Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 201, 7 May 1904, Page 20

Turf Topics.

THE Hawke's Bay autumn meeting takes place next week. Thlb fixture lias hitherto been held hi March, but is now dovetailed in between the Manarwatu and Wanganui meetings, and this arrangement may pi ove suitable to owners. The acceptances are not to hand>, but with the Manaw atu form before me I would suggest that the following should run prominently at the meeting • — Hack Hurdles.— Oinga and Rhyl. Autumn Handicap.— Rehua and Freeland. Hawke's Bay Cup. — Dannie Chiel and Plaidie. Handican Hurdles.— Omga and Levant. Nursery Handicap. — Solution and Possibility. Railway Stakes.— Melodeon and Rehua. Mr. A. E. Whyte, the Wellington Racing Olub's secretary, while satisfied with the result of the autumn meeting, seems fully alive to the fact that numbers of the club's patrons will not undertake the hazard of a trip from the present train terminus to the grandstand in even threatening weather. The crush at the narrow pipe biidges is in itself such an ordeall as few ladies care to experience a second time, while, if the grass is wet, they reach the grand-stand with damp feet and bedraggled skirts, and are thus rendered uncomfortable for the afternoon. Owing to better means of reaching the course being provided, country clubs are taking the lead, both in attendance and totalisator receipts ; it is therefore obvious that the Empire City's Racing Club must somehow or other get up to date. An amusing story is told bv a wellknown owner-trainer, who had the temerity to enter a protest for inconsistent running against a horse owned by a gentleman high up in authority in sporting matters. The latter's trainer was before the stewards 1 of a certain club, and the chairman, was putting leading questions. For instance- — "Did your horse have a bad passage on the boat?" — "No he had' a capital passage." "Has he been off his feed since his arrival?" — "No, he has done splendidly." "Do you think he was snort of a gallop?" — "No, the beggar has had any amount of galloping." It is needless to say the candid trainer was asked no more auestions, and that the objection was dismissed. Harry Piper, the best starter New Zealand has had 1 since the days of the late Sam Powell, had his patience sorely tried at the recent Hutt meeting. Canteen, Vladimir, Good Intent Starshoot, and several others are "fiends incarnate" when asked to face the starting barrier. On one occasion, at Racoarton, Piper charatered 1 Vladimir at the start-ing-post with a whip, with the view of making him line up to the barrier. After the race, Vladimir's then-owner, the Hon. Geo. McLean, had Piper before the stewards. The latter explained that only for his using the whir> the colt would have been left standing at the post. The chairman reprimanded the starter for striking the horse, and diyly remarked, if riders cannot bring their horses up to the barrier without having to assist them with a whip, the starter would he quite justified in leaving them at the post. Some unthinking people, who saw the race won by Vladimir at the recent Hutt meeting, insinuated that Piper designedly gave the Dunedin horse an undue

advantage at the start. There is not the slightest doubt that Vladimir beat the starter, cand got the advantage, of a flying start, but it must be borne m mind that the horses had been at the post ouite twenty minutes, and also that it was lapidly getting dusk. Vladimii had R. Derrett (one of the most experienced riders in New Zealand) on his back, but would stand still only when his head was facing the wrong way. There were several othei horses "backing and filling:," and only an experienced man would have got them away as evenly as Piper did. Denett amd Vladimir are both noted for being quick beginners, so possibly some of the others were taken unawares. Quite a number of horses have changed hands recently. The end of the flat-racing season is approaching, and many owneis prefer to sell without reserve rathei than feed their horses duiing the winter months. The Ponrua stable, R. Paterson, and A. Ellis, of Hawke's Bay, have each weeded out a number of useful performers durins the last month. A couple of these, Whamganioana and Warwick, have joined. Mr. W. J. Jorgenson's little team. The latter cost 41 guineas, and should win a race in moderate company Mr. Paterson (acting, no doubt, on the advice of his trainer, that wellknown judge of horseflesh, H. Goodman) is replacing tlio^e sold by 3 oungsterb of the very best class. Two of his latest purchases are chook full of the best strains of racing blood, viz., a yearling filly by Medallion — Patne, and a colt by Toipedo— Nymph. The former cost 180 guineas, and 1 the latter 124 guineas. The filly was one of five purchased by Mr. L. de Pelechet, at Sydney, and brought over a couple of weeks back. A filly by Grafton — Navanne, anothei of the five, was knocked down to a Mi-. Arthur MiteheJ, of the Hutt, for 150 guineas. The purchasers of the otheis were G. F. Moore, of Wanganui, who secured a colt by True Blue — The Gem for 180 guineas, J. Croker, of Hawetra, a colt by Lochiel — Consistence, for 150 guineas, and W. Teschemaker, of Timaiu, who got a filly by Medallion — Salutation foi 100 guineas. "Dad" Kingan, formerly a leading jockey, has been out of luok for a long time. Some years ago a provincial club put him under the ban for twelve months, on the flimsiest of evidence. Kingan suffered because the hors© he rode ran a better race the second day than on the first. This took place prior to the Racing Conference laying it down that inconsistent running was not punishable unless th&re was clear proof of corrupt practice on the part of the rider. The same stewards that punished Kingan subsequently very properly exonerated Canine Chiel and his rider for a much more inconsistent nerformance. It is: pleasing to note that these gentlemen gave Kingan an ovation wheai he won a race on their oonrsei last week. R. W. Paterson keeps adding useful performers to the team he has entrusted to Harry Goodman. The peculiairilynamed gelding, Lissa, is his latest purchase. Lissa has won several good races this season, and will I understand be raced both over hurdles and across country.

The Convoy-Gladsome case will 1 be finally disposed of during the Hawke's Bay race week by judges appointed by the New Zealand Racing Conference. Sn William Russell will preside, and no fairer man could be found 1 to render a correct interpretation of the rule upon which the oaise arose. The steward's of the Wellington Racing Club have decided that they will not be represented at the final enquiry. Although no reply ha^ as yet been received by the Wellington Racing Club from the Government re the construction of a railway line from Petone to the Hutt Park Racecourse it is stated that both the Premier and 1 the Minister o' Railways look upon the project with favour. This is only what might be expected a.% sooner or later the Wainui-o-mata and Day's 1 Bay residents will require a railway to connect their district with Wellington.