Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 439, 22 December 1898, Page 10

Sporting Topics.

Good prices obtained for privileges generally indicates the success of a race meeting,, and, therefore, the Thames Jockey Club’s Summer Meeting should be attended with good results', as the prices realised for the privileges on Thursday were satisfactory. The sum' obtained was £421 as against £459 last year, but it should be remembered that this year the committee retain the saddling paddock rights which last year brought £7O. From a Southern correspondent we learn that the once famous Gipsy Grand is to be put into training again. Like St. Hippo, the son of Grandmaster has, for a time, been doing stud duty, and it will be interesting to watch if either of these two topnotchere recover their once brilliant form.

Victorian trainers are not too fond of the sons and daughters of good old Carbine, says the Sportsman, the only two good ones of his get being Wallace and Amberite, the others being of very moderate class. This opinion is shared by the Sydney trainer, Alsop, who has been terribly deceived by both Clarion and Holster. The doings of “ old Jack’s ” progeny in England will be watched with great interest. From Caulfield we learn that Mr Isaac Foresham has the Wellington Park bred youngsters, Lancaster, Lord Cureton, and Ideal, doing good steady work. The latter, Bianca’s daughter, is said to be very slippery. Vanitas, a gelded son of Martini Henry, is proving himself a thorough champion at Singapore, as with 8.11 in the saddle, he romped home in the Autumn Handicap of one and a half miles, and the next day won the Singapore Cup with the welter weight of 11.7 in the saddle. Vanitas did some wonderful work in Australia, yet, always failed in big races. Toxic, by Far Niente (imp) from Henbane, winner of the last Coolgardie (W. A.) Cup, dropped dead a few days ago whilst being exercised on the Perth (W.A.) racecourse. At the time of his demise Toxic was third favorite for the Perth Cup, the big event of the West Australian turf world. He was owned by Mr “ Bob” Phillips, formerly one of Autaralia’s best-known bookmakers.

English sporting papers credit Mr H. C. White, the New South Wales sportsman, with having taken £40,000 out of the Bing through Georgia's victory in the. Cambridgeshire Stakes. Yet even with this big bet the daughter of Clan Stuart and Mirzapore stated at 40 to 1.

Mr Sam Griffiths, the well-known Caulfield trainer, and also well-known as a pressman, has arrived in New Zealand from Victoria. Mr Griffiths is on the look-out for a couple of useful horses, and he may be expected here for the A.R.C. Summer Meeting.

Racing clubs generally throughout New Zealand, and we may also include the members of the Racing Conference, profess to think that the totalisator is a safe institution in New Zealand, but we think otherwise, aad have reason to believe that ere long the result of the secret movements of its opponents and the anti-gambling faddists will be made apparent. What form the opposition will take we are not prepared to say, but we believe that pressure will be brought to bear «n the Government to increase the tax in order to build up the - Old Age Pension Fund. In South Australia the opponents of the machine have been active, and the following remarks of “ Terlinga in The Australasian may be of interest to New Zealand readers :—The South Australian racing people have been watching the efforts of the opponents of the totalisator for some time in apparent apathy, but it seems Mr A. O. Whitington, of the S.A.J.C., has been quietly making his arrangements for counteracting the machinations of the opposition, and now we know w hat form his ideas have taken. Acting on the example of the sport-loving people in England, he has been instrumental in forming a sporting league, to act in opposition to the gooody-goody party at the next elections for the House of Assembly. It seems that all the country racing clubs have received Mr Whitington’s suggestion with enthusiasm, and the league now consists of 10,000 members. Hitherto sporting men in South Australia have never taken the trouble to fight for themselves, but now that they have been roused to action they are likely to make their influence felt. Who knows ? They may even be found strong enough to do away with that obnoxious law which makes it necessary for men to bet in secret on a racecourse, instead of betting openly ? Information has been received from Australia that that genial all-round sportsman, Tom Gur ney, has joined the great majority. Writing on the subject, “ Martindale” remarks“ His many friends will be sorry to hear that his death took place this morning at his home out at Flemington, and that it was also a very painful one. For years past be held the position of a licensed victualler at the Flemington Hotel, at which place, having ample accommodation, he held many . most successful Sheffield Handicaps in the days when that class of sport was popular. Tom Gurney was also an enthusiast where boxing was concerned, and in fact in all classes of sport. A great friend of the late Thomas Corrigan, the grand little steeplechase rider was always welcome at the Flemington Hotel, as were also the majority of the old-time trainers and jockeys. For years past Mr Gurney had been suffering from illhealth. A trip through New Zealand made last spring set him up for a time, but it was only temporary, and another link between the past and present generation of sporting men has dropped out.”

Mr W. R. Wilson has been asked to place a price on Aura (dam of Aurum, Auriferous, and Auraria), for England, but has declined to sell the mare.

A point of some importance relative to the payments of bets was decided in the Court of Appeals in England recently. The facts in the case were as follow : —A Mr Hamilton bad given a cheque t» a bookmaker for £B4 3s 9d, in payment of certain bets lost upon horse races. The bookmaker endorsed the cheque to a Mr Woolf for value, but gave him notice that he, the bookmaker, had received the cheque in payment of debts. Mr Woolf, the holder of the cheque, brought an action against Mr Hamilton to recover the sum for which it was drawn, but was met by the defence that the cheque was void, having been given upon an illegal consideration. This was also the view of Mr Justice Darling when the case came before him in December last, and the Court of Appeals has come to the same opinion. “ A person,” said Mr Justice A. L. Smith, “ who, for value took a note or bill which he knew to have been given in payment of a bet on a horse race —that was, with notice that it was given for an illegal consideration —could not recover upon it.”

As a number of owners and trainers are getting up on their hind legs and hurling anathemas at the handicapper of the A.R.C. Summer Meeting, the following story anent Jack Rae and Joe Evett comes in apropos. Rae had had some experience of Evett’s handicapping, and on one or two occasions, to put it mildly, had felt aggrieved, consequently the following remarks attributed to him will be thoroughly appreciated by racing men. It seems that Rae was journeying from Taranaki to Wellington, and he had - secured his seat and made himself comfortable. The train was just about*to start when he heard a “ Hi ! Hi ! Wait a minute ! ” and looking out of the window saw Joe Evett bounding up the platform with a heavy portmanteau in his hand, and puffing and blowing like a grampus. Would he reach the post in time or miss it ? was the allabsorbing question, but before the issue was decided the well-known trainer and jockey poked his head out of the window and yelled out with Satanic glee, “ Ruo, you sanguinary . Now you know what it is to hump thirteen stone.” Joe caught the train, but it is doubtful whether Re profited by the experience. Word has been received from Tasmania that in • dealing with the Launcestomtotalisator cases the Chief Justice ruled that pony and trotting races were a distinct branch of horse-racing, and not governed by the rules of the Tasmanian Turf therefore the clubs were justified in using the totalisator.

Uhlan, Bavaria, and Fairy arrived by the Takapuna on Wednesday. Uhlan was one of the early fancies for the Auckland Cup, but his late arrival upon the scene is not calculated to make him a final fancy.

On Tuesday the pen was put through the names of Rex, Hylas, and Knight of Athol for the Auckland Cup. Hylas has not been finishing well in bis work, while the distance is admittedly two far for Rex. Knigbt of Athol met with a slight accident at Coromandel, and has not been himself since.

By the s.s. Gairloch which arrived on Tuesday> Crusoe, Battleaxe, Okoari, Dummy, and Australia arrived from the South. They are all reported to be in first-class condition.

By reference to our advertising columns it will be found that special railway time-tables for trains to Ellerslie, Parawai, and other racing centres are advertised.

On Monday it became generally known to the public, that the pen had been run through the name of St. Paul for the Auckland Cup. This of course, is an indication that St. Paul had not gone through the ordeal of his preparation satisfactorily, and much sympathy was expressed for his trainer in losing the services of so good a horse. It is probable that St. Paul will now be treated to a lengthy spell, which he has certainly earned, but we hope to see the little bounder back on the track next season completely restored.

Mr W. Percival intends to sell during the Christmas holidays the following youngsters: — Bay filly by Seaton Delaval — Bellona, 2yrs ; bay filly by Seaton Delaval —Ellerslie, 2yrs; bay filly, St. Olga, by St. Leger —Satanella, lyr ; and bay filly, Alwena, by Hotchkiss —Prestissimo, lyr. Both yearlings were bred by Mr Percival. St. Olga is the full-sister to St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Ursula, and St. Clements. The mare has been wonderfully successful, never yet having thrown a “ bad ’un.” The two Seaton Delaval fillies were bred at Sylvia Park, and after the success of Miss Delaval they should find ready buyers. Full particulars of the sale will be advertised next week.

English racing men seem determined to take from Australia all the best Colonial racehorses, the latest purchase for the Old Country being the well-known Australian hurdle performer, His Grace. Recently 800 gs. was refused for the brilliant brown, who was bred by Messrs Eales Bros, at Duckenfield Park, N.S.W., and he is by The Australian Peer from the imported mare Penitent, the dam of Alchemist (by Sardonyx) and Penance (by Grand Flaneur). The shipment for next month will be a valuable one, as it includes The Grafter, Battalion, Sailor Boy, Syerla, Manazona, Clarion, Auriferous, Oban, and His Grace.

A couple of days after The Grafter won the Melbourne Cup the International Horse Agency and Exchange advertised in some of the London papers that they had secured the option of purchase of the brown gelding. It also stated that prior to the Melbourne Cup he was offered with all his engagements for 3000g5., so that English owners missed a golden opportunity. Touching on The Grafter’s win, the “ Special Commissioner” expresses surprise in the following words at the success of the Wild Oats blood in Australia : — “ It is certainly singular that Wild Oa's, who got nothing but rogues, thieves, andrion stayers himself, should be perpetuated in Australia by Mel bourne Cup winners; but doubtless the stoutness and gameness of the -mares with which his eon has been mated has had a very great deal to do with such a success.”

At the Cardiff (Wales) meeting on November 2 last an English gentleman rider, Mr G. S. Davies, put up a record good enough to make even a Tod Sloan envious. There were six races on the programme, and Mr Davies bad a mount in every one but the first, and was successful in all five of them. What made the performance all the more remarkable was that they were all jumping events —two steeplechases and three hurdle races. In all but one race the fields were fair, and in each instance Mr Davies’ mount started favorite.

In a recent issue of the London Sportsman the “ Special Commissioner” points out that the great advantage of Australian stock over American, from a breeding point of view, is that the Australians are in almost all cases clean-bred ones, according to the English Stud Book, while the Americans, as a rule, are not. From Australia England has been getting many valuable lines of blood which have almost been lost, and the stock reared in a different climate and under other conditions return refreshed and revived to improve the English-bred ones, who, in turn, effect great successes when they are transplanted to Australia or New Zealand. He also says it cannot seriously be disputed that mares like Georgio and Maluma would be a most valuable addition to any stud in England, and if the Duke of Portland had a few of the sort to put to St. Simon he would breed some more Derby winners.

A pleasant outing during the Christmas holidays will be the Northern Wairoa Races at Dargaville on Monday and Tuesday, 26th and 27th December. The Northern Union Steamboat Company advertise special steamers and cheap rates.

That commodious and well furnished steame r Wakatere is advertised to journey to the Thames on Monday, 26th December, at midnight. The steamer will leave the Thames on its return trip on Tuesday, 27th at 6.30 p.m. The return fare will be 7s 6d.

Immediately after the Wellington Park sale on January 4, a bay colt by St. Leger— Musket Maid will be offered to the public. He is a full brother to the famous Waiuku, now in England, and resembles him in many particulars. His close relationship with one of the best racehorses produced in New Zealand is sure to cause him to be sought after.