Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 458, 4 May 1899, Page 10

Sporting Topics.

The following par in a Dunedin paper Bounds like a lament:—“ The Takapuna Jockey Club are giving away £1230 for their Winter Meeting. What a contrast to our only district club, the Taieri.” Black and Red broke down prior to the 0.J.0. Easter Handicap. Before that, he had been running rings round his stable companion Pitch and Toss. The filly by Cuirassier out of Valentinia bought by Mr John Rae at the last Wellington Park yearling sale has been named “ Valedictory.” The filly has taken very kindly to her early instructions, and her owner hopes that she will show the way to some of those youngsters who brought higher prices at the sale.

The Victoria Amateur Turf Club holds a meeting on Saturday next. A proposal to have a new mile course at Flemington has been abandoned. An exchange states that a Dunedin bookmaker lost heavily on the last day of the Auckland Racing Club’s Meeting. Mr J. H. Hankins has a promising looking two-year-old by Sou’-IVester, the colt greatly resembling his sire. Titoki struck himself badly the other day, •which necessitated his absence from the Wellington meeting. J. Gainsford is riding again in New South Wales having completed his term of suspension. Gainsford is both a popular and capable jocpey. Melos, the great rival of Carbine and Abercorn, has beaome so infirm that he will probably have to be destroyed. Quite an exodus of Auckland’s metallicians left for New Plymouth on Monday to participate in the Bell Block meeting which takes place today (Thursday) without the aid of the totalisator. The sporting public were glad to see Captain Russell secure a win with the aid of Tigress at Wellington. The gallant Captain’s luck has not been up to ipuch for some time. The Australian Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting will commence on Saturday next, and will be continued on Wednesday and Saturday in the following week. It is said that at the late meeting at Hokitika there were a number of cases of suspicious running, but the jockeys escaped. In one case the jockey got off by six votes to five. t- On May 12 the Australian mare Amiable is engaged in the Alexandra Handicap at Gatwick with 7st lllbs. If in her Australian form she should make things merry. A race for 13.1 ponies will be held in connection with the Licensed Drivers’ Picnic, to take place at the Sir Joseph Banks Ground on Friday next. Handicapper Evett must now have a much higher opinion of Whangaroa than he had before the Wellington meeting. The Stoney Creek owned gelding made hacks of both days, putting up a New Zealand record in time the first day. Messrs McMaster and Williams, who have several racehorses for sale advertised in this week’s issue of the Review, ask us to state that Admiral Hawke is no longer on offer. The Admiral has been withdrawn from sale. Newhaven’s wins in the City and Suburban Handicap and March Stakes, and Sibola’s victory in the One Thousand Guineas, promise that the foreign contingent will make things merry in the Old Country this season. Mr S H. Gollan’s New Zealand bred steeplechaser, Norton, recently retired, won a dozen aaces during his career in England. Not a bad performance for a veteran Australasian cam • paigner, who was supposed to be “ used up ” before he left these shores. A bookmaker’s expenses on some of the American courses are much heavier than those of metallicians in Australia. The charge for legitimate courses in California is lOOdol (£2O) a day. One bookmaker last year paid £4OOl in fees for 106 days betting, and his profits were only £220. Mr J. Rowan, the South Australian sportsman, has bestowed the name “ St. Austral” on the colt by St. Leger—Ouida, which he purchased in New Zealand. The youngster is at present in ihe paddock in Gippsland district, and if he turns out as good at his breeding suggests he will be, he will be sent to England. The new office of the inspector of totalisators has been created by the Queensland Government. It will be the officer’s duty to visit the various racecourses in the colony for the purpose of investigating. the working of the totalisators, and making sure that the Government sustains no loss. The following from a London exchange is prophetic : —“ The expatriated son of Newminister has been doing excellent work, and his traider is hopefpl of landing the chestnut at the post in the City and Suburban Handicap in his beet form. Should he succeed in doing so his detractors may have to * eat their own words.’ ” ? Mr Andrew Chirnside is so dissatisfied with the I prices realised by the last draft of Newminster Park yearlings that he is seriously considering whether it would not pay him better to race the 4 pick of his next season’s crop rather than send I them to the hammer. The Victorian turf is just B now sadly in want of a few owners of the Chirnside brand. On Friday last the One Thousand Guineas for three-year-old fillies was decided at Newmarket. The second classic event of the English season has fallen to Mr Pierre Lorillard, by the aid of Sibola, an American bred filly, by The Sailor Prince out of Saluda. Mr Lorillard’s return to the English Turf has soon been rewarded with an important victory. Writes London Sportsman's special:—The objection to a gelding winning the Derby should one ever do so can only be a sentimental one. and sentiment, though all very well in it way, is not always in accord with common sense. There can be no possible use in making the Derby a fool’s paradise, and deluding ourselves into the belief the winner is worthy of all praise, if there are any limitations such as the one proposed. If a gelding be in fact the best of this year, it will not make the Derby winner other than second best even though the gelding is debarred from meeting and beating him at Epsom. Similarly there is no proved value m the blood of the British thoroughbred if it cannot hold its own in open competition against all comers. Thus, should there be a half-bred good enough to win the Derby, it would not mend matters to prohibit him from running for it.

Mr J. T. Moore has placed his horses, lately trained by Laing, in H. Alexander’s hands, to be trained for future engagements. The Manawatu Evening Standard is rather rough on the Wellington handicapper. It remarks : —“ One of the worst handicap productions issued for some time is undoubtedly the Handicap Hurdles, to be competed for at the Wellington meeting, Why The Archer, who has never won a hurdle race, should be asked to concede weight to good performers like Whangaroa and Hangfire, is a mystery only a paid handicapper can solve.” It was only in last week’s Review that we extolled the jumping abilities of Mr Selby’s chaser Rainbow; Now we have to chronicle the fact that when out with the Pakuranga Hounds at Mangere on Saturday, poor old Rainbow made a mistake in leaping a gorse hedge with a ditch on the landing side. The Leolantis gelding injured himself so severely that he died before he could be taken back to the stables at Otahuhu. The loss to Mr Selby is a severe one, for Rainbow was a very promising jumper. William Day saw no harm in racing thoroughbreds early. The famous trainer remarks in “ The Racehorse in Training.” “1 ittle horses,” as a rule, seldom improve much after their second year ; some, I think, are never better than as two-year olds at half a mile. A remarkable instance was Schism, a leggy, over grown, halffurnished sort of mare, 16hds high at the time, and the least likely animal to run as a yearling that can possibly be imagined. Yet a race, in which she carried 7.4, did not hurt her, as she ran successfully for many years afterwards. When an objection was raised to Blue Gown for the Champagne Stakes, Admiral Rous was called into the weighing-room. Wells, the jockey, it will be remembered, was considerably overweight, though no declaration to that effect had been made, and the Admiral accordingly pronounced against him. ‘“Wait a moment,*’ said Mr Chaplin* as Tiny was about to get out of the weighing-chair ; “ let’s see how much he is over.” “ Certainly not,” sternly interposed Rous ; “ it’s quite bad enough without the public learning what Hawley’s horse really carried.” Bay Middleton was generally regarded as one of the most perfectly- proportioned animals ever foaled. Critics of the old school swore by him, moreover, owing, in a great measure, to the fact that “Bay” bore witness to the old adage that the length of a horse’s head, multiplied by three, should give his entire length, which saying, by the way, caused the owner of Bay Middleton to sharply answer a critic who spoke unfavorably of his favorite’s head, alleging that it was too long. “ Sir,” rejoined the somewhat annoyed nobleman, “please recollect if there was not so much head there would not be so much horse.” Old John Day was at times apt to be unduly sanguine. Once this undoubtedly smart trainer believed he had a positively unbeatable cert., and, in accordance with his custom, advised his familiar friends of the same. “ But he can’t be beaten,” emphatically said John to a somewhat sceptical punter to whom he confided the secret. '* Why, it’s good enough to take the clothes off your body and hide yourself in the wood until the race is over.” Fortunately for those concerned, this advice was not taken, Day’s “ snip ” failing to score. it is not a matter of common knowledge that th-- Duke of Wellington rode an English racehorse during the battle of Waterloo. The name of the horse was Copenhagen. He was by Meteor from Lady Catherine, by John Bull. Before taking the very important part he did in the downfall of Bonaporte ihe raced with success in his native country, He beat The Brother to Spaniard in a match at Newmarket, and defeated Oreesida and Huntingdon for a good stake at Huntingdon. Cressida was the dam of Prism. After the peace in 1815 Copenhagen was turned out in the rich pasture! of Strathfieldsday, where he roamed at will until his death. Figure* which have been prepared and published in the Sydney Telegraph over the recent Australian Jockey Club raees show what a large item jockeys’ fees make during a four days’ meeting, for Mr G. W. Rowe, who had been appointed to represent the jockeys, received in losing mounts alone the sum of £577, while the percentage in winning mounts totals £5BB lie. There is, however, a charge of 2£ per cent, levied by the club on the sums collectei at scale, so that £l4 8s 6d is deducted from the losing m.unts, thus leaving £562 Ils 6d to be distributed among the jockeys concerned. The fees paid were: - Losing mounts on the flat, £2 ; on hurdle races and steeplechases, £5; winning mounts on the flat, 5 per cent.; and over the jumps, 10 per cent, on the value of the prize to the winner. Though Trenton did not get the same opportunities as Carbine during his first season at the stud in England, he has succeeded in getting ahead of the latter so far as being represented by a winning two-year,old is concerned, though it cannot be said that this comes as a surprise. Longy, the colt who successfully represented Trenton at Epsom in the Westminster Ptate, a race for untried two year olds, is out of Saintly, who did great work for Mr D. Cooper as a two-year-old, her stake winnings at that age totalling £B6OO. Longy is a first foal, and in the London Sportsman last month “ The Special Commissioner” had the following reference to him and his dam :—“ The faintly colt is a fine mover, and it is a pity there is not more of him, but Saintly’s first foal was not likely to be a big one —and he is a very late foal too. I should not be surprised, however, to see this substantial lengthy little bay grow into a fair-sized horse some day, if he is not done too much with at this period of his career; Saintly, I may state, has a bay yearling colt by Carnage, which is being reared in Ireland at Mr J. C. Murphy’s place, where it will develope its utmost possible of size and bone. The mare is in foal to Common, but as she is again as late as ever, she will, I believe, be missed this season, and quite right too, for she is young, and three foals in succession are quite enough for her.”

The Horowhenua Hack Racing Club made a profit of £95 over their last meeting, without including members’ subscriptions. The Warrnambool Club have under consideration Mr D. O’Brien’s complaint against Mr W. E. Dakin in connection with the handicapping of the former’s horses, Minhamite, Butler, Tranth, and Red Ceer A good deal of correspondence has passed on the subject, and Mr Dakin gave good reasons for the weights he had allotted to Mr O’Brien’s horses. In the letter setting forth his complaints, Mr O’Brien said : —“ You are a gentleman I have the greatest respect for, and I don’t think you would do a wrong if you knew it, but you must acknowledge I am treated badly when I see the way my horses are handicapped as compared with other horses.” In concluding hie reply, Mr Dakin says he is conscious of no wrong, and his one wish has ever been to be absolutely just and fair. Hence he desired no secrecy, and courted enquiry He left the committee to judge, when they were fully cognisant of the facts, “if he deserved the intemperate strictures and complaints which Mr O’Brien had so frequently made as to the manner in which his horses had been handicapped. A decision which will considerably affect the French racing world, and with them a number of Englishmen whq have carried on the business of bookmakers on the turf, has (says an English contemporary) been come to by the French Government. Since the law of 1891, which legally established the mutual betting system on racecourses, the bookmakers, subject to certain restrictions, were, nevertheless tolerated, and had the customary ring set apart for their use. The business they continued to do was considerable, and recently protests have been made that the already enormous profits which charitable institutions realise from the mutual betting might be materially increased were the business done by the bookmakers transferred to them. The official communique states that orders will at once be issued by the Minister of the Interior, who will remind bookmakers that their “ industry ” is by this act forbidden on the racecourse, and that if they persist in endeavoring to carry on operations prosecutions will follow. The decision has caused much excitement among the sporting fraternity, who declare that it will either be the ruin of French racing, or will bring about the legalisation of the bookmaker. The ways and means of improving the thoroughbred in the Old County is a subject that very properly receives a great deal of attention from English sporting scribes, the majority of whom contend that the modern thoroughbred, though showing more quality and possessing greater speed, lack the courage, stamina, bone, and general hardiness that marked the horse of the early part of the century. Of course, all sorts of suggestions have been thrown out as to how this state of affairs is to be remedied, but the popular one is the introduction of some hardier, yet pure blood from other countries. “ Ranger,” of the Illustrated Sporting and. Dramatic News, says this is not to be found in America, where the Stud Book strains go straight back to native meres, and [is of opinion that Australia will prove the salvation of English breeders. “In Australia,” he writes, “ the Stud Book is.founded on pure blood, imported from this country, add the Australasian thoroughbred is, therefore, of precisely the same blood as our own. Climate, however, invariably alters type, and although New Zealand and Australian-bred h rses are descended from exactly the same stock as our own, they ure a sounder, bigger-boned, less hysterical, ana altogether hardier sort than their Englishbred cousins. This, then, is the source from which to obtain thlue qualities which haue. from various causes, died out in the parent stock, and it is for this reason that I have always that the Australian sires lately imported into this country are likely to do much good, The closer we stick to pure blood the better in almost all cases, but that is not to say that we are not to improve it in every way possible, and the Australian blood being equally pure as our own, but possessing mosq of those qualities in which ours is lacking, seems to me to be the very thing wanted.” It will be remembered that in certain totebetting prosecutions, instituted in Wellington recently, it came out in evidence that the police had been the instruments to cause the accused to violate the law, and this system of causing people to offend was strongly condemned by the presiding magistrate, Mr Kenny. The effect of this gentleman’s castigation of the system earned informations to be sworn against the police for having themselves violated the act by participating in tote betting, and the sorry spectacle of three police officers —Detective Broberg and Constables Kidd and McCarthy—being called upon to answer that charge was witnessed at the Wellington Court on Monday. Mr Gray, who was entrusted with the defence of those officers of the law who had entrapped others by sinning themselves, evidently did not relish the task set him, and he objected to Mr Kenny hearing the case on account of the strong remarks he had made when the original case was before him, and Mr Gray suggested that another magi trate should be appointed to hear the charge. This, in effect, was a charge of bias against the police magistrate, but the generous reply of Mr Kenny must have disarmed his accuser and showed that he was not actuated by those petty feelings which lead the anti-gambling faddists on to exiremes He said that he could understand what the defendants’ feelings might be, and a remand was reasonable in order to get another magistrate to hear their case, but Mr Kenny made it obvious that in granting a remand he was not beating a retreat from the position he had taken, and forthwith be reiterated the sentiments he hid previously ex pressed—that it was a dangerous and mischievous system for the police to get others to commit an offence. If such a system was encouraged among private people, the result would be abominable. Meanwhile Detective Broberg and his companions will probably wait in hope that some anti- gambling justice may come to their rescue.

It is rumored that First Blood and Castashore leave for Sydney shortly. Conspirer broke down just after the start for the St. Leger at Wellington. The Archer has been entrusted to D. Morrigan, and has been doing exercise at Ellerslie this week.' Frank Macmanemin has taken Tim up again. He has another pretty good string in Splinter to his bow. It is said that Dan O’Brien did not put a penny piece on Peerage when the colt defeated Double Event in the Autumn Handicap at Ashburton. If Ben Godfrey makes good his qualification after the hounds he may be a dangerous customer to meet in the hunters’ flat races. His galloping days are by no means over. An Inspector of Totalisators has been appointed in Queensland. Gellibrand is a good old boss here, and he does not receive a Government salary, but we trust him all the same. The Sinner —our friend, Mr R. H. Skipwith, thinks he was most appropriately named—is now following the hounds in the Napier district, and carries Mr G. L. Sutherland to the sport. Tigress was all the rage for the Woodville Cup yesterday. There was so much money for Captain Russell’s mare that some of the local pencillers had to shut up their books. The full sister to Impulse and half-sister to Uhlan, St. Aida, has been taken up and put into work. She has filled out into a handsome mare, and is under the care of W. Abbott, junior, at Otahuhu. Whangaroa’s victories at Wellington stamp him as a daisy over the little timber. “ Atlas” wonders what the genial and imperturbable handicapper thinks. Good enough to beat Barbarossa at level weights, surely. The entries for the Grand National Hurdles and for the Great Northern Steeplechase at the A.R.C. Winter Meeting are not so numerous as in former years, nor can the quality be said to be up to the standard of the fields we have lately seen competing for Northern cross - country honors. Charlie Jenkins, the well-known West Coast jockey, was married at Bulls, on Tuesday, to Miss N. Singall, and the pair are now spending their hoheymoon in Wellington. Charlie is a very popular horseman, and we wish him eveiy success and happiness. Nellie, the dam of Paladin, who ran third in the Thompson Handicap and won the Hutt Handicap at Wellington, is owned by a baker, who bred Paladin and still has his dam with a yearling by St. George at foot. Nellie is again in foal to Proposal. Two three-year-old fillies realised high prices at auction in England recently. Strike a-Light (by Donovan —Fuse) did not go out of the ring until 4200 gs was bid for her, and Galopin Lassie (by Galopin—Kyleehu) roused so much admiration that she brought 3200 gs before the hammer fell. Tangahoe has been knocked out of the A.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race. This evidently indicates that he is not himself, otherwise he would probably have had a look in for our big prize. If the Egmont race had been such a good thing as some people profess to think it was for him, surely he would have had a cut in Auckland, unless of course more appeals arc feared. An exchange states that Lillie and Glenlora is the fancied combination for the Takapuna Birthday Handicap and Steeplechase. We would warn punters that this is an. idle fancy either on the part of the writer or someone who is pulling his leg. As a matter of fact we do not believe that a single wager has been laid on the double mentioned, at least for substantial money, and the owners of Glenlora are not enamored of her treatment. Buby Twist’s performance in the Hack Welter Handicap, at Wellington, certainly presents his ability as belonging to a higher class than what strangers to New Zealand would deem hacks. Strangers in New Zealand, however, have to be educated to the fact that out of New Zealand hacks have come such horses as Waiuku, Vedette, Battleaxe, Sedgebrook, Uhlan, Okoari, and others too numerous to mention. If Australian handicappers weighted these horses as hacks what weight would they place on our racehorses. Bravo Dr. Bevan! (writes “Javelin” in the Melbourne Leader). The strength of the antitotalisator party in this colony lay hitherto in what has been generally termed the ‘ unholy alliance ” (incongrous would, perhaps, have been the better adjective) between the betting ring and the pulpit. As I have often written, and again kuite recently, it is absolutely impossible that the clergy, could have acted as they have done in opposing the comparative purification of betting on horse racing i they haa made themselves acquainted with the facts and particulars, and it is to the credit of the venerable preacher that he has been the first to adopt this common sense course. Dr. Bevan, having made himself personally acquainted with the methods pursued in Adelaide in connection with the legalised totalisator, has expressed the broad-minded view that, “ assuming betting to be essential, and that it cannot be got rid of, the best thing to do is to use the totalisator.” Hitherto, Dr Bevan has stoutly opposed the legalisation of the machine in this colony, and the conversion of such an eloquent and influential teacher of men will doubtless soon be followed by the passing of the bill which has previously been blocked through good and well-meaning men opposing it without having made themselves practically acquainted with the subject, as Dr. Bevan has now done. The next time Mr Frank Madden takes liberties with “ that good milch cow, the public,” he will have took out, or she will kick his pail over.

Sydney people expect Mr Jimmy Beckett to visit them with a couple of jumpers presently. Two four-year-old mares by Niagara were sold recently in Sydney for lOgs and Hags respectively. The purchaser intends to ship hie bargains to India at once. Royal Emerald, by Royal Hampton out of Thistle —consequently a half-brother to Common —has been backed for the English Derby. Centle Ida, who was a strong fancy for the Liverpool Grand National, was sold before the race for 5000 guineas. Mr Dyas got this big figure from Mr Horatio Bottomley, who is ever ready to give good money for a horse he fancies. The Canterbury Jockey Club are making a big effort to recover some of the loss sustained by the season’s operations at Riccarton. To that end the Grand National meeting has been extended into the third day. The principal races for the additional day will be a steeplechase and hurdle race each of the value of 200 sovs, and a one mile flat race to be called the Winter Cup Handicap which will be worth 250 sovs. The stewards of the Wairarapa Racing Club dismissed the Sir Agnes-Whario protest after exhaustive enquiry, on the ground that there was not sufficient proof to bring a protest under rule 137. They considered the whole transaction very suspicious, and passed the following resolution : — “ The stewards think that when a man is disqualified for life his horses should be disqualified too.” The protest money was returned to Corlett, the owner of Sir Agnes. Paladin (by St. George—Nellie) was evidently an underrated animal at Wellington, and probably not without cause, as last year he competed in various races with but a small share of success. After running such a good third in the Thompson Handicap he came out in the Hutt Handicap, on the second day, and (with 7st 101 b up) beat a big favorite like Tauhei (Bst 41bs) in Imin 42 4-ssec. This is quite enough to make one think that Paladin is a little better than the ordinary. After reading the report of the running in the Thomson Handicap, Okoari (the full sister to Waiuku) does not appear in the light of a turf wonder, or anything approaching her brother. There can be no doubt that she did a big trial, for we have that on good authority, and it may be that she left her form on the track, or was not wisely ridden. We are told that she got a splendid start, and it may be that young Hutchison tried to make too much of the opportunity, as we learn that she was soon leading by any number of lengths. When heads were turned for home Neill (Connop’s apprentice), oit Amoureux began to catch the leader, and finally wore her down, and this, too, let it be remembered, with an apprentice on her back. The starting machine is gradually gaining ground on the Continent, and a leading German sporting journal expressed the opinion that its general introduction is merely a question of time, and that “it would be far better not to await possible occurrences, which might make the use of the machine a necessity by force.” Commenting further on the subject, the same paper remarks : “ Similar conditions prevail in England, with the addition that reforms in that country are beset with higher difficulties even than in Germany, England being more conservative, and any alteration in sporting institutions is generally considered there on a par with a sacrilege. The starting machi e underwent in that country the same experience as with us—it was tried, many people saw its great advantages, but it was not made obligatory, and until this is done, its value must remain illusory. Only here and there the min'is are awakened from their peaceful and traditional slumber by an exceptional bad start, esp cially when, through such faulty start, the backing community is heavily punished. Such was the case in the Cambridgeshire of 1898, when three rank outsiders succeeded to maintain the first three positions, principally on account of several favorites being leftjbehind at the start ” It is much to be feared that this terrible evil (foul riding) is sometimes practiced to a rather alarming extent about Melbourne, writes the Sportsman. Victims instead of making direct complaint, are, in nine cases out of ten, satisfied to let the matter rest, and await their own opportunity to square the account. This is a very unsatisfactory state of affairs. Foul riding is a crime that every effort should be made to stamp out. Riders who are deliberately interfered with in a race should lose no time in reporting to the proper authorities, so that the wrongdoes may be brought to book. |lf the trouble is checked in the bud, and| the scoundrel who takes unfair means deprived of the opportunity to continue his dastardly work, ultimate good will come. Once a jockey is found guilty of this offence, prompt measures ought to be taken with him. Such a man has no right to be allowed on a racecourse at all, much less in a field of horses where his actions endanger life and limb. The risks of horse racing are quite sufficient ordinarily without their being added to by wilful interference, which, we have good reason to believe, happens repeatedly, and is passed by unnoticed. After the race the boys wrangle amongst themselves ; there are threats about getting even” seme day, but it is only on rare occasions that the facts are communicated to the stewards, who should, by rights, be immediately approached in cases of the lind. The. evil has been brought to such a pass that something must be done in the direction of remedying it. Owners would run horses with much more confidence if certain of only having to meet the risks of accidents that are inseparable from the sport, but as things are now these are greatly added to by the chance that foul-riding will be indulged in before the race is lost and wop. This is a very serious matter, and it behoves lhe better-minded of our jockeys to use their best endeavors to sheet home the crime to the parties wont to practice it. And should the stewards anywhere find a case proved, it is to be sincerely hoped that the delinquent will be severely dealt with.

Tommy Scott, of Rangitikei, informs our Wellington correspondent that he has. Plain Bill in hand again; also a full-sister to Kimberley a,n d Wooloomooloo and Whangaroa, all at the illegitimate game. A painstaking, honest owner is Scott, and he deserves success. It was a treat t o see Whangaroa clearing his jumps at The Hutt. Work at Ellerslie during the early hours of the morning has not been brisk during the week, but a lot of schooling work has been indulged in during the day. Jockeys, when they are schooling horses for fences, like the bright light of da y for their operations. Sometimes they are not so particular with flat-racers. The defeat of Boreas in the Suburban Handicap, at Wellington, was a blow to backers. Out of 1861 investments on the machine, 813 were in favor of Mr Webb’s speedy gelding. We learn from our Wellington correspondent that Boreas received a nasty kick on the stifle just before the race. He pulled up dead lame, and, finding that something was amiss, Derrett was justified in not persevering with his mount.