Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 139, 23 March 1893, Page 8

Turf Topics.

[By “ Sir

Launcelot.”]

Three Arab stallions are on the road from India to New Zealand, Mr H. Westmacott, who owned The Dauphin when he won the Canterbury Derby of 1881, being the importer. One will go to the Hawke’s Bay district and the other two to Canterbury. Conjuror has changed hands, the Hon. George McLean having sold him to Mr F. R. White, of Gore, Southland. The little son of Gorton and Legerdemain has run some good races in the “ Zetland spots,” but he has been very unfortunate. Aglaos by Apremont —Aglaia, who was bred at Middle Park, Canterbury, and ran third in Trident’s V.R.C. Derby, is now known as Ginger, and is being raced at some of the up-country meetings in Victoria. Magic Circle, who ran such a good second to The Admiral in the V.R.C. Derby, has permanently broken down, and goes to the stud next season. The exact time of St. Hippo’s scratching for all his engagements at the Victoria Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting was 12.20 p.m. on Feb. 28. The cause of Glenloth’s scratching for his V.R.C. Autumn engagements is stated to be that he was stung by a stingaree while being indulged in swimming exercise. Horse-trainers continue to seek the protection of the Insolvency Court in Melbourne, the latest addition being J. P. Hayes, of Caulfield. His liabilities amount to 14s nd, and his assets to 10s. Victoria-owned horses have been singularly unfortunate in the Ascot Vale Stakes, not a single Victorian having won the race during the past 12 years. This year Projectile, a Sydneyite, was the winner. His stable companion Camoolawon it last year. Dear me I Says the Melbourne Sportsman of the 7th inst. :— ‘ ‘ The rather uncommon sight of owner and trainer lunching together was noted on Saturday at Flemington. They were Mr Nathan, the owner of St. Hippo and G. Wright, the trainer.” Mr Evett is also due to-morrow with his adjustment for the Thompson Handicap, the popular mile race to be run on the first day of the Wellington Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting. No less than 74 English mares have been nominated for the rich American Futurity Stakes and Matron Stakes of 1895, the English owners including Colonel North, Mr Sneyd, Mr Marcus Daly, Colonel Brocklehurst, Mr Botterill, and Mrs Chaloner. The total nominations for each race exceed 700. For the Liverpool Grand National Cloister is top weight at 12.7. Dex, a former winner, has 12.5, Why Not 11.12, and last year’s winner, Father O’Flynn, 11.11. The Irish horses engaged are not so numerous this year, as they only number a dozen. Nancy Hanks heads the list of winning trotters in America for 1892 with a resord of 33,000 dols., while Nightingale (2min I3|sec) is second with 15, 55° dols., and Minta Wilkes (2min I4|sec) is third with 11,925 dols. Some of the crowd at Flemington on the Champion day did not relish Camoola’s victory in the big weight-for-age race. “Olympus,” of the Melbourne Punch, says : - “ There were slight symptoms of disapproval exhibited by a few empty-headed individuals on Camoola returning to scale, but these could be set down to annoyance their loudly-expressed opinions that Camoola was ‘ a duffer, ’ and so forth, after his defeat in the St. Leger, being proved to be but emanations from one ideal people after all. To the observant spectator Camoola’s victory in the Champion Stakes would come as no surprise. He ran disgracefully without a doubt in the Leger; but then the ground was very, very heavy, and when it is that way Camoola cannot act—no more than Portsea can. In the Australian Cup, however, where he was carrying 8.6 or 61b more than his weight for age —whereas Portsea had 41b under the authodox 9.0, Camoola ran a thundering good colt, finishing fourth, a length off Culloden. Now the going was none too dry on that occasion ; but on Thursday it was like adamant, and small cause for comment was it, therefore, that Camoola when meeting Portsea on i2lb better terms should turn the tables on him. Mind you, I don’t think Camoola is any wonder, nor do I fancy that he would battle out a contest the same as Stemchaser and Portsea did up the straight in the finish for the Australian Cup. But ridden as he was by Huxley in the Champion Stakes he would be a terribly hard nut for the best of them to crack.” In the Doncaster Handicap of iooosovs, one mile, to be run on the Ist day of the Australian Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting, Marvel and Bungebah are placed on top with 10.0 each. St. Hippo was given 9.7, Camoola had 9.7, Sternchaser 9.3, Autonomy 9.3, Culloden 8.1 1, Florrie 8.4, Steadfast 7.12, The Dancer 7.8, Warpaint 7.8, Sprig o’ Myrtle 7.4, The Harbour Light 7.2, and Cannon (by Nordenfeldt—Sister Agnes) 6.9 The Trotting Union of Great Britain and Ireland is a new institution for the purpose of controlling the sport of trotting in the United Kingdom. The London Sportsman says that the first meeting of delegates took place at Crewe, when there was a representative attendance. The first track license issued was that for the Alexandra Park, London, and others were signed for the tracks at Liverpool, Manchester, Morley, Dublin. Glasgow, and Edinburgh. It was decided that in handicaps horses should be registered fourteen days before a race. A suggestion made by one of the Irish members was that in the case of horses which had won a race and record, if there was any doubt about their pedigree, their owners shall be required before receiving the prize to swear to an affidavit before a commissioner as to his knowledge of the horse. This was embodied in a motion and carried unanimously. *** F. G. Whiting is betting on the Great Autumn and Easter Handicaps, Challenge Stakes and Auckland Autumn Meeting.

Mr. J. B. Williamson has purchased Gay Deceiver, by Woolbroker—The Jilt (dam of Eve), from Mr W. Elliott, of U aitara. and will use him as a stud horse next season. Mr. Williamson has sold Howitzer, the son of Musket and Titania, to Mr. Elliott. King Cannibal, who was recently sold to go to Gisborne, was shipped to his new home yesterday. The privileges of the Auckland Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting will be submitted to auction tomorrow. Those for the South Auckland Racing Club’s Autumn gathering ■will be submitted at Hamilton on Saturday. For full particulars see advertisements in another column. The three-year-old Sir Roland, who, though a maiden so far, has shown a bit of promise, will be submitted to auction by Messrs Buckland and Sons at the Haymarket to-morrow, as per advertisement in another column. Answers to Correspondents.—R.W.B. (Cambridge).—Your questions will be answered next week. J.L.— H. wins. T. Cannon rode Ormonde in the Hardwicke Stakes of 1887. Osborne was on Minting (second) and Watts on Bendigo (third). The Ohinemuri Races were held last Friday, when Deceiver won the Hurdles ; St. Mary the Maiden ; Folly the Cup, with The Laird second and Try Fluke third; Ramrod the Tetford Stakes ; Minnie the Miners’ Handicap; Ringtail the Maori Hack Race ; Folly the Publicans’ Purse and Ingorina the Forced Handicap. Further particulars in next issue. *** D. McLeod is betting on the Challenge Stakes, Great Autumn and Easter and Auckland Autumn Meeting. Mellifera, who was one of the competitors at the Ohinemuri races, died a day or two afterwards, and so did Hinemoa, the property of Mr N. Dickey. * * Messrs. Macdonald & Bates, the local vendors of Speight’s famous Dunedin bottled ale, have a business announcement ia this issue. Mr W. Douglas’ sale at Te Mahenga, Hawke’s Bay, on Tuesday was not a great success. Full particulars of the lots quitted are supplied by our Napier correspondent. Cooya, the Brunswick Stakes winner, failed to carry 8.4 into a place in the Free Handicap, one mile and a quarter, run on the third day of the V.R.C. Autumn Meeting, and which was won by Newman, 7.10. At the yearling sales held during the progress of the V.R.C. Autumn, T. Sanders, the jockey, gave 45gns. for a colt by Dunlop (winner of the Melbourne Cup) out of Result, the half-sister to Maxim and Wapiti. A half brother to Commotion, by Lord Wilton out of Evening Star only fetched 55gns., being bought by Mr. S. Miller. A yearling filly by St. George (brother to Chester) from Sommeil’s sister, Sierra, went to Mr. R. Manning for 105 gns. Sierra was carrying this youngster when Mr. D. S. Wallace’s commissioner purchased her at the break-up of the Middlepark (Christchurch) stud. The Dunedin Coursing Club have issued their programme for next season. The opening meeting is to be held on May 3,4, and 5, and includes the May Cup for all aged dogs at £3, the Derby for dog puppies at £2, and the Oaks for bitch puppies at £2. The next meeting is fixed for June 7,8, and 9, and the events are the Forbury Cup for all-aged dogs at £3 10s., and the St. Leger for puppies of both sexes at £2. Then comes the Cup meeting on July 5,6, and 7, comprising the Waterloo Cup for all-aged dogs at £6, and the Bracelet Stakes, for allaged dogs that have never received £4 10s. or over in one stake. The final fixture is the Champion Meeting on August 9, jo and 11, of three events —viz., the Champion Stakes, for all-aged dogs at £4 ; the Maiden Stakes, for all-aged dogs that have never received .£2 10s or over in one stake ; and the Sapling Stakes, for saplings, at £2. Mr T. Kett is the judge, and the gathering will be held as usual under the management of the Dunedin Jockey Club. The Australasian devotes a leading article to the famous case of McKinnon v. the Wellington Racing Club, and in the course of it, says : —“ It seems strange that a leading club like that at Wellington should have fallen into such an error, and then have persisted in the mistake after it had become clear that the original nominators objected to the late entries being received. In days gone by, when the rule was not as plain as it is now, troubles over late nominations were constantly arising. But now there can be no misunderstanding, and no circumstances, however exceptional, can make an entry formal which has not been received before the hour of closing. In the Wellington case it might have been supposed that Mr M’Kinnon and those acting with him would have waived their rights, and allowed the unlucky men whose letters had gone astray to come in. Whether the necessary sanction to obtain the right to run was asked on behalf of these owners is not stated, but even if the M’Kinnon party refused their permission they cannot be blamed. In declining to cede the point they would only have been acting in accordance with the rules under which they made their contract with the club, and as long as a sport is carried out under rules those interested are fully justified in insisting that such rules shall be strictly applied. And the more rigidly the laws governing racing are adhered to the better, both for the clubs and for owners. Once sentiment is allowed to creep into racing concerns, the authorities who have to interpret the rules become involved in trouble, and it is far better that everyone concerned should understand that in all cases the laws under which the game is played will be strictly observed, and no allowance made for exceptional circumstances.” The most successful jockeys at the V.R.C. meeting were E. Huxley and James Hayes with four wins each, whilst P. M’Gowan comes next with half that number of victories. When he won the A’ 1 .-Aged Stakes at the V.R.C. Meeting Bungebah fairly cantered over the last six furlongs in that race in Imin ISlsec, and the concluding five furlongs were left behind in the good time of Imin 2|sec.

The weights for the Auckland Easter Handicap and Steeplechase are due to-day. A full brother to Boulanger died the other day in Sydney. This was Poor Dan, who is described in a Sydney contemporary as one of the best galloways ever saddled in that city. Poor Dan had about the best record for sterling performances, under weight, ever made in New South Wales. One of the best was carrying 10-2 to victory, over furlongs, in 58 sec - He won 23 races, many of them under heavy burdens, and he was a strictly game animal. Poor Dan was bred by Mr De Mestre at Terrara, and was by Grand Prix—Fleurette, being foaled in 1884. His dam was afterwards sent to Auckland, her next foal being Boulanger. The protest against Stockboy in the Scurry Handicap at Manawatu has been sustained, and the stake awarded to the second horse, Hippodamia, the stewards being satisfied that the socalled Stockboy is Badger, who won at Auckland, Oeo, and other places, and has already been disqualified. Action regarding Lyons (the owner) and Lee (the trainer of Stockboy) has been deferred, pending the result of the action which Lyons intends bringing against the resident of Opunake from whom it is alleged he bought the horse. Nearly all the prominent Melbourne and Sydney fielders profited by Fortunatus’ victory in the Newmarket. Buccleugh, Prime Minister, Bungebah, Beverley, Wild Rose, Warpaint, Gaillardia, All There, Malolo, and Hero each carried very large amounts of money. And one of the ring assured th* 1 Sportsman that no fewer than 29 horses were each well backed by both the stables and the public. In these circumstances it goes without saying that despite the fact that the Fortunatus party won a fair stake over their horse, the result of the Newmarket Handicap was all in favour of the ring men. Mr. G. H. Carter, the secretary of the South Auckland Racing Club informs me that the date of acceptances for the South Auckland Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting will be Saturday, April Ist, instead of Friday as originally notified, as Friday is Good Friday. The information arrived too late for insertion in our “Owners, Note” column. I have received from Mr. A. D. Willis, of Wanganui, a splendidly executed lithograph of Carbine, taken trom a capital painting by Mr. G. F. Fodor, who was for some time resident in Canterbury, but is now located in Melbourne. To all admirers of “ Old Jack ” I would say—secure one of these lithos. They are cheap enough at 3s. each, or 3s 6d posted. To the surprise of many Aucklands, George Wright was to be seen in Queen Street yesterday. It was generally understood that he had remained irf Sydney with The Dancer in charge, but such was not the case. I only had a few minutes conversation with him, in the course of which he informed me that he had left the roan son of Sword Dance with J. Moore at Randwick. He brought with him St. Hippo, the brood mare Jadestone, and the two yearlings Mr. Nathan purchased at the St. Albans sale (as mentioned in the leader columns of this issue) as well as a filly by Trenton out of Sister to Lord Grenville, by Chandos— Lady Chester (dam of Chester, St. George, etc.) Mr. Nathan also came by the same boat as well as J. Gallagher, the jockey. I hear from some people who saw St. Hippo landed that he walked along full of life. In addition to Mr. Nathan’s yearling purchases in Melbourne, the Hon. J. D. Ormond bought a yearling filly by Malua out of Norna (dam of Darriwell) and a yearling sister to Malolo, by Malua—Timidity. In the former he gave 105 gns., and for the latter 110 gns. On behalf of Mr. Stead, Mr. Penfold, late secretary of the C.J.C., secured a colt by Newminster out of Martini Henri’s sister, Forest Queen, for 150 gns. During the V.R.C. Autumn week, our local sportsman, Mr. M. S. Laurie purchased a yearling filly by Malua out of Wanda, by King oi the Ring out of Norna (dam of Darriwell), and she was landed here yesterday. A large and fashionable attendance witnessed the first of the polo matches for the Savile Cup competition, held at Potter’s Paddock yesterday afternoon. Owing to our going to press last night we can only give bare results :—Auckland No. 1 Team v. Christchurch Polo Club.—Christchurch (A. E. G. Rhodes, R. H. Rhodes, W. F. M. Buckley and J. Palmer) beat Auckland No. 1 (A E. C. Purchas, Capt. Hunter Blair, E. D. O’Rorke and R. Lockhart) after a well contested game by 3 goals to I. Buckley scored all 3 goals. Purchas was the only scorer for Auckland. Rangitikei v. Warrengate.—Rangitikei (Barker, Riddiford, Wilson and Keiller) beat Warrengate (Harrison, Chapman, McDonald and Cameron). After a desperate struggle Rhngitikei won by 3 goals to 2. The goals for the winners were scored by Barker, Riddiford and Wilson. To-day Auckland No. 2 meet Poverty Bay. Play will commence at 3 p.m. The customary polo sports will be held at Potter’s Paddock on Saturday afternoon. A liberal programme has been provided, as will be seen by the advertisement in another column, and if the weather should keep as fine as it is at present there is sure to be a large gathering at the scene of action.