Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 707, 24 September 1903, Page 7

Sporting Topics.

(By

"Gillie.”)

Nominations for the Auckland Cup are due on Friday, October 2. * * * * Carbine’s daughter Mangonui has been retired, and will be mated with San Fran at Te Mahanga. » ♦ - ■» There are fifty-three brood mares, three stallions and thirty-six yearlings, at Karamu, the well-known Hawke’s Bay stud farm. * * * * Mr G. G. Stead returned from Sydney yesterday by the Warrimoo. Cruciform, Orloff, Barley Bree and Curfew Bell came over by the same steamer. * • « « There has been nothing more curious this year than the failure of the American stables to win races, and the consequent disposition of people inf England to decry American systems of training and American trainers. * sj: * * The Auckland champion, Wairiki, was shipped South by the Talune on Tuesday. With the son of Soult went J. McHugh, the trainer, and J. Gainsford, who will ride the horse in his C.J.C. engagements. # » » • The annual general meeting of the Takapuaa Jockey Club will take place tomorrow (Friday), at 8 p.m., at Devonport. The chief business will be to receive the statement of accounts and to elect three members of committee. • * • » There is a strong feeling of indignation in sporting circles at the finding of the New Zealand Trotting Association Commission in connection with the Auckland Trotting Club. As the great bulk of the club’s witnesses were not even heard, the whole inquiry is looked upon as a perfect farce. * * * * In an exhibition billiard match, at Nelson on Tuesday between H. W. Stevenson, the ex-champion of England, and a local player, of 1000 up, Stevenson conceding his opponent 700 points, the local E layer won, Stevenson scoring 922. tevenson’s best breaks were 183 and 87. • • * At a meeting of the Irish Turf Club, held at the Curragh, Lord Inniskillen succeeded in getting the following resolution passed :—“Should the starter consider that, through any faulty action of the starting gate, a fair start has not been effected, he shall declare it no start, and order the jockeys, by means of a recall flag, to return to the post. The starter’s decision on this point shall be final.” * * m * The sensational rumour that the Cup candidate Halberdier had broken down seems fortunately to have been without foundation. It transpires that last year’s winner suffered a trifling injury, but it has not affected him, and his work continues to be of the sound order. Everyone will hope that he is able to see the post fit and well, in which case he will be by no means friendless. * * * * A cable states that at the settling on the Spring Meeting, Mr W. P. Crick said that he had backed Ossian for the Melbourne Cup to win £42,000, down to 100 to 5. He also backed the combination, Scots Guard and Ossian for the two Cups for £30,000, at 1000 to 2. This is the gentleman who is against the introduction of the totalisator into New South Wales because it may encourage gambling. The ancient maxim that “ example is better than precept ” evidently finds no favour with him. * * * * The A.J.C. Derby winner’s dam, Wilga, was bred by the Hon. George Lee. In her two-year-old days Wilga carried the late Mr Donald Wallace’s colours, and was a very smart filly out in a smart year. She ran third to The Admiral and Utter in the Maribyrnong Plate, and in the autumn she bowled over Titan, the greatest two-year-old Australia has known, in the Champagne Stakes. When she retired to the stud Wilga was tried with Carbine, Bill of Portland, and Padlock, but failed with all. Then she fell into Mr John M’Donald’s hands, in foal to Havoc, and bred him his first Derby winner Belah.

The Wanganui Jockey Club will hold the Spring Meeting next Thursday and Friday, and there is every indication that the gathering will prove a great success. Owing to the fact that the acceptances are not due till to-morrow it is impossible to forecast results, but those which appear to be possessed of good chances are Ringman and Shrapnel in the Spring Handicap, Treadmill in the Wanganui Guineas, Mourner or Waiwera in the Hurdle Race, Handsome Rose in the Putiki Hack Race, Minekura in the Hack Hurdles, and Black Reynard or Neoti in the Flying Handicap.

When the last mail to hand left England St. Frusquin, by St. Simon, headed the list of winning stallions made up to August 8. St. Frusquin’s total was £19,892 for twenty-one races won by fourteen of his progeny. Thanks to Ard Patrick, St. Florian, by St. Simon, was second. Then followed Gallinule (by Isonomy), Sainfoin (by Springfield), Persimmon (by St. Simon), Juggler (by Touchet), Ayrshire (by Hampton), Ladas (by Hampton), Rightawav (by Wisdom), Rightaway (by Wisdom), Amphion (by Speculum or Rosebery), Love Wisely (by Wisdom), St. Angelo (by Clairvaux or Galopin), Martagon (by Bend Or), Royal Hampton (by Hampton), Kilwarlin (by Lord Gough), Bay Ronald (by Hampton), Melton (by Master Kildare).

In resigning his position as secretary to the Wellington Racing Club, Mr J. I-'. Clark sent the following letter to the President of the Club, Mr J. B. Harcourt :—“ My Dear Sir, —I desire to tenet, , to you my resignation of the office of secretary, and am prepared to be relieved of the duties pertaining to the same at any time within the next three months. Should the club desire, I will be most happy to see the Spring Meeting over in my old capacity, and generally to place my best services at the club’s disposal in whatever direction yourself and the stewards may require, up to the expiration of the period just mentioned. I shall take a later opportunity of availing myself of the pleasure of acknowledging the many kindnesses and consistent consideration which I have all along received from yourself, your predecessors in office, and the past and present stewards, extending back to the time when I was appointed in March, 1901.”

With a view to providing an additional attraction at the Spring or Summer Meetings of the Wellington Racing Club, the President of the Club cabled on Saturday to Mr G. G. Stead, at Sydney, stating : — “ Owners agreeable to start Achilles in a £5OO sweepstake, with £5OO added by the Wellington Racing Club and 100-guinea Cup, at Wellington on October 23 or January 22, one mile and aquarter, weight-for-age, provided Ibox and Cruciform are starters. If you can arrange, I suggest you also invite Wakeful, Abundance, Treadmill and Wairiki.” The time was too short apparently for a cable was received stating that it would be impossible. If it could only be brought about what a race it would be. If it could not be fixed up in time for the Wellington Meeting what an immense draw such a contest would prove if added to the programme of say the Summer Meeting of the Auckland Racing Club. It would be indeed a battle of champions.

In the course of the week, prior to the last English mail leaving home, W. Lane won nine races and brought his score to 90. A little while ago Halsey and Madden appeared likely to overtake him (says the “Sportsman”), but lie has gone away again with a substantial lead, anti Halsey, his nearest attendant, has now a leeway of 22 to make up, while Madden is 25 behind. Trigg continues in fourth place and is within one of 50, and M. Carmon and Watts, skew the next best totals. Several other riders are very much together at .’,O and over.

It is very satisfactory to note that the two first runners by Flying kox have both made winning debuts at Deauville, and it would seem that the very sensational son of Orme and Vampire is going worthily to maintain the traditions of the great line through which he descends from Stockwell and achieve great stud success at the earliest possible opportunity- These two-year-eld winners by Flying Fox were sired by him when he was only a four-year-old.

Muthema and Nervine were the first two of the descendants of imported Phoebus Apollo to race, and no doubt Mr Morrin was pleased to learn that one of them won at the first time of asking. As a yearling the winner did not greatly impress me, although she was a good doer, being known by the stable name of “ Fatty.” Got by the imported son of St. Simon and Polynesia, Muthema is out of Reproach, a mare bred by Mr Walters, being got by Fitzherc.ules from Slander, by Bay Camden from Annie Laurie, by Cap-a-pie. Muthema only cost 40 guineas at the annual sale.

In describing the race for the Epsom Handicap, “Milroy” says “Ibex started second favourite, but why he was backed to that position in the betting is a puzzle, for it was patent to all that this champion among sprinters was still very backward and short of work, but he ran well, and with another month’s work should be back to his best form again.” As Ibex was found good enough to concede five pounds and a beating to both Wakeful and Cruciform, it seems evident there cannot have been much amiss with the flying son of Gossoon and Angora.

Glenaladale has gone amiss, and will be treated to a lengthy spell.

Good accounts reach me from Dunedin of the two-year-old filly by Seaton Delaval from Bragella who is reported to be coming on very nicely indeed.

The five-year-old mare Scylla, by Stepniak from Whirlpool, died last Sunday. Out of sixteen starts she won on seven occasions, and her death is a big loss to Mr H. Friedlander.

Oma, a five-year-old mare by The Harvester out of the Fortune Teller, accompanied the stallion ‘ Dirk Hammerhand (Carly on—Lady Doris) from Melbourne. The latter should make a name for himself in the Waimate district.

The news of Mr J. F. Clark's retirement from the secretaryship of the Wellington Racing Club came as a great surprise to Auckland sportsmen. Mr Clark was an exceedingly able and popular officer, and his place will be hard J o fill. I understand he will retails office until after the Spring Meeting.

The representative football match, Auckland v. Hawke’s Bay, was played at Napier on Tuesday. The visitors had the best of the game all through. In the last half of the second spell the Hawke’s Bay men, went to pieces, the game ending in a win for Auckland by 20 points to 3. The forwards were fairly equally matched, but the Northern backs simply ran over the local backs at the finish.

Bloome, in his “ History of the World,” published in 1670, writing of Egypt, says “ They have in the country a Race of Horses, which for one property may be esteemed the best in the world.; that is, they will ran without eating or drinking one jot, four days and nights together. And there are some Egyptians, which with the help of a Sway bound about their body, and carrying with them a little food to eat, are able to ride them. For shape, these horses do not surpass others, and for this property they are held so rare, and esteemed, at three years of age, to be worth a thousand pieces of Eight, and sometimes more. And for this breed of horses there are Officers appointed to look after them, and to see the Foies of them, and to register them in a book with the colour, etc., which they receive from the testimony of credible persons, to avoid cheats. But these horses are not fit for any other than such a sandv country, by reason of their tender feet.”

A good deal of the glamour attaching to Cruciform’s victory over the Australian mare Wakeful in the Spring Stakes has been removed by the subsequent running of the latter. Her easy defeat in the Craven Plate seemed to suggest that she was hardly herself, and this was further emphasised by Lord Cardigan fairly romping over her in the Randwick Plate. In the course of a chat with Mr O’Driscoll, the owner of W’aiwera, who was present at the A.J.C. Meeting, he told me that in his opinion the mare was not fit to undertake such a hard gallop as she was called on for in the Spring Slakes, and it did her a lot of harm. Wakeful was also suffering from a slight ailment, and the returned New Plymouth sportsman was not in the least surprised to hear of her final eas.? defeat. We can certainly point to the fast time for the first race, but the time test is by no means infallible.

The imported Shetland stallion Sir Hercules, as may be seen irt our advertising columns, is to stand this season at Svlvia Park. As there are few of his class' in the Colony many breeders may not be aware that the intermingling of the Shetland blood with that of other breeds has for a considerable time been studied with surprising results. The advantage of breeding to such a horse is that the produce may, to a great degree, be foretold. Small children’s ponies are produced by keeping to the pure breed or crossing with the Timor. Stock horses for youths, light-weights, and buggy ponies are obtained from ordinary pony mares. A dash of blood imparts speed and activity. To produce the polo pony, mares are selected considerably bigger than the horse, in order to bring the offspring up to standard height. The representative of Tighe Bros., Bullaliby, birthplace of the pony in question, where such horses have been carefully bred for the past forty years, informs’ me that the full-grown progeny usually stand in height midway between the horse and dam, or in other words, that to gain his inches in height the mare must be a full hand higher than the horse. Many breeders, where it is found necessary to give a large mare a partial rest without ceasing altogether to produce, breed to such horses, while believers in the saturation theory majinrtain that robustness of constitution and general hardihood is imparted.

The Avondale J ockey Club put through the totalisator the sum of £5711 on the first day of the Spring Meeting, a decrease of £45 on the corresponding- day last year.

Famous, the Epsom Handicap winner, and one of the finest looking horses in Australia, has the shortest pedigree of any big winner of. our time. He is by Grafton from Vanity,by Marvellous, from a Gemma di Vergy mare, next dam by Cheddar (imp.), and g g g dam by New Warrior. That is all that is known of his breeding.

Mr “ Dolf ” Davis looked a pleased man on Saturday, at Avondale, when the descendants of Seaton Delaval kept rolling- home. Lavadel led off for the Sylvia Park sire in the Maiden Plate, Idas'kept the ball rolling- in the Cup, while Kamo helped to keep things moving- in the Flying Stakes. Altogether it was a good commencement for. the season for the son of Melton and Rosedale.

Mr J. Beckett returned from a trip to Australia on Monday, and is now prepared to see clients on all forthcoming events. He says that sport of all sorts appears €0 be booming on the other side, where the effect of the drought is rapidly being shaken off. Mr Beckett thinks, however, that the racehorse has somewhat degenerated, and did not see what he considered a real champion out; this, he things, in a large measure accounts for the career of victory of Wakeful, with whose looks he was much disappointed.