Sporting Review. THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1894.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 207, 12 July 1894, Page 4

Sporting Review. THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1894.

The racing statistics for the season 189394 have been published by “ Pentagraph,” and the result bf that statistician’s labours will be received with interest by all interested in racing. The list of winning horses includes all those animals that placed £l9 and over to their credit, and needless to say the list is a decidedly voluminous one. Taking £2O as the minimum it will be found that over 650 horses secured prizes, and Bluefire, by the help of her Challenge Stakes and Champagne victories, holds the pride of place with the respectable figures of £2087 3s opposite her name. The New Zealand Cup winner, Rosefeldt, comes next with /■1704 19s, and sterling old Liberator occupies third position with £1530 10s. His wins were of course accomplished both on the flat and across country. Au Revoir k and Skirmisher are very close together with £1363 2S 6d and £1321 19s respectively, and it will be noticed that Vanguard’s son l , who was thirteenth on the list when a three-year-old, has taken fifth place, with about twice the sum credited to him during the season 1892-93. Last year’s table shows that seven horses won over £lOOO ; this year nine animals have scored wins exceeding that sum. Despised heads the winning jumpers with £Bl3 ss, his nearest attendants being Waterbury, Couranto and Bombardier, who are all close together a; amounts ranging between £520 and £ 530 odd. Respecting the winning sires, during the season of 1892-93, St. Leger topped the list, with Nordenfeldt and St. George in second and third positions. During the season just closed St. George takes pride of place with £ 4035 7s. He was represented by nineteen winners, so that St. Leger’s se’cond position with £698 12s less, and only seventeen winners, places him in decidedly favourable odour. Nordenfeldt had more winners than either St. George or St. Leger, and takes third place with £3238 5s 6d, and lower down the list Maxim, the sire of Bluefire, stands out prominently with £2310 8s credited to him, and only three winners. The Champagne and Challenge Stakes of course place him in his enviable position. There are 22 sires represented by wins amounting to over £lOOO, and the dead and gone sires, Feve, Mute, and Cadogan have left a respectable, number of winners. Respecting the list of winning owners, Mr Stead who was at the head last year now takes second place to Mr W, Douglas,

who is at the top with £3192 !S S ‘ There are fifteen sportsmen credited with £lOOO and over, Mr D. O’Brien being the last to reach four figures with £lOl2 odd. To those who follow the system of backing favourites, the table showing the favourites and winners of all the principal New Zealand races should prove interesting reading. Sixty-seven races are instanced, and out of that number the favourites only got home on 22 occasions. In the matter of totalisator revenue the Canterbury Jockey Club is at the head of affairs with ,£61584, and the Auckland Racing Club comes next with £59,266. Third place is taken by the Dunedin Jockey Club with £51,943 The other figures are: — Wellington Racing Club £33,772, Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club £28,312, Wanganui Jockey Club £22,102, Greymouth J.O. £10,723, Taranaki J.C. £8,537, Marlborough £4,673, and Nelson Jockey Club £3,285. Comparing the figures for the past eight seasons, all the clubs received an increase of revenue during 1893-94 as compared with the receipts for 1886-87, with the exception of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club and the Nelson Jockey Club. Wellington shows the most marked increase, for the figures for 1886-87, £19,817, are changed in 1893-94 to £33,772. The biggest amount of revenue derived in one season was in 1889-90, when the Dunedin Jockey Club’s figures were no less than £97,559. In the matter of totalisator dividends, there were 51 amounting to £2o’and upwards declared duringlast season, and the biggest was £l6 2, which waspaidonW aimarama in the Christmas Handicap at the annual meeting of the Porangahau Racing Club. There were only three dividends of over £lOO declared, viz., Waimarama’s, £123 18s paid on Dorothy in the Hack Hurdles, at Manawatu in the Autumn, and £lO3 19s paid on Little Tom at Ellerslie. But when we remember that he ran a big second on the day prior to the declaration of the dividend cited, the thought that we failed to back him opens an old wound and we willingly drop the subject. __

The Wellington United Hunt Club committee have considered the Timothy case with the result that they have decided that Timothy’s rider weighed out correctly ; that he weighed in short after the Open Steeplechase on May sth; that no weights were accidently lost during the race; and that, consequently, Timothy’s trainer, Kenneth McKenzie, and his jockey, John Gravestock, are guilty of a fradulent practice under Rule 111. of the Rules of Racing. The rule cited reads : “If a jockey do not weigh in, or be guilty of any fraudulent practice with respect to weight or weighing, or dismount before reaching the place of weighing, or touch (except accidentally) any person or thing other than his own equipments, before weighing in, his horse shall be disqualified unless he can satisfy the stewards that he was justified by extraordinary circumstances. The 7 Hunt Club stewards have further decided that Kenneth McKenzie, the trainer, be disqualified for six months, that jockey Gravestock be disqualified for three months, and that the horse Timothy be disqualfied for a similar period. It will be remembered that the Hunt Club stewards were requested by the Wellington Racing Club committee to hold a further inquiry into Timothy’s running. The horse’s rider could not scale his weight on returning to the scales, and the metropolitan committee did not consider that sufficient investigation had been made into the circumstance on the day of the ,race. No enquiry would have been made at all had not Timothy’s owner asked that an explanation should be received by the stewards from the rider. Timothy finished third in the Steeplechase, Dick being first and Dromedary second. During the race Timothy was better at jumping and pace than his opponents, but when it came to a finish he could not get home. Now it was not necessary for Timothy’s rider to weigh in as there was no third money, but the rider placed himself on the scale and the fact that he was 41bs. short reached the ears of the stewards, and hence the initial enquiry which resulted in the Metropolitan Committee demanding a further investigation. A charge of inconsistency is brought against the committee because while they disqualify the horse they exonerate his owner “Mr W. Henry.” Their reason for doing so doubtless lies in the fact that Mr “ Henry” was the person who in the first place asked the Hunt Club authorities to call upon Timothy’s rider to furnish an explanation of his inability to draw proper weight.