Turt Topies

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 53, 6 July 1901, Page 16

Turt Topics

By Seahorse.

Full Crs , who injuied one of his hind legs some time ago, has recovered from the strain. The West Australian Turf Club require the semcos of a secretary, at £330 a vcar , also a handicapper. The half-dozen mares put to> Explosion last season are all in foal. They are Miss Letty, Miss Rose, Stepfast, Miscalculation Sybil, and Maratea Wellington Racing Club winter w eights were put off from the Ist to the oth instant. This was to enable the handicapper to get the latest form at Napier Park to work on. Four previous V.R.C. National ■winners are engaged in the big jumping <m ent at FJemington this year viz , Floater, Hayseed, Rosebud, and Trojan. Aquarius is the only previous winner of the Hurdle Race entered this year By his double victory at Hastings, Moifaa is entitled to be classed with the best performers over jumps bred in this colony. Roller, who scoied last year, is the only other winner of the Hawke's Bay Hurdles and Steeples double. The Needle, who is intended for the Riccarton Grand National Hurdle Race, has been shaping w ell in his schooling work at EJlershe. Mr. Evitt awarded him list 91bs at Ellerslie, but Jack Rae did not take it on. Mr. Henrys is handicapper for the Southern race. As Mr. Wilfred Stead was indulging m a wiro-jumping exercise at Mr. Geo. G. Stead's stud farm, Canterbury, and while riding in front of Prince Alexander of Teck, his horse turned a complete somersault. Mr. Stead w r as bftdly shaken, and one of his ribs was broken. He is progressing favourably. At the Bendigo meeting, on June 5, Chinamen are said to have won over £1000 on the first day. In the evening a bookmaker placed his bag over the shoulders of a Chinaman, and told him to start business, as a layer. John said he had no clerk, and a gentleman volunteering, the yellow man commenced "I lay tix to four bar tlee." He knew which side his bread was buttered when he turned bookmaker. Mr. John Lennard, of Mangere, has taken the Haip of Erin Hotel, at Ellershe, and is disposing of the following thoroughbred stock — Val Rosa (by Seaton Delaval — Vieux Rose s Bona Seaton Delaval — Vieux Rose). Bona roon and Gold (by St. Hippo — Ida), two-year-old filly. by Seaton Delaval — Dorothy, three-year-old gelding by St. Hippo — Dorothy, two-year-old filly by Fabulist — Marjory. Record entries were received last week for the Wellington Racing Club's classic races. For the Wellesley Stakes no less than 110 (foals) were received. The previous best was 91 last year. The entries for the Wellington Stakes number 165 (foals and yearlings). This is probably the 'largest number yet received for a race in the colony. Last year 128 nominations were received, which was then a record. Both races were instituted in 1889. The principal nominators are Messrs. T. Morrin, J. B Williamson, L. D. Nathan, J. F. Reid, Hon. T. D. Ormond, Sir G. H. Clifford, and Hon. Geo. McLean. The Hutt and Ponrua stables are represented in the Wellington Stakes. Record Reign was not hurned on arrival at Sydney, and, in consequence, has come on well. His owner was cabled to this effect to Auckland, and, in consequence, the son of Castor has been heavily backed. New Zealanders have been anything but fortunate in the big jumping events at Flemington. The nearest the Maonland contingent has been able to get was second on three occasions, with Peter Osbeck, Dart, and Titokowaiu. Our representatives have fared no better in the Hurdle Race. Donald managed to get second and third, which latter position was also occupied by Kapo and Ixion. The best weight perfoimance was put up by Don Quixote, who won in 1884, carrying list 131b. The Yeoman ran second, with 12st 71b and Ringwood third with 12st 71b Rhesus (smin 41sec) holds the time record for the race. Should Record Reign get home, the performance will equal Caibine's great Melbourne Cup victory Mr. Dan McLeod, owner of Record Reign, is a very sanguine owner, ever ready to back anything with the Maonland brand in no half-hearted manner. Advance's autumn trip cost the Auckland sport a large sum, and the victory of Record Reign will bring him out on the right bide with his brother puncillcis.

The grey gelding Knight of Athol (Hotchkiss — Maid of Athol), a champion at the Auckland country meetings, who was snipped to the Fiji islands this month, died a few days after arnval. With the arrival of Fitzsimmons there will be four St. Simon horses in the Auckland district. The Soults aie fast, but only ponies. A Northern scribe, who smgs the praises of Wellington Park, will have to go slow, for fear of treading on someone else's toes. W. Clarke was not associated with Cavabero at Auckland last month, nor is he going to Sydney to ride Record Reign. The well-known Southern horseman will not go short for mounts, and will ride Social Pest, Venture, The Needle, Natation, and other horses in their races. Sundial (brother to W T aterbury) and The Hempie (half-sister to Norton) should get to the front in jumping races before the end of the season. Both are by Natator, one of our most successful lumping sires. Romp (dam of Norton) is a daughter of Flirt, who was a full sister to Couranto's dam (Quickstep). W. Pine, brother to T. and J. Pine, two well-known horsemen, has ioined Mr. F. P. Clandge's Riccarton stable, and will ride that trainer's jumpers this winter. W. Pine was disqualified by the Southland Racing Club, m connection with Zeehan. He announced Ins intention of retiring from the saddle, whichever wav the appeal went. The Dunedin Metropolitan Club threw out the disqualification. A Hawera correspondent writes that he saw Sylvia Park the other day, and the well-known flier looks bright and lusty. Though the chestnut is entered for the Wellington meeting, he has not done anything like a preparation, and his work has been walking exercise on the roads. Kidbrook, who is another inmate of Mr. J. Goodwin's stable, is also entered at Wellington, but the weather has been so bad that he has done little or no fast work. Lady Bell, in the same stable, is wintering well. It is stated that Geo. Hope will be associated with the schooling of Strathnairn, who is intended for the Grand National Hurdles. Hope put a great number of horses through their jumping lessons during the lengthy period he w as in the employ of the late Mr. W. Douglas, who bred and owned more first cla^s jumping horses than any other owner in the colony- Hope, who rode Waterbury and Mutiny to victory in three Grand National Steeplechases at Riccarton, is at present acting as private trainer to Mr. Graham Holmes, at Bangor. The London "Sporting Times" refers to Mr. R. S. Sievier ("Bob Sutton") as an undefeated sportsman, and in fine health. He lost no less than £38,000 at the Manchester autumn meeting, and as much more at the tables at Monte Carlo. Notwithstanding this, he told us before the sale that he would match King's Courier for £10,000 to run two miles and a half at even weights agaan&t any horse in the world. There were a great many bookmakers at Mr. Sievier's sale. They were there to have a look at the horses Mr. Sievier bought with their money last year." One or two of the Bracelet horses at Hastings were very badly ridden, and returned to the paddock with much blood on their flanks, the result of the jockeys cruelly using the spur. Captain Russell referred to the fact that Woodthorpe had won his race without the application of whip or spur, and tendered somo useful advice to amateur riders. He said that many a horse would most likely win but for one or two cuts from the whip. A good hoi bo could win without the whip, and ho instanced the victory m the Bracelet race that day. Mr. D. OBrien has not engaged any horses at Sydney in the spring, and the statement that he would again take up his residence at Randwick during the course of the next month or two will probably turn out to be incorrect. Malatua, who has not been engaged in the New Zealand Cup, has been taken up after a short spell. He was under offer to a local sportsman for £300, but Hoi ton, at £50, will probably be a better bargain, taking the winnings of both horses at the end of the season. Training Malatua for two-mile races, instead of shorter distances, affected the Malua horse and his position on the list of winners. In the smoking carriage of the last train to Caulfield recently they were varying the customary routine of anecdote and chaff by asking riddles. One of the party, says "Javelin," was a professional "turf adviser," and, with a sly glance at him, a well-known lightweight said "Wot's the diff'rence between a woman kissin' 'er baby an' on© of them advertism' tipsters?" They all gave it up, and the mannikin with the big pipe was unanimously awarded the cake when he explained that "One mugs the kid, and the other 'kids' the mug!" Just before the train stopped, the champion joker squelched his rival by asking "When wos you like the sum on a schoolboy's slate the next morning?" "Give it up, Billy V" "Why, when you wos rubbed out!"