Sporting Topics.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 800, 6 July 1905, Page 7

Sporting Topics.

(By

“The Judge.")

The Wellington Racing Club has endorsed the disqualification of six months imposed by the Otaki Maori R.C. on the rider T. Carroll.

Despite bad weather experienced on both days, the totalisator returns at the Napier Park’s meeting, viz., £11,068, showed an increase of £33/ on last year’s total.

At latest advices Bellis was favourite for the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase. with Up-to-Date at a point longer. * w * *

There is a “ slump” in stable boys in Christchurch, and it is said that good lads are simply unobtainable.

C. Jenkins has so far piloted eightyseven winners this season, a very fine record indeed.

Jack o’ Lantern should have a great chauce in the Gisborne Steeplechase today, in which he is weighted at list 101 b in a very weak field of six.

The veteran ’chaser Dingo is once more on his way to Sydney, having been shipped on Monday by the Huddart-Par-ker steamer Victoria.

The improvements to be effected at Ellerslie, in addition to a lot of work on the track, include the erection of a tea kiosk and a new reserve for members’ carriages.

The Gisborne Racing Club’s steeplechase meeting commences to-day, and will be concluded to-morrow.

Up-to-Date has gone to Melbourne, and is said to be in first-class condition to show to advantage in the Grand National Steeplechase at Flemington on Saturday. All Aucklanders will wish that Mr. Lyons may score a victory in the big race.

Nor’-west is by no means badly treated in the Wellington Steeplechase, and it is quite within the bounds of possibility that the old fellow may achieve his third victory in the race in question. He won it when a five-year-old in 1898, with lOst 31b, and scored again in 1903 under list. A. Williams and D. Wright had the mount respectively.

Maniopoto has been allotted Bst 71b in the Caulfield Cup, a weight which the owners should not greatly complain of.

Golden Knight has been scratched for the Metropolitan Handicap, for which the Sydney handicapper allotted Mr. Stead’s colt Bst 61b.

The winter meeting of the Wellington Racing Club will be commenced on Wednesday next, when the Steeplechase is to be run.

Scotty, who has been having a spell, is now in work again with a view to spring engagements. ♦ * • •

Irish is making a steady recoverv from the accident which befell him during the running of the Great Northern Steeplechase last month.

The V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race proved a complete boil-over for York, who won, and Old Chappie, who ran second. Both started at the outside price of 33 to 1 against, none of the four most fancied horses even getting a place. There were twenty-three starters for the three miles event, York winning by three lengths. He is a five-year-old chestnut gelding, and was got by Tostig (by Edward the Confessor, by Hermit) from Conclusion (by the Musket horse Enfilade).

The balance-sheet of the Povertv Bay Turf Club shows a profit for the year of £4Bl.

Very good reports continue to come to hand concerning The Mohican, who is bowling along in great style, and is sure to be dangerous later on at Riccarton. ♦ * * *

Slow Tom had a veryjbad fall at Riccarton the other day, nis rider, Scoullar, having his collar-bone broken. The St. Ives gelding was not much the worse, and goes to Wellington this week.

Gladsome has been given 9st in the Caulfield Cup and Sst Tllb in the Melbourne Cup. The brilliant daughter of Seat<Jn Delaval should be very dangerous in the former race if at her best. • • • •

Kiatere’s display at Napier Park, m the Steeplechase was rather disappointing. and he will have to show considerable improvement on that running to win at Wellington.

Some of the coming two-year-olds have been down at Ellerslie receiving preliminary instructions for their future duties. One or two of the young Menschikoff’s have created a very good impression.

To thoroughly take the conceit out of a horse there is no better way than to throw him (says an American exchange). It certainly requires pluck and determination to throw a horse single-handed, but if done, your horse is virtually conquered for good and all. To do this, put a good strong halter on your horse, take a strap with a ring in it and buckle it on the horse’s off foreleg below the fetlock joint; take a rope eight feet long and tie it to this strap; place a surcingle round the horse’s body, take up your position on the right side of the horse, bring the rope over the horse’s back from the off side; take hold of the rope and pull his foot to his body; take a firm hold of this foot, holding it in that position, then take hold of the horse’s halter with the left hand, pull his head to you and press against his body with your elbow, using the words, “ Lie down.” The majority of horses can be thrown in this way in under a minute, while others, of course, may fight longer. As soon as the animal has been thrown take the rope that is underneath him, bring it under the surcingle and pass it through the ring of the halter, and back under the surcingle again, and thus yon have the rope in position to bring his head over his shoulder. Make him put his head on the ground, and if he makes any attempt to get up pull his head up immediately, which will prevent him from rising. This will give him thoroughly to understand that you are master. Once a horse realises youi’ power over him he will do almost anything a horse can clo.

Zinfandel, the winner of the Ascot Gold Cup, was bred by the late Colonel McCalmont, the son of Persimmon and Medora passing into the hands of his present owner after the death of his breeder, and as a two-year-old ran thrice. His best effort during that season was to run third in the Rous Memorial Stakes, at Newmarket. The following year, however, he captured five of the six races in which he started—Manchester Cun the Gold Vase at Ascot, Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, Brighton Cup and Scarborough Stakes at Newmarket, while last season he put up a similar record by securing the Coronation Cup at Epsom, Alexandra Plates at Ascot, Sandown Stakes at Sandown Park, and the Limekiln Stakes and Jockey Cup at Newmarket. His total earning for the two seasons were £9826. Last year when Throwaway won the prize was worth £3260.

The question shall bookmakers be allowed to bet at race meetings alongside the totalisator, is now exciting a lot of interest in South Africa. The horseowners appear to be well in favoui’ of having the bookmaker. A resolution which had been adopted by the club that bookmakers should not be allowed to stand up at meetings held at Kenilworth, brought about a general meeting of racehorse-owners. At this meeting a statement was drawn up giving the number of horses owned by allhost every local owner, which showed that owners, who between them controlled 105 horses, were in favour of bookmakers, whilst owners of 51 horses were against them. At a meeting of owners prior to the Turf Club meeting, it was resolved, by a majority of 4 to 1, that it was preferable to have bookmakers to the new system. Latest news from Capetown is to the effect that the stewards of the South African Turf Club have decided to abolish the blind totalisator, and that, in the event of more than one horse running in one owner’s name in a race, a collective ticket be issued, covering all horses running in such name.

The W.A.T.C. (Perth) secretary receives £6OO a year, the handicapper £5OO, starter £3lO. and judge £lOO. * * * *

They have a veteran jockey in Germany named Sopp. He won his first race at Hoppegarten thirty-five years ago, and last month scored a big event at the same place.

French sportsmen have frequently sent their racehorses across the Channel to compete for the coveted trophy at Ascot, and Count Lagrange, who captured the Derby, 1865. with Gladiateur, was successful in the Gold Cup, 1878, with Verneuil, who also won the Alexandra Plate at the same meeting. Twenty years later that good turfite, M. J. de Bremond, secured the Gold Cup with Elf 11., a son of Upas, and two years ago the Gallic sportsman was again to the front with Maximum 11., who, the following year, was just beaten out of a »place in the race won bv Throwaway, while the other day the consistent son of Chalet escorted Zinfandel past the post, with Throwaway in the other situation.

Convoy has injured his shoulder, and his training has been suspended. *

L. H. Hewitt had a mount at Warwick Farm, and finished third on Master Thirza in the Two-year-old Handicap.

M. Spencer, holder of the title, defeated J. B. Belfield in the final of the annual competition for the N.S. Wales Amateur Billiard Championship. • # • •

An English exchange mentions that Caravel, who recently won a selling race for Lord Dalmeny at Newmarket, and was afterwards bought in for 900 guineas, is debarred from the Stud Book, notwithstanding that she is by a half-brother to Gallinule from a half-sister to Galtee More and Ard Patrick.

According to a Queensland exchange, the most unlucky turf club in the North is that of Townsville. One grandstand was washed away, and the new one blown away, and to this trouble of the elements is due the fact that the club’s overdraft is £2126, and that the bank is writing about it.

The classic races of England have been won by French horses as follows: —The Derby by Gladiateur only; the Two Thousand by Gladiator and Chamant; the Oaks by Fille de I’Air, Euguenaude, Reine, and Limasol; and the St. Leger bv Gladiateur and Rayon d’Or. « • • •

It is reckoned that Vampire (dam of Flying Fox) has already brought in £lOO,OOO to the Eaton Stud, and in addition the Duke of Westminster now owns a three-year-old sister to Flying Fox, and three brothers (two-year-old, yearling, and foal) to that horse. Although Vampire is sixteen years old, she shows no sign of age. Her foal of this season is said to be as near perfection as possible, and some of the critics say that if he goes on all right he should turn out the best she has ever thrown.

There are few races in the annals of the English turf which include such an array of equine talent on the winning list as does that for the Ascot Gold Cup (writes “ Galtee More”), the inauguration of which dates back nearly a century. The race for the Gold Cup is over a distance of two and a-half miles —one of the few long-distance events of the English turf, and is a good test of speed and stamina, consequently the winning list contains the names of some of the greatest performers that ever trod the turf, and who have also figured largely at the stud. For some time after the institution of the race the competitors were restricted to horses owned by members of the Jockey Club, Brook’s, or White’s, but in 1831 the brothers William and Samuel Chifney nominated Priam, partly as a protest, and partly as an inducement to wealthy sportsmen to purchase the horse. Priam was then purchased by Lord Chesterfield for 3000 guineas, but he never competed in the race. Subsequently the race became open to all-comers, and on the roll of winners are such landmarks of the turf as Glaucus, Touchstone, Lanercost, Van Tromp, Flying Dutchman, Teddington, West Australian, Fisherman, Thormanby, Doncaster, Petriarch, Isonomy, Robert the Devil, Foxhall, Tristan, St. Simon, La Fleche, Isinglass, Persimmon, Cyllene, Merman, and William the Third.

The time is drawing on apace for the holding of the First Combined Annual Charity Fete. This will be commenced on July 26 with a juvenile historical, literary, and fancy dress ball, which will take place at the Choral HalL This will be conducted under the auspices of a strong committee of ladies, of whom Mrs. Arthur Myers, the Mayoress, is president. The ball should be an exceedingly attractive item, as it is to be carried out with the most careful attention to detail, and a large number of prizes are to be given for the best-designed costumes. On August 7 and 8 there will be a special production of “ The Schoolmistress,” by the Auckland Dramatic Society under the management of Dr. de Clive Lowe. On August 9 there is to be a great musical and variety entertainment by the leading professionals and amateurs in the district. Next a fancy costume football match is to be organised by Mr. Pat. Quinlan. A grand fete, Oriental fair, and palace of varieties, which will last for a week, will be held during the last days of September. The carnival will be brought to a close with a monster sports gathering, band contest, and display of Japanese daV fireworks. The carnival is in aid of the best of all causes, charity, and is being organised by the most influential citizens of Auckland. Attention is specially drawn to the advertisement in this issue, and to the fact that anyone desiring to assist at any of the entertainments should communicate with the committee or with the manager, Mr. A. D. Gordon. Strand Arcade.