SPORTING NOTES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2021, 16 August 1880, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

By Sinead. In company with Mr Sydney James, the indefatigable secretary of the Dunedin Jockey Club, who was, by the way, visiting Canterbury for tho first time, I drove out recently “ after long days” to visit the Yaldhurst stable. Yallanoe was absent in Australia, but Mason, who was expecting us, showed us over in the most hospitable manner. I found Yaldhurst much altered since the occasion of my last visit, which is now many months ago. The house, formerly occupied by Mr Delamnin, and which after his exodus fell into a sad state, has been thoroughly repaired, and is now quite a palatial residence. The old private course, where so many clinking trials have been run, and which, could it speak, could, not one, but many tales unfold, has passed out of tho property, so to speak, and Mason is now making a new gallop in some paddocks closer home, which promises to be a very good one. As these paddocks are only rented for three years, Mason is making his course a temporary one, though this, owing to tho inequalities of tho ground, is a very expensive job. When finished it will bo a nice track of nearly a mile and a half, and the extent of ground is such that Mason has been enabled to avoid anything approaching to sharp turns, and if a horse could make good time anywhere he could make it there. At the entrance to these paddocks is a range of stalls for the accommodation of the Yaldhurst draught horses, which will be found most invaluable for scraping boxes while the present gallop is in use. Mason has, however, purchased some paddocks further up the road and opposite to Yaldhurst itself. Here he will eventually make a really firstclass permanent gallop, and nicer ground to make one on it would be hard to find anywhere. Having inspected the gallop we returned to the house, and after some very acceptable luncheon adjourned to the stables, where, in tho first box, was —not a racehorse, but still a former flyer in her way, viz., tho greyhound Gill Gill, with a fine litter of eight pups by Balchristie. Though very hospitably inclined, the lady was, I fancy, only too glad to speed the parting guest, and we passed on to tna next box, tenanted by Pinfire. The old fellow, since his last public appearance, has been blistered all round and turned out for a lengthened rest. His spell has evidently made a new horse of him, for he looks well and sound. He has only been up a few weeks, and has, therefore, a good bit of lumber about him, not, however, too much to get off by November, when I hope this game son of Dead Shot will make a good commencement. His neighbour is Morpheus, the big son of Castaway and Somnambula. Few colts show more winter improvement than this one. He has been in steady work since his purchase at the Middle Park sale, and having been previously broken in and worked by George Cults, his present owners were enabled to commence on him at once. The result is that he is pretty forward, and shows plenty of muscle, not to say that he has furnished a lot and has wonderfully improved in general style and quality. He is engaged in the coming Derby. In the next box is the Sydney bred Bandwiok, who is just commencing work. This horse, unlike his younger brother Gipsy Cooper, has a fine temper, and as he looks in rare heart and full of life, and is a big upstanding horse, I fancy he will earn hie oats during the coming season. The last box in this range is tenanted by a Welcome Stake candidate, in the shape of a small but very even compact colt by Albany from Miss Flat’s daughter Becky Sharp. His education is only just commencing, but he is not half a bad shaped youngster, though, like his dam, somewhat on the small side. In the first box in tho next range was Lara, who has been running out lately, and was looking very big, but then Lara always looks big, and as the white-legged son of Towton will at once commence his spring labours, I fancy his superfluous flesh won’t be long coming off him. Next to this undoubtedly useful animal is Fleur-de-Iys, the Traducer-Fleurange colt, another of the Middle Park purchases, and one likely to make a very grand colt. He is like another “ big little horse” who once occupied the same box, decidedly on the small side so far as height goes, but like old Templeton, who in many respects he closely resembles, particularly about the head and neck, has a rare back, good flat legs, and that creeping action which made Templeton so easily recognisable amongst a team of horses. Fleur-de-lys is doing excellent work, and judging from his present appearance, should strip very pink by November. When I saw Volunteer a little later on than this last year, he was just as forward as any horse in training, and I fancy Mason is pursuing much the same tactics with him this season. He is well an with his preparation, and looks in grand trim. Volunteer has shown himself possessed of a fair turn of foot, but has yet to prove himself a stayer, a capability on his part many good judges seem to doubt. Be this as it may, he certainly is a grand-looking horse in every way, and though “ He who expects a perfect horse to see Expects what is not, has not been, nor e’er will be,” this powerful son of Totara and Skvbird is certainly very hard to pick faults in. In the paddocks close to tho house are several youngsters not yet taken up. The most noticeable of these is Bundocra, a Victorian bred colt, purchased some months since when Mr Gardiner’s youngsters were submitted to sale by Mr Matson. This colt is now virtually a two-year old, and though not yet broken in, is a most promising youngster, and moves round the paddock like a race horse. He is by the Peer out of Argosy, by Freetrader out of Camballo’s dam, Belhari, who in her turn wao out of an Adelaide mare. Blink Bonny, a rare good bit of stuff. Close to him was a Derby candidate, in the shape of a colt by Anteros from Foul Play’s dam, Fancy. Though not showing anything like the quality of his distinguished relative, he seems a big, useful looking animal, and as he has been broken in I suppose will soon be taken up. A wiry looking yearling colt by the handsome Javelin out of Lady of the Lake made up the trio, and in the next paddock were tho dam of the last-named colt in foal to Totara, and the speedy little Lady Ellen, who has, 1 believe, missed to tho same horse. Continuing my stable rounds, I now come to’ the Bush Inn, where the boxes, as is usually the case, are pretty well filled. We first visited the box on the left hand corner of the well known quadrangle, whose tenant was the Albany-Miss Flat filly, who by the way, is quite old enough to have a name. She was a Middleparker, and must have been tried very good, as she was George Cults’ selection for the last Welcome Stakes, out of not a few well bred ones. She was, however, left at the post, and we have therefore had no specimen of her abilities. So far as looks go, she should bo a niceish filly, for though a little plain about the head, she has good quarters and good arms, besides being well let down. Her education is progressing very well, and she seems likely to train into a good filly. Another lady of the same age occupies tho next box. This is a racing looking youngster by Daniel O’Rourke, out of the speedy Malvina. This young lady has plenty of size and not a little quality, while from her appearance, not to add her breeding, she ought not only to go fast but stay. I should think, over a short course, she would be hard to beat before very long, as she is well advanced in her preparation, and goes in good style. Next to her is Virginia Water, the Traducer-Wave filly. This young lady has already shown ns that she possesses pace, and since the autumn she has been doing good steady work, and has wonderfully improved. I think she will prove quite good enough to earn her expenses on tho flat, but should she ever bo relegated to tho illegitimate [business she should, from her make and shape, be a right good one. In the next two boxes are Mr Moorhouso’s two colts, Holdernesse and Badsworth. These are by Daniel O’Rourke, out of Skybird and Pair Agnes respectively. When first taken up I must confess to having had a very great preference for tho Skybird colt, Holderneus. This I still hold, but the Pair Agnes colt, Badsworth, who is tho only Derby candidate of the two, has so wonderfully furnished since I saw him that he is now really as good almost as his companion, and speaking comparatively has improved the most. Badsworth is not nearly so compact as his companion, but has bettor hocko and more length, standing as ho does over a lot of ground. Holderness is a much closer built colt, and looks like carrying weight andjfurnishing to tho full in advance of his neighbor. Both are doing and looking well, and Mr Moorhouse’s two golden ohesnuts will not be the two worstlooking animals that will strip at our next, meeting. On the other side of the quadrangle are the two-year-olds, the first being a bay colt by Albany out of Wave. This is a very powerful youngster, with great hocks and knees and good quarters—in fact, a promising, serviceable colt in most respects. His education, like th of those I am about

Ito describe, is just commencing. The next is a black colt, also by Albany from Tantrums, the dam of Janglor, He has, though to nothing like the same extent, the hack peculiarity of the Leger winner, while, though scarcely built on the same powerful scale, he has plenty of strength and nice action. A very neat ohesnut gelding, by Knottingly from Tantrums, and a year older than his half-brother, described above, make up the trio, while in the paddocks are a very wellgrown two-year-old bay filly, by Albany out of Lady Florence, and another patrician ohesnut lady of the same age by Albany out of Ada. With these are running the last year’s foals of Revoke and Wave, that of the former being a bay filly by Anteros, and consequently own sister to the Governor, and the other a chssnut colt by Leolinus. Both these are very promising. Admiral, Dundee, Papapa, and Tramp Card occupy the stallion boxes, and all look well, the latter especially. I had almost forgotten to say that there is little probability of Templeton’s handsome sister Miranda being again put in work, Mr Webb stating his intention of sending her to the stud.

At a recent meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Olub it was resolved, “Beacon ” says, to give £SOO in stakes at the spring meeting, and to make several improvements in the programme for the big meeting. Those will include a more liberal scale of payments for nominations and acceptances by owners of horses, which, as “Beacon ” very truly observes, will indeed prove acceptable.

The D.J.O. have also issued a circular to the various New Zealand clubs requesting their united action in the appointment of one handioapper for the whole of New Zealand. Another question to which I recently referred, namely, the subsidising a turf register, will also come under the consideration of tho clubs at their early meetings. Both questions are of more than usual importance, and it is to be hoped they will meet with the consideration they deserve. I observe '• Beacon ” is of opinion that Leolinus’ progeny are not of much account at home, and he considers that the argument as to whether Leolinus or Musket are likely to get the best stock in this country is conclusively settled by the deeds of _ their respective youngsters in England. 1 am surprised that any sporting writer should so attempt to mislead, I have no intention to disparage Musket, as I believe him to be a grand and good horse; neither do I intend to crack up Leolinus, but if a comparison is to be made of the respective doings of their youngsters, at least let it be done on tho same basis. This will show that Leolinus will have rather tho beet of it. Thus—Musket was credited in the Racing Calendar in his first year at the etud with seven teals. Of these four started in 1876, and only one of them succeeded in scoring a win—a selling race, in which he was entered to be sold for 50 sovs. In his second year fourteen of his progeny went to tho post, two only of which won very small stakes as two-year-olds. Leolinus is credited with five foals for his first season. Of these only one has yet started, and he won a two-year-old Produce Stakes of 100 guineas. Considering that the season was not halt over when the mail left, one winner from one starter already is at least equal to one winner out of five starters for a whole season. As, however, the owner of Leolinus announced some months ago that ho intended to confine the services of his horse to his own stud exclusively, it will matter very little to the public—“ Beacon” perhaps excepted—whether Leolinus be a success or not. Sportsmen through New Zealand will hear with regret the tidings of the almost immediate departure of Sir Hercules Robinson for the Capo. The turf in this colony will thereby sustain a great loss. Telegrams, however. inform us that the Zetland spots will make their appearance on the course at the next Christchurch Meeting, and one can only regret that their owner will not be there to witness the dehut of his new importations in New{Zealand, 0.J.0. Mbtbopolitan Meeting. Tho following is the latest betting : DBEBY. 5 to 2 agst Sir Modred and Lure sto 1 Governor and Leveller 10 to 1 Badsworth 12 to 1 Virginia Water 20 to 1 any other C.J.C. HANDICAP. 6to 1 Hornby 7to 1 Betrayer 10 to 1 Foul Play, Natator, Le Loup 12 to 1 Bogardus, Volunteer, Pinfire, and Grip 16 to 1 Hilarious, Libeller, Maritana and Marie Antoinette 20 to 1 any other CANTBBBUET CUP. Bto 1 Foul Play, Lure, Hornby, Le Loup, and Sir Modred 10 to 1 Leveller and Natator 12 to 1 Hilarious, The Governor, Volunteer, Grip, and Betrayer 14 to 1 Virginia Water, Sir George, Sir Garnet, and Pinfire 20 to 1 any other DOUBLES —DEEBT AND CUP. 100 to 8 offered on the field DEBBY AND HANDICAP. 100 to 5 to 100 to 2 offered HANDICAP AND CUP. 100 to 5 to 100 to 2 offered.