Turf Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1521, 19 June 1919, Page 12

Turf Topics

Gazique was some horse at Gisborne.

Poitrel’s winnings at two and three years old amount to £8224. Diavolo’s win at Gisborne was not out of his turn by any means.

Brunswick, a winner at Poverty Bay, is said to be an excellent jumper. Maori Te Kanga was a well-sup-ported gelding that ran at Gisborne without success.

By Jingo has twice won the Manchester Cup, and has registered a second also in three years.

Multive may be found winning over the battens again during the winter season if all goes well with her.

By Jingo, Aynsley and Happy Man were the placed horses in the Manchester Cup, run on Friday last. Quite a number of the runners at the Poverty Bay meetings pulled up lame, winners and losers included.

Belair could not be produced after the first day of the Dunedin meeting, owing to a return of kidney troubles. The Martian —Margarethe filly, sold at Mr. H. Friedlander’s sale at 260 guineas, has been leased by J. McComb e.

Dainty Step, by Lucullus from Adoption, is considered fairly useful by some people who saw her race recently.

From Dunedin it is reported that Royal Star has joined E. Scoullar’s stable, and Caverock is to be trained bv P. McGrath.

An exchange suggests that Mr. J Bull’s horses have won sufficient bracelets and necklaces to start a jewellery establishment with.

Anyhow (imp.), by Chaucer from Silver How, who beat Amberdown in the Final Handicap at Randwick last month, is trained by P. Nolan. Yarraldool, by King Rufus from Eulogy, who got her name on the winning list at the Australian J.C. autumn meeting, was bred by Mr. Geo. Currie. When Nita fell four furlongs from home at the post and rails in the Wingatui Steeplechase (2% miles), her rider, H. Coker, broke a collarbone.

Nick’s Head is the name of a winner that came to light at the Poverty Bay meeting. He was named after the bluff across the Bay from Gisborne.

Demonstrate is the latest member of the family by Demosthenes to show to advantage. He got his name on the winning list at Gisborne more than once.

Mr. J. Daly, the veteran Australian handicapper, was obliged to leave Randwick on the first Saturday of the meeting, early in the afternoon, owing to illness.

W. H. McLachlan, owing to bronchitis, and L. A. Walker, owing to influenza, were unable to ride at Randwick on the concluding day of the recent autumn meeting.

Snub, Wishful, Gladful, Scornful and Hymestra were all at Caulfield at latest accounts. The two firstnamed had been spelling at Bacchus Marsh up to the end of May.

Mr. C. H. Smith, of Dannevirke, who is offering a number of thoroughbreds for sale, last week disposed of the four-year-old gelding by Tribulation —Boronia at a satisfactory price.

The lack of accommodation for visitors to race meetings held near any of the large towns in. New Zealand is one of the drawbacks. Motor traffic has, however, helped meetings greatly almost everywhere.

G. Tripp was riding his first race when he rode Killeney in the Domain Handicap on the final day of the Dunedin winter meeting for Mr. O. R. Wise. His father rode his first race for the same owner 35 years ago. The six-year-old Provocation mare Comment, who finished second to Bedford in the last C.J.C. Winter Cup, is reported to be progressing favourably in her track work, and is expected to sport silk at the Wellington meeting next month.

Mr. J. E. Brewer, the one-time Australian trainer, recommended the purchase by Mr. E. E. D. Clarke of The Welkin, who now stands at the top of the winning list of sires in Australia.

The Albion Cup, run on Saturday at Brisbane, was won by Master Warkon, with Everkeane second and Demeranthis third, after a close finish.

Silent Way, the six-year-old son of Calibre and Golden Way, who has been racing in Australia for about two seasons, ran second in a hurdle race at Bendigo early in the present month.

The hurdle race at Tattersail’s meeting at Randwick on Saturday is said to have been unprecedented there. Three horses started, they each fell at the same hurdle, and Algous, remounted by Baker, won easily.

Jullundur, the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles winner, is again in training. He has been in work for some time in Gippsland, and was due to arrive in Melbourne last week with a view to taking part in the big jumping events of the winter.

Tattersail’s Cup, run for at Randwick on Saturday, was won by that good gelding Some Boy, with Phast Boy second and Fortune Hunter third. Some Boy has been one of the most consistent performers in Australia. He made his debut at pony meetings. On the night (June 26) preceding the Hawke’s Bay J.C.’s winter meeting a 15-rounds professional boxing contest between Harry Johns, of Auckland, and Len Robinson, of Gisborne, is to be held at Hastings, under the auspices of the Hawke’s Bay Boxing Association. The revival of boxing throughout New Zealand will be universally welcomed in sporting circles, and the Johns-Robinson match should be productive of a keenlyfought battle.

The case brought against Charles Frank Morgan, a carter, charged with betting at Ellerslie, was dismissed by Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., last week, who said that he was satisfied with Morgan’s explanation, the evidence leading to the belief that it was a case of mistaken identity.

The Trentham trainer C. Pritchard has eleven horses in work at present. They include a three-year-old sister to Pretty Bobby and a two-year-old half-sister, by Autumnus, to Chudic. The latter is one of twins. Novoe Vremya produced twins to Golden Knight in 1913, and again to Autumnus in 1916.

The imported horse Whitefield, who has been spelling for some months, has again been put into work at Randwick. As Whitefield is seven years old, and has not won a race since the All-aged Stakes at Randwick two years ago. “Pilot” suggests that handicappers could now afford to take a little risk with him.

The Southland trainer P. T. Hogan had a splendid innings at the Dunedin J.C.’s winter fixture, horses from his stable, as a result of wins and place money, crediting their respective owners with no less than £2795 in stakes. During the present reason Hogan’s charges have won about £lO,OOO, while close on forty winners have been turned out from the Rorke’s Drift Lodge during that period.

Messrs. J. Farquhar, C. Sheath, and H. Ross, who were victims of a motor accident going to the last Wellington Racing Club meeting, are each mending, but it will take some time in each case before they are quite right. Mr. Farquhar is now having his right arm massaged. Mr. Sheath’s injuries included a dinged rib, which gave a good deal of trouble, and Mr. Ross still walks with a limp.

Martian will be at the head of the list of winning’ sires in Australasia this year, by the look of things. This son of Martagon has put up a splendid record to date. Sasanof leads with well on towards £5OOO of the total of nearly £25,000 which that sire’s stock have put together, most of it being won by horses in middle and longdistance races.

During the progress of the Riverton R.C.’s Easter meeting, which was held under adverse weather conditions, the wet and bedraggled horsemen engaged were liberally supplied with hot tea and solid refreshments during the two days of the club. In recognition of the keen interest taken in their welfare throughout by one of the stewards, Mr. T. E. Trail, the jockeys concerned, through W. Robinson, forwarded to that gentleman a case of pipes, accompanied by a letter expressing their hearty appreciation of the kindly treatment extended to them.

It was a subject of universal comment during the Dunedin J.C. winter fixture that the hack steeplechases were not supported as they should have been by owners, and some people even went so far as to advocate their elimination in future, but this would be a sad mistake. As a matter of fact, eligible jumpers were not available (remarks “Sir Modred” in the Southland “Times”), but this is not likely to happen again for a very long time, if ever. When June of next year rolls round, it will be found that a number of new owners have taken up the cross-country sport, while many men experienced at the game will be found with representatives at command that have already been earmarked as prospective cross-country candidates.

In discussing the effect of influenza or heavy colds upon horses, the Special Commissioner of the “London Sportsman” says:—“On one occasion the eminent veterinary surgeon, Mr. John Coleman, came near to bringing off the impossible when he treated Jardy with such effect that the desperately amiss son of Flying Fox not only ran, but ran second for the Derby. I have always thought, however, he should not have been allowed to start. He was blowing strings of mucous from his nostrils as he was led back to weigh in, and by the time he got home to France he had pneumonia and nearly died. He never ran again, though he lived to make a fairly successful stallion. But for the lure of the Derby it is practically certain Jardy would never have run at Epsom, and would have been given the chance to make a regular recovery from his illness.”

Morecamble carried far too many guns for the opposition he met at Wingatui (says “Sentinel” in the Otago “Daily Times”), and if he stands up to his work should win another good race over country. Morecambe was foaled in 1907, and prior to racing over obstacles won some good races on the flat. At the Grand National meeting of 1914 he won the Trial Hurdles from Corrie, Chedder, and others, ran second to Royal Arms in the Grand National Hurdles, and second to Fashion Plate in the Spreydon Hurdles. At the back end of the same season he was third to El Gallo and Tragedy King in the Great Northern Hurdles, and second to El Gallo in the Great Northern Steeples. He appeared only once during the two following seasons, and was sold last year at 40gns., when offered with the late Hon. J. D. Ormond’s stud and racehorses.

Mullingar has gone to his owner’s farm at Hellensville, and it is thought may go to the stud next season. He is by Marble Arch, a No. 1 horse, from Romola, who was the first foal of her dam, Lissadurn, by Wallace, son of Carbine and Melodious. Lissadurn was got by Bill of Portland from Cooya, by Nordenfeldt from Radiance, by Fireworks from Sunshine, by Maribyrnong from Nightlight (imp.). Some very good racehorses have descended from Nightlight, but few have succeeded in making a name for themselves as sires in the colonies. Two of Romola’s other sons, Master Theory and Tragedy King, were gelded. They were very dissimilar horses to Mullingar in conformation and size, but were not such large stake winners.

At the forthcoming conference, the president of the Wanganui Trotting Club (Mr. C. E. Mackay) proposes, if agreeable to the members, to bring forward the following motions, which have received the support of the committee of the Wanganui Trotting Club: —(1) That the Government be asked to reinstate the double totalisator; (2) that in the opinion of this conference the present system of conducting enquiries and appeals is unsatisfactory; that in the opinion of this conference such enquiries and appeals should be open to the press except when there are the strongest reasons to the contrary. That the Government be asked to introduce legislation to remedy the existing defects by giving (a) adequate protection to witnesses and others attending such enquiries and appeals, and (b) adequate powers to those conducting such enquiries and appeals to ensure that all available evidence is forthcoming.

That racegoers who attended the Dunedin meeting met with much more success in gauging the prospects of the jumping division than in their efforts to select the probable winners of the flat events was palpable by the fact that seven of the nine hurdle and steeplechase events were won by the favourite, while of the 15 flat races only one was annexed by the favourite, this being when Glenshine fulfilled the anticipations of his backers by capturing the Taieri Handicap on the concluding day. Second favourites were, however, successful in the flat handicaps on four occasions, while third favourites scored once, fourth four times, seventh twice, ninth twice, and eleventh once. Morecambe (Second Hack Steeplechase and Dunedin Steeplechase) and Dardanelles (First and Third Hack Steeplechases) were the only double winners at the Dunedin J.C.’s winter meeting. Morecambe won his first race in the Trial Plate at the Wellington winter meeting close on eight years ago, an event which horses owned by the late Hon. J. D. Ormond repeatedly won. Morecambe’s most noteworthy performance was registered when in the Great Northern Steeplechase at Ellerslie in June, 1915, he led practically all the way and at the last fence had an eight lengths’ advantage of El Gallo. It was never anticipated at this critical stage of the race that the then Karamu-owned gelding could possibly suffer defeat, but he started to compound at the half-distance and El Gallo, amidst unparalleled excitement, got up and won by half a length. Morecambe, who had run third to El Gallo and Tragedy. King on the opening day of the A.R.C. fixture, started a strong favourite for the Great Northern Steeplechase on the occasion mentioned.