SPORTING NEWS

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 475, 28 May 1890, Page 3

SPORTING NEWS

By HIPPONA. A SUCCESSFUL JOCHEY. After a successful and honourable engagement as first jockey to Mr James White, extending over a period of six and a-half years, Tom Hales has earned a merited respite from the pigskin, and is now free to make his own arrangements for next season. During his lengthened connection with the Kirkham stables Hales won in stakes for his late employer within a few pounds of £76,000. This handsome sum does not include money won on second and third horses, which, if included, would brine the total considerably over £BO,OOO. BEFORE THE STEWARDS.

The stewards of Victorian raciner clubs seem to have a “set ” on New Zealanders, and never miss a chance. At the recent Melbourne Hunt Club races, J. Rae was carpeted, and was asked for an explanation as to Titokowaru’s running in the Steeplechase. Every paper takes Rae’s case up, and says there were not the slightest grounds for the stewards taking the action they did. This is what the “ Melbourne Age” says anent the matter: A good deal of excitement and a little unpleasantness occurred over the Steeplechase. Mr Rae’s two horses, Guy Fawkes and Titokowaru.were the favourites, most of the money being placed on the latter, but the former won. The owner rode Titokowaru, Batty being on Guy Fawkes, and the running was not made until after the last hurdle had been safely negotiated, and the field was getting into the straight. The two New Zealanders were then ahead, Guy Fawkes being in the lead, and the pair raced fairly up to the post, Guy Fawkes winning on his merits. Mr Rae was, however, brought before the stewards for suspicious riding, but, after a hearing, the charge was dismissed. When it became known that this had occurred, surprise was expressed at the charge being laid, as there appeared no suspicion of anything crooked to the vast majority of those who watched the contest, and general satisfaction was expressed when it was found that Mr Rae had left the stewards’ room cleared of the imputation made against him.

AUSTRALIAN HORSES IN ENGLAND. A special cable message to the Sydney “ Evening News,” under date London, May 11th, says : “Mr J. E. Savill, the owner and trainer of Ringmaster, and the trainer also of Chicago, the Caulfield Cup winner of 1888, has expressed his disbelief in the system of English training, and in order to demonstrate the correctness of that opinion he wishes to buy or lease Plutarch, who has been under the care of the celebrated English trainer, Matthew Dawson. Plutarch has been a failure in Dawson’s hands, and Mr Savill thinks that he can win races with him if he can get him under his care.”

MORE ABOUT CARBINE. It my readers are not yet tired of hearing about Carbine (writes “Mazeppa”), I will tell them something about his sale. After he lost the Derby to Ensign, and thus put New Zealanders to a man on their beam ends, the colt was understood to be seeking a purchaser. Mr S. G. Smith, our clerk of the scales, was then in Melbourne, and, as a friend of Mr Gannon, suggested to that gentleman that he should become a purchaser, giving it as his opinion that it would be a payable spec at almost any price. Mr Gannon did not ab first take very kindly to the notion, but eventually consented so far as to authorise Mr Smith to go and price Carbine. “ How much will you take for the colt if Mr Gannon wants him?” was the query pub bo Mr O’Brien. This was on the Friday after the Derby was run. “ Well,” replied Dan, “he can have him for two thousand;” and it was agreed that the offer should remain open till the Saturday night. “ If I don’t get an answer before Monday,” added Mr O’Brien, “ I’ll nob take less than three thousand from any man on he face of this earth, and if no one will give me that for him, I’ll keep him myself and bake down all their cracks with him,” Mr Gannon was not dismayed at the price asked - he owns a dollar or two, and doesn’t mind spending them if he sees his way clear—but somehow or other he did nob catch on very readily bo this offer, though there is no saying but what Mr Smith’s pleading might have ultimately persuaded him had nob a third party pub in bi 3 oar. This was Mr Lowe, one of Mr Gannon’s friends, who happened to call at the hotel where they were all stopping. Over the dinner table the subject of Carbine was introduced by Mr Gannon asking Mr Lowe’s opinion. “ Mr Smith,” he said, “ can talk of nothing bub Carbine. He tells me Carbine is the best eolt ever produced in New Zealand, and is almost going down on his knees to get me to buy. What do you think?” “Don’t touch him,” replied Mr Lowe. “Ihave gone into this thing, as you know, and he comes under the red.” Mr Lowe forthwith proceeded to expound his meaning, producing Carbine’s pedigree lines underscored in red and blue, the red indicating nonstayers, and the blue those that , had proved abletoget overadvance. Apre-

ponderance of red was shown, sure enough, \ and, if the premises were reliable, Carbine I was bred as a non-stayer. “The thing is as plain a? a pikestaff,” continued Mr I Lowe, “and here you have proof of it. Carbine won all before him in his own country, but the first time he is asked to race over a distance he is put down, and so he always will be.” The argument caused Mr Gannon to hesitate, and in hesitating he lost the horse. Mr Wallace, blissfully ignorant of the red and blue theory, has pocketed £IO,OOO over the transaction, to say nothing of bets, and still has his horse, apparently as good as ever. The story is given as related to me.

BITS OF TURF. Mr G. Cutts is having great difficulty over the shipping of the brood mare Linda to Mr W. R. Wilson in Melbourne. Week after week the Union Company have failed to provide the accommodation required ’tween decks, and the outcome is the mare is still at Sylvia Park. Similar fate has attended the shipping of Pygmalion ab Christchurch. A cablegram says that Mr James White’s colts Wentworth, Nepean and Mons Meg have arrived safely at the Cape of Good Hope en route for England. Hitherto, Ilex, this year’s Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase winner, had been little better than a plater, and was bought last year by his present owner for a “ monkey.” Fusee, the Musket —Titania mare, has proved a great disappointment lately. She was greatly fancied for the Pupuke Cup ab the Lake races on Saturday, but could not gain a place. I hear she will shortly be returned to the New Zealand Stud Company, the lease expiring. Irish Agitator, the winner of the Settlers’ Race ab the Lake races, is a 5-year-old son of Piscatorious. He was only broken in nine months ago. The New Zealand hurdle-racer Secretary, now in Melbourne, is said to have been purchased or leased by the Messrs Miller. The horse started in a hurdle race ab Flemington recently, but came to grief at the last obstacle. According to a cablegram in late Australian papers to hand, Kirkham and Narellan are knocked out of the Epsom Derby betting. The pair are quoted at 100 to 1. The Committee of the Victoria Racing Club are considering the advisability of . having a close season for steeplechasers. Scots Grey is at present being indulged in a spell owing to an affection of the knee. So says “ Sir Launcelot.” In Christchurch, Medallion and St. Andrew are now quoted ab 10 to 1 in the betting on the New Zealand Cup. The ex-Auckland owned sprinter Squire still continues in a winning vein. At the recent Melbourne Hunt Club races he easily annexed the Selling Race, beating four others. Squire was brought to the hammer immediately after the race and bought in for £l2O, of which sum £95 went to the Club. Some delay book place over the start, Squire being in a rather fractious mood, and it appeared at one time as though the race would have to start without him.

Lochiel, who is now trained at Caulfield by C. Rudings, has been put to the jumping business, and, it is said, he flies his hurdles as if he had been at the illegitimate game all his life. Sold as a stallion, he may, like Malua, come out and win a Grand National Hurdle Race, after having, according to rumour, left the post for the paddock. The Feilding Jockey Club are going in for a new course, arrangements having been made to.obtain the lease for ten years, with a purchasing clause ab £24 an acre, of 62 acres, at a rental of. £49 123 a year. Erection of a grand-stand, and the laying down of a racecourse and training track, will be proceeded with at once. The Club is in a very good financial position. At the sale of the Tabletop Stud (Victoria), the stallion Glorious was sold for 275 guineas to Mr J. Dougharty. Small prices were realised for the mares. Mr W. E. Dakin gave 175 guineas for Sylvan Green, and Mr Wallace 100 guineas for Christmas. Mr W. S. Cox, jun., the accomplished Victorian amateur rider, got his arm broken while riding at Moonee Valley races the other week. The Hon. J. White’s now 2-year-olds Wentworth, Nepean, and Mons Meg, which are now about duo to arrive in England, are heavily engaged in the classic races. They aie nominated for three of the great 2-year-old races of the present season, for the first of which, however, it is not to be expected they will be ready, as the Portland Stakes is run in July, bub the Middle Park Plate (Newmarket) and Great Sapling Stakes (Sandown Park) are run in October next. The New Zealander Escutcheon ran second to Grandson in the May Handicap, at Rosehill (Sydney) races, lately. He wa beaten a length. A Taranaki paper says Mr Thos. Elliot, of Waitara, has just disposed of a fine fourfilly by Eai’ly Bird —lanbhe to a gentleman at the Bay of Islands, and she was shipped from Waitara the other weak. The Wanganui Jockey Club have received 54 entries for the Derby of 1891. For the Two-year-old Stakes, to be run next March, there are 39 entries. The only Auckland owners represented in the lists are J. Maitland and J. C, Davis. King William, by Nordenfeldt—Pulchra, is said to have grown into a nice colt. He is in Queensland, and will be sent over to take part in the V.R.C. Derby if he trains on. It is suggested by “Vigilant” in the Melbourne “ Sportsman ” that half a dozen Australian steeplechase horses and riders should be sent to the United States to introduce cross - country racing to the Americans. . R. Mason, has gone to Sydney on a trip for the benefit of his health. The crowd at Aintree this year on the Grand National Day beat anything ever seen previously; in fact, the numbers are said to have exceeded a Doncaster! Leger Day. This time, moreover, Ainbrwas a gate-money course. Thus “ Asmodeus ” in the “ Leader ” During the present season Victoria has been overrun with New Zealand racehorses, trotters and ponies, and now we are to undergo another Maori infliction in the form of an invasion of steeplechasers. At Liverpool, on the evening of the Grand National, the important wager of 8,000 to 1,000 was booked about Le Nord for the Epsom Derby. Ringmaster’s third in the LHerpool Spring Cup was not at all an indifferent performance. Father Confessor, the winner, a five-year-old, carried 7st 51b, and finished three lengths in front of Theosophist, five years, Bst 41b, the Australian, bred horse being on the girths of the second, with Bst. Moutaigne was favourite at 100 to 30, Theosophist next at 4 to 1, and the winner at 6 to 1, while Ringmaster figured at 100 toB, in afield of nine, ridden by Turner, who was on him on each occasion last year.