Turf Topics

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 260, 24 June 1905, Page 21

Turf Topics

By the "Old 'Un."

OWING to the handicaps for the Napier Park meeting being declared after, the Lance goeb to press, and the events decided pnoi to the following issue, followers of the "Old "Uns" tips will be left to make their owu selections. Thas course may prove a source of gratification as it is a great pleasure to some backers to pick thear own "goodl things. 1» those who "want advice, I can only cay sta.ok to the horses tnat rum prominently at the Hawke's Bay meeting— horses which when well and in the humour are usually hard to beat. This year's Racing Conference will be one ol the most important yet held. The amended rules of racing will came up for discussion and adoption, when, nu doubt, some interesting debates will take place. The allocation, of dates will be threshed out, and, as a numbei of dubs are making application for new dates, and in some instances several olubs have applied for the same dates, it would appear that a shift all round may be eminent. The question of dates is an impoitant on<j for many clubs, and instances have ocouned where clubs have been coon- " pelled to accept dates that were considered unsuitable by their stewards. For instance, last year the Nelson Club (South Maud) was not permitted to race on the siame date as the Egmont Club (North Island), but the Napier Park Club was allowed to race on the same day as the Otaki Club, both of these olubs being in the North Island, and within nine hours' journey of each other by rail. A re-construction of the Date Committee would posisibly effect improvement. "Phaeton," in the "Auckland Weekly News," in a review of the Auckland winter meeting, writes. — "There is nothing attractive about the conformation of Exmoor. In fact, it may be saad that there is a bit of a commoner about him. . . And though he has won over a mile, a fuxlong shorter course is apparently more to his liking. In the York Handicap, run over a mile, the last bit had to be extracted from him to waid off. a challenge from Sir Gilead. When Exmoor melted out of the struggle in the Cornwall Handicap inside the distance matteis did not look too hopeful for the Grafton gelding." He unproved on that position by t&gistering a dual victory in the Prince of Wales and York Handicaps. In the first-named event 'he was receiving 191b from Romeo, and in the York Welter Paritutu conceded ham 111 band Romeo 71b. Exmoor won from Sir Gilead by a head. Irish, winner of the Great Northern Hurdle Race, is in a bad 1 way. He jumped on Waitarere in. the Grand National Steeplechase, and both were on the ground together. Waitarere is supposed to have kicked Mr. Williamsons horse in the region of the pentoneum, with the result that a bad 1 rupture is Irish's injury. The vet. intends to chloroform him, with the view of ascertaining the extent of the injury. Nor'-west, who won a double at the A.R.C. winter meeting, is sixteen yeais old, and, in addition to following the Pakuranga hounds, he did duty as a hack for the clerk of the course at Ellerslie. It is only a few months since it was thought that the old fellow had completely lost his pace. The publication of the list of horses nominated for the New Zealand Cup has given occasion for turf speculators indulging in their favourite pastime of taking long shots about probable winners. Looking at lists of odds offered, there does not seem to be any tempting prices on offer. Those horses with good credentials are picked out by layers, and quoted at from 16 to 20 to 1, and many of those against whom 100 to 1 is offered have not a 500 to 1 chance. The public idol at the present time appears to be Maniapoto, and he is quoted at 20 to 1. Rumours have been published that commissions have been executed in his favour for the New Zealand Cup. From enouines made, I findl that Mr. Good, the horse's owner, has supported Maniapoto for the Melbourne Cup, to win him a good stake, and that it is> his intention to send the horse to Sydney to compete at the A.J.C. spring meeting, m September. All going well,

and the weight proving suatable, he will run his horse at Flemmgton in November. The result of my enquiries goes to" show that the report of a oammisHion having been executed about Manaapoto for the New Zealand Cup ls sheer nonsense and would-be backers had better ponder a bit. Visitor*, to the Auckland winter meeting were not much impressed with the class of boises seen out at the meeting. Most of those competing in the flat events aie said to be very ordinary- raaers indeed 1 . Tha^e of any class were Loaded with weight. For 'instance Pantutu (only a moderate animal 1 ) was given list 111b in. the Comwaill Handicap, and even with that impost he beat everything opposed to him except Geordie and 1 Sir Gilead, who carried within a few pounds of the minimum. Exmooir witih '10st 51b, was in front in the early stages of the Cornwall Handicap, and appears to have been early beaten, and only finished sixth. On the sieoondi day, witlh Pantutu out of the way, amd Geordie and Sir Gilead raised 131 band 71b respectively, Exmoor won, with Admiral Cerveras second. As thus pair finished side by side in the Cornwall Handicap, and met again, under similar oonddtions, tlbear form was remarkably consistent. The positions occupied at the finish of the race by Admiral Cerveras and Rose Madder (animals that are usually found amongst the minimum weights in first-class handkoaps) tends to verafy the opinions of those who spoke of the horses that ran at Auckland 1 as a modlerate lot. The hurdle ajnd steeplechase horses competing at the Northern meeting incQfuded nothing out of the ordinary, as witness the fact that the ancient Nor swest won a double, and another "has been " Haydln, was runner-up m the Gn-eat Northern Steeplechase. Norwest and Haydn were good horses when in their prime, but when only one animal (K'aftere) could be produced to defeat Haydn, it is evidence that we have a poor class of oross-oounitry horses out this season. Waitanere is spoken of as having fenced cleverly for a novice, and, with more experience may become a useful animal over hurdles and) also eteeple>ohase country. There are, however, horses competing in local hack hurdle events whose credentials are quite equal to Waitarere, but their owners were not venturesome enough to fly atfc national hurdle and steeplechase events just yet. The C.J.C. Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase are already receiving attention at the hands of backers. Kaitere. Slow Tom, and Nor'-west have been seQebted as the "best goods" for the Grand National Steeplechase, amid bave been coupled with a number of prominent hurdle horses to win the dtauble. The prices on offer range from 500 to 5 to 500 to 10.