Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 167, 5 October 1893, Page 8

Turf Topics.

Jimmy Kean, who has got Mr T. B. Bell’s Retaliation, is also getting Heart of Oak, Sweet Lavender and First Nelson from Major Mair.

St. Patrick, the gelding in Frank McManemin’s stable, by St. Leger— Steel All, is recovering from a bad attack of strangles. We are sorry to report that that admirable sprinter St. Clements is also suffering from a severe attack of strangles. This is unfortunate, as the animal had wintered well, and was being kept for the forthcoming season. St. Clements was nominated for the Gisborne events by letter, but a telegram was sent stopping the entries. Adam Byers has received the hunters Crazy Kate and Mr Gorrie’s Jimmy. It is reported that the owner of St. Kilda has been offered /150 for him, but has declined the offer. Jack Carey has joined Adam Byers’ stable. The last Australian mail informed us that Carnage is sufficiently recovered to be given slow work at St. Albans, and it is quite on the cards that the deposed favourite for the V.R.C. Derby may yet face the fall of the flag. A cable announces that Mr Robert Sevier, formerly ‘Mr Bob Sutton, cash bookmaker,’ of Melbourne, is suing aMr Farrer for slander. He claims damages on the ground that Farrar stated he cheated at cards. In days gone by SuttonSeiver would have revenged himself by resorting to fisticuffs, as was the case with Lord Deerhurst, but since the cash bookie’s elevation to society he prefers the more refined and more paying appeal to the law. St. Hippo is (says ‘ Rata’ in the Otago Witness) a great fancy at Riccarton now for the New Zealand Cup, but my impression is that the weight will ‘ cooper ’ him. I have never thought him a horse like Carbine or Manton. Were he so, how could Stepniak have beaten him in the C.J.C. Derby. No; St. Hippo is considerably below the best New Zealand horses yet produced, his time notwithstanding. Very frequently a horse will make just as good time under 8.10 as he will under 6.10. Collateral form and not time is the key of public form. Jeweller’s win in the Trial Stakes at the A.J.C. Meeting entitles him to serious consideration in connection with the Caulfield Cup. In the former race he cut the mile and a quarter out in 2min i3sec, with 8.8 on his back. In the Cup he carries 7.12.

The committee of the A.R.C. decided at their monthly meeting on Monday last to paint the grandstand and to call for tenders for the work, which are returnable to-morrow. Five new members were ballotted for and elected at the same meeting.

Veterinary experts have decided that the seat of the injury which causes Light Artillery to go lame at times is behind the knee joint. This they do not consider makes his V.R.C. Derby chance a hopeless one. •' ’ _

The time taken by Trenchant—2min 54sec — for the A.J.C. Derby, is the second slowest since the race has been in existence. Trident holds the record with 2min 38sec. Latest advices show that Carnage’s chance for the V.R.C. Derby is becoming gloomier than ever. His lameness has assumed a new form, and now attacks the colt behind.

According to our Sydney correspondent, whose letter appears in another column, Paris is supposed on the other side to have run pretty well his last race. It is said his future home will be the stud. If this be true his services will be in big request.

A recent Indian mail says that the Australian horse Highborn, who is a son of Grandmaster, is first favourite for the Viceroy’s Cup at 3 to 1. Spring O’Myrtle, another Australian, is second favourite at 5 to I.

A London writer says it has been computed that within a very few years M. Blanc has run second in England for stakes and bets amounting to the best part of Common prevented him from taking a Derby and St. Leger to France; and other great races in which his colours have been placed second are the Eclipse Stakes, for which Gouverneur was only just beaten by Surefoot, and the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, which Marly looked like cantering away with until the six furlongs found him out. Marly, we believe, broke the heart of Milford at Ascot last year, and we hear that if he had got home first on that occasion instead of second, that in addition to the stakes, worth about /2000, M. Blanc would have netted /18,000 in bets. An offer of/2000 failed to tempt Mr O’Brien to leave Loyalty on the Australian side.

The latest Yankee racing notion is the revolving grandstand. This stand is erected as nearly as possible in the centre of the track, access to it being secured by means of a tunnel or bridge. During the races the stand is made to revolve in sueh a way that the horses are always directly visible in front of the occupiers of seats, who can thus witness the race from start to finish.

Blizzard, Merganser, and Riversdale have been scratched for the New Zealand Cup. Handsome Jack by St. Leger—Radiant, is to go to the stud this season. The Poverty Bay Turf Club intend to take full advantage of the decision in Robinson’s case, and have decided to stop all cash betting, or wagering ‘ tote’ prices, by removing infringers of the rule from their race ground, as is now the practice in Hawke’s Bay. Mr Rowley, the secretary of the Rosehill Racing Club, Sydney, has forwarded us the programme which has been arranged for his club’s meeting to be held on the 14th instant. Six events will be contested, and 4iosovs will be distributed in prize money. The Hon. G. McLean’s Mountain Lily by Totara—Red Rose, who is dam of Warrington and Errington r has foaled a colt to St. Clair. It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of Mr W. McGregor Hay, the owner of Helen McGregor. Mr Hay, who was a solicitor at Hamilton, Waikato, has been for some time suffering from an internal complaint. He married a daughter of the late Mr W. Walters, hence his connection with the rose and white stripes and Helen McGregor. The National Coursing Club having considered the protest entered against Carrie, the winner of the Auckland Maiden Stakes, has decided that Carrie cannot obtain the stake. The ground of protest was that Carrie was not registered, and the secretary of the club reported that neither the litter of Obstacle —Lady Lynn or the bitch Carrie had been registered.

Currandooley, Panoply and Birinji, have been scratched for the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, und Fairfield and Buccleugh have been scratched for the Caulfield Cup. Since Loyalty’s win at the A.J.C. Meeting there is a general feeling on the Australian side that Mr D. O’Brien’s colt will have to be seriously reckoned with in any race for which he may start, whether at weight for age or in a big handicap such as the Melbourne Cnp. The Melbourne Sportsman says of him:—“As a young three-year-old in a truly run mile and a half race he has defeated the flower of our w.f.a. horses. We have yet to ascertain how good a colt this son of St. George really is.” In summing up the recent A.J.C. Meeting at Randwick, “ Freeelance,” in the Melbourne Sportsman, says: —“Unquestionably the most meritorious performance of the day —as a guide say to the probabilities of the Melbourne Cup and the V.R.C. weight-for-age events —was Loyalty’s Spring Stakes victory. The Maoriland colt appears to have fairly outraced and outstayed the best field of w.f.a. horses which Sydney could select to oppose him.” “ Verax” (Nat. Gould, and author of “ The Double Event” and a score of other sporting novels) was the only Australian sporting writer who tipped Paris for the Metropolitan event ot the A.J.C. Meeting.

The programme for the Summer Meeting of the Egmont Racing Club, to be held at Hawera on February 14th and 15th, 1894, has been drawn up. For the two days’ sport 14 events have been arranged, carrying yf[2oo prize money. The principal race for the opening day is the Egmont Handicap of 300S0VS, two miles. The other items on the card are :—Waimate Handicap of 6osovs, seven furlongs ; First Handicap Hurdles of 100 sovs, two miles and a distance; First Handicap Hack Hurdles of 3 c sovs. one mile and a quarter ; Sapling Stakes of 6osovs, six furlongs ; First Handicap Hack Flat Race of 40S0VS, one mile ; Hawera Welter Handicap of sosovs, one mile. For the second day the big event is the Atkinson Memorial Stakes Handicap of 2oosovs, one mile and a half. The rest of the programme is made up of the Flying Handicap of ioosovs, six furlongs ; Second Handicap Hurdles of Bosovs, two miles and a distance; Second Handicap Hack Hurdles of 35SOVS, one mile and a half; Nursery Handicap, five furlongs ; Second Handicap Hack Flat Race of 40S0VS, one mile and a half; Normanby Stakes Handicap of sosovs, one mile and a distance. Full particulars for the present season, nominations, &c., will be found in our advertising columns.

Foalings :—Mr T. Morrin’s Vivandiere, by Musket —Georgi, filly to Castor ; Mr T. Morrin’s Yattacy, by Yattendon —Ecstacy, colt to Hotchkiss.

At a meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club held on Tuesday evening last the following officers were elected for the present season :— President, Hon. E. Mitchelson; vice - presidents, Mr Jackson Palmer, M.H.R., and Mr M. Niccol; judge, Hon. E. Mitchelson; starter, Mr E. D. Halstead; clerk of scales, Mr F. Marks; clerk of course, Mr F. Wells; handicapper, Mr W. Knight; treasurer, Mr E. W. Alison. The committee decided to discontinue the Spring Meeting owing, it is stated, to the action of the A.R.C. in granting the Avondale Jockey Club the date upon which the T.J.C. usually held its Spring Meeting. [This is surely a misconception, for the dates of the three last Spring meets of the T.J.C. show that that club has been in the habit of taking the last Saturday in November, viz., Nov. 28th, 1891 ; Nov. 29th, 1890; and Nov. 26th, 1892. The Avondale Club was granted Dec. 2nd. How, therefore, can the Avondale people be said to have jumped the claim of the T.J.C. —Ed. S.R.] The secretary was instructed to inform the A.R.C. that the club would hold a Spring Meeting next season upon the date usually granted them. The Summer Meeting was fixed for January 27th and 29th, and the Winter Meeting for May 19th and 24th. The stakes given will amount to /1545. The added money to the Takapuna Cup was kept at £2OO, and the distance was fixed as usual at a mile and a-half.

Mr Wilson, the owner of the St. Albans racing establishment, is back in Melbourne after his trip to Europe, which he undertook for the sake of his health. Mr Wilson was not favourably impressed with the average English racehorse, and states that an average field of 15 Australian horses would compare very favourably with the home horses.

The Taranaki Trotting Club have arranged their trotting meeting to be held at New Plymouth on Thursday, November 9th. The events on the card are :—Maiden Handicap Trot of 10 sovs, 2 miles; Pony Trot Handicap of 15SOVS, IJ miles; Taranaki Trotting Club Handicap of4o sovs, 2| miles; Farmers’ Trot Handicap of 15 sovs, 2 miles ; Harness Trot Handicap of 17sovs, 2 miles ; Stewards’ Handicap of iBsovs, ij miles ; Consolation Handicap of 15SOVS, miles. Nominations close on October 2ist, handicaps will be declared on October 25th, acceptances close on November 4th.

We have received from Mr. H. Lyon, the Wellington Racing Club’s programmes for the season 1893-94, containing a list of previous winners and several items of general racing interest.

The Pakuranga Hunt Club hold their next meet on Saturday at 2.30 p.m., at Morningside. Tha meet on the following Saturday has been fixed for 2.30 p.m. at the Monument, Otahuhu.

A distinguished little stranger made his appearance at Riccarton the other day, Nautilus (the dam of Cynisca, Pygmalion and Lake Shell) dropping a colt to Chain Shot. She visits the same horse again.

Another celebrity, Lady Emma, who so often carried to victory the “Zetland spots” of Sir Hercules Robinson and the Hon. G. McLean, has foaled a colt to the Musket horse St. Clair, who will be her mate again. Musket, Rosicrucian, Yattendon, Blair Athol—lovely strains of blood these.

The game little Waitiri, who ran second to Nelson in two consecutive Auckland Cups, has foaled a filly to Quip, by Robinson Crusoe— Patch.

Mr W. C. Webb’s two-year-old colt by Chain Shot—Veno has been christened Versailles. Mr Webb has evidently been dreaming of the old days when he was a boy at Chantilly in Count Lagrange’s stable. Storyteller, a crack pony from the Taranaki district, has arrived in Auckland to join the pony racing string. The new arrival may be looked upon as dangerous.

The stallion Blairgowrie arrived from Sydney this week by the Wairarapa.

A well-known Dunedin sportsman, Mr J. Stephenson, owner of Occident, etc., was in Auckland this week on a visit.

The penalty awarded Paris for his victory at the A.J.C. Spring Meeting has knocked the gallant little black down in the Caulfield Cup betting. With a 10.1 impost his chance is not much fancied, and our betting wire from the other side shows he stands in the market at 100 to 2.

The full list of weights for the Spring Meeting of the Napier Park Racing Club was wired to us by our Napier correspondent last night, and will be found in another column. With the exception of one race, the Sapling Stakes Handicap, all the events are likely to have good fields. The acceptances of course are not due until next week, so it is impossible just at present to form any opinion as to probable winners, but even allowing for the average amount of scratching there will be a sufficient number of contestants left in to provide a good day’s racing. For the Trial Handicap Hurdles of 50 sovs, ij miles, there are at present 14 horses in ; for the Criterion Stakes Handicap of 50 sovs, one mile, there are 12 ; for the Park Stakes Handicap of 200 sovs, mlies, 19; for the Sapling Stakes Handicap of 70 sovs, four furlongs, 4 ; for the Handicap Hurdle Race of 80 sovs, 2 miles, 16; for the Railway Handicap of 100 sovs, J mile, 23 ; and for the Ahuriri Handicap of 50 sovs there are 12. An own brother to Ormonde figures among the entries for the English Derby of 1895. His name is Orelio, and he is the property of the Duke ot Westminster.