Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 137, 9 March 1893, Page 7

Turf Topics.

LBv “ Sir

Launcelot.”]

Answer to correspondent—“ March.’' It is purely a legal question. We cannot advise you. The “J. B. Clark” syndicate started the Autumn campaign in Victoria very well by winning at Maribyrnong (Melbourne), on February 18, the Trial Stakes of sosovs, 5 furlongs, with Vestatia. This is a two-year-old daughter of Chester and the Musket mare Volley ; and on Saturday week she ran second to Omaha in the Oakleigh Purse. She now carried 6.1, and beat a field of seven. The Cocoanut Handicap of 60 sovs, 5| furlongs, fell to a Newmarket Handicap candidate Templestowe, 8 13, who is trained by Walter Hickenbothan, and beat 7 opponents. Templestowe is by Chesterfield (son of The Marquis) out of Ringarooma by Tubal Cain out of dear old Lurline. Missile, with 10.0, was last in a field of four in the Navigator Handicap of 35 sovs, 6 furlongs, which fell to Mr J. Cripps’ three-year-old Blue Stone, who is sired by Precious Stone (brother to Turquoise). Paddy, 7.2, went out with a shade of odds laid on his ability to beat a quartette in the Selling Race of toosovs, 5 furlongs, but though he made strong running to the home turn he was beaten at that point, and finished out of a place behind Traveller, 7.2. The Lurline blood was again in evidence when Maggie, 8.13, beat a field of nine in the Welter Handicap of 75SOVS, one mile, for this mare is by Darebin, son of The Peer and Lurline. July’s daughter Winter, who was purchased as a yearling in Christchurch and taken to Australia, won the I4hds A.U. Handicap of 5 furlongs and 20yds at Mordialloc (Melbourne), on February 16. She had 7.5 up, and beat two others. Odds of 5 to 2 were laid on her. Mr D. O’Brien’s cast-off Whimbrel carried 9.7 in the Metropolitan Stakes at Calcutta, when he defeated Ino and Highborn. The latter put up 10.7, and although the distance was six furlongs the black son of Grandmaster was looked upon as almost a certainty for the event, and backers freely laid 6to 4 on him. The start was one of the worst on record, and Highborn acted as whipper-in until reaching the turn. When the field were fairly in a line for home Trahan moved into fifth place, and his victory was at once proclaimed. The black geldiug, however, got completely shut in against the rails when the critical moment arrived, and Whimbrel, who had always been kept in a good position, won comfortably by half a length from Ino, who was the same distance in advance of Highborn. On this occasion H. Wool, an ex-Melbourite, rode Whimbrel, and it is worthy of note that, owing to illness, he was unable to ride the son of St. Albans and Curlew before. Hero, a Newmarket Handicap candidate, won the Welter Handicap of six furlongs, at Epsom, Melbourne, on the 21st instant. Nine started, Hero, who had 10 12 in the saddle, going out first favourite. He won by a length from Moscow, 8.12. His rider, Ellis, was suspended for a month for disobedience at the post. Miss Albans, another Newmarket Handicap candidate, carried 6.12 to the front in the Epsom Handicap, 5J furlongs.

Mr L. D. Nathan has cabled to his brother that he is coming back with St. Hippo by the s.s. Miowera, which is due here on the 22nd inst. H. Harrson will take The Workman down to Christchurch to-morrow. He seems pretty confident of giving the Challenge Stakes a ‘ ‘ shaking.” The Auckland Racing Club’s committee met on Tuesday and passed the following programmes : — Rangiriri, March 11 : Huntly, March 18 ; Auckland Polo Club’s Sports, March 25 ; Kapinga, March 28 ; South Auckland R.C., Apr 1 8 ; Gisborne Park Steeplechase Club, July 14. Horse races in connection with the sports programme at Te Kapara on March 17 were also approved of. Out of 137 subscribers to the Egmont Sires’ Hack Produce Stakes of 1895, 108 were left in on the first acceptance the other day. Fratemite has been scratched for all engagements at the Wanganui Meeting. An advertisement in another column announces that Messrs D. Tonks and Co. will sell by auction to-morrow at noon the privileges of the Papakura Meeting on the 17th inst. Mr J. Hooker, of New Plymouth, announces by advertisement in this issue that he has for sale the well-known hurdler Tattler. This horse has shown good form this season by winning the Hurdles at the Egmont Racing Club’s Meeting, and a similar event at the Taranaki Jockey Club’s Meeting. Intending purchasers can communicate with Mr Hooker, at New Plymouth, or care of Box 159, P. 0., Auckland. lu another column will be found fnll details of the running on the first and second days of the Victoria Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting. New Zealand had no reason to be ashamed of the part she played in the struggle, for Culloden won the Leger; Sternch-. ser and Culloden were second and third respectively in the Australian Cup ; and Moth won the Junior Handicap. These th. ee were bred in this colony, and Mr Morrin is no w fortunate enough to have at Wellington Park Crinoline, the dam of Sternchaser, and Ouida, the dam of Moth. The programme of the Kapinga Jockey Club’s races at Otorohanga, on the 28th inst., is advertised in this issue. There are 7 races, with a total of lin added money. Nominations for the Hurdles and Papango Handicap close on the 23rd inst. An advertisement in another column over the signature of the secretary of Auckland Tattersail’s Club, notifies that the license granted by the club to Thomas Yates was cancelled by the club on September 5, 1892, and that the said Thomas Yates is no longer a member of the Auckland Tattersall's Club. I believe there is a strong probability of the South Auckland Racing Club altering the nomination day for their Autumn Meeting on account of the 17th of March being a holiday and the Papakura races falling on that day. The Christchurch Polo Club’s sports were held on Saturday in fine weather. Private telegrams received here state that the Bending and Ball competition was .won by MrR. Heaton Rhodes; the Cup by Mr Buckley’s Damsel; the Cigar and Umbrella Race by Mr G. Palmer on Woodford ; and the Hurdles by Mr Buckley’s Don Jose. Mr F. N. Robinson won the Tandem Team race.

Just as we were going to press I received from Napier the catalogue of the blood stock belonging to Mr Wm. Douglas that is to be offered at auction on Tuesday week, the 21st inst. I shall deal with the forty-four lots catalogued at greater length next week. Mr F. Reynolds, the Tocal studmaster, returned to Sydney on Saturday. I saw him off at the boat, and he expressed himself delighted with all he had seen in and around Auckland, and especially with the Wellington Park Stud. Mr T. Gurney, a well known Victorian allround sport, boniface, and proprietor of the Flemington Bridge Running Grounds, has been sojourning in Auckland for the past fortnight. A good sporting “crack” with him has been enjoyed by many who are fond of the game. I have received a neatly-printed card containing the programme of the Auckland Polo Club’s sports to be held at Potter’s Paddock on the 25th inst. There are nine races to be got off. Nominations close on the 22nd inst., with the hon. sec., Mr E. D. O’Rorke, care of Mr W. Blomfield, Durham St. East, Auckland. Our Dunedin correspondent in his report of the D.J.C. Autumn Meeting, fully explained how Thame was heavily handicapped through an accident to a stirrup iron during the finish for the Dunedin Cup. In this connection the Dunedin scribe “ Mazeppa” says :—“The result was not a true index of form. The one that should have got home was Thame. This mare had the cruellest of luck. Half a mile from home she had taken the measure of the cracks, and was waiting an opportunity to drop down on and dispose of Tempest when the bar of the 21b saddle that was being used broke on the near side, and the stirrup came right away. The lad reached forward and caught hold of the breastplate to save himself from being unhorsed by the jerk, and when he recovered his seat he had to ride home at a great disadvantage. Even then he thought he could win, the mare was going so strongly, but Tempest kept going longer than he expected, and that is how the race was lost. Wood is too old a sportsman to manifest much chagrin at the result, and the Hon. Mr Ormond is not the man to sing out very loudly, but it is an open secret that they were pretty confident of success, Thame having shown a rattling gallop before leaving her home, and maintained her condition in the interval.” I mentioned last week that T. Hodson, the jockey, intended going to Sydney. He left on Saturday last, and informed me just before his departure that he had received an engagement with the big Sydney racing man and breeder Mr S. Hordern. “ Tommy” seems to have dropped in for a good thing. Cruchfield’s racing days are at an end. He has been sent up to one of his owner's stations to be turned out. It is a pity the son of Cadogan could not be patched up to win a race for his breeder and owner who will now figure in our race cards as Sir G. H. Clifford, Bart. Jg

Mr J. R. Scott, who was the promoter and manager of the Maori Football team that went to England a few years back, has now settled down in Auckland, and, having been elected a member of Tattersall’s Club, announces that he maybe consulted on all forthcoming events. Messrs. Alison Bros, announce by advertisement that the well-known horses, Warrior, His Worship and Octopus are for sale or lease. These horses have before now paid their way on our suburban courses, and should prove a paying “spec” to anyone. Mr Smart, of Wellington, advertises in this issue that he has for sale the well-known trotters Dakota, Countess 11. and Bob. Dakota holds the two mile trotting record for New Zealand. “ Castor,” of the Canterbury Times, who visited the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting, inspected Skirmisher while he was in the Southern capital. He says that “ the Welcome Stakes winner is growing very fast, but the muscle on his quarters is more defined than I ever remember on a horse of his age. The son of Vanguard is in gentle work, and although he is stated to be an unlikely starter at the Autumn Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, there is a possibility that he may fulfil his engagement in the Challenge Stakes. The Hon. G. McLean’s yearlings were sold in Dunedin on the day preceding the last day of the D.J.C. Autumn Meeting. The brown colt by Rubezahl—Lady Emma (brother to Dilemma) WuS passed in at 2Osgs, but after that the other yearlings were quitted as under:—B gby St. Clair —Mountain Lily, Mr R. McMaster, Oamaru, iicgs; ch cby Gorton—Malice, Mr H. Goodman, Dunedin, 52gs; ch fby Gorton —Indolence, Mr S. Brown, Ashburton, 25gs ; br fby Rubezahl — Lady Evelyn, Hon. J. D. Ormond, H. 8., 4Ogs; ch c by Gorton— Lass of the Hills, Mr G. Smith, 3igs. The yearling sister to Blizzard, by Gorton —Lady Gertrude, was passed in at 43gs. Of Strowan’s performances at the D.J.C. Autumn Meeting, “ Castor ” says :—:Strowan was suffering from a cold, but it is questionable if Mr Stead’s colt were not a great deal fitter than Outpost who,among other aliments, had been suffering from his teeth for about six weeks previous to the meeting. Strowan could hardly, under any circumstances. have been expeeted to win the Railway Plate, but the finish between him and Outpost for the Marshall Memorial Stakes was the most interesting struggle of the meeting. Strowan was first away, but as he nearly choked at the top turn, Buddicombe was obliged to steady him, and Outpost led into the straight. Here it was expected that Mr Stephenson’s colt would tire, but he struggled on under the whip in the gamest manner possible, and Strowan was all out when he got up, literally on the post, and won by a nose.” The same writer’s remarks about some of the other candidates that competed at the meeting may be useful to my readers in view of the forthcoming C.J.C. Challenge Stakes:— Vogengang, who has still the right to be classed as the best of his age seen out, was not himself, and besides this is evidently not suited to the Forbury course. * * Saracen ran prominently for five furlongs in the Publicans’ Handicap, but had no possible chance of beating Heather Bell, and on the third day, after spoiling his own and four other horses’ prospects for the Hopeful Stakes by his behaviour at the post, struggled on most gamely in the Flying Handicap, and was by no means disgraced by his defeat by Au Revoir.” Mr D. O’Brien has sold Florrie to Mr Allsopp, the Sydney trainer. It is said that the price is Boogs. The ex-Aucklander Jacob Enko was fined £2O the other day in Sydney for a breach of the Betting Houses Suppression Act. Mr Gollan has had the bad luck to lose his filly by Maxim out of Vanguard’s half-sister Escalade. She died the other day. Mr D. O’Brien purchased Viscount after his victory in the Selling Two-year-old Race at Dunedin. This eolt is by the Yattendon horse Sir Garnet, out of lona by St. Albans.

Captive, who has not been a success this season, has been leased by Mr O’Brien for the rest of the season to Stuart Waddell, the Dunedin trainer. The successful horsemen at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting were Leeson and T. Buddicombe, with three wins each ; Clark, Ayres, Marks, Connop and Cochrane, with two each; and Pine, Stewart, Derrett, Holmes, Campbell, W. Buddicombe, Poole, Ayson and Price, one each. At the settling on the meeting the amounts paid to winning owners were:—Mr J. Stephenson 15s, Messrs. M. and C. Hobbs 15s, Mr D. O’Brien 2s, Mr H. Lunn £337 ss, MrP. Butler 4s. MrT. W. Hungerford £282 3s, Mr G. G. Stead Mr S. J. Mercer Z 123 ios, Mr S. Alexander is, Mr J. Poole Z 99 15s, Mr W. Russell ios, Mr P. Kerr £B5 ios, Mr R. Brown 14s, Mr E. Cutts ios, Mr J. Loughlin ios, Mr J. A. Holmes ios, Hon. J. D. Ormond Mr T. Cotton ios, Mr T. Sheenan Mr D. Rutherford Mr W. Phelan Hon. G. McLean Mr S. Brown Mr R. Allan Zl7 2S, Mr W. Allen £9 ios, Mr M. Allan £9 ios, Mr H. Redwood £9 ios, Mr W. K. Hazlett .£4 15s; total us. In addition to this /fbi 2s was paid over to the Queensland Relief Fund as a result of the Q.R.F. Stakes on Cup Day. Messrs. Mason and Roberts, who worked the totalisator, very generously did not charge the club for their services in connection with this race. Freedom is now safely installed in his old quarters at Lonsdale Lodge, Riccarton. The first of the progeny of Maxim got in America was foaled on January 7, in the shape of a filly from Mollie Walton, who is a daughter of Mortemer (sire of Apremont). The Dunedin trainer and cross-country horseman James Cotton has gone back to Sydney, and has dropped into a comfortable job. On the morning of Feb. 16th, when Warpaint was galloping on the tan track at Flemington, he narrowly escaped serious injury. Between the sand track and the bruised bark one, near the eastern entrance gate, a dividing fence is erected, and the son of Wheel of Fortune, getting too far on the outer edge of the rink, just missed going crash into the drain and that obstacle, as it was, the boy on the colt had his boot grazed.