THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1524, 21 August 1912, Page 6

THE TURF.

STEEPLECHASE FENCES. A MELBOURNE PROPOSAL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Melbourne, August 20. ; n ith .1 view to minimising accidents, J- proposal is aflcat to make eteeplechaso iences of a uniform height, with a slopo from the tnlce-off side. It is hoped the proposal will como into forco with tho new rules in November next. totausator investments. • Tli® following table shows tlio totalis!" ™ r investments at tlio meetings of tlio Canterbury Jockey Club and the Now Zealand Metropolitan Trotting .Club last weok and at tho corresponding fixtures last year:— Canterbury Jockey Club. "1911. 1912. r . , , J! s. £ 8. * lrst oar 29.574 0 35,073 10 Second day 30,680 0 36,775 10 ■third day 32,425 0 37,133 10 To ' al 92,679 0 108,982 10 Metropolitan Trotting Club. X v . , £ s. £ e. I irst day 11,578 10 14,117 0 n^? n , d , y 20 > 611 10 25,051 0 lliird day 21,868 0 28,563 0 Total 54,058 0 67,731 0 Grand total for week 146,737 176,713 10 NOTES .AND COMMENTS. [Bx Glencoe.] On it becoming 1 known that Tho Nativa - had been disqualified after winning the Grand National Hurdles, tho owner of the hors'o took legal advice, and, apparently acting on this, ho applied for a rehearing of tho case, frivats advicc reached Wellington yesterday to tho effect that tho Canterbury Jockey Club had refused to reopen tlieicaso, and now wo arc informed that Mr..;rimi Puru is appealing to tho conferences On appearances, ho will have a somewhat hard row. to hoe, and it is in fact extremely doubtful if ground for appeal exists. At the last mooting of tlio Racing Conference this was laid down clearly, and it will bo interesting to see if this law is liko most other laws.' Cai a coach and four bo driven through it? Nominations for the Dannovirko Racing Club's Steeplechase meeting close on Monday next at 9 p.m. R. Cameron, who rode TJxbridge to victory in the Australian Hurdlo Race, has announced' that lie will not ride in any more jumping events until next winter. Cameron's Spring engagements are top good to warrant his taking any unnecessary risk by riding over hurdles. ■ Immediately on the appearance of the weighths, Bronze (Bst. 81b.) was installed as favourite for tho New Zealand Cup. So far the writer has not gone.thoroughly ■ into the merits and chances of tho handicap, but, at a first glance, it would appear that' there would only have ,to be ono announcement to make, viz., that Vice-Admiral (9st. lib.) was being brought , back for tho race, ana Mr. G. D. Greenwood's horse would then, depose Bronze . I'rom the position of favourite. Word of the cancelling of the trip of tho Chokebors team to Randwick comes i as no surprise. It was mentioned ill this , column lust wtek that A,utumnus bad broken down badly, and, as he was the sheet anchor of the tedrn, the abandonment of tW trip was but a natural sequel. When the' boy colt went wrong it-ap-peared to lie a serious mishap, nut, two - mornings later, ho was again on tho track taking "walking exercise, and hones wero then entertained that ho would come sound agnin. Since he won at Otaki in June Prosper must have cost his followers a mint of money. Tho Advance gelding was taken to Napier" where ho' failed-twice, and three moro failures were credited to him lost week. On tho final day of the Riccarton meeting tho bay horse pulled up , very' badlv, and it is moro than likely , that his owner will decide to give him a short spell and thus enable him to freshen up again. < Nominations for tho Wanganui Jockey Club's spring meeting olose on Monday next. forfeits for tho Jackson Stakes, 1913, are duo at tho same time. ' Tho Australian jockey, B. Carslake, now holds a commanding lead in tho list of' winning jockeys in Austrio-Hungary, having ridden 38 .winners. M. Gulyas stdnds second with 22 successes, Baluska third with 20. The "Jockov" contains an announcement which possibly appeals to few of the actual sportsmen of .the day (says a Continental writer). It records the death at the ripe old age of 93 of tho Baron do. la Motto do Maissemy, Officer of tho Legion of Honour and honorary' Inspector-Gen-eral of tho Stud, at his house in the Buo dos Domeliers, Compiegne. Some fifty years ago he was ono of the little band of cross-country riders. Tho name of Lomond de la Motte was connected with tho incmorablo victory gained at Avranches over a field of good English horses and ! riders. Those were the of \ iscount Talon, Viscount, Guy do Montecot, the Martinis de Croix, and other men who could ride and went straight; the days of Franc Picard and other well-known sleepier?, when the Croix de. Berny and tlio old Vmeennes course would have been considered too dangerous for amateur , riders now with lis. The following is a list of the winning owners at the Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National meoting:— Mr. H. J. Cameron, .£1015; Mr. J: Hennnh, JC1000; Mr. J. George, .£920; Mr. J. Beck, .£500; Mr. J. M'Kelvio, w£2Bo; Mr. J, Williamson, : J!255; Mi'. A. Owoii, ,£250; Mr. A. Rore, £245; Mr. 11. F. Nicoll, .£2OO. The Rover scratching incident continues to provoke correspondence as to whether or not backers are called on to pay their wagers. Betting, it is pointed out, is not illegal in all circumstances, but only in certain places. Assuming, then, that all bets on The Rover wore legally mnde, the question is asked whether they should bo settled at olico. Tho matter may bo open to argument. It is recognised in betting that before a wager can hold good both parties to it must have a chance of winning. In tho present case, tlio terms of tho leaso of Tho Rover nro stated to have been such that the horse could not at any stage after nomination haw competed in the Grand National Hurdlo Race. If this is the case, thon those who backed it could not have hod a chance of winning their wagors at any stage, and all wagers should be called off. But so far tho actual terms of the lease are not fully known, and there may have been some clause which would .have given .backers a chance of a run for their money under certain circumstances. If the C.J.C. finds that the horse was not eligible for nomination under tho terms of tho lease, then nil bets should be o'ff, and as the club is said to be making inquiry on this point, backers may consider themselves Justified in postponing a settlement until tho result of tho Jockey Clubs action,, is mado known. FIXTURES. September 4-Marton J.C. Snrinf. September U-Dannevirko K.C. Meeplft clia?e. September 12 and 13** h 'Ashburtou County fi.C. ' September 23 and 2J-Otalti Maori R.C Spring. , "■ f September 2G and 27—Geralditto K.C Spring. September 26 and 28-Wonganui J,C. Spring. » ~ « , Oetobcr 2-Hawke's "Bay J.C. Spring. October s—Napier Pork R.C. bpriug. October 9 and 12—Thmedin J.C. Spving. October 29 nnd 30-Greymouth J.C. Spring