SPORTING.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2193, 7 March 1881, Page 3

SPORTING.

OXFORD RACES. The following are the weights for the Oxford Races

SPORTING NOTES, Bt Sinbad. The annual meeting of the Ellesmere Jockey Club will bo held on April 12th. The items are as follows :—Two Hurdle Races (one District), Maiden Plate (District), Ellesmere Oup, Farmers’ Plate (District), Hack Race and a Consolation Stake. Nominations are due with Mr Jameson, the hon. secretary, on Monday, April 4th, Mr Frank Pavitt has finished a very nice plan of the new Heathoote racecourse. It is situated close to Captain Oharlesworth’s old place, and is about a mile in circumference. The sward is everything that can be desired, and when a little unevenness which occurs in a few places has been levelled it will be a capital track. The general entries for Wanganui promise a wonderfully good meeting, the majority of the fields being very large, the Derby and Maiden Plate particularly so. There is a good acceptance for the Cup, which I think will be fought out between Natator, Randwick, and Libeller. The Dunedin Champagne Stakes of 1882 closed on Tuesday night, with thirty nominations, amongst which I observe the names of Mr S. Gardiner’s colts by Tubal Cain, out of Nevada, Act of Hearts, Coquette, and Lurline. These, it will be remembered, wore passed in at the recent sale, but from the fact that their names appear in the nominations under notice it would seem as if the proprietor of Bundoora Park had determined that they should make their turf debut in Now Zealand. “ Beacon ” learns from the Timaru papers that the venue of the Grand National Steeplechase Meeting has been changed from Timaru to Christchurch, From an account of a visit paid by “ Phaeton ” to Mr Walters’ stud farm at Papakura I extract the following The first one we interviewed in the stables was the Hippo-Slander filly. She is a grand looking young lady, closely resembling her sire, and will, I think, turn out a good one over sprint courses. She looked in the picture of health, and seems to be growing the right way. In the next box was the full sister of that game little horse Libeller—Rosanna. The filly did not look so well as I should have liked, but I was told by Mr Walters that she had been off her feed for a couple of days, so that explained the matter. The next box contained my unfortunate old friend Hippocampus. The old horse has been fired on both hie forelegs, and looks very sound on his pins now. He appeared in excellent spirits, prancing about as corky as a two-year-old. Crossing to the other side of the stable I was shown Fiscatorious, who made such a grand race with Le Loup for first honors in the O. J.O. Handicap last year. He has never raced since, having pulled up lame after that event. He has been blistered on the affected part, and does not seem at all lame now. It is, however, unlikely that his owner will put him into training again this season, but he might next. This is a wise resolution on Mr Walters’ part, as by patting him into work sooner there would be a danger of his leg giving way again. The son of Fanny Fisher was the last we had to view in the stables, so we proceeded to the paddocks adjacent. The first one that caught my eye was that game little mare Yatterina. She looked in excellent health, and had a four months’ foal by Musket by her side. The youngster looks a rare one, and, although it is rather early to commence to prophecy, I have no doubt that with age he will develope into a grand horse. The next one who claimed our attention was Fanny Fisher. She had two of her doughters running by her side by that now famous horse Yattendon, One is about fourteen months old, and the other three months old. The latter took my fancy the most, although they are both very handsome youngsters. There are also a yearling filly by Hippocampus out of Yatterina, and a yearling filly by the same sire out of Venus Transit, running in the same paddock. The former looks a nice filly, but the latter does not appear to be up to much. Crossing over to another paddock I espied that grand old mare. Slander, dam of the speedy Billingsgate. The old girl looked the picture of health, and as she walked past us I could not help remarking to Mr Walters how closely her fine son resembled her. The mare went on a visit to Musket last season, but declined to respond to the pledge of affection. She has visited the same sire again this season. Venus Transit was in the same paddock. The mare had been undergoing her preparation for the Waikato meeting, but unfortunately ricked herself in a gallop, _ and therefore was turned loose. As I wished to see old Kingfisher before leaving, I had to proceed to a paddock at the other end of the farm, where I found the brother to Hippo, quietly grazing by himself. He looked fairly well, but not in such good condition as his brother. Several of his progeny were in a paddock close by, but they are only out of half-bred mares.” I learn from the “ Australasian ” that Savanaka, by Kingston—Sappho, the sensational horse of the Melbourne Oup of 1877, in which it will bo remembered Chester just beat him a head, has been sold for stud purposes. Columbus, the winner of the last Australian Cup, has also quitted the post for the paddock. ENGLISH SPORTING. A close observer of those three-year-olds who are highly thought of for the great Epsom Race of 1881 winds up an elaborate article on their merits and demerits with the following:—Bal Gal has placed Lord Falmouth again at the head of winning owners, ai d I trust that this grand filly will be able to take her own part in some of the great races of 1881. That she is a roarer seems to be a fact implicitly believed in, and very wonderful it is that she should be one. We have had some extraordinary roarers of late years. Prince Charlie was a remarkable horse to be so afflicted, and Bal Gal is an equally remarkable mare Her infirmity does not seem to have the slightest effect on her when she is otherwise fit and well, and what a fight Prince Charlie made in the Leger we all remember. Surely the fashion of roaring, like other things, must have changed “ the old order,” &o. Thirty or forty years ago roarers were utterly wretched animals who could not win a £SO plate. Now to be a roarer is to be a swell, vice versa. I wish some veterans of the turf would try and remember if there were any roaring celebrities in their younger days. I was gseatly taken, in common with other much better judges than myself,* with the looks of Town Moor when I first saw him at Ascot. He was a baby then, and I do not think he was much more when he got second for the Middle Park Plato. He may have a future before him, but I confess I am getting a little tired of these big two-year-olds, who take the eye, but rarely take anything else. It is just possible tnat Town Moor was put into training too soon, and that the curse of early racing will rest upon him to the end of his days ; but I shall be glad to know otherwise, St. Louis won the Middle Park Plate very easily ; but he is too small, I think, for Epsom ; and if Thebais was in the Derby —which I do not think she is—l would prefer her to the high-priced son of Hermit and Lady Audley. Sir Charles has shown good form, there is no gainsaying ; and there are clever people who tell you Geologist is Al. I have a great respect for a horse who comes up the Criterion Hill as Geologist did in the Criterion Nursery—and, of course, he is wellbred enough to win two or three Derbys—yet do I incline, if I must have an opinion though, by the way, I do not think either my editor or my readers expect one from me to the chancss of Soobell for the Blue Ribbon of ’Bl. I have a fancy that he is a good horse, and I believe that Fortissimo is a good one also. Bay Archer, four-year-old colt, by Toxopbolite out of Flurry, winner of the Goodwood Stakes and Newmarket St. Leger, has been purchased by Mr Hetherington for the French Government. The number of jockeys’ mounts on the flat in 1880, so far, will give a pretty accurate idea of the number of flat races run during

the year in England One hundred and twenty-nine jockeys bed 9269 mounts. Fred. Archer again takes the lead. He had in all 363 mounts, was first 121 times, second 74 times, and third 58 times; thus placed 253 times in 363 mounts. George Fordham takes second rank. He had 367 mounts, was first 105 times, second 71 times, and third 52 times ; placed 228 times in all. Tom Cannon is third with 321 mounts ; was first 79 times, second 67, and third 41 times ; placed 187 times in all. O. Wood is fourth, although from the number of his mounts —441—he makes but a poor showing in comparison ; he was first 71 times, second 75 times, third 83 times ; placed 229 times in all. W. Greaves had 345 mounts, was first 58 times, second 42 times, and third 41 times ; placed 141 times. W. McDonald had 316 mounts, was first 46 times, second 55 times, and third 55 times ; placed 156 times. In 1875 Fred Archer had 172 winning mounts, in 1876 he had 207, in 1877 he had 217, in 1878 he had 229, and 190 in 1879, Mr W. I’Anson, sen., has presented the skeleton of Blink Bonny to the Yorkshire Philosophical Society’s Museum. The death is announced of Thomas Cliff, who trained amongst other winners, Oroagh Patrick, who appropriated the Stewards’ Cup and Chesterfield Cup in 1861, and also Ycx, who won the former event seven years later, Shifnal, the Grand National winner, goes to the stud next season.

Says the " Sporting and Dramatic News” : One by one the “ Northern Lights " of racing renown seem to bo paling their fires before the grim tyrant, and the latest extinction reported is that of Mr Anthony Niohol, whose blue and red jacket was once as well known and eagerly looked for as the different combination of identical colors which Count Lagrange has made famous in later times. The sporting chemist of Newcastle was one of the rare and old-fashioned school of sportsmen who were content to witness an occasional race in which their representatives took part without that insane desire to mix up their names with sport in all its various phases which seems to characterise the racing man par excellence, of the present day. Newminster, Warlock, and The Wizard were horses of that stamp which anyone might have been proud in calling their own ; and it is impossible to over-estimate the calamity to breeders which would have resulted had anything happened to stand in the way of Newminster’s victory in the Bt. Leger. To him and his sons we may well apply the Horatian ejaculation, *' Quid deheat , oh Roma, Neronihus ?”—and his conspicuous success at the stud amply atones for the comparatively obscure figures cut in that department by Warlock and The Wizard. Mr Nicholl seemed to possess the happy knack of perpetually stumbling over those racing nuggets which so many more powerful and wealthy rivals have striven to discover in vain ; and his reputation was first made with Nnnnykirk, a son of that famous old Beeswing the canny Northumbrians still mention with the reverence due to so distinguished a performer, and who may be said to have “ crowned the edifice” of her renown by the production of Newminster. Mr Nichol had lately quite slipped out of memory, and his decease diminishes almost to vanishing point the number of those 11 Knights of the Bound Table” who rallied round John Scott in the “ golden prime” of old Whitewall days. It is very seldom, says the “ Mark Lane Express,” that that august body the Grand National Hunt Committee do anything worthy of much notice, but last week they really came out strong. As a rule they take very good care not to come to any decision upon any matter which will hurt their own interests, but in suspending the Duke of Montrose’s trainer and jockey, Moran, for twelve months, on the ground of foul riding, they showed that they were above party interests. It is to be hoped that the senior institution of the kind, the Jockey Club, will act in the same way with similar cases, for it is notorious that while all the fashionable riders get dismissed with severe reprimands, those who are not so well known, and not likely to be needed for months, get suspended for a year or two years. 11 You must not suspend him,” says one steward to another; " he’s got to ride my horse at Ascot next week, and I’ve backed it for a lot of money,” and so suspended he is not. But let some poor friendless provincial be brought in for the same offence, committed in the next race, and away goes his license. Twelve months warned off means ruin to such lads ; and not allowed to ride, yet attracted by love of the life to frequent race meetings, they join the army of touts and sharpers, and make a living as best they can. When you send a man to jail you at least know that he will be provided for, but when you give a lad a twelve months’ sentence not to work at the only employment he properly understands, he goes to the dogs. I do not think this will be the case with Moran, who is a nice quiet lad, and I am rather inclined to think there must be some mistake about the Thirsk business. The complaint of foul riding is a very common one; but the men who are readiest to make them are those who are the first to break the rules of the race-course. Plenty of the so-called gentlemen riders grossly violate such rules, and it would be well if one or two were treated to sentences something similar to that which has just been passed. George Rice, so long known in Rotten Row as the finest horseman in England, or even in Europe, has just died at the age of 65. No one in England was so thoroughly at homo in displaying the best paces and points of a highbred horse, either mounted or in harness, and in his day was second to few in the hunting field or over the steeplechase course. An incident in his business career has just come to light which he did not wish to be published during bis lifetime. He was commissioned by a friend of the late Sir Robert Peel to look out a perfect hack for the Prime Minister. He found and trained to perfection an animal which he took to Sir Robert on trial. After a couple of hours’ lide. Sir Robert returned him, with the remark, “ This horse is perfection ; what’s his name and price ? ” “ His name, ” said Rice, ** s Premier, his price 400 guineas. ” Sir Robert considered the price too high. The horse was sold for 400 guineas the same afternoon to Mr Hall, of Oxford, and Sir Robert Peel was suited with an animal that fell with him in the Park the second or third day he rode him, and caused his death three or four days later.

It wag found necessary to shoot the gallant old son of Elland and Panoply, Pageant, who will be remembered as one of the best stayers of bis age and the hero of many a hard-fought battle. The friendly bullet put an end to his existence on the last day of November. His hoofs and ears will bo preserved. Pageant was foaled in 1871 and began his career as a two-year old by wirning the Olewos Stakes at Windsor, a sweepstakes at the second October, another at the Houghton Meeting, and the Anglesey Nursery at Shrewsbury. As a three-year old he won the Norwood Plate at Croydon, Bushy Park Selling Handicap at Hampton, Eccentric Free Handicap at Lewes, City Members’ Plate at Oxford, Staffordshire Stakes at Lichfield, Brighton Autumn Handicap and Column Handicap at Shrewsbury. He did not win as a four-year-old, and he finished second to Duke of Parma for the Oesarewitch. The following year he took the Staffordshire Stakes and Beaudesert Welter at Lichfield, and the Great Midland Counties Handicap. In 1877 ho won the Chester Cup and Shrewsbury Cup, and in 1878 the Chester Cup, Brighton Cup, and Doncaster Cup, since which time be has run but once, when be was unsuccessful in the Alexandra Plate at Ascot last year. Pageant was buried at Stanton Stud Farm. Mr James Gordon Bennett, of the “ New York Herald,” has given 10,000dol. towards increasing the amount of added money offered by the Pau race committee.

HANDICAP HURDLE RACE. at. lb. at. lb. Levant ... 12 0 Young Barbarian 9 7 Mountain Deer 10 7 Moa ... 9 0 Stella 10 7 Young Diomedea 10 0 Rifleman 8 10 DISTRICT HURDLE RACK. Young Diomedea 11 0 Moa 10 0 Rifleman 9 5 OXFORD COP. Calstock ... 9 0 Butcher Boy... 7 0 Farewell ... 8 0 Maid of Honour 6 10 Levant ... 7 10 Don Juan 6 10 Fugitive ... 7 3 Misa Crispin... 6 3