THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 202, 15 August 1908, Page 3

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

RACING FIXTURES. August 27.— Wairarapa Hunt Club Annual. -August 15-C.J.C. Grand National Meet fflg. August 27-Amberlcy Steeplechase Club Annual. September 2 and 3.— Marton J. C. Annual. September 2 and 3— Marton J.C. Hack Meeting. September 16 and 17—Rangitikei R.C. 1 Spring. September 16 and 17—Ashburton County R.C. Spring. TURF TOPICS. 3|(By "Moturoa"). ■ Weights for the Marton J.C. Hack Meeting are duegfcbut next Wednesday.

North Head started favourite for the Winter Cup, but the Karainu horse could only struggle into afth place.

1 Crucinella is showing good form on the tracks at Wanganui and should pay her way this season.

" Follow the money " is a good tip for the racecourse, but most of us have to be content with following it—we never •itch up! **• . •

There is generally one 'good thing" •n every card, but it is in trying to pick "all the winners" that punters get into the soup.

■ Audax, by Birkenhead—Temeraire, easily accounted for the Hunters' Hurdles on Tuesday, and the Hon. J. D. Ormond is considered to have a very promising jumper in the Birkenhead gelding.

UHlando won £IOBO in stakes last season, Golden Eagle £582, Compass £SBO, Daisy Paul £5lO, St. Claimer £3BO, Paritutu £375, Manaiapoto £325, Waihuku £315, Kareroa ,£275, Showman £260, Cyrene £250, and Mallet £220, are other locally known prais who paid their way.

It is pleasing to see Mr. H. Eva's same so high in the winning owners' list. The £IOBO apposite his name represents the amount won by that sterling little performer Uhlando; and it is more than Likely that the total wiil he higher this season.

Three representatives of the defunct Uhlan earned £1625 during the last season. Daystar sired nine winners ot place money totalling £1295. Waiuku, with eight winners of £739 is also well up, besides which several of the latter a progeny are doing well in Australia at pony meetings.

• A bookie tells the following tale:— "I can't stand these women punters at any price. They put in one-and-thrce-pence apiece, and come up and beat a man into giving odds that are nothing short of robbery. And then they aren't satisfied, and upon the flimsiest pretext want to change their bet or get their coin back. Was laying three to one on the field at Trenthain one day, when a "piece" came up and put half-a-dollar on No. 10. She said, " Oh, do you know I always back No. 10!" I gave her the ticket and went round to view the start, which was nearly in front of the stand. "No. 10" was a fine big black horse, very restive, almost "fresh," and he reared up, whinnying shrilly, and repeatedly refused to face the barrier. The start was being delayed considerably. The lady punter rushed up to me and implored, "Oh! Mr. Odds, will you kindly change my bet to No. 91 I don't think No. 10 is taking any interest in the race!" They brought me round after the seventh brandy! « « » »

In writing of an Eng- ,' lish exchange quotes an anecdote which happened in.lreland. A certain crowd had a mare in a race, and she had so much in hand that in order to get a price about her the Curragh division decided to run the risk of putting up the ,** Baron," an amateur rider, who, instead of taking no chances, was so full of himself that he essayed to ride a finish with the late Jock Jones, an awkward customer for a "mug" amateur to take a liberty with. It was only jy the grace of Providence that Ire got home by a head, although he had stones in hand. But the crowd took it into their heads somehow or other that he had been trying to stop the favourite, and they hooted him vigorously when he returned to the paddock. The pour "Baron's" self-complacency was ruffled by the demonstration, and, white with passion, the moment he weighed in he threw the saddle to the ground and shouted, * Ah, ye sanguinary pigs, when Fred Archer he win by a head they say 'Grand, magnificent'; when I win by a head they say 'Tamned fool and worse than a tamned fool.'"

The following candid criticism of Epsom is a portion of a letter forwarded by a visitor (probably an Australian) to ft Loudon paper:—"Accompanied by s friend, an old racing man, I paid a •visit to Epsom to see the Derby run. 'Arriving early, we walked over the ground and the running course, carefully noting the arrangements provided for its patrons on the" world-famous downs. Candidly, I think it is without exception the worst running ground that ever I have seen for horses—as one of your contemporaries remarked, ' worth a King's ransom—to race over. Enquiring of my friend the average number of falls per meeting he, good-naturedly, accepted it as a joke, though I was in earnest; but personally, I should be loth to run a valuable horse over such a hilly and rough country, with its innumerable holes—many large and deep enough to bring down even a stock horse when fully extended."

The marvellous prices paid for the late Mr. G. G. Stead's thoroughbreds came as a big surprise to the majority of turf followers, and very few imagined that over forty thousand guineas worth of '• horse-meat" was sheltered at Yaldhurst. The spirited bidding of 'Stralian plungers seemed to rouse Jfaoriland speculators to a high pitch of excitement, and buyers dived deeper into their pockets than into their brainboxes, and the light grew fast and furious. The men from across the water seemed determined to get Golden Slipper at any price, and when the three-year-old daughter of Multiform fell to the hid of Mr. H. Chisholm, of Sydney, at the record price of 4500 guineas, spectators wiped away their brow-sap and prepared for anything. Nautiform, by MuHSform—"Rattler, brought 203ugs., and Perle D'Or (full sister to Golden Slipper) chariged hands at 2000 guineas. The imported two-year-old Ormulu, by Orme—Hey Presto, went for 1550g5., Sunglow 750g5., and Armlet fetched a cool 600gs. Reckless prices were the order of the day. And then came the stallions. The fifteen-year-old Multv form tempted Mr. John McDonald, of New South Wales, to bid the extraordinary price of 3750g5.; Boniform stayed in New Zealand at 1300g5.; and Itoyal Artillery, rising ten years, drew IOOOgs. And still the money poured in. Yearlings averaged 370g5.; Formiden (fullbrother to Boniform and Sungod) touched Hsogs., Acrostic. (Multiform—Problem) 700g5., and Lily White (MartianCruciform) 850gs. Cruciform headed the list of brood mares, the ten-year-old daughter of 6t. Leger—Forme becoming the property of Mr. Yuille, Melbourne at 1350g3. Ottcrden, Lanotte, Isolt. and Battler ran to a thousand apiece; and even the ancient Aura, who has seen twenty-one summers, fetched 150f«. Such record prices may not be seen again for many a day, and it shows to what extremes sportsmen will go to secure first-class stock when excitement takes hold of their thinking-boxes and rivalry edges them on to pay the " best price for the best horse." All the same. when things cooled down a bit there would probablv be a few regrets. This reminds one of the old story of the two men who laughed heartily in the sale ring. The first laughed hecau*'' • he had bought the horse, and the secon. laughed loudest because he had sold th? «eddy. The moral of the yam is <; ,v> ons.