TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1117, 7 September 1911, Page 5

TURF TOPICS.

Soultoria was scratched for the Avondale Cup at 10 a.m. on Monday. M

The attention of horse-oWners and trainers is drawn to the fact that nominations for the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s spring meeting close on Saturday, 30th September (not the 20th, as inadvertently stated in last week’s issue) A for the following events: —First Hurdles, Spring Handicap, First Welter Handicap, Flying Handicap Second Hurdles, Second Welter Handicap, Makaraka Handicap, and Waikanae Handicap.

The great Comedy King was beaten a length by Flaith, a speedy colt by Bobadil, in the Memsie Stakes at the V.A.T.C. spring meeting. Flaith had 291bs the best of the weights. Broadsword and Full Sail were both amongst the also started.

Los Angelos has now the honour of holding the top place in the New Zealand Cup, Epsom Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap.

New Zealand jockeys put up a great record in the Warriston Welter at Melbourne on Saturday, running first, second, and third. Hector Gray won on Silver Bullet, H. Cairns was second on Idealism, and C. Brown third on Cambal.o.

Weights for the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s spring meeting are due on October 14th. Acceptances close on October 21.

Formidable and the two-year-olds Monorail and Lannacost, which are engaged at the Avondale Jockey Club’s spring meeting, arrived from Gisborne by the Wimmera on Sunday, in charge of F. Loomb.

After years of flat racing in New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia with moderate success, Waipuna has settled down kindly to hurdle racing. He has had a few outings, but it was not until Saturday week, at the A.R.C. Grand National meeting, that he claimed a victory. He started in the Eastwood Hurdle Race, in which he was opposed by The Reckoning and others. At one period of the race, Waipuna established such a long lead that it appeared almost impossible for anything to reach him. The Reckoningset out in pursuit, and,, overtaking him, looked an easy winner. He began tiring after the great effort, and Waipuna, coming on a second time, won in a canter from The Reckoning, with Monarch third.

Tenders, are called by the Auckland Racing Club for the purchase of the rights of booths and fruit stalls for the season 1911-12. Full particulars can be obtained at the Club’s offices 9 7 Shortland-street.

After returning home from his successful mission to Riccarton, Hawick contracted a severe cold, and is unlikely to race again for some little time. Lovell, his stablemate, has been nominated for the Dannevirke meeting.

Sant Ilario has evidently sired a good one in All Saints, who, after winning the first two-year-old race of the season in Adelaide under 8.5, carried 9.7 into third place last Saturday in the Dequetteville Stakes. The race was won by Tadanga, a grandson of Carbine, by the imported Pistol.

The Auckland bred Chauvelin won the Morphetville Valley Handicap, Victoria, last week, starting at an outside price and winning comfortably by three-quarters of a length. He ran in the rogue’s insignia, hood and blinkers.

The Officer —Tapui gelding Inveran, is being taught the jumping game, at which he is 'showing marked ability. He should be heard of in the near future.

The Merriwee gelding Jack Johnson, which has been spelled for some weeks, will shortly be taken up again by J. Chaafe, jnr.

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Merrie Zealand, Merrie Goer, and Merrie Time have been shipped across to Sydney. There is nothing sensational about the form or performances of any of the trio, but they may pick up a race or two over there.

Lady Medallist continues to hold the post of second favourite for the Epsom Handicap, Blairgour being the “top dog” in the betting. The Queenslander Bright Saddle, is at al most as short a price as Lady Medallist. Broadsword is a popular fancy for the Caulfield Cup, though Sandball is a point or two harder. Jolly Beggar, about on the same mark. Betting on the Melbourne Cup is still almost entirely confined to four horses, Prince Foote, Comedy King, and Jacomar being in line, and Trafalgar, who has weakened a little, four points further back.

F. Ross is trying the St. Cyr gelding Bon Cyr, at the jumping game, and he is takipg kindly to the business. He is a half-brother to Maggie Paul.

Jack Delaval, who is a warm favourite for the Avondale J.C. Flying Handicap, is in splendid trim and has done some very attractive work, without running against the watch on the EHerslie tracks. The double Sedition and Jack Delaval has been heavily backed at a short price.

Harry French shifted his stable from Papakura to Avondale this week. His team of five are all looking big and well.

Dogger Bank is the only Auckland trained horse to nominate for the Wanganui J.C. spring meeting. The date of closing was not notified in Auckland, and was thus overlooked by the majority of trainers and owners-

Aristos, which burst a blood vessel while galloping on the tracks at Ellerslie on Tuesday, was apparently little damaged by the mishap, and after being off the scene for a day was brought ■back again. He galloped without showing any signs of being adversely affected. Aristos has done attractive work since he was taken in hand.

Maniapoto’g half-brother, Mangaraka, from whom New Plymouth people expect big things, will be a Starter at the Avondale meeting, a box having been engaged for him.

After a lengthy spell, Rakau has again been put into work and was given a spin over the fences last week. He did not perform too well, beingvery careful at each of the jumps.

Antoinette, who has made a good recovery from her recent attack of influenza is now showing good form on the tracks, and she should be heard of at the A.R.C. spring meeting.

Sedition shares with Sea Elf the post of favourite for the Avondale Cup. Jack Delaval is a very warm fancy for the Flying Handicap, and has been freely coupled with the pair named in the doubles, both these combinations being now at a short price.

Royal Armour, by Cuirrassier — Signet, who was cast in his box recently was not greatly damaged by the mishap, and his preparation is being continued at Ellerslie.

The list of entries received by the Avondale Jockey Club for the minor events at its spring meeting is a wonderful one, and if the ordinary proportion of acceptors comes forward the fields will be easy records for the suburban course. No less than 237 entries have been received for the ten events, the New Lynn Handicap topping the list with 42, while the Maiden Plate 35 is not far behind. The jumping events have filled up well with 12 and 19 first and second days respectively.

Prophet has thrown off the muscle soreness which affected him last season and will probably be in the track again very shortly.

The Takapuna Cup winner Soultoria, who furnished up a lot during the winter is again on the tracks at Ellerslie.

Okaihau is performing well in his tasks over the fences at Ellerslie, taking the majority of the jumps in fine stj’le. He gave the stonewall a clout the other day. but this was his only mistake in a couple of rounds of the jumps within the course limits.

A five years’ disqualification has been inflicted upon Lenten Want, a well-known Sydney trainer, for. damaging the girth of Flairgny, on whom the- Auckland horseman'Hector Gray had the mount, just prior to the start of a race- Fortunately the fact that the girth had been tampered with was discovered in time or a serious accident might have occurred to New Zoaland’s champion jockey.

The Auckland Racing Club’s Committee is to - consider - a ’ proposal 1 to keep the horses in the birdcage until the closing of : the totalisator; thus doing away with the preliminary gallop down the straight prior to each race, while giving the public an opportunity to look over the horses before investment.

In Melbourne last week Kerlie,. the New Zealand bred horse, deadheated with Mountain Princess in the Spring Handicap at the Williamstown (Vic.) meeting. He is engagedin the A.J.C. Epsom Handicap with 7st 101 b, or 121 b less than he carried on that occasion. He also holds engagements in the A.J.C. Metropolitan with 7st 71b, the Caulfield Cup with 7st 111 b, and the Melbourne Cup with 7st 111 b, and the Melbourne Cup with 7st 51b. Mountain Princess, who is by Hymettus from Princess Beatrice, holds Caulfield and Melbourne Cup engagements with 7st 51b and 7st, respectively.

The Cuirassier —Ouida mare Chiara, has foa'ed a colt to Marble Arch, while Roscommon, by Common — Kosamonde has foaled a colt to Traquair. Rosecommon was purchased in Australia last season by Mr J. M. Currie, of Wanganui, and she was then in foal to Traquair, who was got by Ayrshire, winner of the Derby, from Chelandry, winner of the One Thousand Guineas.

Dawn while being schooled over the hurdles at Ellerslie at the end of last week struck the second obstacle and came down. He galloped three circuits riderless before being caught again. Cowan was bruised a bit in the fa.l.

The remodelling of the track at Alexandra Park is now well on its way towards completion, the cutting down and filling in having been completed, and the banking of the turns put in hand. The splendid weather which has prevailed all the winter has enabled the contractor to go right ahead with his work, and by the time the next meeting comes round the track should be in first-class order. It will be slightly smaller than before, being sy z furlongs to the circuit, but its new shape and the fact that it is on a dead level all the way will make it much faster than before. The buildings for the stewards, etc., are well forward, and an adequate lawn space has been provided' fdr the stand patrons, .. who will be a hundred per cent, better off for accommodation and facilities than under the old conditions. The track, fifty feet wide, will be adequate for the biggest field, which it will ever be called upon to accommodate.

Mr Theo. Bowling, owner of Antwho went to Christchurch to see his horse run in the Grand National, and became so ill subsequently that he had to be removed to a private hospital, died in Christchurch on Sunday. He was very ill before he left Auckland, and not long after he arrived in Christchurch his health became so seriously affected that there was no chance of his recovery, and his family were summoned a fortnight ago. The body was brought to Auckland for interment.

The King’s trainer, Richard Marsh, for the first time in 30 years did not run horses at the recent Goodwood meeting. His Majesty’s horses were too moderate to run there. Goodwood has always been the happiest of Marsh’s hunting grounds (says an English paper.) His training records are indeed remarkable at the ducal meeting, and especially so in the Goodwood Cup. He first trained the winner of that trophy, Friday, for the late Duke of Hamilton, when Teddy Martin beat Fordham in a sensationa 1 race on Tristan as far back as 1882. Thirteen years later, with Florizel 11. in 1895, he repeated in Royal colors that which was done for two years in succession, 1829-30, with Fleur de’Lis.

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Then came Fortunatus (1901), Perseus (1902), Rabelais (1903), and Red Robe (1905) —all bearers of the lilac jacket of Mr Arthur James. Another important event at Goodwood, the winners of which were often trained. by Marsh, is the Stewards’ Cup. For that race he prepared Marvel in 1890 and 1892 for the late Duke of Devonshire, and for Mr Brodrick Cloete he sent out Unicorn in 1891.

Mr Simon Harrison, the breeder of the Melbourne Cup winner Comedy King, writes to an English paper as follows: —“As I have always considered Hermit the handsomest and most charming horse that was ever foaled, I should just like to call your attention to the following half-dozen recent winners, that I consider owe their merit to being inbred to this once favorite sire, and whose blood is far too scarce at the present time, namely, Bachelor’s Double, Sunder, Hornet’s Beauty, Knockfeerna, Steadfast, and Moscato. It is a pleasure to note that inbreeding to Hermit appears to reproduce animals with an amiable disposition, but at the same time stock that have plenty of courage, and stand on good legs and feet; whilst inbreeding to Galopin and Hampton, unfortunately, so often produces the opposite result, their stock being excitable brutes, with spindle legs and delicate constitutions. I can only assume that the reason for this is that Hermit was one of the best-tempered thoroughbred horses that was ever foaled, and stood on almost the most faultless of legs and feet that one could, wish to see on any horse.”

W. H. McLachlan who has returned to Australia after a trip Home, stated that he may have remained in England but for the climate. McLachlan had been offered a good retainer from Mr G. Edwardes if he cared to stay, but the crack Australian horseman states that he simply could not stand the cold. He had thirteen mounts while in England, and rode two winners. F. Wootton and D. Maher are. in the opinion of the Australian, far ahead of any of the other jockeys at present riding in England on the flat,