TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1148, 11 April 1912, Page 8

TURF TOPICS.

The honour of having ridden most winning mounts at the recent Ellerslie meeting falls to young Stenning, who is only this season out of his apprenticeship. The horses he rode to victory were the br.lliant gallowaj, Jack Delaval, which won a double, and Devastation in the Onslow StakesThe youthful horseman is the son of Fred Stenning, the Ellerslie trainer. At the outset of his career as a jockey young Stenning did not give much promise, and although h’s riding of Devastation was not of a high,order, he is certainly showing marked improve-

ment. The way he handled Jack Delaval in the Huia Handicap was a credit to any youngster, and there is no reason why next season he should not be able to hold his own amongst the light-weight jockeys in the North.

Ben Deeley, Claude Brown, and Jimmy Buchanan were each successful in piloting two of their mounts to victory. The other horsemen to ride winners at Ellerslie were C. Jenkins, F. D. Jones. F. O’Shea, E. Jones. JMcClusky, J. J. Deerey, and J. Tutchen.

Mr Donald McLeod had the largest cheque to draw from the A.R.C. in the matter of stakes. £7OO was credited to him in respect of Kakama’s victory in the Easter Handicap, and a further £75 for Miss Winsome’s performance in the G.N. Oaks. Next in order came Messrs F. W. Arnold

(£625), C. J. Parker (£585), E- Langton (£375), Mesdames Foss and Steuart (£325), Sir George Clifford (£300)), and Mr T. J. B. Stewart (£300).

Ac the Feilding meeting on Tuesday W. D. Young was before the stewards for alleged insolence to the starter. He was fined £5 ana warned that he would be severely dealt with in the case of any future occurrence of a similar nature.

The winning trainers’ list at Ellerslie was headed by F. Stenning, who turned out three winners. D. Monaghan and F- Macmanemin each had

two winning brackets to their credit, while the trainers to earn a win apiece were T. A. Williams, P. Johnston, R. Butterworth, R. Hannon, A. Robertson, S. Waddell, F. Loomb, G. Absolom, and E- Cutts.

At a meeting of the New Zealand Trotting Association, held on Wednesday night, it was decided to remit the remaining portion of the sentence imposed on F. Holmes, whose license had been suspended for three months. The effect of the Association’s action was to reduce the suspension from three months to two.

Sandy Paul, who scored so easy a victory in the Brighton Hurdles, started at a fairly long price. He is a safe jumper and has pace, so that his career in jumping events is distinctly promising.

Frivolliti, who won the Gimcrack Race at Riccarton on Easter Monday was told at auction immediately after to Mr Max Friedlander for £39.

The popular Waikato owner-train-er, Mr W. G. Ring, can generally be relied on to stand when the A.R.C. are distributing stalne-money, but at the recent Ellerslie meeting his good fortune left him. He was represented by five horses: Domino, Taketuma, Hohungatahi, Potoa and Ngatimuru. The last-named was the only one to gain a prize—a second in th© Mangere Handicap on the second day, which was contested by a field of twenty-four and won by Tangiwai.

Master Theory “let down” a very strong following of admirers in the Brighton Hurdles. After his promising exposition at the Takapuna summer meeting, and his mere recent work on the training tracks, the So lit —Romola gelding was looked on with favour, and his poor display in the big hurdle event was a keen disappointment.

Prince Soult and Counterfeit were started the two best backed favourites at the A.R.C. Easter meeting. The latter won against a weak field of four, but Prince Soult was beaten by Our King in the G.N. Champagne Stakes. It is stated that the Auckland champion two-year-old met with misfortune in the race bv a strap in his headgear breaking and flicking in his eyes.

Acceptances for all events on the opening day of the Auckland Trotting

Club’s autumn meeting close to-mor-row (Friday) even 1 ng. The meeting, which opens at Alexandra Park on Wednesday next, the 17th inst., is likely to be a big success. No club has shown greater enterprise of late than the A.T.C., and consequently they deserve well of the public.

It has been announced from Australia that Mr J. C. Williamson, the most prominent man in the Australasian theatrical world, and a popular sportsman, has decided to relinquish the turf, and his string of thoroughbreds are to be disposed of this month in Sydney.

Though her performances during the present season include a Takapuna Cup victory, Soultoria must, however, be accounted an unlucky mare. In the past two Easter Handicaps she has finished in third position, while on Monday she also filled the role of runner-up to Antoinette in the St. George’s Handicap. When it is also considered that she finished third in the Auckland Cup, it is at once seen that her luck has not been of the best.

Wee Olga’s disappointing running in the Easter Handicap, can safely be attributed to the fact that the daughter of Merriwee did not leave the barrier with her usual smartness. Wee Olga had been going great guns on the tracks, and was expected to take a prominent part in the decision of the principal event on the opening day. On the concluding day, however,

she made amends for her poor showing in the Easter, accounting for the Stewards’ Handicap (one mile) and ohe Auckland Welter (one mile), her dual success being extremely popular.

Mr “Lou” Harris met with serious misfortune during the recent Ellerslie meeing, as both of his competing uorses met with accidents. Presently, while running in the Brighton Hurdles, knocked a plate off and cut himself about rather badly so that it is possible the Birkenhead gelding will have to be spelled for some time. Collier Lad also went amiss and there is some doubts if this promising gelding will again be fit to carry silk.

Haskayne, who represented the Hon. J. D. Ormond in the Great Northern Champagne Stakes, was credited with some excellent track performances before he came north this month. As a consequence he went out one of the best backed youngsters in the classic event but failed to reproduce his track form, not even gaining a place. On the second day he started again in the Victoria Handicap but was badly left at the start.

Sea Pink, who has not run with much luck since he was purchased by the Gisborne sportsman, Mr H. D. de Lautour, scored a good win in the Nelson Handicap, and brought much good gold to his loyal East Coast admirers. The Seaton Delaval gelding having now struck form may yet prove a remunerative purchase.

The defunct Soult has for several seasons now been at the top of the winning sires’ lists when the results cf Northern race meetings have been comp led. At the A.R.C. Easter meeting the grand old stallion once again stood out through the exploits of his descendants. Four of his protege gained winning brackets, namely, Kakama, Antoinette, Prince Soult, and Sol. In each case their victories were heartily acclaimed by the public. After Soult, the most successful sires were Seaton Delaval, with three wins, Merriwee two wins, and descendants of each of the following scored single victories: — Treadmill, San Francisco, Gluten, Stepniak, St. Paul, Multifid, and Birkenhead.

The brilliant ex-New Zealander Lady Medallist had to again be satisfied with second honours on the third day of the A.J.C. On this occasion she was defeated by that sterling performer Malt King.

The sprightly chestnut mare Tangiwai (Gluten —Marjorie) put up a good performance when she won the Mangere Handicap against a field of 24. The victory reflects great credit on Trainer George Absolum, who had Mrs

Lennard’s game little mare looking yery fit. The bearer of the popular maroon and gold hoops promises to gain many more winning brackets.

The champion Trafalgar scored another brilliant victory in the Cumberland Stakes at Randwick on Wednesday, when he defeated the Sydney Cup winner, Saxonite, and Eyeglass. He carried 9.4, and won easily, but owing to the stepping of the official clock no time was taken.

The Thames-owned mare Parawai, who lately accounted for a double at the Ohinemuri J. C. meeting, was. a competitor in the Nelson Handicap, (one mile) on the opening day at Ellerslie. The daughter of Bluelight, was well clear of the field a short distance from the post, and looked all over a winner, but she tired badly and had to be content with third to Sea Pink and Tiresome. On the. second day she was made a strong second favourite for the Mangere Handicap in a field of twenty-four, but was never in a position to flatter her backers.

Mr A. A. Paape, the organising secretary of the N.Z. Sports Protection League, was in Auckland during the A.R.C. Easter Meeting, and had a conference with a number of leading Sportsmen here. The result of the meeting was that a provisional committee was set up to make preliminary arrangements for an active campaign in the Northern province. After the fiasco of the alleged Sports Protection Association, Aucklanders will welcome’ the - formation of a branch of the N.Z.S.P.L. in their midst, because no true sportsman who has the interests of all branches of sport at heart could endorse the semi-political propaganda of the association that was created in Parnell for the thinly-veiled intention of forwarding the candidature of a candidate for Parliamentary honours. It was only to be expected that such an insincere association would fizzle out after the elections were over.

The sporting editor of the “Referee’ has some pertinent remarksbearing on the subject of the. new Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. G.. W. Russell) which traverse some of the ground covered in our own article on page 7. We commend these, extracts to the attention of our readers. “It is, of course, all very well for the new Totalisator Minister to put out suggestions savouring of the idea that he is to be considered the paramount authority on the question of totalisator permit distribution; but there is another aspect of the question. The Racing Conference has for many years past given complete satisfaction by its adroit administration of the totalisator department, and I am perfectly certain that the constituent bodies of the Conference are not going to tamely submit and see their authority taken from them without a word of protest. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs it behoves those country clubs which may not have sent in their applications for permits to do so without delay, so that they may have their claims fully dealt with when the allocation takes place. It is also deemed desirable “for all clubs in receipt of more than one permit per yeai- not to make any commitments beyond July 31st next without making certain that they will receive the necessary permit to use the totalisator.” Now, all this may seem nothing more than that the Minister wants to placate somebody, but I have heard that this ‘ultimatum’ is intended to convey to Metropolitan Clubs the intimation that they are to‘look out.- I really think the reason for the utterance is that the new Minister felt bound to say something, and that following his natural bent he said the things that would please the greatest number of people. The Racing Conference is the body which must control and allocate totalisator permits, and any attempt to usurp that authority is only going to cause dire trouble.”

In. reply to a correspondent who asks for the mile record for Australasia we have to state that it is lmin 37%sec, which was established by Montcalm (Siege Gun —Mea) at Randwick in April, 1909. So far as New Zealand is concerned the best mile performances are shared by Meriiwee in the Auckland Guineas, Waiari and Gold Crest in the Easter Handicap. Each have 1.40 to their credit.

Aimwell, ( Soult-Glady s May), who won the Addington Plate at Riccarton on Tuesday was sold after the race for £45.

The filly Mayrah, (ChallengerWigelmar who was injured in the Nursery Handicap at the A.J.C. meeting had to be destroyed.

From South Africa comes word of the death of the Fucile gelding, Chere Arnie, who won the Doncastei Handicap of 1901 for A. Foley, and in South Africa pulled off a Durban Handicap for R. Wootton. It appears that Chere Arnie had been fired and turned out for a spell on a farm in the neighbourhood of Howick, with a view to being put into training for July and August, but during a storm he was struck by lightning and killed.

At the yearling sales in Sydney this week, the following prices were realised: —Traquair —Arajol colt, 700 guineas, Maltster —Chutney filly, 550 guineas; Maltster —Mangosteen colt, passed in at 600 guineas;Maltster Graceton colt, 100 guineas; Maltster —Marie Corelli filly, passed in at 600 guineas; Maltster —Field Rose colt, 530 guineas; Maltster —Grafton filly, 70 0 guineas.

The Patea Easter Handicap resulted as follows: —Red Coral 1, Rawinnia 2, Sylvan Glade 3, Also started: Darby Paul. Won by two lengths. Time, 2min 27sec.

A message from Sydney stages that Mr P. Fairie’s filly Mayrah was so badly injured when she fell in the Nursery Handicap on Easter Monday that she had to be destroyed. Mayrah was a highly-bred daughter of Challenger and Wigelmar.