NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 950, 21 May 1908, Page 6

NOTES.

(By The Judge.) Haldane and Swagsman, who were submitted to auction on Friday, did. not reach the reserve and were passed in. * • • • The Stepniak mare Marguerite has been sent across to Sydney, having been purchased for 1000 guineas by an Australian sportsman.

The Huntly Cup was won on Saturday by the highly-bred Aristocrat (Seaton-De-laval—Judestone).

Mr Martin Taylor, the well-known penciller, is an enthusiastic courser and never fails to attend all the local meetings. I was pleased to read that his Bright Beauty won the Champion Stakes, and his Lady Rosette carried off the Supplementary Stakes at Timaru.

The Forbury Park Racing Club is to be wound up forthwith and the surplus cash is to be given to the Tahuna Park Racing Club.

This year’s Adelaide Cup has fallen to Mr C. L. Moorhouse’s grey gelding Destinist, by Destiny—Molly Bawn. The winner carried Bst 41b and won fairly easily from a field of seventeen.

The jumper Mahoe is said to be shaping well in his work at Wanganui.

The sum of 10s was handled at the totali sator at the Ashburton meeting as against last year.

Nadador and Eurus, previous winners of the Wanganui Steeplechase, are down to compete in that event on Saturday.

Maharanui, who won the Hawera Cup last week, is a six-year-old son of Sylvia Park and Pauline. The black gelding is in the Cornwall Handicap with Sst 71b.

Owing to the Takapuna meeting being held on the same dates as the Wanganui fixture, and the near approach of the Great Northern meeting, no Auckland horses will be seen out at the Wanganui meeting.

I notice some southern writers acclaiming Golden Slipper as the champion two-year-old filly of the season, because when the pair met she defeated. Fleetfoot. This is an opinion to which I do not subscribe and which the records of the two fillies do not warrant for Fleetfoot has much the better one. She was, however, raced and raced until, owing to lameness, she was eased in her work. Then instead of being given a long spell she was sent against a fresh filly in Golden Slipper. While her condition laster she easily led the Yaldhurst representative, but then went to pieces, being even beaten by the moderate Husbandman. So bad, was the breakdown that her racing career has terminated, and to judge her on that one race seems very unfair to one of the smartest fillies we have seen for some time.

The latest idea at Home is an Imperial Derby with a weight allowance for horses foaled south of the line, who would otherwise have no chancve owing to th?' difference in age. The idea is a fine one, but there are difficulties in the way. Tn the first place it would mean the forfeiting of any chance of winning some of the richly endowed two-year-old events in the colonies, but it is quite possible that some owner might be found willing to make the attempt. It is a project which would have tempted the late Mr G. G. Stead. afc * * *

The Wanganui Jockey Club’s winter meeting will be commenced on Saturday. There are eleven in the steeplechase and nine in the Century Hurdles.

The North Otago J.C. Winter Meeting takes place on Saturday and Monday.

EuruS' and Canton have been sent: up to try their luck in the Wanganui Steeplechase on Saturday. The former is reported to be very well indeed.

The crack two-year-old filly Fleetfoot has been sent to the stud where she will be mated with Treadmill. It is a pity such a smart filly was asked to do so much racing, as there is no reason why she should have not lasted for years. Probably the fact of having another nearly, if not quite, as good in Flitaway in the stable, had something to do with it.

The Huntly Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday was a very pleasant one. The weather was beautifully fine and the attendance excellent. Most of the races were won rather easily.

The Hotchkiss —Rangirura filly in Williams’ stable, has been named Kapurangi and the Hamoa gelding Nukatawhiti. The sporting scribe often wishes the Maori language was unknown.

The success of Glacia in the Chester Cup, the value of which is 255050V5, places his sire Carbine ahead of Trenton in the list of winning sires. His stock have now won over

Le Beau has been jumping in good style at Ellerslie, and appears as much at home over the big obstacles as he is at hurdling. The son of Leolantis has certainly been given every opportunity to show what he can do, for he has been tried at sprints, middle distances, long distances, hurdling and now steeplechasing. Last season he started just thirty time and won on three occasions.

Stanley Wootton, a younger brother of the successful jockey, Frank Wootton, has been licensed to ride in England this season. Young Wootton is 13 years old, and at latest weighed sst 41b. A career a brilliant as that of his brother Frank, on the English Turf, is predicted for Stanley Wootton.

The race at Aintree was originally called the " Great Liverpool Steeplechase;” in 1843 the name was changed to the “Liverpool and National Steeplechase,” and some years later the title of “Grand National,” as It had been popularly dubbed some time previously, was officially adopted. Artificial obstacles of a more serious nature were first introduced in 1840, namely, an ox-fence for Leicestershire horses, and a wall, in order to induce Irish owners to compete. In spite of numerous rivals the “Grand National” advanced in importance from year to year.—“ The Globe.”

. From statistical tables published in the “ Thoroughbred Record,” we find that of the first 20 winning stallions in the United States this year exactly one-half are imported English-bred sires. Of these, Sam (by St. Serf) heads the list with 23,135d01., won by 16 horses in 31 races. Planudes (by St. Simon) stands second, with one winner (Meelick) of four races worth 18,000dol. Mazagan (by Martagon) comes fourth, Rapallo (by Bend Or), who is dead, fifth, Star Shoot (by Isinglass) sixth. Gerolstein (by St. Serf) ninth, Ben Strome (by Bend Or) tenth, Woolsthorpe (by Tibthorpe) eleventh, St. Avonicus (by St. Simon) fourteenth, and Masetto (by St. Simon) fourteenth, and Masetto (by St. Simon) sixteenth. Several of the na-tive-born leading stallions are by imported English sires, or out of imported English mares.

Touching on the death of St. Simon, an English writer says he went to exercise, as usual, at eight o’clock, apparently in excellent health. At halfpast nine, without warning, he dropped down and died quietly, the end coming in three ’ minutes, the cause being probably heart failure.

P. Johnston, the well-known crosscountry rider, has come up from the South to ride at the A.R.C. Meeting.

Tui, Miss Crispin, Tarakihi, and Rosavere are to be submitted for sale at Buckland’s Yard to-morrow.

A quarter to one is the time for the start of the first race at Takapuna on Saturday.

R. J. Mason, the late Mr. G. G. Stead’s trainer, is now on his way back to the colony from England. No doubt the news of Mr. Stead’s death hastened his departure.

Cross Battery put up a good record at Ashburton last week, winning both the big events—the Cup and Autumn Handicap—the latter under a very substantial impost. Prior to this she had not won for two years. ,

Mr. W. Lyons, the well-known penciller, is due back from Sydney on Sunday next.

Irish has been withdrawn from both Great Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase. This is a pity, as he looked to have a fair chance of winning the double. * * * *

Some fine trials were iseen at the North N.Z. Coursing Club’s Meeting at Otahuhu yesterday. In one or two cases so good were the hares that the dogs were run to an absolute standstill. The attendance on the ground was the largest since the opening of the ground.

Twenty-five bookmakers have taken out licenses to bet at the Takapuna Meeting.

A walk round the Takapuna course discloses the fact that at no previous winter meeting did the track and enclosures look so well. If no rain falls it should be in splendid order on Saturday.

According to a writer in the " Melbourne Argus,’’ the V.R.C. have paid away in added money during the last seven years £244 339. Their heaviest expenditure was in 1902, when they gave away in prize-money £37,295.

The Champion Steeplechase of 682 sovs., 2 miles 7 furlongs, at weight for age, run at Liverpool, England, last month, was won by the five-year old Cackler (Hacklei —Circe).

According to the London “ Sportsman,” Major Eustace Loder has sustained a severe loss in the death of his brood mare Gallinaria, which occurred in foaling to Desmond, with whom she was to have been mated again. Herself an Irish Derby winner, Gallinaria was the dam. of Galvani, who showed smart form as a two-year-old, winning the Middle Park Plate and other good races, as well as several events of importance last season.

A French colt with the extraordinary name of Sea Sick 11. is meeting with a deal of support for the English Derby. He was a smart two-year-old, and was bred by M. Gaston-Dreyfus, and as a yearling was sold for £960 to Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt.

Through the victory of Rubio in the Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree, Mr. J. Thompson, the one-time leviathan Australian ring-man, received a skinner in his Lincolnshire Handicap and Grand National double.

Subsequent to running in the recent Liverpool Grand National, the Austra-lian-bred gelding York 11. was sold at auction to Mr. D. H. M. Hartigan for 200 guineas.

In its preliminary for the Liverpool Grand National, every competitor has to jump a hurdle. Rather unnecessary, considering there is not an obstacle of that kind in the race.

The chief topic of conversation among sportsmen just now is as to what will win the big double at the Great Northern Meeting. Both races look open, but the running at Takapuna and Wanganui may throw some light on the vexed question. Everyone is agreed that in the event of fine weather a big success is in store for the A.R.C.