Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 757, 8 September 1904, Page 7

Sporting Topics.

(By ‘

“ The Judge.”)

Entries for the Auckland Cup are due on September 30. « * * *

Mr F. L. Armitage left on Monday last on a trip to England, and may be expected back early next year. r ‘* * *

The official pony measurer, Mr E. Hankens, says Solitary just got under. All the other ponies with the exception of Elgar passed under the standard easily.

Mr Leonard Marshall, the owner of Spalpeen and Girton Girl, left for a visit to the Old Country by the mail steamerlast Monday. The visit will be of short duration.

The members of Tattersall’s Club acquired the right to bet at the Hunt Club Sports next Saturday. The price paid annually by this body is £5O. c ■* * * *

The Waikato Hunt Club Meeting took place last Wednesday on the new course and was a complete success. A goodly sprinkling of town visitors attended the meeting. 6 ** * *

Mrs John Gallagher’s grey gelding Resolution shaped very well for a first attempt and may see a better day. Although not possessed of too much pace he is a beautiful jumper.

This year the Hunt Club have put on an open handicap for the benefit of horses requiring a gallop before Avondale, but horseowners did not avail themselves of the chance as only five horses were nominated.

At the last meeting of the A.R.C. Committee it was decided to appoint a sub-committee to deal with the question of trainer’s and jockey’s licenses, and their report will be dealt with at a special meeting.

Nominations for the Manukau Hurdles, City Handicap, and Birthday Handicap, to be run at the Spring Meeting of the A.R.C., are due with Mr Percival on Friday, September 30.

The plough gallop, which cost the A.R.C. a good round sum of money, was never used much by the Auckland trainers, and now at the request of that body the club are turning it into a grass gallop. No doubt the tan answers the dual purpose of plough and tan.

Harry Franks (the unlucky), who has been identified with racing for the past few years in Auckland, has sold his property at Green Lane and intends going South again. Since coming North fortune has not been too kind to Mr Franks and a change of luck will be welcome. * * * *

If the rumour to the effect that the grandstand at Ellerslie is to be brought thoroughly up-to-date is correct it will be good news to many. Large as it is the stand is often congested, and as the roofing in of the upper portion will make that more popular than is the case at present it will relieve the strain on the other part.

Since the weights appeared for the Avondale Cup and Flying Handicap there has been a fair amount of double event speculation. The owner of Marshal Soult took 800 to 16 on his horse for the double. The owner of the combination Dolores and Muthema also has a decent amount that way, while the Taranakiowned pair Durable and Paratutu were backed for a few hundreds at 100’s to 2. Another stable pair taken by the public are Avalanche and Akarana. The Devon-port-owned Akarana has been nibbled at, and Calle Iris is spoken about as a good outsider.

The death of Mr Alexander Mackellar removes the last link, as it were, of the chain connecting the pioneers of Randwick with, the present day (says the “ Town and Country Journal ”). It may not be known to the present-day racing men that we owe our magnificent racecourse at Randwick to the foresight and sporting spirit of the late Mr Mackellar and a few others. Thinking that what was known in 1858 as the old sandy track could be formed into a first-class racecourse, they pooled £5O apiece, and it was that money that paid for the first laying out of the ground. Of that pioneer band, as it may be termed, Mr Mackellar was the last. In his day the late Mr Mackellar took an active interest in turf affairs, being for years on the A.J.C. committee, and for a part of that time was chairman of the Jockey Club after the death of the Hon. James White.

Ngatiria after being brought down from the King Country was jpot allowed .to start at the Waikato Hunt Club Spring Meeting through some informality.

In conversation with Mr James Muir, who was in town last week, he stated that he expects to send down his team of racers in charge of W. Bird about the end of the present month.

W. Satman ought to be in good form by the time the season comes round as he does a lot of racing every morning. He expects to do all Mr Wright’s riding for the season.

Mr Richard Hannon did not nominate any of his horses for the Avondale Spring fixture. Being away at Christchurch and having his right-hand man (poor Jack Quinton) in the hospital he thought he would leave the meetingalone.

The annual meeting of the South Auckland Racing Club was held last week. The annual statement of finance was submitted, and showed the receipts to be £482 16s Bd. There was a balance in bank of £l4 16s lid. The Chairman, Mr Brookfield, in moving the adoption of the balance-sheet, said the position of the club was most satisfactory ; they had met all liabilities and had an asset in unpaid subscriptions amounting to £5O. Messrs W. I. Conradi, J. Dalgliesh, W. H. Knock, F. Quin, 1). A. Ross, and H. E. Tristram were elected to the vacant seats on the committee.

The chestnut New Zealand ’chaser Dingo was out on the track at Randwick on Wednesday (says the “ Town and Country Journal”) and was treated to moderate exercise, but soon afterwards he showed symptoms of internal pain. His trainer, Coleman, hurried him off to the veterinary, W. J. Miller, who placed the son of Sou’-Wester and Betty under treatment for inflammation of the bowels. The horse remained under Mr Miller’s care during the day, and the case having been taken so soon after he was seized, may enable him to fulfil his Randwick engagement, but of that there is a doubt.

The annual meeting of members of the Takapuna Jockey Club is fixed to be held on Friday next at half-past seven p.m., at the club’s offices, Devonport, for the purpose of receiving the statement of accounts for the past season and to elect three members of committee in place of those retiring.

Grand Rapids continues to please the touts in Sydney. During the week he has reeled off a mile in imin 44sec, and seven furlongs in imin soi-sec. He looks like stripping in fine buckle for the Epsom Handicap next Saturday, for which race he has been well backed.

The Hawkes bury Handicap, which in days gone by was one of the biggest betting races in New South Wales, has this year been won by Cato, who defeated Green Mountain, Katafia and seven others. The winner started favourite at 3 to i against, and won easily, running the eleven furlongs in 2min 15J sec.

The battle between those three fine mares, Cruciform, Sweet Nell, and Gladsome in the Spring Stakes on Saturday should draw a very large crowd to Randwick. Cruciform has eighteen wins to her credit, Sweet Nell eight, and Gladsome fourteen. With Abundance, Lord Cardigan, and Emir to act on behalf of the horses, the race should indeed give rise to a homeric struggle.

Mr Stead’s representatives have all been doing fairly during the past week, and Cruciform got over a mile and a quarter yesterday morning in a style that suggested she is not far short of being as good as when she was here last Spring. Grand Rapids and Martian ran seven furlongs in fast time yesterday. The latter was going better than his stable companion at the finish, but he had the advantage of inside running, as well as the lighter rider. So that there should be no mistake about Grand Rapids’ gallop, that horse has on two or three occasions been pulled up before reaching the mile post, and jumped off from a standing start. He has commenced well each time, too, so that he is not likely to lose much at the barrier. Still he has by no means a feather to carry in the Epsom and, to win, will need to be a better horse than his New Zealand performances make out. He may be that, as though a five-year-old now, it must not be overlooked that he did not commence racing until last season. Some of the onlookers must have reckoned Grand Rapids’ gallop yesterday 7 a long way short of the mark, as in Tattersall’s Club subsequently ioo to 5 was offered against him.—(“Pilot,” in the “Referee”).

Cannie Chiel is being treated to a short uUt well-earned spell.

Hinetaura, who has been having a holiday, has been put into work again with a view to Spring engagements.

Elspeth pulled up sore after executing a gallop on Saturday morning at Avondale.

The annual sports meeting of the PaKuranga Hunt Club will take place next Saturday at Alexandra Park.

The A.R.C. will give the handsome sum of £9200 in stakes at the Summer Meeting.

Up-to-Date is back again at Ellerslie, and may be seen out at the Avondale Meeting.

Rambler is coming on nicely and should have a good say in the settlement of the Avondale Guineas.

The general entries for the Avondale Meeting are quite up to the average. Acceptances for the first day are due to-morrow, Friday, at 9 p.m.

Carbine, whose stock have been doing badly this year in England, had a winner at the Goodwood (Eng.) meeting on July 7 28, his three-year-old son Mousqueton winning the Sussex Stakes, of 567 sovs, i mile. Mousqueton, who is owned by- Mr Douglas Baird, started at 4to i in a field of five, and won cleverly.

At the annual meeting of the Wellington Racing Club held last week, the resolution passed at the recent special meeting, authorising the stewards to spend £25,000 in the purchase of land, and the erection of buildings for the new course at Trentham, was confirmed. Officers were elected as follows :—President, Mr J. B. Harcourt (re-elected) ; vice-presidents, Messrs W. H. S. Moorhouse, and R. T. Turnbull (re-elected) ; stewards, the Hon. T. K. MacDonald, Messrs J. Wilkins, J. W. Abbott, H. F. Johnston, N. McLean, D. J. Nathan, W. H. Turnbull, and James.

It is a very curious coincidence (says the “Field”) that the winners of the German, the Austrian, the French, and the English Derby 7 are all descendants of Galopin. St. Amairt and Con Amore (the latter of whom won both the German and Austrian Derby) are grandsons of St. Simon, through St. Frusquin (the sire of St. Amanft), and Matchbox, the sire of Con Amore ; while Ajax, through Flying Fox, is closely connected with the Galopin family. Con Amore was bred in Hungary by M. Aristide Baltazzi, the former owner of Kisber, and sold as a yearling for £4OB. The colt has won nearly £lO,OOO. He now belongs to Count Trauttmansdorff, who won a fine quadruple even bet about St. Amant and Pretty Polly for the Derby and Oaks, and his own horse Con Amore for the German and Austrian Derby.

At the last meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club stewards the protest of Mr Friedlander against the stakes in the Criterion Handicap, run last November, being paid to the owner of Petrovna, was considered. The following resolution was carried :—“That the Appeal Court judges in the Gladsome and Bagpipes cases have laid down in a general principle that rules must be interpreted literally, regardless of what the general custom has been in the past. The stewards of the C.J.C. therefore regret that they 7 have no other course open to them but to uphold Mr Friedlander’s protest, although satisfied that entries have been everywhere accepted without being accompanied by 7 the information required by the Rules of Racing.”

The point to point steeplechase of the Pakuranga Hunt Club, on Saturday, drew quite a large concourse of people out to Sylvia Park. In the light and heavy-weight steeplechase the competitors were :—Heavy-weight : Mr W. R. Bloomfield’s M’Liss, Mr T. F. Wallis’ Henry, Mr G. B. Banks’ Kapai, Mr H. Kinloch’s Clyde, Mr J. E. Paul’s Lady Mav, Mr B. Davis’ Te Ahui. Lightweight : Mr H. Millar’s Shon, Mr H. B. Webster’s Riot, Mr T. Bray’s De la Rev,

Mr C. Crowther’s Merry Fire, Mr H. , Clark’s Kangaroo, Mr B. Myers’ Waiuku, Mr E. M. Hall’s Tim, Mr J. Adams’ Skipper. Nearly twenty obstacles had to be negotiated, and after

a good race the judge’s placings were follows : —Mr C. Crowther’s MerryFire, i ; Mr H. B. Webster’s Riot, 2 ;

Mr J. Adams’ Skipper, 3 ; Mr J. E. Paul’s Lady May, 4 ; Mr G. B. Banks’ Kapai, 5 ; and Mr B. Davis’ Te Ahui, 6. Owing to lack of entries the race for

ladies was abandoned, and the remainder of the afternoon was devoted to hunting. We publish some photographs taken at the meet.

The Wanganui J.C. is giving away £69m in stakes this season.

Cruciform and Martian are both hitting out in fine style at Rand wick, but the w r ork done by. Nightfall is said to be of not so satisfactory 7 a character as her trainer could wish.

The Wellington Racing Club has confirmed the resolution to purchase a new course at Trentham. It will, with the necessary buildings, cost £25,000.

W,th the approach of the Avondale Meeting work on the training track is becoming more interesting. Particulars of the various gallops executed during the week will be found in another column.

At a meeting of the committee of the Coromandel Racing Club it was decided to hold a hack meeting on November 9 (King’s Birthday). A programme of eight events was drawn up, as follows : —Maiden Plate of 5 sovs, Flying Handicap of 6 sovs, Handicap Hurdles of 1 sovs, Pony Handicap of 5 sovs, Birthday Handicap of 10 sovs, Trotting Handicap of 5 sovs, Welter Handicap of 5 sovs, Forced Handicap of 5 sovs.

Poor Quinton has succumbed to the injuries he received when Moccasin fell with him at Riccarton. From the first the case looked very serious, and his death was not unexpected. Quinton was a good horseman and very popular with all, and will be much missed. *

The Spring Meeting of the Poverty 7 Bay 7 Turf Club will take place on the Makaraka racecourse, on Thursday and Friday, October 27 and 28. On the opening day the list of events is made up of the Trial Handicap, 6 furlongs ; the First Hurdles, if miles ; the First County Stakes, 6 furlongs ; the Spring Handicap, 14 miles ; the First Welter, 7 furlongs ; the Alai den Scurry, 4 furlongs ; the Flying Handicap, 6 furlongs; the First Hack Flat, one mile. On the second day the eight items are the Second Welter, one mile ; the Second Hurdles, 11 miles ; the Second County Stakes, one mile ; Makaraka Handicap, one mile ; Second Hack Flat, 6 furlongs ; Maiden Scurry, 5 furlongs ; the Waikanae Handicap, 5 furlongs ; and the Farewell Handicap, 7 furlongs. Altogether the sum of £635 will be distributed in stakes during the meeting. Nominations for certain special events must be sent to Mr E. L. Maude, the secretary, by 7 Saturday, October Ist, while entries for the remaining races close a fortnight later. Full particulars of the various events will be found in our advertising columns.

THE AUCKLAND RACING CLUB’S PROGRAMME.

The Auckland Racing Club’s programmes for the Spring and Summer Meetings will be found in another column. The Spring Aleeting will take place on Novembei - 5,9, and 12 . The events on the opening day are the President’s Handicap, 100 sovs, one mile ; the Great Northern Guineas, 500 sovs, one mile; the Welcome Stakes, 250 sovs, five furlongs ; the Alanukau Hurdles, 100 sovs ; one and three-quarter miles ; Shorts Handicap, 100 sovs, five furlongs ; City Handicap, 300 sovs : one and a-quarter miles ; Pony Handicap, 100 sovs, seven furlongs ; and the Flying Handicap, 100 sovs, six furlongs. On the second day the races will consist of the Spring Handicap, 100 sovs, seven furlongs ; the Penrose Hurdles, 100 sovs, two miles ; the Musket Stakes, 200 sovs, four furlong ; the Birthday Handicap, 400 sovs, one and a-half miles ; Onehunga Steeplechase, 200 sovs, three miles ; Maiden Plate, 100 sovs, one and a-quarter miles ; Pony Handicap, 100 sovs, six furlongs ; Epsom Handicap, 100 sovs, six furlongs. The items for the concluding day are made up as follows : —The Hunt Club Steeplechase, 70 sovs, three and a-half miles ; the Maiden Hurdles. 100 sovs, one and three-quarter miles : the Ascot Handicap, 250 sovs, one and a-quarter miles ; the Juvenile Handicap, 100 sovs, four furlongs : Pony Handicap, 100 sovs, seven furlongs ; Publican’s Handicap, 100 sovs, six furlongs ; the Welter Handicap, 100 sovs, one mile ; the Hunt Club Hurdles, 50 sovs, two miles.

Altogether the sum of £3720 will be distributed in stakes at the meeting. Nominations for the Alanukau Hurdles, City Handicap, and Birthday Handicap are due on Friday, September 30. The events on the Summer programme requiring early 7 attention are the Auckland Cup, 1500 sovs, two miles ; the Railway Handicap, too sovs, six furlongs ; the Summer Cup. 500 sovs, one and a-quarter miles ; the Auckland Racing Club Handicap, 750 sovs, one and ahalf miles ; and the Auckland Steeplechase, 350 sovs, three and a-half miles. Entries for these important races are due with Air ’ Percival on Friday, September 30.