Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 144, 27 April 1893, Page 7

Turf Topics.

[By

“ SIR LAUNCELOT."]

News comes from Sydney that Victor Hugo, by Chester —Kathleen, has been purchased by Mr Charles Kerr, of Orange, for soogs. Victor Hugo has had some ups and downs since he first saw the light in the late Hon. James White’s Kirkham paddocks. As a two-year-old he won the V.A.T.C. Great Foal Stakes in the colours of Mr White, who soon afterwards sold him to Mr E. G. Brodribb for looogs ; but he only won one small stake for that gentleman, and after failing in a selling race at Randwick Mr Brodribb got rid of him at one-fifth his original cost to Mr W. Kelso, to whom he proved a real good servant.

An Indian paper says that it is probable that Highborn will be sent from there to England next season.

Two horses belonging to the Australian sportsman Mr G. C. Wilson, who won the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase with Father O’Flynn, were successful at the Leicester March Meeting, Skedaddle winning the Wigston Steeplechase and Fontaineblau the Humberstone Hurdle Race Plate. Mr G. C. Wilson is a son of Sir Samuel Wilson (the Australian millionaire who has for some time past rented the late Lord Beaconsfield’s mansion at Hughenden), and cousin of Mr Norman Wilson and Mr Arthur Wilson, both thorough hunting enthusiasts in Victoria. The weight carried by the New Zealand-bred filly Day Dream when she won the Hylton Handicap of SOOSOVS, 5 furlongs, at Liverpool, was 6.11. The top weight among the acceptors was King of Diamonds, 9.1.

Alluding to Carbine’s pedigree in the course of an article on breeding, the “ Special Commissioner” of the Sportsman says:—“Carbine is bred in a manner that would certainly find favour with me, the double cross of Brown Bess by Camel being especially noticeable, while the tap root of Martha Lynn (dam of Voltigeur) would naturally hit with the Blacklock (through Brutandorf, sire of Brown Bess’s dam). Again, look at the amount of Camel blood through Touchstone and Brown Bess. It is a further proof, if proof were wanted, of the value of Brown Bess blood.”

Mr D. McKinnon has named his two-year-old colt by Flintlock—Magnesia Resurrection. The reason of this name is that the youngster was for some time in slings, and his life was despaired of, but he was saved from death and is now in good health.

Bnngebah pulled a shoe off while gallopping, and had to be scratched for all engagements at the A.J.C. Autumn Meeting.

“Now that all the meetings of the Australian racing season at which the cracks are likely to contend are over ” (says “Terlinga” in the Aus“I think there canbelittle question that the best horse of the season has been The Admiral, who wound up an honourable, if not phenomenally successful, five-year-old career by beating the Champion winner, Camoola. in the three-mile race at Randwick last Saturday. * *- * I think that by carrying 9.9 and running second for the big prize in Sydney, The Admiral is fairly entitled to the handicap honours of the season, and his record at weight-for-age is, at all events, equal to that of any other performer during this season. How he would have fared had Strathmore, Zalinski, and Stmmboli lived to fight through their four-year-old career is another matter, but taking the season’s form, no horse can be picked out as having gone through the season with as much credit as the son of Richmond and Footstep. His rare quality has been consistency. No matter what state the ground is in, he has run creditably in all his races except the Australian Cup. His defeat in the Champion Race—although he missed place honours —was, after all, a narrow one, which might have been turned into victory had different tactics been adopted in riding him. The Admiral made his debut as an early two-year-old, and won a race prior to annexing the Maribyrnong Plate. He was not strung up again until May, when Hales rode him for the first time, and won the Royal Stakes. Then he was in retirement at Sandringham until October, when he won the Caulfield Stakes. His next success was in the Derby, and after running fourth in the Melbourne Cup he was put out of the Canterbury Plate through Hales’s saddle breaking. The Leger he lost by half a head to Gibraltar after it had looked odds on his winning. All through this time his teeth were a trouble to him, and Mr Cook did not run him again until this season. His victories this season have been gained in three weight-for-age races, but he has only been three times out of a place, and I think most racing men will agree that the Fulham-bred horse has been the best Australian performer seen under silk this season. I say Australian because I am not prepared to rank his performances as better than those of St. Hippo in New Zealand.”

Maid of Munster, who trotted so well years ago in Canterbury, but was then taken to Australia, “ rung in ” and disqualified there, has turned up again. She appeared at the New South Wales Agricultural Show in Easter week, and was voted the best trotting mare present.

During his visit to the A.J.C. Autumn Meeting “Terlinga” looked over some of the stables near Sydney. That presided over by our old friend Monaghan was one of them, and writing of his visit thereto, the Australasian’s scribe says :— “ Just now the veteran trainer has not got such a handy team under his care as he would desire. Marvel we saw, but Monaghan does not expect to have him much longer. The sensational black has already lingered on the stage too long, and now he will go to the stud with a reputation considerably tarnished since the days of his defeat of Carbine at weight for age, or his Doncaster Handicap victory. He has become very sore, and before the last meeting Monaghan had to resort to swimming him. When I saw him his destination had not been decided upon, but on that day Marvellous died, and possibly the best of the Blarney horse’s sons may now get a chance at Hobartville. In his box Marvel is not a commanding horse, but he is full of quality, and his length from hip to hock and thickness in the quarters and thighs are very noticeable points. He was a most brilliant horse, and one that should have gone to the stud with one of the big Cups to his credit. Another celebrity at Monaghan’s is Mrs H. C. White’s Paris. This lengthy little bay has secured his fair share of the good things of the turf, and although not supposed to be at his best last week, he still ran creditably under big weights. Now there is a talk of his going to India, but so far I doubt if his lady owner has evinced any desire to part with the Caulfield Cup winner.” The next stable visited was T. Payten’s, and “Terlinga” says: — “The appearance of Camoola recalled to memory a remark of the late Mr N. R. D. Bond made concerning King of the Ring prior to a race at the end of a V.R.C. Spring Meeting. •“ He seemed to have a ‘ please-don’ t-race-me-to-day look about him,’” said Mr Bond, and Camoola, as he emerged from his box on the day after the Cumberland Stakes, hung his head and walked along the passage in a listless, tired-out sort of way, which seemed to argue that he would be all the better for a spell. His sides bore evidence of a recent severe gruelling, and this he received in the Sydney Cup. A glance at his heels is sufficient to convince anyone that the stories of his cutting himself when galloping in soft going are not exaggerations. He also suffers from a seedy toe. Camoola is no beauty, bnt his long greyhouud-like-quarters and spareness in front combine to assist in making him the great gallopper he undoubtedly is Autonomy, with his off foreleg filled to twice its normal size, walked quite sound, and Pay ten assured us he has never been lame, but I fancy the colt is not expected to race again. The fillies, Madras, Ruskinite, Vestatia, and Angola, belong to Mrs White. They have all earned brackets through the season. Currawang, by Trenton from Nellie, has so far been a costly failure, as he cost 1,100 guineas and has won nothing. Barring that his hocks are away from him there is still no cause to find fault with his looks, but he has not run up to form. Projectile ran off as the late meeting progressed. He began with a good but unlucky race, and then began to go off. His joints look very doubtful, and T. Payten will spend many an anxious moment before he gets him to the post for the Derby. There are two other good-looking colts in the team. Pulvil, by Chester from Perfume, is beautifully bred and remarkably good-looking. He did not come on as a two-year-old, and beyond one unsuccessful appearance, he has not run. During the winter it may be as well to keep an eye on the training notes for news of Pulvil, who still looks backward. Cambooya, by Trenton from Ennui, is a good-looking colt who has not done well, a throat affection having interfered with him, and from what I heard he is a decided whistler. An idea of the whole-hearted way in which Mr J. B. Clark follows the sport may be gathered from the prices paid for some of these colts, which have yet to get back the first of their purchase money. Pulvil cost Boogs, Currawang 11 oogs, and Cambooya boogs. On the other hand, Projectile has more than repaid the Boogs he cost.”

The report submitted at the annual meeting of the members of Sydney Tattersall’s Club, held on the sth inst., showed that the club had made a profit of ;£isoo during the past year. Mr J. B. Oliffe was re-elected chairman and Mr George Hill treasurer.

The Hon. H. C. Dangar has imported to New South Wales from England the thoroughbred mare Bangle, by Barcaldine fcom Chatelaine, by Bend Or from Chanionesse (sister to Hermit), by Newminster from Seclusion, by ladmor. She is a bay, foaled iu 1889, and arrived in Sydney at the beginning of April.

On the same day that The Admiral won the Australian Jockey Club’s Plate at Randwick his brother, Port Admiral, won the Pile Handicap, of 100 sovs, 6 furlongs, at the South Australian Tattersall’s Club’s meeting, beating a field of eleven.

Colonel North’s (the Nitrate King) horses have arrived safely at New York. The string consists of Iddesleigh, Rough-and-Ready, High Commissioner, Simonian, Artura, Sir Frederick Roberts, Landslip, and Eltham Queen. Two brood mares —Early Morn and Ben Machree —were brought over to foal in America and be bred to American stallions, either Rayon d’ Or or Iroquois in all probability, as their yet unfoaled progeny is already nominated in the Futurity Stake of 1895. Harry Hull, who trains some of Mr Hungerford’s horses on the West Coast of the South Island, was recently assaulted by a number of racecourse frequenters there. Legal proceedings were taken, and one of the defendants was fined £2, in addition to costs amounting to Mr J. Stephenson, the owner of Tempest, is reported to have purchased the yearling colt by Australian Peer out of Tempest’s dam Tornado that was knocked down at the Sydney yearling sales to J. Monaghan, the trainer, at the small price of 45gs. The principal winning two-year-olds in England during the season that concluded on 31st December were; —Milford, by Saraband, £7BlB ; Perigord, by St. Simon, 2 6 559 »’ Tandaragee, by Morgan, /5417; Tibbie Shiels, by Castlereagh, ; Isinglass, by Isonomy, 5 Minting Queen, by Minting, Meddler, by St. Gatien, ; Queen of Navarre, by Galliard, /3313 ; Silene, by St. Simon, /3300; The Prize, by Bend Or, Ravensbury, by Isonomy, ; Buckingham, by Galopin, 2 2 553 5 ferno, by Robert the Devil, The winning three-year-olds were of course headed by La Fleche, who won and then came Orme, X" 13,023 ; Sir Hugo, 2 6 9 66 1 Dunure, ; Bonavista, Watercress, and Curio, Of the five-year-olds and upwards Miss Dollar, by Elzevir, won most, /5 28 5.5 Hermit’s son Rusticus coming next with/4205j

It has been decided to form a ploughed track over a chain wide inside the present tan gallop at Riccarton, on which schooling fences will be set up similar to those which have to be negotiated on the steeplechase course. This is in view of the C.J.C.’s approaching Grand National Steeplechase Meeting. One of the fences on the course is to be altered, viz.; the big sod wall near the top turn. It has often been represented that the fence was on an angle, so that horses had to be pulled out to get a straight run at it. To obviate this, it has been decided to demolish the present bank and another will be built about 300 yards from the double. The three-year-old Candour, who was thought to have a show in the last V.R.C. Derby,- ran unplaced in the City and Suburban Handicap at Adelaide Tattersall’s Meeting on the Bth inst.

Considerable doubt seems to be entertained in England as to whether Ormonde will ever justify the paid for him by his Californian owner. It appears that he served an enormous number of mares in the Argentine, doing stud duty at all seasons of the year, and the drain upon his system may seriously impair his capacity in the future. A gentleman residing at Buenos Ayres writes : —‘ lam pleased Ormonde has left here, as he has been most badly treated, serving an unlimited number of mares. The worst part of it is that he was made to serve many mares which were not in season when they came to be put to him. But, all the same, they had come to Ormonde and must be served. Hence the mares would take the horse all the year round and not be in foal. It is a positive fact that during the time Ormonde was at the Chico Stud he was used even worse than any country stallion ever was in England. If he should be a failure in the old country for his first season after return, you will know what will be the explanation of the failure.”

The two-year-olds that gained over in stakes during the past racing year in Englaod are exactly equal in number to those in the 1891 list, but the three-year-old list shows an increase of two. Singularly enough the four-year-olds and the five-year-olds and upwards have precisely the same number as in 1891. The list of winning jockeys for the English racing season that has just closed is, as in 1891, headed by Mornington Cannon, but with an increased lead, for whereas a year ago he only beat George Barrett by four wins —137 as compared with 133 —his record for 1892 is 182 wins as against 154. It is singular, however, that nearly all Cannon’s successes have been gained in unimportant races, while Barrett, on the other hand, has had a large series of wins in great events. Watts, with 106 winning mounts, comes third, and in fact his average of wins according to the mounts he had is far better than either Cannon or Barrett, but his weight debars him from going to scale so often as they do. A match over 6 furlongs for between Emperor and Lady Mab, each with 7.9 up—the outcome of a dispute at the Timaru meeting concerning the capabilities of the two horses—took place on the Dunedin Jockey Club’s racecourse at Forbury Park on Tuesday week, the 18th inst. Emperor had a slight call in the betting, odds of sto 4 being laid on him. Emperor let the mare get off with the lead, but he soon collared her, and going on full of running won by a length as he liked.

Mr T. Morrin informs me that the yearling filly by Goldsbrough—Mingera, that he has purchased off Mr F. Reynolds (as I announced in these columns last week) will arrive here from Sydney on May 2. Mr Morrin has given her the name of Lady Cureton— a family name of his own.

Mr Boulton, the proprietor of the Grosvenor Hotel, Sydney, has a business announcement in the Sporting Review this week, giving particulars of the tariff charged at his hostelry, the accommodation provided, etc. Those Aucklanders who have recently been on a visit to Sydney, are loud in their praises of the high-class accomodation provided at the Grosvenor, which is situated in one of the most healthy portions of Sydney.

News comes from India that the ex-Aucklander Stepper, recently distinguished himself in an Amateur Steeplechase Meeting in the land of the Rajah. I have received a special copy of the new series of the New Zealand Mail. This Wellington contemporary of ours has been greatly enlarged and improved, and sporting matters receive special attention from the careful pen of “ Vigilant.” A very good likeness of T. Hodson, together with portraits of Mr. S. Hordern, owner of Realm, and his trainer, Mr. F. W. Day, appear in the Sydney Town and Country Journal of the 15th inst. %*D. McLeod, New Zealand Cup straight-out. Describing a visit to Mr Arthur Yates’s establishment at Swinton some three weeks before the Liverpool Grand National, the special commissioner of the London Sportsman wrote as follows concerning the ultimate winner, Cloister: —“ And now we come to Cloister, who, after all, would carry my money were I given to betting. The son of Ascetic is indeed in grand form, and will be able, I fully believe, to make the best effort of his life when the time comes. With limbs as clean as in his yearling days, Cloister at once strikes the eye as a thoroughly sound high-class chaser. No grander forehand could be imagined, and though he runs up rather short of back ribs, and light of loin, his great wide hips, to a certain extent, make the latter formation more apparent than real. ‘ That is his weak point,’ said Mr Yates, ‘ but I have seen enough in my time not to pay strict attention as to how they are made. Can they go ? —that is the main question.’ Well, Cloister has many times answered that question in the affirmative, so far as he is concerned, and so well is he now that although 12.7 seems an impossible weight, I most confidently expect to see him in the first three when the terribly trying four miles and a half is finished. There is some time before the day, but I should think Cloister will strip more muscular this time than he did last year, when he was, if anything, rather light.” I fancy a good many of my readers will have had a passing acquaintance with the person referred to in the following paragraph, for he visited New Zealand a few years ago, but did not stay long. The paragraph is from the Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney Referee, and says :— “Frederick Ogle, alias Lamerse, who has been arrested by the Melbourne police on a charge of fraud in Sydney, is well known on racecourses. He is a great swell in his way, a pair of long, light red moustachois, and a soldierly and gentlemanly bearing being striking features about him. He is, I believe, well connected. When he first reached Australia his style ‘ knocked ’ the toffs, and he was elected a member of a fashionable club right away. He has for some years been making a small book ‘ outside ’ at the various metropolitan race gatherings. He is pretty well known to Tasmanian and Sydney race-goers.”

Three of Mr “J. B Clarke’s” two-year-olds, Ruskinite, Madras, and Vestatia, have been turned out for a spell in the Kirkham paddocks. Mr John Marshall’s old favourite Pearl Shell’ who won the A.J.C. and V.R.C. Oaks for him> is now an inmate of the Havilah (N.S.W.) stud’ owned by Mr H. C. White. A contributor o f the Sydney Referee recently looked over this stud (the lord of the harem at which is Cranbrook, who won the Newmarket Handicap of 1886) and he says: — “To my mind one of the very best mares in the Havilah paddocks is the Maorilander Pearl Shell, who is as pretty as a picture and has a beautiful filly foal at foot to Cranbrook, which is an ideal youngster both as to pedigree and looks.”

Frank Macmanemin has again taken in hand Mr Stewart’s two-year-old filly by Nordenfeldt— Tres Deuce, who has for some time been rusticating in the Waikato. This filly is full sister to Namoa, the winner of the Canterbury Welcome Stakes of 1890. She was purchased as a yearling by Mr Stewart from her breeder, Major George, for 2oogs. Macmanemin has also taken up the yearling filly by Malua out of Wanda, by King of the Ring from Darriwell’s dam Noma, that Mr M. S. Laurie purchased at the late yearling sales held in Melbourne.

I was sorry to see J. Rae walking about during the week with his arm in a sling. At the end of last week he was schooling Marechai Neil at Otahuhu, when the horse came down, and Rae broke the small bone of his arm. ‘ Jack ’ doesn’t seem to mind much, though. He has gone through a good many worse falls in his time, and seems as cheerful as ever on it.

How these New Zealanders do turn up at intervals ! The Flemington ‘ tout ’ of the Melbourne Sportsman is responsible for the statement that ‘on April 8 Mr R. H. Frew had his recently arrived New Zealander, Marauder, by Borderman (a son of Bonnie Carlisle), schooling over the little sticks in company with another Maori in Rata. Both horses jumped faultlessly, although the former has only been a week at the game. On the previous morning Blue Boy, another New Zealander in Mr Frew’s team, was taken over the big fences, and negotiated them like a thorough tradesman, which he is.’ How about the pedigrees of these nags ? The same writer says that ‘ F. Gentry has had charge of Mr S. H. Gollan’s team during the absence of P. Martin, and has kept everyone of them up to the collar. Mousquetaire has made his re-appearance, and has been doing useful work during the last few days, the injury sustained by the brother to Zalinski not being so serious as at first anticipated. Na Moa is looking pretty well just now, but is beginning to show signs of soreness. Leonardo does plenty of sound work, and Captain Webb, Leontine, and several others have not been idle.’ Mr H. C. White has purchased for his stud at Havilah (N.S.W.) a close relative of the Doncaster Handicap winner Cremore in the shape ,pf a mare by Glorious from a sister to Nea.

Mr Martin Taylor, the Christchurch metallician, reports having laid the following wagers on the New Zealand Cup during the progress of the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting :—3OO to 18 against Saracen, 200 to 12 Skirmisher, 200 to 10 Westmere, 200 to 10 Prime Warden, 200 to 10 Launceston, 300 to 12 Fraternite, 400 to 12 Crown Jewel, 200 to 6 Loyalty. *i*F. Whiting, New Zealand Cup straight-out.

The Marlborough Racing Club held their Autumn Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. lam glad to be able to record that Mr H. Redwood’s colt Awarua Rose won the Marlborough Cup of 100 sovs, one mile and a half, which was the principal event of the meeting. Stockfish, 7.5, was second and Liberator, 9.9, third; the other starters being Violence, 8.6, Tuhitarata, 6.11, and Gladstone, 6.9. The Wellingtonian Revolt carried 8.0 to the front in the Flying Stakes Handicap of 40 sovs, six furlongs, with King Cole’s daughter Princess Cole second, while King Cole’s son Prince Cole won the Riverlands Handicap. On the second day Awarua Rose only got third to Stockfish and Prince Cole in the Wairau Plate, but he won the Welter Handicap later on, Stockfish finishing second and Princess of Whales third.

The North Otago Jockey Club’s Autumn Races came off at Oamaru on Thursday and Friday last. On the first day Conjuror. 7.6, won the North Otago Cup of 120 sovs, one mile, from Tempest, 8.1, and Mariner, 7.4, who were his only opponents, and in the Flying Handicap of 5° sovs, six furlongs, Mr Stephenson again had the bad luck to run second with Huguenot, 8.8, to Rothamstead, 7-7- Another instance of horses winning as soon as they are sold was furnished by the victory in the Publicans’ Handicap of 35 sovs, 7 furlongs, of The Idler, 8.2, whom Mr W. Russell recently sold to a South Canterbury sportsman, and who now beat Galtee, 8.6, and five others. On the second day Mr H. Goodman had a well-deserved winning turn with Paramu (who has disappointed him on several occasions) in the President’s Handicap, one mile and a distance, Tempest, 8.8, being second, and Mr Stephenson’s bad fortune was accentuated when Huguenot, 8.9, ran second to Rondinella, 7.7, in the Waitaki Plate Handicap, six furlongs. The Musket—L’Orient gelding Francotte, who was one of the heroes of the Dunedin Exhibition Meeting, held in the Spring of 1889, won the Hack Selling Race. How are the mighty fallen!