against the winner, Warratah. The Apremont—Miss Flat horse Moraine—Mr Stead’s old cast-off- ran unplaced with 8.7 up in the Stewards’ Mile Handicap at Moorefield (Sydney) on the 7th inst. The race was won by Warwick, 8.4, who had previously in the day won the Koogarah Handicap, about six furlongs, beating 16 others. According to the Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney Referee, the Victorian ring were pietty heavily hit over the V.R.C. New Year’s Day Meeting. Every winner was well backed, and the Standish and Bagot double was laid right up to the hilt. The brilliancy shown by Ascot Vale in the Standish will long be remembered, especially by the bookmakers, as the stable and its connections backed the son of St. Albans for a big stake. There was some idea (says the same writer) of scratching him and waiting for the Newmarket Handicap, but after consideration it was thought that a bird in hand was worth two in the bush, and with the knowledge that their horse could run the six furlongs in imin I4sec, the party must have known that their bird was not. only in hand, but that he had a string arouud his leg to prevent him flying away. I fancy that Ascot Vale’s game in future will be over a longer course. All the horses by St. Albans have been stayers, and I betieve he has proved on the track that he is no exception. Carslake usually confines his attempts to bring off coups on short distance races, but he showed by the way he sent Bohemian to the post for the Metropolitan, in which he beat The Jewel, that he knows how to train them for a distance, too. Among the principal winners over Ascot Vale was a well-known Collins-street street solicitor, whose losses on the turf during the past few months are reported to have been pretty heavy. There is nothing like perseverance. Even a punter may get back his losses if he sticks to the game long enough. With the majority of them, though, the cash has run out before the turning of the lane comes into view. All backers have not a purse as long as that of a Collins-street solicitor, with a big practice. The party behind Lord Hopetoun likewise went for a big stake. The last time they did it they also ran up against a snag in the shape of Ascot Vale. Sanders, whose disqualification was only recently removed, rode Lord Hopetoun on New Year’s Day, and though it seemed ridiculous to say that he could have beaten imin iqsec, I think with James Hayes in the saddle Lord Hopetoun might just haee scraped home. Sanders, in his day, was a good rider, but a spell of 20 months or so is not calculated to improve his horsemanship. He is said to have a share in the horse, and naturally thought he was best fitted to ride him, but in my opinion he made an error of judgement in not standing down on the eventful day.”

Says the contributor to tbe Sydney Referee, who writes “ Among the Ponies” :— “ The amount given by Sydney pony-racing clubs during last year totalled over £24,000. A further return of how much was spent in keeping and training the ponies engaged, how much was lost in backing some of them, or how much the general public paid to keep the fun alive, would be even more interesting. If I were asked to hazard a tip as to who benefits most by the success of pony racing, I would say at once the clubs who gave the £24,000.”

The gentleman who was wont to race under the nom de course of Mr “ G. Bate ” has been in town during the week. lam sorry to say that he is in very indifferent health. It is rather a curious irony of fate that Patchwork, after winning the Takapuna Cup last year, should now be entered in the Selling Race at the same meeting to be sold for nil! Billingsgate has returned from Gisborne after putting in a good season down there.

Ingarangi was taken over to the North Shore on Monday, preparatory to racing there on Monday next. He will, I am given to understand, be taken to Australia at an early date. St. Clements is recovering as well as can be expected from the injury he met with last week, but I am afraid that we shall not see him sport silk until the latter end of the season.

Crinoline, the dam of Sternchaser, was oue of the brood matrons purchased by Mr Morrin from Mr D. O’Brien. She was one of the batch originally sold by Mr Stead to the N.Z. Stud Co., Mr Stead having bought her in England at the same time as he bought Pulchra, dam of Lady Evelyn, St. Clair, etc. Crinoline is by Lord Lyon out of Crinon, by Newminster out of Margery Daw (dam of See Saw). She was, with the exception of En Avant, the dam of Vanguard, the only daughter of the ‘ ‘ triple crown ” winner of 1866 ever imported to New Zealand.

The death is announced in the Chatham Islands of Middleton. who was by Traducer from the Towton mare Lady Florence, and who in Mr W. C. Webb’s colours won the C.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap. Middleton was, soon after he won the race, taken to the Chathams by Mr T. Ritchie, and he sired several nags who in that out-of-the-way spot were able to hold their own in the annual races.

Mr Richard P. Hurren, the originator and compiler of “ Centaur’s Index,” died on the last day of the old year. Says “ Olympus “ Quiet and unassuming, no one has ever thought of paying him the credit undoubtedly his due in connection with the building-up of that world-known institution the Melbourne Cup ; but that ‘ Centaur’s Index’ had its share—and no inconsiderable share either—towards giving publicity to that event in the days when publicity was most wanted is beyond question. When I first became acquainted with Dick Hurren he was foreman at the Herald Jobbing Office, just above the Post Office, in Bourke-street. Hurren and a young fellow named Jones (Albert Jones I think it was) first conceived the idea of bringing out an Index yearly, giving the past performances of the various animals entered in the Great Metropolitan Stakes and Melbourne Cnp, and, alone and unaided, with none too great a store of rule-of-thumb education on either side, and with exceedingly limited means of obtaining information at command, these twain would compile, compose and print ‘ Centaur’s Index’ between them. I tell you they were only a couple of humble typos in their way, and yet in that way they accomplished equally as much as ever James Gordon Bennett did in his. He founded the New York Herald : they established ‘Centaur’s Index.’ He made a fortune for himself and family; they, I dare be sworn, have enabled many a man to land a big coup through studying racing form. Those who knew Dick Hurren will mourn the loss of a genuine friend, whose success in worldly matters was unfortunately not on all fours with his deserts.”

The owner of St. Hippo and The Dancer received a cablegram from Melbourne yesterday apprising him of the safe arrival there of both these horses.

Mr P. Mangan purposes taking his trotting stallion Imperious and his two yearlings to Australia at an early date. I am sorry to hear that the old-time jockey J. Wattie is dangerously ill. The secretary of the Takapuna Jockey Club makes an announcement in our advertising columns with reference to the means of transit to that club’s meeting on Saturday and Monday. The first race on Saturday will start at 1.15 p.m.

J. B. Williamson, after being beaten by Folly at Ngaruawahia, came to arrangements with the owner, and she has since been added to his string.

The cause of Pinfire’s non-acceptance for the Takapuna Cup was his being cast in his box.

Sweetheart and Topsy, in charge of Koss Heaton, have arrived from the Waikato, to fulfil their engagements at the Takapuna Meeting. St. Clair (so says Mazeppa} has been used this season for nearly all the Hon. G. M’Lean’s thoroughbred mares. The first of the Musket horse’s stock have turned out so well as to justify this course being followed. The mares put to him are Lady Emma, Legerdemain, Lady Gertrude, Dione, Mountain Lily, Lady Florence, Indolence, Mistral. Malice was served by St. Clair and Gorton. The other Warrington mare, Lady Evelyn, who had such a bad time of it in foaling to Maxim, is having a rest from maternal responsibilities this season. The Wellington Cup winner is a half sister to Reflector, the winner of the Great Northern Foal Stakes, being by Apremont out of Iris. She was bred by Mr. Stead, who now owns her dam, one of the best-proved Traducer mares left in New Zealand. Mr. Stead raced Retina as a youngster butnot liking herhe weeded heroutand Mr. Martin bought her at public auction. Not long after he had purchased her she won the Birthday Handicap at Dunedin. Since then she has earned a bit of stake money, but has borne the reputation of being somewhat jady. What a nice brood mare Mr. Martin will possess in Retina when she leaves the post for the paddock. That strain of Apremont on Traducer comes out on top, as witness Cynisca, Pygmalion, Cajolery, Whakawatea, &c.

Brockleigh, by Goldsbrough from Ethel, winner of the Welter at the A.J.C. meeting, was a short time back raffled at 10s. a member. He is a splendid-looking colt and a good one. Three times he has been returned a winner, and was only beaten by a head in the other. Day Dream carried 8.3 when she ran unplaced behind Towton, 7.12, in the Ellesmere Welter Handicap of 187 sovs, six furlongs, run on Nov. 28th. There were thirteen starters. Towton’s price was 100 to 12. Towton is a son of Master Kildare.

Miss Letty has been thrown out of training and turned out at Sylvia Park.