Turf Topic

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 142, 21 March 1903, Page 23

Turf Topic

By 'Krect-Card.

News of the death of Fulmen comes to hand from Tlma.ru, where the son of Castor and Hilda was doing stud duty. He recently broke one of his legs, and, although efforts w ere made to set the hmb it was found necessary to shoot the horse, as he was suffering from sores caused by the stump. Fulraen was bred at Wellington Park, and cost ldU guineas as a yearling. He was owned by a Dunediri sportsman, who races under the norn de plume of Mr. J. Boreland, and he took part in three New Zealand Cups, m one of which he deadheated with Ideal Amongst his other successes were The Otago Cuo. DJ C. Handicap, and Timaru Cup. The death of the Castor horse was a severe loss to the owner, who, it is reported, recently refused an offer ot nUU guineas for him at Invercarguil. It is not often that a- metropolitan club increases the punishment inflicted by a minor club. This is \i hat happened in West Australia recently. A trainer and a jockey were disqualified for twelve months by the Canning Park stewards, and on appeal to the West Australian Turf Club, the term ot banishment was doubled. The second deposit of £250 has- been made for the match, between the trotting horses Ribbonwood and Fritz. The contest will talce place on the track of the Canterbury Metropolitan Trotting Club at Christchurch, during Easter week It is highly probable that the club will give, becides the £100 purse attaching to the race, an additional £100 in the event of the present record of 2min 13 2-sthseo beine reduced. Amongst the colonial-bred stallions advertised for public service in England are Gold Medallist at. five - uineas, Kirkham five guineas, Trenton a hundred guineas, Merman a hundred guineas, Aurum fifty, Paitron forty-nine. St.. Michael after recovering from the injury which caused his withdrawal from the last New Zealand Cup has broken down in the suspensory ligament, and his permanent retirement from the racing track is now almost a certainty. The horses recently purchased in, England by the New South Wales sportsman (Mr. J. Brown) include a three-year-old colt by St. Simon — Tact (fullbrother in blood to the champion handicap horse, William the Third) ; a six-year-old mare named La Crosse, by Ladas — Lucy Glitters a three-year-old filly bv Orme — Lady Heron , and atw o-vear-old filly bv Martagom — St. Ursula. La Crosse, who is in foal to Martagon. a &on of Bend dOr is described as a particularly fine-looking mare. There has been quite a controversy on the other side as to which horse

really won the Newmarket Handicap, a large number of spectators being apparently quite> satisfied that it was not Chantress, but Independence. The big spiont handicap, is run over a straight six furlongs, the course being a very wide one. A photograph of the finish reveals Chamtress hugging the rails w hen. the deciding hue is reached, w hile Independence is on the extreme outsidei, light under the judge's box. Although the angle makes it impossible to tell which is really in front,, it is clearly apparent that there may have been something in the contention. It is currently reported that Mr. Dan OBrien refused an offer of £400 for has Gi af ton— Grafin colt, after his success in the Wamganui Stakes. Seventeen horses are left in the New Zealand St. Leger, run at the autumn meeting of the Wellington Racing Club. Originally the number of entries for the race was 63. Of those left in, nothing has shown much form, amd there is a probability that the field on the convincing day will be a fairly large one. The Newmarket winner, Chantress, w hose photograph appears in this issue, stands barely fifteen hands high, but she is a beautifully-proportioned filly, and that she has pace she has amply proved beyond doubt. Out of six starts, she has scored four times, and was second once. Blood will tell and this little daughter of Bill of Portland should be worth watchine. Should Evening Wonder make the journey across to contest the Onkaparmga Hurdles and Steeplechase', it is understood that H. Carr will pilot the horse m ail his Australian engagements. Mr. R. J. Mason, the Yaldhurst trainer, has not only trained several Duiiiedin Cut> winners, but has also been associated with the race as rider and ow ner. In the year when the race was inaugurated (1874), he rode Lurline, the first winner. Thirteen years later Mr. Mason, as owner and trainer, captured the race with Spade Guinea. As Mr. Stead's trainer he next year led in Gipsy King a winner, and this year he did likewise with Orloff. Old Denbigh passed away last week, at her owner's place, at Takapau. She did good service for her owner, Mr. W. KUinghain, on the racing track and since she went to the stud her progeny comprised Ruby, Moifaa, Abergeldie, Rhyl, Ruabooi Defoe, and Wrickham. An English visitor, who has been present at a lot of meetings in the two Islands during the past, few months, is astonished at the amount of what he terms "crooked running" going on almost under the eyes of the controlling officials. Suoh barefaced practices would not, he asserts be tolerated at any respectable meeting m the Old Country. "Your sport wants a deal of purifying" is the emphatic opinion of our visitor. Amongst the winners at Rosehill (Sydney), on February 21, was Blue Spec a son of True Blue, the full-bro-ther to Screwgun and Royal Artillery. Blue Spec won his race over a mile and three furlongs, in 2min 24£ sec. On the same day, three of Lochiel's stock were leturned as winners. Mr. R. S. Siever's transactions since he made his sensational purchases at the sale of the Duke of Westminster's horses ha\e resulted in a substantial urofit. For Sceptre he gave £10,500, for Duke of Westminster £5880, for Sand-

flake £5775, amd for Consort £735, or a total of £22,890. With Duke of Westminster he secured £26,415 in stakes, and aftemvards sold the colt for £22,050, Consort was sold for £2100, Saaidflake for £1680, and Sceptre earned £25,650 in. stakes, «r a total of ££54,125, leaving a profit of £31,235. Besides*, he still owns Sceptre. Mr. F. D. Luckie, who has held the position of secretairy to the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club for the last twenty-five yeans, has resigned, owing to ill health. As a. recognition of his past services, Mr. Luckie has been elected a life member of the club. A punter, who seldom makes more than a fiver on a race and who (says •'Javelin") had been having a bad time at the V.A.T.C. meeting up to the Futurity Stakes, went for a recovery laying £50 to £40 on Wakeful. It was a case of out of the frying-pan into the fire and he hardly sileipt a wink all night, thinking of Monday's settling. A friend Avho called to see him on Sunday oommecnted on his drowsy appearance, and he- replied, with doleful earnestness and truth "Yes. I slept badly — had a very Wakeful night!"