Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 232, 3 January 1895, Page 7

Turf Topics.

[By

Reviewer.]

Mr Knight’s weighting for the Takapuna Cup and Steeplechase will be found in another column. The handicaps will be reviewed in next week’s issue. T. Taylor, who severed his connection with the Wapiti establishment last week, ha*, I hear, taken an engagement with Mr Kere Pere, the owner ot Mahaki. Handicaps in connection with the annual meeting of the Poverty Bay Turf Club, to be held on the 10th and 11th inst., will be found in another column. Acceptances close at 9.30 p.m. to-day (Saturday). Australian files bring word that neither Selim nor Forward are likely to experience any serious injury in consequence of the fight to a finish in which they recently engaged, particulars of which appeared in last week’s Review. Owners of youngsters engaged in the A.R.C. Royal Stakes of 1895-96, may be reminded that yearlings (foals of 1892), may be struck out upon payment of 2 sovs by Friday nexth, January 11. Foals of 1893 may be struck out under similar conditions. The V.A.T.C. authorities have had the startingmachine erected permanently at Caulfield, in order that trainers may practise their horses. A similar policy should be followed throughout this Island, wherever the “ gate ” has been adopted. Old Country backers have already been found willing to accept 5 to 1 about Raconteur for the next English Derby. Raconteur, it will be remembered, won the Dewhurst Plate last month. Speedwell (winner of the Middie-Park Plate) has been backed at 6 to 1. The last English mail brings news of a betting record. In the Chesterfield Nursery Handicap of 1000 sovs, run at Derby, 29 youngsters competed, and the unprecedented odds of 100 to 8 were offered on the field as the candidates made their way to the starting post. The winner of the Clock Tower Selling Handicap at Leicester, (England), was won by a 13-year-old son of Berseker and Lady Stately, called Tommy Tittlemouse, the last horse poor Fred Archer ever rode, lhe peculiarly named animal was ridden by the great jockey four days before he committed suicide. The 102nd rule of racing reads : “ When any owner runs more than one horse in a race, each horse shall be run upon its merits. No plea of declaration shall entitle an owner to prevent one of his horses winning, in order that he may win wi ll another.” Tins rule may have escaped memory, so 1 quote it as a refresher. Among it some of the effects of the late Mr “ Abington ” Baird auctioned recently was a small gold quarter-second watch bearing the inscription, “ From Fred. Archer, Christmas, 1885.” The memento brought £29, and a silver-mounted pocket-book “ made from the skin of Hermit, winner of the Derby of 1867,” was sold for £4 Bs. The principal item on the summer card of the Greymouth Jockey Club, the Greymouth Cup of 200 "sovs, one mile and a half, was won by Mr Harris’s chestnut horse Goodwood (8.7), by Ascot —Maid of Eccleston, who won after a good race with Geraint (8.5) and Johnny Faa (8.6) in 2min 46sec The winner was very well backed, his dividend being £1 18s. After Ebor’s defeat of Fright by a head in the first Hurdle Race at Ellerslie some unspeakable asses argued t'-at Ebor was all out and that Hickey did not drive him up the straight because the horse might have turned a seven at his last fence. After Ebor’s New Year’s Day display the advancers of such an argument should feel inclined to wash the dust out of their brains. That once popular Spring Handicap, the Chester Cup, has been increased in value by the added money having been increased from 1,200 sovs to 2,000 sovs. In lhe old days this event was a most important one, but of lute years much of its glory has been lost. The increase alluded to, however, argues a desire on the part of the Jockey Club to revive its old-time importance. One of Auckland’s Chinese punters, whose name reads full brother to a sneeze, experienced true Celestial luck at the recent Ellerslie meeting. He scooped £l5O over the Lottie and Roscius double, and then, when the Maiden Mile came along, he planked down £2 inside and outside on Cleopatra because she was an outsider. And because the was a Chinaman she paid dividends of £2l J s and £3l. The winning payments in connection with the Auckland Racing Club Summer Meeting are as follows :—Mr L. D. Nathan, £698 ss. ; Mr G. G. Stead, £622 ss. ; Mi’ Jas. Kean, £5OB 55.; H. Te Kere Pere, £432 55.; J. Alexander, £199 10s.; Major George, £190; G. Wright, £133; D. McKinnon, £123 10s.; S. H. Gollan, £99 15s ; S. 0. Caulton, £76; R. Burke, £76; S. Lyell, £B5 10s. ; J. Forth, £66 10s.; J. Hand, £6l 15s;; D. Myers, £52 55.; J. Robertson, £42 155.; J. Sutton, £3B ; E. D. O’Rorkc, £2B 10s. ; T. H. Lowry, £23 15s. Other small amounts under £lO bring the total up to £3,648. The South Auckland Racing Club’s Summer Meeting results were as follows :—Trial Handicap—Bob 1, Ongo 2; won by half a length; dividend, £1 2s. Handicap Hurdles —Minnie Grey 1, Nellie 2, Peter Jackson 3 ; Witch, Hazel, and Peter Jackson fell; dividend, £3 Ils. Waikato Handicap —Folly 1, Te Kooti 2 ; Irene and Ladybird also ran ; won easily; dividend, £l. Pony Handicap —Bob 1, Me 2 ; Venus Victrix and Rapid also started; won by half a length; dividend, £l. Hack Race —Kingswoad 1; Jeanette whs the first past the post, but a protest for running inside the postw-s sustained, and D e first place was allotted to Kingswood ; dividend, 18s. McNicol Memorial Stakes —Only two started, Folly winning easily from Ladybird; dividend, 18s. Hack Hurdle Race —Fencourt 1, Banco 2; Domino fell, and Waiotomo, the only other starter, baulked ; dividend, £1 ss. Flying Stakes—-Folly 1, Clarion 2; Onga was the only other starter; won on the post by a nose after a splendid race.

Who does this refer to ? The Sydney Bulletin writes :—“Punters are at last afforded a chance of getting at the cause of a certain Maoriland horse’s ‘in and out’ running. He is awarded fourteen stone in a certain event, to allow, no doubt, of his carrying the stable jockey as well as a representative of the punting fraternity, who will offei' suggestions to the jock during the race and see that the jock rides him properly. A. similar system applied to a few inconsistent bookmakers’ horses would be most gratifying to backers generally.” An application to refuse the granting of a patent to Mr Gray, of Sydney, for the invention of a starting machine in South Australia was (writes the Australasian) heard before the commissioner of patents in Adelaide. It was proved on behalf of the objector, Mr R. A. White, that he already had a patent in South Australia for a vanishing screen or barrier. After hearing the evidence, and the counsel for the petitioner having disclaimed all rights to the invention as disclosed in Mr White’s specifications, the commissioner allowed the patent, subject to the disclaimer, giving the objector 6 guineas costs. Racing rules are supposed to be followed, not ignored, and the A.R.C. authorities may be reminded that a very definite rule was passed over in connection with the last race on Wednesday. I allude to the impromptu hurdling contest, in which Doris was first in the initial attempt. and second in the run off. Rule 20 of the Totalisator Rules runs as follows : — “ In the event of the stewards ordering a race to be run over again, the totalisator shall be closed so far as the first attempt is concerned, and shall be reopened on the second attempt, and treated as on a distinct race ; the money in each case to be paid out on the winner of the final event.” Why was this rule not obeyed on Wednesday ? The twenty-seven yearlings sold at Wellington Park, on Thursday last, realised a total sum of £2,787 — £2,441 less than lad, year’s main. Cuirassier, with six sales, heads the sire lists with stock valued at £1,017 ; Castor is next with eight youngsters valued at £865 ; siven Hotchkiss yearlings brought. £465 ; and St. Leger, with only a couple of yearlings, has the paltry figures £7O against him. The Ellerslie trainer, Geo. Wright, stands at the head of purchasers with the 730 gs. paid by him for the Castor —Cissy colt and the Castor—Frailty filly; Mr Stead,of Christchurch, is next with 465g5.; Wi Pere took seven yearlings, for which lie paid a total of 340 gs. ; and the Me-srs Duder Bros. (£230) and Messrs Nathan (£220) were the only other purchasers of £2OO or over. The Mongolian’s luck on the racecourse simply stinks in the nostrils of Europeans. His last fortunate exploit was over the Queensland Cup, a Chow employed on a New England tin field drawing Battalion, the winner, in Tatts’ sweep. The wily Celestial at once struck for Brisbane and laid the owner of Battalion £l,OOO to nothing for first place. That piece of protective policy would be carried out by the ordinary garden variety of punter, but the Chinese seeker after tin had the nous to als > lay the owner smaller sums about second and third places. There are darned few points of cuteness to which the colonised Chow is a stranger. The almond-eyed article in question was better placed on the New England tinfield than at home in Japan —second China. I suppose the aforesaid tinfield will see him no more. He now has “ tin ” beyond his most avaricious dream. Referring to the death of Mr Bruce Lowe, the well-known Australian writer on blood-sto<’k breeding, London Sportsman writes : —“ The deceased had been suffering from heart affection, and his end was not unexpected, his only desire being to live long enough to see his book on the science of breeding through the.,press. Fate has willed otherwise, though he had carried the matter so far that some portion of the book had already bean revised by him in page form. His visit to England was to arrange for the production of this the work of twenty years of his life, and he has honoured 1 the special commissioner ’ of the Sportsman by appointing him as literary executor to carry through what remains to be done for the publication of the book. Breeders in this country will find the book simply invaluable, and the dead man will live many a year to come in his posthumous work.” The principal event of the Waipawa County Racing Club’s meeting at Kaikoura. the Waipawa C.R.C. Handicap of 100 sovs, one mile and a half, was easily won in 2min 421 sec bv Golden Plover under the steadier of 9.4; All in-a Dale, 7.10, and Goosander, 7.4, were in the places. Last year this race was won by Mr McKinnon’s Sterlingworth gelding, Scot Free, who took 2min 53sec for the journey with the light impost of 7.12. The Trial Hurdles of 40 sovs, one mile and a half, was won by Waipuku 9.0, Kauri Gum, 10.0, being second, and Waterlily, 10.11, third ; time, 3min l|sec; dividend, £2 Ils. Tiritea, 10.0, won the Handicap Hurdles, two miles, in 4min ; T Rose, who won last year in 4min 16 3-ssec, being the only other contestant ; dividend, £1 4s. The Flying Handicap of 40 sovs, once round, was won in Imin 37sec by Lauella, 8.0, Lady Somnus, 7.7. and Musketeer, 8.3, being in the places ; dividend, £1 7s. Derrett is supposed to be a clever jockey, and people who have seen him riding down. South quote him as a really skilful horseman. Net it is doubtful whether a Derby was ever thrown away as was the case on Tuesday. Mr Stead was confident of the victory and the c mnections of the mare saw no reason to doubt her being herself. At the same time I fancy she was not too well and the mare’s condition may have helped the result far more than Derrett’s riding. Of course we have his exhibition in the Musket Stakes in support of the contention voiced by many that he is not the clever rider many hold he is, but ti en that race takes a lot of thinking out to put it mildly. If Derrett was to win comfortably he erred badly, but then we are not in a position to pronounce judgment on his riding in this .race, for we know nothing about it, and it is not likely our knowledge concerning it will ever be in a better state than it is at present, viz., in a haze of doubt.

Tattersall’s Club Cup of 700 sovs, two miles, will be run at Randwick, and I am waiting to hear that Loyalty won it. Mr Evett has re-handicapped Lottie, Mahaki, and North Atlantic in connection with the Wellington Cup. Lottie has been given an additional 21b, Mahaki has gone up 91b, and North Atlantic 121b.' Their weights are now —Lottie 8-6, Mahaki 8.6, North Atlantic 7.10. If an extra couple of pounds is sufficient for the Muskapeer mare, many good judges know nothing of the game.- Lottie’s original weight was 8.4, and if she had a chance with that her prospect is just the same with 8.6. The recent Liverpool Meeting saw the crack English Steeplechaser, Cloister, return to his verybest form, for with 13.3 up he cantered home in the Grand Sefton Steeplechase of 500 sovs, three miles. Cloister was giving Blbs to Midshipmite, who was reckoned a “moral,!’ and lhe eight other starters received advantages of from two to three stone. It will be remembered Cloister was something of a sensation in connection with the last Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase. His owner backed him heavily, yet the pencillers lunged out against the crack’s chance as though he had not a “ possible.” On the o wner’s betting, Cloister had the race already won, but on the books’ tactics he had not a 1000 to 1 chance. Then the sensation occurred, for at the eleventh hour Cloister was scratched, the assertion being that he had strained his back. It. looked as though the crack’s last race had been run, but the owner decided to give him another chance under a different trainer, with the result that he eclipsed all his previous performances, as stated afore. The Taranaki Jockey Club’s Autumn programme will attract horse-owners’ a* tention on the 21st inst., and a glance at the intentions of the club in the matter of stakes to be awarded should satisfy racing men down the coast. The mile and a half T.J.C. Handicap on the op- ning day (February 20th) has a 250 sovs. purse hanging to it, and the big event of the second day — the Autumn Handicap, one mile and a quarter — is endowed with 150 sovs. On both days of the meeting events worth 100 sovs are offered, viz., the Flying Handicap, six furlongs, and the Grandstand Handicap, seven furlongs. The Open Hurdle Races will be worth 70 sovs (one mile and a half), and 75 sovs (about two miles), and the jumping hacks will have a chance of tilting at a couple of 40 sovs purses. Besides the events named, the following races have been arranged : — Handicap Hack Race of 40 sovs, one mile; Corinthian Handicap of 50 sovs, one mile; Hack Scurry Stakes of 35 sovs, five furlongs; Shorts Handicap of 50 soys,five furlongs; and Farewell Handicap- of 50 sovs, one mile. Nominations are due on January 12th and February 9th; weights are timed to appear on January 26th and Februarv 11th ; and acceptances are due on February 9th, 16th, and 20th. Full particulars will be found in our advertising columns. Lord Hawke is on the council of the English Sporting League and a Mr John Hawke stands at the head of those rabid fanatics who are making presumptuous idiots of themselves under the name of the Anti-Sporting League. Their latest piece of cool cheek was expecting the Home Government to bear the cost of prosecuting the English Jockey Club for permitting betting at Newmarket! To this modest request the Home Secretary very naturally declined to assent, and invited the would-be Reformers to try the prosecution—and pay the piper—themselves. Up to date they have not accepted the in vita* ion. With such blithering moralists at work it was high time sportsmen organised in defence and let us hope their League will prove an effective bulwark. The objects of the League are set out in the prospectus as- follows : —“ 1. To influence public opinion, without regard to party politics, in the interests of sport, so as to enable the people to amuse themselves in future without molestation. 2. To promote any alterations of law that may be necessary for the better protection of sports and pastimes. 3. To take up and defend any actions that the council may consider 'important as test cases. 4. To discourage all malpractices in connection with sport, and to raise its tone wherever necessary. 5. Generally to do whatever may from time to time seem advisable for counteracting the pernicious influence of ‘ faddists.’ ”