TURF TOPICS

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 161, 1 August 1903, Page 23

TURF TOPICS

By 'Krect-Card.

is «?•,. hSs-f ■ JS»^ but as he «as seldom able to attend the gatherings, a substitute had to be found to allot the "eights for the second day's racang. This did not meet Se views of some of the members of the club, who thought that as the handicapper receded a very liberal remuneration for his labour, he should at least attend the race meet^ J™ their counsels have evidently prevailed, hence the change. The appointed is well qualified for the position and it is to be hoped his efforts will be rewarded with Large acceptances Then his initial work in connection with the above club's spring meeting is made public. At the annual meeting of the Otaki Maori Racing Club, the chaarman congratulated numbers on the sound financial position of the dub, and stated that there was a credit balance of £1100. As a result, the committee' have decided to increase the added money given away m stake® by £90. Westguard the Vanguard mare who used to be trained by Alf. Shearsby, and who was sent over to Sydney some little time back, made her first appearance in the Flying Stakes at Warwick Farm. Her appearance did not suggest that she has been doing a great deal on the training track since her arrival, and, after disputing the lead with Famous for nearly five turlones she died right out, and was one of the last to finish. The pacing stallion, Almont, lowered another record at Ascot (Melbourne) on Monday week. He was set to cut down the world's three miles record l ot 6min 55£ sec. established by Nightingale, in 1893. Going in good style throughout, Almont covered the distance in 6min 50isec, the last mile being got over in 2min 16sec. An important addition to our thoroughbred stock was made by the arrival from Sydney of the yearling colt Oxydonor, a son of Lochiel and Melissa, and consequently a full-brother to the well-known Australian performers, Survivor and Reviver, both, of whom have good races to their credit. The colt goes into McGuinness's hands, and will race in the same interests as the Wallace filly which recently arrived at Wingatu from Melbourne. The ex-New Zealander. Westerly was backed to win £6000 the nieht before the Victorian Racing Club's Grand National Hurdle Race. \ Northern scribe thinks that, judged by the past season's form. Advance, Cruciform. Achilles, Wairiki, Lady Lilian, and Treadmill are the best six horses in the colony to-day. Methinks he mierht have substituted Orloff for Lady Lilian. The majority of horses race round a race track, but Record Reign may be said to have raced round the globe for he has raced in New Zealand Australia, India, and France. Advices from America state that the New Zealand "Tod Sloan," L. H. Hewitt, had a bad trip to that country and that his leg gave him a great deal of trouble on the nourney. It will ' -> remembered that this popular young horseman got injured by a splinter when inspecting the Addmeton Workshops, and he was advised to take a rest. Rumours were current in town that the leg had to be amputated, but his latest letter makes no mention of such a catastrophe. Mr. D. J. Price, the well-known trotting enthusiast who is now in America, sends word that it is probable that an American hoise, with a 2.6 record, may come over to this colony to try conclusions with Ribbonwood, the champion of Australasia. If not, he will probably take the latter over to the land of Stars and Stripes next season. The whole of the Sylvia Park stud is to be sold bv auction, in December next. There are at present thirty-three mares and four stallions at the stud, which has become world famous in turf history as the birthplace of the mighty Carbine. The stallions include such well-known performers as St. Hippo Explosion, Scaton Del aval, and San Francisco.

The populai knight of the pigskin connected with the Poruua stable, Charlie Jenkins, has finished up the present racing season with eighty-five wins, the largest number any horseman has put togethei in this colony. Last year he headed the list with sixty-seven winning rides, and the year before that he had thntys,ix. H. Donovan, of Canterbury, runs Jenkins a good second, havin" won nearly sixty races during the season. Rock Sand has won eight out of nine races, his stake winnings totalling £18,124. At latest, Rook Sand was 11 to 10 on for the St. Leger. Sans Peur. the two-year-old daughter of Soult and Forme (the dam of Cruciform and Formosan) is to be retired to the stud. Great things were expected of this youngster but she unfortunately met with an accident when contesting the Avondale Guineas, from which she has never quite recovered. The English critics are of the opinion that if the French colt, Vmicius, had been properly ridden he might have stretched Rock Sand's neck in the Derby, instead of allowing the latter horse to run home an easy winner. After the race the owner of the French colt, M. Blanc, could have obtained 20,000 guineas for the horse had he cared to make a sale. The rich Eclipse Stakes, of 10,000 soys. has fallen this year to that wonderfully good horse, Ard Patrick, who carried lOst 21b. It must have been a veritable battle of giants, for included in the field were the famous Sceptre and Rock Sand, the wanner of the Derby. The presence of these three evidently had the effect of frightening all the others except Duke of Westminster and Oziolo out of the race. It must have been an exciting finish, for the cable states 1 that at the distance the brilliant daughter of Persimmon challenged Ard Patrick, and a battle royal ensued between the pair of champions. Sceptre made a most heroic effort to reach the flying Irishman, but suffered defeat by a half-length, with Rock Sand three lengths away third. Had Sceptre been successful. Captain Bass would have regained half the outlaw he underwent to procure possession of the illustrious mare. Trenton has not sired many winners in England, and one of these, Kano, who was successful at Epsom recently, narrowly escaped destruction as a foal, consequent on his* doing so badly. Early in his two-year-old career he gave so little promise that he could have been bought for less than 100 guineas, but when he won at Manchester in November, his price advanced to 500 guineas, and more than double the latter figure was asked when an Indian buyer made inquiries concerning him this season. In the way of quick w r oik, the following is hard to beat. The race for the English Derby was shown at Earle's- Court. Exhibition, London, by the Biograph the night of its decision. The start and finish from Tattenham's Corner to the judge's box were registered by three machines. Then the negatives were rushed back to London developed, positives printed, and the whole scene displayed in the Summer Theatre at 9.30 p.m. A rumour was current m tow n during the week that all was not right with the favourite for the New Zealand Cup. His price lengthened somewhat but his admirers rallied round, and he quickly regained his pla.ce in the betting. At present, the best price obtainable is Bto 1. Orloff, consequent on his being booked for Australia, has gone back in the betting, the best price on offer being 100 to 5. A weary punter adjourned to th© bar after one of the races at the Hutt last Saturday, and there met a ohronic enquirer. "Know anything p " asked the chronic. "I particularly want to fret a win to-day." "Yes, a dead cert " replied the heart-broken rjunter "follow me, and watch wh-at I back and then go and lay it , it's like finding money "