TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1316, 15 July 1915, Page 8

TURF TOPICS.

Kingsburgh, winner of the last Melbourne Cup, is considered likely to show good form this spring.

Reports come to hand that Reputation is doing nicely under Frank McGrath’s care at Randwick.

Mr. H. Weal recently sent to Australia another son of Spalpeen to be trained by T. A. Williams.

Silver King was not taken to the V.R.C. Grand National meeting by F. McGrath.

F. Williams is training the Rokeby —Britomart yearling for Mr. W. Falkner in New South Wales.

The extension and alteration of the Australian Jockey Club’s offices in Bligh Street are said to have cost £5500.

Woorak. who holds the mile and aquarter record at Randwick, is likely to be a prime fancy for the Epsom Handicap.

Record time was registered by Rathfarnham when the son of Positano and Rattler won the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race.

A. J. McFlynn rode Admiral Grand as far as the first hurdle in the l V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race, where he fell.

A jockey’s license was granted to C. R. Emmerson at the last monthly meeting of the Australian Jockey Club’s committee.

Flash Jack, who won the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase on Saturday, was ridden by B. Price, son of D. Price, the well-known trainer.

At the recent sales in Melbourne a half-sister, by Comedy King, to the Grand National winner Rathfarnham was sold to Mr. W. Kelso for 250 guineas.

It is suggested that Mr. Rouse resigned the position of stipendiary steward to the A.J.C. partly because he found his duties as keeper of the Stud Book pressing rather heavily on his time.

Mr. Robert Duder has for some time past been suffering from rheumatism. He visited Rotorua for some weeks, but has not yet shaken off the trouble, which has been of the acute order.

The Coonamble (N.S.W.) Jockey Cub is offering a reward of £lOO for information leading to a conviction of anyone concerned in any alleged plot to tamper with the scales at its recent meeting

Mr. E. Kennedy, breeder of The Tetrarch, has had the bad luck to lose a full-brother to that colt this season. The youngster was only a few days old when he died.

The attendance on the oper. ing day of the V.R.C. Grand National meeting was nearly equal to the corresponding day of last year, when a record was established.

Lusitania victims included Mr. Broderick Cloete, who owned Paradox when he won the Two Thousand Guineas and Grand Prix of Paris. Cherimoya, the 1911 Oaks winner, also raced in his co ours.

The fact of there being a total attendance for lhe three days of 59,873 at the recent Chester meeting, as against 87,633 last year, gives a fair idea as to the extent the war is affecting racing in England. The gate takings showed £9063 against £13,887.

The recently-imported horses Halfn Glass, by Isinglass from Scotch Gift, and Flippant, by Marcovil from Flitters, arrived safely in New South Wales recently. The last-named, only just out of quarantine, has started work at Randwick.

Mr. S. P. Mackay, of Western Australia, was the purchaser of Sauci. The price is said to have been between £7OO and £BOO. Sauci was handicapped the week after his purchase at 9.9, top weight, in the Brabrook Handicap at the V.R.C., or 161 b. übove Bon Ton.

Mr. Crowley, the owner of Rathfarnham, winner of the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race, is credited with having won £BOOO, most of which sum was secured from the penc Ilers at 100 to 1.

The New Zealand jockey C. Emerson is not remaining in Sydney any length of time, says the Sydney “'Referee.” He is keeping himself fit by constant morning attendance at Randwick to ride work.

The New South Wales State records of Delnacre, 7 furlongs in 1.27, and of Rue Victoria, 2 miles in 3.27%, put up at the Queensland Turf Club’s autumn meeting, were doubted. A resurvey of the course showed the track to be correctly measured.

Fagot, the double steeplechase winner at Gisborne, was operated on last year by Dr. Ring while on a visit to Poverty Bay, and apparently this gelding is as good as ever, if that is quite possible. His place is in steeplechasing.

Clontaft, despite his weight, 11.13, was a pronounced favourite for the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race up to a day or two before the race was run.

Mr. E. J. Watt’s horses, Mountain Knight and Athenic, are doing useful work at Randwick. The report that Athenic is to be sent to England came as news to H. Raynor, his trainer. His nomination for the New Zealand Grand National meeting does not point to the probability of an English trip. Mr. Watt believes in racing his horses in any of the States in which their prospects are considered good.

Mr. E. J. Watt’s Mountain King— Marguerite colt, called Monolith, is sa d to have shown some pace for a few furlongs .n a race at Rosehill the .as. week in June.

The stewards of the Woodville Jockey Club have accepted tenders for new buildings to be erected on the racecourse. The tenders accepted ictal £5lO2 —Grandstand, £2014 12s. Cd.; concrete work and terrace, £9OO Bs. 6d.; setwards’ stand and tea kiosk, £2049; hot water system. £l3B 4s. sd.

It is pleasing to note, says an exchange, that, the feeling of American racing men is with the Allies in their struggle against Germany. On its opening day at Belmont Park last month the Westchester Racing Association donated a portion of its receipts to the Lafayette Fund, the Comm.ttee of Mercy, and the Blue Cross Association.

One of the things that struck a neutral traveller in Germany recently was the shortage of horses. In a great modern city like Frankfort it seems ridiculous to see all kinds of vehicles drawn by oxen, which move so slowly and steadily that one can hardly realise that he is in one’ of the finest towns of the German Empire.

The following regulation was adopted with regard to apprentices by the Australian Jockey Club: —“No master shall allow his apprent.ee to ride at or attend any race meeting outside the metropolitan area, unless he shall himself be present, or unless he shall have placed such apprentice in the care and" control of his foreman or a trainer licensed or approved of by the committee of the A.J.C., or an owner approved of by the committee. In the event of a breach of this regulat on, either the master or the apprentice, or both, may be dealt with in such manner as the said committee may decide.”

The Australian Jockey Club have passed a rule that no bookmaker’s license or registration will be granted except on the condition that the per-, son to whom it is granted does not bet at an unregisered meeting held on the same day as a registered meeting within the metropolitan area, unless by permission of the committee of the registered meeting. Any breach of this regulation will entail cancellation of the license or registration, as the case may be.

The Hawkesbury Race Club’s donations to the various war funds total nearly £6OO. Touching on contributions, it is well worthy of mention that 40 members of Tattersall’s Club, Sydney, have each decided to donate £1 a week to the Belgian Relief Fund while the war lasts. Most of these are bookmakers, whose liberality in these matters cannot but be appreciated by even the most ardent of totalisator advocates, myself among the number.—This item is from “Pilot,” in the “Referee,” who is a great totalisator advocate.

Tim Doolan has proved himself as consistent as ever by his displays in Victoria over country. A dead heat with Guncap at the Melbourne Hunt Club meeting and second to Flash Jack in the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase were both very creditable performances for the chestnut son of Brookby and Pinchusion, who is not a big one. He was favourite from the time he dead heated with Guncap.

On Tuesday night of last week, Mr. James T. McHugh, for over a quarter of a century well known in sporting circles, died somewhat suddenly. The deceased owned a half interest in Admiral Soult with Mr. A. Tooman, who is away at the Islands on a periodical trip. At one time he raced Soultfish, and it is known that he was interested in a number of horses which raced in country districts and about Auckland as long back as th’rty-five years.

Cetigne, the crack two-year-old in New South Wales, has resumed work at Kensington. Tn some quarters opinions are against him as a probable stayer, says “Pilot,” but with many followers of racing it was the same in respect of Mountain Knight at the close of his two-year-old career, and yet he won the A.J.C. Derby and St. Leger and the V.R.C. St. Leger. Cetigne has won at the furthest distance he has been asked to go—seven furlongs.

The recently-closed financial year was the most disastrous ever experienced by the Western Australian T.C. (Perth), the damage done by a storm alone to thei club’s property necessitating the expenditure of about £6OOO in repairs. It was mentioned at the recent annual meeting of members that the committee had in its mind that the course and its fittings would make a desirable convalescent home for wounded soldiers, who would shortly be returning from the war. This means that the W.A.T.C. is quite prepared to grant the use of its property for the purpose mentioned.

Racing without betting is evidently to be g.ven a trial in Germany this year. At a meeting in April of the Union Club (Berlin), which is Germany’s ruling racing body, it was announced that the Kaiser had assented to an arrangement for holding breeding races at Hoppegarten. The totalisator is not to be in use on the opening days at the track mentioned, nor at minor fixtures, so chat the fact of meetings taking place at all would appear due to the desire to ascertain through rac ng results the stallions and mares m 0.,, desirable for stud purposes.

The proprie ary “horse” clubs of Rosehill. Moorefield, Canterbury Park, and Warwick Farm have made definite arrangements in connection w.th their race meeting in aid of the funds for wounded soldiers and the Red Cross, and (says “Pilot” in the “Referee”) the prize money will total £BOO, the clubs also donating £4OO do the funds mentioned. The A.J.C. committee has granted the use of Randwick free —the usual cost for a week-day is £6O0 —and the ruling Lody’s officials will act. From this it will be gathered that the A.J.C. is doing its utmost to make the proprietary clubs’ benefit meeting a success.

It has been a grievance with New South Wales owners of good horses that sufficient time is not allowed between the Australian Jockey Club’s spring meeting and the opening of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club’s meeting to permit of horses racing through the one meeting and competing with a fair prospect of success so soon after at Caulfield. New Zealand owners have not engaged their horses at the two meetings on that account on occasions when they would have done. The meeting at Randwick finishes on a Wednesday and racing commences at Caulfield on Saturday, and there is a 500 miles journey between. The reason for not putting the V.A.T.C. meeting back a few days or a week is that the Moonee Valley Club’s meeting is always fixed to come between the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup meetings. Those who are responsible for arranging the dates are very considerate indeed to the Moonee Valley Club, which is a proprietary one, but in the interests of the sport one would imagine that a better arrangement could be come to. The Victorian owners who patronise the spring meetings at Randwick are unanimous that the existing conditions are not in their interests, either.

Mr. Arthur Way, secretary to both clubs, makes an early announcement to owners that nominat’ons will be taken for the Marton Jockey Club and Rangitikei Hunt Club on August 13. Both the programmes appear in this issue. With the exception of the Hunt Club Handicap Steeplechase of 75sovs, all the races in the Marton Jockey Club’s programme are worth from lOOsovs to 230sovs, the value of the Marton Handicap, and in the Rangitikei Hunt Club programme the Hack Steeplechase is worth lOOsovs, the other six events being worth from 55sovs to 75sovs.

Some horse-owners and trainers, according to Ihe Sydney “Referee,” are disappointed that the proprietary clubs are not holding their benefit meeting on one of their own courses. Even allowing for the extra support certain for such a good cause, they (the owners and trainers) reckon they would have been able to gain a fair idea of the amounts usually received in admission money, and on it base calculations as to whether they were being treated quite as liberally as they deserved in prize money at the average proprietary fixture. It is generally accepted that, to commence with, each club receives nearly, if not quite as much in betting fees as is distributed annually in prize money.

A fortnight ago we informed our readers that the thoroughbred horse Spalpeen, by Gossoon —Windmill, and sire of El Gallo, Toreador. Slang, and so many good horses, is to be sold by auction by the Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Auctioneering Company at Hamilton on Tuesday, July 27th. In this issue we present a picture of this successful sire, who is in splendid form, and who will be remembered as a particularly brilliant two-year-old and one of the very best younghurdle horses that ever stripped in this country, being one of the very few that have raced with distinction at three and four years old over the battens. His stock have won over £5OOO in stakes in New Zealand and Australia th s season. He is being sold for no fault, merely to close a partnership.

The practice of drawing for positions at the post at race meetings often counts for very little with some owners, says the Sydney “Daily Telegraph.” Of the truth of this, evidence can be gathered at most meetings. Outside positions in short races are popularly supposed to be those that are least desirable, but, to jud

ge from the frequency with

which they are occupied by horses which are not entitled to them, according to the result of the draw, some owners prefer them. One reason for this —there may be others — is probably the lesser danger to be encountered of being squeezed back in the jump off. But, whatever the cause, it is quite clear that outer berths at the starting post have not the terrors for all horseowners that many persons imagine to be the case.

It is not often that a horseowner, after charging his rider with failing to do his best, admits his error. Such a case is reported by the South Australian “Register” to have occurred recently at Adelaide. According to that paper, the stipendiary stewards held an enquiry following upon a charge made by Mr. F. Griff, owner of On Parade, concerning the manner in which E. .1. Mooney rode that horse in A.R.C. Jumpers’s Flat Race. After having heard the evidence of half a dozen witnesses, Mr. Griff expressed himself as being perfectly satisfied with the way his horse was ridden, withdrew the charge, and apologised to Mooney, whom the stewards exonerated.

The late Mr. W. R. Wyndham, who was killed at the front, and left un-

settled property of the value of .£325,341 2s. 6d., dealt very handsomely with some of his trainers and stud managers. H. Sadler and J. Powney, two of the deceased sportsman’s trainers, were left £5OOO and £2500 respectively, and the former amount was also bequeathed to P. Fitzgerald, who managed Mr. Wyndham’s brood mares and his stalhon The White Knight. Major Eustace Loder, whose will was proved at £295,938, left to his manager £5OOO and a life annuity of £5OO.

Steamers due recently in Australia were expected to bring a number of valuable importations. Among them is Roseworthj, by William the Third from Electric Rose, which was purchased for Messrs. W. and F. A. Moses at a cost, it is stated, of not less than 2000 guineas. Roseworthy will, it is understood, be quarantined at Melbourne instead of at Athol. Mr. “Leslie English’s” Flippant, was another expected arrival. It is not proposed to let Flippant remain long in idleness after being released, says a Sydney paper, though much depends upon the condition in which he is landed. Flip-

pant is engaged in Epsom Handicap and Metropolitan. Sir W. Cooper’s 5300-guinea purchase, Redfern, is also believed to be on the voyage to Australia.

Carlysian, who was purchased by Mr T. H. Lowry at the sale of Mr. H. McKenzie’s Ascot yearlings, and made the second highest price, unfortunately contracted influenza early and developed a throat trouble. After winning at. the Poverty Bay meeting his purchase was effected by Mr. H. De Latour, who has sent him to Auckland under the care of J. Williamson until he is operated upon by Dr. Ring.

Several New Zeaanders are reported by the Newcastle correspondent of the Sydney “Referee” to have won large sums over Tea Tere, amongst .hem the owner of Scots Guard, who, not being satisfied with the way in which that gelding has progressed since he fell at Randwick, staled his ini ention of shipping that gelding back to New Zealand, but another report says this will not eventuate for some time.

A rather peculiar case, and one which never should have occurred, reached finality in India early last month. At Umballa spring meeting the starting of Alice in Dorset Handicap was objected to on the grounds that the mare had been scratched after the publication of the handicaps. The owner, H. H. Ranja Sir Runbir Singh, of Patiala, represented to the stewards that Alice had been scratched owing to a mistake, and so Aliceas name was allowed to appear in the list of those “left in.’ She was allowed to start, under protest by trainers of the other ponies in the race. Alice won, and the trainer of Friendship, who ran second, referred the matter of the mare’s eligibility to start in the race to the stewards of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club for decision, who disqualified Alice for the race, and declared Friendship the winner.

F. McGrath, trainer of Reputation, does not hold with Hie idea, says an Australian authority, that he should be asked to give weight over a mile .o Woorak or Traquette, though he considers he might beat either at a mile and a-half. Reputation can run a brilliant mile all right, but having been trained for longer distances is not quite so smart off the mark as could have been wished. He was not quick at the barrier at two years old, but was a late foal and not so precocious as some of his contemporaries. He has always finished brilliantly, and when kept near his horses nothing has shown better finishing displays than lie. It would be easy for horsemen to make the mistake of asking him to come away too soon, but he has a good long run when it is required of him.

We have such a lot of moderate horses entered for steeplechases nowadays that the fixing of a maximum weight for the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase at 12.7 was viewed in a light, as likely to keep out the third-raters. Clontaft, who was nominated, is a horse of proved bettei- class than anything racing just now in Australasia, and it is unfortunate that he cannot be with us in consequence of having injured one of his forelegs while racingon the first day of the V.R.C. meeting. We have not heard that he has been scratched, in which case it will be necessary to handicap him. Within a limit of three stone the best of our own horses and the worst of those engaged might possibly be got together. Taking a line through Tim Eoolan’s form at the V.R.C. meeting, where he carried 10.11 and beat fourteen others, including Booligal 12.0, who had a 71b. penalty for a previous win after declaration of the weights, we should imagine (hat Tim Doolan represents form from quite 161 b. to 211 b. below that of Clontaft. The weights will be declared to morrow, unless they come out before the due date, and naturally a good deal of interest is being shown 'n anticipation. Some backers are not waiting for the weights to appear before making their double investments on the C.J.C. New Zealand Grand Nationals. In different localities they have during the week been rushing in and getting their money on Plymouth, Mr. G'erald Stead’s recent Australian purchase, who is engaged in the Grand National Hurdle Race. A good many have supported horses since the Wellington meeting was abandoned, but the latest to come in for support are Plymouth and Tim Doolan.