RACING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1116, 31 August 1911, Page 4

RACING.

BY

"ZANTHUS."

RACING CALENDAR

SEASON 1911-12. FIXTURES. Sept. 6 and 7—Marton J.C. Annual. Sept. 13—Dannevirke R.iC. Steeplechase Sept. 20 and 23—Avondale J.C. Spring Sept. 28 and 29—Wanganui J.C. Spring Oct. 26 and 27 —Poverty Bay T.C. spring N OV , 4—'C.J.C. New Zealand Cup. Nov. 4,6, 8 and 11—Canterbury J.C. Spring. NOMINATIONS. Sept. I—Avondale J.C. Spring (General entry) Sept I—Fifth Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (nomination of yearlings) Sept. I—Wanganui1—Wanganui Guineas and Jackson Stakes Sept. 30 —Poverty Bay T.C. spring. WEIGHTS ARE DUE. Sept. 4—Dannevirke R.C. Steeplechase Sept. 6—Avondale J.C. Spring (minor events) Sept. 15—-Wanganui J.C. Spring Sept. 21—Avondale J.C. Spring Sept. 22—Wanganui J.C. Spring Oct. 21 —Poverty Bay T.C. spring. ACCEPTANCES. Sept. I—C.J.C.1 —C.J.C. New Zealand Cup. Sept B—Dannevirke R.C. Steeplechase Sept. 15—Avondale J.C. Spring Sept. 20 (at post)—Avondale J.C. Spring (Avondale Cup) Sept. 21—Avondale J.C. Spring Sept 25—Wanganui J.C. Spring Oct. 20—C.J.C. New Zealand Cup. Oct. 26 —Poverty Bay T.C. Nov. I—C.J.C. New Zealand Cup. FURTHER PAYMENTS. Sept. I—West Coast Breeders’ Stakes FINAL PAYMENTS. Sept. 1— A —«ndale J.C. Spring (Avondale Stakes and Avondale Guineas. 1911)

CURRENT TOPICS.

The Avondale Cup. The first handicaps for the season, so far as the North Island is concerned, were issued last Wednesday, when Mr- George Morse brought out his weights for the Avondale Cup and Flying Handicap. In the Cup, Mr. Morse evidently laid himself out to capture the acceptance of the better horses by starting out with a fairly low maximum and then dealing liberally all round with the candidates all through the handicap. There were two candidates for the top weight honours, Sedition and Domino, and of the two. Mr. Morse chose Sedition as the best horse in the race, starting off at 9.1 and assessing him as three pounds better than the Freedom horse. Sedition put up several attractive performances last year, his best being in the Avondale Handicap, when, under 8.10, he ran away with the mile and aquarter race in 2min 10 l-ssec, beating Soultoria off by four lengths, and leaving Domino, who was weighted at 7.13, in the also ran division. At the A.R.C. summer meeting he ran a poor second to Miss Mischief in the A.R.C. Handicap, of one mile and a-half, which the Canterbury mare won in 2min 32 3-ssec, but though beaten ten lengths for first honours Sedition had some good ones behind him in Birkdale, Bridge, Waimangu and Sea Elf. The Grandstand Handicap next day saw him again filling the role of run-ner-up, but Waimangu, with a pound the best of the weights, could only beat him by a neck in a great finish. In the autumn he ran out of a place in the Easter Handicap and met the same fate in the St. George’s Handicap, of a mile and a-quarter, and Autumn Handicap, in which he carried 8-8, Maxwell winning at the minimum. At the winter meeting he showed no improvement running unplaced in the Cornwall Handicap. Domino was sad-* died up 28 times last year, and led his field home five times. His best performances weie put up at Takapuna, at the winter meeting, at the end of May, when he had an easy win, under 8.1, in the Empire Handicap, of a mile and a-quarter, following this up next day by winning the Britannia Handicap, in which he went up all but a stone in weight, and beat Electrakoff by half a length with six pounds the best of weights. At the A.R.C. winter meeting he ran Sea Elf to a length and a-half in the Corn-

wall Handicap, of a mile and aquarter, carrying the top weight, 10.0. With 151 b. more on his back he was unplaced in his last start, the York Welter, but his performances immediately preceding that fully qualify him for every ounce that he is called upon to carry. Salute is fairly well treated at 8.4, but she will have to show up better than she did last year to score a win, for in ten starts she only got one first, and that a seven furlong event, the Flying Handicap at the- spring meeting at Ellerslie, which she captured at 9.3. Master Wairiki reads to have a good chance at 7.13. He won four races out of 17 starts, his best performances being at the Autumn meeting of the A.R.C-, when he won the Nelson Handicap with 7.7 and the Auckland Welter with 8.1. After getting away with the Titirangi Handicap he lost his form, and ran out of a place three times. Soultoria was very consistent las year, and though she only won two races last year, the Robinson Handicap of seven furlongs, at the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting, and the Takapuna Cup (one mile and three and a-half furlongs) in January, but in eight races she was never out of a place, and at 8.4 has a fine winning chance. Among the lightweights Flying Soult, who won four out of his 26 races last year, must be given consideration at 7.3, while Goldsize is not badly placed at 7.0. Lloyds comes into better company than he raced among last year, and with only 6.11 to carry may, in form, be dangerous.

9 ♦ * * Betting Over the New Zealand Cup. The pencilleirs doing business in connection with the big handicap of the year at Riccarton, cannot be accused of great liberality in the matter of their quotations. For any of the bunch that have been weighted, that are possessing any previous form at all, have been tightened up very securely, the favourite Goldfinder and Domino being noted at a ridiculously cramped rate. Running through the various charts that have been issued over the New Zealand Cup betting I have been to the trouble to go through the figures with the result that it is shown that if all the field could be laid at the prices on offer, the metallicians would show within a fraction of 100 per cent. This certainly appears as if they were safeguarding themselves in a very decided style, and backers have truly got the rough end of the route to get over. There is no romance about this assertion, for the taker of the odds does not as a general rule, ever get far enough ahead of it to invest in real estate or loan coin to corporate bodies, and some of the knights of the book and pencil can do so. An indigent bookmaker is as rare as the moa, while on the other hand the poverty stricken punters are as numerous as patent medicine pamphlets.

The Thoroughbred In the Old Days. That our forefathers made some peculiar matches and put up their money to back their opinions are well known facts gathered from the records of turf history appertaining to olden periods, and one of these was the Earl of March’s famous chaise match at Newmarket in 1750- This remarkable affair took place on the 29th August, 161 years ago, on the Newmarket Heath, the contracting parties being the Earl of March (afterwards Duke of Queensberry), with Lord Eglington, Count Theobald Taafe, and Mr. Andrew Sprowle, for one thousand guineas. The conditions of the wager were as fofiows; viz., a carriage with four running wheels, drawn by four horses, and with a person either in or upon it, to complete nineteen miles within the -hour; Earl of March backing the equines. He won his wager, for the distance was accomplished in fifty-three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, as appeared by three stop watches, held by as many umpires, and which, on comparison, did not vary one second at the , conclusion of the match. The machine (with one of Lord March’s postillions fixed thereon) weighed about twenty-'oiur s f one. The horses, three of which had won King’s Plates, were all trained for racing, and therefore as fit as a fiddle for the task.

The two leaders, including saddles and harness, carried about 8 stone each, the wheelers about 7 stone. “Tawney” (a brown horse, by Old Crab), was the near leader, and ridden !by Wm. Everett, Mr. Thomas Panton’s groom, whose special duty it was to regulate the speed. The offleader, named “Roderick Random” a grey horse purchased by Lord March in 1850, was ridden by one of his Lordship’s stable boys. The near leader, “Chance” was a chestnut horse got by the Duke of Bolton’s Chance (son of Flying Childers, and formerly belonging to the Duke of Hamilton) and the off-wheeler, “Little Dan” were also ridden by stable-boys. All the horses had small bolsters to preserve their shoulders from coming into contact with each other. A groom, dressed in crimson velvet, rode in front of the carriage to clear the way. The postillion, who was also a boy, seated on the end of the carriage, wore a white satin jacket, a black velvet cap, and red silk stockings. Mr. Everitt, and the three boys who rode the horses wore blue satin waistcoats, buckskin breeches and white silk stockings with black velvet caps. The traces of the machine by an ingenious contrivance, were made to run in boxes with springs, so that in case any of the horses should run back, the traces might not get under their legs. A rope went from the further end of the carriage to the pole, and was brought back from beneath it, in order to keep the pole quite steady. By the side of each wheel there was a tin case containing oil which constantly dropped on the axle-tree to prevent its taking fire from the powerful friction to which it would be subjected. The postillion was placed on the carriage only to fulfil the conditions. The team started about seven o’clock in the morning near the six-mile house, and ran between the Warren an J the Rubbing houses, came through at the ditch called the (Tuning gap), then turned to the right, and went three times round a corded piece of ground four miles in extent, and then back again to the place whence they started. The horses ran away the first four miles with their riders, covering that distance in nine minutes. The odds were now 2 to 1 against Lord March. A vast crowd had assembled to witness the match, and enormous sums were staked on the issue- Mr. George Tanting and a groom of Lord March’s were the only persons permitted to ride with the carriage; and their mission was to render assistance in the event of an accident.