Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 735, 7 April 1904, Page 7

Sporting Topics.

(.By “ The Judge.’’)

General entries for the Avondale meeting are du<! with Mr H. H. Hayr, to-mor-row, Friday, April 8, at 9 p.m. Handicaps for the first day’s events appear on April 11.

Handicaps for the first day’s events on the programme of the Wellington Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting will be declared on Thursday, April 7. Acceptances for the same must be made by the following Thursday at 9 p.m.

Final *payments for the New Zealand St. Legcr Stakes and the North Island Challenge Stakes must be made by Thursday, April 14.

jje ♦ * * General entries for the Avondale Meeting are due with Mr H. H. Hayr tomorrow, Friday, April 8, at 9 p.m. Handicaps for the first day’s events appear on April 11.

Convoy appears to have had a very easy victory in the Easter Handicap at Feilding. He led Melodeon home by three lengths.

The Autumn Meeting of the Feilding Jockey Club was the most successful the club has ever experienced. That speculation was brisk was proved by the fact that no less than £29,039 went through the tctalisator during the two days, which is £7204 more than at the corresponding meeting last year. Considering that on the second day at least the weather was none too favourable, the figures mentioned are really remarkable.

Mr Evett set the followers of form a hard nut to crack in his handicapping of the ponies Avalanche and Annoyed on the third day of the meeting. Ins the Pony Handicap, five furlongs, both were on the same mark, but in the next ra the Buckland Handicap, seven furlongs, Avalanche was asked to concede Annoyed eleven pounds, despite the fact that the latter is the best proved stayer of the pair. I must own that the puzzle is beyond my powers of solution.

The A.R.C. were certainly lucky in the matter of weather at the recent meeting. It kept fine all three days, but no sooner was the last race over than down came the rain in a deluge. Many of the homeward-bound folk in the cattle trucks had a moist time of it, for the roofs leaked badly.

The totalisator turnover at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting showed a considerable advance on las season’s figures, the total handled beirsg £23,671, as against £22,519 last year. The five shilling and double event totes were no doubt responsible for this.

Once again have Mr Stead’s colours come in far one of those emphatic outbursts of disapproval at the hands of the public, which go so far to mar the enjoyment of a race meeting. In the Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton, Martian was made a warm favourite but, although very leniently treated by the handicapper, the colt ran wretchedly, being one of the last to finish. Next day he was pulled out for the Challenge Stakes, in which he was opposed by such warm customers as Treadmill, Machine Gun and Co., despite which fact he was easily the first to arrive at the judge’s box. The crowd instantly came to the conclusion that an explanation was necessary, and vigorous hootiwg was indulged in for some time. Our Canterbury correspondent deals with the incident at length.

The defeat of Gladsome at Randwick on Saturday, came as an unpleasant surprise to sportsmen over here. It was generally anticipated that the only three-year-old which the Canterbury filly had to fear was Emir, and as the son of Wallace was down to play his part in» the St. Leger, Gladsome would be able to account for the race. A head defeat by the Caulfield Cup winner, Sweet Nell was, however, by no means a disgrace, more especially as the cable states that it was the horseman who lost the race.

The victory of Cyrus in the Feilding Cup must have come as a pleasant surprise to Mr Price who bred him at Cambria Park. The horse was generally considered to be something of a quitter but in this case he appears to have battled it out to the end. That the son of Cyrenian was not much fancied is evidenced by the handsome dividend of £25 which he returned to his few admirers.

Halberdier ran in the Makino Welter at Feilding, but fell soon after the start.

Can it be that high-water mark has been reached in the totalisator returns at the A.R.C. Meetings ? “It would almost appear that such is the case, for a time at all events. The recent meeting at Ellerslie showed a considerable falling off, the betting being very lifeless throughout. The reason for this is hard to find, for good fields were the general rule and the racing remarkably good. I am inclined to think it would pay the club to run a ten shilling tote, but whether this would be really in the interest of sport is another question.

My Napier correspondent writes : — Napier, April 5

Com.ort’s dam, Vista, passed away the other day at Te Mahanga. She had been ailing for some time, and con. sequently her death did not occasion much surprise.

Murfitt has Paphos in work at Hastings. Since he was last seen out Robinson Crusoe’s son has been operated upon, and in the future will figure as a gefding. Baigneuse is being treated to a holiday.

Up to last week Menura seemed to be making such good recovery from her late accidents, that it was reckoned a certainty that she would soon be following her studies again, but unfortunately the other day the wound in her leg opened out, and it is considered questionable if she will ever be able to toe the mark again. If such a surmise proves correct, it will be hard luck for her owner Mr A. Rhodes, who only recently gave £2OO to the Hon. J. D. Ormond for Lyrebird’s speedy, though uncertain daughter. After the Waipukurau Meeting D. Munn intends to shift his team from Kaikora to Hastings. Quilted, one of his lot, will then be given schooling exercises over the little jumps. D. Watt, who used to pilot Moifad, has been giving Roseshoot lessons over the impediments during the past week on the Hastings track. The big gelding has shown a lot of abifity and progress in his work, and promises to make a good hurdler.

E. O’Neill is to be entrusted with the care of Trent, who last Saturday chan ged owners, the Hon. J. D. Ormond having disposed of The Officer’s son to a Wairarapa sport. J. Munn has Kahuwai in again, and the mare looks bright and lusty after her respite from toil, and has given sufficient inducement for her trainerowner to persevere with her. Last week I had a look at Blackwater, the rising three-year-old brother to Bush Rose, Roseshoot and Co., and a two-year-old colt by Apremont out of Maid Marion. The trio all looked in the best of health, and as their owner, Mr C. O. Donoghue, does not intend to ask the latter two any questions for another year, it appears as if he will have a serviceable brace to do duty for him in the future. Blackwater, who has grown into a fine, solid-looking horse, is under offer to a local sport, so it is quite possible he will shortly renew his acquaintance with the racing arena.

His Excellency the Governor, who was accompanied by Lord Monk Brereton, attended the Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Meeting at Christchurch last Saturday. If Lord Ranfurly would occasionally pay the Auckland Trotting Club’s Meetings, he would witness some good sport, and it would help to increase the popularity of the game.

The respective merits of dry versus wet, and cooked versus uncooked, food for horses will (says a writer in the London “Live Stock Journal”) perhaps some day come to be generally understood. At present many drivers leave the matter of feeding entirely to their servants, and do not themselves possess the slightest idea of how their animals are or should be fed. Dry, uncooked grain is, as a rule, preferable for strong, healthy horses in hard work ; but it is not desirable that the grain should be given to them by itself. Some chaff should always be mixed with it, as otherwise some of the feed is sure to pass into the bowels unmasticated, and probably will in due course be voided in the same condition exactly as when it was placed in the manger. Therefore it goes without saying that it has not nourished the horse a bit. When horses are not in hard or fast work they may have their oats steamed, and by this means not only will a saving in expense be effected, as the food goes further, but the animal enjoys the change. In this case, as in that of the dry grain, chaff ought to be mixed with the corn. Grain that is not perfectly sound ought never to be given to the horses uncooked, and cooked food must not be placed before them after fermentation has set in.