Totalisator Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 109, 2 August 1902, Page 23

Totalisator Turf Topics.

By 'Krect-Card.

Fioin statistics compiled foi the racing season of 1901-1902, just concluded, it will be found that in the tw o-yea,r-old division, Ponrua, Orloff, Idas, and Vladimar ai-e at the head of the list, their winnings being £1140, £1125, £1010, and £660 respectively. In the threevy ear-old section, Nanette, Cruciform Royal Artillery and Menschikoff are the leading division, and their wmnmgs respectively are £4052, £3635, £2435, and £1795. St. Michael and Cannie Chiel head the four-year-old division, the amounts opposite their names being £2083 and £1155 respectively. Amongst the five-year-olds, Rosella, Ostiak, Glenogle, arid Westguard are at the top of the list, their winnings being £1150, £910, £855, and £800 respectively. Tortulla has £2560 to her credit amongst the six-year-olds, and occupies pride of place, while next to her is Royal Conqueror, with £1385, Dundas £885, and Huku £860. Amongst the aged horses. Battleaxe is leading with £1390. The Guard following with £1080, while next to them are Scallywag £805, and Queen's Guard £785. A fund has been started m Melbourne for the purpose of erecting a monument in the Melbourne general cemetery over the grave of the New Zealand nder, Harry Underwood, who died from injuries received while riding in a steeplechase ait Flemington recently. ZaJm&ki, who sired Colonel Shihnski. the winner of the Dowtta Galla Hurdles at Flemington, is a half-brother to Trenton, Cuirassier, Lancaster, and Siege Gun, and full-brother to Havoc and Mousquetaire. Zalinski sired Clean Sweep, a, Melbourne Cup winner. A most remarkable incident occurred during the running of a steeplechase at Flemington recently. In jumping the stone wall in front of the stand, one of the contesting horses blundered, and, in some wav got his foot foul of Messenger's bridle, tearing the bit out of the°horse's mouth. Messenger went as straight as a line, without the bit in his mouth, and ran second. Dodona, who won the Maiden Hack Handicap at the recent Wellington Racing Club's meeting, is a highlybred young lady for a "hack," as she was got by Hotchkiss from Svbii, a daughter of Leohnus and Atlantis (dam of St. Leger). Dodona, who was bied by the Messrs. Nathan, at the Silvia Park stud, cost her present owner 100 guineas. Messrs. Nathan Bros., the owners of the Sylvia Park Stud, have every reason to be proud of the success of their establishment during the racing season of 1901-1902. Seaton Delaval occupies the leading position amongst the winning sires, w T hile descendants of his are at the top of the list in the two, three, and five-year-old divisions. All sportsmen will regret to heai that Nonette, the ruling favourite for the New Zealand Cup, got cast in his box last week, and is now an absentee from the training track. This is bad luck for his popular young owner who iust lately had backed his champion to win the race in question for £2000. It is to be hoped that the injury is not oi a permanent nature, but that the chestnut son of Seaton Delaval will be fit and well to take his part when the horses line up to the barrier in November next. In commenting on the Melbourne Cup weaghts, the Melbourne "Sportsman" makes the following pointed reference to the general treatment of horses hailing from Maonland • — Mr. Dakm is evidently determined that the New Zealanders shall have no 'cake walks' at Flemington. In the Melbourne Cup, Nonette is honoured with the top weight (9st 51b) in the four-year-old division. Last year Malster 9st 61b) occupied the position now assigned to Nonette, who, although a brilliant performer in his own country has been shown no mercy. Advance as a four-year-old, was crushed out of the Melbourne Cup with 9st 101b, and, of course, declined the contest. It is poor consolation to New Zealanders to see their horses in such exalted positions in whatever events they jaav be engaged in at headquarters. The door seems to be practically barred to New Zealand horses at Flemington, where the "highest society' is to be met with. Nonette is the latest victim to 'blackballing.' "

During la&t season's racing, seven of Seaton DelavaJ's two-year-old descendants captured nineteen races, of the value of £3220. Battleaxe, who returned last week horn his unsuccessful Victorian campaign, is now located at the Hutt. The son of Hotchkiss burst a blood-vessel w hile racing on the ''other side," but ap-peaa-s to have recovered, and will probably sport silk at the C.J.C. Grand National meeting, if all goes well. The past season has witnessed the lowering of a good many records in Aus^ ti-alia. For instance, Wakeful reduced the nrevious best for two miles, held by Carbine (3min 28£seo), to 3min 28sec. Sequence beat the mile record of Dun Djm and Wakeful, having run the distance m lmin 38|sec, previously the best record standing at lmin 39-fsec. Uneasy hasi accomplished the feat of clipping lsec off the eleven furlongs recoid, and it is now 2min 21sec. What (says "Javelin") do you like foi the two Oupsi?" asked a suburban resident of his neighbour. "Oh, I never bother about that sort of tiling, said the other. "I haven't put a shilling on a horse sincei Mentor beat Tradition." l 'Oh," said the first speaker, "I always ha.ye a little flutter over the two Cuds. I put the horses' names in a hat, and draw out three for each Cup, and put £1 on each'" 'Yes," responded the neighbour, 'as. good a plan as any other but still I can tell you how to improve upon, it. and I'll bet you'll do better by adopting my suggestion 1 " "What is your proposed alteration p " said No 1 "Cut the crown out of tlio hat before you put the horses' names in," replied No 2, "and you'll sa\ c six mid I"

A writer m a popular English paper asks "Is No. 13 an unlucky number?" Mi. R. Sievers and others were watching the race for the One Thousand Guineas from a hired conveyance. Sceptre's number on the card was 13, and almost at the same' moment that No. 13 went up on the board as the winner, the party discovered that the plate number of the vehicle they were sitting in was also No. 13. The last has probabty been seen of San Fran as a racehorse, for he is on offer for sale. He won £63"9 in stakes, and was the largest winner of prize money, with the exception of The Grafter, of all the horses sired bv Gozo. San Fran won a Sydney Cup the Metropolitan, and a Randwick Plate, but, perhaps, his best performance of all was running second, with 9st 71b, in the Melbourne Cup w on bv Revenue. A simple'-miaded litigant, suing for the- return of his deposit money on a readied-up horse, told a Melbourne bench lately that ' he thought he could trust defendant as he w as a member of the Salvation Army " "The religion that can induce a man to co straight in a deal in horseflesh has not. vet been invented," was the response from the bench. A peculiar accident occuired at the Wallsend races recently After startnis; for the Town Plate the Loohiel colt Beware caught Boyle the rider of Abe, with has teeth bv the leg, drawing him out of the saddle and carivmg him five or six yards. The hoise then turned a somersault, and its rider (Cnmp) w asi shaken, but not otherwise hurt. Boyle two wounds in the leg abo^ o the knee.