NOTES

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 818, 9 November 1905, Page 7

NOTES

(By

“The Judge.”)

The well-known sportsman, Mr. Dan O’Brien, is in town, having come up to assist at the A.R.C. spring meeting.

The Otahuhu Trotting Club’s meeting at Alexandra Park takes place on December 2 and 6.

The popular Hawke’s Bay jockey, Fred. Davis, will have the mounts on Mr. E. J. Watt’s two colts, Boomerang and King Billy.

A well-known local punter (“ Little Footsteps”) has taken his departure to see the New Zealand Cup. He wired his friends several winners.

Mr. J. F. Hartland arrived from Christchurch on Friday to take up his duties as secretary to the Auckland Racing Club.

Little Levant has scored another win in Australia, having won the Jumpers’ t’lat Handicap at Canterbury Park. Being a speedy galloper it is somewhat remarkable to find she started at 12 to 1 against the outsider of the race.

Nominations for the approaching Takapuna meeting fell due last Friday, and the response of owners has been on the most liberal scale, the entries all round being very satisfactory.

Mr. J. Evett, whose health is still far from good, has been granted three months’ leave of absence by the A.R.C.

Everybody will hope that after their disappointment last week the A.R.C. will be favoured with fine weather for the meeting at Ellerslie to-day.

It is stated that Kirriemuir was very unluckly to lose the Welcome Stakes on Saturday.

Hewitt has now ridden the winner of the New Zealand Cup two years in succession.

During the last eighteen years Mr. Stead has supplied the winner of the C.J.C. Derbv on thirteen occasions. * ‘ * * *

The running of Achilles was a disappointment in the New Zealand Cup. The Porirua crack was heavily backed, but he failed to see the journey out.

Ivanoff, the winner of the C.J.C. Welcome Stakes, was got by Stepniak from Arline,, and cost 360 guineas at the sale of the Elderslie yearlings in 1904.

Solution, the speedy daughter of Soult and Problem, who won the Stewards’ Handicap at Riccaiton on Saturday, was bought as a yearling for a hundred guineas.

Lady Wallace, the V.R.C. Derby winner, was bred in New South Wales, being got by Wallace from Lady Mostyn, by Neckersgat—Miss Mostyn, by Uncas from Lady Mostyn, by Lord Clifden. It is difficult to see how she can lose the Oaks, which race is run for to-day. • • • *

The descendants of Trenton, whose death was recently reported, have won £91,271 in Australia and £16,693 in England, which is very nearly as good as that achieved by his great sire Musket, whose stock captured just over £135,000 in stakes.

The rich Maribyrnong Plate, which was run at Flemington on Saturday, fell to the favourite, Oreillet, a daughter of Orzil and Infanta.

It was as long ago as 1876 that Briseis won the V.R.C. Derby, and until Saturday no other filly had triumphed in the classic event. This is something on a par with the English Derby, which has only three times fallen to a filly in all its long history. Lady Wallace, who got the judge’s verdict on Saturday, is by no means a champion, but just the best of a remarkably poor lot. She had all the worst of the luck in the race, and it was by sheer gameness she was able to score.

Owners of thoroughbred yearlings would do well to bear in mind that entries for the Avondale Stakes of 1906 and the Avondale Guineas of 1907 close with Mr. H. H. Hayr, secretary of the Avondale Jockey Club, on Friday, November 24. Particulars as to payments, etc., will be found in our advertising columns.

Mr. J. Churton, the local penciller, has been heavily fined to the tune of £B4 19s for laying tote odds and keeping a betting office.

The Poverty Bay Turf Club made a profit of £654 over their spring meeting. The success was well deserved. All round improvements are now to be made to the course and stands.

Formo, the dam of Multiform, who is nowgetting well up in years, is not in foal this season.

Recent foalings from Wellington Park are Hilda (Musket-Ouida), a filly to Seatotn Delaval, and Problem (St. Hippo— Ellerslie), a filly to the same sire. The record of foals to date this season is thirteen colts and ten fillies.

At Glenora Park Helen McGregor (Captivator—Hannah) has produced a colt to Soult; Caller ’Ou (Sword Dancer —Helen McGregor) and Miss Nelson (Nelson —Torment) fillies to the same successful sire. Lustrous (Dreadnought— Radiant) has a colt to Eton.

At the Sydney Water Police Court recently thirty-four men caught in a Pitttsreet betting shop were fined £5 each. The proprietor of the establishment paid the whole of the fines.

The four-year-old mare Class, by Wallace from La Tosca, has been purchased by Mr. G. G. Stead. Class started three times last season without winning, but as she is a half-sister to La Notte, the dam of the A.J.C. Derby winner Noctuiform, and Nightfall, should prove valuable at the stud.

The following are the names and addresses of the drawers of placed horses in Tattersall’s consultation on the Caulfield Cup : —First horse (Marvel Loch), Mrs. Dempster, care of C. Fitzpatrick, 348, Lygon-street, Carlton, Victoria, £6000; second horse (Warroo), W. Keating, care of Dickson and Morgan, Bendigo, Victoria, £2000; third horse (Torah), T. Pauli, care of B. Jonas, Mount Morgan, West Australia, £lOOO.

A sort of successful speculative prodigy has turned up at Latonia, and he is now the talk of the town and of the track (writes “ Broad Church” in the New York “ Sports of the Times” of September 9). He is a young Hebrew, Sam Most by name, and his campaign against the bookies has been of the phenomenal order. It is a case of the regulation shoestring and the tanyard, but, remembering the story of my friend, Riley Grannan, and others, the collapse may come, and then again it may not, for Most seems to be a pretty level-headed sort of a chap. Early in the week he commenced with a frazzle, and a large stock of nerve, and in one afternoon, by doubling up at times, his small pile reached the £4OOO mark. Subsequently he had one bad day, hen he dropped about £3OOO, but the end of the week found him with a fabulous roll, even after some of the books refused to take his money. *** * * The “ Special Commissioner” of the London “ Sportsman,” in touching on time records, says that most English racecourses are inaccurately measured, and that records can be made on them with the greatest of ease. That is to say, the measurement is taken round the centre of the track, and, therefore, the horses who naturally keep on the rails’ side of that measurement save a tremendous distance in a mile and a-half on a fairly wide course. Thus it was that Zinfandel did the Manchester Cup reputed distance in 2min 29sec. The writer further adds that one or two of the “ straight miles” on old-country racecourses are, to his certain knowledge, not really a mile, and that supposed time records in England are mostly nonsensensical.

Australian Colours, whom Mr. J. J. Macken sent to England to race in 1902, returned to Sydney by the Niwaru, and went into quarantine at Randwick, with three thoroughbred mares imported by Mr. A. J. Cotton, of Queensland. Though he found his way on to the winning list, Australian Colours was nothing like so successful in England as his distinguished elder brother, Australian Star.

Gay Spark got a great reception on returning to scale after running second to Noctuiform in the Derby. After being left a hundred yards at the start, the half-brother to Treadmill stuck to his guns in such a resolute fashion that he managed to get up in time to beat Notus by half a length for second place, being two lengths behind the winner. If he had got off with Noctuiform he might have made it interesting for the Cup winner, but I doubt if he could have beaten him. The cheering which greeted Gay Spark’s great effort quite drowned the applause bestowed upon the winner.

In last week’s issue I wrote : ' c The Cup and Stewards’ double is ' 1 e puzzle punters have been setting themselves to solve. Noctuiform and Solution is my reading of the riddle.” Although this was written nearly a week before the event the forecast was a correct one.

The dividend paid on Noctuiform in the Derby made the starting price of the colt 20 to 1 “ on.” Rather like buying money, this.

Having brought Quarryman too late in the Cup, Cotton was not to be caught a second time in the Metropolitan Handicap, and three furlongs from home he was taken to the front, and finishing in good style he won by a length from A iadimir.

In answer to “ Wager,” Te Ari, Motor was by Hotchkiss Mantilla. As a two-year-old he ran twice without a win. As a three-year-old he won the A.R.C. President’s Handicap and the Anniversary Handicap at Takapuna, and was seventeen times in the starter’s hands without scoring. Next year he won the Kiwitea Stakes and Railway Handicap at Feilding, and the President’s Handicap at Manawatu, while he started in sixteen other races. As a five-year-old, out of sixteen starts he won the Woodville Handicap, Rangitikei Cup, Greatford Stakes, and Egmont Cup. Sabretache was got by Cuirassier from Roie in 1893. Owing to some kind friend borrowing some of our records without asking permission, and then forgetting to return them, I am unable to give Sabretache’s performances.

The big autumn handicap in England, the Cambridgeshire, was run for last week, and fell to Velocity, a three-year-old by the Irish sire Speed from Ballast. Santy, by the champion Irish stallion Gallinule, was second.

A Perth paper says that the new W.A.T.C. grandstand is capable of seating between 10,000 and 11,000 people. It is much more than a grandstand, for it embraces luncheon-rooms and tearooms, together with other large apartments. The luncheon-rooms will acmodate 2500 people at one time. A very large and convenient press box and writ-ing-room form a third storey. It is admitted that the W.A.T.C. grandstand is far in advance of anything of the kind in Australia, and visitors who have been on racecourses in Europe and America aver that they have not seen a building of the kind to equal it.

In the course of some interesting reminiscences of Trenton, whose death was recently reported, “ Milroy” says of the Melbourne Cup of 1885:—Betting on it was unusually heavy, the Derby winner, Nordenfeldt, and Trenton dividing honours of favouritism. The favourites were both awful loafers, but genuine stayers. Trenton was as lazy as a domain dosser, and needed riding hard from jump to judge. With his rider hard at him he got into a good place at the Abattoirs, and when Dan O’Brien saw him so well up at that point, he began to count up his winnings, but just about the moment Dan was reckoning the race his, Robertson dropped his whip in making a flourish at the big son of Musket. Alec implored the riders around him, and offered fat sums to nothing for the loan of a whip, but none were in a lending mood, and the little man with hand and heel and desperate resolution drove his lazy mount along tor all he was worth, hut just failed. What a magnificent finish it was ! I doubt if there was ever such a Cup battle between four such horses as on that day. Sheet Anchor won by a head from Grace Darling, who beat Trenton by half a head, and the latter was a similar trifle in front of Nordenfelt. The defeat of Tren+on was a terrible knock to all concerned, to none more so than his rider, who to my personal knowledge would have gathered in £14,000 had he got home. When he returned to the weighing enclosure Dan O’Brien asked “ What became of your whip?” “Dropped it,” savagely replied Alec. “ I wish it had been my arm instead.”

The Otahuhu Trotting Club’s spring meeting will take place on Saturday and Wednesday, December 2 and 6. Eight events will be decided upon the opening day, and seven on the second day. The programme is made up as follows: The Trial Trot, one mile and a-half; Suburban Trot, two miles; Spring Pony Handicap, six furlongs and a-half; Mangere Trot, one mile and a-half; Ladies’ Bracelet, one mile and a-half; Electric Trot, one mile; Tramway Handicap, five lu - longs; and Onehunga Trot, one mile anti a-half. On Wednesday, the seco id day, the events are the Innovation Trot, one mile; Class Trot, one mile and a-half; Epsom Handicap, one mile anl a-half; Otahuhu Spring Trot, two miles; Pan mure Trot Handicap, one mile and ahalf; Flying Stakes, five rirl) igs; an J Telephone Trot, one mile.

The Metropolitan Handicap, the big event of the New Zealand Metropolitan T..u ting Club’s meeting, was won by I ord Elmo after leading all the way. He is a three-year-old bay colt by Rothschild from Judah. He was on the seven seconds mark, and was followed home by Monte Carlo, 4sec, and Boldrewood, 3sec. The time for the mile <nd a half was 3min 37 4-ssec.

The recent Hawke’s Bay meeting showed a profit of £369.

The Te Aroha J .C. spring meeting takes place on the 17th and ! Sth inst.

Once again our footballers come out on top, the Oxford University fifteen being the latest victims. Forty-seven to nothing means another runaway game.

The handicaps for the first clay’s racing at the Takapuna meeting are due to see the light on the 20th :nst.

Our old friend Strathavon won a good race in West Australia the ether day.

To-day’s meeting at Ellerslie will be the first occasion on which a race meeting has been held at headquarters without the bookmakers being present. Outside patrons are to be accommo dated with a ten shillings’ totalisator.

The New Zealand Power Boat Association open the season to-day. Boats will muster at nine a.m. at Judge's Bay, and follow Commodore Whitley in line ahead to Queen-street Whari. After sundry evolutions have taken place proceedings will be brought to a close on good time to permit of owners going elsewhere.

Mr. C. W. Cropper, secretary of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club, has been assisting at the C.J.C. Spring Meeting.

The Waverley-Waitotara annual race meeting takes place to-day.

GWeniad (7.9) was omitted from the acceptances for the Shorts Handicap, in which she has an undoubted chance.

At the recent Latonia (America) meeting a horse named Hot started thirtyfive times in about sixty days, and then the stewards decided he had had about enough of it, and barred him from running again at the meeting, which extended over 85 days.

A cable from England states that the stewards of Sandown Park races have warned off Mr. De Wend Fenton, a gentleman jockey, for suspicious riding in a match with Lord Gerard, also a gentleman rider.

A New York exchange mentions that at the Latonia meeting, which lasted 85 days, and ended recently, the bookmakers paid a total of about 210,000 dollars (£54,000) for ring privileges and the expenses attendant thereto.

Mahutonga was the, sole opponent that Noctuiform had to tackle in the ua.i e- - bury Cup, and anything more disappointing as an exhibition could well be imagined. A thunderstorm, accompanied by much rain, broke over Ricca Jton at the time, and during it the race was run, Noctuiform winning m a canter by twenty lengths.

Kirriemuir was wired up to Auckland as something very special for the Spring Nursery Handicap yesterday, and the good thing came off, winning by three lengths from Lady Landon.

It was generally expedited “hat old Waiwera would win the Suburban Hurdle Handicap yesterday, but he had tr. second fiddle to Miss King, although only after a desperate battle m winch the rest of the field were virtually distanced. . #

Noctuiform started at 10 te 1 in the Canterbury Cup, nut his backers were never in doubt about the result.

The first race to-day at EJiershe is timed to start at noon.

The old grey gelding Bacchus is m work again at Ellerslie.

Members of the Auckland Racing Club should note that all carriages, etc., are to be put up in the paddock next t.ie caretaker’s house. There will be absolutely no admittance either for members oi their vehicles through the gate formei y in use, all entrance having to be made through the gates at the main sib nd. Racehorses will be admitted as usual through the old gate.

The welching bookmaker is still to the fore in Victoria (writes “Martindale. ) At Caulfield there were several in the paddock on Cup day. They, in several instances, placed themselves alongside good men, and by offering a shade better odds of course did good business. They stood up and defied the authorities, am writing before the result or I he Colman v. V.R.C. case is known. If the verdict is against the club, it will be very lively in the paddock. It <s all very well to say that the public should only bet with known and tried men. The welcher is a man of brains. He provides himself with everything that is necessary to a lightning change artist, and a name on a bag is very easily written and registered at the Victorian, Tattersail’s, or any other club that he thinks will serve the purpose, is an easy matter. To appearance, there is a good time ahead for the welcher.