TURF TOPICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 169, 22 August 1914, Page 12

TURF TOPICS.

A dense fog prevented anything being Been of the training operations at Biccarton this morning. Many of the trainers held off in the hope; of the weather clearing, but their patience was not rewarded. Some jumping was to have been accomplished by the Amberley candidates, but the fog proved so lense that the obstacles could not be distinguished more than a few yards away. The sand and tan tracks at Riecarton were in commission this morning, but no grass was available. Both the sand and tan tracks are very hard, and, once put in order, the plough track will prove a very beneficial addition to the facilities at present at the disposal of the trainers.

R. Derrett's trio, Martius, Madama, "'and Findhom, are getting through a lot of useful work, and appear to be thriving on it. Findhorn has grown into a fine, upstanding sort, and should not fail to win races. - C. has returned the Count Witte —Pointsettia gelding, Counterpoint, to his owner, it having been decided not to persevere with him. He will probably be broken to harness. F. Christmas has decided to give that •useful hurdler, Kilmeny, a short respite before preparing him for engagements further ahead. R. Longley's pair, Twelfth Night and Bee, are looking in the pink of condition, and bowling along freely in.their tasks. The former looks like proving a useful stake earner during the coming season, all going well. G. Fuller is keeping old Obligate going, with a view to racing him at the Ashburton fixture. He is looking a trifle on the light side. E. Scoullar has Golden Mont looking very well just now. She is a free worker, and gallops fast- She will probably be seen out at. Ashburton. Chorale has been giving his trainer, •v G. Clark, some trouble of late. His heels were the first complaint, and ■h**is now troubled with a burst foot, which does not tend to mend. The Greymouth Jockey Club has decided on holding a spring meeting, the stakes to be the same as last year. All the. profits will be devoted to the Patriotic Fund. As the result of a disagreement be-

tween the owner and trainer of Manderene and Maplewood, the Auckland owned pacers, have left B. Edwards's stable at Uangiora. Mr "Horify" Lunn, who rode The Agent and Canard to victory in the Grand National Steeplechase, has been appointed starter to the Waiau Racing Club.

The New Zealand Trotting Cup candidate Havoc is engaged at the Horowhenua Trotting Club's meeting on the 9th of next month. Fashionwood, who showed such a rare turn of speed at the Addington fixture, also figures in the list of entries for Horowhenua.

The Adelaide Racing Club's Grand National Meeting will .be concluded today. Half of the profits of the fixture are to be given to the War Fund. While doing a gallop at Ellerslie a few mornings ago Lady Sabretache ruptured a blood-vessel, and was in .a rather bad way. Acceptances for the Amberley Club's meeting fall due on Monday next. The Melbourne sportsman, Mr S. A. Rawdon, has sold Sharpshooter, and the son of Clanranald will go to the stud in Victoria.

In consequence of military operations at Ellerslie by the troops, trainers have been compelled to conclude operations on the tracks before half-past ten each morning. Mr E. J. Watt was one of the defeated candidates for a seat on the committee of the Ilawke's Bay Jockey Club. At the last committee meeting of the Dunedin Jpckey Club the following telegram was read from the Hon." W. F. Masseyr—" Please accept from the Government and express to members of the Dunedin Jockey Club our warm thanks for the very generous donation of £SOO towards the Expeditionary Forces funds. The club's patriotic action is cordially appreciated."

Tlie name of Sarcelle has been claimed for a promising two-year-old daughter of Elevation and Parera in the High den stable.

On the conclusion of the National Meeung the Gisborne sportsman, Mr F. Hall, went to Auckland to confer with his trainer, E. J. Rae, in regard to the proposed trip of Bleriot and Merry Roe to Australia

It is again stated that Chortle will be sent over to Sydney for the A.J.C. spring meeting. His stable companion Multiply will remain in Gisborne, and is to be given a special.preparation for the New Zealand Cup. During last season Mr E. J. Watt's horses in Australia wou £4491! in stake money.

In consequence of recent happenings the Wanganui .Jockey Club has decided to postpone the date of entries for its spring meeting to the Ist inst.

No less than 2;>52 licenses were issued by the New Zealand Trotting Association last season to trainers, riders, and drivers, which is an increase of 57 on the previous year's total. The Ashburton Racing Club receives entries for its spring meeting up to Monday next.

In connection with the Amberley Steeplechase Club's meeting Tim Doolan has been scratched for the Brackenfield

Plate; Curilla's weight in the Hunters' Flat should be 11.0, not 12.0, and Frangranui's weight in the Waipara Hack Handicap should be 10.0, not 10.2. According to latest advices Mr E. J. Watt has decided to abandon the idea of sending a team over to Australia for the A.J.C. spring meeting. * During the Christmas racing in Perth 2000 sovs will be distributed in stakes for trotting events. The leading race, the W.A. Trotting Cup, of 500 sovs, will be decided on December 26.

While schooling a hunter at Ellerslie a few mornings ago, R. Kelly got an awkward fall, amongst the injuries he sustained being a broken rib above the kidneys. New Zealand horses were much .in evidence at the Queensland Turf Club's recent meeting. Lord Burnside (Yasco —lima) carried 8.12, and won the Flying Handicap by two lengths in lmin 27fsec. The two following races also went to horses bred in the Dominion. Headwind (Birkenhead —Syracuse), one of the Karamu breed, was first home in the Welter Handicap, one mile. In the Metropolitan Handicap, one mile and a-half, Lotchen carried 8.9 (including 71b penalty), and won by a sliort length in 2min 36sec. Considering she was a winner on the previous "(lay, her supporters were lucky enough to get a double-figure dividend.

An English paper writes:—"Official notice has been taken by the racing authorities of the numerous complaints made regarding the condition of the racecourse at Epsom during Derby week. Mr H. M. Dorling, the clerk of the course, who is responsible for the organisation of the meeting, has been fined £lO, and reported to the stewards of the Jockey Club. The 'Racing Calendar' contained the following notice:— 'Epsom Summer Meeting: The stewards of this meeting, in consequence of the disgraceful condition of the course before the first race on Thursday, fined the clerk of the course £lO, and reported him to the stewards of the Jockey Club. During the progress of racing on Derby day an exalted personage, whose colours are the most popular on the turf, remarked to a friend standing beside him, 'The course looks like a badly kept park after a bank holiday. ' " TEMPLAR.