TURF GOSSIP

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 154, 29 June 1907, Page 11

TURF GOSSIP

After winning the Spring Handicap a*. Stockton, England, at the end of April, Norman Mint stumbled badly, shooting her rider, W. Briggs, out of the saddle, and rendering Him temporarily unconscious. Medical assistance was available, but the boy did not come round in time to weigh in immediately. The horse was unsaddled by the judge, aud when sufficiently recovered, Griggs was carried to the scale and duly weighed.

If a leading London paper can be relied upon. King Edward and his trainer, liichard Marsh, are among those who have a pronounced dislike for the American style of riding. To satisfy two sets of employers, the young jockey, Herbert Jones (who rides for Marsh's stable) has to let out two or three holes of his stirrup leathers when wearing the Eoyal livery, and to pull them up again when riding for patrons outside the Egerton House establishment. The oldest steeplechase of which any record is to be had, took place in Ireland in the year 1702, and consisted in a run over four and a half miles of country •'from the Church of Buttevant, County Cork, to the Church of St. Leger," between a Mr O'Callaghau and Mr Edmund Blake. The first instance of an English chase was an eight-mile run in the year 1792, in the County of Lancashire. Even in the year ISI6 a ride in England of twenty miles across country against time (under one hour and nine minutes) was regarded as something extraordinary, although about that time steeplechase matches were coming into fashion with the young foxhunters or the day. In the English House of Commons recently Mr. Bottomley asked the Home Secretary whether his attention had been called to the increase in the number of people attending race meetings since the passing of the Street. Betting Act, and to the increase in the receipts of the Continental PariMutuels since the suppression of open betting, and, whether in view of these indications of the effect of legislative interference with the sporting proclivities of the people, he would consider the desirableness of introducing legislation -with the object of restoring to the working classes the opportunities they formerly possessed of'gratilying such proclivities - without .having recourse to Continental betting agencies or attending Tace meetings. Mr. Gladstone said he had read the newspaper cuttings sent to him, but he did not think it would be desirable to introduce legislation of the kind suggested.

Thus an English exchange: "How wayward and sheeplike the racing' forces are; for a jockey has only to ride nominally two or three losers when he is practically forgotten. A case in point is that of litrie Wootton, who was the Infant prodigy of last autumn, because-be happened to-strike lucky at the- outset, and be on a few. winners. This season the boy's form has apparently not been maintained, simply because he has been second instead of first. 1 grant that a little better luck, if nothing else, would have won him the Queen's Vrlze at Kempton ou Cadwal, and the Newbury Cup on Latino; but because he was beaten their, and second again in the City and Suburban, he is now only rated with the rest of the feather-weights, in contrast to being on the extraordinary absurd pedestal which was the case six months ago. And imnjjediately the boy wins another good race —especially by a narrow margin—he will once again jump into everybody's fulsome praise."

Some men consider women rather a nuisance when they have to take them to •racing, but believe ma (says a writer in the "Sporting Sketcher") that the longer and the greater a woman's patronage of the turf endures so much greater will racing grow in popularity. I suppose in course ot time the great preiudices of middle-class women will fade ou:. After all, has it not struck anyone that the majority or stay-at-home British housewives see the turf Irom its very worst side. They are never initiated into its fascination simply because they are absentees from nearly every sporting event. Some men who do not follow racing actively—that is, whose visits to a racecourse are intermittent, slink off by themselves on occasions as if they were sliding into forbidden spots. If a" man would 'openly discuss -with his friends -and relations the sport which we all love so much, instead of merely referring to -it under his breath, there would be more women patrons of the various racecourses -in the country. Many a time 1 have taken people to a meeting for the first time in their lives, and they have been surprised at the orderly' crowd they have se-eo, and much impressed with the delights of what England is slowly endeavouring to do to make racegoing more a garden- party "function. At piest-nt we are bealen in hollow style by foreigners and colonials. Abroad racing is a fete, and it is a gala-day for a woman when she is taken. Here in. England a lot of -narrow-minded men go by a by-path with their wives, sisters, and sw-eetthearts, and are too scared to death to tell some of. their friends where they have been: therefore, some women look upon a visit to a racecourse much the same way that some younf persons a stolen visit on one single young persons will describe to other young persons a stolen visit on one single occasion to the Moulin Rouge.

A doctor, -well-known on the north-east coast of England for his skill in medicine, his love of a day's racing, and his regular wearing of an old, rusty, tall silk hat, relates as a story against himself how he was once "welshed," and how he. recovered the money. At Newcastle races after backing a winner, "outside." he. -to his dismay, discovered his "Bookie" had cleared off. However,' he reckoned it an "experience," and wa6 prepared to treat it as such. However, he came into his own again; for some time after he at Carlisle discovered his fielder standing up, and naturally proceeded to recover the £4 which was owing to him. "The Welsher," says the doctor, "used language which in no sense of the word could be deemed complimentary," and to all his remarks the medical punter replied that hard words never discharged a liability, and declared he would -call in the aid of the racecourse detectives if a settlement was not made. After "badgering," coupled with the fact that during the afternoon the fielder enjoyed a fair time, the doctor was handed his money; thereupon the book maker suggested that "the doctor was entitled to stand a drink, and the latter being not unwilling, they adjourned to the tent. "How did yon know that I was "the man who dodged you at Newcastle?" asked tho fielder. "As a matter of fact," replied the doctor "I wasn't quite sure." "Well, I'll be hanged," said the bookmaker, 'and would you have really called in the police, under these circumstances - " "Of Course not." stated the medical gentleman; "it would never have done for mc to -appear iv the court in connection with such a case." makes'only a^'S? red '" W3S tbe b^ you^n^eV' 116 ""»* J «* *™ "iThnnTrt y h°?' iUdeed! " Iau S he <3 the fielder. I should have known yon anywhere with that damned old hat!" . • And this is an absolutely true story. The following from the "London Snortsman" shows that the English racin- public put up with a lot more than their brethren in the colonies, while the Home authorities seem to tolerate things that would not ho allowed to happen on any- well 151 L colonial course. The article most conspicuous and most V.il- h about animal at Ne,vmir!« talkea 3 was Polar Star, C o°lt EX no part in any race WW h toofc may be summarised as follow, vvf ppen ? a three animals whose name? ;^ VUeu llle rhe telegraph frame as m/ PPeate(l in Chippenham' Plate left the *? r the were headed by Polar star P t d , dock tl,ey was nod on the number boird mb beyond the fact that his St h h ° rSC ' on his head, had apparently Za*?. ao cap completed for thfray a ***-•> tolJe t dered what was happening hj£,° ne -° n " not usual to see fouSsS fehVnad dock when only three Paa_tised. and the fact ttet the^M^-mS^ animal m^s-mmn™^£?%£*

(By WHAU3BONE.) . ~;,

added to the interest Polar Star's jockey made at first ai..tj. ou g,_ He was" going down to the of the S-owley Mile, but changed* and leaving the S s ° n bund, went down the tieaui the baefc^ ay The others cantered f°*" n as nsuaLy-Sebpie wondered more than ™hu»^? at T ai %oing to happen. Then, Pr,inr othoc -.'three were at the post, TSf „ >S wa3 'seen to ne. careering him- _ c st %h of heath alongside tho a ,f. : "a'iter completing a good holy hvnf, f all °W>e pulled up, 2nd sSmenfterannn^ 4 v" a i hat - titer, in the wm ;*^ Half Walker * the owner » c^'ruin- ttJ° t?^ms enlightenment eonfn~s and ?,„ ."PParently strange proceedThto if what h^ autly made thia S s P'- alnrun Polar •sto^- ? -*? id: " L was ' not S oin = *•<> Hi"4 could Hrf'^ he Jubllee st akes unless anrchance th^ a as there <«d not seem so"tS colt be able to do the Chlnnonh t0 the COUrse 4 ° rnn ia would be ab^P S m T that HigsS deterrr-in-d nnf i-*" rlde at Kempton, so I but hfwalJZ „'° - scud ac colt t° tbe post; al" readT I vl a; ? allop * andas be was there hin one ' and M sot ou his Dack aQd S aTO ' train Sack to lo|?^ ble to Cat< * au ear ** a write.- a f n ticl£l i n ' the su, « ect 0 * "Betting" - th^nufntirv^ change says that words ?lTo\ 9l^ed b etting, or, in other ?™ t l„™ booming of horses in the clubs for the purpose, of keeping them in the S Tvs-oni?, n^ loUS ' T In his says. . un Saturday, June 11, 1904. I was paying a visit toS- Darling's charmfcg and secluded place at Beckhampton, which is just a nice drive from Marlborough In the course of conversation the name of Challenger cropped up, and Peas-ally ask-v ed who would ride him in the Koyr Htat Cup, to.be run the following. We'uaesdoy, Royal Hunt Cup?" queried my host. Challenger doesn't run. We shall be represented by .Nlphetos." "Then vßeckhampton is not responsible for the horse's • market position?" -'Market fiddlesticks'" ' said Darling "testily. "Where's the market? Who, niakes the market? Why," he went on, "I have seen some of my horse 3 quoted at short prices when they were in • hospital. It's the work of those London bookmakers. 1 ■ I;_suppose 'it pays tnem. But it is very irritating to a trainer For iustance, I. write and tell one of mv patrons that his horse will not. be read" to run, or, of another, that even if he runs he has only a remote. chance. ' By nest post, may be",.-T get a letter from that owner asking; mc if I can; explain the horse's position; in the market—who is putting the money on? -This false betting,'* Darling continued.- "is an irritation to the trainer, and annoyance to the. owner, and a source -of less, to the public." On my return to tdwif|l. discovered that Challenger— who was. not intended to run. and did not run—itas said to be a "st- ng order for the. Koyil Hunt Cup! Un.ess mv memory is.at'fattft, ou the Saturday night of June 11,'190i, Challenger stood at 100 to S— taken :aiia : .'grwedily wanted■

„On up day of 1005 I was talking iv tiie,.;,Gondwood paddock to Mr George Tliurfbyy aud the conversation turned on the 1 -'prospects of- his mare Semper Vivcnt fofithe big sprint of the afternoon. "Sae,'lias a chance.", he said, "but she is 'a-flead jade. Still, if sha does as well In the race as she did iv ncr gallop with jßelter Skelter she will be handy." **Di|;Helter Skelter go wrong?" I asked". , ;.-;sß.'i: We had a gallop, and he didn't 'dorfwifat I expected. He nin3 in the Singleton. Plate on Wednesday." "That's: funiiy,;;;l answered: "When-,I left London ,oa. Monday at, noon Heifer Skelter ''was '.'about. favourite. " How do •yon. account: for That?"- ■ "I cannot account for;.it;"- said Mr Thnrsby. This faked betUng-B- a great nuisance to mc, and to jny'brother. Sir John, and to Mt Dugdale. The; bookmakers put our horses at a- short'nPriee, the papers declare they are keaVijy backed, and all tbe whila we may have no, intention of running them. They don't'evaffgive us time to train and try thfem,':. let; alone back them, befora they are favbnjites. And when they losa their trials,_an(i we eithei- do not run them or scratch"thera. we are accused of all sorts of •contemptible things. I can - * make out-where the papers get the quotations from.'}7'..?.. There may ibe cases in which -dishonour" able owners'have stood in -with the bookmakers at the-milking of the public, hut I impeach'"London betting ou surer gTound I say that when you find horses' the property -ot honourable men trained by'upright trainers promoted t» favouritism at the very moment the question of scratching them is under discusto 'adapt Gay's famous phrase, you find, :im connection with every biff race, the "well-backed" horse of to-day is the "scratched" horse of to-morrow—when these thing's occur it is time some very plain speaking, was indulged in, and tlifJ public warned: in explicit terms to viev* the majority-of the quotations printed a* representing London Market Movement* with the gravest suspicion.

Curiously, the horses that are backed for money often only make a belated appearance in the quotations. How about that 10,000 to 400 that M. Bphrussi was laid over Ob for the Lincolnshire? AVas that recorded? Oh, dear, no! That never found its way into the papers till M. Ephrussi had won his money. I am quite aware that bet was not made—to use the delightful phrase of one chronicler — 'in the open market." Very few bets possessing the true, ring are. Open market, forsooth! ,-iOpen daylight robbery would be tbe apter- phrase.

The death of Mr "William Cave Brown in r°-' P. r °P" etor °l the famous repository £ B'fniingham-which is one of the largest Snl he + Mngdom-brlngs back to the recollect™ l tt = „ st °ry of Birmingham's famoua Leger victory m 1830. "Cave's Kepository," Sfpn •?• est / bl^h ™ ent now known, was then Beardsworth's Repository, and Mr £MnJ h bred ' a * ew thoroughbred h?s f ii mn - y m ° He told, the story of Eflan fh» wim l er * to Piei-ce da"y a ,V Mlfws 3 :-^" N*** l ** ° ( ttß •rei-t&-l OS^,^ e s traordinar y circumstance , or ? e ' Birmingham is that Sia e sed he mm? he w£ Xn S °-i, ""? **£ -~,-u 4.J . taken ill, aud was so feed Tr tM. f»l h6 COuld Dot 6taßd t(> =n2 thls f tate r 'eft him (on a Frl--eh ™ t aS from h ? me ten days;-'on my inrt L r ? aS sur W is >ed to find him alive. wi„t h * ve j 1 S"at dislike to see a sick horse, I ordered that he should be destroy ed before I went to the stables. Mrs mo *•■«' rrcsent, begged of frr. h to u have , . hjm destroyed, and that if 1 would have him brought into a private tv™ r the -'""•"i'she would attend to 'J™ fl '° m the box he was then in to f'ff' i^ 1 '? he remained for a month duringthi ht "i t , any vi sible improvement, B?arf g -w»4h Whole - of which time Mrs ancp on nV* Was . in her attendthhf- hof m V seeln *? him always the last Iv ««.?,, S ? e W!!nt t0 bed. and frequentral Hmof Ul> 1D theni S ht to him. I sevestroved h,,?1V eSt |? tba t mi = ht be d *T sflkWhl Mrs B " al^a J-s opposed it; .and reeL-Ji h^ d a Presentiment that he would reco-i er and win the Leger. It is a singular ciicnmstance that this is the only horse ,„£ s . ever noticed: although Se IS , SO> near 'y connected with my establishment, I never knew her enter a stable except to see Birmingham." ±Ju-mingham was bred by Mr Lacy,* of v-oiwick, near Nottingham, and was bought at Beardsworth's Repository by auction on ■November 35, 1527, by Mr Dickenson for 45 guineas; aud Mr Beardsworth gave him ten guineas for the buying. Birmingham, during his career, won seventeen races, but his crowning triumph w-as in the Leger, for which Priam (who belonged to Sam Chifney), the Derby winner, was backed as though the race was over. The Derby winnings were played np on him, but Chifney's great horse finished second to Birmii'Sham, who, ridden by the Irish jockey. Pat Conolly, started at 115 to I—not 100 to 1, as has been stated many times—but there was no doubt that the fearfully heavy going was responsible for the downfall of the Derby winner, and incidentally the Chifueys. To give some idea of the magnitude of their losses it must be known that hi order to meet the heavy wagers due upon the following Monday, Chifney.. was. compelled- to sell his horse, which he did, to Lord Chesterfield, for the then almost unheard-of sum of three taoor sand galßtife,.