SPORTING NOTES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2009, 2 August 1880, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

Bx SINBAD. Telegrams inform us that the Wakatipu, which left for Sydney on the 22nd, will, on her return trip, bring down two race horses, viz.—Lady Emma and a filly by Rapid Bay from Gipsy, which have been purchased by Sir Hercules Robinson from Mr Lamond. I am a little unclear about these purchases of Sir Hercules. Lady Emma is, I presume, the three-year-old filly by Yattendon out of My Fancy (imported) by Blair Athol. This filly has run several times, and won the Two-year-old Stakes at Tattersall's Midwinter Meeting, also tho Flemington [Stakeß at the V.R.O. Spring. She was in the Sydney Metropolitan at sst 71b. His Excellency's second purchase is out of Gipsy, who in her turn is by Yattendon from Mr Redwood's old mare Zingaru, who in days eone by was one of tho shining lights of the New Zealand turf. Sir Hercules has, I believe, secured training quarters at the Hutt, near tho Wellington course. It is understood that the horses will be under the charge of J. Kean.

Latest files from Melbourne show that Mata ia attracting a fair share of attention in tho market for the Melbourne Cup. Though I should doubt his ability to get down to Bst 21b, I believe it is Ray'B intention, if possible, to pilot Mata himself. McOonkey, a nice light weight from the Chokobora stable, has accompanied the expedition. Mr John Lunn has old Jangler in work, and it will thus be seen that the erst Leger winner will have a very careful and pains* taking tutor, but it is to me questionable whether the big son of Tantrums will ever stand anything like a severe preparation. Should he do so, there is little doubt he will well repay any trouble his present trainer may have in his preparation. In Mr Lunn's comfortable boxes are also located Laertes and The Agent. The latter, who is (enjoying a well-earned rest, has been blistered, and Mr Butler is very sanguine about his old favorite coming out fresh and well in time for his future engagements. Laertes is sound and well, but is only just going into slow work. Luna has been spelling up at Kaiapoi, and is reported as "never looking better." She will join her old stable companions at Mr Lunn's stable before long, and I fancy this mare, about whose pace there can be no two opinions, will show to more advantage during the ooming soason than she has sinoe her career commerced.

I remind owners that the nominations for the Canterbury Gup of 500 sovs. and the acceptances for the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap of 500 sovs. must be sent to the secretary Canterbury Jockey Club before 9 p.m. on Monday next, August 2nd. The sum of 5 sovs. must accompany each entry. The acceptances for the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club Spring Meeting are to hand. The weights being raised brings little Libeller up to 9it in both handicaps, which I think is rather too much for him. Thus I rather prefer the chances of Hilarious in both. Next to Mr Prince's oolt I like Piscatorious for the Spring Handicap, and for a good rough outsider Paramena for the Flying Handicap, Waterlily, recently purchased at the Middle Park sale by Messrs Mason and Vallance, has been sold by them to the wellknown breeder Mr Allan McLean, of Tuki Tuki, Hawke's Bay. Waterlily, who has been in work for some considerable time, is a fine roomy upstanding filly, with beautiful quarters, and showing lots of quality. She will no doubt prove a great acquisition to the Tuki Tuki; stud, at which, sinoe the sale of Patriarch, Javelin and the handsome Mute are the lords of the harem. Waterlily is, in addition to her good looks, a very highlybred mare, being by Castaway out of Cascade, by Sledmere (imp) out of Waterwitoh, dam of Natator and Norseman.

Private courses are now getting so much in fashion about Ohristohurch that the touts, let alone the sporting correspondents, will find their occupations gone before November. Mason, who has lost his old course, is making another and Ruesley already possesses a very good one. The Hon. W. Robinson is constructing what, from the nature of the ground, should bo a very excellent course on Mr Hepworth's land at Yaldburst, and I hear that Mr " Horsford " is making a private gallop in close vicinity to his own stables. I sincerely trust this mania will not continue, for not possessing the gift of übiquity, I really scaroely know how I shall manage for the future in respect of " Morning Gallops." "Old Turfite," in the"Auok!and Weekly News," has the following pertinent remarks on the Gaming and Lotteries Bill as affecting racing generally :—" Very few people have ever troubled themselves even to read the Bill, therefore, unless some steps are taken to get it modified, those interested in racing will find themselves brought under an obnoxious Act. Mr Whitaker, through his Bill being so stringent will prevent its objeot being gained. There will always be betting as long as racing continues, therefore it should be regulated the same as racing. This cannot be done without a Tattersall's Club. In England it has done much to purify the ring and do away with the " plnnging " that used to exist. We do not now hear of the enormous sums of money being'lost and won there were some years ago, nor do we hear of noblemen and landed proprietors being ruined by turf speculations. The Government at home instead of introducing an Aot left it to the Newmarket Jockey Club and the committee of Tattersall's to do away with as much of the evil as possible, whioh they have succeeded in doing. By having a Tattersall's Club to regulate betting, persons would not bet with anyone excepting members or persons they know. This would do away with the mushroom division of the ring, thus getting rid of the small speculators, who could then, if so inclined, put their money in the totalisator. I feel certain that any one oonversant with racing will agree with me that a Tattersall's Club would be the means of purifying the ring in New Zealand, and do more towards doing away with the reokless gambling of yonng men than the Bill itself. The other clauses that press hard are those referring to lotteries and sweeps. Anyone getting up a half-orown sweep, even among his own party on a racecourse, renders himself liable to a heavy fine under the Act. A great deal has also been said against sweeps ; much has been put down to them unfairly. lam sure that if they are conducted properly no harm comes from them. Experience shows that the generality of people who go into sweeps are those who have a pound or two to spare, and if not invested in a sweep, they would Bpend it in some other way. The working man also argues—'l have a pound to spare; I will put it into a sweep; if lam lucky, I shall have a good start in some business ; if not, I shall not miss it, as if I had not gone into the sweep I should have drunk it or frittered it away.' People have got so much into the way of sweeps on races, that if they are prevented in this colony the money will be sont to Australia." I trust, should Mr Whitaker read " Old Turfite's " remarks, he will carefully digest the last line in the above quotation. There's a lot in it I can assure him.

Says " Rapier," in the " Sporting and Dramatic News ":—" The threatened incursion of Australian raoehorees has induced me to make a calculation with a view to ascertaining, so far as it is possible, the relative speed of English and Australian thoroughbreds. If my figures are accurate, and I think they are, it will be seen that the result is very comforting from an English point of view. The Australian St. Leger has been run for the last twenty-two years over the same distance as the race at Doncaster —1J miles and 132 yards. The average timo the race has taken (to be absolutely accurate, the time in which it has been accomplished on twenty-one occasions, for the 1860 time is not recorded) is precisely 3 minutes 37 seoonds. The average time in which the English St. Leger has been run equals 3 minutes 20 seconds, showing an advantage to our horses of 17 seconds. What difference the nature of the courses here and abroad may mate cannot be estimated ; but that this affects the time of the race seems to be showi; by the following facts. The English St. Leger has for the last twenty-one years been run at tho rate of a mile in 1 minute 49 seoonds. The English Derby for the last twenty-one years has been run at tho rate of a mile in 1 minute 53 seconds. The reason that though the distance is longer in tho_St. Leger the speed is greater doubtless arises from the facts that there is a Bevere hill up to the post at Epsom, and that horses must slacken a little coming round Tattenham corner, desperate as the rush of some jockeys with unfailing nerves may be. Tho horses, too, have four months' growth to aid them. The conclusion of all this shows that unless the Australian St. Leger course is very much more severe than the Epsom or Doncaster courses, our horses have a decided advantage. The rates per mile are in the English St. Leger, 1 minute 49 seoonds ; in the Derby, 1 minute 53 seconds; in the Australian St. Leger 1 minute 59 seconds.