TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1008, 1 July 1909, Page 6

TURF TOPICS.

Australia papers have a good word to say about Grafnax, who figures in the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase with 10.0.

The death of Melwood is reported from the South. During her racing career Melwood was a good performer and filled the role of runner-up to Tortulla in the N.Z. Cup. Melwood was by St. Leger—Ladybird, and was 11 years old at the time of her death.

The Gisborne Racing Club will inaugurate the winter meeting on Thursday.

The Cyrenian gelding Cymri acquitted himself well over the big fences the other morning.

Kiatere and Waipu are at very short prices in the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase and Hurdles respectively. The first mentioned race will be decided on Thursday next.

Among the sires nominated for the V.R.C. Sires’ Produce Stakes of 1912 are the ex-New Zealanders Canteen, Menschikoff, San Francisco, Royal Artillery, and Multiform.

The New Zealand jockey Steve Howie, met with a bad accident when riding Phaetontis in a steeplechase at Williamstown recently, and was kept out of the saddle for a couple of weeks.

♦ * * * It is probable that F. Davis will not send a team to Australia.

* * » * The sale of Prospector and Defeat has fallen through.

Hatch’s claims to supremacy on th® flat are undisputed, and B. Deeley is sure to finish in second position. C. Jenkins and J. Buchanan, who hav® now been riding for many years, hav® done remarkably well to have both ridden over forty winners at the present stage. The Bulls horseman holds the record for the greatest number of winning rides, as he won 88 races some years ago. Though Hatch is very close up, it is not likely that h® will beat this record. * fl * ♦ Mahuta is said to have finished hi® turf career, and the black horse is to be relegated to stud duties. * ♦ a • C. Cochrane and W. Young continue to keep together at the head of the list of winning horsemen over hurdles, while J. Hall is close up in he next position. The contest between these from now till the end of the season promises to be very interesting. * * ♦ * Paritutu has at last began to come down in the weights, and has been let off with 10.11 in the Winter Hurdles at Wellington. From what one saw at Ellerslie, there would not appear to be much chance of the aged son of Castor going to the post. * * * * Vernicle (Soult —Pretoria), who was sold to an Australian sportsman fox’ 900 guineas, and raced without success in Melbourne, is to be retired to the stud. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ A new starting machine, a New Zealand invention, is to be tried in Melbourne. It works by electricity, and is highly spoken of. a * fl fl Paritutu is reported to have seriously broken down, and is not likely to be seen on the tracks again for some considerable time. & fl ♦ A The V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles will come up for decision at Flemington on Saturday, when chief interest in New Zealand will most probably be centred round Waipu, who figures in the race with 10.5. So far Waipu has not done anything to warrant one ticking him off as a winner. ♦ ♦ * ♦ Mundic fully demonstrated, by his dual win at the Park, that he is a great hack. It would be hard to say whether Mundic or North East is the bestfl ♦ * fl Ataahua came to grief while doing a schooling task the other day, and revived serious injuries. Up till the time of his mishap, the New Zealandbred horse was first favourite for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles, which takes place on Saturday next. * * ♦ ♦ In his few schooling lessons Scotty has performed satisfactorily each time.

Bully, the hero of the Great Northern Hurules, will be shipped Souin on Tuesday to fulfil engagements at Wellington. F. Speakman will ride the son of Freedom in his engagements.

Winning jockeys at the Napier Park meeting were: F. Flynn two, T. Pine two, W. Ryan two, T. Jones two, W. Young, J. Lyford, J. Hall, and F. D. Jones one each. Mr. G‘. Hirst and Mr. T. R. Taylor rode the winners of the amateur events.

A horse who is galloping attractively at Ellerslie just now is Kremlin, and as he is well treated in his Wellington engagements, he should be worth atc ntion.

After the destruction of Doughty, who shattered his knee when he fell in the Aiderman Cup on the second day of the A.R.C. meeting at Adelaide on the Prince of Wales’ Birthday, the gelding’s carcase is reported to have been literally butchered by people desirous of possessing mementos of the Birthday Cup winner. In addition to the hoofs, mane and tail, the whole of the skin on one side of the carcase was removed.

Destinist, who is top weight in the VR.C. Grand National Hurdles, won the Adelaide Cup of 1908, Tattersall’s Cup, and other races on the flat.

Lionheart is in work again at Awapuni.

Blue Ribbon is not in active work yet, and it is considered unlikely that she will be got ready in time for the New Zealand Cup.

The negotiations for the sale of the Malster mare, Maltine, constitute (says a Melbourne writer) a specific instance of the baneful influence of the existing embargo in force on stock imported into Australia from India. Price and everything else had been satisfactorily determined, on behalf of an Indian sportsman, on the understanding that the mare was to be returned to her present owner at the termination of her racing career in India, but when the quarantine regulations in vogue were explained, Maliine’s owner cried “off.”

The ex-New Zealander Notus is booked to go under the hammer in Melbourne on July 27, at Messrs. Campbell and Son’s annual horse -parade.

The Auckland pony Leo Grand, who created such a sensation in the 14.2 Galloway Handicap at Richmond (Vic.) on Monday week last, says the “ Referee,” took part in the Mentone Welder Plate on following Wednesday, in which event he ran second to The Trawler. Leo Grand and The Trawler were together in front for the greater part of the journey, but The Trawler finished best and beat the New Zealander by a length. As the rules permit ponies (14.2) which com- ’ in pony races only on courses not registered by the V.R.C- to compete at registered meetings, a certificate of identification in regard to Leo Grand, who is a four-year-old chestnut colt by Leolantis from Decoration, has been accepted as satisfactory by the V.R.C. » » « • Mr. G. Hirst appears to be in the first rank amongst amateur riders. He rode Pikopo to victory in each of the Bracelet events at Hawke’s Bay, and also scored on Maku in the Ladies’ Bracelet at Napier Park. * * * * This is the third successive year that both steeplechases at Napier Park have been won by the same horse. In 1907 Romany Lad won the double, and last year Fretwork, was successful, while last week Lingerer accomplished a like feat. « « « • Linacre, who follows Mooltan in the weights for the Melbourne Cup with 9.6 opposite his name, is an Englishbred four-year-old horse by Wolf’s Crag. * ♦ * ♦ The weights for the C.J.C. Grand National Hurdles and Steeplechase are due on July 9. The Winter Cup handicaps will also appear at the same time. » ♦ * * W. McKinnon, who received severe injuries when Irish fell with him in the Winter Steeplechase, is progressing well, and may be able to leave his bed shortly. * ♦ ♦ * In a recent issue of an English sporting paper there appeared an advertisement for a jockey not over 7.10, the inducements offered being £250 a year, usual riding fees, and everyibing found.

When the Carbine horse Cargill won the Manchester Cup in England last month he carried 8.2. ♦ ♦ * *

An exchange says that an Indian offer of £2OOO for the English race horse Thaddeus was refused recently.

A rumour current in the South is that R. J. Mason may permanently reside at Randwick, and that Mr. Greenwood’s horses will also be sent across to New South Wales in order to remain under the supervision of their present trainer.

If all one hears is true,” says the

“ Post ” sporting writer, Kohinoor, Formeden, and the Martian—Neva colt, in addition to Tribulation, may have a cut at the Australian cracks in the Breeders’ Plate at the Australian Jockey Ciub’s Spring Meeting.

The South Canterbury Jockey Club will in future reduce their nominations and acceptance fees to 2% per cent, of the stakes.

‘‘Glencoe” in the “Dominion” says: There is a hurdle horse in the Dominion at the present time whose admirers cla m that he can win the Grand National, no matter what weight may be allotted. Looking through the records of the Grand National Hurdle Race, however, it will be seen that not since Record Reign won has a horse succeeded iu the race with anything appr > tching 12st. in the saddle, and Liberator was the only horse other than Reccid Reign that has won the event wAh over 12st. in the saddle. Horss of their calibre are few and far between, and the stable that sheltered Cavaliero and Record Reign in the one season was indeed fortunate. Cava-

liero earned some big weights successfully, yet his trainer always held his stablemate to be his superior. On the old Hutt course, m the winter of 1900, Cavaliero, carrying 12st., ran a great race, and dead-heated with Hauriri, carrying 9st. It was considered a rarity for any horse to succeed with over lOst. on the course, but Cavaliero did it after hitting himself, and twisted a shoe during the race. A well-known Well ngton sportsman, cognisant of the merit of the performance, went over to admire the big horse in his box, and then hastened to tell his trainer that he was the best horse in New Zealand. “ He’s a good horse,” remarked the trainer, [ “ but I’ve got a better one at home — [one that will win the Grand National Hurdles, and afterwards the New [Zealand Cup. And it doesn’t matter [what weight he gets in either race.” ■lt was Record' Re'gn which he referred to, and, sure enough, the Castor [horse won the National with 12st. 121 b., but he did not start in the Cup. Cavaliero kept winning, and, during the following winter, he won the Remuera Hurdles with 13st. 131 b. on his back, and nearly distanced the field.