Turf Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 262, 1 August 1895, Page 6

Turf Topics.

[By

Reviewer.]

The stallion Piscatorious (by Traducer) is dead. Annual Meeting of the A.R.C. next Monday. Brown Mantle’s owner, Mr G. S. Budge, has returned from the Sydney side. The next meeting of the Racing Conference has been fixed for November 4th.

The Australian racehorses Donation and Mataura have been sold to an Indian buyer. Southern files bring news of the death of Mrs. D. Munn, wife of the well-known trainer. War Dance (by Sword Dance) has been successfully schooled over the Riccarton hurdles.

Fabulous (by Leolinus —Atlantis) will be put up to auction at Hunter and Nolan’s on the 9th inst.

The trotting stallion, Albert Victor, will do a season’s serving at Mr Paul’s Mangere establishment.

Jim Hickey had his eye badly cut last week through over indulgence in the seductive game of snow-balling.

Final payments for the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase and Hurdle Race are due next Monday. If the J. B. Sutton stable races during the coming season the string will not be handled by the old trainer.

Reports of the Wanganui and Manawatu Racing Clubs and Hawkes Bay Trotting Club appear elsewhere.

Reports received re North Atlantic state he is in wonderfully good condition considering the unfavourable season.

Safeguard, holder of the half mile record, has again taken up active work with the members of the Chokebore team. Katterns will have at least three mounts at the Riccarton National Meeting, viz., Despised, Marechal Neil, and Ulster. „ Edward Cutts, the Riccarton trainer, has sufficiently recovered from his bout with sciatica to show up on the track. With heavy snow in Christchurch and Dunedin, Grand National candidates should not be too forward on the Bth and 10th inst.

There has been no New Zealand Cup betting of note during the week. Backers are waiting for the acceptances, due to-morrow. “ Oileus ” forwards a copy of his racing statistics for season 1894-95. As usual this turf statistician’s work is exhaustive and correct.

The St. Leger—Puwerewere colt purchased for 30 guineas at the last Wellington Park Sale is being handled by McGuiness, the Dunedin trainer.'

As Norton, Liberator, and Mutiny were very forward when they reached Riccarton they should have all the best of the Southern horses. The latter cannot have had much exercise slipped into them of late.

Despite the fearful weather experienced down South old Liberator is said to be in great form. My Dunedin confrere wires :—“Lib. was never better in his life.” It has been said that J. B. Williamson has accepted an engagement to train down Napier way. This is incorrect—at least up to date. The trainer in question was offered a Napier string during his recent coastal visit, but so far he has not closed with the offer and will not make any arrangement until after the New Zealand Grand National Meeting. Then he may remove from Auckland, and in all probability his first move will be to take a team to the Sydney side.

The trotting mare Rita, recently bought by Mr. V. Harris for £lOO, has gone into A. J. Keith’s stable at Christchurch. 9

The trotting mare Katie M? has been sold by Mr M. Gleeson to Mr Malet of New Brighton. Gleeson will look after the mare until he returns to Australia.

Hampton’s six-year-old son, Bushey Park, won the Liverpool Cup on the 25th ult. The race was worth 1000 sovs, and was run over a mile and three furlongs. The V.R.C. Derby winner of 1881, Darebin, was named after a small creek close to Mill Park, the racing stable of the Messrs. Miller Brothers, which is situated some thirteen miles outside Melbourne. v

The first foaling at Wellington Park is due in about a week, when Sunrise is expected to produce to Castor. Lt is rather appropriate that a mare called Sunrise should be the earliest matron to foal.

. Under the Gambling Act recently passed by the Queensland Legislative Assembly anyone managing or advertising a lottery will be liable to a fine of £lOO or imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for six months. It is said the Stratford Racing Club have failed to come to terms with Mr Mehaffy re the price of the Bushford Park racecourse and that the owner of the property has decided to cut it up into small sections and dispose of it in that way.

The cable tells us the Duke of Portland has invited fifty turf writers to inspect Carbine. That means half a hundred pocket-books crammed with well-merited praise—and gush, the former for the horse and the latter for the Duke.

The financial statement of the V.R.C. shows that the club is slowly but steadily working off its huge liability. During the yeai the “Overdraft was reduced by £3,200, and the committeemen hope to wipe off £7,000 during the ensuing year. The liabilities are set down at £31,000.

. • The following are the nominations in connection with next Monday’s election of A.R.O. committeemen Mr. H. H. Hayr (proposed by Mr. D. T. Catternaeh, seconded by Mr. M. Levy), Mr. N. A. Nathan (proposed by Mr. A. Kidd, seconded by Mr. E. D. Benjamin), Mr. John Kirkwood (proposed by Mr. J. Marshall, seconded by Mr. J. Gallagher), Mr. W. McLaughlan (proposed by Mr. R. H. Duder, seconded by Mr. H. O. Nolan), Mr. A. Buckland (proposed by Mr. T. Morrin, seconded by Mr. H. T. Gorrie), Mr. R. R. Duder (proposed by Mr. H. O. Nolan, seconded by Mr. Gorrie), Mr, A. Clark (proposed by Mr. Morrin, seconded by Mr. J. Kirkwood).

liThe Extremists in the House of Representatives say they are going to make people moral by Act of Parliament in the matter of betting and drinking. Well, they may perform the task, but the weight of experience is sadly against their chances of success. The habits of Englishmen are not easily eradicated, whether it be in betting or drinking. As lago said in referring to the Anglo-Saxon’s desire for spirituous refreshment “ Your Englishman is most potent in his potting,” and the same quaint phrase can hold good in the “ potting ” known on the racecourse i.e. the desire to make a pot of coin. Shakespeare recognised the futility of trying to make us moral by Acte of Parliament, but then he was never confronted with a Hutchison or a Carnell.

A picture of Emmalea, winner of the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles, appears in a recent number of the Australasian, and shows that the daughter of The Gondolier is on the small side and very lightly built. Yet she carries weight and stays famously. Australia’s crack hurdle horseman, J. E. Brewer, has a high opinion of Mr Gollan’s pair, Ebor and Busaco. He considers the former the best hurdling performer over a short course that he has ever ridden, and of all the chasers he has ridden Busaco was, in his opinion, the best over a distance.

During last season the successful riders of Auckland trotting horses were headed by Mr. E. G. Sandall, who had 28 mounts, resulting in 11 firsts, 7 seconds, and 10 thirds. Mr. Sandall included amongst his wins the Auckland Trotting Cup, the A.T.O. President’s Handicap, and the Otahuhu Trotting Cup. Mr Gollan’s champion ’chaser Norton will be accompanied by Ebor when he leaves for England next, month. The Liverpool Steeplechase will be Norton’s ultimate mission. If he scores in the C. J.C. National Steeples this day week the English handicappers will probably load him out of the famous Liverpool event.

The fractional time by quarters of the Latonia Derby, one of the big races of the American turf, was as follows : —2sf, 24J, 25J, 26|, 26|, and 25 j, the clock stopping at 2min 34|sec. Lamplighter holds the U.S.A, mde and a half record with 2min but it was done on a straighaway track under a burden of 1091bs. Halma’s time was done under 1271b5, and his track was not so favourable as that on which Lamplighter’s

The annual elections of general secretary and two members of each divisonal committee of the North Auckland Racing Association resulted as follows :—General Secretary : Mr. N. A. McLeod, of Dargaville; Eastern Divisional Committee : Mr. Norman L. Mclnnis, of Hikurangi ; Mr. T. W. Taylor, of Whangarei, Western Divisional Committee : Mr. George Nairn, of Dargaville; Captain J. Seymour, of Te Kopuru. The eastern election was conducted by Mr. G. Clark-Walker, Whangarei, while Mr. A. Wilson, Dargaville’, conducted the western election. A meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club Committee will be held to-morrow (Friday) when consideration will be given to the statements made by M. Edwards in connection with the dispute between the Auckland Trotting Club and the Canterbury Trotting Club. The authorities of the local body state it has come to their knowledge that Edwards, when questioned by the Canterbury stewards as to his action in riding at Potter’s Paddock in spite of the Canterbury Trotting Club disqualification, asserted that the Auckland Committee gave him permission to ride. Their assertion is that the matter never came before them, but that Edwards was told unofficially that if the Canterbury Trotting Club wrote concerning his disqualification they (the Auckland stewards) would have to refuse him permission to ride. If Edwards told the Canterbury Trotting Club authorities that the Auckland Club gave him formal permission to disobey the injunction of the Southern Club it is easy to understand the extreme step recently taken by it re the Auckland organisation. The Auckland Trotting Club people lay the blame of the whole matter on Edwards who will find it hard to defend the action he is stated to have taken.

It is said that Fairchild, the Black Rose— Hinemoa horse, is under offer to a Northern studmaster. The dam of Fairchild who was got in 1888, was bred by Mr G. G. Stead in 1878. Her breeding is Totara, her dam Amohia, by imp. Towton out of Anticipation, by imp. Ravensworth. The late V.A.T.C. Secretary, Mr Harrie Smith, was an enthusiastic follower of the hounds in the sixties and seventies. Mr Smith won the Drag Hunt Race on the Flemington course in October, 1868. The distance of the race was four miles over the steeplechase course, and Mr Smith landed his mount a winner twenty lengths behind the last hound. Entries fell due for the Hawke’s Bay Stakes of 500 sovs, to be decided at the 1897 Autumn meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. I’he nominations received number 159. The Wellington Park breeder, Mr Thos. Morrin, is the principal nominator with 35 entries, the Hon. J. D. Ormond is next with 10, Messrs W. M. Broughton and G. G. Stead have 8 each, and Major George, Capt. Russell, Mr S. H. Gollan, and Mr W. Douglas have 6 each. Jockey Katterns went South on Monday with J. B. Williamson’s trio Despised, Marechai Neil, and Uls'er. Despised’s old pilot, A. Williams, also accompanied the team, but Katterns will do the riding. I understand the three horses are in the market and that should no buyers be forthcoming in Canterbury they will be taken to Sydney. Ballyhooley is being worked thereon lease by P. Nolan, who got damaged so badly a short time back, so it is on the cards that Williamson may take a spell in Sydney for a while and join forces with Nolan. !

At the end of 1895 the sweep promoters on the other side will find the Queensland gates closed against them. Where will Tatt. next turn his steps to ? Noumea in all probability. The bookmakers have applied to the Manawatu R.C. for permission to call straight-out odds on the Club’s course during the coming season. No decision hasryet been arrived at re the matter.

The Lancaster Park Amateui- Trotting Club’s meeting was held last Thursday on a course sodden with rain. The sum of £2BBB was passed through the totalisator. The following were the results: —Maiden Handicap (saddle) of 30 sovs, two miles.—Zehan 18s, 1. Time, 6min 32|sec. Dividend, £9 16s. Pony handicap (harness) of 30 sovs, two miles.—Mambrino Abdallah 51s, 1; Doris 20s, 2 ; Miss Sligo 48s, 3. Time, lOmin 56£sec. Dividend, £6 16s. Winter Handicap (saddle) of 110 sovs, two miles.—Pauline 20s, 1. Five- others started. Victor came in first, but a protest for not trotting fairly was upheld. Time, smin 44sec. Dividend, £5 12s. Maiden Handicap (harness) of 40 sovs, two - miles. —Cynthia 225, 1; Burwood Bess 225, 2. Time. 6min 34£sec. Dividend, £3 16s. Lancaster Park Handicap (harness) of 120 sovs, three miles. — Joe 41s, 1; King’s Errand 51s, 2. Four others started. Won by 100 yards. Time, 9min 2sec. Dividend, £lO 4s. Selling Handicap (harness) of 40 sovs, one mile.—My Dream 6s, 1; Westleigh 3s, 2. Time, 3min 13sec. Dividend, £4 14s. Dash Handicap (harness) of 40 sovs, one mile.—Alice 225, 1. Time, 3min 12sec. Dividend, £1 10s. Electric Handicap (saddle) of 40 sovs, one mile.—Maggie 10s, 1; Commotion 6s, 2 ; King’s Errand 13s, 3. Time, 2min 55sec. Dividend, £4 2s.

Mr J. F. Cruickshank reports N.Z. Cup prices (on offer) as follows : —lOO to 8 Skirmisher j 100 to 7 Mahaki, Pegasus, Impulse; 100 to 6 Rip Van Winkle, Prime Warden, North Atlantic, Magazine, Gipsy Grand ; 100 to 5 Saracen, Casket, Marino, Waiuku, Lady Zetland; 100 to 4 St. Hippo, The Possible, Lottie, Royal Rose, Missfire, Solitaire; 100 to 3 Bessie McCarthy, Spindrift, Osculator, Pounamu, Westmere, Golden Plover, Sternchaser, Bonnie Scotland, Aidershot; 100 to 2 Deadshot, St. Regel, Silver Spec, The Artist, Banner. Good reports reach me re Victim the Dunedin horse that is engaged in the Maiden Hurdles and the Grand National Hurdles at the forthcoming C.J.C. Meeting. If Victim can jump he should win the Maiden fencing event and if he does so the history of the last two C.J.C National meetings argues a prominent run f'>r him in the Grand National Hurdles. It will be remembered that when Liberator won the event forjjmaidens in 1893-94 he also triumphed in the big hurdles, and last year Barnardo after winning the former race acted as runner-up in the Grand National fencing contest.

A deputation consisting of the Hon. G. (McLean, and Messrs Wilson, O’Regan, G. "W. Russell, Stevens, and Lawry, M.H.R.’s waited on the Minister of Railways last week for the purpose of requesting him to convey racehorses to and from race meetings at single rates. In supporting the request Mr Stevens pointed out that Australia and India gave the concession asked for, and the Hon. G. McLean reminded the Minister that the (Reputation only asked for racehorses what was already granted to stock sent to agricultural shows. The’"Minister promised to go fully into the question.

The Sharper will not contest the flat races at the Riccarton jumping meeting, Mr Caulton having decided to scratch him. The weight could not have been the trouble for with only 10.0 in the Winter Handicap the Kalo horse was very well treated. Mr Justice Grantham, in delivering judgment in the appeal case re the Albert Club (England) betting cases said“ Betting is not illegal, it is the keeping of a house for improper betting which was illegal, and which was aimed at. If a person joined a club of this kind manifestly for the purpose of meeting other members, it must be assumed that he knew something about betting, and that he was not one of those imprudent persons aimed at by this statute. It might be ' that he went to his club to learn something, it might be to acquire information for his benefit elsewhere, and enable him to make bets elsewhere. He (the judge) did not know why he should not do it, so far as any statute was concerned. That being the position of the respondent in this case, the persons who belonged to the club so long established, and where they had their regular dinners provided, and newspapers, and other things, went to the club for the purpose of enjoying it as a club, and they chose to bet together. The circumstances of this case were not like any of the others that had been mentioned, aud it did not come within the four corners of the Act of Parliament. Under these circumstances, although the question had been before the court indirectly on many occasions, nothing had fallen from any judge that he was aware of who had such an instance as this brought before him to show that it would come within the Act of Parliament. In his judgment, the appeal must be dismissed.”