SPORTING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 340, 6 February 1889, Page 4

SPORTING NEWS.

According to Uio Christchurch papers, Mr Stead intends sending over either Gipsy King or Maxim to fulfil their engagements in fcho Australian Cup and Champion Stakes. The entries for fcho Great, Northern Derby and Foal Stakes ot 1890 91 are now com- , plefce. For the Derby there are 71 entiies against 83 last year, 71 in 1888, 69 in 1887, and 73 in 1886, which is well up to the average, but tho Foal Stake 3 entries tot up to 100, being in excess of any previous year. Major George and Messrs Stead, OBrien, Gollan, J. B. Ormoud, the Hon. (t. McLean, the Christchurch Middle Park Stud Company, and P. F.utler are the largest nominators, but every owner of note in tho colony is represented in the list. The New Zealand Stud Company arc the largest contributors to tho Foal Stakes for they have 47 entiies opposite their name. There has been some local betting on the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup this week. Carbine is in most request for the shoit race, and various horses arc picked for the Cup, Lochiel being in the greatest favour. Mr W. Kelso, the succe-sful^ Sydney trainer, and those associated with him, have had no cause to regret their purchases of horse flesh in Auckland. Their successes with Mitrailleuse and Cinderella aie fresh in the memory of turfites, and now we have news of their annexing a rich stake by tho aid of Paddy at the first time of asking. This was the January Stake of3oosovs., 6 furlongs, inn at Randwick last Saturday, which was run in the good time of 1.15^. When Paddy was an inmate of E. Kellys stable at Ellerslio he had the reputation of being able to record big things, which turns out to be true. Probably we will shortly hear of Lady Alice distinguishing herself at one of the Sydney meetings. This week Clogs was purchased on behalf of Kclso's patrons, and she is to be shipped over on Tuesday. The Hon. James White's colours still keep to the fore. At Randwick last Saturday lie annexed the rich Anniversary Handicap by the aid of the well-performed Carlyon, who had 9sb to carry. According to the Sydney papers, the event maintained its reputation of being: one of the best betting races of the year. This year a larger number of horses had been backed for it than usual. In the fiist place Lamond was made favourite. Then Steel Arrow became the public fancy. But he was supplanted by Recall; and tho latter eventually retired from the pride of place in iavour of Centaur. In addition to the four horses named, Plutarch, Carlyon, Dilisk, Vespasia, Elleidale, and a best of othei'3 received genuine support ; so that the "fielders'' had an ample opportunity of getting well round on their books. J. Keans good fortune has set in with the new year. The Kohimarama trainer, freshly returned from his success ; with Escutcheon at Taranaki, secured Tho j Don for £36, after he had annexed the Selling Steeplechase afc Onehunga. In his new colours the horse started at Takapuna in the Hurdle Race last Saturday, when he gained nhird place, but on Tuesday became out of his shell in real earnest, winning boch the Hurdle Race and Steeplechase, thus winning £175 in stakes. The fact of The Don defeating Recruit in the Sfceeplechaie must have been gallins" to Harry Harrison, for he was glad enough to get rid of him, having had the horse in the private sale list. Such are the fortunes of horse-racing. The Don was sired by Ariel, the triple Auckland Cup winner. I see the Australian Jockey Club at their annual meeting made some alterations in their rules of racing. It was agreed to compel persons nominating horses to declare the name or names of the bona fide owner or owners, the rule as passed read ing thus: ''Any person entering a horse for any race may be called upon by the committee or stewards to declare the name of the bona fide owner, or if more than one, of all the bona fide, owners of the =aid horse, and of all persons in any wise interested directly or indirectly therein. And if such person shall fail to make such declaration, or if it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the committee or stewards that the declaration when made is in any respect untrue, then the entry or entries of such horse shall be deemed invalid, and the otake* paid for such entry or entries forfeited for the beno fit of the race or races in which the horse is entered.'' A resolution was also passed prohibiting two-year-olds from racing in the early part of the season. There was a motion to increase the allowance to geldings from 31b to 51b, but it ■was not passed. In legard to selling races, the Committee wished to amend the rule so that the surplus money given by the purchaser of the winning horse in a selling laco rv'ghfc be equally divided between the club iunds and the owner of the second horse, but ib was not passed. The rule has been at work in England for years, and found to answer admirably. Those who foughb hardest against the tulc at the meeting were persons interested in propi ietary clubs, and seeing what a source of revenue races under selling conditions are, it is only natural they should. The motion to do away with the Is admission fee to the course was also not pa&sed. From the "Canterbury Times "of last week I cHd the following training notes : — Chain Shot and Engagement went a mile and a half at a good pace before they were joined by Merrie England, and taken along «ifc top for six furlongs. Chain Shot has lost much of his soreness, and is certainly better now than when he performed so well at the Metiopolitan Meeting, and Engagement has made a corresponding improvement. Should all go well between this and the meeting, Mr Robinson's pair will be very dangerous at Dunedin. Full pai ticulars of Mr Andrew's Town's sale at Hobartville which are now to hand, showthatitwasa most successful oneinevery i expect, the thoroughbred colts averageing 144 jr guineas, or a total of 4,915 guineas; the fillies averaged 113^ guineas, or a total of 3,405 guineas ; the trotters 117$ guineas, or a total of 2,000 guineas ; the blood mares an average of 45^ guineas, or a total of 650 guineas ; and the draughts, an average of 71 guineas, or a total of 355 guineas, making a grand total of 11,325 guineas. The chestnut colt, by Epigram (imp.), from Olive (imp.), evoked some spirited bidding and finally fell to the nod of Mr W. Clarke at 720 guineas, the highest price realised at the sale. The same gentleman paid 520 guineas for a brown filly by Grand Flaneur, from Atholino (imp.), and 500 guineas for a full brother to Moorhouse. Mr A. Harvey, a Queensland sportsman, secured a grey colt, by Epigram (imp.), from Bridesmaid, for 210 guineas, and a bay filly by Maribyrnorg, from Peril (imp.), for 205 guineas, besides a number of lesser-priced animals. Among the other buyei-s were Messrs T. i Ivory, T. Lamond, W. Duggan, S. Hondern, W. Forrester, T. Brown, T. Daly, and A. F. Smart. Lord Cariington and the Hon. J. White were present at the sale. Word comes fromMelbournethat the Committee of tho V.R.C. contemplate still fuither improving the stakes iun for at Flemington and providing additional stand accommodation for several thousand persons.

It is understood that the latter, at any rate, will be an accomplished fact before the next Spring Meeting. That well-known turf performer The Plunger died recently in an up-country town in Victoria. Ho had been performing stud duties, and is said to have left some promising stock behind him. Nb\vs comes from Sydney of tho death of that equine celebrity The Barb, not only tho best horse of his day, but it is open to question whether before or since the Australin turf ever told of a better. Under aH weights and at all distance.! he was equally at homo, nor did it matter whether a race was run fast or slow, tho black demon, as he was familiarly known, being all there, and he did as much as anything else towards making the late Mr John Tait famous as a racing iran. The Barb was by Sir Hercules fiom Young Gulnare, and though a great performer at the post was not the success anticipated in the paddock. Among other good things he did was to win tho Champion Stakes, Melbourne Cup (6st 111b), Great Metropolitan Stakes (9sb 101b), A.J.C. Derby, Sydney Cup twice, once with Bst 121b," and tho second time with lOst 81b, besides a number of othor important races. Anenb the Hon. J. White's Chester, a Sydney scribo discourses thus :—lt: — It savours \ery much of old times to find Kandwick racecoui'bo again occasionally visited by that ixood performer, both on and off tho turf— Chester. What pleasant memories, especially to ohose who were " on " him when he won the Melbourne Derby and Cup, tho name of Chester revives, and it will doubtless be interesting to know that, though a splendid performer at the post, he has been a betterone still in the paddock, the whole of his stock ha\ing shown the ability to gallop. Dnring°the fourjyears — December, 1884, to December, 1888— he has been at the stud, or rathe^ 1 , that his progeny have been racing, he has been credited with a total winnings of £33,714 4s, inclusive of owners' stakes and second and third monoys, or a net amount of £31,471 17s, a highly satisfactory result, indeed, when it comes to be remembered that his services arc confined to his owner's mares and the produce do not get into the open market. Those of his stock which have contributed towards the figures {riven are headed by Abercorn with' C 7,962, 962 18s. Ural la is the next best winner with £4,686, followed by Acme with £4,292. Carlyon is credited with £3,067, and Cranbrook £2,595. Then come, alphabetically, Aberdeen, £357; Enigma, £112 10s ; Fiist Chester, £741 los ; Lava, £835 10s ; Monte Christo, £1,791 ; Neophyte, £152 : Plutarch, £1,212 ; Pippo, £388 ; Philip Augustus, £779 10s ; Spice, £205 ; Tamarisk, £679 10s ; and Volcano, £1,615. Another record. The Americans are hard to beat, and the following extract shows that though hunting and steeplechasing are not pursued in the United States as they are in Great Biitain, Ireland, orpaitsof the Australa&ian colonies, they nevertheless have some powerful " leppers " amongst the horses in the States. Writing recently, the New Yotk correspondent of "The Age" says: — Horse lovers may remember that in my last letter I mentioned some jumping at the horse show here in New York on the evening previous to the date of the letter. The figures there given were ono jump of 6 feet 4 inchesand another, I think, of 6 feet 5 inches. Well, on the evening after my letter was written and while it was dashing across the continent to cacch the steamer at San Fivmcisco, ths horse Filemaker, belonging to Mr William Durland, of New York, made the leap which horsemen say is unprecedented anywhere in the world, of 6 feet 9| inches ! If you've done any better than this on your side of the continent let us know. I'm not a horse shaip, and perhaps this figure may have been sui passed dozens of times, but till advised to the contrary New York will claim the banner. Filemaker baulked two or three times, and needed some urging by his rider ; then he gathered himself, made a dash for the leaping bar, and went over it with the grace of an antelope, leaving, so some of the spectators say, fully an inch clear between his shoes and the wood. Mr Matthew Dawson, the eminent English trainer, has given expression to the following sensible remarks concerning stayers and non-stayers -. " A lot of noneen&e has been talked for yeais b}' theorists over horses being non-stayera because they po^se?3 great »peed. I am happy to have many good judges on my side who hold a contrary opinion, inasmuch as 1 have always argued that speed is the first great qualificacion in a racehor?e, and if he does not possess speed he is no more a racehor^s than a tub is a tub -without) a bottom. A lot, of course, depends on the distance for which a horse is specially trained, but let that distance be long or short, speed is the fii.st consideration, while with special piepaiation many supposed live furlong horses could win o-\ er five miles. It is also a wellknown fact that some of the best steeplechasers we have had weie half-mile sprinters."

The following is the view of the " Field " on the subject of the America's Cup :—: — " The cock-and-bull story telegiaphed horn America that Jlr Jameson, ownev of the Irex, is secretly building a cutter somewhere in the United Kingdom to compete for the Ameiica Cup, has of course, no foundation in fact. Indeed, the only fact in connection with the story is that it is a fact, if such a cutter is building, that Mr Ta meson knows nothing about it. The rumours about an Australian craft being built appepv to have been propagated more for the purpose of puffing than anything ; but we should not be surprised if the New York Yacht Club encouraged a challenge from that remote part of the world, because if an Australian won the cup there m ould be an end of it for ever, so far as the New York Yacht Club is concerned, which would be a* tiemendous relief to the club. Similarly, if the cup went to Aiiotralia, it is not likely that any Englishman would go after it, now the fashion has set in of specially building yachts to defend it. It would be all very well if a club relied on existing yachts, as the New York Yacht Club did in 1870-1, for the Cambria and Livonia contests; but now that it has been made plain that the cup can be dofended wifch almost absolute certainty by building a yacht specially for the purpose, it is npt likely that any future holder will leave it to chance. By the way, this certainty rather suggests that there never will be a ' future holder of the cup,' and that it will never go to Australia, or anywhere else outside New York."

Thab enterprising paper, the "New York World," has given a striking example of the use to which the telegraph may be put in gratifying public curiosity. A series of baseball games has been going on to decide the championship of the world, and in order to make the result known as quickly as possible tho "World" erected outside its office a hu°-e blackboard on which was drawn a sketch of tho baseball ground, or " diamond," as it is technically called. Each of the two "nines " had its own colour, and each of the players of the "nine" had a numbered peg. As soon as the game started at the ground it started also on the board, one side being shown at the bat, and the other side fielding.

As each run was made, so the player was moved from base to base on the board, and this was kept up until the end of tho game was reached. In order that no time should be lost, a special wire was run from the ground, whether in New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, or St. Louis, direct to the foot of the board, where sat an operator, who, as fast as tho message was sent in, dictated it to his assistant, who, in turn, made the movements on the board. In this way the spectators could follow every movement of a game boing played 1,500 miles away almost as quickly as if thoy were on tho ground itself. The public " caught on, "as you say here, and every afternoon while Iheseiies of games lasted the board was surrounded by a howling crowd of thousands of enthusiasts, who cheered or groaned themselves hoarse as they followed tho movements of those little pegs from hole to hole. This enterprise must have cost a large sum of monoy, but it paid for itself many times over in tho advertising thit it gave the paper.