NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 334, 17 December 1896, Page 9

NOTES.

[By

Gipsy King.]

The second payment for the Ashurst Hack Guineas of 100 sovs, for three-year-old hacks, to be decided on December 29th next year, numbers fifteen. Some are thoroughbreds, while the majority are what may be termed fairly well bred. The best of the fifteen on breeding appears to be the chestnut filly by Forester —Verbose, brown gelding by Cap-a-pie—Leita (half-brother to the “ people’s ” grey Musket), chestnut filly Gipsy Queen, by Gipsy King—Steel All (half sister to Levanter and St. Patrick), brown gelding Derry, by Derringer—Nectarine (half brother to Calmarine), chestnut colt by Strenuous —White Rose, brown filly by Vanguard—Little Vixen, and the bay gelding by Foul Shot —-Gladiator mare. The latter, I think, is half brother either to Swift or Light. From this lot I think the winner will come, and the one with the most condition will get to the end of the mile first. Owners and trainers and students of racing have been much perplexed this season at the phenomenal time registered by some horses. It is useless to, take notice of time as recorded at Wanganui coastal meetings, as the starting is done in such an erratic manner that to have any reasonable idea of what time a horse really does record, it is necessary for those interested to be on the spot, and see under what circumstances the time is taken, or how the start is effected. At Wanganui, for instance, some of the races were started by Crawford’s machine, and one or two others (small field races such as the hurdle rare) started by flag and really in front of

the distance, but as the programme and race cards give the distance as “about,” the timists would not give a horse credit for running two miles and a distance in 4min 9sec, such as the official timekeeper posted up. Every owner or trainer should be his own timekeeper if he wants reliable information in that direction. At Otaki the official time for the Trial Hurdle Race, one mile and a half, won by Bohemian, was returned as 2min 53|sec. If he travelled the distance in 3min 3Jsec it is more than I would give him credit for doing. At the same meeting the Hack Flying Handicap was run in Imin 16Jsec. Not bad for a country track. Why, if we were to take serious notice of the times registered lately, half the owners would be getting ready to take their mokes over to Melbourne for the Grand National Hurdle Race and Newmarket Handicap, which would be a good thing for some of the horses that have lately put up such lightninglike times.

Newhaven’s two-year-old half-brother Ocean (by Eridspord) is in training at Bulls under the charge of Jim Hathaway. This distinguished colt (by relationship) has been nominated for one of the short distance races at the Rangitikei meeting at New Year’s time, bul l hardly think he can be in anything like prime condition. He should be ready for the two-year-old races at Wanganui in March. Jim has also Gunboat, Auroa, and Mystical in his stable. Errand Boy, so far, has not been a profitable investment for Mr Alf. Smith, who deserves a turn of luck.as he is a good sport. At the Feeding meeting I fancy Errand Boy’s failure was due more to want of horsemanship than want of pace and condition. Barney Coyle is training this ’ game son of Cap-a-pie. L. Proctor now has in work, at Palmerston North, the hack Clearlight (by St. Clair, by Dead Shot), sometimes known as the horse with “ whiskers ” on his legs. Te Uku (who is located at Ellerslie) and Clearlight were very evenly matched when they were racing about the Manawatu district at the beginning of the year, and, as she has not won more than a hat full of money, Clearlight.’s excellence is easily gauged. I have had an enforced holiday lately, but during that time I could not help noticing how suddenly a lot of the sporting scribes of N.Z. have discovered that Lady Zetland is a good mare. Why, even before she won the N.Z. Cup, she was the best mare and probably the best performer we have had in New Zealand for years past. One or two useful hacks made their debut at the Feilding meeting. En Evant, who ran second on sufferance in the First Hack Race, is a very evenly proportioned, 15.3, chestnut gelding, six years, by Forerunner. His dam is not known at present, but it is understood he was bred on Mr S. H. Gollan’s station. En Evant was very big in condition, and had very little galloping before tbe meeting, so that if his owners, Messrs. F. Mcßeth and Co, of Kiwitea, decide to go on with him they may soon have a win. Aquafortis, who won the Hack Hurdle Race on the second day, is a shapely, 15.2, five-year-old son of Wapiti and a mare named White Eyes, who competed in hack company some years ago. Aquafortis will not be a top sawyer at hurdle racing, although his 2min 55sec for one and a half miles was a very good performance. A horse that I was much struck with was Troubadour, a raking big bay gelding by Sou’Wester—Betty, who is th?-property of Mr J. T. Moore, owner of Dante. In build and style for hurdle racing or steeplechasing I hardly know which I would prefer. Troubadour showed some pace in the race he competed in at Feilding, but There was a lot of indifferent horsemanship noticeable at Feilding, and the form of several horses that competed there was all wrong in consequence. was very green, and gave some trouble to the starter, being left at the post in one race. I noticed that he has been nominated out of the hack class at Rangitikei and Manawatu. Mr Moore

is indeed a lucky breeder to breed two such horses as Dante and Troubadour. I know breeders who have been trying for years' td breed a big, upstanding horse, but fate seems to be against them. Marionette, a three-year-old bay filly by Forester -r-Ata (Somnus—Wairuareka), therefore fullsister to the Napier-owned Maid Marion, competed at the meeting. She is fairly well grown, and shows quality, but is deficient in substance. The yearling filly by Somnus —Lady Artist (full-sister to The Artist) did not long survive Mr S- M. Baker’s sale in Wanganui, as a week or so after the sale Mr David Scott, of Rangitikei, who purchased the filly at the sale, found her dead in one of his paddocks. She appeared lively enough the evening previous, but no post mortem was held, so it is not known what she died of. Mr John Green, of Crofton, informs me that , everything was satisfactorily arranged in Auck- ■ land re the sale of Gipsy Prince. Rossall, the winner of the First Hack Race at Feilding, was lame the next morning, consequently could not be started on the second day. The Manawatu Cup has only tempted fourteen nominators this year. The minor races have filled fairly well, so that if the acceptances for the Cup should be meagre there will be sufficient sport provided by the other races, including the hack events. ( I would have liked to have seen a larger acceptance than seven for the Ashurst Guineas, to be decided at the end of thio mouth. On paper Jack Tar looks the best of the seven, although Straybird and His Lordship have pace, and Flying Shot’s sister, Marvellous, may be equal to the occasion.