Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 150, 8 June 1893, Page 7

Turf Topics.

[.By

“Sir Launcelot.”]

A sale of yearlings recently imported from Australia was held in Dunedin on May 26th A colt by Jacinth (brother to Nordenfeldt) ont of the Proto Martyr mare Conscience was bought by the Oamaru sportsman who races under the name of Mr “ Longfellow” for 43gs. Mr A. G. Holmes, the owner of the hurdler Clarence, who has been in a winning vein lately, gave 38gs for a colt by the Melbourne Cup winner Dunlop out of Dumb Crambo. Dumb Crambo is by The Hook (son of Juliet) out of Charade, by Panic (imp.) — Puzzle (imp.), by Daniel O’Rourke. A filly by Glorious (imp.) out of Aphra, by Bras de Fer (imp.)—L’Africaine, by Vasco di Gama (imp.) was knocked down to Mr Carson at 32gs, and Mr T. Cotton acting on behalf of Mr H. Rawcliffe, secured the colt by Martini Henry, from Abercorn’s sister Spice at 11 igs, which was practically a “ buy-in.”

‘ Mazeppa ’ of the Otago Witness, who was an eye witness to the running at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Birthday Meeting, makes the following comments on the New Zealand Cup candidates that ran there, which should prove interesting to my readers:—“That Hippomenes should have won the double few dare dispute. The honours of the Birthday Handicap were distinctly his, though he did miss an actual win owing to circumstances already stated, and from the way in which he collared the Provincial Handicap on the Saturday, we may gather that he could have won even if he had carried a pound or two more as a penalty for a win on the Wednesday. At one point of the Provincial Handicap his backers were in a bit of a funk. He got fairly well away, and was lying fourth in a handy position as the first half mile was completed, but he then dropped away a little, and from the stand the reason of this could not be seen owing to the slanting rays of the sun. What really happened was that Mcllroy took a good grip of the horse so as to steady him for his final run. He was travelling so well as to justify this strategy. Where he was given his head was about 300 yards from home. For a few strides after the field turned into the straight Vogengang looked very dangerous, but the Dunedin gelding wore him down and eventually landed the stake apparently pretty nearly all out, but I think with a little to spare. Mcllroy rode him beautifully and with such marked cleverness as to make sure of a win without knocking the horse about or showing him up. * * * Lady Zetland was another prominent performer at the Birthday Meeting. For a small mare as she is With fair weights up, she each time made a gallaut struggle of it, but the heavy going was against her, and it was not till her fourth attempt that she managed to get home. That was in the Consolation. I think she whould have won this event even if all her opponents had stood up, though on this point it is not possible to speak with certainty. Buddicombe made the best use of her on each occasion. It was on her, by the way, that T.B. scored his 61st win for the season. Au Revoir won the Tradesmen’s Handicap, and through downright gameness. At the half distance he was in an awkward place, and so far as I could see he was the first to be ridden in earnest. As the field went past the quarter mile post he gained a little bit, but under such pressure that everyone thought he was cooked and his backers were just giving up hope when he suddenly appeared at the head of his horses in the straight. He must have made a clever turn round the corner. Even then, however, he was not out of his trouble, and he had to be flogged all the way along the rails. He must be very game to last out such a run as that.”

The same writer states that a special meeting of the New Zealand Bookmakers Association (which has been formed in Dunedin during the present season) was held on May 26th. It was attended by nearly 20 members, Mr T. Barnett presiding. A proposal to make a levy of 10s per head to strengthen the funds was rejected, it

being considered that the course suggested was not necessaiy at present. Communications were received from various parts of the colony relative to disputed wagers, the writers asking wether certain layers of odds who had not paid were members of the Association. , The secretary was instructed to answer that the Association could not do anything, as the layers referred to were not members. It was resolved as a means of meeting the difficulty as to disputed wagers to appoint a board of arbitration of persons outside the Association to decide, in cases> of dispute* between members and their customers. The secretary (Mr J. Smith) reported that telegrams had been received from Thomas Robinson, of Napier, stating that he was locked up for betting at totalisator odds, and liberated without being charged. Robinson asked whether the Association would help him to prosecute the club. Mr Smith’s answer was that the Association wiuld not take up the case, but advised him to complain to the inspector. To that Robinson had replied that he had taken proceedings claiming

The same writer says :—“ After seeing the result there were not a few found blaming the owners for not giving the mount to M’llroy on the first day. They probably thought the same after seeing the judicious use he made of Hippomenes in the Provincial. But it is easy to be wise after the event, and, apart from the consideration that it is really an owner’s business whom he selects as rider, there is this to be said, that M’llroy could not go to scale at the weight in the Birthday. That was, I understand, the reason why at the eleventh hour he stood down in favour of Derrett; and if that be the case the only one to blame is M’llroy himself, who should have taken measures to reduce his weight by the couple of pounds or so overplus which he scaled when tried as a preliminary Owners naturally object very strongly to putting up any overweight, especially on a horse that is well up in a handicap. It isn’t so much that they are afraid of the retarding effect of a pound or so, but they do not unreasonably conclude that if they make light of a little extra it may be presumed by the, handicapper that they have a really good thing on. M'Uroy, as the recognised rider of the stable, cannot complain that an oversight on his part nr such a matter led to his forfeiting the mount. You don’t catch Derrett forgetting a thing of that sort. The lesson will probably be remembered, and I hope that M’llroy, for whose horsemanship I entertain a high regard, will ride many winners for his present employers.”

The Auckland Racing Club held their usual monthly committee meeting on Monday afternoon, when the following resolutions were approved of for recommendation to the Metropolitnn Clubs’ Conference next month: — “ That.no delegate shall be eligible who represents a club whose profits are divisable amongst the members thereof.” “That Rule 38 be amended so as to read that ‘no horse shall carry less than 7.0 in any handicap race on the flat,’ ’’ and that-Rule 39 be amended so as to read that “at any meeting between May 3 1 and September 1 the lowest weight in any race on the flat shall not be less than 9.0.” I am glad to be able to inform my readers that Mr John Kirkwood is recovering from his severe illness and was pronounced to be out of danger yesterday. . ~

Honour to whom honour is due. Writing about the victory of Orangeman in the Melbourne Hunt Club Steeplechase, ‘Olympus,’ in Melbourne Punch, has the following about the owners of the son of Endymion in a facetious contemporary :— “It appears that the time of depression and the ‘reconstruction’ of one particular bank, combined with various extraneous circumstances, have caused even those gentlemen to ‘retrench,’ and in so doing they found themselves compelled to discharge between sixty and seventy men employed on their Bacchus Marsh property. * * * And yet, when the Messrs. Miller had to discharge these men, instead of sending them forth houseless and foodless, they informed them that provisions would be Supplied to one and all until they succeeded in getting into work again. This fact has come to my knowledge quite by accident, and I believe lam the first to publish it. And I do so all the more willingly because it convinces me that there have been times when I, too/ have fallen into the popular error of ‘judging the book by the cover,’ and have written things that it would have been better—or perhaps I should say juster—to have left unwritten.”

Mention of the Taranaki representatives at the Auckland Racing Club’s Winter Meeting reminds me that our Taranaki correspondent in his usual weekly budget, appearing in another column, supplies an interesting record of Mutiny’s performances prior to his Grand National Hurdles win. ' ■ i Mr Percival, the Auckland Racing Club’s secretary, was deputed to receive entries for the Victoria Amateur Turf Club’s and Victoria Racing Club’s Spring Meetings on Monday last, and the following entries were received by him from Auckland owners :■—Mr Budge’s filly Brown Mantle, by Nordenfeldt — Antelope, V.R.C. Derby, Oaks, Spring Stakes and St. Leger; Mr L. D. Nathan’s Three Star,' Ascot Vale Stakes, V.R.C. Derby, Spring Stakes and St. Leger; Mr L. D. Nathan’s St. Hippo, Champion Stakes; Mr L. D. Nathan’s Three Star, Alma Stakes, Federal Stakes and Caulfield Guineas. ’

A goodly contingent of Southern sportsmen were to be observed in the saddling paddbek at Ellerslie yesterday, among them being Mr D. Rutherford, the owner of Kulnine and Norton, (whose first visit to Auckland it was) Mr M. G. Nasmith, the secretary of the Gisborne Park Racing Club ; Mr J. A. Harding, secretary of the Waerenga-a-Hika Jockey Club ; Mr Shove, the owner of Booties; Mr ‘Jay’ Russell; and. Messrs Proffitt, Hill and Livingstone, the metallicians. It was generally thought that Mutiny’s win in the Hurdle Race would have left the ‘ bookies ’ with a ‘ skinner,’; but such is not the case, for some of them have to carry forward a bit of money with the second leg some of the favourites in the Steeplechase. If Booties wins the Steeplechase the Taranaki contingent will go home rejoicing. *** F. G. Whiting at Ellerslie on Saturday next. • ... (•: • ••