THE TURF.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2362, 1 December 1908, Page 2

THE TURF.

NOTES.

At the Ashburton- Trotting Club’s meeting next month. Dunbar, which won tliG big event at tlie JN Z. Ale--iropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting in 1.36, will endeavor 'to better Ribbonwood’s Australasian record of 4.30 3-5 for the distance. Recent papers received from Engand show that the New Zealand-bred mare Nightfall as still racing indifferently. The present season wi-jl, t is understood, see the last of Nightfall on tlie turf. The anti-betting law has had'such an effect on racing in New York that at ono of the principal -meetings recently the prize-money amounted to over £4OOO, and the club s receipts for the day were not over £OOO. Carbine has not claimed many two-voar-old winners on the English turl this season; but one of his youthful descendants (Nickel Neck) earned distinction in the Old Country hist month. AY hen the mail to hand lei t England “M-usket’s greatest son” figured in lltli place on the winning sires’ list. ” AVh.cn the last mail to hand loir London, Lord Carnarvon was mentioned as the new owner of the New Zealand horse Noctuiform. As the son of Multiform is reported to be quite sound on his legs it is held to be quite possible that- ho will bo raced tor a further term. The New Zealand-bred AVsiipuna, who recently changed hands in Melbourne for 800 guineas, will in future lie raced 1 in kioe.t-h Australia. The Soult gelding was unlucky not to win •>. race or two in. Now -South A\ ales, hut he ought to pay his way among tlio weaker company lie will meet in South Australia. Rnkcta, by Collar (sire of Ringdove), is credited -with being easily r-lio best three-year-old filly in Russia this season. -She started on twelve •occasions, winning nine -races, being twice placed second, and once unplaced. Her victories include the Russian One Thousand. Two Thousand, The Oaks, and the St. Lcgcr, but she was beaten in the Russian Derby. Her total winnings as a tliree-year-old amount to £SOOO.

Heorthen, tlie runner-up for the New Zealand Cup, cost her owner 15 guineas. It as understood that Ylr R. J. Mason wars anxious to buy the mare a couple of weeks before the race, but the owner declined to soil. Heorthen is a half-sister by Phoebus Apollo to Ful men, Antares, and Afaude, the dam of Afahutonga. Her dam is a sister to Artillery.

The New Zealand “Befereo” has already been engaged in counting heads in the newly-elected House of on the totalisator question, ia-nd their summing up is that in a life or death division the machine would have a substantial majority. It is stated that Mr G. P. Donnelly was recently asked to put a price on Gold Lace, the three-year-old daughter of Gold Beef and Kahuwai, and that ho asked IOOOgs-. for her. Gold Lace is engaged in the Great Northenx Oaks, to be run at Ellersl.ie next autumn.

Says an Auckland scribe:—The cabled announcement of the sale of .Soultline _ for lOOgs. would occasion no surprise in Auckland, as lit was generally expected that if a decent offer was forthcoming for the son of Soult he would change hands. At first blush lOOgs. does not appear to be an exceptionally good price, but when it ,i.s considered that Soultline is right at the top. of the handicap, in addition to which he is a gelding,' it will be recognised that James Twohill has none the worse of the deal, although he may bo a cheap horse to his new owner. It all depends on circumstances. The disposal of Waipuna for 300 gs would givo the impression that Mr Lyons had given .up hope of that -gelding recouping him for his outlay, and will allow someone else to make a profit. The Mexican Government has given formal approval of the first Mexican Derby, to be run. in 1910. The added money, is £ISOO, and though imported horses may bo entered, they must remain in Mexico from the time

if entry'un til the date of tlie face. Mexican-bred colts or Tillies will -got in advantage of 101 b, and another rendition is that jockeys must adopt English fashion in all respects, harejacked riding being barred. Although New Zealanders seldom hear much about racing in Canada, ho sport is in a flourishing condition ml the Eastern Provinces, and no efforts .are being, spared in those parts so increase the stakes, and thus induce good class owners to- take up the sport. Recently, at Woodbine Park, near Toronto, a- meeting of reprolentatives of the principal jockey Nubs throughout Ontario and Quebec was held with the object of forming a Board of Control for the smper/.isioh of all t-urf affairs in- Canada. As a. result of the meeting it is -probable' that a now body, called the Canadian Racing Association, will asiiimo control of the turf in the Dominion on and after January 1,1909. An Irish-bred l ’oliaser called Rustic Queen put up a wonderful performance at Cork Park in a two-mile rhase, which' .die won under the bunting weight of 18st 311). Rustic Queen gave no less than 451 b.. to St Conan, who on the following day won the jame sorb of race. Crown Receiver, who was in receipt of 3st. all but a pound from Rustic Queen, and who lias been winning races -innumerable -ii the North of Ireland, failed to finish in the first three. Rustic Queen was allowed a walk over at Fermoy a few -clays after the Cork Park meeting, after which she was sold at a good figure. It is possible that in the near future the mono-rail gyroscope car, the invention of Mr Louis Brennan, of torpedo fame, will become an important adjunct to racecourse equipment (says the “Sydney Morning Herald”). The inventor is brother to Mr’Joseph Brennan, official stenographer to tlie V.R.C., and the latter has written requesting him to construct a car with a seating capacity of half a dozen men, the vehicle to -run on an elevated rail fixed ou the outer edge of the racetrack, or inside the running rail, the vehicle to travel at the same speed as horses in a race. In this “chariot of observation” the stewards would be seated, and thus from Mart to finish of a race would have the movements of horses and riders under their immediate notice. Air Louis Brennan is now under contract with, the Indian Government to instal a gyroscope and mono-rail outfit for a track oi 100 miles in length, and when it is completed he may devote his attention to the “chariot of observation” suggested by his brother. Word from America states that the racehorse Son tShain, who foil overboard from the Iroquois at Seattle on September 17th. and was supposed to be drowned, is still eligible to race. Alter plunging headlong from the gangway into tlio bay, and dragging his stable attendant, Pat Fagan, with him, the horse struggled in the waters of the Sound from 11.30 .that night until 3 o clock the following morning, V.lien lie was discovered holding to a pile with iris teeth at the Galbraith-Bacon company dock, ■-ind rescued. The horse was badlv cut about the head where lie had bumped -against the piles in his efforts to go ashore. During the work of rescuing Fagan the horse was forgotten, and the last seen of him he was swimming out in the direction of West Seattle. Boats with searching parties were, sent out, but they could not locate him. At 3 o’clock in the morning James Smith, a laborer, while passing along the tracks near the Galbraith-Bacon dock, heard a snorting and heavy breathing, and going to the end of the pier, saw the horse, his tooth sunk into <a, soft pile, kicking with all fours. A gangi plank was devised, and the animal was rescued. After being placed in the care of a veterinary surgeon for some time, iSon Strain was later ou sent to liis owner.