TURF GOSSIP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1482, 19 September 1918, Page 16

TURF GOSSIP.

A fatal accident occurred at the Tattersall’s meeting at Adelaide on August 31, the jumper, True Hero, being killed as the result of a heavy fall at one of the obstacles in the hurdle race.

Reports just to hand from Sydney state that Biplane gave a peculiar exhibition the other morning on the track at Randwick. Although he was doing only an eyen-time pace for a few furlongs, he disposed of a mile in lmin 49sec, and ran the last six furlongs in lmin 201 sec, and the last half mile in 54sec. Hurdles were placed wide out on the track, but when he passed the last of these at the top of the straight he ran in to the rails, and refused to be pulled out by his pilot. R. W. Brennan.

An accident occurred during the progress of the Ascot race meeting in Sydney, resulting in the death of the pony Maqueda, who was making her first appearance in the pony ranks. The accident happened in the first division of the Flying Handicap. Lady Clarit, who was making a brilliant run 50 yards from the post, got on to the heels of another candidate, and came down. Maqueda, who was in her wake, struck the fallen mare, and, turning a complete somersault, received serious injuries to her spine and an internal rupture, which necessitated her immediate destruction. Lady Clarit had some ribs fractured, and E. Hale, her rider, suffered from slight concussion of the brain and a sever shaking, but the other jockey (Tory) had a remarkable escape.

J. O’Shea has recovered from the effects of his poisoned leg, which laid him aside for several days upon his arrival in Sydney, and is now engaged in riding work each morning on the tracks at Randwick.

Brambletye has been retired from the race track, and is to be mated with Bonny Glen.

The high jump at the recent Wagga Show (N.S.W.) afforded one of the best exhibitions seen on an Australian show ground for many years. Thumbs Up, the holder of the pony record high jump of seven feet, cleared this height with a 10.0 rider at the first try.

In view of the New South Wales Railway Commissioner’s decision to charge full fares for racehorses, the Forbes Jockey Club has decided to pay the fares of racehorses one way up to 100 miles. Horse owners were advised of this decision by telegraph, and, as a result, the nominations for the two days’ show race meeting were better numerically than for many years. As a set-off against this extra expense the committee decided to raise the cost of admission to the paddock to 7s. 6d., an increase of Is.

Mr. F. P. Morris, the well-known A.R.C. stipendiary steward, has, according to the “Referee,” taken the position of honorary superintendent of gardening at Randwick racecourse, and at a recent meeting of A.J.C. members Mr. Knox said the club was indebted to him for already having made the place look better. Horticulture is Mr. Morris’ hobby and with some flowers he has achieved results unsurpassed by anyone else in Sydney.

“F,” in a note to the “Bulletin,” thus wrote of the late John Hill, who long time trained racers at Glenelg (South Australia). He seemed to have modelled his style to match his pleasant-looking face. At the time he brought Auraria to Melbourne to win Derby and Cup (Wallace beat the game little mare in the Derby), Hill bore a general resemblance to the English trainers of half a century earlier. His clean-shaven face suggested the old-fashioned stud groom of old sporting prints. His claim to have gone straight all his racing days was doubtless an honest claim. He might have sat for a picture of Rectitude —in the turf sense of the term before the turf changed for the worse. One of Alf. Vincent’s pages of Melbourne Cup characters included a very good portrait of Hill, with a saddle over his arm, talking to David James, the owner of Auraria.