SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 380, 4 May 1910, Page 3

SPORTING.

TI'RF TOPICS. """' (By "Moturoa"). J'aiitntu has been entered for the Great Northern Hurdle Race. The Twinkle seen out at Manaia last week was only a shadow of the horse the knowing one used to put heavily on last season. If names count for anything, Machine Oil, entered at Hawera, ought to run well. Contralto, with Gray in the saddle, was one of the morals which went astray at Manaia. Mr. Goodwin's mare has let her party down three times inside of five weeks. It appears that Audax met with some slight mishap while schooling prior to the Hawke's Bay meeting, but the Birkenhead gelding*is reported to be none the worse for the accident. All Black toeballer Harold Abbott gave the Ikeys a shock when Appolinaris ran off with the Motuniate Scurry, but the peneillers, or rather those who were game enough to take the money, got a fair bundle of it back again when the Wanganui prad was ousted by Pavo in the Kaupokonui Handicap. King Try, who is set to carry top weight in the High-weight.Handicap at Chnstehurch, could have 'been bought for £ls at Christmas time. Since then the prad won seven races in seven starts in Westland, gathering in stakes amounting to nearly £3OO. ' With his colors up on first and second horses in the Juvenile Handicap at Hastings. Mr. G. D. Greenwood was malting no mistake about winning the race. The winner, Directoire, was got by the Onehunga sire Wairiki from Queen Anne, and was" purchased by her present owner at R. and R. Duder's sale for the moderate sum of 50 guineas. How these 'chasers keep going year after year! Entries for the forthcoming Great Northern Steeple include four previous 'winners of the race, Sol, Capilol, Loch Fyne, and Kiatere, who won twice, in 1005 and 1807. On the other hand, not one previous winner is engaged in the Hurdles. Mr. J. O'Driscoll's pair, Waitapu and Pharos, are quoted at a liberal price for the Auckland double.

'Principal winning owners at the Hawke's Bay meeting were:—"Highden". £535, Hon. Ormond £435, E. J. Watt £420, W. J. Douglas £l7O. R. W. Patterson £l6O. R. A. McDonald £l3O. G. D. Greenwood £l-25, T. 11. Lowrv £l2O, A. Helm £l2O, G. Hamilton £lO5, J. F. Pettie £IOO. Weights for the principal events at the Wanganui Steeplechase meeting are due about Saturday. It is the general opinion that Handieapper Morse has put in his best work with the Egmont weights and winners appear to be well concealed. During the progress of the recent blood stock sales in New South Wales Mr. 11. Weal, of Te Awamutu, bought the brood mare Looe, in foal to the English sire Sir Aymer. Looe is a stronglybred mare, and the interesting features of her pedigree is that she has a strain of the famous Musket blood through an illustrious channer, and that Stockwell, "the emperor of stallions," is also a leading line in the matter. A foal out of Looe by Sir Aymer should fee very valuable property, for the latter is a son of the English Derby 'winner #« Hugo (son of Wisdom) from a mare by Penkridge (son of Zealot). Sir Aymer, it is interesting to relate, was awarded the champion ribbon at the recent Royal Agricultural Show, held in New South Wales.

The once-famous American jockey Tod Sloan applied to the Commissionaire de la Societe d'Encouragement, France, lor a renewal of his jockey's license, and was informed that, though there existed no objection on their part, it was impossible to 'accede to hi 3 request until lie had ibeen granted one by trie stewards of the English Jockey Club. Commenting on this "Vigilant" (Lwndon Sportsman) said he always understood that the boot was on the other leg, and that but for the French veto his license in England would have keen restored long since. In the circumstances, Sloan would appear to he between two stools, but, no matter which leg wears the boot, surely the time has arrived when the means to earn his livelihood might with grace and justice be restored to him. Ten years have elapsed since, as a consequence of having backed Codoman heavily for the Cambridgeshire, in which he was .beaten by Berrill, the American horseman has stood down. 'No doubt his offence was grave, but not criminal, inasmuch as it was his own mount he was backing, and the loss of what should have been the most useful years of his life is indeed heavy penance.

"Terlinga," of the Australasian, writes —Now that the sale are all over we knew that several trainers with buying orders were unable to execute them. Even James Scobie, whose patrons do not limit him in any way, was stopped by the prices on the second day of the Inglis sale. He wanted another j'earling, but preferred to do without rather than give what he considered an unreasonable price. Of course, it was a Malster lie was after. Time after time they cannot get what they want, but have to take what they can get. I noticed one man bid for yearling after yearling, and then retire when his limit was reached. But he got the number he had to buy eventually. Sometimes it is lucky to miss what you want, and have to take something else. In the spring of 1888 Mr. Donald Wallace went out to Newmarket to buy Tradition. He found that his jockey, M. O'Brien, and P. T. Heywood were determined to have Tradition, so he had to console himself with Carbine. That was luck if you like! Tradition never won a race. Carbine won 2li times for Mr. Wallace, and was sold for 13,000 guineas! As a yearling Carbine might have been bought by Mr. T. Chirnside or Mr. W. Pearson—l forget which. Both gentlemen were training with the Datkins, and the late Northland Goold attended the Sylvia Park sale on Januarv 4, 1887, to buy. Mr. F. F. Dakin had marked the colt by Musket from Mersey as one to get. but Mr. Goold was :-o frightened of his forelegs that he would not bid at all, and Dan. O'Brien got him for 020 guineas, in spile of his doubl-ful-looking legs. Carbine lasted for four seasons. At that sale Mr. Chirnside pave 1100 guineas for the Sylvia filly, 1040 guineas for the Onyx fill}', and Mr. Pearson got the Leila colt for 510 gui-, neas. None of them were any good cs racehorses. There is a terrible lot of luck in buying yearlings. An astounding story of fraud in connection with racehorses is at present occuping the attention of the Versailles ! (France) Tribunal. The accused are three racehorse dealers named Casamajore, Gage, and Autran. It is alleged that in July, 1003, Casamajore acquired in London a thoroughbred filly, by name Charlotte, an outsider which, it was stated, had won a high prize in a big race on a suburban racecourse. The animal was shipped to Paris and trained

at Rnmbotiillet. where it showed wonderful form. Casamajore then, it is declared, telegraphed to one of his trainers at Hyeres: "Urgent. Send immediately passably good filly." On August 1 tiie Prix de I'liautic was. run at Maisons Liflkte, alii! won easily by Hie filly" Casamajore obtained from England, running under the name of Irene, the race programme that day announcing that Irene was by Paquerette out of Connior. The win caused great excitement, as neither a horse of that name nor its parents were at all well-known. M. ('amille Blanc, a well-known French sportsman, bought Irene for £539 immediately after the race. Next day one of the fillies mysteriously disappeared from Casamajore's stable-. The remaining filly was, it is p.Venvd, delivered to M. Caniille Blanc a.; Irene, the winner of the Prix de l'Hautie. The purchaser demanded papers giving Irene's pedigree, but when, after repeated applications to Casamajore, the documents were not forthcoming, M. Blanc became and placed the matter in the hands of the police. The defendants indiirnantiv denv the accusations.