TURF TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1422, 26 July 1917, Page 8

TURF TOPICS.

Princess Bee, the rising three-year-old by Hymettus, has been sold to go to Sydney for suburban racing.

Mr. John Patterson’s imported horse Thurnham is to be quartered at his owner’s property on Campbell Road, One Tree Hill, Auckland.

It is said that one of the men fined heavily for betting recently did not do a tenth part of the business that others had done who got off with less.

A woman was recently fined £l5 for street betting. How much would one be fined in New Zealand for acting similarly?

Fines amounting to £750 have been imposed within the past month on betting men in Auckland for proved pffences.

Fewer horses have succumbed to injuries received in jumping races during the past season than has been the case for many seasons past.

Mr. Ewin W. Alison. Junr., is standing for the position of committeeman to the Auckland Racing Club and many of the members will accord him their support.

Weights for the chief New Zealand Grand National jumping events and Winter Cup were declared on Friday. El Gallo. Penniless and Tararu Jack were withdrawn shortly after their appearance.

There is to be a contest for the Auckland Racing Club’s committee, and from present indications there is likely to be some activity amongst the members.

The thoroughbred sire Conqueror is to reach Gisborne for stud duty on September 1. The two latest winners by the fine son of Medallion are Leonta and Collector.

The long spell off the race tracks did not, as was expected, help Croesus to win distinction this season. The half brother to Desert Gold must come down in the weights if he is to win.

The V.R.C. G'rand National Hurdles was a triumph for the Musket blood, as Merunqua and Bundong, who filled the first two places, are grandsons of Carbine, the greatest son of Musket.

El Gallo came back from Wellington showing “trade marks,” one of them an enlarged knee, the one that he injured the first time he raced over the Ellerslie country two years ago.

Miss de Vai has been a very consistent performer and her dam, Northern Rose (by Finland), is a daughter of Rose Shield, by Hotchkiss, therefore sister to Royal Artillery, from Rose of Wellington, half sister to that good performer Boulanger.

Hurry On, the crack three-year-old of last season in England, who won half a dozen races and has not been defeated, showed signs of the effects of racing, and it is thought that he will be retired to the stud. He did not race at two years old.

Kenilford, a candidate for the A.J.C. Derby, won a race recently at Newcastle in convincing fashion, and “Pilot,” of the “Referee,” says the chances are he will develop into a Derby colt. He looks all over a galloper, and his action and breeding are those of a stayer.

Mr. W. Dunn, the well-known breeder of thoroughbreds from Waihou, near Te Aroha, was a visitor at Ellerslie on Saturday and informed our representative there that he would have four yearlings at the next annual sale, two by Marble Arch and two by General Latour.

The English-bred two-year-old colt Kingsclere (by William the Third from Keadean) has been sold privately through the agency of Messrs. H. Chisholm and Co., and has teen sent to Melbourne, where he will be trained by J. Scobie. Another sale by the firm mentioned was that of the New Zealand-bred yearling filly Hesitation (Provocation —Black Scotia).

The leasing system is becoming very prevalent in Western Australia, and a writer says very few owners there race all their horses themselves. He adds that the fact of all the horses racing appearing to be in a few hands furnishes food for thought.

Since 1912, Mr. A. Belmont, chairman of the New York Jockey Club, has presented five thoroughbred stallions to the United States Government for the purpose of siring army remounts. Octagon, Footprint, Vestibule, Henry of Navarre, and Merry Task were the horses so donated.

Cheddar, by Merriwee from Brown Alice, who was disqualified a couple of seasons back, is again in work at Lower Randwick, N.S.W. Useful at his best, he was never constitutionally solid, and his form was of the contradictory order at times in New Zealand, as it was in Australia.

At a meeting in Dublin of owners and trainers to protest against the discontinuance of racing, it was stated that nearly 300,000 horses had been shipped from Ireland to the seat of war since 1914. Furthermore, that the stoppage of racing would throw out of work a large rroportio?r of about 15,000 old men and young boys now employed by racing stables and breeding studs in Ireland.

Crib, who rules favourite for the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, is by Sant Ilario (son of St. Leger and Cissy, sister to Trenton) from Cryde (by Lochiel, winner of the Newmarket Handicap, New Zealand Cup, etc., from Cradle, by Gozo from Carmen, by Goldsbrough), thus getting two strains of the blood of old Sylvia through her son, whose name appears in so many winning pedigrees. Mr. J. B. Reid, the wellknown southern breeder, purchased Crib in Australia as a yearling for 50 guineas.

Prince Soult, winner amongst other events of the A.R.C. Royal Stakes a few years back, has come down to the level of a North Auckland hack, but though no longer sound enough to stand a preparation for racing he should prove a useful horse to his new owner, Mr. F. J. C. Grady, of the wireless station, Kaitaia.

Prior to going to camp, trainerowner A. D. Webster, who for some years has been a resident of Otaki, was entertained recently by the townspeople, when he was presented with several very appropriate trophies to mark the esteem in which he is held. A very pleasant evening was passed, and many good wishes for Mr. Webster’s safe return were expressed.

Friends of Dr. Ring, veterinary surgeon, who has been given a commission in the New Zealand Veterinary Corps, tendered that well-known sportsman a complimentary smoke social on Friday night at the Newmarket Public Hall. It was well attended and passed off with eclat. The doctor left on Sunday night for Wellington, and it is understood will leave for the front at an early date.

Government Veterinary Surgeon Lyon, who has been located in Auckland for some years past and has made many friends amongst those with whom he has come in contact, is being commissioned for active service in the Veterinary Department of the New Zealand Forces and took his leave of friends on Saturday last.

We have had a good deal to do with Mr. Lyon in his official capacity and regret that exigencies of the war should have necessitated the loss to the district of a so capable and well liked official.

In Melbourne the racing of inferior horses is to be discouraged, and with that end in view 7, says “Pilot” in the “Referee,” those racing clubs whose courses are south of the Yarra will not include third division handicaps in their future programmes. A third division horse occasionally develops into a fair performer, but if, as is generally accepted, the object of racing is the improvement of the thoroughbred, nothing is gained by catering for a very inferior class.

Among those who made a correct forecast of the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race was James Purtell, whose verses on sporting topics are well known in Australia. Purtell described a vision of the race which he had, and his references to Merunqua chipping in at the finish and beating Bundong on the post summed up what actually happened. Purtell sent copies of his verses to the owner of Merunqua and a number of his friends some days before the race.

Polydamon’s new owner in Auckland was awaiting advice which did not come to hand when the horse arrived, owing, it was believed, to the sinking of one of the mail boats, but from papers to hand it transpires that he won the Two Thousand Guineas Trial Selling Plate over a mile course, Captain Tanner being the pur chaser at 250 guineas. which makes him a very cheap horse. Even with the cost of his importation, jvhich is fairly heavy-now 7 in freight, attendant and insurance risks, it is very questionable whether a nicer looking horse has been imported to the Dominion, and it shows how the war has

affected prices when such a four-year-old as he is could be secured in England at a price so much below the service fee charged for his sire. Sleight of Hand looks like a Grand National proposition; indeed, is a very fine cut for the business, and we are expecting may some day be seen to advantage over country. He will have friends next month at Riccarton. South Australians claim that their State is not overrun with racing with only 85 licenses issued for the whole year, and it has been mentioned that under an Act of Parliament all of the days of racing that were permitted in the metropolitan area were not used. Mr. J. Musker’s big stud in England is being disposed of this month by auction. The once great mare Sceptre and her 'filly foal by Glenesky are to be sold on behalf of the Red Cross Society. Accordin to an exchange there is a proviso that 10 per cent, of the net amount realised should be divided among the stud employees of Mr. J. Musker, who at present owns Sceptre. As a yearling Sceptre realised 10,000 guineas, and, after winning various races for Mr. Sievier, was sold as a four-year-old to Mr. IV. Bass for £25,000. Subsequently she and her two-year-old daughter, Curia, w’ere bought for 7000 gs. by Mr. Musker. In common with many other mares that have distinguished themselves on the racing track, Sceptre has not been a stud success so far.

The stake for the Avondale Cup this year will be worth £7OO.

Horses in the Australasian colonies will be a year older on Thursday next, August 1.

Robert the Bruce will have a number of Soult mares amongst his consorts in the coming season.

El Gallo was scratched on Friday for all engagements at the C.J.C. Grand National meeting and Tararu Jack on Saturday.

The New Derby, substituted for the time-honoured event, is to be run on Wednesday next and the Oaks two days later.

There are several owner-trainers at Ellerslie who would be very pleased to sell the horses they are interested in now that race meetings have been cut down.

Chiara, dam of King Chiara, Patetonga, Barbwire and others, has been booked to visit Thurnham this season, as also has Loloma and her full sister.

The weather has proved a periodical source of trouble and delayed the w r ork of grading and banking the Ellerslie racecourse at the turn into the straight, where about a furlong of the course is to be dealt with.

This week should see the last of the Auckland horses intended to race at the C.J.C. meeting on their way there. Cardrona was the first to leave and should be there to-day.

Though Mr. W. J. Ralph withdrew El Gallo from the New Zealand Grand National events, he did not complain of the weights allotted to his good gelding.

The New Zealand Grand National Hurdles and Steeplechase and Winter Cup are to be run on the same day this year, a sensible arrangement, as there is no good purpose served in trying to get horses trained for a hurdle race to compete over the country. The two businesses are distinct. To have a horse really fit to do himself full justice over hurdles and jumping fast would in nine cases out of ten mean having him lighter than desirable for cross-coun-try work. Schooling over country as an almost general rule causes horses to take more time over hurdles, and schooling over hurdles only does not give them a fair deal for racing over the bigger obstacles. The importance of . thorough schooling work and fewer fast galloping tasks for jumping horses does not appeal' to be realised by some owners and trainers. There are more horses beaten and tired before they get to the end of their races because they are not asked to do in schooling half as hard tasks as they are set in their races. Nothing will stop a half prepared hurdle or steeplechase horse quicker than striking a jump or two during the running. A horse got lit by schooling and racing will hit fences hard and stand up and defeat a better horse that has not had the same solid work. “Oh, but he jumps well and does not require schooling” is what we often hear in answer to enquiries about schooling work. The horses that jump well and receive a fair amount of schooling to set their muscles and keep their wind right will invariably beat those that do little or none between meetings unless the intervals are very short.