TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1322, 26 August 1915, Page 9

TURF TOPICS.

The value of the Caulfield Guineas has been increased to £2050. El Gallo, the winner of the double “two Great Northerns,” is to race at Marton next week.

The Egmont-Wanganui Hunt and Amberley Steeplechase meetings are. to be held to-morrow (Thursday). Of thirty-three jockeys licensed recently in Perth, Western Australia, only three can ride under 7st. The Adelaide Grand National Steeplechase was won by Wondergraph, a son of Young Grafton and Valucia.

On the tramways during the days of racing and trotting at Christchurch during Grand National week receipts were larger than for the corresponding week last year.

Doughboy, by Gluten, is still racing in Australia in galloway events, and recently finished in a place at Roseberry Park.

It is considered probable that Mountain Knight will prove a much more robust horse at four years than he was at three.

The Australian Jockey Club in various ways had donated £22,000 to the patriotic and war funds up to the' end of July.

Cash contributions rather than possible profits are likely to be donated by the Australian Jockey Club to patriotic funds in the coming season. The two-year-old sister to Carillion (Finland —La Cloche), has had the cognomen of Tino Atua bestowed upon her.

The sum of £29,550 will be distributed by the Australian Jockey Club at the spring meeting, the dates of which are October 2,4, 6, and 9. Mr. J. J. Cory’s Margarita, by Achilles from Margaret, is evidently a smart galloway, as her form in Australia indicates. She was well backed when she won there recently. Balros, by Obligado from Tournament, then two years old, won the second division of a Maiden Race at Ascot (N.S.W.) on July 28th, but was beaten in the run-off by a five-year-old called Lady Iris.

During the racing season which has just closed meetings held within a radius of 20 miles of the Melbourne G.P.O. distributed £202,205 in prize money, as against £195,677 last season.

During the season just closed in Australia Maltster was represented by 87 winners, who captured nearly £28,000 in prize money. Bobadil came second with 55 winners for £20,000.

In twenty-five years the greatest profit made by the Victorian Racing Club over a spring meeting was £25,355, and the smallest £B5l, in Glenlotli’s wet Cup year. It was when Mentor won that the largest profit was made.

Mr. James Cress, a well-known sportsman, who has raced some real good horses in his time, has entered into possession of the Central Hotel at Palmerston North, where his geniality and popular personality should gain for him a wide circle of friends.

J. Farmer, who was associated with the training of Mr. W. E. Bidwill’s horses at Rototawai for many years, is getting quite a useful team together at Awapuni. Being careful, and a capable man with horses, Farmer should soon find his boxes taxed to the utmost.

It is estimated that nearly 30,000 horses are being held in Egypt ready for use when required in connection with the war. Many New Zealand horses suffered from the heat, and there was some mortality amongst them.

The racing mare Christmas Rose was sent to Masterton last week to be mated wPh Field Battery, who has sired some good performers and whose blood it is considered should nick well with that of the daughter of Soult, who should make a successful matron.

There are so many good races in which decent three-year-olds can win money that few are trained nowadays with a view to the New Zealand Cup, though Indigo, who was not near the top of the tree at two years old, managed to dead heat with Warstep last year. Three, a two-year-old imported from Australia, heads the list in the weights of those nonfnated this year.

The weather during the past few days in Auckland has been perfect. During th© past season the Gore Racing Club paid away in Government taxation demands the sum of £ll7l 13s. 4d„ which is a very large amount of money to take out of the game as far as one small club is concerned. Is there any game the wowser plays that is called upon to contribute to this extent per annum in connection with one minor club?

Mr. H M. Speed, of Makirikiri, on the Wanganu’. River, who is now in camp at Trentham preparatory to leaving for the seat of war. has disposed of his racehorse Kew (Sylvia Park —Helen) to Mr. J. Hennah. and the chestnut was shipped to Sydney by last week’s steamer. The writer predicts that the genial “Jack” will experience a right good time across the Tasman Sea with Kew, who is undoubtedly a smart hurdler.

Mr. Gerald Stead had his imported horse Nassau at the sale of the late Mr. St.. John Buckley’s horses in Christchurch so that visitors could see him. and a good many breeders were pleased at having offered them the opportunity of looking over one of the most useful types of the thoroughbred imported to the colonies. A golden bay showing quality, substance, size and range, Nassau should prove a decided acquisition to the bloodstock of the Dominion.

A question that was nearly being brought up before the Canterbury Jockey Club at their recent meeting was as to the qua’ification of Banksia, who won the Winter Cup. and it would perhaps have been pressed were P not that the Red Cross Fund was benefiting by the win, though

had it been decided in Mr. A. W. Rutherford’s favour that gentleman would have given the stakes as Mr. Greenwood did.

G. R. Price, the “Highden” trainer, is busy with a very promising team for this season’s racing, and, judging by the manner in which some of the equines finish up their morning tasks at Awapuni, the “Wapping Lodge” establishment should be seen to the fore on many occasions during the present racing year. The stable’s two knights of the pigskin, A. Oliver and W. Bell, are quite all right, and it is safe to predict that nothing will be lost on the score of horsemanship.

In Germany no fresh licenses are being granted to alien riders, and Ames, a lightweight who recently accompanied Archibald to that country, had to return to the United States. It will be remembered, says the “Referee,” an American named Ames rode in Sydney some years ago, and afterwards went to India, where he was very successful. However, as he was training horses in that country last year, it is improbable he is identical with the Ames who visited Germany.

Writing to an English magazine, the Rev. H. B. Young, rector of Newmarket, asks why the English Government should put down racing, which, if it hinders war work at all, only hinders it indirectly and partially, and view with complacency strikes, which hinder it vitally and directly. Many people agree with Mr. Young, says an exchange, and it is deplorable that while hundreds of thousands of Englishmen are fighting for what practically amounts to the life of their country, others are so cold-blooded that they should attempt to turn the position to monetary advantage.

Mr. Hassall, of Hawke’s Bay, one of the purchasers at the sale of the late Mr. St. John Buckley’s stud in Christchurch, secured mares to mate with Merry Moment, the horse he purchased from Mr. J. O. Howard, who imported him. It is understood that Messrs. Dwan Bros.’ (of Wellington) purchases will visit Mr. G. P. Donnelly’s Demosthenes, and one, if not both, of the mares purchased by Mr. E. Alison, of Auckland, will go to the stud here. The younger of the two mares may be raced. Mr. J. Leonard has placed Waimangu with a Wairarapa studmaster. Mr. P. H. Maxted, and this very serviceable racehorse, who won over £3OOO in stakes, including the Auckland Cup, should make a good sire. Last year he covered a few mares while located at Ellerslie, but he will now be in a wider field, and being the first of the great Soult tribe to stand in the Wairarapa, where, by the way, Soult’s importer, Mr. Hayward, resides, he should receive plenty of patronage. There have been some good horses of the line. Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Gormley, of the Egmont Hotel, Hawera. entertained about 100 members of the Taranaki Contingent of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, who go into camp at Trentham this week, at a sumptuous banquet on Saturday last at their hotel. Many prominent citizens were present, and what with patriotic toasts and var’ous singsongs, a very pleasant evening was passed. At. the conclusion of the festivities, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. and Mrs. Gormley for their kindness in providing such pn excellent repast.