SPORTING.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 103, 10 May 1901, Page 1

SPORTING.

Menschikoff has won £2555 in stakes. An Australian writer refers to Binland as a downright cur. Sydney scribes are nearly all of the opinion that La Carabine is the best mare ever raced in Australia. According to a Melbourne exchange, Advance was nnder offer to an Australian buyer at 4000 gs, but no business resulted. The Needle, who has an engagement in the Grand National Hurdles, is a splendid jumper. A prominent Melbourne scribe suggests j : importing a faw Ainerican jockeys to tench 'Australian horsemen how to ride a long distance race. Despatch, by Saracen—Dunoon, the winner of the Nursery Handicap at Abe Avondale Jockey Club’s Meeting, was sold as a yearling in Auckland for 7gs. Begalia 11. made a promising first appearance over hurdies at the Avondale mooting. The Legal gelding carried list. 71b., and won very easily. C. Jenkins celebrated his return to New Zealand by steering Dormant to victory in the Hack Welter Handicap on the second day of the W.R.C. meeting. Mr E. Halstead, owner of The ''Trifler, winner of the Steeplechase at the Avondale Meeting, counts on taking the son of Tim Whiffler to Wanganui for the May steeplechases. The Trifler is a fine fencer, and is a half-brother to Booties, who will be remembered as a ’chaser of good fencing ability. A rather funny incident occurred in connection with Materoa's disqualification at Napier Park (says the Hawke’s Bay correspondent of the Canterbury Times). Prior to the protest being entered instructions had been given to the totalisator to pay out, and on the outside machine four persons had received their dividends. One of these individuals—a well-known Native chief—had just received a pile of notes representing four chances, but not oaring for the appearance of some of the paper money he handed it back and asked to have it in gold. Tho polite totalisator assistant moved away from the window to get the requisite coin, and while so doing a peremptory order came to stop paying out, and that Native is still waiting for his dividend. If you want to see how angry a man can look you have only to - ask the chief if he “ will have it in gold.” The other three lucky ones of course, were never discovered, and the club had to lose £lO 14s. The Sporting Beview says:—What a determined finish young Abbott put up on the pony St. Loander at the Avondale Meeting. Seeats tried to show him a point on the run houie, but the youngster was quite up to it. Regalia H. continues to improve, and good judges think the Grand National Hurdles not beyond the son of Begal and May. A peculiar accident happened the other, morning at Flemington to a two-year-old named Barleymow (Harvester Litigant). He was being cantered on the sand, when both his forelegs suddenly snapped near, the fetlocks, and, of course, he had to be do troyed

The funeral of the jockey E. Hodgkins, who was killed at the South Australian Tattersall’s races, took place in Adelaide on April 15, and was one of the largest seen in South Australia. All the registered jockeys followed the remains to the West Terrace Cemetery, many of them being in their riding colours. The colours carried by Corral, the horse Hodgkins was riding when he met his death, together with his jockey’s whip and outfit, were buried with tbe coffin. All the racing clubs and a majority of the local owners sent wreaths.

A story is told about a lady investor, who had a ticket on Despatch, throwing the winning ticket away with some others and finding it again after some few minutes’ searching. The change in her face from lost to found was something great. Cannongate and Cavaliero are the ruling favorites for the Great Northern Steepleohase and Hurdles. Another horse being supported in doubles is Battleaxe.

It will bcwell for backers to bear in mind that an alteration has been made this year in the order of running the two leading events of tho North New Zealand Grand National Meeting. In past years the Grand National Hurdle Race has been run on the opening day and the Great Northern Steeplechase on the second day. This year they will be decided in the opposite order, J. Buchanan, who had one of his feet crushed while riding Laetitia iu the Avondale Handicap, is making a good recovery, but lie will not be able to ride for some little time yet. Tom Halos, who could outride any jockey now in the profession, seldom used a whip, and then only for the last few strides.

Milroy writes : —The brutal fashion of chopping a beaten horse with a whip has caused many a good one to turn tail, and the sooner the whip becomes a relic of the past, like the starter’s flag, the better it will be for the temper of tho thoroughbred. The modern jockey is as much out of place without a hide-splitting Whip as the average stockman is without spurs on a cattle camp; yet we have had jockeys who could get horses all out without a whip, and the best stockman I ever knew never wore spurs, even on the most idle of horses. Tom Hales, who could outride any jockey now in the profession, seldom used a whip, and then only for the last few strides; J. E. Brewer is another who has little use for a whip at a finish; yet, in spite of such examples, jockeys will persist in arming themselves with these formidable weapons, and take a pride in the weals they put upon a horse. Unless they lay a weal an inch thick on a horse they feel that their reputations as “ finishers ” have suffered. Terlinga says: I don’t agree with those who call Advance a cur. He is one of those free-going, generous horses who does all in his power without punishment, and he resents being flogged when he has done all he can, and can do no more. Carbine would stop if hit with a whip, and his rider never carried one, but no one would dream of calling Carbine fainthearted. The whip was taken away from Jenkins when the son of Vanguard went ■to the post to contest the Autumn Stakes at the A.J.G. meeting, and the New Zealand jockey rode liis horse to perfection. Advance’s joints are beginning to show signs of wear, and I doubt if he is destined to be on the turf much longer. Seven jockeys, namely, Lester Keiff, Johnny Reiff, Eddie Jones, Cash Sloan (brother of J. T. Sloan), Edie Hugon, Jim Morgan, and Willie Sims, recently arrived iu England from America, ’ . Tod Sloan has met with very little success in California. He alleges that there is a conspiracy against him on the part of the Californian jockeys. •