Sporting News.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 302, 7 May 1896, Page 6

Sporting News.

[by

REVIEWER.]

The old Botany race track at Sydney is to be sold. Mr Oxenham has sold Cabin Boy to a Queensland buyer. The Viceroy’s Cup is to be increased from 8,0001’3. to IO.OOOrs. Gemma di Vergy sired Courallie when he was twenty-seven years old. The death is chronicled of Sir Bevys, the winner of the 1879 English Derby. Retaliation and Lufra have now each won the Avondale double. Last year the former scored twice. 100 to 3 has been accepted about Red and Black for the next New Zealand Cup. Shillings or pounds ? The Roseberry Park Pony Club, Sydney, disqualified Jockey F. Porter, for two years, for foul riding. In our coursing columns will be found full and interesting particulars about the Dunedin Coursing Meeting. The handicaps for the Grand National Hurdle Race and Great Northern Steeplechase are due on Friday, 15th inst. The Illustrated Sporting Review can be obtained every week at Mr G. F. Mellar’s, jun., upper township, Coromandel. Subject to the approval of the Wellington Metropolitan Club, the Masterton-Opaki Club will hold a race meeting on the 14th May. Handicaps arc due by 4 p.m. on Friday, Sth inst., for the Takapuna meeting, including the Handicap Steeplechase on the second day. Zola, who won the North Canterbury Cup, is by St. Swithin, who was raced by the Hon. Geo. McLean. The Saint is by Cadogan—Malice. Royal Rose seems to be getting into a bit of nick again, judging by his recent racing about Sydney. However, at the best, he is not too reliable. R. Wheeler has a two-year-old brother to Waterbury in work at Hawera. He is inclined to be small, but I hope he will be more reliable than Waterbury. Trainers and owners are again reminded that acceptances and general entries for the Takapuna meeting close on Friday of this week. There are eight events that claim attention. Now that the shooting season is on, shootists requiring new material, or repairs to their guns, should communicate with W. H, Hazard, Gunmaker, 176 Queen-street, Auckland. The Rosehill Racing Club, Sydney, exhibited several different kinds of flowers, from the racecourse property, at the Granville School of Art Flower Show, and gained five first prizes. The committee of the Omahu Oat Racing Club (Hawke’s Bay), have postponed their meeting for a time. I presume the nags round that way don’t have to go short of oats in the meantime. “ Pakeha” says Mr E. (“ Teddy”) McElwain has purchased a five-ycar-old gelding by Ascot — Day Dawn mare, and understands that “ Teddy” intends taking up his residence in the Auckland district. At the Nelson meeting Mr F. Martin, of Wellington, disposed of Review (St. George —Rebecca) to Mr F. Trask, of Nelson, for 30 guineas. As a racehorse Review wasn’t worth much more than this sum. In a billiard match at Wellington last week, Shipton, of Wellington, in receipt of 600 out of 1000, defeated Weiss, the Australian champion, by 32 pointts. The loser’s beet break was 158, and the winner’s 36. We understand that plans are nearly completed for the new Grandstand at Takapuna, and, immediately after the Winter Meeting, tenders will be called for the erection of the building, besides other necessary improvements. Those who are filling up our treble coupons have further information to work upon this week, as the nominations for the Grand National Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase will be found in our nomination column. I must remind “ Pakeha ” that there are no unsightly stumps in the centre of the Manawatu course. "During the Spring a splendid crop of hay was obtained from a portion of the ground, while the balance was planted with potatoes. Lady Emily, who won the Avondale Hack Handicap, on Saturday last, is by Castor from Lady Wellington, own sister to Derringer, who is now standing at the Cobham Stud, England, for a limited number of mares at 25 guineas eaeh. Herr Probasco, whose “ talking horse ” Mahomet, was one of the principal attractions of Fitzgeralds’ Circus, has commenced business, so it is reported, at Gore (Invercargill) as a horse trainer. This is probably meant for *’ horse educator.” The Coolgardie people are to have the luxury of a race meeting. This will have some effect on the price of fast camels, which have hitherto provided “ a bit of racing.” The stakes are to total £l,OOO, the principal event being the Coolgardie Cup of £5OO. It is doubtful if Irish Twist will be forward enough in condition to start at the Wanganui Meeting. This will leave The Artist, who, lam pleased to hear, is getting into a bit of nick again, with only Waiuku to do battle against, as far as the famous trio af ex-hacks are concerned. The “ trio” met last year in the Winter Oats, one mile and a half, and the Irishman won.

It has been stated in one of the local daily papers that the totalisator at Avondale was worked by Messrs Blomfield and Co. The latter firm wish us to contradict the statement through our columns. Messrs Adams and Andrews worked the totalisator at Avondale.

The name Amazon, which Mr A. H. “ Jeffery ” of Wanganui has selected for his bay filly by Cap-a-pie—Waitoiara, which is nominated for the classic events at Wanganui, will be found in the Turf Register as late as 1893-4. Amazon, by Armourer, is owned in the Taranaki district.

Newhaven’s half-brother, Ocean (by Eridspord), is nominated for the Wanganui Two-year-old Stakes, to be run in March, 1897, and, also, for the Wanganui Derby, to be run in October, 1897. He is inclined to be angular in build, and will not, I fancy, be much more than 15.2 or 15.3.

Mrs Langtry has sold to Sir Charles Rivers Wilson, President of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, her beautiful home in London, 21, Pont Street, near Cadagon Place, presented to her in 1891 by the late Abingdon Baird, the wellknown sporting man. The house originally cost £32,000.

The V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase this year will be worth about £1,500. The committee have decided to add £l,OOO, and there will be a sweep of 20sovs each. For the May meeting, at Flemington, the Sydney plan of retaining entrance fees and allowing sweep for starters to go to swell the prize will be adopted. Now that the up-country horse, Clarence, is allowed to run at registered meetings, his owner should be instructed to put the numerals 11. after the name, or it will cause confusion to people out of the Auckland district. There is a Clarence nominated for the Great Northern Steeplechase, and many people will doubtless come to the conclusion it is the Canterbury Steeplechaser. Good men —that is, men of financial standing —are only too willing to pay any reasonable deposit, and, where this is adopted, it will have the immediate effect of shutting out the “ spieler ” element, the “ barnacles” of the Turf, as Detective Grace calls them. Where the “ spielers ” are tolerated in any numbers at these small meetings, the club running the meeting can be sure of a free fight before the programme is decided.

My advice to the smaller racing clubs that intend holding race meetings without the use of the totalisator is, if they are going to permit betting through the agency of bookmakers, to ask for a small license fee and ask for a fair amount to be deposited as a guarantee of good faith. If men intend to be honest they will pay the deposit, and if they have not sufficient capital to pay the license and deposit they should join the punters.

At the Sandon races one “ mushroom” bookmaker, towards the finish of the day’s racing, started “ balancing,” and the stewards were only sorry that they did not take a deposit from him before the races started. If they had done so they would have paid out his deposit pro rata to the backers that were “had” by him. The “ fleecing” business was aho successfully worked quite recently at a small meeting in the Auckland district.

Mr J. A. Goodson, of Hawera, no doubt innocently, has duplicated, the name of Doncaster, bestowed on his bay colt by St. Leger—Vivat, which is nominatod for the Wanganui Two-year-old Stakes and Derby. Doncaster, by St. Leger —Norma, bred by the late Mr Fletcher Harrison, raced on the Wanganui Coast tor some time, but during the last few seasons has been at the stud, and is now located at the Warrengate Estate, Fordell.

M. Tible, a French bookmaker, was arrested on the 19th September last for calling the odds at one of the important French race meetings. There was found upon him a sum of £240, which was confiscated, and on the 24th October he was sentenced to fifteen days’ imprisonment and a fine of 3,000 francs (£120). He appealed against the verdict, and though the case was tried on the 28th Fobruary, judgment was not given until the 13th March, when the conviction was confirmed, with costs.

Daimio was sent to England by the Orizaba, Carbonado going Home in the same boat. The two boxes are together, and the horses will be able to see each other through the gratings during the voyage, which of course wiil make them more contented. They are about as unlike as it is possible to find two horses. Carbonado (the son of Hotchkiss —Onyx) is very handsome, while even his most favourable critics cannot but admit that Daimio is plain. But “ handsome is as handsome does.” If Diamio wins the Liverpool Grand National next year no one will complain about his looks.

Racing people would have been ever so much more pleased if some shorter name had been selected for the bay filly by Somnus —Wairuareka, which is nominated for the Wanganui Two-year-old Stakes and Derby. Her owner, Mr S. M. Baker, is a Maori linguist, and can readily get. his tongue round Tetauoteate, but racing people will not be able to do so, and perhaps a good filly may get some silly nick-name that may not be pleasing to the owner. Again, if this filly should go to the stud, it will be difficult to to recollect her name, and this often makes a big difference to a breeder in many ways.

A change of programme is announced at the Opera House, where Alf. Lawton’s Company have been amusing the public all the week. But now the “ Laundry Pantomine” mast be seen, also Ouda, one of those acrobats who nearly takes one’s breath away by the way be. manipulates himself amongst the trapeses, &c., not to mention walking on a ladder, with his head hanging towards the floor, about the same as a fly would do. Little Florrie Ranger is aptly named the “ Child Wonder,” especially in her Coster business, which is excruciatingly funny and stamps her a clever child indeed.

J. Anwin, who won the Melbourne Cup on Bravo, has been engaged to ride Newhaven whenever he is the weight.. The working of the totalisator at the Avondale Meeting did not give general satisfaction. In the Avondale Stakes Handicap, won by Antares, the horses had compassed a considerable portion of the journey before the bell ceased ringing. Again, in the Steeplechase, it is alleged, the first horse had jumped the hurdle in front of the stand before the machine ceased its operations. This matter is one that should engage the attention of the committee, as it is of vital importance that the moment the horses leave the post no further transactions are recorded. No doubt the short interval between the races is responsible for the irregularity, but it should be no excuse. Mr J. T. Mowatt, chief inspector of stock at the Falkland Islands, writing of life on the islands to the Marlborough Express,lass amongst other chatty items the following : —“ I was at a race meeting at Darwin (the headquarters of the company’s station) on New Year’s Day. There were about twenty races run —distances 500 and was a regular Maori meeting; should estimate there 700yds ; whip and spur from start to finish. It were about 400 persons on the course; not s* bad, as any amount of us rode over sixty miles to get there. It rained hard all day, and there was no shelter, not even a tree. But the wetter these old Scotchmen got the more lively they became. This is easily accounted for, however, as every man had at least one bottle of mountain dew in his pocket.” The late Sydney Cup meeting was honoured, says “ Delaware,” by the presence of Prince Ratu, of Fiji. A racing friend of mine came across from Maoriland with Prince Ratu, and swears he was the best and whitest man on the ship. The Prince, who was educated in Sydney, is a real sport, and has won pretty well everything of importance down Fiji way. He bought the Sweet William —Diana filly [from Mr T. Morrin, we presume. —Ed. S.R.], out of the Tocal draft, and intends taking her along to his island and racing her there. Prince Ratu, who is a jolly, gentlemanly fellow, is inclined to judge our racecourse thieves as gentlemen, because they happen to be well dressed, and are plausiblo talkers. Two of these tale-tellers rooked the big-hearted Fijian of a few pounds over Hindoo’s race; he didn’t mind the money a bit, but was hurt t» think he had mistaken two useless blackguards for gentlemen. We publish an item of interest to those owners and trainers that have nominated for the Auckland Grand National Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase, and many, perhaps, who omitted to nominate. Anyway, the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club draw attention to their big winter Hurdle Race, of 200 sovs, worthy by value of being called a “ national,” and also the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase. Nominations for both these valuable races, close on Tuesday next with the secretary, Mr F. D. Luckie, Criterion Hotel, Napier. Now, the Auckland meeting is held on the 6th and Bth June, and the Hawke’s Bay on the 24th and 26th June. That just allows nice breathing time to those who contemplate putting in an appearance at Ellerslie, as they can ship direct from Auckland to Napier. The nomination for the Hurdle Race is only one sov, and the Steeplechase two sovs. When racing clubs offer good stakes, trainers, owners, and others interested should support such events, or else the clubs will not be able to keep up the money.

The late Mr Bruce Lowe thus refers to the defunct stallion Panic (who ended his days in Victoria, I think) in his recently published book o» the principles of breeding, entitled, “ Breeding Racehorses by the Figure System ” : —“ One of the most valuable stud horses ever imported to Australia was Panic (14), by Alarm (19), by Venison (11). Panic was from Queen of Beauty by Melbourne (1), by Humphrey Clinker (8), from Birthday by Pantaloon (17), from Honoria by Camel (24), son of Whalebone (1). Panie was well supplied with sire blood, and his best running strain being No 1., it was surely natural that he should have sired a high-class horse like Wellington (V.R.C. Derby) from imp. Frou-Frou (1) by Macaroni (14), Macaroni by Sweetmeat (21), son of Gladiator (22), son of Partisan, with two strains of Blacklock in his dam. Panic was also sire of a long-distance horse, Commotion (9). His dam was Evening Star, by Lord Clifden (2) by Newminster (8), from Maid of Derwent by Flatcatcher (3) from daughter of Belshazzar (11) by Blacklock (2). Commotion was a failure at the stud, notwithstanding his sire blood, but he had the misfortune to come from a family (9) which rarely ever produced a good sire from amongst its roll of many splendid sons.”

A useful hint for jockeys. “It is surprising how few riders are aware of the fact that whips are not flails to be slung around horses’ flanks at constant intervals, and that spurs are not. meathooks for indiscriminate use. Frequently you will see a rider treating his mount to assorted stabbings impartially distributed from shoulder almost to gaskin. Were his legs longer, one fancies that doubtless the animal would have had it in his eye us well. ‘He took up his whip and stopped his horse,’ is an old and ever-new saying. Fordham, perhaps the greatest judge of pace ever known, remarked one day to a youthful light-weight, j ust preparing to mount —‘ See here, my boy ; you’d better take off those spurs, and give me your whip to hold. When you get to the distance, So and-so will come at you. He can’t stay if he has too much to worry down,, and if you put your whip on your mount, then you’N take out all he has in him at once, and the other will beat you home. Ride with your hands at that pinch, steady your fellow, and you’ll just win.” The boy took the advice, and the prophecy panned out accurate. So-and-so did come at him ju-t inside the distance ; the light-weight remembered the injunctions, and hie rival turning it up in a few strides from home, he got his really-beaten mount first past the post.”— Sydney Truth.

George Fordham only won the English Derby once, and that was on Sir Bevys (in who died just recently.

Marino, in charge of R. Derrett, left Christchurch last week for the North. Derrett will ride the Roman-nose one in his engagements.

Mr H. O. Caulton, proprietor of the Pacific Hotel, Hastings, and owner of The Quilt filly, Sheet Lightning, who (with Mrs Caulton) has been spending a holiday of a few weeks in Auckland, returned to Hastings, via Napier, by the Burrumbeet on Tuesday.

The other day (says the Hawera Star) our sporting contnbu'or, “ Sentinel,” wondered what had come of the Egmont Hunt Club. This, it is pleasing to hear, is by no means languishing, and will come out this season stronger and belter equipped than it did last year. Since Mr Nelson Mcßae, the late master, left the district (he is in Palmerston North studying dentistry) little has been heard of the Club. A meeting wili be held shortly to elect a master, and we hear that a S’oposal will be made to locate the kennels at awera, as being the most central place, and the hounds would occasionally visit Waverly, Patea, Inglewood, and New Plymouth, and it is needless to say that the hunting enthusiasts in these places would look forward with pleasure to the runs.

The practice of “ lightening up girths,” after competitors for a race have done their preliminaries and are in the straight running, says “ Terlinga,” is becoming very prevalent again. It was particularly noticeable at Mentone the other day. That there is no legitimate excuse for this final girth-tightening is proved by the fact that you never see the trainers of horses which are always known to be trying rushing out to look to the tackle at the last moment. In nine cases out of ten it may be taken for granted that the practice is resorted to simply with the object of letting the jockey know whether the commisson has been satisfactorily worked or not. In Sydney, the A.J.C. some time ago set its face against the practice, but on Saturday the rider of a starter in the Hurdle Race infringed the rule bearing on the subject. He was called before the stewards, and received six months’ suspension. Something of the sort is also wanted in New Zealand. The clerk of the course should have instructions for everyone (bar himself of course) to be off the track after the first horse makes his appearance.

There is a general idea that to be “ in the know ” on the Turf is almost to ensure a fortune (says an English writer). A greater fallacy never was known ; and, paradoxical as it may seem, the man who knows the least is the man who knows the most. A great trainer, who has over and over again won great races on which hundreds of thousands of pounds were betted, might be supposed to be well “in the know.” I cannot, however, call to mind a single instance of a trainer who was a rich man, as the term “ rich man ” is understood. The greatest of all }he trainers was John Scott, whose will did not add much to the Exchequer. There a;e a few instances of trainers who died worth twenty or thirty thousand pounds, but that is a mere flea-bite looking at the money that passed through their hands every year, and the savings represented less than £lOOO per annum. No trainer ever died what I call a rich man. John Day died worth nothing, and he had for years one of the greatest stables in the kingdom. Joseph Dawson, who had a big stable fnll of horses, left about £30,000 behind him, £20,000 of which was laid out on Bedford Lodge, which produces an annual rental of nearly £2OOO. The late Alec Taylor, who trained a Derby winner as long ago as 1861, and was for a time believed to be abnormally rich, accumulated only about £30,000. What men who are still living are worth it would be impertinent on my part to speculate upon, but I put only two or three over £30,000.

“Deleware,” in Sydney Truth, tells the following good story about J. E. Brewer’s father and Robert the Devil, sire of Mr Gollan’s horse Ebor: —“ When I was young and fresh I used to travel about the country backing horses with men of genial temperament, and the same occupation, who, when broke, ‘ mixed it’ to some extent — that is, if they couldn’t find a winner they found a watch, or something of value before it was lost. A name in the old betting-book reminds me of an incident that occurred at an up-country meeting many years ago. Mr J. Brewer, senior, owned a good colt, named Robert the Devil, by Maribyrnong from Cremorne. He was nominated for the principal handicaps at Cobar, and a well-known bookmaker had backed him for a hundred or two. The day of the acceptances arrived, but ‘ the Devil’ or his owner had not. As the secretary was making out a list of the acceptors the bookmaker strolled into the room, and noticing that Robert the Devil was not among them, paid the 2 sovs acceptance, though it was just half an hour after closing time. I suppose it cost him a couple more to square the acting-official. When the little piece of business was over the bookmaker got a good ‘ pitch’ in Toy’s bar, and calmly waited, with the rest of the inhabitants, the advent of tbe acceptances. When they were posted it was seen that Robert the Devil was among them, and there were plenty anxious to back him. Our friend accommodated them, but had hardly finished betting several hundreds over his book, when up rode Brewer’s envoy to accept for the horse. He had been detained, and imagine his delight at learning that some kind friend had accepted for the horse. And imagine the bookmaker’s feelings when hearing that Robert was a sure starter. He tried to get his money back, but failed, and Robert, ridden by tiny Jack Brewer, the now celebrated steeplechase rider, won the double. After he had completed the second leg, the bookmaker • blew the gaff,’ and then there was a rumpus, and from that day to this neither stakes nor bets have been paid.

Before Mr Filgate joined the Fishers, he raced on his own account, and owned a horse named The Barber. This horse was shipped per s.s. Admilla from Adelaide to Melbourne, where he was engaged in the first Champion Race, which was eventually won by the late W. C. Yuille’s Flying Buck. Mr Filgate missed his passage by that boat, and was compelled to wait for the next. The Admilla was wrecked, and The Barber swam thirteen miles to the shore. Mr Hurtle Fisher, his brother, and a friend, Mr Rochford, were passengers, and they hung on to the ship’s rigging for about a week before they were rescued. Mr Fisher’s brother was swept away, as were many others, and drowned. Mr Rochford held Mi’ Fisher up for nearly twenty-four hours before succour came, and the terrible experience almost killed the popular squatter, and he was compelled to go to E* gland for a year to recover. The Barber swam ashore all right, and recovered sufficiently to run in the Champion Race, and was heavily backed by the weak-minded of the dav. They looked upon his escape as miraculous, as it was, and it was argued that it was the hand of Providence that did it in order that he might win the Champion for an honest man, and so castigate the cunning “ guns.” Even clergymen came their quid on him, but disappointment was their lot, as the horse ran last; and then the fact dawned on his backers that Providence bad no hand in saving the horse, but that it was the old gee’s courage and swimming powers shat did the trick.—“ Delaware.”

Dave Gideon is getting a taste of his own medicine. When Phil Dwyer said certain things of Mr Gideon, that gentleman felt so aggrieved that he sued Dwyer for a vg7y Urge amount of money for damages sustained for alleged defamation of character (says The Horseman}. Now Jockey Scherrer is suing Gideon for £4,000 for the self-same reason. At New Orleans Gideon backed Campania for a large amount, and the filly, with Scherrer up, finished nowhere. Then Gideon tempted fortune again, backing Billy M’Kenzie, who finished third, Scherrer again up. Gideon then openly charged that Scherrer had pulled his mounts, and Scherrer has entered suit to recover the amount stated. It is to be regretted that there are none too many honest jockeys on the American turf, and it is much more to be regretted that American conditions favour the putting of horses in races simply for work; but it is far too fashionable for bettingmen when they lose their money to charge jockeys with dishonesty, and a wholesome lesson administered in the shape of large damages by a court and jury would go far towards checking this evil. It would be far bettei’ if a bettor, having lost his money through what he believes to be a fraudulent ride, would go to work and discover the actual facts in the case, instead of delivering himself of sagacious utterances reflecting upon the character of the rider. Then, if he finds that the horse was actually pulled, let him present all the evidence to the judges or stewards and have the boy set down for good, thus ridding the Turf of one undesirable character. It is easier, however, to assuage ruffled and lacerated feelings by a free use of the English language, and the jockeys, in most cases, have to stand and take it.