Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 384, 2 December 1897, Page 9

Sporting Topics.

Mr Barr Smith, nephew of the late Sir Thomas Elder, intends to keep on the Morphefyille stud Farm, but not on the same extensive scale as his uncle.

The police at Perth are prosecuting a number of bookmakers for betting on racecourses. A determined effort is to be made throughout West Australia to stop betting altogether. Neither Essex or Symmetry, who distinguished themselves as two-year olds at the late Victorian Spring Carnival, have been entered for the next Derby.

In America it is not an unusual thing for the fielders to make a book with a prohibitive favorite “ barred,” or “ out ” in the betting. This they do themselves, in order that all speculation shall not be killed by the presence in a race of some horses who far outclasses the field.

Mr Tom Hayden, who for years acted as secretary to the Victorian Club, Melbourne, is now writing a book in London, the title of which will be “ My Reminiscences of Twenty Years in the Colonies.”

The sensational horse Parthenopseus, the innocent cause of all the recent trouble, is to leave Australia. Mr C. F. Glasscock, who purchased him, intends to ship him to the East shortly. Mr Glasscock took possession of the son of Splendor on November 19.

Although comparatively a young sportsman, Sir Rupert Clarke is so dissatisfied with the treatment of his horses by the handicapper, that he threatens to withdraw from the Victorian turf, and to send Ranfurly and Paul Pry to India.

The privilege of being allowed to conduct Tattersall’s sweeps in Tasmania makes the tight little island a favored place. Nut only is the revenue benefitted by the sweeps, but so also are the race clubs. The latest is that Mr George Adams has presented a valuable Cup, to be competed for at the Launceston races in February.

The splendid price of 1050 gs has been paid for a Carbine foal bred in England. The dam of the colt is Santa Felico (dam of Jolly Boat), by St. Simon from Happy Hampton, by Hampton. He was offered on account of the Earl of Zetland, at the Newmarket blood stock sales last month, the purchaser being Mr Woolf Joel. The colt was-a particularly well-grown one. His dame was sold at the same sale for 2500 gs to M. Blanc, and Jolly Boat to Count Lehrdorff for 610ge.

Mr Phil Hammer, a Victorian at present in England, writes to Australia to say that there are quite as many dead ’uns in England as in the colonies.

Harry Fuller, well-known in New South Wales and Queensland racing circles, is dead. He was 'a penciller and in his time owned Ellington, Wheel of Fortune, and other racehorses.

Parthenopseus is to do stud duty atMonomeith, his fee being 25gs. He should make a good sire, having breeding, size, and galloping ability on hit side.

Excellent entries have been received for the Lake Takapuna Hack Race Meeting, to be heid on December 11, and there should be a good afternoon’s sport. Special steamers will go round to the Lake on the occasion.

We are in receipt of the catalogues prepared for the sales of yearlings at Wellington Park on January 4, and at Sylvia Park on December 31. Both catalogues bear evidence of having been carefully compiled, and afford a lot of information to those interested in horse-breeding. The Maketu Hack Club have issued a neat little programme for the annual meeting, to be held on New Year’s Day. It will be found published in our advertising columns. Nominations must be made before 5 p.m. on December 14. “ Racing is a great institution. As an outdoor recreation it has not an equal. Horses have been allowed to show the most glaring inconsistencies of form. They have won one day at short odds, and have been nowhere the next, when at long prices in the betting. Form has been at a discount, and, so far as speculation is concerned, a man might have fared much better if he remained in the ring, followed the money, and devoted no attention whatever to the breeding or the individual merits of the racehorses themselves.” —New iork Telegraph.

The programme prepared by the Poverty Bay Turf Club, for the meeting to be held on Thursday and Friday, January 13 and 14, should attract the attention of owners in this part of the island. The sum of £720 will be given away in the two days, the principal items being the Tauranga Stakes Handicap of 150 sovs,one mile and a half, on the first day, and the Sunderland Stakes Handicap of 100 sovs, one mile and a quarter, on the second day. Nominations are due on the 10th of this month.

The news concerning the severe sentences passed by the Christchurch magistrates upon bookmakers convicted of betting totalisator odds at Riccarton resulted in a petition, pretty unanimously signed by residents of Auckland on Saturday last, being despatched on Monday to the Minister of Justice. The petitioned, which was respectfully worded, set forth—“ While your petitioners claim to be supporters of the administration of the law they are deeply impressed with the severity of the sencence passed, and more particulary with that portion of the sentence which onsigns the accused men to gaol for an offence created only in recent years by the Totalisator Act, which in itself countenances the habit of the British nation to speculate upon horse racing. The respectful prayer of your petitioners, therefore, is that you will intervene in the cases under notice, and temper the administration of the existing law with reasonable mercy, and more particularly with that portion of the sentence which consigns-men to gaol.” Oceana (St. Albans—ldalia), dam of Newhaven, died the other day while foaling to Correze. She was bred in 1884 by Mr James Wilson, and as a yearling was purchased for 575 guineas by Mr D. Cooper, who raced her without success as a two-year-old, her best performance being second to Casuist in the Flemington Stakes at the V.R.C. Spring Meeting. Mr Cooper sold her towards the end of the season for 100 guineas, Mr G. H. Chapman buying her, and as a three-year-old she carried the latter’s colors to the front in the December Handicap at Hawkesbury. She was not successful during the remainder of her three-year-old career, and the following season only appeared once in public, subsequently being disposed of for 100 guineas for stud purposes. She was then mated with Newminster, the result being Fronde, who was only a pony, but very smart over a short journey. Her next five foals were also by Newminster, Newhaven being the last by that sire. In 1894 she produced a colt to Eiridspord, and a couple of years later a filly to the same horse. After the St. Albans lottery she was bought by Mr R. Craven for 115 guineas, and last, year was put to Correze.