TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1145, 21 March 1912, Page 8

TURF TOPICS.

Lloyds, who won a treble at Paeroa, is one of the most promising of hurdle horses in the North and is sure to be well supported in the Brighton Hurdles next month.

Beeline, trained by T. Lloyd at Marton is spoken of as an animal like y to gain distinction over the big fences. This animal’s prospects appear so bright that it is to be sent through to the Auckland meeting to compete in steep’echasing events.

The withdrawal of Jack Delaval from the Easter Handicap was somewhat of a surprise. The. speedy galloway, however, has been entered for several minor events at the A.R.C. meeting.

So far Hector Gray has not appealed against his disqualification by the Dannevirke Club, but there is no doubt that he will do so. The next monthly meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Metropolitan Committee falls on March 28. At this meeting the disqualification of Gray will come up for endorsement or otherwise, and if Gray intends to appeal he will require to be present at the meeting.

Dearest is hitting out in an attractive manner on the Porirua beach. The full sister to Master Soult should give a good account of herself at the C.J.C. meeting.

It is rather of a coincidence that Albert Whittaker at the time of his death Whittaker at the time of his death stood high on the winning jockeys list for the season; being bracketed with the name of Hector Gray the horseman who last year was his successful rival for premier honours. Each had twenty wins opposite their names.

W. Conkey, the once well-known trainer, is now caretaker of the Masterton Racing Club’s course at Opaki. Although he has only been installed a few weeks, Conkey has already carried out som e necessary improvements to

th© tracks and racecourse proper. Visiting trainers to next week’s meeting will appreciate the capital condition that the tracks are in at present.

Trafalgar registered his 20th win last week in the Champion Stakes. He has run 53 races, being placed second on 10 occasions. He has won in stakes £18,077. Only two horses (Carbine, £29,476, and Poseidon, £19,49 6) have won more money in stakes in Australia.

General Latour is likely to start one of the best fancied horses in the Easter Handicap next month, despite his heavy impost of Bst 81b. When it is remembered, however, that he only beat Miss Winsome by the barest of margins in the Great Northern Guineas when the differ|ence between

weights was 51b, and they are listed with a difference of 181 b in favour of the filly, her chances cannot be lightly regarded.

The fact that Wolawa ran six furlongs in 1 12 3-4 sec seems to indicate that the colt is the best two-year-old in Australia this season. This time is only half a second behind the Australasian record held by Soultline.

The stallion St. Cairn, recently imported from the United States to Australia, was sold for £3OOO in Svf'nev last week.

Air Hugo Friedlander, the Canterbury sportsman, will be leaving h«re shortly for England, and in consequence all his horses are to be offered for sale next month. Twenty horses are included in the catalogue.

The ‘’Highden” stable broke its lucky spell at Napier Park. Lockwood, who represented the stable in the Futurity Stakes, gave a poor display, while Nyland, who went out an odds on favourite in the Cup, broke down in the race.

The Hon. J. D. Ormond headed the list of successful owners at the recent Napier Park meeting. He secured £325 out of a total of £1760. Next in order came Mr E. J. White £250, Mr D. Buick, M.P., £lB5, Mr O. Kingston £135, and Mr A. F. Douglas £135.

The Feilding Jockey Club has appointed Mr R. H. Skipwith to act as starter in place of Mr T. Cameron, who has resigned. Since he first took up the duties of starter two or three seasons ago Mr Skipwith has rapidly come to the front as a firstclass man at the barrier, and it is evident that his good work is appreciated, judging from the number of important meetings at which the Wellington man now controls the lever.

The rising young Thames trainer, Jack Winder, has the following horses in active training:—Pet, Jena, Waio-

tane, HikuU, and Parawai. The last named, dead-heated with Ruatangata in the Waikinc Welter Handicap, and won the Waihi Handicap. Waiotahe was beaten in the Ohinemuri Cup by Monoplane.

Ariom, the winner of the Napier up, was bred by Mr E. J. Watt in 1906, and is by Merriwee, from Moira, by Apremont—'Mrs Rawdon, by King of Clubs —Becky Sharp by Traducer. Last year Ariom, who belongs to Mr E. J. White, ran third in the Cup, behind Fort William and Rauparaha. The brown mare started in the Dannevirke Cup the previous week, but was not fancied, and finished out of place. Under the circumstances she was rather an outsider at Napier, despite the fact of Deeley being in the saddle.

The Wanganui Jockey Club will have to pay nearly £l2OO to the Government in taxes over the recent Cup meeting.

J. Sullivan has Lord Renown in capital trim at Woodville. This animal should run with some prominence at the Masterton meeting.

Antoinette, last year’s winner of the Easter Handicap, shares with Maori King the distinction of being the most enquired for candidate in doubles. Miss Winsome, Master Wairiki, Kakama, and General Latour are also coming in for support.

It seems quite certain now that, barring accidents, Ben Deeley will romp home an easy winner for the premier jockey stakes. He has already ridden sixty winners this season. Next to him comes A. Oliver, A. Wilson and C. Emmerson, in that order.

Maori King, who now holds pride of place with 9st in the Easter Handicap, will be ridden by F. D. Jones in the event.

One of the greatest surprises ever witnessed at Flemington was Sheriff Muir’s victory in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at last week's meeting. In the Alma Stakes at Caulfield the previous Saturday, Sheriff Muir, with 7st up, finished the last of a strung-out field, while Wolawa, carrying 8.13, won in a canter by five or six lengths. On 'Saturday the pair carried level weights, and Sheriff Muir won by a length in exactly the same time as in the Alma Stakes, viz., 1.15% • The race was, however, run to suit Sheriff Muir (says “Pilot”). Tadanga, Wol-

awa and Gold Brew cut each other’s throats. They went at it hammer and tongs all the way up the straight, and when all three were dead tired Sheriff Muir came along and won easily. He is owned by the well-known cricketer, Mr Mat Ellis, who gave 270 guineas for him as a yearling. He was offered 50 to 1 by a bookmaker, but stuck out for 100 to 1, and no bet was made.'

By latest accounts Nyland’s break down was of so serious a character, his ligaments having given away, that his trainer (George Price) deemed it advisable not to take him back to Awapuni for some time. There can be little doubt that the handsome Finland gelding has run his last race. He will, no doubt, be allowed to end his days in the paddock. Nyland is in his seventh year.

Idealism has been quickly sorted out as favourite for the Brighton Hurdles at the A.R.C. autumn meeting, and the Birkenhead gelding is already quoted at a very short price.

According to a Southern exchange there are indications that Mr J. B. Reid intends entering the ranks of owners strongly again. He has the two-year-old Ngatapa in training, and Murray Hobbs is now breaking in six Charlemagne yearling colts from Neva, Janet, Hamattan, Deme--ta, Nantiloid, and Armigera. This should make a good team for next season.

In discussing iN!ew Zealand’s two crack three-year-old fillies, the “New Zealand Times” says:—“A good deal of interest was taken in Mr Henrys’ adjustments for the Great Easter and Autumn Handicaps at the C.J.C. autumn meeting, to see how he would weight Counterfeit and Bronze. .The handicapper thinks that Sir George

Clifford’s filly is 21b the better over seven furlongs and 11b better over a mile and a half. Mr Morse’s opinion was that the two crack fillies should carry level weights. A meeting between the pair in either of the big handicaps at Riccarton would greatly enhance the interest of the race, and it is reported that Bronze will make the southern trip. Mr Henrys still leaves Los Angelos at the top with 9.6 and 9.5 respectively. On any form he has shown of late the chestnut gelding can have very little chance. It seems curious to find the two crack fillies giving such a lot of weight away to the Derby winner, but there is no getting over the fact that he has iproved something of a disappointment.”

“Tartar” Julian, C. Price, and AMcFiynn have each scored the same number of wins in hurdle and steeplechase events, so that the premier honours in this department are likely to be keenly contested. McFiynn . has been fairly successful on the flat also this season, having scored half a dozen wins.

It is mentioned in an exchange that the Paris paper, “The Jockey,” recently published a comparative account of the money which passed through the totalisator during the years 1910 and 1911. The amount totalled by Paris race societies for last yeai’ was £14,054,811 ss, or £342,327 5s more than in 1910. And these figures do not include amounts derived from provincial meetings. At all events, the 2 per cent, levied for “charitable 1 ’ purposes has been productive of nearly £282,000. It is said that 525 villages have received £260,000, and that as much more might have been bestowed had the Government or the committee had it in hanu. The programmes lor this season a ; Chantilly and Paris were recentl} issued, and stakes are on the up grade, the totai amount of added money to be run for at those two places being £281,000.

The following notices appear in the last English’ Calendar: —“The stewards have observed that many jockeys have been in the habit of betting on horse-racing, and hereby give notice that such practices will not be tolerated, and that any jockey who may be proved to their satisfaction to have any interest in any racehorse, or to have, been engaged directly or indirectly in any betting transaction, or otherwise to have disregarded this notice, will have his license at once withdrawn. Any person knowingly acting in the. capacity of part owner or trainer of any horse in which a jockey possesses an interest, or making any bet with, or on behalf of, any jockey, or otherwise aiding or abetting in any breach of the orders of the stewards, will be warned off all courses where National Hunt Rules are in force.”

Mutiny, who won the New Zealand Grand National in 1895 and 1896, and ran second to Levanter in the same event in 1897, is still running out in a paddock at Te Mahanga. He is now in his 27th year, and is one of the oldest thoroughbred geldings alive in the Dominion. In his young days Mutiny made one of a team of four in a coach, and it was not until he was eight years old that he was trained.

According to an Australian Exchange bookmakers operating at a country race meeting at Quambatook, in Victoria, have gone on strike. It appears that the judge decided- that a horse named Grandfinish had won the Featherstone Plate. The exchange says the bookmakers who, no doubt, witnessed the finish from a variety of angles and places on the course thought that Portland Lad had won, and as the horse awarded the race by the judge was favourite, it no doubt made a material difference; and they decided to go on strike. It was also reported that the stewards met and requested the judge to alter his decision, which he refused to do. I can- well believe that the request was made, as the sympathies of the average country race stewards are, as a rule, with the bookmaker. They forget that it is the public that keep the racing going. Without the support of the public there would be no racing and no bookmakers.

Maxwell was scratched last week from his engagement in tne Sydney Cup.

The St. Kilda Cup, run on Saturday, at Caulfield, was won by Obi, with Lord Illinois second and Karathan third. The. New Zealanders Gunboat and Chauvelin competed, but Lnished in the ruck.

Mr Sidney Pitt writes to us from Stratford to correct the statement that he was one of the victims of the gang of pickpockets who gathered a good harvest at the Wanganui Cup meeting. We are glad to know that Mr Pitt profited by the meritorious win of his sterling little galloper, Red Lupin, when he paid the big dividend.

A good horse never dies, but lives again in the deeds of his sons. So it. is with Carbine, who got Wallace, and from the latter we get Trafalgar.— “Otago Witness.”

“Speaking of roaring,” says Dr S. S. Cameron, a leading Victorian veterinary surgeon, “it might be asked, 'Why is it that, although importations of horses were very frequent in the 20 years prior to 18 90, roaring was practically unknown in Australia, but in the 20 odd years since it has been introduced to an alarming extent?’ The answer is that the enormous rise in ’English values of the classic thoroughbred by the average Australian stud-master of high-class horses, which are, at the same time sound. You cannot buy in England at present a classic winner, who is a non-roarer and sonud, at less than from £lO,OOO to £15.000, and it is obvious that at the prices which yearlings realise in Australia, and with the comparatively low service fees obtainable, suchs a price for. a thoroughbred sire Is beyond the possibilities of the Australian breeding in" dustry. In consequence of this, Autralia has been the dumping ground of unsound horses, which are otherwise high-class. Very few thoroughbreds have been imported to Australia during the last 10 years who have been winners in classic company, and are at the same time non-roarers.’

Referring to the death of Albert Whittaker the “Dominion” says: — “In recent years he came to the front as a light-weight jockey in Auckland, and last season rode with such remarkable success at the country meetings in the Auckland province that he finished second to Gray in the jockey premiership with 7 7 wins. At the Huntly meeting two seasons ago he established a record by winning all of the seven races on the programme, for which he was pre-

sented with a valuable gold medal by the club. Whittaker has made several trips to Australia, the first about four years ago, when he rode the pony Mighty Atom in Wren’s by Balgonie. He also went to 'Sydney last spring to ride Messrs. Stead Bros, horses, and when H. Gray was incapacitated through ill" ness, Whittaker was given the mount on Vice-Admiral in the Metropolitan Handicap. Although he had been riding for some years he could still go to scale at about 7st. 71b., and was always sure of a large percentage of riding at meetings in the north..”

Prince Scult is rapidly getting into form for his engagement next month in the Great Northern Champagne Stakes, when he will be entrusted with defending the honour of the North as the Lest two-year-old of the season.

The ’chaser Loen Fyne is getting through solid work at Ellerslie, but still appears far from racing trim.

Ronald Cameron, who rode The Parisian in th e last Melbourne Cup has a very high opinion of the Bobadil gelding as a stayer. It was on account of a split hoof that The Parisian was unable to fulrrl his autumn engagements, and he will not be raced again until the spring. In writing to a friend’in Wellington recently, Cameron said that this left all the longraces at the mercy of Trafalgar. ‘‘But,’’ commented the New Zealand jockey, “ I am sure it would not have been that way had The Parisian kept sound.”

Royal Scotch and Heatherbrae are popular picks for the Great Easter, but the lattei’ has, (says a Christchurch correspondent) been very harshly used rc-r all she has yet done. Having regard to thv prosppet of North Island horses taking part in these two even's it is interesting to note that Domino and Miscount are the only two engaged here that are among the ac.eptors for the Auckland meeting, so there seems a reasonable chance of a fair contingent of visiting horses at Riccartoii next month, drawn from Roxal Scotch, Midnight Sun, Dearest, Gipsy BBelle, Bronze, Labour Day, Effort, Odessa, Turner, Montiform, and Waipaku from the North, and Parable and Soldiers’ Cho’”i£ from Otago.

H. Henderson and V. Coleman each rode tn roe winners at the Ohinemuri races, B. Curran piloted a similar number, including a dead-heat; L. IM orris was successful twic,e, whi’e W. Ayres and S. Brown, Roche, Webb, P E. Brown, and W. Reid each rode a winning horse.

The work of organisation in connection with the N.Z. Sports Protection League is proceeding well. During the past few months branches of the league have been formed in Wellington, blastings, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Feilding, Hawera, Wanganui, C. ristchurch, Waimate, Temuka, Ashburton, Timaru, Geraldine, Amberley, Little River, Dunedin and Invercafgill.

The following are the principal winning horses on ttye English turf: — Isinglass, £57,185; Donovan, £55,15 4; Rock Sand, £45,618; Flying Fox, £40,096; Sceptre, £38,283; Ayrshire £3 5,915; Pretty Polly, £3 5,312; Persimmon, £34,706; La Fleche, £34,’ 70 3; Lemberg, £33,19 9; St.Frusquin, £32,960; Orme, £32,484; Ormonde. £28,465; Galtee More, £27,019; Velasquez, £26,385; Surefoot, £26,678; Lord Lyon, £25,600; and Swynford, £25,508.

Referring to the decision of the Austialian Jockey Club to close Derbies and Legers to geldings, the “Sydney Referee” remarks that the liberal endowment of those particular races was ostensibly with a view to improvement of our blood stock. Commencing with 1913, geldings will be debarred from competing in Derbies at Randwick. Opinions will naturally differ as to whether the move is a w-se one, for though it may be pointed out that it is not fitting unsexed animals should be givjen an opportunity of winning a Defby, the change may, on the other hand, lead to a marked and altogether undesirable inciease in the number of stallions in this State. At present many yearlings are added to the list shortly after purchase, but now neari'y every buyer of a c It at the Autumn sales will naturally keep him entire until it is absolutely demonstrated he has no chance of winning such a prize as a Derby. As there are many owners whom it is difficult to convince that their particular geese are not swans, the new order of things means that various ‘ youngsters which might have been gelded, /even before being raced as two-year-olds, will not be operated on until fairly late in their three-year-old careers, if at all. Therefore, unless the position is mot by a stiff stallion tax th,ere is nearly sure to be a great accession to the ranks of worthless sires.

Dick Arnst the world’s champion sculler, accompanied by his wife left Sydney on the 13th inst. for London by the Otway and on arrival on English soil will go into strict training for his match with Ernest Barry. Arnst was given an enthusiastic sendoff by the leading New South Wales scullers, who assembled at Bateman’s Hotel, Sydney, to wish him the best of luck.