TURF TOPICS.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 155, 20 June 1903, Page 23

TURF TOPICS.

By 'Krect-Card.

The winter meeting of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club takes place at Hastings next Wednesday and Thursday, and, with hne weather the gathenng should be a successful one The entries for the different events are good, and Mr. Henrys appears to have succeeded in concealing the winners. The acceptances are not in at time of writing but, with a start, I shall select the following horses to do battle for me Tual Steeplechase. —Euchans or The Gryphon. Winter Handicap —Kohupapa. or Gold Dust. Hack Hurdles.—Lady Raven Hawke's Bay Hurdles. — Tauhei or Waiw era Hunt Club Steeplechase —Great Shot. Corinthian Stakes —Andree Hawke's Bay Steeples.—Cannongate or Pipi.

• ♦ ♦ Noble Link who won the Kogarali (Victoria) Stakes, on Saturday week, is a half-sister to that sterling performer, Cyanide. Her dam, Aspasaa, is by the erstwhile New Zealander Sir Modred, now in America, from Brenda, by the imported sire, The Tester. Old-time racing men says a Melbourne writer, will, no doubt, remember the sensational scratching of first favourite Six Modred for the Hawkesbury Handicap of 1884, and which ultimately led to the ruin of a leading official connected w ith the Bank of New Zealand. Judging by the manner in which, a few w eeksi later Sir Modred won the Metropolitan Handicap, he could not have lost the Hawkesbury Handicap had he been allowed to run, and much sympathy was expressed at the time for the gentleman who was the principal sufferer by his defection. One of the principals connected with the horse has since crossed the Great Divide. An aged horse, named Master Willie, won the Great Surrey Handicap, of 430 soys.. on the first day of the Epsom spring: meeting, on April 21st. He carried 9st 71b, and defeated fifteen others over five furlongs in 56 2-othsec, establishing a new world's record for the; distance In England recently, an innovation was tried in the shape of an electric button for releasing the starting barrier, instead of the usual lever. It answered all right when tried the first time but proved a homeless failure at the second venture. Subsequently, the star tier despatched the field with the time-honoured flag. Some improvement on the lever system at present in vogue is no doubt advisable, and there is probably a fortune aw aiting the man who succeeds in devising 'some scheme whereby the present risks of half of the web flying up a,re reduced to a minimum. The number of entries 1 received for the next Melbourne Cud was 169, and the Caulfiekl Cup closed with 163.

Amongst the entiles foi both Cups appeals the name ot Mi G G Stead's cast-oft, Siege Gun, who annexed the Auckland Cup for his then owner, from a. rather poor field Weights aie due on the 29th inst , and it will be mteipsting to note what estimate the liandieapper holds of the son of Hotchkiss when opposed to the ciacks on the other side. At the annual meeting of the C J C , the chairman Mr. G. G. Stead, in his opening address, expiessed the opinion that it was doubtful if in any one- veiar, theie had been pieviousb seen foui such hio-h-cless hoises racing as Tieadmill Achilles Crueifoim, and Adance The question of returning unestments on disqualified horses has latch been raised but not foi the first time. It certainly seems hard that the innocent backer should lose his money w lth the negligent or fradulent race manipulator and an alteration in the rules remedying this w o<uld be a step in the light direction, for, after all it is the general public that supply the sinew « of war, and anything that tends to safeguard its mteiests would be welcome. The Hon. H. Mosman's colt, Balfour, b\ Little Bernie — Trent Rose, won the Queensland St Leger on Ma^ 23 from two others. When taken to S^\ dnev to run against the cracks at the A.J.C. meeting, the Queensland colt was overshadowed, but at present in his own land he still continues to be champion. The chestnut colt, Westerly, by Westmere — Martha, who. as a thiee-\eai-old won the Wairaiapa. Hack Guineas, lias put in an appearance on the track at Caulfield. His victory in the Guineas was about hisi best race, and the opposition w ill need to be very weak for the son of Westmere to score in Australia. Defiance who annexed the Grand National Hurdle Race in 1899, for the Hon J D. Ormond, made his re-ap-pearance, after a lonp- spell, in the racing arenai at the Winslow Sports meeting on, Wednesday last. The son of Dreadnought had no difficulty in winning the Hurdle Raee — due chiefly to his jumrring abilities^ — and he subsequently ran second to Nutcracker, in the Sutherland Handicap. The ex-New Zealander. Seahorse, ran third in a mile and five furlong handicap at Sandown Park, on April 23. Thei son of Nelson carried 9st, and was not quoted in the betting on the race Battleaxe's victory m the Auckland Grand National Hurdles makes the first race he has secured since la&t March twelve months, when he won both the big flat races at the Hawke's Bay autumn meeting, of 1902. Afterw ards the' son. of Hotchkiss and Queen CoJe was taken across 1 the. water to Victoria, to contest thei Victorian Grand National Hurdles, but he A\as unsuccessful. He returned in time to contest several flat races in this island, but was unable to score, and, no doubt, Ins victory at Auckland would be welcome to his owner, who deserves some encouragement for sticking to him. for so long without a win of any kind. At a recent meeting at Moonee ValJev 'Victoria) the rare spectacle was w ltnessed of tw oi horses starting in a steenlechasei both falling, and both finishing, the winner being ndden home by a spectator. The horses engaged were Billy Mantooi and Quatre Bras, and so big a certainty did it appear foi the former that he was sent out a redhot not. All danger of his defeat ap-

peaicd to be lemoved at the second fence which bi ought Ouatre Bras clow n. Just w lien backers of the ta\ounte were shaking hands with themsehes Billy Manton bungled into the last fence and came 1 down heavily, while' Ins nder was temporarily knocked out Assistance was soon forthcoming, and, w hile the rider was being attended to, an active youth mounted Billy Manton and rode him home fully twent 1 * lengths ahead of the distiessed Quatie Bias amidst the greatest enthusiasm Haydn b^ his success in the A.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase, now ranks with Dumnr- both horses having won the three bie-gest leaping: contests m New Zealand viz., the New Zealand Giand National Hurdles and Steeplechase' and the Northern Steeplechase. Evening Wonder, Warweia, and TreS'ham. have been nominated for the VR C Grand National Hurdles, and the two first-named also figure amonqrst the entrants for the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase. Tresham was aw aided list 41b by the Sydney weight adjuster for a hurdle race in w Inch the son of Catesbv had been nominated recently. The horse was promptly scratched as soon as the weights were known. Riccarton's new grandstand is to cost about £12,000. The club's committee has decided to erect some t\\ en-ty-five private boxes in the best part of the stand, to be subscribed for by members at £100 each. Each of the boxes are to accommodate six persons. Twenty of these have already been subscribed for. The club w ill thus be recouped by a considerable sum on the initial outlay. The idea is a new one so far as New Zealand racecourses aie concerned and doubtlessi the other large centres will pro and do likewise" if the C J.C. make a profit out of it. During his racing career, the late Fred. Archer rode 2748 winners, 2290 of them in the last eleven years of his life. From America comes word that the management of the> large Singer sewing machine firm, at Elizabeth, has begun a ciusade against peripatetic bookmakers, who have secured employment in the factory from time to time, and found a pretty good thing among its 6000 employees. One man was summanlv discharged proof having been secured that he made books instead of mowing machines. It is said the Singer management was induced to take act-on by the Chief of Police. There is a likelihood that the biogi apli w ill soon be introduced on some of the principal tracks in the United States next season, for the purnose of recording close finishes, and also to be used in the event of claims for foul ndinp- or interference The proprietors of the biograph have put the matter before the stewards of the American Jocke*- Club and the stewards have senously entertained the proposal, having discussed the advisableness of such a scheme, though no definite action has vet been taken. It is understood that the biograph will be given a trial at one of the tracks — probably that at Saratoga — m which Mr. W. C. Whitnev and other prominent sportsmen are mteiested. That eood colt, Great Scott, who lan Abundance' such a great race in the V.R.C. Derby, and won the Atistiahan Cup is now on his way to the land of the rajahs. Before leaving Melbourne, he was insured for £3000, and on arnval m India he will be sent to Bangalore: Many a good one has gone to India from these shores, and ha\e kept ir their reputation in then new home, and everything points to the> latest leeruit turning out as well, if not better, than his predecessors.. A jockey who ran second at a lecent count iv meeting, was accused by the ownei of the horse of not trying to win. Win. 1 said the youngster, with well-assumed indignation 'I had my whip on him all the way from the turn '" 'So a t ou misrht have had," sajd the owner 'but I'll lav odds you had \om bit' on the winner." Thus the London Sportsman" — I should like to see some of the best Austiahan maies put to St Simon in the last seavsons of his life — maies In Caibme Trenton, Nordenfeldt, and the like — foi the ver\ suiest possible line has been supplied by Bill of Portland, Haut Bnon Grafton. and Soult. that the combination of Galopin with Au<>tiahan mares is invincible If the Duke, of Portland could bring home La Cajabine and Wakeful, he would enable St Simon to do his best possible In way of finale."