SPORTING NOTES.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 646, 14 July 1876, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

{From the Press.")

The programme for the coming Metropolitan Meeting has now been out some time, and a very good one it is. The Railway Plate has, I see, been raised to 100 sovs. This is oertainly a great improvement. In former years owners were a little chary in paying £5 to run for a £SO plate, and the " Railway," in consequence, has seldom filled well. Now that the stakes are doubled, I have no doubt that we shall see a fair field for this event. The G.J.O, Handicap has, I see, been raised to 250 sovs, and the nomination fee reduced to 3 sovs. This ought to produce a good entry, and I feel sure the nominations this year will be very numerous. The Steeplechase Uandicap, of 100 sovs, is quite a new feature on the Metropolitan programme. The C.J.C. have hitherto only given fifty sovs for a Hurdle Race ; this was not sufficient to induce owners to enter, and for the la3t few years the Hurdle race has always been more or lesi a failure. There are racing men I know who consider a steeplechase a very unorthodox item in our programme, but there is no getting away from the fact that a jumping race is always popular with the public. The Jockey Club have now a very nice steeplechase course, the stake is worth going for, and I shall expect to see a goodly number of starters for this race ; and a far greater number of spectators to witness it than we generally have on the third day. The Publicans' Purse is, I see, undefined as to the amount of added money, but the licensed victuallers arc never backward at putting down the coin when sport is concerned; and from last year's experience I have no doubt the Publicans' Purse will be worth winning, The Tradesmen's Handicap is a very similar race, and if the tradesmen only come down as liberally as the licensed victuallers, this race will be one of the most fetching ones—so far as stakes are concerned—of the meeting. The weather has been so bad lately, that the work done on the course has been very irregular. A good number of horses are already up though, and the coming meeting promises well. I had a look in at Mr Redwood's the other day, and in the absence of Tedd Cutis, Tommy Lyford did the honors. Guy Faux, after a well deserved spell, has just gone into work again. He looks healthy and well, and not nearly so big as he was this time last year. In the "conspirator," Mr Redwood possesses a very useful animal, one who will pay his expenses anywhere, and is besides just about the best trial horse r in New Zealand at the present moment. When Cutts feels inclined to ask any of the young ones, a question, the " Fox" will b/e

found a rare examiner, and in the event of I their giving a satisfactory response, they will be worth backing. Korari is not working at present, but his legs looks clean enough, and I hope this really grand little horse will try his luck on the Australian turf before the season is out. Songster, who it will be remembered ran a good colt in the Champagne, looks blooming. He is perhaps the handsomest horse in work here at present, and ought to be very fast. He was on the sick list at tie Autumn Meeting ; sinca then he has wonderfnlly improved, and I think should be able to give a good account of himself iu the Derby. For this race, however, Puriri the son of Towton and Waimea, is at present facile j)rinceps in public estimation. He is a really grand colt with power enough for anything. He has rather a mean head which is a common enough fault inTowton's stock, but he looks like a flyer and is certainly the coming colt of the year. Stirabout, the Shrovetide colt, is a loose-built, strong chestnut, and anything but fashionable in appearance. He has quarters for galloping and I shall expect him to turu out more payable property than 6ome of the good looking ones. The Fair Agnes colt looks'well, ! and improved since his Champagne runniug, but he is not a particular favourite of mine. Tara, Koran's sister, is now in work. She is a small, compact mare, Bhow ing any amount of quality, and her fore hand is beautiful. Her quarters are not so good as her brother's, but the stable seem to think her very promising, and I have no doubt they are right. In the next box is the Queen of the South filly, own sister to the Chief. She looks like a mare who might shine over a T.Y.C. course, and shows more quality than her brother. I can only hope her career will be more successful than his, but she is not very imposing to look at. The Lady of the Lake, a chestnut Derby filly by Sledmere out of Meg Merrilies, completes the string. She i 3 a big, raking filly, and Outts likes her so far as he has got. Mr Redwood's team, it will be seen, is numerically a very strong one, and some members of it are very promising. At present the Cup and Derby seem likely to go to the Northern stable, but it is too early yet to begin even an attempt at tipping. I had almost forgotten to mention that Cocksure is another inmate of the stable. He has not yet commenced work, but I suppose will Bhortly. If Ted could find him a new temper and bring him sound to the post he would be a very dangerous ,horse. I called on Bob Ray the same afternoon, and saw his favorite Daniel o'R.ourke disporting himself in the paddock. The little horae looked healthy and will no doubt do well at the stud. In an adjoining paddock was a very nice filly. She is a daughter of Opera's, by Traducer, and rising two. She has a rare set of legs and good back and quarters ; a little plain perhaps about the neck, but altogether, one of the neatest fillies I have seen for a leng time. She ia the property of Mr P. Campbell, and if she be as successful as her half brother Tarnburini, she will do well. Tadmor is enjoying a spell, but will shortly be in work again. He looks fair, but he never was or never will be, a horse to carry condition. His career up to the present has been the reverse of fortunate, but if handicappers aro lenient, he might some day be as useful a horse to the metallicians ag he was iu tho Derby. In the next box is the useful Zetland, who has been relegated to the hunting business for the winter. He ought, and I feel sure will, make a good chaßer next year. Talking of chasers, the veteran Tommy Dodd looked well, and was quite as willing as usual to drive a stranger out of the box. Iu the present paucity of horses, Tommy ought to be in every respect payable property next year. Bob has two Derby candidates. Fallacy is the property of Mr Noswortby, : s by Sledmere, out ,of Deception, and consequently half sister to Tattler. She is a well grown and very ladylike filly, and looks to me more like racing by far than Tattler. Lady Lea, the other Derby filly, is a powerful animal, not showing so much quality as Fallacy, and, in fact, hardly looks to me up to Derby form; but she has only been up a short while, and there is plenty of time for hrr to improve. After a visit to the hounds and a look at the new boxes Ray is erecting, I left for the Bush lan stables, particulars of which I must give you in my next.

The Geraldine stewards have issued their programme (a two days one) for the sth and 6th October. The items are various and plentiful, and chief among them are a Maiden Plate of 25 sovs, a Hurdle race of 40, the Geraldine Cup of 70, and a Ladies' Purse of 25. The last Geraldine meeting was a very successful one, and I have no doubt many of our owners will be tempted South if only to give their horses a fly be fore the Metropolitan.

The majority of your sporting readers will have noticed with regret the news of Mr Elliott's death. The indefatigable editor of the " New Zealand Studbook" was a man whose heart and soul was in racing, and who loved the sport for sport alone. In losing Mr Elliott we have lost a good, kindly man, one who had many friends, and no enemies, and I think it will be very hard to find another who is able to take his place. The betting market is very slack at present, but for the Derby Puriri has been backed at 100 to 15, Dead Heat and Ada colt at 100 to 12, and Songster at 100 to 10. For the Melbourne Cup, Newminstev, Robin Hood, Burgundy, Dilke, and Rapid Bay, seem to be the most fancied here, prices ranging from 100 to 3 to 100 to 5. Sin bad.