Sporting News.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 299, 16 April 1896, Page 6

Sporting News.

[by

REVIEWER.]

Count Lamont broke down at the Dargaville Meeting. Old Chester changed hands during the Dargaville Meeting.

Barmby struck himself badly in a gallop last Friday morin ng. I am pleased to hear that Mr S. Bradly’s colt, Armour, is in work again at Randwick. Handicaps for the Egmont Winter Meeting are due on or about Friday. 24th April. A resident of Greymouth has had the good fortune to draw 7 the third horse in the Sydney Cup in Tattersall’s sweep.

Goodwood (by Ascot—Maid of Eccleston, by The Pain er) has been sold in Christchurch for 14gs.. That’s little enough money, surely, for a stallion.

It is rumoured that Stepfeldt is to retire at once to the paddock, and will not be raced any more this reason, but will take up stud duties next season.

Mr E. Lawrence has purchased the pony Mn.vourneen (by Anteros) from Mr J. Clements. The little chestnut mare showed good form at our late meeting. In the Grandstand Handicap at the A.R.C. Meeting a protest. was lodged, by the owner of Romp, against St. Kilda for crossing, but was promptly dismissed. The sale of 123 thoroughbred yearlings, at the Randwick autumn sales this year, realised 9328 guineas, as compared with 117 yearlings and 8421 guineas last year.

Ngatuere and Ebor 11. were heavily backed for the two principal events at Feilding, but the luck which formerly attended Homes’ stable seems to have departed. Cartridge (full-sister to Derringer), who was shipped from Auckland to England, missed last season to theDukeof Westminister’s Blue Green, and this year has xisited Orme.

Swordfish was backed by his connections pretty heavily in two hack races at Feilding, and, in his third race, when he won and paid £l5 dividend, they let him go quite unbacked.

The stable took upwards of £6OO from the totalisator over Man-o’-War’s victory in the Keilding Handicap, but. the second day’s investments on the same horse were unremunerative.

The Mimi (Taranaki) Racing Club have had their programme of seven events and £42 stake monev passed by the Taranaki Metropolitan Club, and the meeting -will be held on May 25th. Local sports will be able to enjoy an afternoon’s fun at Potter’s Paddock on Saturday, when the Auckland Polo Club will bring off their Annual Sports and Races. First event starts at 1.30 p.m.

Mr J. Paul has sent Cretonne (Ascot —Leonessa) to “ Ted ” Gilpin, at Napier, who will hunt the big chestnut, after which he may be given a trial in some of the back-end steeplechases. The owners of Diamio are sanguine that the splint lameness, from which the crack steeplechaser is suffering, will have nearly worn off by next month so as to permit, the horse being shipped by the Orizaba. Bombshell is at the head of winning two-year-olds this season so far, his earnings totalling £lOl7. Our local two-year-olds are well up on the list ; St. Paul £736, and Armilia £577 ; Porangi Potae £l2B ss. One jockey was brought before the stewards at Riccarton on Tuesday week, and as he was carrying too much inside weight, in the shape of liquid refreshment, his license was cancelled over the meeting.— The Spectator. Messrs. McLeod and Cleland, having had enquiries for quotations on the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, they have decided to open a double book, and have agreed to quote the tempting price of lOOti to 1 on the field. The appeal lodged by Mr J. B. Williamson against the action of the Takapuna Jockey Club in declaring “ no race ” in the Hobson Handicap, in which Admiral Hawke came in first, has been dismissed by the Auckland Racing Club. Some southern papers say that Mr Stead’s sale was not quite so “ unreserved ” as advertised, but it afforded him an opportunity of getting rid of what he did not ivant. W ell, he may regret parting with mares like Enid, Auray, and Siesta. Acme (by Chester—Princess Maud, imp.), dam of Acmena, Arquebus, and Acton, died suddenly the other day at the Kirkham Stud ; while, at the same stud, about the same time Aurelia (by Musket) died from snake bite. Aurelia was dam of Aurea. Wo are likely to have a choice sort of field for our Grand National Hurdles in June. Flying Shot, if he keeps well, will be a visitor; St. Kilda is having a little practice, and Donald McKinnon remains here until the meeting. I shall also expect to see Docility. The C.J.C. paid away a total of £3,396 ss. i* stakes in connection with their Autumn meeting, the principal winners being: Mr G. G. Stead, £1,268 ss. ; Hon. J. D. Ormond, £959 10s. ; Mr 11. Vallance, £456 : Mr M. Hobbs, £147 55.; Mr J. Curran, £133; Mr S. J. Mercer, £ll4. The Anti-Gambling League had no chance of stopping racing in England, but. a great outbreak of that deadly epidemic, small-pox, has prevented the Gloucester races and other sports being held. Now, if any of these Anti-Gambling Leaguers and wrongly-informed parsons desire to wipe out “ all evils, ’ let several of their league be inoculated with small-pox. This seems to be the only chanee they have of stopping the great national sport.

Handicaps for the Wanganui Steeplechase Meeting are due on or about Tuesday, 28th April.

It is said the bookmakers lost ov r £B,OOO by the Australian Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting. It is strange we don’t get tbeir winning figures foi other meetings. By the song that is being made over their losses, one would be Ld to the conclusion that they are never supposed to lose. J. Mulry, the well-known Sydney cross-country horseman, who was severely injured, when J hor fell with him in the la‘t Posehill Steeplechase, died in the Paramatta Hospital on Easter Mon day. He was 26 years of age and had been connected with Mr AV. Kelso’s stable for a long time. The Avondale Jockey Club are out wi'h a programme for Saturday, 2nd May. when £3OO will be distributed between eight events. Train rs should read the programme carefully, as there is an excellent chance of obtainining “ winter oats from among the varied events. The nominations close on Friday of this week.

The local agents, Mesrrs L. D. Na'han and Co., notify by advertisement that the s.s. Anglian will leave Auckland for Sydney on Monday, 20th inst, at 4 p.m., and the s.s. Tasmania leaves Auckland for Gisborne, Napier. Wellington, Lyttleton, and Dunedin on Tuesday, 21st inst, at 12 noon.

The Wairarapa Observer, referring to the betting at the Wairarapa Easter Meeting, says that the odds laid,were by no means large.” The representative of our contemporary should have been at the Sandon Meeting; it became quite monotonous hearing “ 6 to 4 ” called out so often, with a 10 to 1 limit, in nearly every race.

Hova is said to be a rig, but all the same is a “ papa.” I never heard that he had served any mares, but I suppose the “par” is truthful enough. Any class of horse cut “ proud” is always healthier, has better constitution, and more pluck and spirit than those that are cut so close that they have to be dosed with sweet-nitre for the rest of 1 heir days. Breeders, owners, and trainers are reminded that nominations for the Auckland Royal Stakes of 500 sovs, six furlongs, and the Great Northern Champagne Stakes of 300 sovs, six furlongs, close with Mr Wm. Percival, secretary A.R.0., at his office, on Friday, 17th inst. The advertisement containing particulars of these races will be found in another column.

All the trainers speak in high terms of the s.s. Gairloch as one of the most steady boa’s obtainable for carrying racehorses, and “all hands ” on board are only too willing to assist in the shipping and landing of the horses and as they have had considerable experience in this kind of cargo between New Plymouth and Auckland, their assistance is very valuable. The stewards of the Waipukuran Jockey Club had an easy thing in protests to decide at tbeir Easter meeting. The owner of Hilda TI. lodged a protest against Billy (the winner of the Hurdle Race) for not jumping the hurdle in front of the Grand Stand. It they could not decide accurately, upon a protest like that, spectacles would have to be ordered for the stewards. The protest was dismissed.

Another coupon will be found in this week’s Review. . Our readers are asked to try and select the winners for the Takapuna Birthday Handicap (one mile and a quarter), A.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race (two miles), and the Great Northern Steeplechase (about three miles and a haif). The former race will be decided on May 23rd, and the two latter races at the June meeting of the Auckland Racing Club. At the Randwick Autumn sales of yearlings, I notice the Squire of Wellington Park bought one Tocal-bred youngster, a filly by Sweet William — Diana, by Goldsborough. Mr Dan O’Brien bought from the same stud a chestnut colt by Goldsborough —Ta-Ta, by Segenhoe. The yearling brown colt that Mr W. R. Wilson purchased for 300 gs is a full brother to Etra-Weenie, being by Trenton —Nellie, not Nellie Moore as cabled.

Mr W. T. Jones who gave 2,000 gs for Newhaven is an unlucky buyer. It will be remembered he gave 2,000 gs for Penance, who did one great gallop with Carbine (I think that performance cut the 2,000 gs out). Then he gave 1,500 gs for Capstan, presumably to win the last Caulfield Cup, but has not returned his purchase money yet. A gentleman that “ puts the dust down handsome, like,” deserves to have the best horse in the land.

The Dunedin Coursing meeting commences on the 29th inst, the first event being the Dnncdin Challenge Stakes. Several Auckland greyhounds will make the journey, c msequently great interest locallv, is being taken in the meeting. With such greyhounds as Shylock, The Fiend, Cusbla, Doris, Asco’, and Myrtle taking a hand, the local kennels ought to score a win, Several of our local metallicans leave next Monday to assist at the gathering.

It is said that Sir George Clifford contemplates retiring from the turf. If ever a man has proved his gameness in continuing racing, with the luck he has had, it is Sir George, but, m a friendly way, our “ office boy” suggests the employment of another trainer—the same as Mr G. G. Stead did when his luck had run out. How did the Talisman (R. J. Mason) work ? Nearly scooped the pool at the next C.J.C. Spring Meeting (Lochiel’s year) with the same horses that were being beaten before. Poor old Ted Cutts’ luck seems dead out, and when that happens in a racing stable you have to turn round three times, several times during the day, don’t look at crosseyed people or magpies, turn your money over, but not the saltcellar, when the new moon comes in and shake hands with every “chow” you meet, and so on, for a few years — until your luck returns. Racing stables have periods of good and bad luck; and when the former is in, “ yer can’t go wrong,” and when it is out everything goes topsyturvey. Then, Sir George, give Stonyhurst chance in another district, then success might come back bright and smiling once more.

A meeting was held at Waitara on Friday last, when it was decided to submit a programme (no totalisator) of seven events, prize money £45, to the Taranaki Metropolitan Club for approval. The date proposed for the race-meeting is Thursday, May 21st.

Kalo, bred by Mr J. Lee in New South Wales, in 1879, by Yattendon, dam Gipsy Girl (Rindwick’s dam), by imp. Kingston, died at Gisborne recently. He was brought to Auckland In 1882 when two years old, and when in training was a complete “ frost,” but he managed to get ho ne in a race at the Auckland meet ing of April, 1885, and paid a dividend of £251 14s. He was not a success at the stud, although he had few good mares, and the only one of his get of any note is The Sharper.

This week we publish the Auckland Racing Club’s programme for the North New Zeal •. nd Grand National Steeplechase Meeting, to be held at Ellerslie on Saturday, 6th June, and Monday, Bth June. To ownersand trainers ot steeplechase and hurdle horses, there is an abundance of wellendowed races provided for them. The Grand National Hurdle Race prize is £250, and the Great Northern Steeplechase Handicap £4OO. Wanganui, coastal, and southern trainers, who contemplate a trip to Auckland in June, will find the programme very intere-ting reading. Mr John Coyle was complimented by the Wairarapa spor's upon the excellence of his handicaps for the Easter Meeting, the large acceptances received, and the splendid racing that eventuated. I wish Mr Coyle success in his new undertakipg, which he may perhaps be able to work in with something else. Another handicapper is required for the hack meetings on the Wanganui coast, one that can attend the majority of the hack-meetings and see how the various horses run, as owners, on the score of expense, ere beginning to tire of “ gues i work” handicaps.

The cableman informs us that Newhaven’s easy win in the Easter Handicap at the A.J.C. Meeting, as compared with his defeat in the Champagne Stakes, caused considerable comment, and there was a demonstration against the horse and owner. The Jockey Club decided to enquire into Newhaven’s running and also into the riding of Courallie by Delaney in the Allaged Stakes, the owner of Courallie having asked for an enquiry. Since the above was cab ed over the committee of the A.J.C has derided that the charge against Delaney had not been substantiated, and also that the evidence given explained the apparent inconsistent running of Newhaven.

Besides over a hundred yearlings sold at the Autumn sales at Randwick, a n tuber of aged horses have changed hands. Dunlop, the Melbourne Cup winner, went cheap enough at 160 gs, but Chesterman may not be a bargain at the same price. Laura (bv Niagara —Cerise and Bine) was surely given away at 190 gs after her recent performances, while Stromboli fetched good value at 250 gs. Courallie (Gemma di Vergy —Honeymoon) topped the sale with GOOgs, the Indian horsedealer, Mr Uphill, w >o has bought a large number of horses lately for the 1 ndian stables, being the purchaser.