Sporting Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 693, 18 June 1903, Page 12

Sporting Topics

On the Thursday of the Newmarket Spring Meeting the race for the Pteel Handicap was run twice owing to the fact that on the first occasion it had been run over the wrong distance, and the judge was fined £2O for 1 going to the wrong winning post.

The Carbine horse Lord Carbine dropped dead on April 30 while exercising at Lambourn. Lord Carbine was four years old, and last season won four of the races in which he took part, his successes including the Lewes Handicap and the Grand Prix d’Ostende.

There are sixteen youngsters at the Cambria Park Stud Farm, some of them exceedingly promising looking young thoroughbreds. There are also thirty-one mares in foal at the same farm.

Mr Joseph Chadwick, the well-known sporting scribe, has been appointed handicapper for the ‘Geraldine Racing Club. No doubt the good work done by him for the Wellington Racing Club has impressed the committee of the Geraldine Club.

The Auckland Cup winner, Siege Gun, appears among the list of entries for the Melbourne Cup. The son ofHotchkiss and Fraility has been nominated byi Mr F. McGrath, who has also entered the Pilgrim’s Progress mare Felicitous).

I notice among the nominations for the rich Maribyrnong Plate, which is) run at the Spring Meeting of the. V.R.C., Mr John Marshall’s newly acquired brown filly by Haul Br on from Necklet appears,. Aucklanders would be very pleased to see the popular “ all black ” carried to victory in the big five furlongs race.

The Sultan of Johore has three nominations in the Maribyrnong Plate, 1903, the Ascot Vale Stakes, V.R.C. Derby, 1904, and St. Leger, 1905. They are a bay colt by Carlyon—Brown Alice, a bay colt by Thunderbolt—Tuberose, and a bay gelding by The Admiral —Glee. His only nomination in the Melbourne Cup is the four-vear-old bay gelding Rapid Pilgrim, by Pilgrim’s Progress —Lady Bevys.

As was generally expected would be the case, the South Auckland Racing Club has approved of the recommendations re appointing a sole handicapper for the country clubs. The other suggestions of the Conference of Country Clubs in the Auckland Province have also been adopted. The Whatawhata Club has also approved of the various recommendations, and it seems almost certain that the other clubs interested will follow suit. There can. be no doubt whatever that one man as handicapper, who could attend the meetings', would give far more satisfaction than the present method, and I feel sure that before long this very sensible suggestion by the Conference, will be acted upon.

Rock Sand, who has won the two great classic events. Two Thousand Guineas and Derby, in England this season, has had a particularly brilliant career. As a two-year-old, out of seven starts he only once suffered defeat, when he ran third to Flotsam and Mead in the Middle Park Plate. Auckland is fortunate in the possession of a horse bred very much like this year’s Derby winner. The Cambria Park Stud Company’s sire Cyrenian to a very large extent possesses the same blood, as he is by St. Simon out of Daisy Chain by Springfield. Rock Sand is by Sainfoin by Springfield, out of Roquebrune by St. Simon. Rock Sand is simply saturated with Stockwell blood as Sanfoin's sire is a grandson, and his dam a granddaughter, while Rorpiebrune’si sire. St. Simon, is out of St. Angela by a half-brother to Stockwell. and Roqucbrune’s granddam wasi a' Stockwell mare. Cyrenian has almost exactly similar blood in his veins, so that this handsome young stallion is bred on the most successful lines in England today.

Among the members' of the London Stock Exchange there must be some more than useful exponents of the “ heel and toe ” game. Five miles and a-half an hour for fifty-two miles is “ jolly good walking ! The Stock Exchange walk to Brighton produced ninety-two competitors. ’They started soon after six o’clock in the morning, and the first to arrive at his destination was Mr E. Broad, whose time was a second over nine hours and a-half. Six others followed him within twenty minutes. It is said that over £lO,OOO changed hands over the event. Having lived for some years at Brighton, I know the route very well, and can appreciate the excellent performance recorded by Mr Broad. There are some pretty stiff pinches in the South Downs to be negotiated before the famous watering 'place is reached.

Handicaps for the Melbourne Cup are flue to make their appearance on Monday, June 29. 1

Awahuri had sufficiently recovered from the injury he received in contesting the Great Northern Steeplechase to be able to leave for his home yesterday. Gilnockie 'went South by the same steamer.

The many friends of Mr A. Drake, the well-known proprietor of the Metropolitan Hotel, will be glad to hear of the success of that gentleman’s son in tte States. Mr E. Drake has cabled to his father that he has passed the final examination in dentistry at the Pennyslvania University, Philadelphia, and that the degree of D.D.L. has been conferred upon him. Such a successful result of much study and hard work is indeed something to be proud, of.

Mr E. Blanc’s colt Vinicius, who, the cable informs us, ran second to Rock Sand in the Derby, won the Poule d’Essnndes Poulaine (equivalent to the Two Thousand Guineas) in a canter on April 26, beating eight opponents. Vinicius started an even money favourite.

W. Lane, when the last English mail left, was leading. Watts by eight in the list of winning jockeys, his score so far this season being twenty-six. Halsey holds third position.

The best mare in France at present is La Camargo, five years, a daughter of Childwick and Belle et Bonne, and a descendant of the famous Plaisanterie. She has won- £25,760 in prizes, and as she is perfectly sound, is likely to add to that amount before she retires. She is not a good-looking mare, but can sprint and stay.

The American jockey E. Ames, who has done a good deal of travelling since he was last in Australia, is again in Sydney, and no doubt will shortly be seen in the saddle. He has I been in South Africa and India recently.

The action brought by a Melbourne journalist against the Sultan of Johore for payment for services rendered was dismissed, on the ground that a foreign potentate could not be sued. The case created a certain amount of interest in Melbourne owing to the defendant’s position.

When in 1874 Aldrich won a sensational City and Suburban, Lord Vivian (“ Hook and-eye Vivian,” so called on account of bis facial peculiarities!) was warned in the land of dreams that an animal named Teacher was to win the Epsom race. After finding that no such name appeared among the list of entrants most people would have given it up ; but his lordship was of a persistent turn of mind, and buttonholed sporting friends to ask for a solution of the enigma. On ,the day of the race he met Lord Rosebery on the course, and propounded the riddle to him. “My horse Aldrich was formerly called Teacher,” replied the Earl, “ but I can ftardly advise you to back him.” The pertinacious one was hot to be baulked, however, but, going into the ring, took 1000 to to twice, and had the satisfaction of seeing the beautiful colours of “ the Primrose Earl ” got home after a tremendous finish.

The position of the English Jockey Club —the “ Turf Parliament,” as it is, though the title seems a misnomer, As the members are never addicted to speakikg—differs materially from that of Jodies which have become the object of popular clamour (says the “ Licebsed Victuallers’ (Gazette ”). The man in the street kkows little or nothing of the Jockey Club, and cares less; and the racing man, content with the food the “ Calender ” provides, is prone to pass it by as a mysterious organisation which occasionally suspends wicked riders and passes curious bye-laws, and is presumed to be guided by a code of rules which no man, unless he desired to embrace the fate of Laocoon, would like to enmesh himself in. The flavour of antiquity hangs .about the Jockey. Club, and because its decisions are limited in their scope and .extent, nobody has troubled much about ( them. They do not affect the masses, and -the natural awe of the Englishman for .something which is very ancient has prevented him from getting either excited qr very much interested in a self-elected and ■autonomous body, whose composition and functions he utterly fails to understand. New blood is urgently needed as members of the Jockey Club. We are in fast moving times, and racing is beset by diligent enemies). Should it ever have io fight for existence, its defence should be undertaken by a virile and zealous body. There is no place for the somnolent watchman in our modern civilisation. On the Turf, as in our streets, the days of Tom and Jerry are over. « ■ ♦ • • If Gold Spur had won the Flying Handicap at Oamaru, instead of being beatert by a neck by Red Gauntlet, he would have won the double Flying and WaitaH Handicapa three times. The son of Hubezahl pulled it off in 1900, and repeat*! ft M fIMMB.

Some very high-class stallions have been nominated for the Australian Jockey Club’s newly revived Sires Produce Stakes. The principal contributor is Mr H. C. White, of Havilah, who has nominated four —Skopes (imp.), Louis XIII. (imp.), Impetus (imp.), and the Carbine horse Clarion. Mr S. Hordern has put in Haut Brion (imp ) anld Gossoon (imp.), and Mr James Thompson has nominated Lochiel and Grafton (.mp.), while Messrs brown, > of Motto Farm are represented bv "rossing Cup (imp.) and Sir Foote .imp.). Tie ether stallions nominated are .--Mr 11. T. Smith’s Fortunatus (imp.;, bv S.’t Frusquin ; Mr S. L. West’s Definition, by Lochiel ; Mr Pat Osborne's Orzil (imp.), by Merry Hampton; Mr J. R Sneth’s Gaulus, by Gozo ; Mr John Lee’s Amberite, by Carbine ; Mr W. H. Mate’s Schimmel, by Gossoon ; Mr Charles Baldwin’s Havoc, by Nordenfeldt ; Mr R. H. Dangar’s Positano (imp.), by St. Simon ; Mr Francis Foy’s Voyou (imp.), Bendigo ; Mr Frank Reynold’s Medallion, by Nordenfeldt ; and Mr J. V. Smith’s Wallace, by Carbine.

In this issue will be found an advertisement giving full particulars of four of the rich stakes which the Wellington Racing Club will bring off later on. These comprise the Weilesley Stakes, of 400sovs, for two-year-olds (present foals), and the Wellington Stakes, of 400SOVS, for two and three-year-olds (present foals and yearlings). They will be run at the Summer Meeting of 1905, over four and five furlongs respectively. The North Island Challenge Stakes, ul 4oosovs, a weight-for-age race for all ages run at. the Autumn Meeting, 1905, is included, as also is the New Zealand St. Leger Stakes of loosovs for three year-olds (present foals) run at the Autumn Meeting, 1906. Entries for these four events close with Mr J. F. Clark, the secretary, on Friday, June 30, at io p.m. It is worth pointing out that as an extra inducement to owners, the Wellington Racing Club has raised each of the stakes from £3OO to £4OO. It ,is greatly to be hoped that’ owners possessing young stock will nominate freely. Auckland is such a centre for breeding ’thoroughbreds that when the lists close I hope it will be found that the response to the Southern Club’s invitation has been a very liberal one.

The Melbourne Cup closed with 169 nominations, or only one below the number received last year. Class is well represented, every horse of any note in the Commonwealth being included ; but again the New Zealanders have failed to patronise the meeting, and the absence of Aldilles, Cruciiorm and other of our cracks is matter for regret. Seeing that Cruciiorm and Orloff have been nominat. ed for the Epsom and Metropolitan, to be run at Randwick in the spring, it seems as if New Zealand owners have become disheartened at the harsh treatment meted out to them by Victorian handicappers in the past, and had resolved to eschew this State* As usual, New South Wales and South Australia have seat their best, and Queensland and Tasmania are ably represented. Mr Menzies will have no easy task to bring the 169 competitors together!

Now that entries have closed for “ fihe two Cups,” sanguine punters will set themselves to the trifling task of “ picking the double,” even before the weights are declared. Signs and portents of even th# least logical character will as usual b« seized upon with avidity, and accepted a» talismanic indications of the royal road to fortune. How’s this for one ? The first horse in the published list of Caulfield Cup entries was Abundance, and of Melbourne Cup entries, Bewitcher ! A and B are the first two letters in the alphabet, therefore why shouldn’t Abundance and Bewitcher be the first two horses in the two Cups ? I have known people to back less pretentious horses on no more solid grounds !

The entries for the Caulfield Cup number 163, and for the Melbourne Cup 169, ard ii.<. well-known wri .er, “ Javel’E calculates that there are 27,547 different combinations, each of which may be the winning double. The principle of handicapping is to equalise the chances of all horses engaged in a race. If all possessed equal chances in the two Cups l , the legitimate odds against picking the double would be 27,546 to I- With this word of encouragement, punters ought to sail in confidently I • « « * Here is one of the same writer’s amusing “Pepper and Salt ” stories’—The proprietor of a restaurant in a sporting centre was iw constant trouble with servants. Uoujks, waiters, and even sculle maids, were continually wasting time talking “ horse,” studying handicaps, and endeavoring to pick winners. Having occasion to advertise for a cook, he mentioned his grievance to one of the applicants, who said, “ Oh, racing don’t trouble me ! I never go to a meeting, and don’t know one horse from another? You needn’t worry abouj me on that

score, boss.” That being satisfactory, the man was engaged, and all went well for a week or so. Orfe day the proprietor, being short handed, was taking some of the orders for meals himself, and going to the speaking tube which communicated with the kitchen, he called out, “ Calves’ head one 1 ” The voice of the new cook promptly came back — “ Damn it ! That’s just my usual luck ! What was second and third ? ”

The “ Special Commissioner ” writes in the London “ Sportsman,” in a chat on breeding, that, while close inbreeding is doubtless the scheme on which you can establish a type out of more or less chaotic elements, it by no means follows that equally close inbreeding should be resorted to when once the type is established, for the simple reason that families do not _ retain their potency for many generations unless refreshed by outcrosses. All our bloodstock is a good deal inbred already—far too much so, in my opinion—for Whalebone and Blacklock have almost wiped out the other male lines which are so successful elsewhere ; and while I can well believe that if a Cleveland Bay mare were mated with St. Simon, the produce—if a filly—might in due course 'be mated with him quite successfully, the very heterogeneous elements of the Cleveland mare forming an amply sufficient buttress against delicacy or any other trouble. I should think it madness to mate St. Simon with any daughter of his from a thoroughbred mare, unless, indeed, that mare were crammed with blood which is practically dead in this country. When breeding has been carried to a certain point of success it is absolutely necessary to take in outcrosses to prevent degeneration, though there is no reason why one principal idea—for example, Diomed—should not be maintained. As for St. Simon, I should clearly like to see some! of the best Australian mares put to him in the last season of his life —mares byl Carbine, Trenton, Nordenfeldt, and the like—for the very surest possible line has! been supplied by Bill of Portland, Haut| Brion, Grafton, and Soult (in New Zea-; land) that the combination of Galopin: with Australian mares is invincible. If; the Duke of Portland could bring home, 1 say, La Carabine and Wakeful, he would enable St. Simon to do his best possible by way of finale. j

A unique performance was done by the well-known amateur jockeys, Messrs Frank Blomfield and W. E. ‘White, at the Upper Hunter picnic meeting held at Musselbrook last week, says the “ Sydney Mail.” There were thirteen races off the programme, and Mr Blomfield rode the winners of eight of them, while Mr White succeeded in capturing the other five.

The world’s record for five furlongs was broken during the course of the Epsom Spring Meeting last month. In the Great Surrey Handicap Master Willie, with 9st 71b in the saddle, ran the distance in 56 2-ssec —marvellous time, even admitting that the course is one of the easiest in England. Prior to this race the five furlongs record, was held by the Americans. At Morris Park, New York, on a straight track, partly downhill, Maid Marian ran five furlongs in 56jsec on October 9, 1894.

Johnny Reiff, who was ruled off in France last year, changed his mind about remaining in retirement until his case w a s settled by the French authorities. He applied recently to the Western Jockey Club for a license to ride, and his application was dealt with favourably. Reiff is now busily engaged on the Chicago tracks. He does most of the riding for the Corrigan stable.

The winter racing season in San Francisco has come to an end. It is referred to as the most successful season in the history of the California Jockey Club. There were one hundred and fifty days of the sport, and during all that time the attendance was good. Each racegoer paid a dollar and a-half admission every day he| attended the meeting, and on ordinary: days the weather had little to do with the , attendance. There seemed to be as big a crowd on hand when it was raining cats and dogs as when the skies were blue and ( the sun was shining. During the meeting the New California Jockey Club distributed 425,000 dollars in stakes. W. B. Jennings, whose colt Krishna won the California Futurity, heads the list with over 27,000 dollars to his credit. 1

Waiwera is not to be sent to Victoria, and the scratching pen has been put through his name for both the big hurdle race and steeplechase to be run at the V.R.C. Grand National Meeting. It] would seem that he is one of those horses who are regarded by handicappers as a good deal better than is really the case. ■ Judging by Waiwera’s wretched display in Auckland, he would have little chance, even with the minimum weight, so that I; am not. at all surprised to find he is not 1 to cross the Tasman Sea. 1

Some one in New York professes to have received information that King, Edward will be represented in the World’s Fair Handicap, the 50,000d01. race which is to be the feature of the Louisana Purchase Exposition meeting at St. Louis: in 1904. The New Yorker who was giving out this information says : “ With the promising son of the great Persimmon King Edward hopes to win the big event. The King has not yet announced his acceptance of the invitation tendered him by the Exhibition Commissioners, but he will do so within the next few weeks. He referred the invitation to his trainer, Richard Marsh, with instructions to see whether a good string could be got together. His acceptance was provisional on the reply submitted by Marsh. The latter wept at once to Sandringham, made a careful examination of the flyers there, and calculated their chances after ai year of development. Returning he told the King that there were already in sight enough good horses to make a redoubtable string a certainty, and that with the son of Persimmon, the first horse that ever carried King Edward’s colours to victory in a Derby, he thought he could guarantee to win the World’s Fair Handicap. The information was highly gratifying to the Royal sportsman. According to Marsh, he expressed the liveliest satisfaction, and announced his willingness to spend any amount of money so that on his first appearance in America as „ candidate for turf honours he should make a worthy showing. Marsh was ordered to gradually get things in shape for the proposed invasion, and to concentrate attention on the training of all promising youngsters now at Sandringham.” Worued as it is (says the American correspondent to the Sydney “ Referee ”), and combing in the shape it does,, the above sounds like the iridescent dream of a dilapidated dope fiend. Still, there may be a glimmer of probability in it. If so, something with an official swing to it should be heard shortly.

A correspondent who has seen a good deal of racing in England and Australia writes to “ Milroy ” of the Sydney Mail, to support the idea of restricting two-year-olds to race under selling conditions from October till the A.J.C. summer meeting. He holds with us that owners will not risk a likely two-year-old in a selling race, and therefore if this rule was in operation all over Australia, the best would not be run off their legs in the first half of the season. Should the authorities at any time move in this direction with a view of curtailing two-year-old racing, my correspondent suggests that any surplus over the selling price should not go to the club, as hitherto, but should be divided between the owner of the winner and the owner of the second norse. Thougn opposed to the old principle of selling races, by which the clubs calmly gather ed in the surplus money over the selling price, a few owners and trainers to whom I have spoken on the subject agree with the correspondent’s ideas. Under these conditions owners would have an opportunity of picking up the cost of a moderate artd passing it on, and if there were good money in the market for the horse a fair share of it would go into his pocket instead of going towards swelling the profits of the race club. » * • • Writing of selling races reminds the same writer of many barefaced ramps and some amusing sequels in connnection with them. In days gone by one could run a Carbine at some of the Melbourne suburban racing tracks without fear of losing him if the Owner arranged with the racecourse proprietor not to claim the stake. I remember a first-class handicapper, a horse with whom his party expected to win a Newmarket, winning a little £25 selling race at a Melbourne proprietary meeting, now 1 happily dead. The horse was entered to be sold for £25, and was promptly knocked down down to the owner at the upset price, though there were gamblers present who would have given £2OOO for him if there were any chances of it being sold. This little dodge did not deceive the handicapper, as expected, for instead of getting in somewhere near the limit in the Newmarket it was allotted Bst, much to the disgust of all concerned. According to an exchange a case on all fours with this was reported from New Orleans (U.S.) some years back. A smart filly won a selling race, but before any of the sharps around the ring made a bid the auctioneer disposed of her in the following cool manner : He said, “ Now, look here, gentlemen, there’s a filly by Great Tom out of one of the most no-account mares 4 hat was ever foaled. She’s entered to be sold at soodol., but if you look at that off fore leg you’ll see she’s likely to break down at any time, and carrying more’n 901 b. breaks her heart. When I think of it, I don’t believe there’s anyone here can afford to keep a filly like this over the winter, so I’ll just knock her down to the owner, who, I dare say, willl do his best for her.”

. The success of St. Simon on Trenton Of any other Musket blood has been so often demonstrated in Australia 'that it was bound to be repeated here as soon as opportunity offered (says the Sportsman), and in this connection I notice the .victory of Cinders at Phoenix Park on Thursday. Cinders is by Florizel 11. out Of the famous little Trenton mare, Cinder Ellen, who will long be remembered in Australia, and in India, too, as having won galloway races, and also big events against all sizes. Cinders is her first foal.

The battle between the partisans of the flag and gate method of starting is still raging in the Old Country. A correspondent of the London Sportsman writes of it as follows :—“ When the startinggate was first proposed, it was understood that the primary object was to ensure punctuality, if not precision, and by so doing relieve the general public from the suspense and discomfort inseparable from delays at the post. After patient and costly experience, the great British public—sound judges where practical common sense is involved —told us at Epsom last Tuesday, by the vociferous acclamation with which they greeted the resurrection of the flag, that the starting-gate has, in their opinion, failed to provide either punctuality or precision. The horses themselves have long ago given us their opinion, which they reiterate at half-hour intervals during an afternoon’s racing. Trainers 'have decided for themselves that it is neither practical nor reliable, for not one of them will make use of it as a means of starting private trials. It only, therefore, remains for owners —who have, I presume, some small voice in the matter —to ask the Stewards of the Jockey Club (whose self-denial and loyal devotion. to the general welfare of the Turf is, and ever has been, undoubted) whether the time has mot arrived for some reconsideration of a subject of such paramount importance ? ” Epsom is the celebrated convincing ground where the course is not even correctly marked off, so that it seems quite fitting to find the out-of-date flag system still in vogue.

The greatest aelling piater in history is the celebrated Hampton. In the early part of his career he was a mere plater, but after falling into the hands of John Nigh*ingall, he developed into the best stayer in England. For the Epsom trainer he won the Great Metropolitan, Goodwood Stakes, Goodwood Cup, Doncaster Cup, Northumberland Plate, and the Epsom Gold Cup. In the race last mentioned he beat the French horse Verneuil, who shortly afterwards won the Ascot Gold Cup and Stakes. Hampton was tried over hurdles, and proved himself an adept at the game His best race in this branch was for the Grand International Hurdle Bace, in which he ran second.

The Grand Prix de Paris last year was worth £10,461 and this year would be quite as much, ao that it ranks as the most richly-endowed race in the world for three-year-olds. The winner, Quo Vadis, though he fulfils the conditions of the race by being foaled on French soil, comes •f direct British descent, for his sire, Winkfield’s Pride, was bred in Ireland, and is by Winkfield — •on of Barcaldine —while his dam, Filomena, was bred in England by Lord Calthorp, and is by Petrarch from Hawthorndale, by Kettledrum from Lady Alice Hawthorn, by Newminster. who had been stinted to St. Serf, was purchased by M. E. Blanc, at the Newmarket •ales, 1898, for 1,020 guineas, and Winkfield’s Pride was also secured in that year by the French sportsman. As there were no less than four hundred and seventy-eight nominations for the race, M. Edmond Blanc scored a veritable triumph when his horses [filled the first three places.

Monel, who years ago was a noted pugilist, later on a cricketer, and finished as a Methodist preacher, died recently at Nottingham at the age of 103. Eighty .-three years ago he fought a man named Brown, shd was so punished that he was blind for three days.

The latest m the way of starting machines was given trial at St Louis (America) last month, and worked very well. This is the Carr machine, consisting of series of padded sections which are worked on hinges and have parallel arms, flank high separating each horse from its neighbour. These, as well as the main machine, in the rear of each horse are heavily padded, so that the animal cannot injure itself. In these padded sections a horse cannot kick or be kicked, nor can it swerve on any horse as under the present system in use. A horse in the Carr gate cannot -back nor get “hung” in any webbicg, because the. webbing in front of each horse is only about four feet wide, breast high, perfectly taut and parted in the middle at the e ectric signal, each part instantly disappearing into thepocketsatthe ends of each section ring. There is absolutely s nothing to “ hang ” on, the single strip of webbing being instantly drawn out of the way.

In the year of Altissidora’s St Leger seventeen animals came out to run. After eight false starts the temptation to gamble became irresistible, and one adventurous speculator laid 100 to 20 against the ninth start being successful, fie won his money, and converted into a “ double ” by laying 100 to 30. against the tenth attempt. Yet a certain section of the press are still howling against the use of the starting gate. We ought to let them have Mr O’Connor for a few months and he might be able to convince the sceptics.