Totalisator Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 106, 12 July 1902, Page 21

Totalisator Turf Topics.

By 'Krect-Card.

Mr. Henrys was well up to time with his adjustments for the New Zealand Cup, and his woik has been the chief topic ot conversation amongst turhtes during the past week. In commencing the handicap with Nonette, at 9st 91b, he has not unduly treated the game son of Seaton Delaval. for it must be remembered that Nonette proved his ability to cam weight ovei any distance last season, and his meritorious performances fully entitled lum to oocupv the post of honour. Cruciform has proved herself to be the champion filly of her age. and, with her rare turn of" speed, the handicapper rightly has not taken any liberties in allotting "her 9st 41b, a, difference of sex allowance from Nonette. Cruciform was at home over any distance, and, although she. beat the top weight as a two-vear-old, a meeting between the two over the Cup distance would be fraught with much interest. Tortulla has many good performances to recommend her, the majority of them having been attained under heavy weights. Last year the daughter of Torpedo won the race in question with Bst lib and now she is asked to carry 161bs more. Certainly, last years race was won in slow time, but it must be remembered that there was a gale blowing on the* course, and, doubtless. Tortulla was capable of putting up better time under different conditions. St Michael, on Bst 131b mark, is. in my opinion, the pick of the handicap. One has only to remember how he made hacks of his opponents m both the Auckland and Wellington Cups to see that his qualifications are of no mean order. In the former race he had only a featherweight, certainly, but he simply romped home from Nonette, and in the latter, anyone who saw the race will remember that none of his opponents could get on terms with him, and this, too with a much heavier impost than he carried m Auckland Since the Wellington Cup, St Michael has been an absentee from the racing arena, but if he reaches the post thoroughly wound up, he will take a lot ot beating. Then we come to Renown, on the Bst 111b mark. Since winning the Wellington Cup of 1901, and that m the fastest time on record, Renown has been an absentee from the tracks, through the use of the firing iron, but he has so far recovered that his trainer is very sanguine of getting him to the post fit and well. If such should be the case, and the horse has suffered no iniurious effects. I consider he has the race at his mercy, for one has only to glance at bis credentials to see what a top-notcher he was. Pampero has received his full quota of weight, with Bst 31b, and if he does not find the distance too far might have a say at the finish. Beddington is leniently treated, and should run well, and the same may be said of Melwood and Halberdier. Ideal has been let in light enough but her indifferent performances last season do not recommend her as the winner. Ostiak is highly spoken of in some quarters for this particular race, but I think he will find the distance too great. Achilles on the 7st 101b mark, stood out last season as the best of the two-year-olds, and should he be in the same form as a, three-year-old hie prospects look very rosy. Siege Gun who was made favourite for the race under notice as soon as the nominations appeared has now gone back in the betting. This son of Frailty is highly spoken of. and should have no difficulty in carrying 7sb 91b. Porirua has some good deeds to recommend him, and he has not been harshly treated with 7st 71b. Meiwood, if fit and well on the day of the race, would have to be reckoned with, as his second to Tortulla last year was a good performance. Glenaladale races like a stayer, and, as he is spoken of as being specially prepared for this race I shall keep him on my side. Motor has been rather unlucky in many of his races during the past season, but he has been given an opportunity of retrieving his laurels under the impost of 7st He is a big-striding horae, and, perhaps, he will find the distance rather far for his liking. Imperator gave promise of turning out a good three-year-old and I shall expect him to run well. In the 6st division,, there are too many unknown

quantities to consider, so I shall content myself with referring only to one oi two of those engaged who have any performances. Ghoorka and Exmoor have both been successful in their only appearance in public, and their successes were easily achieved. Kahuwai is rather an erratic performer, but she should have something to say in the settlement of the question if she takes to galloping kindly. Sinus has done nothing since last year's race, when he ran third, and his uidifferent displays do not point to him as being the winner. Laureate will find bst 71b a luxury after carrying 9st odd 1 ight through the season, but I think the company will be too high-class for him to succeed. Kelpy has three Bracelets to his credit, and he should be somewhere near if the opposition is not too strong. To sum up, I shall, at this stage, pick out a dozen whose prospects appear, on paper, to be rather rosy, with the light to reserve my final selection until somewhere near the day of the race, when possibly, some of the candidates may have given us an idea of their qualifications — Nanette, Cruciform, St. Michael, Renown, Achilles, Glenaladale, Melwood, Imperator, Exmoor, Halberdier, Tortulla, Siege Gun. At the Napier Park races, last week, the Steeplechase was uon by that good jumper Scallywag. All of the competitors ran off with the exception of the winner and Cronje. The latter fell, but was re-mounted, and secured second m oney . The Hack Hurdles was easily appropriated by Reliance, who made some amends for his 1 inglorious display the previous week He should be capable of something better than Hack Hurdles when he becomes more seasoned. The West Coast horse, Will-o'-the-Wisp, had no difficulty in beating a large field in, the Stewards' Handicap, for which Hinetaura and Dexterity were most in favour. The latter succeeded in gaining second money from Ideal. A former representative of the Karamu stable, in Daiedevil, appropriated the Winter Oats, in hollow fashion, and paid the substantial dividend of £11 15s. • » * At Kempton Park, on May 10th, Seahorse started in the Teddington Plate, weight for age. and run over a six furlong course. He collided with another horse at the post, and finished out of a place. An aged full-brother to Ghoorka, named Benedick, won a two-mile hurdle race at Warwick Farm, Sydney, on June 14. Benedick carried lOst, and won pulling up from five others, in 3min 58 \ sec. There seems to have been a chapter of accidents at Flemington on June 27. In tlie Hurdle Races run at the meeting, seven horses fell, and four — Informer, Dutch Admiral, Lord Roberts, and The Watchdog — were killed, and Commander was badly injured. In the Steeplechase Jack Tar broke his neck. Cruciform is now favourite for the New Zealand Cup. her price being quoted at 14 to 1. Melwood, Nonette, and Glenaladale are quoted at 16 to 1, while the early favourite, Siege Gun, has receded to 20 to 1. Of the 66 horses handicapped in the New Zealand Cup, three get 9st and over three comprise the Bst division, 15 the 7st division, and 45 go into the 6st division. At a meeting of the Manawatu Racing Club Committee, it was decided to donate the sum of £30 to> Mrs. R. Connop, whose husband died early in the year. At the Cob ham Stud, England, on May 7th, Mr. S. H. Gollans Tiraillerie, by Nordenfeldt^Florence McCarthy, dropped a colt foal to Bill of Portland. On May 15, at Newmarket, the Carbine colt Pistol defeated five others in the Payne Stakes, 675 soys, a race for three-year-olds, run over one and a-half miles. Pistol is out of a Galopin mare. Before leaving England for New Zealand Mr. Spencer H. Gollan nominated Australian Star for the big French Hurdle Race at Auteuil. A week before the Carbine horse Carabine won the November Handicap, at Manchester, last year, he was on offer at 1700 guineas, with his engagements for that race. Luckily for his owner the offer was not accepted, and since then not only hae he won the Manchester event, but the Chester Cup. The principal event at the Rosehill meeting on June 21st, the Rosehill June Handicap, one mile and threequarters, was won. by the New Zealandbred gelding Regalia 11., by RegalMar, who carried 7st 31b, and was followed home by Fireclay 6st 71b, Queen of Sheba 7st 51b and Fairy Prince Bst a dead heat for third place. Four others started. Queen of Sheba was favourite, while Regalia 11. was not mentioned in

the betting. The ex-New ZeaJander went to the front at the rise of the barrier, and was never headed, winning easily by six length®. The winner was sold by Dan McLeod, a prominent Auckland pencilled, to< go to Australia, where he is trained by the erstwhile New Zealander, P. Nolan.