SPORTING NEWS

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 450, 1 March 1890, Page 4

SPORTING NEWS

Bv HIPPONA. Major George did not leave for England on Monday as was anticipated. Sultan has at last been shipped to Australia, on behalf of Mr W. R. Wilson. His record in this colony shows that out of the 45 races he started in, he won 19, and his winnings in stakes amount to £2,062. Neither Payten nor T. Hales will visit England next season, as was reported. After the Sydney Autumn Meeting Payten will, in all probability, have nothing of Mr James White’s horses to train for a season or two.

Mr Stead’s colt Medallion greatly pleasos the E'lemington touts. The “ Sportsman ” says he is one of the few Ascot Vale Stakes candidates who have escaped a penalty, and at the same time he is one of the few who shape like racehorses. A rather novel condition is attached to one of the principal handicaps run in America. It is, that horses handicapped at 9st or over shall be exempt from all penalties. Miss Alice (by Loolinus —Petroleuse) won the Welter Handicap at the Canterbury Pai’k (Sydney) races on the 15th February. The Auckland-bred Musk Rose (by Musket—Rosette) is thought a lot of in Tasmania. “ Augur ” has seen his first batch of foals, and thinks that in Musk Rose our field has at last struck the real successor to St. Albans.

The brown colt by Sir Modred—Salommc, recently purchased by Mr E. Keys, will be known in future as Camden. Eiridspord and Castor, the recent English importations of Mr W. R. Wilson, are now regular attendants after breakfast of a morning on the Flemington training tracks, both having been put into work. The first Australian-bred horse to win turf honours on American soil is Hearst, who scored his maiden race at Guttenburg quite recently. Imported to San Francisco from Sydney, by J. K. Newton, in 1887, this colt reached the East last spring, but has ever since been more or less of a disappointment. Mr Newton sold him at auction last fall for £225 to the Union stable.

Mr “ Horsford” is breaking-up his breeding establishment at Christchurch,' and the estate at Russley is also to be put under the hammer. Lochiel, in company with the two brood mares, Cypriote (half-sister to Sir Modred) and Musk Deer (by Musket— Sweet Cicely), will be shipped to Melbourne for sale. J. Rae will probably leave for Sydney next Tuesday with Orangeman and Titokowaru. Consequence’s scratching for the Newmarket Handicap was a severe blow to Australian backers, as it somehow got bruited about that the mare was a “ dead bird” for the six furlongs race, and she was very freely supported both straight out and in doubles. The ox-Auckland owned Squire won a race at the last Williamstown (Melbourne) races. A high compliment has been paid to Captain Winter by the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club, who have written requesting him to attend their autumn meeting on March 17th and 18bh and act as starter. Captain Winter has consented to do so. The request has been prompted by owners of racehorses and others who have visited Gisborne.

Mr W. R. Wilson has purchased the St. Albans state and stud, with the exception of the yearlings, and enters into possession on the 20th prox. The English jockey T. Loatea will next year receive £1,500 from Mr Milner for first call on his services, whilst Mr Blundell Maple will give him £750 for second. Not so bad for a lad twenty-one years of age. Mr C. J. Penfold,, the Secretary of the Canterbury Jockey Club, tells “ Sir Launcelot ” that on his way Home, via America, he witnessed a race meeting _ at Minneapolis, which would, from a racing point of view, be designated in this country as second rate, but at which there were 10,000 people present. Mr Penfold saw a bit of steeplechasing while he was at Home, and he inclines to the opinion that the chasers of the Old Country have deteriorated in quality very much during the past 4 or 5 years. The Sydney light-weight jockey, J. Fielder, is specially engaged to ride Sir William in the Newmarket Handicap.

Speaking of Melos, “ Martindale ” says his last two gallops over the track at Randwick, previous to leaving for Melbourne, were very good ones, and, should nothing happen, he will be a most lormidable opponent in the Australian Cup, for which, now that Carbine has been scratched, he looks the winner. English papers are advocating the introduction of the totalisator in the Old Country. Mr S. Gardiner, of Bundoora Park, Victoria, is talking about shipping yearlings for sale in San Francisco. THE DEFEAT OF PYGMALION. Pygmalion’s decisive defeat in the Champagne (writes “Mazeppa”) was not so great a surprise as those at a distance may think it was. It was an open secret that Cutts was not confident, and early in the morning the word was passed round among the knowing ones that Dan O’Brien’s best would very likely beat the crack. Derretb being put on to Freedom was taken as an indication that the son of Maid of Honour was the better of O’Brien’s two, and I think this colt carried more of the professional backer’s money than Pygmalion did. The rumours proved to be correct as to the relative abilities of Pygmalion and Freedom, for the last-named wore down the son of Nautilus, and seemed to be coming home a winner ; but we were all abroad as to the result after all, for Mr Butler’s Thackeray ran through his field at the home turn, and was landed an easy winner. What made this result the more surprising was the fact that while at the post waiting for a start Thackeray misbehaved himself very badly, bucking about all over the course, getting into the ditch, and playing up old gooseberry generally. This must have taken a lot out of him, and hence his success is the more meritorious. Now that he has won we can all see in Thackeray a remarkably fine colt —one of the best of his race, and perhaps the most likely of any seen out so far to ripen into a good three-year-old.

THE NEWMARKET HANDICAP.

Next Saturday the Newmarket Handicap is run. The event promises to attract the

largest field that has gone to the post for the event, and the open character of the race is fully shown by the liberal prices that are offered in Melbourne against the various candidates. My fancies for the race, Rudolph, Scots Grey, and Gladstone, still remain in, and J fancy one of the trio will furnish the winner. Last night the Press Association cabled the following quotations : 9 to 1 against Rudolph and Aristocrat 11 to 1 Fishwife 20 to 1 Boz, Propounder, The Wild Oat, Churchill, Jerusalem, Gladstone, and Apropos 25 to 1 Corunna. Scots Grey, Sir William, The Gift, Fernando, Tourbillon, Skiff, Swing, and Ginger 33 to 1 Dunkeld and John S. 50 to 1 Meta and Casuist WHEN DID RACING START IN NEW ZEALAND ? Sir William Fitzherbert, in opening the Wellington Racing Club’s new grand stand the other day, said “racing was first started in New Zealand, at the Hutt 36 years ago.” Several correspondents (says the “ Canterbury Times”) have questioned the accuracy of this statement, and while they all appear to agree that the credit of the firsG attempt to acclimatise the sport belongs to Wellington, they place it at a much earlier period of the colony's history. There seems very little doubt that a race meeting of a very primitive character was held on the Wellington beach as early as 1842, and there was certainly racing in Nelson a couple of years later. Mr Charles Elliott tells us in an account of the “Origin and Early History of the New Zealand Turf,” whichaccompaniedthe first “ Racing Record ” (1875-76), that the course at Stoke, four miles from Nelson, was first used in 1845, when Gipsy, by Rous’s Emigrant, an ancestress of Gipsy King, was the heroine of the sport. In 1848 racing on the Wellington beach was abandoned, and a course formed at Burnham Water, but this was not satisfactory, and during the following year a move was made to the Hutt. If these particulars are correct, and they are gleaned from the highest authorities, we are much nearer the Jubilee of racing in New Zealand than Sir William Fitzherbert supposed.

HASTINGS TRAINING NOTES. Last Saturday evening’s issue of the Napier “Telegraph” contains the following Hastings training notes : ing the first to work on the training track was Tirailleur, who was sent his Derby distance. Pearl Powder kept him company the first part of the journey, and then Renata took him along, both of them going well. Kotuku went fast by herself, going fairly well. Lenore and Cvnisca did a fast one and a-half mile 3 together, the black seeming to have all the best of it. Whisper worked by herself, as also did Strephon ; tho black mare is looking very well, and Strephon is looking better than he did earlier in the season. Man Fiiday and Uranus went twice round together. Pursestring was on the course and did slow work. Tim, the Poverty Bay hurdle horse, is another new one now owned in this district. He is big enough and strong enough, and is said to be better than he looks. He certainly has not the appearance of being a fast one.” A MELBOURNE CUP CANDIDATE.

“Augur,” who has been on a visit to Tasmania, discourses as follows on the inmates of Mr W. Brown’s stable :—“*Napoleon has not changed since I saw him last ; he is the same wiry black horse, a true son of his father, the celebrated Tim Whittier, who was considered the best three-year-old of his time over a distance in England. Next to him is a good-looking son of Napoleon’s named Nap ; but much more to my fancy is Silvermine's brother, Highlander, who occupies another box. Dark bay in colour, two white hind feet, and the grey hairs of his mother through his coat and his tail, he is more strongly built than Silvermine, and stands upon much shorter legs. With good shoulders and barrel, he possesses great length in his quarters, which are very muscular and well let down, and •if this two-year-old son of Napoleon and Silverhair does not race, and race well, I shall be disappointed. His owner is doing the right thing with him, and has determined not to force him in any way, but to give him every opportunity to season well ere he puts him into fast work, for he declares that he has his eye upon the £IO,OOO to be given by the V.R.C. to the Melbourne Cup next November.”

st lb st lb Boz . 10 1 John S. . 8 1 Fishwife .. . 10 0 Corunna .. . 8 1 My Lord .. . 9 13 The Wild Oat . 8 0 Sedition .. . 9 7 Yabba . 7 13 Don Giovan . 9 2 Savanak .. . 7 13 Aristocrat . 8 13 Bonnie Spec . 7 12 Richelieu . 8 12 Skiff . 7 12 Bothwell.. . 8 12 Gladstone . 7 11 Apropos .. . 8 10 Casuist r 7 n Rudolph .. . 8 10 Ginger . 7 11 Merriment . 8 10 Tongariro .. . 7 10 Audacity.. 8 9 Grandlike .. . 7 8 Dunkeld. .. 8 8 Jerusalem.. . 7 8 Scots Grey 8 8 Braemar .. . 7 6 Carrington 8 8 Swing . 7 5 Ernest .. 8 8 Alphmgton . 7 4 Anarchy.. 8 8 Phryne . 7 3 Sir William . 8 8 First Boolka . 7 2 Chaldean.. 8 7 Olive . 6 13 The Gift 8. Pomegranate . 6 11 Fernando 8 5 Propounder . 6 11 Churchill 8 5 Deception . 6 7 Scottish Chief. 8 4 Highborn .. . 6 7 Tourbillon 8 2 Mota . 6 7 j;