Turf Topics

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 61, 31 August 1901, Page 15

Turf Topics

By Seahorse.

La Glona and Firefly are being schooled over hurdles at Ellerslie. The meetings in this island start with the Mai ton Jockey Club's hxture on Wednesday and Thursday next. Iho A.J.L. spnng meeting opens on Saturday next, when the ueiDy and lL,psom Handicap will be decided. Charlie Berkitt, the weil-known jock-ey-trainer, lias beea reinstated by the vvanganui Jockey Club. He was put out over his nuing ot lJr. Bill two seasons back. The jockey L. Kulin has. staited his winning account in We-stiaha. His brother traiik, who won sixty-se\en races in i\ew South \Yaies la&t season, has started well this month. The Cuirassiei — Ganza geicbng, in I. Jiiarnshaw s stable, at Randwick, has been named Frontier. He is a haltbrother to the Hotchkiss hJly in Frank Boltons charge at the Hutt. Thnft (by Russiey — -Industry), an aged halt-sister to the Melbourne Cup winners Gaul us and The Gratter, won a Welter Handicap at the Mooreheia meeting recently. Tyrant, own-brother in blood to Tyranny, one ot the horses imported by the JNew Zealand Government for stud purposes, is evidently a useful sue. At a meeting in England the last week in June, Claquer, a soa of his, won the Thirty-eighth New Biennial Stakes, value 850sovs. Au Revoir, who died recently in the Wairarapa, cost Patsy" Butler Yio guineas as a two-year-old, and was a good stake earner in the ''green and white" hoops. His elder brotiier, Manborough, was a good battler tor the same stable. St. George was the only sire Farewell mated successfully with. At the Racing Conference, the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club delegates moved that no hurdle race be over a shorter distance than one mile and three quarters. The proposal was defeated. There is a mile and a half hurdle race on the Hastings spring programme, which seems rather inconsistent. Mr. J. R. Corngan parted with Sundial, forward Guard, and Employer at Christchurch for 320 guineas. The two last named, who have great private reputations, have yet to win a race. Some years ago, Keith sold Dudu and Escapade at Chnstchurch, and both, proved good investments for the buyers. The thoroughbred horse Louis XIII., which has been purchased in England for a New South Wales stud, is described as a good-looking bay, 16 hands high. He cost 3000 guineas as a yearling, but, having met with an accident, was not trained. Louis XIII. 's dam, Elgentyne, was the dam of Briar-root, winner of the One Thousand Guineas, Mabille, his grand-dam, was dam of Mazurka, and full-sister to Cremorne (winner of the Derby). Louis XIII. is a No. 2. The first two-year-old race of the season in Australia was run on the 10th instant at Adelaide, where turf authorities believe in giving youngsters the earliest opportunity of contributing something towards their keep. The Fulham Park Plate was the race in question, and embraced a dozen runners, but, notwithstanding that they had not figured under silk before, the winner, Troubndge, was well backed, and won all the way. He is by Cailyon from Lady Doris, by Neckersgat, and closely related to Dirk Hammerhand and Royal Artillery Troubridge is owned by his breeder, Mr. F. W. Allen, and is engaged in the Manbyrnong Plate. Moifaa is voted our champion crosscountry gelding. He may possibly have been a bit off at the New Zealand Grand National meeting. When I expiessed the opinion that he had leceived too much weight I did so' believing that none of his performances really entitled him to be classed so high. A number of my confreres were speculating (writes "Whalebone") before the appearance of the handicaps as to what weight the big son of Natator would get, and they one and all appeared to think that he would receive all the weight he got The practice of giving expression in this way to opinions that are likely to meet the gaze of weight adjusters before they do their work is not to be encouraged Writers might lust as well publish anticipatory handicaps There could be no objection to their doing so, provided their handicaps wero handed in to appear simultaneously with the official productions.

Firelock (Musket — Yattenna) claimed three winners at the Salo meeting this month. Tlio hunter Dernngdo (Dei linger — Tohoura) passed through Wellington on Saturday last, on his way to Sydney. Phaeton" and Mr. F. W. Goombes are mentioned as nkoly to nil the judge's box at Ellerslie. Something -should be said at the annual meeting or the Wellington Racing Club about the appointment ol a paid judge. iui. J.U. Friedlandei is the purchaser 01 the stud hoises Foimosan (»t. Leger — I 1 orme) and i* inland (Biil of Portland — Fishwife). They will be at the service of breeders in the Ashburton district. Hengist (St. Legei — Hilda), J3ona Fide (Sou'wester — indes), and Chasseur (Cuirassier — Jessie) do stud duty for the first time this season. A Christchuich scube says that before Gobo competed at Wellington, Mi. w. G Stead, of that city, who was on the look-out tor a likely jumper, was offered tho JNatator geiding, the only condition being that his owner was to leceive £100 out of the first otaJie won by the horse. Unfortunately foi the Southern sportsman, the offer was declined. Mi. H. C. White is back in England again, having come via America from Australia. He went to Cobham to see his niaie Old Clo', who has been mated with Aurum, and he found she had been doing so well of late that she has quite lost tho dned-up, skinny appearance w ith w Inch race-goers used to be familiar. Mr. White has abandoned his intention of having Skopos trained in Australia. Of the seven two-year-olds in Bishop's hands at Wingatui, five belong to the Hon. G. McLean, and these are now named. Tho Stepmak — Mist colt is to be known as "Vladimir," the Lord Rosslyn — Lady Gertrude filly will be called Lady Rosslyn," the Loid Rosslyn — Tiara gelding's name is "Rivieie," the Lord Kossiyn — Mistral nlly, who was taken up rather later than the others, has tho name of "Ventosa" bestowed upon her, and the filly by St. Leger — Lady Emily is to carry the name of 'Noblesse." All are doing well, as also is Pampero. Hie L/hnstchurch coriespondent ot the opoitmg review wntes — i am like a gooa many people, 1 cannot understand how The uuaid managed to get so close to Gobo in tlie xsationai Steeplecha&e. it was only when totraybird appealed to be winning that Ine uuard came on the scene. fhose who saw him lattie along over the last quarter ot a mile are at a loss to account tor his poor showing at Wellington. It was generally considered that Tho Guard was the worst tieated horse in the .National, but the handicapper has scoied again. It is not likely that he is going to let a horse off lightJy because he happens to run nowhere in any one race." Ihe following are the yearlings bred and ow r ned by Mr. Leonaid Marshad, of Auckland — liay colt by Cyienian from Windmill, bay coit by Oyrenian from bihv, bay colt by Cyreruan fiora Minola, bay gelding by Cyreruan from. Chic, bay gelduig by Cyieiuan from Mag, bay colt by Medallion from Melodia, brown colt by Splendor from Storm, bay gelding by Eton from Onm (artificial impregnation), brown colt by Jet d'Eau from Iphimede, black colt by Torpedo from Sabnna, bay filly by Eton from Pit-a-Pat chestnut filly by Medallion from Kilmorley (imp.), brown filly by Cyreman from Irma, bay filly by Captain Webb from Lady Hamilton, bay filly by Eton from Dood, bay filly by Co?ur de Lion from Falconet. At the Newmarket blood stock sales, t\\ o Antipodean racers, to wit, Oban and Gold Medallist, were submitted to auction. The former elicited bids up to 080 guineas, and at that price was bought in. For Gold Medallist, who has done nothing worthy of his NewZealand reputation since he came Home, the best bid was 280 guineas, and ho also was passed out unsold. A private deal, however, was effected between Mr. Cohen and Mr. T. W. Phillips later on, and Gold Medallist changed hands at 300 guineas, a poor price, even in view of the horse's failure at Home, for the New Zealander is undoubtedly a horse of class, and is almost sure to win a King^b Premium, even if a good lace cannot be got out of him by his new owner later on Canard, winner of the 1886 Grand National Steeplechase, has probably by this time had his -existence terminated He was woiked in various capacities by Mr. John Rutherford at Albury until three or four yeai s ago, when he was pensioned off He lately developed cancer in the bone of one of his legs, and Mr Rutherfoid determined that it would be merciful to destroy the old hero, but (writes "The Piodigal"), when Moitaa gained such a groat reputation he decided to give the new aspirant a chance to deprive Cajnard of his recoid of being tho highost-weig'htod winnei of tho Grand National Moifaa failed m his attempt and Canard dies in possession of his honours, and with many sportsmen firmly believing that lie was the best steeplechaser the colony has vet had.