Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 551, 11 July 1901, Page 11

Sporting Topics.

| By

OOHIEL.]

Cannie Chiel and Glenaladale are reported to be in splendid fettle.

San Rsmo was scratched for the New Zealand Cup on Saturday. His connections were very sore over the impost allotted him. W. Smith now tenants Mr Bowman’s boxes at Green Lane He has Winsome and Capford both looking well. R. Hall has taken the stables of the Hon. Hugh Mosman at Green Lane. He has Khama and a pony full sister to that game little mare Eve under his care.

The Chief and The Watchdog have been scratched for the Epsom Handicap (Sydney). On Thursday, the 18th July, the annual meeting of the Racing Conference will he held at Wellington. ’ Bluejacket is doing very well. The only work given to the big son of St. Leger is on the roads after breakfast. There is some talk about Castashore coming up to Auckland during the spring, but as this horse is unsound he will probably be relegated to stud duty. News comes from Melbourne of the death of Mr W. McLaughlin, the veterinary surgeop. who was well-known and highly respected in Victoria. The thoroughbred stallion Zalinski, the sire of Olean Sweep, Cordite, Honey Bee, etc., is adver-. tised to serve ten mares in addition to his owner’s at a fee of 25 guineas. Mr John Crozier, having failed to dispose, of his horses, has taken them out of J. Brewer’s hands and has handed them over to J. Hopwood, who will train them at Morphettville. W. Gall, the Green Lane trainer, has Picklock and Sly Miss in his charge. The latter is making a good recovery from the accident that befel her some time back.* By the wav W. Gall is to be joined in matrimony shortly. Very little work is doing at Ellerslie just now, as most of the horses are enjoying a spell. The late rains have made the tracks in a very bad state. George Wright always works his string before breakfast. J. Rae has his Christchurch nominations, The Needle and Natation, in splendid buckle at present. The latter has been clipped, and bears an improved appearance This pair should earn distinction before long. San Remo and Royal Artillery were sent for a .five furlong sprint at Riccarton last week. The Derby colts both moved nicely, and the Yaldhurst stable looks like being very dangerous in the coming spring. Messrs H. T. Gorrie and Wm. Percival have been appointed the delegates on behalf of the Auckland Racing Club to attend the Racing Conference to be held in Wellington on the 18th of this month. Semper Vigilans, a fourryear-old daughter of Carbine, won the Newmarket Handicap, 1| miles, on the opening day of the Newmarket Second Spring Meeting. Sea Fog, by Kirkham, also took part in the race. At the Hawkesbury (N.S.W.) Meeting on Saturday the Winter Handicap resulted as follows : —Edna Lyall 1, Eulong 2, Wonga 3. Six horses started. Betting: Even money on Eulong, 4to 1 against Edna Lyall. Edna Lyall won by a length. Time, 2min 13|sec. Lancaster, by Hotchkiss from Frailty, has been placed in the hands of Messrs W. 0. Yuille and Co. for private sale. Other sons of Frailty have done well at the stud, and there is every reason for thinking Lancaster would also be a success. Our Christchurch correspondent writes that Will-o’-the-Wisp was backed ail over the town for the New Zealand Cup, nearly £2,000 being secured about the Mystical gelding at 100’s to 4 and 5. Canteen, Calibre and Shellback were also backed for a few hundreds at prices ranging from 20’s to 1 to 33’s to 1. ->

Galtee More, who cost the Russian Government 20,000 guineas, stands at a fee of 80 guineas for approved mares. If he had remained in the Old Country his fee would have been at least 200 guineas. The most successful stallion in Russia is the Isonomy horse Ruler, and his fee is 300 guineas. Shoddy was hardly mentioned in Auckland in connection with the V.R.C. Grand National. The only wager I have heard of was £5 to ss. laid by one of our pencillers. Record Reign was at a prohibitive price, but Arcadia, Carbinier, Cynic and Bickshaw were nibbled at for small amounts. The weights for the New Zealand Cup must have got mutilated in their transmission to Australia, judging by the following par which I clip from a Melbourne paper : —“ Fulmen (9st 61b), Te Hapuka 9st 6ib) and Benzoin (9st 61b). are all handicapped to give Advance (9 it 51b) weight in the New Zealand Cup.” The connections of Advance doubtless wish it were so. After his sterling performance on Saturday in the V 8.0. Hurdle Race, Record Reign’s selling price was inquired for in more than one quarter. Mr Dan McLeod cabled back that 1,000 guineas would buy the son of Castor. As no definite offer of that amount had been received on Monday morning “ Dan ” cabled over to W. O. Yuille and Co. to put the horse up for sale at an early date. Judgment on the turf no doubt goes a long way, but a little bit of luck is like a certain brand of cocoa (vide advertisement), because ‘it is beet and goes furthest.” Nobody will deny that Messrs Albert and Septimus Miller understand the game of racing in all its details, and yet between them they ran seven horses at Caulfield on Saturday, not one of which got a place, and the winner of the Steeplechase was once sold by them for a fiver ! —“Javelin.” In a certain training stable the boys sometimes amuse themselves at night ashing riddles, and so on (writes Javelin). One of the youngsters suggested a new game. The shop of a certain trade was decided upon, and each gave the initial letter or letters of some article in it and the others had to guess what the article was. On one occasion u butcher’s shop was the subject, and one of the company gave the letters J.O. The boys looked blankly at each other for some time, and eventually all gave it up, when the propounder of the problem said, “ Well, you are a lot of mugs—German Sausage ! ”

The Trotting Conference will take place on Tuesday, the 16th inst, at Wellington. Marina and Somerled are unlikeiy starters at the Wellington Meeting. Mr J. E. Henreys has been appointed handicapper, and Mr H. Piper starter to the Ashburton Racing Club. “ Galtee More” in the Sydney “ Mail” picked Record Beign to absolutely win the Grand National Hurdles at Melbourne. Our old New Zealander Clansman was in the 14.3 Handicap run at Kensington on June 26th, but suffered defeat for first honours by a head. He witt’s term of disqualification has been reduced to three months by the O.J.C. Committee, at the instigation of the South Canterbury J.O. Clanside was the first horse taken out of the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. His owner was dissatisfied with the weights. The annual subscription to the Auckland Cycle Roads League has been reduced to 2s 6d, with an extra charge of Is for badges. The Kirkham-bred mare Achray, by MartiniHenry from Acme, ran in the Somerset Stakes at the Bath and Somerset County May Meeting. She carried Bst and finished fourth. The Australian horse Sailor Boy, by Gozo, took part in the Haydock Park Handicap, of 500 sovs, li mile, but he was not mentioned in the betting, and finished last. Tigress, Will-o’-the-Wisp, Advance, Pampero, Ideal, Renown, Shellback, and Calibre have been supported for small amounts down South for the New Zealand Cup. At a meeting of the Council of the League of Wheelmen, held on Monday, the disqualification of W. Tierney by the Auckland centre for 12 months was endorsed. Jewellery, in F. Macminamen’s stable, is looking the picture of health. She is a compact little bit of stuff, and is one that should repay watching. John Cbaafe, senr., is keeping his game little mare St Ursula going along like a house on fire at headquarters This mare has an engagement at the Christchurch National Meeting. The brother to Hohoro in F. Stehning’s stable is reported to have an enlarged knee, the result of an accident. This is unfortunate, as he was a promising colt. “ Tasmania is the only State that makes a profit on her post office—-£14,500 a year.”— Senator Playford. “ Tattersail does it for us,” remarked Senator Dobson. “We make just £15,000 a year out of him.” Why not give New Zealand a chance ? The entrants for the Royal Hunt Cup, won by Stealaway at the Ascot Summer Meeting, totalled 75, and included the Australian horses Parramatta (late The Tola), Sweetheart 11, The Grafter, Australian Star, Syerla, and Seringapatam (late Screw Gun), while the American division numbered among them Chaoornac, Olympian, Harrow, Watershed, De Lacy, and Encombe. By a singular coincidence Stealaway was this first entry received for the race. H. Johnso ’, who was suspended by the Mentone (Vic.) stewards on the 6th April for six months for abusive language to a steward, again fell foul of the stewards at Sandown Park. He made some objectionable comments in the stewards’ enclosure after the defeat of Sapir in the Jumpers’ Flat Race, and the stewards decided that he be fined £lO, removed from the ground and reported to the V.R.C. committee Derrett says he wants to appeal against his disqualification in regard to the Vanilla case, says a Southern paper. Mr Cassidy, a Christchurch solicitor, has written to the Club, asking if an appeal would be received. The reply made is that the stewards are the Committee, and that they have finally decided ; also that an appeal could not now be taken in any case, seeing that the limit of fourteen days has been, exceeded; but that as the Conference CarT take an appeal up to a month Derrett may if he likes apply to that body. The Duke of Portland has ordered the demolition of the famous tan gallop at Welbeck. This is an arcade about 430 yards in length, and roofed with nearly 65,000 ft of glass, which was built by the late Duke for the exercise of his horses in wet or stormy weather. In those days there were usually 100 horses in the stables at Welbeck, with nearly 50 grooms and helpers. The late Duke also built a riding school, with an exercising ground under glass, which is lighted by more than 8,000 jets of gas. The stables are approached from the Abbey by a tunnel threequarters of a mile long. The stone of which the tan gallop is built, says “ Truth,” is to be used for rebuilding the Oxford wing of the Abbey, which was burnt down last Autumn, and the space which the gallop now occup es is to be filled with an arenue of trees. “Javelin’s” two latest, in his “Pepper and Salt ” column are worth reading. Here they are:—A correspondent writes to ask if I can elucidate a dream that he recently had. He dreamt that he saw a hors > withont legs winning the Melbourne Cup easily. After puzzling my brains for some time I wrote and told him that it was evidently Paradox. It has since struck me that I should have put him on to Seahorse, the hippocampus being a horse without legs. Then, again, Fl ing Column or Pegasus might by a slight stretch of imagination meet the case, or, perhaps, April Fool—one devoid of understanding—“ Been Vowlee since he came back?” asked one Caulfield trainer of another last week* referring to the return of the V.A T.C. handicapper from his health seeking visit to the Old Country. “ Yes,” replied the interrogated one, “He ain’t put much weight on.” “No,” responded the first speaker, who has a pretty good performer engaged in * the Caulfieln Cup, “ I suppose he’ll soon get into the collar at that game though, now he’s come back

Tamaki has been purchased by Mr Thomas Morrin on behalf of a Honolulu breeder and proceeds to her new home shortly. There is no finer made mare in New Zealand, than this daughter of Cuirassier, and his new connections should be very pleased with her. The programme committee of the O.J C Committee has recommended that two hurdle races on the Summer Meeting shouldi make.way for two welter handicaps; also, that the added money to the Easter Handicap be increased to lOOOsovs, and that of the Nursery Handicap to BOOsovs. Ihe Chairman of the League of Wheelman, at the meeting on Monday, said the League should 'consider the question of endeavouring to induce the Caledonian, Hibernian, and other societies to affiliate with it. It was decided to a >proach centres, and also the societies themselves, asking them to consider the matter at once. In connection with the Auckland ( vole Roads League the following officers have been elected for the ensuing year : —President, Mi G.F°wlds, MH. B.; vice-presidents, Messrs A. Myers, A. H.’ Nathan, and the Rev. Father Patterson ; secretary, Mr E. Bockaert; treasurer, Mr J. Cooper; council, Messrs F. A. Vaile, J. W. Henton, H. 0. Choyce, D. Dickson W. W. ’ Pilkington, D. Crozier, J. 0. Oolbeck, W. H. POuntney, G. Henning, S. Ooldicott, E. Gavey,and W. Owen. “ Martindale” selects the following dozen to supply the winner of the Metropolitan Handicap to be run on September 9thßecord Reign San Fran, Paradox, Hautvilliers, Aurous, Still Water, April Fool, Australian Colours, Ferryman, Sir Leonard, Fairy Prince, Acetine. For the Caulfield Cup the same scribe takes as the best handicapped, La Carabine,. Ingliston, Musket, Belemnite, Cornhill, Rockleigh, Record Beign, Vocalist, Grasspan, Santoi, Australia, : Sir Leonard. The following story is told of “Leviathan ” Joe Thompson. There is a picture in the Melbourne Gallery of Charon ferry in- Psyche across the Styx. One day Joe, who is not much on the classics, though he has a great command ot « language,” was seen going to the gallery. “What are you doing here?” queried a friend. “Oh,” he replied, “ I’ve just come along to see the picture of Saqui (a well-known penouler) taking Charon (a hurdle racehorse) over the sticks. They tell me it is real good ! ” A Sydney sporting scribe has the following anent Record Reign “ The New Zealand crack, Record Reign, did a very sound preparation at Randwick, and looks a horse worthy of his great reputation. On Saturday morning he-did one of those long searching working gallops with which he has won the affections of the early risers, and, barring accidents, will strip in splendid condition for the Grand National, Hurdle Race He left for the seem of by the mail train on Saturday night. At the annual meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club the Hon G. McLean (the president) congratulated the members on the satisfactory position of affairs. Commencing the year with a debit balance of £1247, a good many improvements had been effected, and they closed with only a debit of £334. Since then this had been reduced to £lBB. He hoped after they had effected a -few more improvements they would be able to increase the stakes. The president and vice-president were re-elected, and on a ballot Messrs J. Hazlett, P. H Taggart, J. Grindley, A. E. Carr, R Ewing, and S. Myers were elected a committee. Many times since the war between the British and Boers broke out in South Africa the statement has been made that the Basuto pony is by far the best suited to service on the “ veldt,” as the prairie lands are called in that country. ■ Investigation develops the fact that these ponies have a history. Sixty odd years ago a Scot having settled on the veldt imported two Shetland ponv/stallions. Soon after their arrival on his pioneer farin che naiiivco stole the stallions and. carried them off to their strongholds in the Drakensberg mountains, where they were crossed with the native small mares. The progeny was so much superior in point of substance, hardihood, and endurance that they were almost all retained as breeders, and thus the present excellent breed was formed. In spite of the following strong telegram re the abolition of Tattersall’s sweeps from Tasmania, sent by the Premier, Mr Lewis, to Mr Barton and Mr Drake“ This Government emphatically protests against passing in its present form of clause 54 of the Post Office Bill n w before Federal Senate, as being interference of State rights. Parliament of this State has legalised certain lotteries under certain stringent regulations, while prohibiting betting and other forms of gambling now pe-mitted in other States. (See 60 Viet., p. 7). No power is given to Federal Parliament by Commonwealth constitution to pass laws regulating gambling, and I contend that it is an infringement of constitution and of our State rights for Federal Parliament to attempt to override and nullify State legislation by proposed insertion of said clause. If people of this State desire any alteration in law relating to lotteries, they should obtain it from State Parliament. People of other States have no more right to interfere with lotteries legally established here than we have to interfere with betting and other forms of gambling now permitted there, and objected to by our people. Federal Parliament cannot prevent betting and gamblir g in other States. I submit it should not, pjstal legislation, interfere with lotteries established here under provisions of Act of Parliam mt of this State Further, private correspondence, in sealed envelopes, should be regarded as sacred, and not subject to interference by any postal officers,” the Federal Parliament has deeid d that “ Tattersall ” is to be a memory of the past so far as Tasmania is U concerned.

The Napier Park R.O. made a profit of about £300.0n their late meeting. Angle has been purchased by the Canterbury sportsman, Mr D. W. Rutherford. Jet d’Eau has changed hands, Mr A. McLean, of Maraekakahoe station, being the purchaser. « The Hon. J. D. Ormond had some bad luck last week. Lullaby and Miss Evelyn both slipped their foals. A three-year-old son of Somnus and Syclla belonging to Mr Robinson, of Te Aute, died last week of dropsy. July 2 and 4 have been fixed upon by .the Napier Park B.C. for next year’s Winter Meetings Harry Fairbrother, who was injured badly when Awahuri • fell with him at the Wanganui Meeting is steadily improving. Derringcotte and Whitirea are being schooled over the hurdles at Hastings. . Both show great aptitude at the “ lepping ” business. The English “ Field ” says that King’s Courier, purchased at Mr Sievier’s sale for 5,300 guineas, is the handsomest thoroughbred in training. Old Hippona, the dam of St. Hippo, died at Karamu a few weeks back. She has been ailing for some time, and her decease was daily expected. The last has been seen of Cosur de Lion for some time on the track. His owner intends to make use of him during the coming season for stud purposes. Nominations close at the Criterion Hotel, Napier, on Thursday next for the Hawke’s Bay Stakes of 500 sovs, to be run for at the Autumn Meeting, 1903. Full particulars as to conditions, etc., will be found in another column. A match trotting race took place on Sunday, June 2, at Butte, Montana, between James Johnson’s Mike P. and William Holtenhoff’s May Bird. The race was for 300dol. a side, an t was won by Mike P. in straight heats. The fastest was 2min 261 sec. It is stated that the Avondale J.O. Committee have decided to pay over the stakes of the Second Hack Handicap run at their Autumn Meeting to Progee, who ran second. It will be remembered that Rocket (late Shaughraun) won, but as there was some question as to his identity, the states were impounded to enable inquiries to be made. Record Reign was alloted 13st lib in the Keilor Hurdle Race (two miles) which was run at Flemington yesterday. On the publication of the weights Castor’s son was scratched Mr Dakin is evidently determined to take no risks with the New Zealander. The Auckland Trotting Club have not yet received the official finding of the Trotting Asso ciation in the Billy Wilson-Haro’d Abdallah case. As soon as the finding comes t o hand the holders of Harold Abdallah tickets will be paid. The time and place of the “pay out” will be advertised. It is expected that the stewards of the Wellington Racing Club will, to-day, adopt a scheme dividing the totalisatir proceeds between the first and second horses in proportions of 75 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. Tney were prepared to do that on Tuesday but for a technicality. A movement has been started by Blue Grass turfmen to petition the next Kentucky Legislature to pass a racing bill to regulate the sport in Kentucky. A bill is already being, prepared. It will be'Tashioned after the Percy Bill of New York, will provide a State Commission to control racing, and will allow 30 days on each track.

Maggie, a mare belonging to Aaron Yocum, a merchant of Reading, would make a good member for a labour union. Maggie is not a remarkable animal in any way—with one exception, she positively refuses to work more than nine hours a day. Maggie is now 33 years of age, and is only worked occasionally, but even in her old age she remembers the principle which governed her in early youth, and hangs on to the nine hour schedule. When she is hitched up in the morning at 7 o’clock she will work hard all morning. When noon comes, however, Maggie insists on going to the stable. At 1 o’clock she is ready for the afternoon’s work, but at 5 o’clock positively refuses to go anywhere but to the stable. —“ Philadelphia Inquirer.” A gentleman in America, who had a horse for sale, advertised it thus in the local paper : —We have a good family driving horse for sale, providing you carry insurance. He is not over particular as to feed. In fact, he prefers our neighbours’ haystacks nd corncribs to our own. We feed him whenever we can catch him, which is seldom. He is partly gentle, the other parts are not, and you must govern yourself accordingly. We will throw in the derrick and telegraph po e combination whi n we use to hitch him up with. If you are fond of driving we would advise you to engage a cowboy that owns a fast horre to do your driving, and be sure and get on top of the barn before he begi sto drive the horse. For price and coroner’s address apply to the owner.

o The Masterton Racing Club has decided t erect an outside stand and publican’s booths on the Opaki course. Tenders are to be called for the work at once. The annual meeting of the Club is to be held on the 25th inst.

At the Mount Gambier races, held on the 27th ultimo, W. Lake and E. J Gough, jockeys were suspended for 12 months for foul riding in the Mount Gambier Cup, (says an exchange). Before the race Boyle, who rode Light Joy, the odde-on favourite, asked the stewards to par ticulaily watch the race. Officials were therefore stationed around the course, one taking up a position where the horses were lost sight of by those on the stand. There were only four starters, Lake riding Little Martin, and Gough piloting Stockman. Both horses belong to the same owner. After the race the stewards took action on what they had witnessed. It is alleged that when the horses were out of sight Lake and Gough opened up and invited Boyle to bring his mount between them. He declined to do so, and endeavoured to go by on the outside, and it is said Lake attempted to catch hold of Boyle’s arm, but was unable to do so. Light Joy won the race.

Underthe heading, “ Biggest Horse in Boston,” the “ Breeder and Sportsman ” has the following .—“ When I ewis Niles Roberts, a well-known resident of Boston arrived in Boston last Friday on the Saxonia from a trip abroad, he had a surprise for his friends in the shape of a monster horse, the largest now in Boston, which he had purchased in Spain. Mr Roberts’ story of his purchase is: ‘I attended the horse show at Seville, Spam. There I saw the most magnificent horse my eyes had ever rested on. Later i attended a dinner at which Premier Sagasta and a wealthy Spanish grandee who owned the horse were present. Tell your master, said Ito the servant of the Grandee, that I would like to buy his horse. The Grandee asked a great price and I dec.ined at those figures. But I made an offer. It was accepted, and Premier Sagasta closed the bargain. The horse was paid for and delivered into the hands of the American Consul. The horse stands 23i hands high, is a magnificent bay, with blood points, and as gentle as a child. And besides he has great knee action. I arranged with Captain Pritchard to build a house for him on the upper deck aft, on the Saxonia. The space between decks on the Saxonia is not sufficient to allow the horse to stand. I will have a special high two-wheeled cart built and will enter him at the Bar Harbour Horse Show this summer and also in New York I will call the horse Admiral Oervera as a compliment to the Spanish Admiral, whom I met many times. I paid 10,000dol for him.’ ”