SPORTING NOTES.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 413, 8 October 1875, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

Owing to the absence of some of the trainers at Geraldine, and the hard frost of Wednesday night, the horses in training did not put in a very early appearance on the course on Thursday morning. Mr Redwood’s lot were the first to show up, and Guy Fawkes, Korari, Lillipea, Twitter, and the Fair Puritan colt came on the ground at about half-past seven. Twitter was the first to commence proceedings, and she was sent once round, but she did not go fast any part of the journeyAfter the other four had cantered once, Ted Cutts stripped Guy Fawkes and sent him to accompany the Fair Puritan colt, who was clothed, a long gallop, three times round. They did not go fast at the first time of asking, but the pace was better towards the finish, and they came home at a fair bat. On pulling up, the colt was of course in a fit state for a scrape, and Guy also lathered profusely, and appears a very free sweater. By this time Dan O’Brien had arrived with Tam and Fishook, late Lough Neagh. Tam was sent three times round at a good steady pace, and Dan evidently intends to know the worst, or best, of his horse’s chances of standing a preparation. Fishook was sent, on the race course, once round at a fair pace, and went better than he did the last time I saw him. The remaining teams were now showing up on the course, and Yeend’s two, Rory O’More and King Philip, were walking about. These two nags did a remarkably good gallop on Wednesday morning, and consequently the spectators were not treated to any fast work from them yesterday. Davy Jones had Ray’s lot out, Bob himself being absent with Tadmor and Tommy Dod at Geraldine. Daniel O’Rourke was an absentee, but Somnambula, Satanella, and Tattler were working. The latter only cantered, but the two mares were sent three times round the plough, the last round being at a good pace. Jones was on Somnambula who did not go badly, but the other mare I do not like. Webb’s team did some cantering, Cloth of Gold, Castilian, Blair Athol, Kauri, The Chief, Ranolf, and the Gitana filly being out. The first two did nothing much, hut Blair Athol went nearly twice round at an average pace. Kauri and The Chief worked together. Ranolf and Castilian went once round, when Castilian was pulled up and the Gitana filly took his place, the two coming round again at a good strong pace. Ranolf blows a good deal, but goes strongly enough. Of those that were out this morning Guy Fawkes, Somnambula, and Blair Athol pleased me the most, but the work done cannot be considered important. On Saturday last I saw Mr Delamain’s string at work on his private course. Pungawerewere was stripped, and did rather more than two miles at a strong pace, but as she was going alone most part of the way, it was difficult to judge the rate she was moving at. Templeton, who had been treated to a dose of physic, picked her up for the last round, and the little horse looks very well, though he has not grown anything since last year. The filly is a great big slashing animal, and, if all goes well, should pay her way this year. Folle Farine and Elfin King did some work together. The former is small, but with lots of quality, and looks like getting through a sprint race if not overweighted. Elfin King has improved, but he is not very forward, as far as I could judge from what little I saw of him. However he will win a race again some day if he gets in on anything like favourable terms. I did not see Templeton with his clothing off, but it struck me that he looked bigger in condition than I had seen him before. All the four, however, looked healthy and sound, and it will be odd if they do not manage to pay for their oats between them. The weights for the O.J.C. Handicap have appeared, and I cannot say that the production appears to me to be even a moderate one. Tam has four pounds less than when he won it last year, and there is nothing to complain of in this, as the probability is that he is not within seven pounds as good an animal now as then. Castaway is struck out. Templeton carried eight stone last year, and couldn’t get near the finish, though receiving twenty-three pounds from Tam for the two years difference in age. Now he has to meet his former conqueror ..at two pounds, so that allowing Tam to have deteriorated seven pounds, and conceding that Templeton has improved to an equal extent, he has still nine pounds the worst of it, for he got at least a five pound licking when he met Tam in this race last year. King Philip will probably retire in favour of his stable companion, Rory O’More, who is “ chucked in ” at eight stone two pounds, if he is a flat race horse at all, which I doubt very much, however good he may be over sticks. Guy Fawkes and Hercules, both in the same interest, have nothing to complain of, and if Tadmor is as good a horse as he was when he won the Derby, he must have a good show. I can see nothing else with any chance except Satanella, of whose merits it is, at the present time, impossible to form an opinion. I cannot see, unless there should happen to be a very exceptional animal amongst the three-year-olds, how any one of them can be expected to run a fairly good and much improved four-year-old, such as Guy Fawkes, at, from a stone to twenty-two pounds for the year. There will of course be some more weeding out before the day, but as the Handicap looks at present, Rory O’More, Guy Fawkes, and Satanella appear to have all the best of it, and I fancy Guy’s chance the most, as he has been backed in the right quarter, and it may not be Rory O’More’s day out with the Dunedin Cup in view, and Satanella is I fancy a bad one. I shall have more to say about the handicap in a week’s time, and backers need not be in a hurry to try and “ spot it,” as it is far better to take a shorter price, when the intentions of owners are clear, than to take a leap in the dark, and throw away money by backing an animal that perhaps win not go a yard for the race. r • HERMIT,