SPORTING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 491, 23 July 1890, Page 4

SPORTING NEWS.

By HIPPONA. THE HON. JAMES WHITE. There will be universal regret at the death of the Hon. James White. His name was a household word throughout New Zealand. It can hardly be said his end was unV expected, for deceased had been prostrated If® for a long period by an illness from which 111 there was no hope of recovery. Mr White [lf was a typical turfite, and he loved racing | | and breeding the thoroughbred for its own Iff sweet sake, not the profit to be derived from it. To him the turf was a means whereby he gained pleasant recreation, and his death leaves a very big blank in the Australian turf world that will be hard to fill. Mr White’s success in racing and breeding has been nothing short of V;.. phenomenal, due, no doubt, in a great I" measure to the fact that in selectinsr blood 1 he invariably chose members of families I which have been winners on the turf. His | wealth enabled him to never stop at a price I when be made up his mind to buy, but at

1 when bo made up his mind to buy, but at l the same time he was always judicious in !his purchases. I gather from back records that JSIr White commenced in a very small way as a racing man. Tho first horse that ‘flaunted in the breeze the famous “blue and white” was a steeplechaser named , Hotspur, who won more than one race lover the big fences, and this induced f|lr White to fly at higher gamo, Hind subsequently he purchased Demofcrafe (a son of Gemma di Vergy) and ; Chostor. He had refused Chester ns a yearling, but after the colt had shown fexcellenb two-year-old form, he became his fproperty, Mr White’s first venture with |Chester, in the A.J C. Derby of 1877, was Inot successful, for he suffered dofeat at the |hands of Woodlands. Afterwards Chester ii-wa3 sent to Melbourne, and the horse Jtelectrified tho racing world by pulling off ||fehe double of the Victorian Derby and f Melbourne Cup, also the Mares’ Produce Stakes, thus laying tho foundation of the famous Kirkham stable. Chester did good service for Mr White, for the I® same season he annexed tho V.R.C. Town Plate, A.J.C. Cumberland Plate, and A.J.C. Plate. At four years he won tho ’A.J.C. Spring Stakes, Craven Plate, and Randwicli Plate, V.R.C. Melbourne Stakes, A.J.C. Autumn Stakes, Cumberland Stakes, and A.J.C. Plato ; at five years, the A.J.C. Spring Stakes ; and at six years tho V.R.C. Melbourne Stakes, retiring after \ running unplaced with 9st 61b up in the *fcr‘ Melbourne Cup won by Grand Flaneur, 6st 101 b. In 1883, Mr White again won the | Victorian Derby and Melbourne Cup with | Martini-Henry, and the Auckland-bred I: colt was also successful in the V.R.C. ! Mares’ Produce Stakes and St. Leger. It P would take up too much space to recount the many successes of tire Kirkham stable and tho many “ cracks ” that have tenanted the boxes ; but strange to say, although Mr White’s great ambition, he was unable to win the V.R.C. Champion Stakes till the Auckland-bred Matchlock proved victorious in 1886. In connection with this event, he suffered two great reverses by the defeats of Chester and Martini-Henry in their respective years. * ' From the moment Chester won the Melp bourne Derby and Cup ho was regarded a certainty, but he went down before First ? King, whom some enthusiastic Australians & still declare was a better horse than Carbine, our present turf hero. Altogether, t since Mr White commenced racing in 1877, every great race in Australia, barring the Caulfield Cup and Hawkesbnry Handicap, have-at one time or other been appropriated by horses running in his colours. His record as far as the rich races are concerned is ;—ll Derbys. 8 Legers, 3 Champions, 3 Maribyrnong Plates, 3 V.R C. Oaks, 3 Australian Cups, 3 Metropolitans, 2 Melbourne Cups, 4 Ascot Vale Stakes, 1 Newmarket Handicap, 1 Sydney Cup —an astounding record—while his winnings in stakes during • his turf connection must tot up to considerably over £IOO,OOO. The horses trained for Mr White by the late Mr M. Fennelly njfc alone won £66,400. An unfortunate cirjjfe cumstance in connection with Mr White’s death is the fact that according to the EngW'.: lish rules of racing the whole of the engagsI? mente of Kirkham, Narollan, Wentworth, I'v Mons Meg, and Nepean in the Old Country IV become void by the death of the nominator. ■MAltogether, the Australian turf loses its IpDrightest pillar, and a grand old man, W". !who was liked by all who knew [ him* The writer will never forget I many kindnesses deceased showed towards I him while on a holiday visit to Sydney. § Lightly rest the turf on James White.

THE NEW ZEALAND CUP. The handicap for tho New Zealand Cup has nob been very favourably received in the South, Southern scribes thinking the ! compilers have been very careless in weighting the bottom division. “ Sir Launcelot ” designates the handicap as ‘•‘one of the worst that has ever emanated from the combined wisdom of the C.J.C.’s haudicappers. It is a most patchy one throughout, and in several instances the weights seem to have been allotted without rhyme or reason.” He sums up by taking Dudu, Recluse, Cynieca, Rose Argent, Thackeray, Crackshot, Moraine, St. James, and Emmason to be the best treated, and if Town Moor were in the country, he should add him to the others named. The “ Canterbury Times” selects Tirailleur, Merrie England, Medallion, Thackeray, Crackshot, Reprisal, and Chatfield to supply the winnor ; and the Christchurch" Weokly Press” Tirailleur, Jet d'Eau, Dudu, Recluse, Whisper or Medallion, and in three—Tirailleur, Dudu, or Medallion. The appearance of tho New Zealand Cup weights in Christchurch did not lead to much speculation. 100 to 12 is offered on the field, Medallion and Crackshot being most inquired for, and Merrie England and Occident have each been backed at 100 to 10.

Prince Consort is greatly fancied in Australia for the Melbourne Cup. He has now advanced to 100 to 6. On last year’s running ho looks to have an excellent chance, for he finished an excellent fifth, being alongside Pukeha.

Titokowaru’s show of appropriating the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase next Saturday appears a very good one. The horse is said bo be looking remarkably well. At latest Busaco and Titokowaru were level favourites at 5; Renmark, Nooroo and Madia were at 8, and Lawler at 10. Ellerslie, tho winner of the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race on Saturday, is owned by Mr R. Phillips, who is known as the “ South Melbourne bookmaker.” The horse has won a number of hurdle races in Australia. All the scribes were astray over picking the winner of the race, and according to one paper Ellerslie was “ under a cloud.” Tho race would appear to have been a most queerly-run one, and it is just likely a little too much use was made of Donald.

Mr R. S. Wakley, the judge of the Victoria Racing Club, at present holiday making, is reported to have created quite a sensation in Rotten Row, the fashionable haunt of equestrians in London, with his New Zealand hunter Otaio. The horse is a splendid animal, very close on 17 hands, up to 18 stone, and can jump almost anything. His breeding is not to be denied, for he is by Traducer (imp.) from Blood Royal. His owner has already been offered 700 guineas for him, but he is not anxious to part with his colonial hunter.

The English cross-country jockey Brazil won another Steeplechase at a Melbourne meeting the other day, on a horse named Screw-wrench.

Mr C. J. Penfold, who has resigned the secretaryship of the Canterbury Jockey Club, will leave Christchurch about the middle of next month, to take up the secretaryship of the Melbourne Club. The New Zealand bred horse Somneil has been leased to Mr Alex. Smith, of Lindenow, for stud purposes. The son of Apremont and Hammock ought to get some very speedy youngsters, for he himself was tremendously fast. In Melbourne the other day, some wagering took place on the next Victorian Derby, Titan being backed at 2to 1, At one time during the day he was quoted at 6 to A, but the closing price at night was 2 to 1 offered and 5 to 2 wanted.

Last week’s Melbourno “Sportsman ” honours J. Rae by publishing in its pages a very good illustration of the popular rider and trainer. A column is also devoted to hi 3 history. Everything points to a bright future for the ex-Aucklander in bis new home.

In Sydney, every now and then, the police drop on the runners of the private totalisator shops. A woman, named Mary Howell, for allowing her shop to be used for betting purposes, was recently fined £5 and a man named Thomas Webb was mulcted in a fine of £4O for the same ofience. Mr Brodribb has met with a streak of ill luck in the death of his yearling colt by The Drummer—May Queen, for which he gave 500 guineas at the Rand wick autumn sales. It seems the youngster, after having been added to the list, was sent to Mr C. M. Lloyd’s station, and while runniqg about broke his neck. Jem Goater, the veteran English jockey, completed his 52nd birthday last month. Thirty-eight years ago he Avon the Chester Cup on Joe Miller, carrying 4sb 101 b, and in a field of 43, the largest on record. Two of Goater’s daughters are married to Fred Barrett and James Woodburn, the jockeys.

In reply to a request, the Taranaki Jockey Club have decided that rule 169 means that a jockey shall be paid 2A per cent, only for flab races, and 5 per cent, for jumping races on all moneys over £2OO. Mr Samuel, has been appointed the Club’s delegate at the Racing Conference on August the 15th. The horses owned by the late Mr Field, of Tasmania, will shortly be brought to the hammer, in accordance with the instructions contained in his will. Mosb of them are descendants of Whizgig, who Avas imported by the Cressy Co. to Tasmania over a half a century ago. Whizgig was full sister to the Derby Avinners Spaniel and I.apdog.

“ Asmodeus ” selects Churchill and Tarcoola to win the Caulfield Cup. Of the first-named he writes:—“After his victory in the Newmarket Handicap, I do not forget (nor am I likely to) how he ran in the Bourke Handicap with 9st 31b up, after being hopelessly beaten by the starter. That gallop, although he gob no nearer than fifth, put the hall mark on Churchill in my estimation, and it will have to be very effocbually obliterated before I change my present high opinion of him.” Mr H. Horsford informs “ Sir Launcelob” that his old brood mare Maribana died on the voyage to Sydney, in company with Cadogan and the other brood mares he shipped over there. Maritana will be well remembered by many old race-goers in New Zealand who have won a pound or two through her agency, but at the stud she was a failure. She was bred in 1870 by Mr Standish, and was by Traducer out of Hypatia, by Nutwith—Phyllis, by imported Gratis. Among Maritana’s turf victories was the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap (ridden by J. VVattie), and the Wellington Cup.

“ Asmodeus,” of the “Leader,” thinks “ the lucky winner of the Melbourne Cup will very probably be Mr Jas. Wilson. Lonsdale, though owned by J. Wilson, jun., is one of the same team as Chintz, Swing, The Serf, and Magic Circle, and from this quintet the veteran trainer of Don Juan and Briseis is, I think, likely to select one capable of making a bold bid for the big prize. An endeavour to anticipate the stable by naming any particular one of the five as the most likely to be chosen would at the pre* sent time be ridiculous, though I have no hesitation in declaring my liking for The Serf. He is, however, no better treated than the othersj and although eventually I shall have a single shot at the target, my tip for the present will be Wilson’s best.’^

The “Sporting Life” has the following about the death of the celebrated filly Riviera:—“Mr Milner's filly broke down so badly on Saturday that little hope was entertained Of her running again, though on account of her splendid pedigroe it was known every effort would be made to preserve her for stud purposes. However, her case was considereu hopeless, and the merciful bullet put an end to her sufferings It was discovered that the filly’s back was broken, and this will account for the fact that she was evidently in greater pain when placed in slings. Riviera had made a name for herself during her two-year-old days, and might have eclipsed her two famous sisters Seabreeze and Antibes but for the unfortunate mishap. She last year credited Mr Milner with £12,237 out of the £21,000 odd he won, and she was heavily engaged this year. She was in the Derby, Oaks, and St. Leger, and her death robs the fillies’ race of a great part of its interesb, as she was generally considered to be the only one of the year within hail of the undefeated Signorina.” It is quite probable that the colours of another Australian will be seen upon. Eng/ lieh racecourses shortly. MrW. R. Wilson has, I believe (says “ Augur”), made up his mind bo send Mr J. E. Savill two or three horses to train. I don’t think he has yet determined what they are to be, but I shall nob bo at all surprised if the New Zealander, Sultan, or the smart little gelding Rudolph is one. Mr W. T. Jones, who returns to England next year, will also be represented in the old country in 1891, and if it be with Droadnought, and the son of Chester be himself, tho owner of last year’s Melbourne Cup winner will have the pleasure of being returned as the owner of an Ascot Cup or Doncaster Cup winner. How he would enthuse over such a victory ! He talks of taking Mr Thomas Wilson with him if he will go, and I daresay the veteran of Dowling Forest will not refuse. Although he is a native of Tasmania, ho would not be a stranger in the old country, for when a youngster he mado two or three trips there as a sailor. I should like to see E. Power and E. Fountain, or Huxley, accompany him, and then wo should bo well represented in tho three branches, for though Power’s stylo may nob be “quite English you know,” none of them could get more out of a horse, and ho would be there at many a finish.