Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 258, 4 July 1895, Page 6

Turf Topics.

[By

Reviewer.]

Fortunatus goes to India this month. Deadshot was backed in town this week for the N.Z. Cup.

Quad'ant has been doing the “ also ran business in Sydney of late.

Several coupons have been unavoidably held over until our next issue.

Mr Reid, of Rangitikei, has purchased the Steepler Egmont for £lOO.

The distance post does not usually exist on the trotting tracks of France. I understand Mr Stead has decided to have a flv at the A.J.C. Derby with Mannlicher.

Frantic gave up the ghost while running in the Williamstown Steeplechase on June 29th. The trotting records of France show that only two French-bred horses have trotted in 2.80 or better.

.Auseer (by Robinson Crusoe from Aurora) has been bought in Melbourne oh behalf of an Indian purchaser. Oxide and Carlton (Pile’s) have been scratched for the Melbourne Cup, and M arusa 1® °f Ihe Caulfield Cup.

A nice light-weight Melbourne Cup trio out of one stable—Bob Ray 7.8, Ilchester 6.12, and Cartridge 6.11.

Lottie came down from the Waikato this week but the state of the Ellerslie track has prevented anything approaching work. Mr Gleeson shook up the trotters at Hastings last week by winning the Hastings Cup Trot (saddle) with Katie M., who paid £l6 3s. There are two pair of full brothers in the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, viz., Ilchester and lalanthus, and Chiniquy and Damien. Bob Bay, Auraria, and Wallace head the market for the V.R.C. Derby. Seven to one was the offer against them when the last mail left.

One of Maxim’s youngsters gained fame on the Louisville (Kentucky) track pn May 13 by easily winning a big mile handicap in l-40£-

It is believed on the Sydney side that The Admiral will prove S. G. Cook’s mainstay in the Melbourne Cup. The Harvester may be scratched shortly.

Capstan is showing such determination not to risk a fall at a hurdle that he cannot be persuaded to jump freely. His fencing lessons have therefore been temporarily discontinued. Antic, carrying 8.4, ran unplaced in a 14.2 Kensington (Sydney) Park handicap on the 20th lilt, and met with a like fate when tried in a similar race at Rosebery Park on the 25th.

Millionaire McCalmonts’ famous racer, Isinglass, has finished his racing career. The owner has withdrawn the horse from all engagements and intends sending him to the stud this season. The lines most favoured by local backers for the N.Z. Cup are Skirmisher, Gipsy Grand, Mahaki, Irish Twist, Impulse, Pegasus, and Lottie. Skirmisher is most in demand at eights.

Sheet Anchor should have a fairish chance of scoring as a sire in the Caulfield Cup, seeing that he has seven of his get engaged. His representatives are —Laundress, Capstan, Best Bower, Charon, Duhallow, and Buccaneer. Mr J. F. Cruiokshank reports having transacted the following N.Z. Cup business :—lOO to 8 Skirmisher; 100 to 7 Gipsy Grand; 100 to 6 Mahaki and Irish Twist; 100 to 5 Impulse, Pegasus and Lottie. These are the favourite lines.

Punters who are contemplating taking a long shot at The Harvester for the Melbourne Cup may be advised to hold their valour by the neck for a bit. The Harvester has a cronk leg and may not stand a preparation. A four-year-old, Atlas, is favourite for the Caulfield Cup. Will he break the bad luck that has followed horses of that age for eleven years ? The last time a four-year-old got home in this Cup was in 1883, when Calma caught the eye of ■the judge. Devon deserves a win inqne of the big Australian Cups, on account of the hard Inck he has experienced. This consistent animal has finished second in three Cup races in the Victorian Metropolis, viz., at Melbourne, Caulfield, and Williamstown.

An old North Island sport, now resident in Australia, commands me to look with eyes of favour on Taranaki’s chance in the two Cups. The prod named has 7,9 at, Caulfield and 8.0 at Melbourne and is, to my mind, best suited in the mile and a-half race.

At the Kempton Park Meeting ohjffie 29th ult. Sir F. Johnstone’s .filly Meli Melo (by Melanion —Irish Stew) carried off the the Two-Year-Old Plate of 600 sovs. The Duke of Hamilton’s Ayer was second and Sir J. B. Maple’s Royal Wink third.

There are half a dozen yearling colts by Sir Modred and two colts and one filly by Maxiin entered for the Coney Island Jockey Club Realization Stakes, to be decided in the Spring of 1896. The added money to this sweepstake amounts to 10,000 dollars, and the contest is over a mile and five furlongs.

Here is the opinion of Mr Charles Reed, one of the leading breeders in the U.S.A., regarding the consequences of faulty shoeing: —“ No thoroughbred would ever- break down were it not for horseshoers. There is not one in a hundred that has sense enough to shoe a horse. Bad shoeing is responsible for blind splints, and blind splints are responsible for many good horses going wrong.”

The first annual sportsmens’ exposition was being held at Madison Square Garden when the last mail left ’Frisco. Reports of the Show state that there was a magnificent display of everything appertaining to sports, including mounted as well as living specimens of game animais.

The boss plunger of the American tprf, Rilcj Grannan, is said to have lost £20,000 in the four months. This bookmaking metqor is a young fellow who a few years back was a hotel porter. Now he has an army of pencilled working under his direction, and they say he regards a loss-of twenty thou, asamere bagatelleIn all probability “ Tattersail ” will bring off the St. Alban’s Art Union some time this month,

therefore those who have not yet secured either the estate or Trenton had better lose no'■'time in

rectifying their error. Some of the St. Alban’s prizes are engaged in the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, no it is on the cards that some fortunate speculator will gain both a racehorse and a big stake.

A members of the famous George Wilkes family of trotters died in Kentucky last month'. This was the great trqtting stallion Bourbon Wilkes, who succumbed to an abscess oh the luugs. He was by George Wilkes from Favourite (2.35 J a daughter of Abdallah. The stock of Bourbon Wilkes has done spmp great things on the track. The three best of his get are Bourbon Wilkes, Jr., (2.14£), Coast Boy (2-10|), : and Coastman (2.8|).

A horse on whose Caujfield Cup chance I feel particularly sweet- is Best Bflwer, who bq.g described as the best of the Bbeet . Apchorg. Best Bower’s dam is Excelsior, who wag got hj Gang Forward from Azema (imp.), by Flying Dutchman from Arrogante, by The Cossack from Imperieuse, by Orlando. Best Bower’s pedigree fills the eye in a very taking fashion, and I am advised that looks and track work are in keeping with the breeding.

In addition to scoring a hurdle win at Mentone (Vic.), Dart, Mr W. Keith’s old Gipsy King horse, showed a game fight at Caulfield on June 22nd, by running fourth to Emmalea (piloted by the redoubtable J. E. Brewer), in the V.A.T.C. Hurdle Race. Dart had 10.8, which gave him a 151 b pull of the winner, but I understand Emmalea is a scorcher oyer sticks. The fact that the racer named has strong support for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles (run next Saturday) shows what sort of jumper he is.

It is said that an offer of 6,000 sbvs has been made for Alix, the queen of ' American trotters, by a continental racing man, but the owner of the mare is holding oiit for 10,000 sovs. Ten thousand for a trotter reads “ a bit thick, but we must remember that Alix is the clipper that took down Nancy Hank’s world famous record of a mile in 2min 4sec by leaving a mile behind her in 2min 3isec. The owner of Alix is confident that before next, seasqn is over his wonderful mare will realise that dream of trotting men, viz., a mile in two minutes. ✓

The last ’Friseo mail brought news of the arrival of a fresh equine wonder on the American Turf. The two famous three-year-olds of the West, The Commoner and Halma (both by Hanover) met in a mile and a furlong fight on the Lexington (Kentucky) track. The Commoner carried 8.10, and Halma, who had 51bs less, won without whip or spur in the remarkable time of Imin 54£sec. That the pace was hot from first to last is shown by the fractional timing of the race, which shows the furlongs were left behind as. follows 12sec, -24|sec, 36 4‘ssec, 49|sec, Imin l£sec, Imin 14sec, lmin 27|sec, Imin 40 2-ssec, Imin 52£sec. This time comes within a second of the unbeaten Tristan’s record at Morris Park four years ago Two days after this great race Halma romped home in the Kentucky Derby, winning from end to end in 2min 37|-sec. The reports say the colt was never extended, so it is evident he is a clipper. • ■ 'J

Mt Keith sold Dart, and Bushboy too soon. Their new owner, Mr-W- Kelso, took them from Sydnev to Melbourne last week and the pair won at the first time of asking. It was at the Mentone races that the pair were tried with the result that they scooped a double in a very easy manner. Dart started favourite at 3to 1 against for the mile and a quarter Mentone Hurdles, in which he had 10.10 to carry, and won by length, while Bush Boy with 8.2, in the six and a ' half fqrlong welter handicap, fairly romped hop?e in Imin his nearest foltower being seven bad lengths away. As was the case wiw Dart, his stable mate Bush Boy was first choice at threes. The jumping race had a field of - fouri teen runners including Figaro, Navarino, Ohesterman, and Wbonooke, while the welter race was contested by such good ones as Selim, War Dance, and Lucid and a dozen others, sb the pair of erst Maorilanders were'decidedly complimented by being put at the top of the betting. Although the Yankee racing men at present sojourning at Newmarket brought off a big gamble by nominating one of their cracks, Banquet 11., for an unimportant selling race, which they made a monte of by entering the horse at a , very low price, they burnt their fingers in endeavouring to bring off a similar scoop. Banquet landed a £6OOO commission at fair odds, so the enterprising owners could afford to lay out the 1510 sovs. which they had to part with in buying back their crack. Butjthe reverse side of the picture was shown them when they tried a similar deal with Stonenell, another member of the invading string. The horse was entered to be sold for £4OO, and scenting another “ moral ” the stable had a dash. And, remember, when Yanks “ dash they generally do it in capital letters. Unfortunately. Stonenell got off badly, and the rider, not seeing his wav to annexing No. 1 position, took care .to be unplaced, being under the impression (as'were the owners) that an unplaced selling plater could not be claimed. But they got a rude shook when the owner of the second finisher claimed a sale. The Yanks were so disgusted at their error that they let Stonenell go at £5OO.

The New York Spirit of the Times records the death of a memorable old mule called Old Qjjj. This mule, which was 42 years of age at the time of its death, went into service in the army €Wly m the war, and was in front of Sherman’s forces from Chattanooga to Atlanta. During her long live of active service she was never sick, Wyer bfiulked, was never wounded in battle, and never surrendered. Ida Pickwick, one of the speediest race mares in America, broke down hopelessly last month and'has been sent to the stud. She was by imp. Jfr Pickwick out of .Ida K., by King Alfonso, and was foaled in 1888. Amongst tbe»,times credited to her are the following:—a mile in Imin 4O|sec; a mile and a sixteenth in Imin 48sec ; a mile and a furlong in Imin 53fsec ; and a mile and three-sixteenths in Imin 59Jsec. In scoring these times she always had between 8.7 and 9.0 to carry. The V.R.C. handicapper advances a pretty fair tip for the Caulfield Cup by giving Tullamore BJbe more over the Melbourne two miles than the Caulfield handicapper gives him over the mile and a half race. The V.R.C. expert al-o says that Royal Jf aster is worthy of 71bs more over two miles than the Caulfield man thinks he is entitled to over a mile and a half. The respective weights are : Tullamore 8.2 (Melbourne), 7.8 (Caulfield); Royal Master 7.13 (Melbourne), 7.6 (Caulfield). The animal over which the two handicappers have differed most is Surefoot, a four-year-qld brother to The Admiral. He has 7.9 in the Melbourne Cup and an' even 7.0 in the Caulfield race.

The- member? of,Geo. Wright’s Sydney string are not all worked at Randwick. St; Hippo, Oscillator, and Webley are exercised there, but Doris and Royal Rose do their gallops at Kensington where Budge’s pony Brown Mantle is at present located. According to last advices Wright is working St. Hippo and Royal Rose in sweaters. The training reports give no hint of weakness on'the part of St. Hippo. The last report I saw of him read as follows: —“ S'. Hippo was going along nicely with sweaters on.” The trotting tracks around Paris are provided with ail immense blackboard, upon which is noted after each turn around the track how many more turns are left; thus : Remain—l, 2,3, or 4 turns, as the case may be. This board is erected for the benefit of the riders, in order that they may avoid mistakes and not pull up before they have completed the distance. French jockeys may require such’ hints, but I fancy a rider must be a very powerful idiot if he can’t count his own circuits in a trotting race. The Sydney Referee to hand by the last mail has the following reference to the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups and V.R.C. Derby market: — “It is worthy of note that the same two horses, Dreamland and Atlas, are equal favourites in both Cups, followed in Ihe Caulfield Cup by Taranaki, Devon, Mahee, Hopscotch, Best Bower, Valiant, and Aureus, and in the Melbourne Cup by Delaware, Taranaki, Newman, The Harvester, Jeweller, Hova, and Trenchant. Derby quotations remain practically unaltered, Bob Bay, Auraria, Wallace and Kallara finding most favor with investors.

“ Tbe curse of Blacklock.” Three winners at the Ascot Heath Meeting held last month, Persimmon, Matchmaker, and Florizell 11., have the blood of the aforesaid “accursed” Blacklock! Persimon and Florizel 11. are by St. Simon who is by Galopin, a son of Vedette and Flying Duchess, who was from Flying Dutchman from Merope, by Voltaire, a son of Blacklock. St. Simon’s dam, St. Angela, has a touch of Blacklock also, and the dam of Florizel 11. and Persimmon (two of the beforementioned AsCot winners) is chock full of the same “ baneful ” strain ! Matchmaker, the third winner alluded to, is by Donovan who being by Galopin also inherits the Blacklock “curse” about which so much is heard.

The name of Humphrey Oxenham, of Sydney, is probably about-the best known name of any sporting man in Australia. For many years he has stood at the head of the Australian ring as its acknowledged leader, his turf transactions being of a colossal nature. During the whole of his career Mr Oxenham has justly merited the character of an honourable, generous sportsman, and a man who would do credit, to any calling. Some short time since “ the leviathan,” as H. Oxenham is generally called, added the business of a sweep promoter to his gerfbral turf business. Within the space of four months eight sweeps have been successfully carried through. This output may be described as a preliminary canter for the two Cup Consultations, which are now going strong and well. A desirable feature of “ Oxenham’s ” Consultations is that they are all drawn openly.

I have heard of some diabolical, aqts of cruelty to animals, but. a case reported from Jjexipgtqp, (U.S.A) tops the record. A valuable brood mare, located at a leading stud farm, was due to foal on a certain day, and when the overseer went to her paddqck early ia the morning he fp.und that some fiend had cut off her udder ! TJie poor beast lingered for some time before death cut short her agony. The famous Judge Lynch would be about the best man to deal with the perpetrator of such a devilish act. ’ Backers of doubles in Sydney are said to suffer considerably through the dilatorine'ss which exists in connection with the publication of scratchings for the weekly pony races in which the people of the N.S.W. capital take such a lively interest. From the many protests by “ regular subscribers ” that have of late appeared in the Sydney newspapers, it appears that reform in this matter is urgently required. The hour was ripe for reform and the last mail to hand brings news that the Reformer is on hand in the shape of Brown Mantle’s owner. I notice Truth writes as follows “ The dilatory manner in which scratchings for the weekly pony and horse races are made public is the cause of endless complaints from double backers but, s.till the old order of things remains. Mr Budge, the owner of Brown Mantle, scratched his mare for a race last, week, and being aware of the general tactics of the secretaries, he went round to the principal betting shops and informed the proprietors that his mare was scratched and demanded that her name be obliterated from the lists. A new experience truly.”

Penciller McLeod’s Hotchkiss colt, Oscillator, started in the Park Stakes at Canterbury Park (Sydney) on the 22nd of last month, but had a piece of bad luck. He took fright at the starting machine when tbe barrier was released, and was badly left in consequence. Sydney Referee, commenting on the race, says :—“ Osculator had to chase his field at a great disadvantage, which he partly made up before all was over. He is greatly superior to those which ran in the race, and will show it later on.” I hope (and believe) he will. The colt had 7.3 in the race mentioned, and the distance (six furlongs) was reeled off in Imin 16£sec. I notice from the account received that Joe Gollagher did not have the mount, and that Osculator’s name was written in the “ 10 to 1 others ” section of the betting.

— I learn from English files that the American owner, Mr M. F. Dwyer, got off some heavy hits at the English pencillers when his gelding, Banquet 11., cantered away with a selling race at Newmarket. Mr Dwyer entered his horse to be sold at the lowest possible price under the conditions, 200sovs., which gave him a selling allowance of 321bs. As a matter of fact he could have given stones to all his opponents and then beaten them out of sight. Instead of that he met most of them on terms which gave him a big pull of the weights, and naturally the horse jogged home. Knowing what a “cert” he had, Mr’ Dwyer backed his animal for £4OOO and got long odds, the books laying him as much as 100 to 5 when the horses were r unning. After the race Banquet jvas bid up to 1510 sovs and was bought in by the owner.

Projectile, at whom George Wright fruitlessly cast envious gaze, was sold last week to Mr Jas. Thompson, the owner of Lochiel and Melds. A horse like Projectile should do famously at the stud, seeing that his pedigree is built bn two such great lines as the Chester and Musket strains.

The bookmaker is dead in New York so far as cash betting on the course is concerned, for th e last mail brings news that the Percy Bill has passed the Senate. Under this measure bookmaking is rendered a penal offence. This simply means that ere long the U.S.A, clubs will have to adopt the “ tote,” for the Percy Bill will deprive racing organisations of the very fat fees which they received in the past from the pencillers. Advocates of the machine have already raised their voices, as will be seen by a perusal of the accompanying expression of opinion by a leading New York racing and breeding authority. After declaring that no book will henceforth be seen on the track with which he is connected, the turfman quoted remarks :—“ I am in favour of pools and the French mutuels. Under this plan tampering with jockeys will be useless, and the abuses which have heretofore brought racing into disrepute will be abolished, and an era of honesty inaugurated that will place the sport upon the highest possible plane. All the sport in horseracing has been eliminated. The New York law will give back to the turf in the East its old time glory, and the time has come when we must do something to restore the sport to something like its former status in the West. If we do not abolish the bookmaker the lawmaking power will abolish us.” <

■ Atlas is nominal favourite for the Melbourne I and Caulfield Cups. ' “ A bentury ” to’ fbur was his quotation in Melbourne and Sydney when the ■ last mail left. Seekers after Truth, in the shape of early doubles, have seized on Atlas, Laundress; Vanitas, Tullamore, and Bruin as Caulfield Cup plums, and bracketed them with Ruenalf, Atlas, and Auraria for the Melbourne Cup. ‘ i ’ ''' Commenting upon the decline of the prosperity in turf matters in New York State this Spirit of the Times remarks:—“ln Australia, as here, there is an unmistakable re-action against the offering of stakes of phenomenal value. The cause for this retrograde ’movement, if such it may be called, seems to have been the same in both countries. A period of prosperity, both ip business and sporting affairs, a boom era in other words, brought about extravagant values on the turf that were normal while the boom lasted, but which became decidedly abnormal as soon as a time of adversity came. For the past two ibr three years there has been a noticeable paring down in the big Australian events, the latest cut been in the Melbourne Cup, which has beep reduced from 5,000 sovereigns. A reduction of from one-third to one-half has also been'made in many of the other events offered by the Victorian Racing Club, while similar reductions have beeii made by nearly all the other leading Australian associations.” If the Yankees and Australians want a return of their old time prosperity let them follow the example set by Maoriland and adopt the totalisator. With the machine at work there would be no necessity for paring down stakes. . r

“ .Umpire ” of Sydney Referee holds the best dozen in tbe .Caulfield Cup ape -4-tlas, Aquarius, Best power, Hopscotch, Bradford, Monastery,’ C,reme D’Orj Tullamore,&>yal Master, Vanitas,Valiant, and Aureus, His picks in the Melbourne C.up. are Aqu ar ius, Jeweller, Peculator, The - Harvester, Bessie McCarthy, Atlas, Nada, Bradford,. Wallftce,, Monastery, Laundress, and Auraria. ..“ Ajax”, the Melbourne representative of the same journal names the Caulfield dozen as follows—EiricLsforde, Sainfoin, The Possible, Havoc, Bonnie Scotland, Capstan, Best Bower, Strahan, St. Hippo, Hova, Ruepalf, and Vanitas. His Melbourne 'Cup contingent are Havoc, Ruenalf, Bonnie Scotland, Wallace, Cartridge, The Trier, Carnage, Elswick, lalanthus, Strahan, Music, and Carlton.