Sportting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 514, 25 October 1900, Page 11

Sportting Topics.

EBv

Petronel.

Caulfield Cup won by Ingliston. Ingliston’s starting price in the Caulfield Cup was ten to one. Ifalna sired the first and second horses in the Caulfield Cup.

The cause of Sant Ilario’s withdrawal from the New Zealand Cup was a split hoof. Hohoro was scratched for the New Zealand Cup oh Wednesday of last week.

Severity has been doing good work on the Flemington tracks.

Record Reign broke down badly while doing a strong gallop on the Ricoarton track on Tuesday morning.

Electric Light, the dam of Ampier. has foaled a filly to Russley, and will be mated with the same sire again.

Tnrtnlla was in strong demand when the news that Record Reign had broken down arrived in Auckland.

Merriwee has been showing good form on the tracks recently, and consequently has been well backed for the Melbourne Cup.

Mr D. Thomson, of Hastings, has purchased Donovan, by The Dauphin—Witiora, from Mr E. J. Watt for 200gns.

The final payments for the 0.J.0 Derby, Oaks, and Welcome Stakes are due with Mr Wanklyn on Wednesday next, October 31st.

Nominations for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Summer Meeting close on Friday (to-morrow), October 26th.

Nominations for the Maiden Plate, Short’s Handicap, Seymour Selling Race, and Auction Handicap, to be run at the 0.J.0 Metropolitan Meeting, close on Wednesday nett, October 31st. The final payment for the New Zealand Cup is due with the secretary of the 0.J.0. on Wednesday next, October 31st. The amount to be paid is 10 sovs.

Malster, who was sore after his exertions in the Caulfield Guineas, has quite recovered, and has, during the past week, been putting in some good work on the training tracks.

Ingliston is a four-year-old gelding by Malua out of Ohakwa. He carried 7rt 41b in the Caul field Cup, and ran the mile and a-half in 2min 36isec.

Only eleven horses remain in the hew Zealand Cup : Malatua, Tortulla, Fulmen, Miss Delaval, Dundas, Djin Djin, Ideal, Skobeloff, Strathnairn, Materoa, and Huku. Merriwee is said to have grown a lot since the the winter, and his many admirers are of the opinion that the 1 improvement in his galloping is commensurate with his improvement in looks. Ideal has been well backed locally during the past few days. The Hon J. D. Ormond’s little mare will have a strong following on the day of the Cup should she remain fit and well. n i.J have to thank Messrs Pyne and Co, the Christchurch auctioneers, for a catalogue of the Elderslie Stud yearlings which will be offered at auction on Thursday, November Bth.

Clean Sweep, the winner of the Ooongy Handicap, on the second day of the V. A.T.O. Meeting, has 7rt 51b to carry in the Melbourne Cup. His original impost was 7st, but by his victory at Caulfield he has incurred a 51b penalty.

The winning jockeys at the Napier Park Racing Club’s Spring Meeting were Whittaker, Donovan, Higgins and Batman, two each j Woolley, Stowe, George, Watt, Wilson, Davis, Fairbrother, and Buchanan one each.

Record Reign was scratched for the New Zealand Cup on Tuesday morning at 10.45 a.m. —at least that is the time Dan McLeod dispatched the wire withdrawing the Castor gelding from the race.

Seahorse, who advanced to 10 to 1 for the Melbourne Cup after his race in the Eclipse Stakes has now gone back to 20 to 1. The last was the price quoted about the Nelson colt at Melbourne on Monday ni;ht. Seahorse put up a good gallop over a mile and a-half on Saturday morning. He had Ballistite for . a companion and last years’ third in the Caulfield Cup took the Nelson colt along at . a rare bat. The journey was finished in 2min 38 sec.

Kinglike finished nowhere in the Caulfied Cup The Wallace gelding started a very hot favourite at 3 to l against, but he made no show at any part of the race. Probably he got away badly, and was afterwards always in a bad position. Sant Ilario’s defection from the New Zealand Cup is a big blow to a number of backers. .It is believed that the colt went wrong in the middle of last week Skobeloff is now the only representative from Yaldhurst left in the race.

Tommy Taylor will ride Miss Delaval in the New Zealand Cup. Be has all along expressed his belief in the filly, and if he succeeds in landing her a winner he will be very heartily congratulated. Taylor left on Monday for the scene of operations.

At Melbourne, on Monday, the quotations for the leading selections in the Melbourne Cup were as follows : —lOO to 8 Lancaster and Severity, 100 to 7 La Carabine and Kinglike, 100 to 6 Merriwee, George Frederick, and War God, 100 to 5 Seahorse, 100 to 3 Malster.

The detailed account of the race for the Eclipse Stakes at Caulfield last Wednesday shows that Seahorse was only defeated half-a-length by Kinglike. Paul Pry was a length away third, and Merriwee was close up fourth. Gauleon, Lancaster, Mora, and The Chief were also starters.

Mark Ryan met with what might have turned out a nasty accident on Tuesday morning. He was riding Liquidator in his work, and the gelding suddenly came down, giving Ryan a severe tumble. Happily the jockey soon recovered, and no serious results are anticipated.

Acceptances for the following races to be decided at the Auckland Racing Club’s Spring Meeting are due on Friday, November 2nd: — President’s Handicap, Short’s Handicap, Flying Handicap, Hunt Club Steeplechase, Pony Handicap, Hunt Club Hurdles and Farmers’ Steeplechase. The fee in each race is one sovereign.

The Board of Agriculture in England have refused to grant licenses enabling English greyhounds to cross the Channel to take part at meetings at Massereene Park, Co. Antrim, and the permits which were issued last year for Irish greyhounds to go to English meetings will not be available in future.

Finland’s form on the track is always splendid, indeed one Melbourne scribe says the colt has never been headed in his work. When it comes to actual racing Finland appears to cut it, and though he may be a rattling good galloper in private, when the real graft has to be tackled he shows undoubted signs that he is a bit fainthearted.

Mora, the Malua mare that ran second to Ingliston for the Caulfield Cup, was recently sold to Mr James Brennan, the Sydney penciller, for 700gns. She was sold with the contingency that her late owner, Mr Knight, should receive a fourth of the stake money the mare might win between the date of sale and the Ist April next. Two smart ex-Sydney ponies, Neil Gow and Zar, have recently died in India, I have received from Mr H. M. Lyon, the secretary of the Wellington Racing Club, the book programme of the various meetings to be decided during the current season. The book, which is very well got up, contains, in addition to the programmes, records of past races, weight for age scale, and entries for events which have already closed.

It is possible to back a horse in Perth for the Caulfield Cup to ,win £15,000, and if the horse won, the money would be paid (remarks a W.A. exchange). A few years ago very little business was done on eastern event?, except in doubles, but nowadays there is plenty .of money available, straight-out, at Melbourne prices. A well-known penciller recently said he was prepared to lay £5OOO any horse, bar Sagacity, at Melbourne prices in the Caulfield Cup. The following are the stake winnings at the Napier Park Racing Club’s Spring Meeting : — Captain Russell £240, Bupuha te Hianga £l6O, Jervis George £145, G. M. Ourrie £l2O, L. D. and N. A. Nathan £lOO, A. Ellingham £5O, A. Stewart £5O, .Hon. J. D. Ormond £5O, 0. L. Mackersey £5O, J. T. Blake £4O, J. Cameron £4O, T. H. Lowry £4O, J. A. Harding £l5, P. Martin £lO, E. O’Neill £lO, M. Kaiwhata £lO, W. Rathbone £lO, M, Simpson £lO. Dundas and Skobeloff are a pair of lightly - weighted Canterbury horses considered to now have a very good show of winning the New Zealand Cup. Dundas has been doing very good work, and then again he has been performing indifferently. Nothing tangible is known of Skobeloff’s form, but he is sure to be seen on the Ricoarton tracks before very long. When he does appear some estimate of his chance may be gathered. The entries for the Hawke’s Bay Guineas 1902, number 105, and are divided among the various owners as follows :—T. Morrin 24, Hon. J. D. Ormond 14, L. D. and N. A. Nathan 11, J. F, Reid 10, Captain W. R. Russell 7, Mr W.J. Douglas and S. H, Gollan 5 each, Mr G. P. Donnelly and ir G. Clifford 4 each, Mr G. Hunter, Mr W. Rathbone and Mr J. Paul 3 each, Mr E. J Evans, Mr J. B. Reid, Mr G. G. Stead, and Mr Donald Fraser 2 each, Mr D. McKinnon, Mr W. Bobinson Mr 0. Machell. and Mr P. E. Baldwin 1 each.

The Coromandel Racing Club’s Spring Meeting programme will require attention from owners and trainers on Friday, November 2nd. Nominations for all events will close on that day with the secretary, Mr A. F. Billing, Kaponga Road, Coromandel. Mr Harry Hayr will also take nominations at his office, Vulcan Lane, Auckland. The fixture will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, November 21st and 22nd. As the programme is framed upon a liberal scale, the Club should receive excellent entries for the various races.

Sloan, the American jockey, during his recent visit to the land of Stars and Stripes purchased the two-year old, Longshoreman, and the three-year-old, Lady Massey, the price paid for the pair, it is said, being 14,000d01. lhe horses were, according to latest advices, to be shipped to England, and are to form part of a stable j which Mr F. E. Gardner, a South African magnate, intends establishing. Sloan has stated that in future he will ride exclusively for Mr Gardner.

A New York correspondent, describing the race for the Futurity Stakes, which was won by Mr W. O. Whitney’s Ballyhoo Bey, says the victory was worth just £8416 to Mr Whitney, who had the satisfaction of beating the stable of his great business and racing rival, Mr James R. Keene, which, however, ran him a very close second with Olympian. It was a race between the two stables, Mr Keene starting Tommy Atkins, Cap and Bells and Olympian, while Mr Whitney’s colours were represented by Ballyhoo Bey and Elkhorn. Sloan won very cleverly in the last few yards. Mr Whitney gave the successful jockey £lOOO and all his expenses.

Nominations for the Wellington Racing Club’s Spring Meeting close on Wednesday next, October 81st. The Wellington Handicap, one mile and a quarter, worth 400 sovs, is the principal event on the first day, while the Pearce Handicap, of 300 sovs, a mile and a furlong, will be the big race on the second day. The following are the other races that Mr H. M. Lyon will receive entries for on the date named : November Handicap, Spring Hurdles, Short’s Handicap, First Welter Handicap, Flying Handicap, Petone Handicap, Hack Welter, November Hurdles, Second Welter, Hutt Park Spring Handicap, Hack Flying and Waiwetu Handicap. The nomination fee for each race is one sovereign. The meeting will be held on Thursday and Saturday, November 22nd and 24th. The programme is a very attractive one, and therefore the Club should receive a good response from owners and trainers.

The racing season of 1902 in Great Britain will have a distinctly representative American crowd participating, for never have so many American yearlings been entered for the classic Derby and Oaks, remarks an American exchange. Altogether 74 have been nominated. Thirtyfour were entered for the Derby and 14 for the Oaks. Twenty-five entries were made in New York. The nominators include the most prominent and wealthy American gentlemen connected with the turf. F< r the Derby, W. O. Whitney has entered seven horses ; R. Croker, 5; Foxhall Keene, 5; E. C. Oorrigan, 5; J. R. Keene, 4 ; Pierre • orillard ; L. McOreery, 2; W. K. Vanderbilt, 1; J. T. Sloan, 1. Among the entries for the Oaks, Mr Croker has 1; Marcus Daly, 2 ; J. R. Keene. 3; Foxhill Keene, 3 ; J. T. Sloan, 1; and Pierre Lorillard, 1. This is a good, representative showing.

According to a writer in an Indian paper, Merloolas was not thoroughly wound up at the Colombo Meeting, and therefore it would scarcely do to say his running at that fixture discounts his Viceroy’s Cup chance in December. He adds :— “ Those who saw Merloolas in Calcutta last cold weather must indeed be surprised to find how well he is coming on after the terrible ordeal he went through last Christmas. After showing good form in the Trial Stakes on the opening day of the Calcutta First Meeting, when he ran a good second to Cherry, he went off form rapidly, and there was unmistakably something organically wrong with him. At the close of the Calcutta Meetings it was difficult for anyone who had seen the horse when he first arrived at Calcutta to recognise Merloolas in the spectre that was to be seen nibbling grass on the maidan of a morning or evening, and there were many who predicted that Merloolas would never see a racecourse again ”

“ A new broom sweeps clean,” is an old adage, which apparently may be applied to racing. Especially to the management of the new Kinlock Park, Mo. (says the Spirit of the Times track. The patrol judge at the coming meeting will be expected to fulfil the usual orthodox duties of that post and also “ shoot the chutes ” on an automobile car recently patented by the projectors. A track is to be built on the level with a horse’s back, around the track on the inside. The patrol judge will use this track for his automobile and keep alongside of the horses during a race. It is believed by the inventors that this will prevent crookedness, because the patrol judge’s eye can be on the jockeys the whole time. But who would believe for one moment that the patrol judge will ever be able to take his eyes off his own track if he is spinning along on an automobile at the same pace as a horse is racing. This idea was first ventilated some six years ago in connection with the electric frauds at a southern track, but it then had the form of a swinging chair on a trolley line. The “ Special Commissioner ” of the London Sportsman mentions that the mares Dovecote, Goldlike, Gloria, Eidothea, and the two yearlings purchased in Australia a little while back for Mr J. Platt had a particularly bad voyage to England. All the boxes were smashed by the heavy seas on one occasion, and the mares and yearlings were dashed in a mass against the coal bunkers. Hammill, their attendant, with the help of some sailors got them clear from the wreckage somehow, but much cut about and damaged. A make shift box was hastily rigged up, and the mares were lashed together in couples for greater safety, but this new box was smashed up on the following day, and it was on this occasion that one of the yearlings was killed. Hammill was standing by the colt at the time, when a big wave dashed everything down, and the. yearling was hurled against the bulwarks. Hammil himself was knocked out for the time being, and until next day. At the Cape fresh timber was procured, and new boxes constructed by the ship’s carpenter. From that time onward all went well.

The official time of the scratching of Record Reign is 11.35 a.m. on Tuesday.

Dundas put in a good gallop over a mile and a-half on Wednesday—yesterday —morning. Dundas is well fancied for the New Zealand Cup in some quarters. Malatua and Tortulla in good favour for the New Zealand Cup. Nominations for the Wellington Cup close on Wednesday, October 31st. St Ursula and St Peter are both putting in good work on the Ellerslie training ground. La Gloria keeps up her good name for getting through solid work on the training tracks. With the one mare — Oharente —to foal there are five colts and nine fillies at the Sylvia Park Stud Farm. Mr Thomas Morrin’s brood mare St Evelyn, by St Leger—Lady Evelyn, has foaled a filly to Hotchkiss. Seahorse was absent from the Flemington track on Tuesday morning, so the idea prevails that all is not well with Major George’s colt. Mr Leonard Marshall’s brood mare, Sabrina by Vasco de Gama from Lorelei, has foaled a colt to Torpedo, at the One Tree Hill Stud Farm. The Poverty Bay Turf Club’s Spring Meeting takes place to-day (Thursday) and to-morrow (Friday). The acceptances for the open races to be decided on the first day appear in this issue. The Auckland Racing Club has been met with a liberal response to the invitations to take part in the Spring meeting. The general entries are very good, and all round the prospects of a first class racing carnival are very good.

At Messrs L. D.'and N. A. Nathan’s Sylvia Park Stud, the following foalings have taken place during the past week : Robinilia, by Bobineon Crusoe —Campanilla, a colt to Capstan; and Innisfail, by Nordenfeldt from Innisthona, a colt to Seaton Delaval.

Coronet, who is well fancied for the Prince of Wales’ Handicap, has been showing very fair form whenever he has appeared at Ellerslie. The Castor horse looks in very good fettle, and should he continue to get through his tasks in the same satisfactory manner until the day of the race he will be well backed.

At the Wellington Park Stud Farm the following foalings have taken place since our last issue: Mr Thomas Morrin’s Bangle, by Musket —Locket, a colt to Castor; Mr Morrin’s Jenny, by Nordenfeldt—Victoria, a filly to Soult; and the same owner’s Lady Peer, by Muskateer — Miss Brunette, a colt to Castor.

The acceptors for the 0.J.0. Stewards Stakes number 17. Of those who have already been racing this season, Jabber 9st 121 b, Goldspur 9st 81b, Formosan Bst 81b, Chasseur Bst, St Denis 7st 131 b, and Pampero 7st 41b, appear to have very promising chances. I consider Jabber, Formosan, Chasseur, and St Denis the most|likely to prevail at the end of the journey.

Arcola, the dam of Black Watch, who won the first important two-year-old race of Victoria, is now at the Morphettville stud. She had no foal this season, but has been mated to Light Artillery. Arcola is a nice looking mare, and sister to Destiny and Hortenoins, her sire being Neckersgat, and dam the famous Hortense. Light Artillery is fast making a high position among stallions, and, like his great progenitor, Trenton, both sexes got by him race well and improve.

There was something like a stir amongst the Auckland metallicians when tbe news came up on Tuesday morning, that Record Reign had broken down. One early bird—of the backer variety—was quickly on the scene, picking up all the Tortulla money available, fie met the layers as they arrived in town, and before theyhad heard the news, so the business was promptly done. Certainly he got the best of the market'. But though the bookmakers must have done well by the downfall of such a hot favourite, they one and all condoled with Dan McLeod on his illluck. He has backed his belief in the Castor gelding right manfully, and he has the sympathy of every sportsman in his misfortune, and not a soul would be sorry to see him win the New Zealand Cup with his game little filly, Miss Delaval.

At the Doncaster yearling sales on the 13th of last month' seven youngsters from Sir Tatton Sykes’ stud realised the sum of 10,160 guineas, which gives the splendid average of 1451 guineas for a colt by Gallinule—Tragedy, and therefore a full brother to Wildfowler, the Leger winner of 1898. This colt, who is described as being the best yearling at the sale, was bought by the American sportsman, Mr Keene, He har all the goodpoints of his celebrated brother, and a great deal better fore legs. Other good prices on the same day were given in 2200 guineas for a colt by Isinglass —Pannonia, Sir Blundell Maple being the purchaser, whilst Mr Jarvis gave 2100 guineas for a filly by St. Simon —Pamela, and Mr Prentice gave a similar figure for a colt by St. Simon—Lady Yardley. A meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club Committee was held on the Park racecourse on Tuesday in last week, to further consider the case of Mr It. N. Patterson, who was disqualified for twelve months for telegraphing any commission on which he expected to receive totalisatior odds. It was decided to extend the disqualification to Mr Patterson’s horses, Dr. Bill and Ringlet, and the stakes were awarded to the second horses, Sylvanus and la, in the Hurdles, and Nursery . tfaudicaps respectively, at the late H.B. Jockey Club Meeting. Menura, who ran third to Ringlet in the Juvenile Handicap at the same gatherings, now gets second money, and Voltaire receiving second award in the S'cord TTnrd’-'--.

A cable arrived from Melbourne yesterday afternoon stating that Seahorse had contracted a cold at Caulfield, and that he had cut himself about in galloping The result was, according to the cable, that Seahorse’s price for the Melbourne Cup was 50 to 1.

Bluejacket has been moving well in his tasks lately. He ought to do something at the approaching meeting at Ellersle, to wipe away the idea that he will not always do his best. At Wanganui he did not give a true exhibition, and I think he may be relied upon to give us a better showing on his own ground. The Biograph Exhibition, now at the Auckland Opera House, is really an excellent show. The pictures are undoubtedly some of the best ever seen here. The principal events of the last two years are shown, and there is every reason to suppose tbar in Auckland, as elsewhere, the public will appreciate this pictorial record so clearly put before them. I noticed an amusing little incident o.i Tuesday morning in connection with the Record Eeign breakdown. One well known and popular layer would not believe the news when he first heard it. When it had been conclus.vely proved that the gallant horse was really hors de combat, the layer, though sorry for Dan McLeod’s bad luck, could not help congratulating himself upon a very nice looking book. And he straightway resolved upon a little extravagance. He walked away down Queen-street, and presently returned with a bundle of choice asparagus in each hand. He at least was going to enjoy a good dinner, . and having safely “ planted ” the succulent vegetable, he went about his business until it was time to go home. He got a bit chaffed about his Record Reign asparagus, but no doubt he enjoyed it all. At anyrate he seemed to have the best of the deal, for he possessed the *'grass ” and his book was very good reading. The proprietor of a Coolgardie goldfields boxing saloon, who is rather proud of the up-to-datedness of his sporting emporium, invited a newly-made acquaintance to inspect the same. After pointing out the various gymnastic “ props,” by means of which the proboscispunchers keep themselves in condition, he invited his guest on to the boxing stage. “ There’s sport for you, the former exclaimed proudly, pointing to several large dark patches in the “ corners.” “ Looks to me like blood,” ventured the uninitiated one. “ Well, so it is,” agreed the other, as he,gazed fondly at the map-like marks of nose massacre “ But,” he continued, “ ain’t it sport ? Ain’t I a marvellous handicapper ?” “ I scarcely follow you,” said the bewildered one. “ Of course you don’t,” returned the professional eye-hunger. “ But this is how it is—l matches the men so evenly and so fairly, that there ain’t a bigger patch o’ claret in one corner than there is in the other !”