Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 776, 19 January 1905, Page 7

Sporting Topics.

(By "The Judue.’’/

Dr. Maitland, the well-known polo player, left for r.ngland on .Monday last.

(jld Cannongate is in work again, but whether he will stand another preparation remains to be seen.

The I’apakuia -Meeting will take plaee at the famous old racecourse on February 11.

The Cup winner Mahutonga was shipped to tjisijorne on Saturday. lie has been scratched for all events at the Wellington li.C. Meeting.

There was a great attendance on the second day of the Mhatigarei Meeting. Ihe club after another meeting like the last will be on a sound footing.

A good number of sports left by train on Tuesday morning for the ohaupo races. I his old-time fixture was -he principal meeting in the V\ aikato in the early days.

Old -John Chaaife looked pleased when he led Bonomiana in a winner on three occasions at Whangarei. In the last race the mare carried lOst 121 b.

Mr Loss' iiai’,aria was freely whispered about in town as a really good thing for the hurdle events at Whangarei, and it duly came oh for once in a way.

Quarryman, Nightfall, and Red Gauntlet should fill the places in the Wellington Cup, but if there is a surprise it may come from Flamen.

Capital nominations have been received for the Summer Meeting of the Poverty Bay Turf Club. The Auckland horses The Needle and Needlework have been ireely entered, while Hakaria's name appears in both hurdle events.

Very prompt ,y to time Air nis. ht declared his adjustments for the first day s events to be decided at the akapuna Summer Meeting, and these will be found in the usual column. On the whole they give evidence of having bwn c leiully thought out.

The Whangarei Summer M< eting must be considered one of the best conducted country meetings held up Ninth. I here was a good attendance and good racing, also a fair turnover. The new grandstand and a dozen loose boxes were greatly appreciated by horseowners and the public. The secretary, .Mr Bent, is a real live man, and worked energetically. About twelve bookmakers took out licenses at five guineas each and did fair business.

That up-to-date institution, the South Auckland Pacing Club, intends holding the annual race meeting on the Ciaudelands course, at Hamilton, on Saturday, March 4. The programme, which will be found in another colun n. consists of eight events, these being the Trial Handicap. of 2u sovs, seven furlongs ; the Hurdles, of 49 sovs, one and a-half miles: the South Auckland Cup, of 75 sovs, one and a-quarter miles ; the Pony Handicap, of 30 sovs, six furlongs ; the Steeplechase, of 50 sovs, three miles ; the Tradesman’s Blate, of 50 sovs, one mile ; the District Hack Race, of 20 sovs, six furlongs : and the Hying Handicap of 40 sovs, five furlongs. Jt will he noticed that the stakes have been inercas d by £5O above last year's total, and as no effort is to be spared to make the ■ eeting a success in every wav a liberal response from owners can be confidently*' counted upon. Mr R. >l. Cwynne, the secretary, will i akie nominations at Hamilton up to 0 p.m. on Friday, February- io. or these may- be given in to Mr H. B. Massey, High-street, Auckland, on or before the same date. Tt is very doubtful if any* race club can show such a record as the Al est Austra'lian. According to publi'hed accounts, the last three years’ revenue amounts to £85.590, while the aggregated expenditure amounted to £90,000. During that time no less than £3200 was disbursed in racecourse wages, the sum of £35.090 was spent in improvements, and £25,309 given away in stakes. For the same period there was paid as wages in connection with race meetings £1139, while the advertising account footed up to Cl<isG. Altogether the parent body employed something like one hundred and seventy men for the recent Cup meeting, making with those in the service of the caterer some five hundred hands engaged. The various totalisators required a staff of seventyhands. The wages sheet for the meeting, it was estimated, would amount to about £2009.

Scotty has been entered for the Sydney Cup, to be run on April 24.

Mr Buckley, of Oaniaiu, has purchased Beau Seaton at a price said to be near 250 guineas.

The South Auckland Racing Club’s Meeting will take place on Saturday', March 4.

'i he Utahuhu Trotting Club’s Summer Meeting will be held on February 18, 22, and 25. Nominations are due by* February 3.

The Canterbury -Jockey Club only- received seven nominations for the Midsummer Handicap, the pig event of the Summer Meeting. Nominations for the other principal races were very poor.

Work has been commenced on the new course for the Wellington Racing Club. Some fifty men will be employed in stumping, ploughing, and cleaning the ground.

Vic. Cotton, J Lilian, and McKenzie each rode three winners at the Whangarei Meeting, while Wilson was successful twice. Wairiki is doing so well on the course at Flemington, and getting so fat, that his allowance of feed has had to I e cur-t-tiled. He gets an hour’s exercise everyday, and, while he does not use his injured shoulder, he lies down and gets up without difficulty. :-ince St. Simon’s first winner appeared in I ngland in 1889 that sire’s progeny have won 598 races of the total value of £337,175. Altogether he has sired 271 winners, and in England last season his sons were responsible for 296 winners of £72,489. The Soult :■ ar<- Bonomiana was in good form at Whangarii, winning the I’lying Handicap, the Tradesman s Plate, and the Farewell Handicap. Mr Tooman deserved to get a w>n vit i the mare. By the way, in the telegraphed report to one of the Auckland papers Bonos iana was first described as a bay gelt lino-, then as a bay marc, and finally as a brown mare. Aou pay your money and tase your choice. An amateur trainer, P. Gilpin, who has charge of l-rcttv • oMi , heat all the professionals in ngland last season, the stake-winnings of his ho.’ ses to’ailing £35,694. G. Blackwell as not far behind with £30,015, of which Rock Sand won £19,719. .John Porter was next with £19,952, Barley Dale being the pi incipat contributor to that amount. As regards the number of races won W . F.lsey was an easy first, with seventy nine to his credit, no less than forty' horsts trained by* him being successful. -'. 1< Brewer won twenty-four races with twelve horses, the stakes totalling £7788. Tom Hales, who rode every great horse of his time except Carbine, has told me over and over again (writes “Milroy, in the “Sydney Mail”) that Abercorn was the only horse he ever rod,' who could run more than a mile at top speed all the way. and 'l orn used to give the very best reasons for the three defeats at w.f.a. he suffered from Carbine, and used to refer with pride to the fact that Melos had twice beaten Carbine at w.f.a., but the Goldsbrough horse never had a chance with Abercorn in the six w.f.a. races they measured strides. Carbine and Abercorn met six times at w.f.a., and each won three, but the odd trick, a handicap, went to Carbine, who succeeded twice at two miles. This was when he was a three-year-old. Abercorn won a mile and aquarter. a mile and a-half. and two • •lies and a-quarter. Tt i >ay be said n Civ csr of the Chester horse that he was not at his best in Sydney, in 1888, when Carbine beat him three times, for in one of the races Lochiel finished in front of Abercorn. T.ochiel was a smashing good racehorse, but ho had no possible chance of beating Abercorn over any distance when the latter was himself. Abercorn won 20£ races and captured £13,858 in stakes. He won the A.-T.C. Derby, the two St. T.egers. and the Champion Stakes. His best w.f.a. race was the Canterbury- Plate, and his best handicap The Metropolitan, in which he carried 9st 71b, and won in a common canter. y good performance was put up at the recent Tunrnt tN.S.W.) meeting H the country rider S. Waddups. who rode the whole of the five winners. * ♦ * * Enrtries for the Newmarket Handicap show an increase of 11 on last vear, and some smart horses are engaged. The entries for the Australian Cun also show an increase. Bast year the total was 39, but this year the entries number 52. The Champion Stakes also has a larger entry.

The Trenton mare Balmy Days was sold in England recently for 3000 guineas. The figure seems a bit stiff.

The annual meeting of members of the i’akuranga i.unt Club takes place <>n the 27th inst.

Sir James Miller heads the list of winning owners in England for the second year in succession.

Trenton had ten winners in ngland last year, who earned £4550 in stake money. His descendin'.s have now won well over £109,000.

Gladsome has resumed work at Flemington after a few weeks’ holiday at an up-country station. r l he .Auckland-bred mare is said to be looking very well.

Mr Stead did not nominate any* of his horses for the big handicaps at the V.R.C. Autumn Meeting, as was generally* expected would have been the case.

The young English-bred sire, Riding Master, has been purchased by* an Australian studmaster. He is by Melton — Schoolbook, by Wisdom —Satchel, by Galopin.

At the Brisbane Summer Aleeting Flame won the Park Handicap, while Blue Flame won the New Year Gift at Orange (N.S.W.). The coincidence was curious as half the country* was in flames at the time.

William Woodburn, who is retiring from the position of caretaker of the Randwick racecourse, after forty years’ service, was presented with a handsome illuminated address by Tom Lamond on behalf of the lo'-al trainers.

Bras d Or, who chased Corporal to a nose in the Railway Handicap, afterwards won the Stewards’ Handicap on the second day* of the Whangarei Meeting. Hie son of Cuirassier is a fine big upstanding gelding, who could be improved a good deal, and is reported to jump like a stag.

The well-known ; Trnlish jockey and trainer. W. Bainbridge, was a passenger by the Tonic from London with his wife ami family. He intends to settle in Auckland, and will continue training and ridino-. I n the season before last Bainbridge trained sixty-three winners for Alajoy Edwards, and rode Santoi to victory* in the Jubilee Stakes, the rtVriohton Cup. and th<> Free Handicap at Newmarket. He has also trained and ridden tor Captain Gordon. Bainbridge was riding at Ellerslie this week in the morning gallops.

“ Alilroy* ’’ considers that Abercorn, whose death was reported the other day, was the finest racehorse Australia has ever produced, and, in fact, deems him one of the best the world has known. Having seen Abercorn in every one of his races, including that race in the Canterbury- Plate, at T lemingt <n, when he was timed to run the flying six furlongs in Imin 12sec, T am strongly inclined to agree with the Sydney* writer. IHs greatest rival was, of course, Carbine, who was a 1 year his junior, and staunch admirer as I am of “ old Jack, T shall always consider that the beautiful chestnut son of Chester was the better of the i wo.

It is natural, of course, that a foal should te (savs an English writer) on goed terms with the man who feeds him, but, desirable though it be that this should be so, it does not necessarily follow that because the youngster can get on with one man he has got over his fear of all the human race. Hence the desirability of trying to accustom him by degrees to being associated with strangers, as it is impossible that when his education begins seriously' he w ill have his old attendant always bv him. All horses are by nature inuuisitiie, ard if strange visitors to the foals will allow the latter to approach them and smell them without making a sudden effort to catch or handle, or even pat the youngsters, they* will often be conferring a far greater benefit upon the owner than ever he may expect. On the other hand, nothing is more likely to demoralise a timid foal than a sudden movement, and especially an attempt to touch him. Every movement towards him should b.c gradual, and if he is spoken to it should be in soothing terms.

The Annual Race Meeting of the Papahura Racing Club will take place at the favourite old racecourse on Saturday, February 11. Six events will be run off, the more important of -which are the Papakura Cup, one mile, and the Railway Handicap, of six furlongs. Air F. D. Yonge is secretary* for the fixture, and he will give all particulars on the subject of the meeting on application.

Galinule very easily headed the list of winning stallions in England last season.

Takapuna acceptances close to-morrow evening at 9 p.m.

Up-to-Date has been allowed to drop out of the Takapuna Steeplechase.

There are fourteen acceptors for the Wellington Cup, the best for some years. • ♦ * ♦

The Avondale Hack Club intend holding a Aleeting on January 30.

Nightfall will probably start favourite for the Wellington Cup. The filly* is said to be very well, and did a good gallop at the Hutt on 'Tuesday.

Boris was rather badly injured on the passage from Auckland to Wellington. He will need a lengthy spell.

The Hon. J. D. Ormond will be represented at the Wellington Aleeting by Sir Tristram, Lyrist, Banzai, Repulse, and Aledallist.

The Waiuku Racing Club intends holding the Annual Race Aleeting on Alarch

Petrovna is said to be in great buckle, and will be very hard to beat in the Telegraph Handicap on the opening day at Wellington.

Air J. Chadwick left yesterday by the Rarawa to attend the Summer Aleeting of the Wellington Racing Club. A fair number of local sportsmen went south bv the same steamer.

Air Bray’s mare, Seatonia, is very deadly at the outside meetings. She added to her score at hangarei by annexing the Park Stakes and Publican’s Purse.

There will be a douole-event totalisator al the Wellington Aleeting. The events on which it will be worked are the Cup and Telegraph Handicap on the opening day, and the Racing Club Handicap and’ Aletropolitan Handicap on the second day.

The Tuakau Racing Club will hold theAnnual Race Aleeting on Wednesday, Alarch 1, the programme for which will be found in this issue. It is made up of six items, of which the principal ones are the Tuakau Handicap, one mile, and the Franklin’ Handicap, six furlongs. A day in the country is often relished by racing men in the summer,, and therefore as the Tuakau fixture is a pleasant little meeting, it is certain to get plenty of support from town. Air Tapper, the hon. secretary, wishes owners to note that nominations for the meeting, which is a registered owe, close with him on Friday, February* 1C 1 , at 9 p.m., or they may* be sent to Air 1-1. B. Alasscy, 14, High Street, Auckland. Air J. Chadwick will do the handicapping.

Pretty Polly’s victories put Gallinule at the top of the winning sires’ list for the season just closed in England. His figures were 17 winners of 34A races, of the total value of £30,105 10s. To this Pretty Folly’s contribution was seven races’, value £lB,-140. Sainfoin was second on the list with £21,929, his position being entirely due to his son, Rock Sand, who won over £l9,ooff of that amount. St. Simon was next with £17,516, his, son, Darley Dale, doing best work on his behalf. Then came St. Frusquin £17,341, Cyllene £15,547, and Ayrshire £15,468. The last-mentioned sire came out with the greatest number of races to his credit, 45 wins being scored by 20 of his progeny. It is worthy of note that the prominent positions of Sainfoin, St. Simon, and St. Frusquin were due entirely to having one good representative each, and under the circumstances the winning records of those sires cannot really be considered as meritorious as those of such horses as Ayrshire and Florizel 11., who, though much lower do n! in the list, sired a much greater number of winners.

As showing the increase of totalisator investments in France, it may be mentioned that when the machine was authorised in June, 1891, only* £233,307 was put through during the first halfyear it was used. Since then, this method of betting has so thoroughly taken the fancy of the French public that last year £9,62C,000 was invested, and it is anticipated that this year’s turnover will be something over ten millions. It is computed that in machine percentage from 1901, the sum of £3,000,740 has been levied by the different racing societies, £960,000 has been handed over to the Government Stud Commission for breeders’ premiums for half-bred stock and for the purchase of sires for breeding purposes, while £BO,000 has gone towards the relief of the poor