Sporting News.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 322, 24 September 1896, Page 6

Sporting News.

[By

Reviewer.]

There will be racing again at Randwick on Saturday. Bob Ray (by Welcome Jack) has been turned out for a lengthy spell. The Waikato Hunt Club races have been postponed till to-morrow. I have to acknowledge receipt of the Victorian Racing Calendar for September. Mersey, the dam of Carbine, has dropped a dead foal by Trenton this season. Nominations for the Poverty Bay Spring Meet' ing close on Friday of this week. Devon (9.1) won the Mordialloc Handicap, one mile and a quarter, in 2min 14fsec. Golden Plover and Guardsman are now located at the Club Hotel stables, Palmerston North. Day Star 'incurs [a 31b penalty for the New Zealand Cup, bringing his handicap up to 6.13. The ex-Australian steeplechaser, Daimio, has been nominated for the Sefton Park Steeplechase. The Skipper has incurred a 141 b penalty for the Caulfield Cup and 101 b for the Melbourne Cup. Mr Craven, of Sydney, the owner of Royal Rose, is said to have a half brother to frewhaven. What age ? The “ coincidence punters ” should have backed the Sydney Epsom and Metropolitan double — Steward and The Skipper. Equine deaths in Auslralia lately: —Ariki (Gang Forward —Haidee), and Bung Bung (Marvellous —Catherine Wheel). In the Glenelg Handicap (Adelaide) Nomadic and Pitchery fell and were killed. Hodgkins, rider of the former, was badly hurt. The Sydney Referee says : —Leolantis and Acone have been offered to Indian buyers. The price put on the latter was 350 guineas. Trentmoor (by Trenton —Nelly Moore), was submitted to auction recently in Melbourne, but there was no bid for Loehiel’s half-brother. While exercising on the private track at Karamu on Wednesday week, the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s filly by Dreadnought—Dryad, had one of its legs broken. Oceana, the dam of Newhaven, has been mated with Correze this season. The mare this season has foaled a full sister to the two-year-old Ocean) by Eridspord), now at Bulis, Rangitikei.

The name of Auckland Tattersail’s Club—the only one in New Zealand where betting disputes, &c., can be referred to —is, I understand, to be altered to “ The New Zealand Tattersall’s Club.” At the spring sale of two-year-olds at Randwick, during the recent A.J.C.’s race week, Mr Dan. O’Brien purchased a bay gelding by Au-tonomy-Piecrust, by Martini-Henri, for 155 gs. Tiritea and Donald McKinnon, of Mr Douglas’ team, arrived at Wellington, from Sydney, per s.s. Mararoa, yesterday. Mr Douglas and J. Redmond, the cross-country jockey, were also passengers. The Tasmanian Mail Turf Register, which is incorporated with the Stud Book, intends recording as many of this season’s foalings as have been sent forward up to date of publishing. This is an up-to-date way of doing business. It is just possible that Mr Hordern may be represented in the Auckland Derby this year by the brown colt The Turk, by Nordenfeldt— Plevna. Sabretache will be brought over from Sydney for the Christmas classic event. Toreador, who finished second to Tire for the Randwick Plate on Saturday last, was disqualified, on the ground of short weight, and Newman was awarded that position. As the time limit was exceeded, the stake was reduced by one-half. Up to the time of going to press, the handicaps for the Avondale Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting, due on Monday last, had not made their appearance. Probably it was decided to hold them over until after the A.R.C.’s second days’ racing. The privileges for the Avondale Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting, to be held on the 3rd and 10th October, are to be submitted to auction at the Brunswick Mart (Messrs T. C. Beale and Co.), at 12 o’clock on Friday (to-morrow). As there is likely to be a large attendance, speculators should attend the sale early. Gates, booths, correct cards, saddling paddock, and stabling are the lots to be submitted. The latest information from the Sydney betting market (Sept. 26th) reports Newhaven an even money favourite for the V.R.C. Derby, Resolute 5 to 1, while 10 to 1 is offered against the rest. Caulfield Cup—l 6 to 1 Straightfire and Le Var, 20 to 1 Excel, Marusa, Pivot, Reka, and Merman, 25 to 1 Malula, Right Honourable, Bradford, and Merry Boy. Melbourne Cup—lo to 1 Newhaven, 16 to 1 Miraculum, 20 to 1 Wallace and Reka, 25 to 1 Marusa, Toreador, Tire, Damien, Trentham, Resolute, andDuhallow.

Lord Rosebery’s Chelandry, by Goldfinch .-(son of Ormonde) from Illuminata (dam of Ladas), by Rosicrucian, who won the valuable Breeders’ Stakes at Sandown Park on July Bth, is bred on similar blood lines to the recently imported Gold Reef. Sergeant Callen, of Wanganui, in giving evidence in a recent court case, said he saw, besides the two accused, about thirty other spielers at' Marton Races. Fury! They must be thick down there this season. Why not arrest them on sight ? The two Melbourne Cup candidates Toreador and Trentham, seemed to be vwy much off at the Randwick Meeting, and their chance of annexing the big prize is said to be very remote. In any case, I wouldn’t expect an Abercorn to win a big long-distance race. The ex-Sydney gelding. Jack o’ Lantern, won the Governor’s Cup at Colombo, and Fortunatus succeeded in winning the Bangalore Cup of 10,000 rupees, for which he was handicapped at 10.10. The track was heavy. The time for the mile and a quarter was 2min 19sec. A Tough ’Un.—An English paper reports that Mr Young King, who trained horses for the late Squire Osbaldestone. was at Goodwood looking hale and hearty. He was born on the day that the battle of Waterloo was fought. Mr Hawke, the secretary of the English Antigambling League, has had his wings clipped again—this time by the magistrates at Kingston-on-Thames. He summoned a bookmaker named Dunn for resorting to Hurst Park for the purpose of betting. The case was dismissed. Nominations are due on Monday, 28th inst., for the Trial Hack Handicap, Handicap Hack Flat, Flying Hack Handicap, Final Hack Handicap, First Handicap Hack Hurdles (1 sov each), and Second Handicap Hack Hurdles (10s), at the Wanganui Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting. It is reported that Mr H. C. White, the wellknown Sydney sportsman, now on a visit to England, has purchased a stallion by Sterling from a daughter of Musket. If this be correct, the blood lines will run out somewhat similar to Hotchkiss’. Mr D. Scott has named his three-year-old colt by Tormentor (St. Albans—Nightmare) from Emotion, Worry. The colt ran third in the Maiden Race at Marton, which is some encouragement that he has pace. I don’t fancy the name much, especially when the colt retires to the stud. Mr Dan Thurston, who used to be quite a wellknown figure on the Wanganui coastal racecourses a few years ago, when the sheet anchor of his stable was that game little mare My Dream, was the recipient of much handshaking when his horse Sir Athol (who competed at the North N.Z. Grand National Meeting) won the Trial Hurdles and Hack Steeplechase at the Marton meeting. Mr Thurston bred Sir Athol himself, and he must have felt quite proud. May his good luck continue. Judge Kettle, of Wanganui, in sentencing two spielers (G. Hinge and A. Miller) who were cleverly shadowed by Sergeant Cullen from the Marton Racecourse to Wanganui) to eighteen months’ imprisonment with hard labour, said that “ he was always anxious to give a man a chance to reform if he was willing to do so, but the men had not availed themselves of the opportunities given, therefore the public must be protected.” I am glad to notice that J. Sweeney, formerly of Wanganui, and now of Paeroa (Thames district) has in hand Captivity (Captivator — Amazon) and a two-year-old filly by Tetford — Megoulet. The latter is engaged in the Tauranga Produce Stakes, run in February next. I wish Sweeney a change of luck with these two nags, as it was hard lines for him losing Splitlink, whom he had in hand when The Mute gelding died at Ellerslie at Easter time. Sweeney ought to do well down in the goldfields district. I reckon Mr Bryant, of Bulls, drew a valuable prize in the St. Alban’s Stud Lottery when he got the yearling colt by Eridspord from Oceana, dam of Newhaven. He will never grow into the same stamp of colt as JNewhaven, but Mr Bryant will be benefited by the “ unearned increment,” and a half brother to such a proved good colt as Newhaven should be worth a tidy sum. But I would much prefer Newminster to Eridspord, as the former is by The Marquis, who sired The Painter, whose memory will never be forgotten. That’s the strain to obtain stayers, vide Painter mares.

The deputation from Tattersall’s Club, which waited on the A.R.C. committee, last Friday, with reference to the seven guinea licensing fee to visiting bookmakers, and whether they would be allowed to bet at Ellerslie unless they belonged to Auckland Tattersall’s Club, were assured that no licenses would be issued to visiting bookmakers unless they were members of the Auckland Tattersall’s Club. Several of the local bookmakers then waited on the committee to ask if the amount of the licence fee to bet at Ellerslie could not be reduced, but the committee informed the deputation that they could see no reason for altering the fee from £5O. I fancy the Wanganui Jockey Club will have a very fair acceptance for their Derby, to be decided at the spring meeting next month. Quality should be well represented, if any of the following start:—Admiral Hawk, Epaulet, Coeur de Lion, Daring, Defiance, Dauntless, St. Ouida, Armilia, Edith Cureton, Daystar, St. Paul, and Sheet Lightning. A useful pair that are nominated, but who are now in Sydney, are Tire and Sabretache. Perhaps it would pay the owner of the latter to bring the Cuirassier colt over for this race instead of trying to beat the cream of Australia. However, I have mentioned a dozen candidates, and I think it safe to predict that six of them will face the starter. An acceptance is due for the Wanganui Derby on Friday, 16th October, and the final payment on Thursday, 22nd October. „ ..

The Club have, reappointed Messrs J. O. Evett and H. Piper handicapper and starter respectively for the season. For the Summer Meeting, in January, the club give £555 more in stakes t han last year, and a four-furlong race for two and three-year-olds is to be included. The Wellington Cup (500 sovs) and the R.C. Handicap (250 sovs) are the chief events. The ’cyclist who ran into Nada at Rand wick must have been born under a lucky star. He was riding along, gaping about, and the bicycle ran slap between her hind legs. She lashed out like lightning, but missed the “ scorcher.” Down she fell on the hard road, all tanglen up with boy, “ bike,” and “ bike”-man. In her struggle to free herself she kicked Morrison (the lad who was leading her) on the head, cutting his hard hat in two, but, fortunately, didn’t hurt the lad much. The “ bike”-man got off scathless, but his wheel was smashed to smithereens.

The annual meeting of the Avondale Jockey Club was held at the Occidental Hotel on Friday afternoon last, Mr Joseph May in the chair. The report and balance sheet for the past year’s operations were read, which showed the club to be in a satisfactory position. The total receipts amounted to £1,196 19s 7d, and after meeting all liabilities the year’s transactions show a balance of £42 17s 2d. The repoit and accounts were adopted as read. Mr H. Hayr, the secretary, was voted a bonus of £25. It was decided to sell all privileges by auction. The following officers were elected for the ensuing season Judge, Mr John Bollard: starter, Mr E. D. Halstead ; handicapper, Mr J. O Evett; stewards, Messrs Joseph May, H. Hoffmann, M. Foley, J. R. Martin, J. W. Russell, and C. Best; clerk of course, Mr James Barr; clerk of scales, Mr F. W. Marks; treasurer, Mr J. R. Martin ; secretary, Mr H. H. Hayr. In connection with the running of Le Var and Coil in the New Stakes, at Rankwick, in which the former did not appear to be ridden out, and which caused a hostile demonstration from the public, the committee of the A. J.C. held an enquiry on Wednesday, the 16th inst., into the running of Le Var in the New Stakes. The committee found that the instructions given by T. Payten, with Mr J. B. Clark’s consent, to the jockey (Macnamara) was to the effect that Le Var was to be run in the interests of Coil; that Macnamara allowed Coil to pass him in the stright without makim an effort to prevent him, and afterwards did not persevere with Le Var. It was resolved to censure Mr Clark and the trainer (T. Payten) for not giving explicit instructions to the jockey to win if he could, and that as, notwithstanding the want of such instructions, it was the jockey’s clear duty to endeavour to win, and he failed to do so, Macnamara be suspended for the remainder of the meeting. I am pleased to receive from John Rae, the well-known cross-country trainer and rider, his list of performances in the saddle for last season. It is something to his credit that after twentyfive years’ service in the pigskin that last season he won four races, was second ten times, and seven times unplaced. Other jockeys may exhibit some jealousy in giving only Rae’s performances, but if they are too lazy to keep a record of their performances and send them in at the end of the season as Jack does, well, I at anyrate am not going to encourage such laziness, and I am very little troubled in mind whether other jockeys are jealous or not. It is almost impossible for the sporting press to keep an accurate account of jockeys’ riding mounts, as it is not always that a full report of race meetings can be obtained. It should be unnecessary to point out to jockeys that it is to their own interest to keep a record of their performances in the saddle. But there is more in the mere fact of Rae keeping an account of his riding mounts than ordinary people notice, but it quickly attracts the attention of intelligent people, and that is, that Rae must be a business-like and methodical man in his transactions, and such a man should command the confidence of horseowners. Rae has six horses in training now, and I am pleased to notice that he has only two vacant loose boxes, which I hope he soon will be able to fill with a couple of well-bred horses. The two concluding days of the Australian Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting were again favourable to New Zealand-bred horses, although we had not quite so many wins. Astronomer, the four-year-old son of Castor and Frailty (about whom a little bird whispered to me lately, and that he would account for something good during the season), was second in the Suburban Handicap of seven furlongs, run in Imin 31sec. Then we followed this up with another second, Sabretache occupying that position behind Morocco in the Duff Memorial Stakes of one mile, run in Imin 46sec. Sabretache would carry 8.10. Then Response wound up the third day’s racing by winning the Sydney Handicap, of one mile and a half, run in 2min 38Jsec. On the fourth day Sabretache (9.6) had bad luck again in occupying second position behind Survivor (by Lochiel),9.2, in the Members’ Handicap of one mile and a furlong, run in 2min 2sec. Each time Sabretache has been beaten it has only been by a»neck, so that he must have had a say in each of his races right up to the .last stride or two. True Blue (9.9), who has been the most consistent horse at the meeting, compensated his owner to some extent for his previous defeats by winning the Waverley Stakes of one mile and threequarters, run in 3min 7eec. The son of Hotchkiss and Rose of Wellington, on this performance alone, is entitled to be termed one of the best racehorses in the Australasian Colonies. The undersized Tire, strange to say, annexed the Randwick Plate of three miles, defeating Toreador, Newman, and Gozoczar, but as the customary farce of cantering the first two miles and a half was indulged in and the “ time limit” was exceeded, the first horse only received half the stakes. Toreador, who was second, weighed in “short,” and second money goes Newman, It is about time three-mile races were abolished. It seems a waste of money to award 400 sovs to such a totally uninteresting class of race, r

The Miller, who showed pace in each of his races at Marton, is a six-year-old brown gelding by Armament-r-Maid of the Mill, therefore halfbrother to Waltonia, the dam' of First Result. “As very conflicting statements have been in circulation in respect to a dispute which occurred between a local horseowner and a prominent firm of bookmakers in Dunedin over a wager said to have been made at the Taranaki Meeting in December last,’,’ says “ Sentinel ” of the Hawera Star, “ I have ascertained the true facts of the matter as submitted to three independent sporting experts for abrbitration, and whose decision has been made entirely in favour of our local owner. The evidence shows that the owner wished to back a certain horse to the extent of £3O. One of the pencillers on the course took half the wager and wired to the Dunedin firm to take the remaining £l5, it being stipulated a reply should be received before the particular race started. Up to a few minutes before the race started no reply had been received ; therefore, to end all doubt in the matter and preclude any possibility of a wager being in existence, the owner sent an urgent wire to Dunedin, stating that as no reply had been received the offer to make the wager was cancelled, and he invested the money with other bookmakers on the course. The owner’s desire was to make quite sure of the money being on before the race started, and as no wire had come from Dunedin accepting the wager he could not be satisfied that it was so, and therefore took the straightforward course of sending a wire, cancelling operations, which precluded either party from winning or losing, and therefore declined to recognise any claim made by the bookmakers in question. I do not see how the arbitrators could give any other decision than they have done.” I might mention that I had a look at the particulars submitted to the arbitrators, and assuming they were absolutely correct, I could not see how the verdict could go against the Hawera owner. I notice a correspondent under the heading, “ Our Special ” (chump he should have added), writing to one of the Wairarapa papers, gets quite hysterical because our Dunedin correspondent ventured to remark that he hoped everything would go along smoothly with Gipsy Grand fin the careful and steady preparation that he is receiving, “ as it would be a great loss for anything to happen to the best horse Dunedin,and perhaps New Zealand, has ever seen.” Of course it should be a criminal offence for a man to have an opinion of his own. “ Our Special ” (chump) of the Wairarapa paper says such an opinion is “tommyrot, when people come to think of Carbine, Maxim, and Co.” We would remind our rural critic that the racehorses mentioned did not establish themselves as cracks in the first two seasons they were on the turf, and surely a big horse like Gipsy Grand, the beau ideal of a racehorse, should be allowed a reasonable time to prove the correctness of our corresponnent’s opinion. However, although “ Our Special ” does not agree with our Dunedin correspondent, he agrees to differ with Mr Henry, the handicapper, who made Gipsy Grand out to be the best horse in New Zealand on the New Zealand Cup handicap, and if his opinion is of any value, well, our correspondent scores so far as Gipsy Grand being the best horse in New Zealand. This season’s racing may prove our correspondent to be pretty near the mark as regards his other assertion. The introductory remarks of “Our Special” are'in questionable taste, and proves him not to be a journalist, but a coarse sort of country bumpkin who has lived in the hills nearly all his life, principally on fern root, but at a certain season of the year leads round a cronk-legged and cronk pedigreed stallion. This is all he knows about horses.

The Woodlands Hunt Club has decided to charge bookmakers a five guinea license fee for the day, at the meeting to be held on the Woodville Racecourse, and also make them put up a deposit of ten guineas. The executive of the Woodlands Hunt Club is to be congratulated fort aking this action on behalf of the public. This will prevent (to the extent of the ten guineas) a repetition of the “ welshing ” that took place at the last Sandon meeting. The stewards of the latter club were very much to blame for not affording proper protection to several of their patrons, who were betting with an alleged bookmaker—licensed by the club —and who swindled several backers out of their winnings. The way the betting tickets were marked which this individual gave backers put him dead away, and instead of the stewards giving him in charge to the police they allowed him to pitch an improbable tale, which they apparently accepted in preference to the evidence of four or five respectable backers that were victimised. The club gave this man a license to bet, and the public, taking it for granted that he must be all right, or he would not have been granted a license, had every confidence in making wagers with him. Strange to say, the club did hot even post him as a defaulter. A number of the smaller fry complain that it is rough on them if they have to pay five guineas and then a deposit in addition. All I can say is that if a man can’t afford £l5 he isn’t much of a bookmaker, and wouldn’t stand being struck for more than a pound or two. My advice to all clubs holding meetings without the totalisator, and where license fees ars accepted from bookmakers, that a deposit proportionate to the magnitude of the meeting should be demanded. The good men are only too willing to put up a reasonable deposit . No encouragement should be extended to the spieler-cum-bookmaker tribe, because immediately they are beginning to get the worst of it with backers they usually dodge over the nearest fence, and that’s when the “ Rath Icon Mavourneen ” system comes into force.