SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 154, 16 November 1912, Page 7

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Owing to some of the Chokebore team being engaged at the Timaru meeting the light-weight jockey, C. Emerson, has had to refuse several rides at the Marlborough meeting next week. When the last mail left England F. Wootton and D. Maher were having a neck and neck tussle for the jockey's premiership for the season, which is •hortly to close. However, at the Liverpool meeting, Wootton rode four winners out of as many mounts, so it is probable that he has forged ahead of his doughty rival, and for the third year in succession he will head the list of winning jockeys in England. News has been received that Continuance has been placed under offer to Mr. R. M. Hawken, the well-known South Australian owner, and that it is likely that a sale will be effected. •ESectrakoff showed good form at Ellerslie last week, and may be seen on the winning list again before long. Ngatiraunui and Darby Paul, who competed unsuccessfully at the Auckland Racing Club's spring meeting, will remain in the north until after the Takapuna Jockey Club's fixture at the end •f this month.

The black colt by Vasco—Rosalie, purchased at the Burnside sale of yearlings, has been sent to C. Pritchard at Trentham to be educated. It is understood that a syndicate of four Wellington business men are the joint owners of the youngster in question. The colt is a well-bred one, his dam Being a full sister to that good performer Rosella.. Whilst being schooled at Trentham recently the black mare Gay Lawless unfortunately over-reached and cut herself and will have to be spelled for some time. The Letho mare was showing great promise over tie battens.

Although Goldfinder has started in 38 races he has only won two outright. He has a dead-heat to his credit, a. d his be6n seven times second a-id f ovr times third. Piastre made the fourth Melbourne Cup winner sired by Positano, that horse's previous successful representatives being Lord Cardigan, Poseidon, and Lcrd Nolan. Positano has a fine record in long-distance handicaps, as though not credited with an Australian Cup, Lord Cardigan won him a Sydney Cup, Poseidon two Caulfield Cups, Mooltan two Metropolitans, and May King and Post Town Perth Cups. Positano, who was imported in 1897, was foaled in 1893; so that, according to our time, he is now twenty years old, though ne will not actually be that age until next year. A most unusual occurrence marked the recent Broken Hill Jockey Club races. The stewards held an inquiry into an accident in the Spring Handicap, and disqualified B. Raven for twelve months for crossing. Raven had been engaged to ride Simpleton in the following race, and the inquiry lasted so long that the time for scratching had passed wfien the disqualification was agreed to. The owner of Simpleton (who was being backed) was allowed time to get another jockey, but failed to do so, and scratched tlie horse. For late scratching he was then fined £5, and the stewards called in the bookmakers and advised them to declare all i bets on the race for 'the Highweight Handicap off, and return all the money bagged. This was done, and the race was contested and won by Footline without any wagering. The Birkenhead horse Zimmerman, who won the C.J.C. Derby for the Hon. J. D .Ormond in 190G, won the championship for thoroughbred stallions at the Wanganui Show. He belongs to Mr. G. Chamberlain, of Wanganui. Mr. H. E. Good's Soult horse Maniapoto, who put up a record in the A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick in 1905, was in second place. Both are fine-looking horses.

Writing of the big Calcutta sweep on the English Derby, a London writer says: —"This gigantic 'sweep' originated some years ago, when Lord William Beresford was military secretary to the Viceroy of India. He conceived the idea of organising a Derby 'sweep' at the Calcutta Turf Club, and in order to increase the value of the prizes the 'sweep' was advertised among all Anglo-Indians—civil-ians, soldiers, merchants and planters. The result was that it quickly assumed gigantic proportions, and has grown enormously within the last decade. Then ytars ago the first prize was rather over 100,000 dollars; now it is over 300,000 dollars, the winning of which, of course, makes one independent for life. It is not often, however, that one person wins tin: whole of the first prize, for the simple reason that when it is known who lias drawn a horse, syndicates formed in India of officers and civilians approach the lucky drawers and offer to purchase their ticket, or part of their ticket, for a certain sum. For instance, the winner of the first prize last year, Dr. Bolton, ■the emigration agent at Trinidad, resident in Calcutta, who drew Sunstar, accepted an offer of 00,000 dollars for a half share in his ticket. The first prize. amounting to 300.000 dollars, he thus won altogether 210.000 dollars; while Mr. Awberry, the Workhouse Master of Warrington, who drew Stcdfast. the horse which came in second, disposed of a half share in his ticket to a syndicate for 6000 dollars. His prize came to 170.000 dollars, so that after handing over the half share, less the purchase money, Mr. Awberry netted 01,000 dollars for an outlay of about 10 dollars, having purchased three tickets. Then again, 100,000 dollars of the first prize in the Calcutta 'sweep' was won in 1910 on an outlay of less than five dollars by Captain H. T. Baban, of the Indian army. When the captain heard that he had drawn Lemberg he sold half his ticket for 37,500, retaining his right to the other half of the prize, which was worth 250,000 dollars. Again, another lucky subscriber who drew the late King Edward's horse, Blinoru. in 1909, disposed of a share in his ticket for the substantial sum of 30,000 dollars. Had he retained the whole he would, of course, have done a great deal better, but as it was he received altogether 100,000 dollars, enough to enable him to live in luxury for the remainder of his days."