Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 721, 31 December 1903, Page 7

Sporting Topics.

(By

“The Judge.”)

Rooseshoot had very little more than an exercise canter in the. Ashurst Cup, the son of Torpedo and Primrose beating his three opponents by several lengths.

At last Grey Seaton has scored another win. Mr Deeble’s horse was first home in the Stewards’ Handicap, at the Thames.

Inchcape was in good form at the Thames, winning both hurdle races and the steeplechase. The Gorton nelling showed some very clever fencing in hie three races

The Wallace filly Ailsa made a start on the winning list on Saturday, winning the Dunedin Handicap very easily. She is spoken of as a very promising two-year-old.

The management of the big meeting at Ellerslie has left nothing to be desired, everything so far having gone without a hitch 1+ is to be hoped the fine weather will still keep up for the concluding days.

What an immense amount of racing has taken place all over the colony during the holidays, huge sums having been invested on the various totalisations. Truly we are a horse-loving community.

Treaumir looks like being a red-hot favourite for the Derby. Although it is quite evident the son of Bill of Portland is some removes from a champion, it is hard to see what can trouble him in the classic race

Quinlivan has Starshooi very well just now. Mr Watt’s colt ran very well in the Railway Handicap, while on Tuesday, in the Alexandra Handicap, he won in great style He is a very handsome chestnut son of Hotchkiss and Orescent, who will ba heard of frequently in .-he future.

The crowd at Ellerslie on Cup day must have broken the record in this respect. In fact, the only time I remember seeing a larger assemblage on the classic trysting ground was on the occasion of the Fkral Fete, when all Auc'rland was present.

The Manawatu Meeting proved a tremendous! success, no less a sum than £81,316 go ng through the totalisator during the two days, which is £9753 in advance of last year. It was a great opening for the new course at Awapuni, and one of which secretary J. M. Johnston and his committee may well feel proud.

During the running of the Grafton Hurdle Race at the Auckland Racing Club’s Meeting at Ellerslie, on Saturday, Mr M. Deeble, who was riding his mare Princess of Thule, had the misfortune to get his right leg broken juslt above the ankle. Waiwera fell just in front of the mare, bringing her down. ‘Wilson also got a nasty fall from Waiwera.

Mr O’Connor’s starting on both days at Ellerslie was very good, but some of the delays at the post were very lengthy. This was partly caused by the horses being sent out of the paddock very smartly, but I also think that some of the waiting might be obviated if Mr O’Connor had an assistant to steady the horses. As a matter of fact, after he has got them all stationary and then turns away to take up his position at the lever there is always some excotable equine who chooses that particular moment to recommence their pranks.

Next Monday the Wellington Park yearlings will be sold. This event is always an enjoyable one, for we all like to see a good horse. There are some beautiful specimens of the young thoroughbred which no doubt Mr Morrin will be quite loth to part with. Some of the lots are very choice, and bidding will doubtless be very keen. There are a large number' of sportsmen on a visit to Auckland just now, so no doubt the ring side will be as thronged as of yore. Another good sale seems a certainty.

Silkworm’s win in the Great Northern Foal Stakes was a very hollow one indeed, the Seaton Delaval colt simply running rings round his field. Judged by the running on the second day this should not have been so, for Stronghold, who ran last on the opening day, put up a better time than Silkworm when sent out on the second day in the Criterion Handicap. A change of jockey® may have had something to do with it, but it can hardly have made such an altogether remarkable alteration.

Spalpeen’s win on Tuesday makes the sixth consecutive occasion on which the chestnut son of Gossoon has triumphed in hurdle events. His performance on Tuesr day in the Ponsonby Hurdle Race when he carried 12st 61n to victory in record time was undoubtedly a very fine one. It is one of the first occasions Spalpeen has been really extended in a jumping event.

The Summer Cup gave rise to a great race on Tuesday. At the distance it looked anyone’s race, but Gladsome’s wellsustained run gave her the victory, Mr Ried’s mare paying a nice dividend. The chestnut daughter of Seaton Delaval was backed for a lot of money in the Railway Handicap, but her indifferent display put people right off her, hence the dividend of fifteen guineas in the Summer Cup.

The handicapping of such a smasher as Bulawayo with 7.10 in the Pony Cup on Saturday was one of those unaccountable slips which now and again occur. On what grounds Mr Evitt considered that a Naw Zealand Cup candidate should be in a race of this kind with such a light impost is hard to fathom. Of . course he won with ridiculous ease, starting a redhot favourite. Then he followed up the performance by winning the Pony Cup at Alexandra Park with 10.8, and completed the treble by having a virtual walk-over in the Pony Handicap on Tuesday with 10.4. The son of Perkin Warbeck has made our ponies appear a very moderate lot indeed.

Lord Rosebery must be a particularly fair-minded man. The progeny of Ladas did not do well this year, and although that horse’s list for next year had filled at aoogs. his lordship wrote to the subscribers that, taking the circumstances into consideration, the fee was not justified, and announced its reduction to 200gS.

It was very evident on Saturday that despite the increase in the size of the totalisator house it is still too small to deal with a big crowd. The paying out windows were beseiged in many cases long after the succeeding race had been run. With increased facilities for paying out it is certain that the previous r,ecord would have been very easily broken,, for even as it was there was only a deficit of £65 on last year’s receipts.

The great dispersal sale of the Sylvia Park Stud will take place to-day at noon. So much has already been written about the famous old Stud that there is nothing to addj The four stallions, St. Hippo, San Francisco, Seaton Delaval and Explosion will come under the ham-thirty-three brood mares find foals, eighteen yearlibgs, and the whole of the racehorses belonging to Messrs Nathan. It should prove a great occasion with breeders, and high prices should be obtained.

Although St. Simon is only nineteenth on the winning sires’; list in England this season, his sons St. Frusquin, Persimmon, St. Florian, and St. Serf are second, third, fifth, and fourteenth rer spectively. His sons in the Colony are by no means doing amiss.

That the form of two-year-olds are not to be relied upon was somewhat pointedly shown on Tuesday in the Criterion Handicap. Stronghold won the race in the easiest of canters by at least ten lengths, running the six furlongs in faster time than was taken by Silkworm in the Great Northern Foal Stakes. In the latter event Stronghold ran absolutely last, so that the difference is remarkable. It may be partly accounted for, however, by the fact that in the Criterion Handicap the son of Clanranald had the services of Hewitt, who was on Silkworm in the Foal Stakes.

The new grandstand recently erected by the Thames Jockey Club to replace the one which was destroyed by fire is a vast improvement on its predecessor. It is a handsome structure, capable of seatingsome 600 people, while underneath is a large luncheon room, stewards’ room, bar, cloak room, lavatories, etc. Altogether the club may be commended flor the enterprise shown. The meeting was very well managed by Mr Potts, the secretary, and his committee, while the racing was very interesting.

Wairiki’s great victory in the Auckland ('up emphasises the fact that he had really, hard luck to lose the N?w Zealasd Cup, which as a fact he should not have lost at all, for the decision of the stewards in the case has been admitted all round to have been a great mistake. For a four-year-old to carry 9.8 and fairly smother his field stamps him as a really great horse indeed, for there was no semblance of a fluke about the performance. His win will give a big lift to Soult in the list of successful sires this season.

The Moscow Jockey Club offers annually a price for the best sporting journal, and this year.it has been .claimed by and awarded to the “Konnosawodstvo i Sport:,” the local sporting publication.

The following are the drawers of placed horses in Tatter sail’s No. 1 Consultation on the Newcastle Tattersall’s Cup, run at Newcastle, N.S.W., December 12th, 1903, 50,000 at 55., fully subscribed :—lst, Naples, W. Donson, jurr., McQuarie Street, Merewether, NS.M., £4OOO ; 2nd, Ruenalf, Curtis and Bell, to T. Hearney, Victorian Club, Melbourne, Vic., <£1250 ; 3rd, Neptunus, J. Robertson, West Wallsend, N.S.W., £750. These amounts are net.

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING. DERBY DAY SELECTIONS. The great four days’ carnival of the Auckland Racing Club will be continueb to-morrow (Friday), and concluded on Saturday. If the weather only continues as fine as on the two opening days there will be no cause for complaint, and another enormous crowd may be expected to muster at Ellerslie to see the Derby run for. Owing to the fact that acceptances are not due till after we go to press it is difficult to hazard a forecast as to results, for an immense list of handicaps have been framed by Mr Evett. If started the following may run well :— Glasgow Handicap : Delania, Golden Vein, Starshoot. New Year’s Hurdle Race : Spalpeen, Hautapu, Up-to-Date. G.N. Derby: Treadmill, Gladsome, Melodeon. Midsummer Handicap : Silkworm, Stronghold, Beau Seaton. County Handicap : Float, Romeo, Kamo. A.R.C. Handicap : Sally Homer, Avalanche, Sonoma. Maiden Handicap : Brave Heart, Cyrus, Hipstone. * * * * At the sale of Mr Friedlander’s horses yesterday, but few changed hands. The best-known ones went as follows :—Bh Vai Rosa by Seaton Delaval—Vieux Rose (Mr W. Foss), 95gns. ; Be Cyrus, by Cyrenian—Silk (Mr E. W. Smart), 70gns. ; Gm Torchon by Albemarle—Real Lace (Mr Darlott), 40gns. ; Ch g Ropa by St. Leger—Brown Alice (G. Wright), isogns. ; Blk c Kilmarnack, 2yrs, by Simmer — Kilmorley (B. Armitage,, soogns. ♦ * * ♦ That there was no loitering on the road in the Auckland Cup, is amply demonstrated by the time recorded, as the two miles was compassed in 2min 29 4-ssec, which is equal to the best record for the Auckland race. Mr S. Kohn struck the various stages of the journey as follows Three furlongs, 39sec ; six furlongs, imin 17 i-ssec; seven furlongs, imin aosec ; eight furlongs, imin 42sec; one mile and aquarter, 2min io|sec ; one mile and ahalf, 2min 37 2-ssec; two miles, 3min 29 4-ssec.

It is quite possible that Wairiki may be sent to Australia to have a fly at the champions on the other side. Mr Bradley has not quite decided as yet as to the future engagements of the son of Soult, but Aucklanders would like to see the big fellow sent over. Stripped in his best, he would take a lot of beatin: in weighfi-for-age events.

The programme for the Autumn Meeting of the Wanganui Jockey Club is advertised in this issue. A's usual it is an excellent one, being well balanced with the various events very liberally endowed On the opening day, March 3, the chief items are the Wanganui Cup of 750 sovs, one mile and three-quarters, and the Flying Handicap of 250 sovs. On the concluding day, March 4, most interest will attach to the Jackson Stakes of 500 sovs, six furlongs, and the Wanganui Stakes of 350 sovs, one mile and a-half. Altogether a sum of £3175 has been distributed over sixteen events, so that there is nothing to grumble at in this respect. Nominations for the various events are due with Mr F. Moffatt, the secretary, on Friday, January 29, at 9 p.m. Asubscription of 5 sovs to the Jackson Stakes is due on Friday, February 26, at 9 p.m.

Tod Sloan scored in his action against the French .Jockey Club, the law courts deciding that he was wrongly warned off. At latest Sloan was reported to be acting as chaffeur for a French automobile firm.

The Summer Meeting of the Thames Jockey Club, which otherwise proved a most successful function, was marred b: the fatal accident to the jockey Snodgrass. Setonia collided with a post in the Hauraki Handicap, and threw Snodgrass, the unfortunate horseman sustaining concussion of the brain, and he died during the evening. At a meeting of the Stewards, the following resolutions were unanimously passed : —(1) ‘‘That the officials of the Thames Jockey Club tender their sincere sympathy and condolence to the parents of the late jockey. David Snodgrass, who lost his life whilst riding on the Parawai racecourse on the 26th inst., and that a wreath be provided by .the club for placin’g on the coffin of deceased ; ” (2) ♦‘That the officials will erect a memorial over the grave of the deceased, David Snodgrass, with an inscription thereon in memory of one who had lost his life whilst in the faithful execution of his duties.” During the second day the club’s flag on the grandstand was flown at halfmast, and the officials and also the jockeys wore crape on their arms, cut of respect to the memory of the deceased jockey.