NOTES

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 848, 7 June 1906, Page 5

NOTES

(By “Ihe Judge.”) Irish ran very well in the G.N. Steeplechase, being in the van for three miles. He was just a little short of work, and this found him out at the end of the journey. ♦ * * * Baritone ran a surprisingly good race in the big Steeplechase on Monday. He was always in a good position, and his third place in such fast time was distinctly creditable. * * * » Trephine ran very disappointingly in the Maiden Welter on Saturday, but showed an immense improvement in the Ranfurly Welter on Monday, which he won comfortably. Perhaps the improvement in the going may have had something to do with it. * * * * Little Corporal seems very unlucky that he always appears to find something a trifle too good to prevent him winning outright. In his last four starts he has run second on three occasions and been third once. * * * * Liberator made no mistake about the Orakei Hurdle Race, for he led from start to finish. The well-backed Convoy never looked dangerous at any part of the journey. * * » * We have never had a prettier jumping race at Ellerslie than the Great Northern Steeplechase. The field took the water jump in great style and well together, this arousing the enthisuasm of the spectators. It was a most interesting race throughout. * * * * Cavalry ran so well in the Remuera Hurdles, which he won from end to end, that there is some ground for saying if the going had been better he might have troubled Exmoor in the G.N. Hurdles. The son of Light Artillery did not appear to relish the heavy state of the track on Saturday. * * * * Although many considered Haydn to have a first-class chance in the G.N. Steeplechase, I cannot say I was one of the number. It seemed to me that the old fellow looked rather tucked up, and therefore it came as no surprise that he finished down the course. * * * * On his Wanganui running Hydrant should have beaten Exmoor in the G'.N. Hurdles, but the fall at the first fence made this a matter for argument. Mr. Morse was of this opinion, however, as he handicapped him in the Remuera Hurdles as though he had won the big race. Hydrant being raised 21b more than Romany King, who ran second on Saturday. Under the circumstances why the public should have rushed him in the betting it is a little difficult to say. Hydrant never looked to have a chance in the race, and he finished a long way behind the winner.

I cannot understand how punters came to overlook Swimmer in the G.N. Steeplechase. He was never better, and only a few days before had won the big jumping race at Takapuna. Despite this the son of Cannon was allowed to go out a comparative outsider. Although only getting second place, the race he put up would have won nine events out of ten, and he returned a better dividend than did the winner. * * * * The field for the G.N. Hurdles was smaller than was expected, as most people thought a dozen would start, while some placed the number as high as fifteen. However, when the numbers went up it was found that Miss King, Sol, Aka Aka, Florio, Convoy, Weary Bill, Medallius, Ability, Lady Hune, King Paul, Durable, Oryx, Baritone and Catherine Gordon were missing from the list, and this left but ten to contest the big stake. * * * * Ability speedily proved that his good running at Wanganui was no flash in the pan by winning the Maiden Hurdles on Saturday in very easy fashion. The success of the Conqueror gelding was not unexpected, as he was backed down to odds on. Hydrant did not appear to see the jump which brought him down, as he charged right into it. Defender, following right in his wake, fell over him, and thus two horses whose chances were highly esteemed were early out of the struggle. * * * * When Lieut.-Colonel Brown’s mare Bother won the Tramwav Handicap at the A.R.C. Autumn Meeting of 1904 there were twenty-two starters, which was, I believe, the record field for Ellerslie up to Monday. In the Prince of Wales Handicap no less than twenty-three carried silk, which fact partly accounts for the splendid dividend of £34 18s paid by Waikato, the winner. * x- * * Romany King is proving as unlucky as Corporal. In the Century Hurdles he was second, filling the same position in the G.N. Hurdles, and again in the Remuera Hurdles. Mr. Dalton’s gelding is a very consistent performer, but just a little lacking in brilliancy. * * * * During the running of the Remuera Hurdle Race Silica came to grief at the first jump, treating his rider (Fergus) to a very bad fall indeed. The injured jockey was brought in by the ambulance and subsequently removed to the hospital on an Ashford litter. It would appear that the injury to his spine is so severe as to leave little hope of recovery. That this may not prove to be correct will be the earnest hope of everyone. * * * * Catherine Gordon showed at Takapuna that she was on the improve, and her victory in the Maiden Steeplechase was by no means unexpected. Wilson always kept the daughter of Perkin Warbeck 11. in a nice position, and she appeared to win fairly comfortably at the end. * * * * Mr. O’Connor had some trouble with the field in the Maiden Welter on Saturday. The worst offender was Kaimere, who started lashing out at everything. A mare of this description is a danger to all the other competitors, and any repetition of such unruly behaviour should be punished by sending the offender back to the saddling paddock. * * * * The Great Northern Hurdle Race proved a particularly uninteresting race, for with Exmoor striding along lengths in front, nothing ever appeared to have a chance with him. On their Wanganui running Hydrant might have beaten him, but the first hurdle brought the little son of Jet d’Eau down, and this mishap took a lot of interest out of the struggle. * * * * Sol’s performance in the Great Northern Steeplechase was a particularly good one. W. Wilson kept him in a nice position throughout, and half a mile from home it could be seen that bar accidents the race was his. He very nearly came down at the last jump but one, striking the top of the wall hard, recovered himself and came away, winning easily by about four lengths from Swimmer. The time put up by Sol of Bmin 1.7% sec is the best ever achieved in the race, beating Moifaa’s previous record by 2%sec. Sol’s record is a particularly good one, as, writing from memory, the son of Soult has placed seven wins to his credit since last November.

The duel between Cannongate and Hakaria in the Tally-ho Steeplechase was a very interesting one, the pair drawing right away from their two opponents. Cannongate jumped in quite his old style, but was unable to respond to Hakaria’s finishing effort, the son of Reynard winning by three lengths.

Pearl Necklet was much fancied for the Maiden Welter, and at the distance she looked to have a big chance. I fancy, however, she is a bit chicken-hearted, for directly Ben collared her it was all over, despite every effort of her rider, Jenkins. * * * *

Waiwera has repeatedly shown that he cannot act in heavy going at Ellerslie, and the G.N. Hurdles was one more illustration. Before the field had travelled a mile Mr. O’Driscoll’s gelding was tailed off and in hopeless trouble, and under the circumstances Barlow was wise not to persevere with him.

Perhaps the greatest disappointment in the G.N. Hurdles was Silicia. On the strength of the Takapuna double many people pinned their faith to the son of Flintlock, and he carried heaps of money. Silicia never looked dangerous, and was a beaten horse a long way from home. By the way, is this gelding named Silica or Silicia? The register and the race books do not agree.

The one Aucklander in the G.N. Hurdles who ran up to his best form was Cuiragno. He made a bold showing all the way, jumping in the most perfect fashion, and it was hard luck to be just beaten on the post for second money.

Although Romany King beat Exmoor in the Century Hurdles he could not get within striking distance of the .Grafton gelding in the G.N Hurdles. It would seem that the racing at Wanganui has greatly improved Exmoor, giving him both condition and experience.

We have all seen pictures of Greeks and Romans, and wondered why they never used saddles, but as a matter of fact they regarded it as unmanly to ride other than bareback. Saddles with trees came into use in the fourth century, and stirrups three centuries later.

The shoeing of horses by driving nails through their hoofs was introduced into England by William the Conqueror, but for centuries later they were only shod on special occasions. The Greeks and Romans used to cover their horses’ feet with fibre cloth in cold weather.

Sychem, who won the Birthday Handicap at Dunedin on Saturday, is a five-year-old son of Lord Rosslyn and Mistral. As a two-year-old he showed much promise, but since then has accomplished nothing of note.

The Victoria Racing Club has increased the added money to the Maribyrnong Plate, which is now worth £l5OO.

The Pakuranga Hunt Club will meet on Thursday next at Pukekohe, at Greenmount on the 16th, Pukekohe on the 19th, Waiuku on the 21st, Criterion Hotel on the 23rd, and Pigeon Mountain on the 30th.

Mr. J. H. Pollock, the handicapper for the Wellington and Otaki Clubs, is expected in Auckland to assist at the concluding day of the A.R.C. Meeting.

The Oaks which classic event for fillies was run at Epsom on Friday, was won by Lord Derby’s Keystone IL, a daughter of Persimmon and Lock and Key.

The King has not experienced many smiles from Fortune lately, so far as his horses are concerned, and therefore it is fairly certain when his filly, Victoria, won the Great Surrey Foal Stakes, of 1000 sovs, at Epsom, on Friday, the victory would be received with rousing cheers.

After the running of the Orakei Hurdles on Monday the stewards held an inquiry into the running of Convoy, but the explanation given by the rider, Higgins, as to the unreliability of the horse was deemed satisfactory.

Convoy has been sold to a local penciller. and it is said the figure was only 100 guineas. He has been placed in C. West’s hands to train.

Ability is a very nice stamp of a gelding, who, although perhaps not quite a champion, is decidedly useful. He is a five-year-old chestnut son of Conqueror and Queen Bee, and runs in the colours of the popular Southern sportsman, Mr. John Buckley.

Storyteller was made very “hot stuff” for the Pony Welter on Monday. and the good thing duly came off, but if Buchanan had not been given an opening on the rails in the last 50 yards Forth must have won, for at this point the favourite appeared hopelessly shut in.

Despite having some large fields to deal with, Mr. O’Connor’s starting was worthy of the highest praise. Even with a field of 23 in the Prince of Wales’ Handicap, the big squad moved off like a line of cavalry.

The V.R.C. Birthday Handicap was run on Monday, and fell to a warm favourite in Boabdil, who started at 5 to 4 on in a field of eight, and won easily from Bright Beauty and Florin.

The Hon. G. McLean won the big double at Dunedin, his representatives, Sychem and Apollodoris, scoring in the Birthday and Provincial Handicaps respectively.

The handicapping at the Otaki Meeting would seem to have been specially good. Many of the finishes were very close, while there were two dead-heats.

Up-to-Date won the big steeplechase at Randwick on Monday, being indeed the only one in a field of four who survived the course. On Saturday he filled the role of runner-up.

Auckland-trained horses to be nominated for the Gisborne Meeting are: Roseplot, Needlework, Silicia, Cuiragno, Hakaria, Loch Fyne, Kruger, Tambourine and Trephine.

Mr. Dawson’s mare Jess fell when contesting the Maiden Steeplechase, treating her rider, Gray, to a bad spill. He had his collar-bone broken and was a good deal shaken as well. * * * *

Solution has been freely nominated for spring engagements at Randwick, Caulfield and Flemington, so that the rumour she was to go to Australia would appear to have been founded on fact.

Aucklanders nominated for the Napier Park Steeplechase are: Hakaria, Swimmer and Catherine Gordon.

Excellent nominations have been received for the Gisborne R.C. Steeplechase Meeting. The handicaps are due to appear on the 22nd inst. * * * *

The Dunedin Jockey Club handled £11,553 at their Winter Meeting, just concluded, an increase of £3934 on the corresponding total last season. * * * *

The Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club made a profit of £1044 on the Autumn Meeting.

The Seaton Delaval colt Delaware has been shipped to Melbourne, going by way of the Bluff. He will go into West’s stable at Caulfield.

Comfort was well backed for the Grand National Steeplechase on Monday. bu,t he came to grief at the back of the course.

Miss King and Kuroki are the latest paid to be booked for a trip to Australia. The former leaves in a few days.

On board the Huddart-Parker liner Wimmera. due at Sydney last night, were Chivalry, Savoury, Melodeon and the trotters Tasker, Sal and Captivator.

The English jockey, W. Lane, who recently visited Auckland, is slowly but surely reducing his weight by continued exercise, and can now go to scale at 8.6, but some time will elapse ere he dons silk again. Lane has now been out of the saddle some 20 months, he meeting with his accident at Lingfield in September, 1904.

The Apremont gelding, Oryx, who ran very badly at Ellerslie, was shipped to Napier by the on Tuesday afternoon.

The V.R.C. Grand Nationol weights will not be issued until after the V.A.T.C. Meeting at Caulfield on June 16.

The death is reported from Dunedin of the horse Bill Perkins, who was run into by a buggy driven by a lady.

Mahutonga figures in the list of nominations for the Melbourne Cup. * * * *

Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Lowry, who came up to assist at the A.R.C. Meeting, returnel to Napier by the Zealandia on Tuesday.

It is said that Sir George Clifford’s disappointing horse Cannie Chiel may not carry silk again. * * * *

Punters were going strongly for a recovery on the Pony Welter, the last race on Monday’s programme. Although there were but six competi tors, the totalisator put through no iess than £2477. This event for the liliputians carried a prize of £lOO. yet more money was invested on it than was the case in the Great Northern Hurdle Race.

The American jockey Nicol put up a great record recently. During the 111 days of the City Park (New Orleans) meeting he rode 136 winners, the next rider on the winning list only having 39 victories to his credit. * * * *

When the Carbine colt Gingal won the Wood Ditton Stakes at Newmarket (England) last month he started at 11 to Bonin a field of 11. The distance was a mile, and during the latter part of the journey he was going at his ease at the head of affairs.

At Bostock and Wombwell’s Menagerie there are two equine freaks. One is a hairless horse, whose skin somewhat resembles parchment, and the other is a full-grown horse with plenty of length but in height not more than about six hands.

Ironmould, Gladstone, Convoy and Uenuku are the only Auckland entries for the New Zealand Cup, not a particularly strong lot. The full list is as follows : —Blythemaid, Mahutonga, Bourrasque, Moscow, Flamen, Solution, Ironmould, Gladstone, Convoy, Joe Chamberlain, Uenuku, Allegresse, La Torpedo, Chicane, Armistice, Maniapoto, Tsitsihar, Assegai, v r , e, Martello, St. Joe, Apa, Lyrist. Idaers, Zimmerman, Wirral, Kaironia, Idealist, Boomerang, Letherin, Starshoot, Melodeon,' Savoury, Stepdancer, Ghoorka, Lapland, Czarevna, Submarine, Notus, Makaroff, Royal Crown, Sea King, Multifid, Teretionga, Paritutu, Landwern, Welbeck, Zetland, Balsam, Benzine, Auratus, Buluwayo, Field Gun.

At New Orleans last month the FailGrounds and City Park Clubs, which have been clashing for some months past, concluded their meetings of 117 and 111 days respectively. It is estimated that the Fair Grounds people dropped £15,000 during that period, while the City .Park management escaped with a loss of about £BOOO. However, it is said there will be no clash next season, each side having come to the conclusion that it is too expensive a business.

Writing about horses likely to be seen out in America during the present year, Will F. Pond has the following in the “Sports of the Times” concerning the champion, Sysonby: “Of the last year good horses Sysonby has furnished tremendously and is a gigantic bulk of muscle, with practically no fat. If he runs up to his muscle, and there is no reason why he should not, he will be a phenomenal horse this year. I say this year because 1905 was comparatively easy for him.. There was little of any account against him, and he simply had the same horses to beat time and again. This year he is under different surroundings, and will meet more good horses with weight off, instead of at practically even terms, which means a tremendous lot more, no matter how good a horse is. There are thousands who are longing to see Sysonby enter the stretch with some good game horse at his girths, so weighted as to make the champion run a really championship race from start to finish, something he has never been asked to date. I throw his Futurity race out entirely, because I consider he was badly ridden, was twice taken across the course, and, even if he did “stop” in the final furlong (and I am not sure he did so), if my eyes saw correctly what happened down the chute, I am not surprised at his stopping. It now remains to be seen what he will do when challenged by a good horse after travelling a mile and a furlong.”

The Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s Winter Meeting will take place on June 20 and 21, and the Napiei- Park meeting will follow on June 27 and 28.

The V.R.C. inquiries into the Parody case have resulted very disastrously for the parties chiefly concerned (says the “ Town and Country Journal.” The pony Parody won at the recent Warrnambool meeting, but was disqualified for life, with her trainer, J. H. Parker, because the latter had trained for an unregistered owner. Parker appealed, and serious consequences were predicted for several other people. The committee have been making exhaustive inquiries into the whole case, and received from individuals concerned what were virtual confessions, in the shape of affidavits. The result was that they decided to uphold the disqualifications of Parker and the pony, to cancel the registrations of Austin C. Delaney, the Flemington trainer, and of J. C. Robertson, a bookmaker; to disqualify both the latter, and warn them off the Flemington course during the stewards’ pleasure. The committee also forfeited the £2O lodged with the appeal, and the money will go to the Distressed and Disabled Jockeys’ Fund.

The Kalgoorlie Racing Club netted during the year the handsome sum of £12,222 3s 9d. The commission from the totalisators at the Anniversary, Spring and Summer meetings amounted to £13,109 5s lOd, but the expenses attached to working the machines tolled up to £2442 3s 9d, while the tote tax took out £5Bl 8s 4d, and in bookmakers’ fees the club received £2137 10s. The K.R.C. paid £BOBl in stakes, £1217 12s Id in the purchase of water, gave £550 in charities, and spent £lO9B in improvements to the course.

Before “ starting-price” became the generally recognised medium of speculation it was easy (says an exchange), by capturing the volumes of the bookmakers at the large towns, such as Liverpool, Birmingham, and Manchester, to back a horse at the lists to win a small fortune. When this was done, it was easy to “ square” owners of the others likely to run, and so secure a walk-over for the potted article. Eventually, the bookmakers spotted the little game, and declined to pay on walks-over. Then, when Vici had been “ readied,” and backed all over the country for a race at Nottingham, it became necessary to have another runner besides the good thing, and Jemmy Barber’s Contract was eventually pitched upon as the safest, for even when spinning he had not the faintest pretensions to beat Vici. The non-favourite was ridden by a stable lad, while a fashionable jockey was on Vici. Nothing of interest occurred until the Manefield turn was reached, when, to the horror of the backers, Vici bolted, and, despite his rider’s efforts, jumped the rails, afterwards continuing his flight across the course. Although the boy, who knew the strength of the game, i ulled his horse into a trot, it was e fident Vici could not be stopped, an 1 Contract was accordingly obliged to win.

An admirer of Carbine, who has been looking up the old harse’s stud record, finds that in Australia his progeny have won 213% races, worth £48,724. In England they have won about 150 races, worth £51,291, and on the Continent about £l7OO. This makes a grand total of £101,715.

At a recent meeting in New South Wales a horse, together. with his owner and jockey, was disqualified for 12 months for suspicious running. At the end of the meeting, the stewards re-opened the inquiry, and took off the disqualification (says an Australian paper). In announcing the decision to the parties interested, the president is reported ti have said that “the disqualifications were removed, not because of their guiltlessness, but because subsequent ‘strong’ happenings at the meeting had been neglected or overlooked, and it was not desired that the impression should be created that the committee had made an example of one offender and allowed others to go free.” This is the strangest reason I have heard yet for the removal of a disbualification.

The first day of the North New Zealand Coursing Club’s Meeting takes place at the new Otahuhu enclosure on Saturday week. Final payments must be made by 9 p.m. on Wednesday nedt, when the draw will take place.