NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 964, 27 August 1908, Page 6

NOTES.

(By The Judge.) General entries for the Avondale Jockey Club’s Spring Meeting are due to-morrow week. * * • ■ The Waikato Hunt Club will bring off a meeting at Cambridge next Wednesday. ♦ * • The two-year-old colt Elysian, by Soult-Dreamland, is hitting out very well in his gallops, and is likely to run well at the Avondale meeting. ♦ * *. * Kaitere, Scotty, and Le Beau returned from Christchurch on Saturday last. V * * • ■ The St. Leger stallion San Remo was sent across to Sydney by the Victoria on Monday. * * * ♦ Mr George Morse has been re-ap-pointed handicapper to the Auckland Racing Club. * * •* * The Fleet Race Meeting resulted in a profit of £750. When one remembers the number of officers and men who were entertained and how it was done, the result must be very gratifying to those who worked so hard to achieve success. • * » * Mr Hartland states that judging from the gate returns there must have been nearly 15,000 people present at the Fleet Meeting. Mr Deeble has abandoned his intention of taking Pierre across to Sydney, the injuries he received in the Grand National being of too serious a nature to let the Muskapeer gelding carry silk for a long time. »■ * * * The Marton Jockey Club will bring off the Spring Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday next. # * * * The New Zealand Cup this year will be run on November 7, the Caulfield Cup on October 17, and the Melbourne Cup on- November 3. There are 17 entries for the Avondale Cup, 19 for the Plumpton Handicap, 16 for Flying Handicap, and 14 for the Steeplechase. These are the principal handicaps to be run at the approaching Spring Meeting. * * * * Mr E. A. Price, the managing director of the Cambria Park Stud Company, tells me that the latest foalings at the Park include a nice filly by the Castor horse Eton from the Cyrenian mare Cyrenaica, also a shapely filly by the Cyrenian horse Hierarch from Peace, by The Officer —Content. * * * * At the Rosehill (N.S.W.) special meeting given in honour of the American Fleet, the names of the races had a very nautical flavour. Thus there were the Battleship Hurdle Race, the Admiral Sperry Stakes, the American President Stakes, the American Fleet Stakes, the Admiral Dewey Stakes, and the Flagship Stakes.

i;.ff;; Ityis that ,-the crack /horseman C. Jenkins has been to ride Mahutafin the New Zealand Cup. i- i I.. ■ , • i, The Hon. J., D. Ormond left Wellington for Sydney on Saturday. He is bound • for Queensland, where he recently: purchased a big station. * * * The Hon. J. G. Ward, the Mayor of Auckland, and Messrs Hamer and Donne, the Fleet Commissioners, have each written to Mr Hartland thanking the executive of the x?xcei, uiedlxig for the excellent manner in which that fixture was carried out. * * * * The N.Z. Trotting Association has endorsed the Waihi Hack Racing Club’s disqualification in the Wee Pony case, but has altered the punishment to a Hie sentence. * * * * A student of pedigree tells me that he thinks the horses in the New Zealand Cup are the best lot ever entered for the long distance race. As only eleven out of the seventy entered arc handicapped above Bst and only one above 9st, I am afraid that their records are not so good as their lineage. & # sfc * G. Stern, who does most of his riding in France, has this year for the second time won three Derbys. In 1904 he won the French Derby on Ajax, and the German and Austrian Derbys on Con Amore, and in the present season he steered Quintette (who dead-heated for the French Derby with Sea Sick) and Intryant and Sieger, winners of the Austrian and the German Derby respectively. » • • • Mr J. R. Keen’s stallion Commando, who was at the head of the list of winning stallions in America last year, is again at the top of the list in the U.S.A., five of his stock having ■among them won eight races worth 54,085d01. (or, roughly, £13,350). His son Colin has contributed just over half of the total; and Celt almost onethird. Colin has won the Withers and Belmont Stakes; and Celt the Jockey Club Weight-for-age Race and the Brooklyn Handicap. Colin, foaled in 1905, is out of imported Pastorella, by Springfield out of Lord Zetland’s Griselda; and Celt is out of Maid of Erin (also imported), by Amphion out of Mavourneen. « * • *< The four-year-old English racehorse Polar Star (Pioneer —Go On), who has won 16 times out of 20 starts, was sold last month to go to South America. He accompanies Cyllene, who was sold last January for £25,000. Both horses go to the Oja de Aqua Stud at Buenos Ayres, and the price paid for Polar Star was £lB,OOO. 9 • • • The Soult mare Veronica, havingbeen passed as quite sound by Veterinary Surgeon C. D. Halstead, will be shipped to Sydney very shortly. She was recently purchased foi’ 700 guineas by an Australian sportsman. • • * • The annual meeting of the members of the Auckland Trotting Club will be held on September 3rd. Nominations for members of the committee and stewards must be lodged with Mr C. F. Mark by 1.15 p.m. today.. W. Higgs was on top of the list of winning jockeys when the latest files left England. He had ridden, from March 23rd to June 26th, 45 firsts, 43 seconds, and 23 thirds. D. Mather had scored 36 wins, 20 seconds, and 21 thirds. F. Wootton was third on the list with 32 wins, 34 seconds, and 25 thirds; and William Griggs followed with 29 wins, 27 seconds, and 30 thirds. * * * * The Act passed in the New York Legislature a little while back prohibiting gambling on racecourses will not, after all, put an end to betting. It may have the effect of stopping cash speculation, but book betting is likely to take its place. A test case under the new Act was tried last month, and a man, who was arrested on a charge of verbal betting at Sheepshead Bay, was acquitted, the Court holding that no crime had been committed. U * ♦ At Worcester (England) last month the Sydney jockey W. Evans won the Worcester Welter Handicap Plate on Watcombe, who led all the way. Evans has not had many mounts in England, but his winning average is an excellent one.

Sceptre’s first foal ran unplaced in the Fulborne Stakes, at the Newmarket Meeting last month. Being by a sire which brought 30,000 guineas, out of a £25,000 mare, she was expected to run well, but was not quite fit.

For the South Australian Derby, the following candidates have bdtin Mdcepted for: Tiercel, Fastness, Son oLa? a Gun, Galvanic, The Shifter, Goodwood/ Alarm, Isonomy, Cassava, and a colt by Tostig or Hotspur from Simplicity. * ♦ * * Miss Rutherford’s hunter Jack Snipe, won the Christchurch Hunt Club’s Point-to-point Steeplechase on Saturday, Craigmore being second, and Zenda third. Multiform, who was purchased by Mr W. Brown at the disposal of the Yaldhurst Stud, is advertised to serve a limited number of approved mares this season at his owner’s stud farm, near Whittingham, N.S.W., Multiform’s fee is 50gs. < Savoury, by Simmer (imp.)— Melodia, has been shipped from Perth to the north-west of West Australia, where he is to do stud duty on Mr C. R. Bunbury’s station. * * * * One of the first mares booked to Multiform after his purchase by Mr W. Brown was Australia (Gossoon — Trieste). Multiform’s fee is to be 50gs. # * * • Mr E. A. Price has been appointed to the seat in the Auckland Racing Club committee, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr M. McLean. * * * * It is rumoured down South that Gold Crest will be sent to Australia after all, and that C. Jenkins will go across to ride the handsome chestnut. * * * * Apa and ’Frisco are not to be sent to Sydney as was originally decided upon. * « ■ • The Cyrenian mare Warbler, belonging to Messrs Tapper at Tuakau, has foaled a colt which claims Eton as its sire. * * * • The Tauriki case is still engaging the attention of the Takapuna J. C. stewards, who have held several meetings, and intend to probe the whole matter to the bottom. • * * • The Birkenhead filly Mistime is, it is stated, to be sent down to compete at the Marton Meeting. More English stallions for Australia. —Mr Arnold Wienholt, of the Weinholt Estate, who is at present in England, recently purchased three thoroughbred stallions, which he is sending to Queensland. They are: Borghese, 6yrs, by Avington from Pauline, by Hermit from Lady Masham, by brother to Stafford; Thor, 7yrs. by Jaquemart from Awe, by Blandford from Adamant, by Sterling; and Kilwinning, 6yrs, by Galloping Lad from Jeannie, by Poste Restante from Courageous, by Valour. * * * * According to the “Sydney Referee,” the committee of the Broken Hill Jockey Club has taken drastic action as a sequel to the recent bookmakers’ ■strike at the Hill. Four penci Ilers, leaders in the strike, have been officially notified that tbeir presence is not required on the Broken Hill course for the future. The club has also reported the matter to the controlling racing bodies of New South Wa’es, Victoria, South Australia, and West Australia, in the hope that they also will take action in the cases of certain named men. * * * • In the high jump at the Brisbane Show, Lady Morton, Mahonga, Sunshine, Fitzroy, and Starlight each got over 6ft., but the last-mentioned three failed at 6ft 2in. After failing at their first attempt, Lady Morton and Mahonga each cleared 6ft 6in. Then Lady Morton retired beaten at 6.9, and Mahonga. clearing the bar at that height at his second attempt,, was declared the winner. A. Atkins rode Mahonga without stirrups. In the pony high jump Storm, who carried 12.4, won at sft lin, beating Maori, who failed at that height. The matching of horses in size, colour, conformation, action and temperament is one of the most difficult. problems in the commercial horse industry. The demand for matched pairs is always active at prices above what the animals would command if sold, as individuals. Men who take pride in owning matched pairs of drivers or drafters know how difficult it is to fill their orders. It is not difficult to buy a good horse, but to secure two good horses of a class that closely match in every particular is a hard task. Horses are easily matched in one or more homogeneous attributes, but to mate two horses is as difficult as finding twin foals when all desirable qualities enter into the problem. It is no marvel that well-matched pairs command good prices.

Mr W. H. Herries again draws attention to the absurdity of including the winning of New Zealand bred horses in Australia in the N.Z. Turf Statistics. “The value of such statistics is, as I have pointed out (says Mr Herries), in previous years, entirely destroyed by such a practice. No other statistics that I am aware of are compiled in the same way. In English Turf statistics, for instance, no winnings of English horses in France are included, nor are the winnings of French horses in England included in the French statistics. The climax of absurdly is reached when Balgonie who never won a sixpence in New Zealand last season, except at an unregistered meeting, appears in the list of winning horses in New Zealnad because she won a big stake in Australia. Again, if the winnings of Balgonie, who has not returned to New Zealand, are counted, why not the winnings of Apologue and other horses owned by New Zealanders that have won in Australia? I earnestly hope that this wi 1 be the last time that the New Zealand statistics are compiled in this misleading manner. * • • * Some ridiculous stories have been recently going the rounds (says the . L.V. Gazette), to the effect that His Majesty the King, disgusted with the ill luck which persistently attends his colours, was about to give up racing altogether. Needless to say, if this were true a serious blow would be struck at the Turf; but our monarch is too good a sportsman to be discouraged in this fashion, and the rumour was promptly and officially contradicted. It may be, too, that in the near future we shall see the purple and scarlet livery more prominent than has recently been the case, for Minoru is evident’y a smart youngster, while if reports do not err Marsh has tried another good two-year-old in Princess de Galles. This filly, whose sponsor is no less a personage than Queen Alexandra, is of the King’s own breeding, being by Gallinule out of Ecila, and it is probable she will make her debut in the July Stakesc, which last year fell to a representative of Royalty in Pearl of the Loch. Needless to say, if the “Princess” is destined to follow in the latter’s footsteps, there will be considerable rejoicing. * * * * The ex-Auckland pony Dr. Quest, who is now known as Mutiny, won the Fourteen-Three Handicap at Kensington, Sydney, on the 12th inst. The son of Sou't and Nelsorina carried 9.2 and romped home two and a-half lengths ahead of another ex-Aucklander in Kilderkin, who was in receipt of 81bs. The latter must have gone off. 12 *1» On the Rowley Mile at Newmarket it is extremely difficult for an onlooker to decide what has won in a close finish, even should he happen to be standing in what he fondly imagines to be a straight line with the winning-post. Sloan, when he was first making acquaintance with headquarters, averred that he had won the Cambridgeshire of 1897 by, as he phrased it, “haf a neck” on St. Cloud, wheras the judge gave the verdict a head against him. On the July course,, however, instances where the spectators have differed from the “man in the box” are far more numerous, (says a Home paper) and without remembering the horses’ names we can recall an amusing incident which occurred some four or five years ago, when William Griggs for a time stubbonly refused to get out of the saddle, averring that he had won a good length, while the judge said he, was second. * s|s # During its comparatively brief career the £lO,OOO Eclipse Stakes, which was only instituted in 1886, has witnessed many exciting struggles, the one which will perhaps live longest in the memory being that out of which Epsom Lad emerged successful in 1901, for that horse’s rider, Gomez, accomplished onite an acrobatic performance, holding the saddle —which had split in half —behind him with one hand, and “finishing” with the other.. A great horse in his day was Lowlander. This son of Dalesman proved to be a most brilliant infer, carrying all before him until he met Galopin in their memorable match. The secret of h’s merits was extraordinarily well kept, and in subsequent trials he gave the “City and Suburban” winner 71b., 141 b., and then 211 b., each time winning in a canter. As a result a tremendous coup was landed with the horse for the Royal Hunt Cun, for which he was handicapped at 7.7, and for which, of course, he was a certainty.' The morning before the race he stood in the betting at very long odds, but then a very big commission was worked, his owner, among other things, giving his coachman a hatful of sovereigns to invest with the bookmakers who at that time used to fre-

quent the London pubs. That night Lowlander was at a short price, and the sequel was a very happy one, for he carried off the Hunt Cup more easily than that race has even been won before or since. It would not be possible to bring off such a coup as this nowadays!, and how Lowlander’s merits came to be so long undiscovered will for ever remain a mystery.

T. Payten has the largest team of horses in training in Sydney. It numbers 22. I. Earnshaw’s stable shelters 21 racers; T. F. Scully is in charge of a score of horses; J. Burton has sixteen in his care, and Frank McGrath’s lot numbers one less.

Mooltan, though sold for 2500g5. for the East, is not to leave Australia before meeting his spring engagements. When Mooltan retired from racing for the season after putting up such a good fight with Apologue in the Melbourne Cup, he was expected to do big things. Now with a year on his age, Mooltan is reported to be doing well in preparation, and 9st 21b even in a Melbourne Cup can scarcely be said to be a prohibitive weight for a galloper of such credentials.

The motor car may oust the horse from the high road, but it can never replace the horse for military purposes, and it is absolutely essential that we should continue to breed within our own shores not only horses enough to supp’y our troops in time of peace, but horses enough to form a reserve on which we can depend in time of war. To place our dependence upon horse supplies from our colonies or foreign countries if we were involved in war with any sea power would be simply national suicide. Thus it becomes the duty of the Government to maintain the lighthorse breeding industry, not because it will benefit the farmer, but because it is necessary for the national welfare. —Sir Walter Gilbey, in the Live Stock Journal.

There is nothing to indicate at the moment that one candidate more than another is “fancied” for this season (says the “S. and D. News ’), but in all probability several of the aspirants for Derby honours will soon be seen out under silk again, and their running should clear up the situation to some extent. Meantime, it can with safety be said that the important three-year-old events of the spring are likely to produce interesting contests. There is, of course, always a possibility that a Poseidon will be discovered early in the season, and in such circumstances everything looks cut and dried as it were, by the time the V.R.C. Derby is reached, but Poseidons are, after all, of rare occurrence, and it is hardly likely that a Derby colt of his class will be unearthed this spring. Last season’s juvenile form left the Derby question a rather open one, and at the moment at least a half-a-dozen candidates can be named with claim to serious consideration. Altogether, it is plain tnat the Derby this year is not going to be a one horse show.

At the Newmarket sales in June, Ellen Terry, by Multiform —Helen Faucet, in foal to Santry, by Gallinule, was sold for 20 guineas. At the sale of the late Mr G. G'. Stead’s horses last week, Coroniform, a three-year-old brother to Ellen Terry, realised 310 guineas.

With a spell of fine weather and the resulting good wickets there has been some tremendous scoring in the English County matches lately. The cable states that Surrey, 532 for eight wickets, of which Marshall made 167, beat Kent by an innings and 318 runs. Essex made 573 for nine wickets against Northampton, McGahey scoring 230. Middlesex totalled 534 for eight wickets against Notts, Tarrant scoring 144 (not out). Lancashire took their total against Leicester to 506, of which Tyldesley scored 243. There has been qirte an epidemic of centuries, twenty-nine having been scored in eight days. At Southampton, Somersetshire beat Hampshire by seven wickets. For the winners L. Braund scored 124, and “Sammy” Woods 105, both being not out. Between ‘them they added 199 to the score in 2% hours. Hampshire beat Kent by one wicket, and Surrey beat Middlesex. * :2 * * In the county match at Taunton, Kent v. Somersetshire, the former scored 601 for eight wickets. James Seymour 129, F. E. Woolley 105, A. P. Day 118, and E. Humphreys 149. Day and Humphreys added 248 in- 100 minutes. At Kensington Oval Yorkshire beat Surrey by seven wickets.