TURF TOPICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1520, 12 June 1919, Page 12

TURF TOPICS

It was two years on Saturday since Messines Ridge was taken. On Saturday the Kempton Park meeting was to start in England. It is just fifteen years since geldings were excluded from competing in the Derby. Nominations for classic events of the Auckland Racing Club close on Friday.

Mr. C. F. Vallance, president of the Masterton Jockey Club, is on a visit to Auckland.

The Derby was won by Grand Parade on Wednesday and the Oaks by Bayuda on Friday of last week.

The tote returns for the three days Dunedin meeting showed a better proportionate return than for the two days of the previous year. Morecambe, who was second to El Gallo in the Great Northern Steeplechase in 1915, won the Dunedin Steeplechase on Saturday.

Mr. F. Marshall, of Morrinsville, says that the English-bred horses Day Comet and Archistown have, as far as he can learn, stinted the mares that visited them very well.

A number of yearlings were being exercised at Ellerslie during the progress of the recent meeting, to get them used to the sights on a race day. As at Wanganui, some of the youngsters seen out were by imported Absurd.

Only five horses remain in the Gisborne Steeplechase, to be run on Thursday, the acceptors including the Auckland-owned gelding Signature, who ran second to Entente Cordiale in the Jumpers’ Flat at Ellerslie on the King’s Birthday.

The Marlborough Racing Club made a profit of £l4OO on its recent three days’ meeting. A movement is in progress to purchase a new property comprising 80 acres, about 10 minutes’ walk from Blenheim. The old Riverlands course will command a good 'figure for agricultural purposes.

The Great Northern Hurdle Race victor, Cynic, has been- accepted for in the Park Hurdles (two miles), to be run on Thursday at the Gisborne R-.C.’s winter meeting. The imported horse has the steadier of 11.9, but if started is certain .to receive solid backing. Cynic also claims an engagement in the Winter Oats, to be run later in the day.

The Greenlane trainer C. Coleman had three candidates saddled up for the concluding event of the Great Northern meeting at Ellerslie, the Fitzroy Welter Handicap, in which there were 21 starters. • Scottish Knight and Mountain Gold filled second and third places behind the winner, Tama-a-roa, while Coleman’s other charge, Te Miro, finished outside a place.

Roseway, who was defeated in the Oaks by Bayuda, won the One Thousand Guineas just four weeks before.

The Auckland candidate Sir Ralph, who contested the principal flat races at the Great Northern meeting, is an acceptor for the Winter Oats Handicap (1U miles), the leading race on the flat on the opening day of the Gisborne meeting on Thursday. Sir Ralph, whose impost is 10.2, should be suited by the going.

It is an open secret that the committee of the Auckland Racing Club are not fully satisfied with the working of the new totalisator at Ellerslie. It was expected that matters would work more smoothly than at the Easter meeting, but something, further requires to be done before the state of perfection looked for is obtained.

The Wanganui Agricultural Society is making efforts to promote an annual carnival week in Wanganui, the intention being to hold the Jockey Club and Trotting Club meetings, autumn show, regatta, sports gathering and competitions, as well as arranging for evening entertainments.

Flying Duck, winner of the Welbeck Plate at Lincoln, and whose portrait appears in this issue, is a three-year-old of some class. She was got by Fugleman from Lame Duck. The fact that a goat to which she is attached is taken to and from meetings with her is significant.

The question as to the qualification of Entente Cordiale will be dealt with by the committee of the Auckland Racing Club on Thursday, an embargo having been placed on the stake by the owner of Signature on the ground that the conditions of the race were not fulfilled.

It is not often that two horses resemble each other in looks to the extent of Greenroom and Master Hopson, but, says an English writer, they are as much alike as two peas in a pod. They are identical in colour and markings, with the same head and neck. The only difference lies in the fact that Greenroom is a trifle more thickly set than the other. Moreover, the two horses have the same style of galloping and are equal in gameness. On Monday Cynic, Carlysian, Peneton, and Sir Ralph were shipped to Gisborne for the meeting which commences on Thursday, but Signature, Pierrot, Tama-a-roa and Entente Cordiale were amongst those that space could not be provided for. This is bad luck for the Bay clubs and owners as well, as the meetings must suffer to some extent in consequence. The Marble Arch gelding Patetonga, who has frequently demonstrated his undoubted pace in races that he has contested in Auckland, but has on more than one occasion been robbed of victory through a recurrence of his hemorrhage trouble, figures among the acceptors for the Hack Handicap (seven furlongs) to be run at the Gisborne meeting on Thursday. If the old trouble does not again present itself he should prove a tough proposition for those opposed to him.

It has been stated that Housewife has run her last race. F. Davis, Mr. T. H. Lowry’s private trainer, has been on a visit to Auckland. Some of the members of the team over which he presides have been nominated for Australian spring events.

The 1914 Army horse which was returned from France to the Swaythling Remount Depot, Southampton, bearing a label, “Please give me a good home,” was sold for 142 guineas. There was spirited bidding, many offers being received by post by the adjutant. The animal was sold to Mr. Ernest Moy, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, who, in purchasing the war veteran, said he will never part with him, and will only use him for light work.

Ruddy, whose name figures in the handicaps for the Napier Park meeting, was brought to Auckland with other members of Mr. J. Bull’s team merely for the trip. He took the place first intended for Yankee Jack, and it was thought a bit of travelling would do him good, as he is a rather highly-strung gentleman.

The custom observed in the drawing of marbles for barrier positions on most of the Victorian courses is an obsolete one, which opens the way to sharp practices being adopted by jockeys (remarks a Sydney “Sun” writer). According to the Melbourne “Herald,” a bag containing the marbles is hung in the weighing enclosure, and from this the jockeys are supposed to secure their marbles after they have been weighed out. The same paper points out, however, that it is an easy matter for jockeys to dip into this bag in search of marbles representing the most coveted positions near the rails while the officials’ backs are turned. Having

secured the marble desired a jockey retains it until, after having been weighed out, he is told to take a marble from the bag. Then he simply dips his hand in, holding the marble he has already taken, and presents this as representing his post position. In Sydney the practice is for a stipendiary steward to give out the marbles. These are all placed in a box, and by some mechanical process only one drops at a time out through a little slot, when a button is pressed. Thus the possibility of cheating is reduced to an absolute minimum. In this issue will be found an advertisement setting forth that a clearing sale will be held of Bushy Park brood mares and the stallion Hallowmas at O’Brien stables, Wellington, on July 11th, .the day between the race days of the Wellington R.C. meeting. There are nine mares in all, which have been served by Hallowmas, sire of Miaoha, Hallow, Halyon, Seasprite, Negligee, Hallow Oak (the last-named racing in Australia), and other performers. As Mr. Moore has decided on relinquishing breeding he is selling the whole of his stud. Catalogues are being prepared and can be obtained from the auctioneers, Williams and Kettle, Ltd., Hastings, who are acting in conjunction with Freeman R. Jackson and Co., Ltd., Wanganui. The sale will be further referred to later.