TURF GOSSIP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1579, 29 July 1920, Page 16

TURF GOSSIP.

: The jockey premiership of the { Dominion remained unchanged during j the Wellington R.C. winter meeting 5 so far as the positions of the leading < horsemen -were concerned. R. Reed, i who took his departure for Sydney 5 several days prior to the Trentham ! gathering, thus heads the list of winj ning horsemen for the present sea- ? son, with 59 wins and a dead-heat to his credit. A. Reed, who. failed I to ride a winner at the Wellington 3 'fixture, comes next, with 56 wins and 1 a dead-heat, while G. Young is third i with 54 "victories and a dead-heat. \ The next ten names on the list are: 4 R. S. Bagby, 44% wins; H. Gray, 1 43%; L. G. Morris, 40; A. J. McFlinn, 38%; M. McCarten, 37; J. Olsen, 36%; H. Young, 36; A. McCormac, 32; C. z Reed, 26; B. H. Morris, 23. : Riding honours were well distri--1 buted during the recent two days’ 5 meeting at Trentham. H. Gray, H. •• McSweeney, and W. Bowden each ? piloted a couple of winners, while C. ; Bracken, L. Morris, L. Berry, B. Deeley, H. Turner, D. Cameron, S. : i Reid, R. Thompson and G. Fielding i- eachLrode a winner apiece. H. Robini son and J. Olsen shared honours in j tfie remaining event;-'being the respective riders of Gold Kip and Arch i I Salute, which pair dead-heated in the ■ ( Winter Oats Handicap on the con- ■ eluding day. ; I Messrs. Mclver and Wright, owners ji of the Wellington Steeplechase and j• July Steeplechase winner, First Line, •headed the list of winning owners at L; the Wellington R.C.’s recent winter gathering with £1355. Other successful- owners during the two days’ racing at Trentham were: —Hon. E. W. Alison. £545: Messrs. R. Acton Adams £430, H. Whitney £350, P. A. Herman £240, H. S. Keesing £240, G. F. Hardy £240, C. F. Vallance £225, G. D. Beatson £2lO, W. E. Herbert £2lO, J. M. Cameron £lBO, D. Bohan £175, H. M. Campbell £l7O, W. A. Henderson £l6O, Curran and Wood £l6O, A. Goodman £l4O. W. Duncan £lOO.

The ex-Aucklander Tararu Jack credited his owner. Mr. Leslie Stuart, with £l5O as a result of running a second and a third in steeplechase events at the V.R.C. Grand National meeting at Flemington. On the second day of the gathering Tararu. Jack, under the solid impost of 12.4 and with Stan. Reid in the saddle, made a big effort to win the Kensington Steeplechase (two miles and half a furlong), but though he negotiated the final obstacle in advance of the field, Pimpara (9.1) wore him down inside the distance and won by a length, Jack Friar being third. Tararu Jack made practically all the running throughout the race, and that his showing had impressed those present was made evident when, with 12.9 in the saddle, he was sent out favourite for the Footscray Steeplechase (two miles and half a furlong) on the concluding day. There were eleven starters, and S. Reid kept Tararu Jack in close attendance on the leaders, but Jack Friar (10.12), who had taken the lead early in the race, finished up a comfortable winner by a length from Pimpara, with Tararu Jack five lengths away, third. The Prince of Wales is reported to have thoroughly enjoyed his experience at the Western Australian Trotting Association’s night meeting at Perth early this month. During proceedings the ’ Prince laughingly told Mr. Tyler, the president of the association, that he was. itching to have a drive. The adverse conditions prevented this. His Highness started the big race, and when he fired the pistol all of the fifteen horses shot away to an even start. After the event he decorated the winner (Dave Ireland) with a big purple and gold sash (the colours are those of the Prince and also of the Western Australian T.A.), and he twice shook hands. with_ the owner-rider. In conversation . with Mr. Tyler, the. president of the association, he said he had seen a trotting ;, meeting in Canada. He expressed his appreciation of the racing on a brilliantly- 1 , lighted course. The Prince noticed during the 'first lap that of the 15( starters only Craboon was squaregaited, and he expressed the opinion that ridden horses had an advantage over those that were driven.

As a result of Checkmate and Nightraider both winning their engagements at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting on Thursday last Sir Geo. Clifford’s winnings in stakes for the present season have been increased from £9999 to £10,144. Studmaster J. Hay, of Wanganui, returned from Australia by the Moeraki on Wednesday (says the Wellington “Post”) with a chestnut horse by Santoi from Lady Cynosure (sister to Polymelus), by Cyllene — Maid Marian (dam of Grafton). He is a half-brother to Lancastrian, a winner, and Pageant, who ran second to Hurry On in the St. Leger. He was accompanied by a black mare by Piedmont —Adele, by Dalmeny— Spring Blossom, by Goldsborough. This youngster is a full-sister to Demonte. a winner at the V.R.C. winter meeting, and half-sister to Turangapito (by Prudent King), a well-known performer in the Wanganui district, where he won five times out of nine starts a couple of seasons back. When the question of an increase in the jockeys’ fees for the coming season was under consideration at the New Zealand Racing Conference it was reported that the biggest wage-earner amongst the jockeys last season was H. Gray, whose fees amounted to £1386. As was generally anticipated in view of the lameness which has recently been troubling him, Artilleryman has been withdrawn from all his spring engagements, and it is evident his trainer, P. T. Heywood, is by no means hopeful of last year’s Melbourne Cup winner doing any further good on. the turf. The New Zealand cross-country rider, H. J. Thompson, who was successful on lolaus in the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase-at Flemington, went across to Australia five years ago. He was born at Christchurch, and is now 28 years of age. He has' been following his profession for 15 years, and has four brothers riding. Thompson is a well-known boxer, and being a professional jockey his amateur status was questioned some time ago. The Victoria Amateur Athletic Association, however, ruled in his favour.

Since his arrival in Wellington from Sydney several weeks ago the square-gaited Australian trotter, Homeleigh Dick, who was purchased by M. Edwards for a Canterbury sportsman, has not been idle, having been worked regularly on the Hutt tracks during his sojourn in the North Island whilst awaiting shipment south. The Feilding Jockey Club expect to have their new Julius totalisator in operation at their spring meeting, which is to take place on November 30 and December 1. Already a start has been made with increasing the accommodation both on the lawn and in the saddling paddock, and the improvements are certain to meet with wide appreciation from the Club’s many patrons. According to latest word from Australia the latest introduction into the market for the Melbourne Cup is the Tressary (imp.)—Perdita colt, Strathredole, who won the V.R.C. Mimosa Stakes at the last spring meeting at Flemington, beating, among others, Fluent, Gossine Hatan, Fitz Arlington, Midilli and Antarctic. He was spoken of at the time as a promising colt, and likely to develop into a useful three-year-old. A commission was executed in Melbourne and Sydney last week, and he is now one of the favourites for the Cup. He ran the six furlongs in 1.14. 'Commenting upon the death recently in England of Tagalie (Cyllene —Tagale), “Sir Modred” mentions the fact in the. Southland “Times”.7that the grey mare unexpectedly carried the New Zealand jockey L. H. Hewitt to victory in the One Thousand Guineas, of 1912 and subsequently accounted for . the Derby in the hands of J. Reiff. The fact was widely commented upon at the time that the New Zealand jockey should be taken off Tagalie in the Derby race to secure the services of /a “more experienced” horseman. However,' she gave Hewitt his first ride on a classic winner in England, and that was some to the ex-Southlander. A few- days after the death of Tagalie her best son, Allenby, won the Newmarket Stakes, at Newmarket, beating Paragon, Archaic and'others, and running the mile and a-quarter in 2min. 4 4-ssec.