RACING AND TROTTING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 255, 1 December 1914, Page 5

RACING AND TROTTING.

RACING FIXTURES. December s—Hororata5 —Hororata R.C. Annual. December 9 and 10—WoodriUe J.C. Summer, December 12—Rakaia R.C Annual. ACCEPTANCES. December 2—Woodville" J.C. Summer. December 4—Auckland Cup and Railway Han ilicap. • December B—Rakaia8 —Rakaia R.C. Annual.

TROTTING FIXTURES. December 2—Forbury Park T.C. Spring. December 16 and 19—New Brighton T.C

Summer. December 26—Ashburton T.C. Summer. ACCEPTANCES. December 11—New Brighton T.C. Summer, December 28—Ashburton T.C. Summer.

TURF TOPICS. . Tire trial grass and sand tracks provided capital going for training opera : tions at Riccarton this morning, having benefited considerably, by the recent rains During the earlier portion of the morning the tracks were reserved for reverse work, and many useful tasks were accomplished. Warstep, looking in capital fettle, was one of the first to gallop the.ieverse way, her task being a run over a mile, which. she cast behind in fast time, finishing well. , First, Flight also performed reverse work. Be is an ordinary customer to look at, but few can gallop faster, and he can be reckoned on to be at the top of his form by Christmas time. Kilmeny appears to like the soft state of the going, and is bowling along freely in his morning work. Should he continue to train on satisfactorily he will keep the opposition busy in the jumping events at Auckland.

Bee has so far accomplished little reverse work, but she is a smart little niare, arid racing the opposite way should not trouble her. She galloped freely over a short eourse this morning, and is putting on condition again fast. The two-year-old Snub, by Martian from Lady Disdain, a member of G. Aynsley's active brigade, whose preparation was interrupted a short time back, is fast making up leeway, and is showing considerable promise. He is a fair beginner, and shows a lot of speed. He will accompany Warstep to Auckland, and may get into the jaoney before the meeting is brought to a close. > : Fabrikoff galloped a mile the reverse yf&y on the grass track this morning. His stable companion, Silver Shield, was to have accompanied him but got badly left, and was of no assistance to the Mcnschikoff colt, who registered a fair performance and finished strongly. Fabrikoff appears to be on the improve, and were he reserved for races from six furlongs to a mile it would take a good one to beat him.

Three Hororata candidates, in Warform, Bonation, and Don Charl were companions in a sprint over half a mile up the back on the grass track this morning. There was little to choose between the trio at the finish, though Bonation appeared to strongest.

Scotch Melody and - Peg put in a strong working gallop over a mile, the former having matters all her own way at the finish. The latter was blowing hard when the winning post was reached, but she is naturally thick in the wind. .

Sir Hamilton, with the assistance of Glenowl over the latter stages of the journey, galloped a mile on the grass track this morning. He appears to relish the soft goig, and may be hard to beat the first time he finds the ground soft.

Honesty reeled off six furlongs this morning, finishing strongly. She looks muscular and well, and, taking a line on track form, it is surprising that she does not race with more success. Thrax has seldom looked better than at present, aud in a gallop with Martigues over five furlongs this morning he defeatedphis stable companion pointless. He should be worth bearing, in mind for the near future.

Trilby and Bon started over six furlongs this morning. The pair raced together until well into the straight, after which the former drew away and finished up an easy winner by a couple of lengths. Trilby can undoubtedly go fast, but so far has failed to run more than five or six furlongs. Glee galloped a mile, assisted by Meltchikoff over the last six furlongs. She finished well, but it is doubtful if she is yet forward enough to get to the end of a strongly run mile and a-quarter

which distance she will be asked to go at Hororata. „

The Vareo colt, Antony, an inmate of H. Emerson's stable, has been returned to his owner. He is to be gelded and treated .to a lengthy respite. W. McDonald has re-commissioned, after a short rest, the' Irish-bred made First Glance,, who appears to have benefited by her short let-up. -D. Moraghan has put Medallist into work again after a .short rest, and the old fellow looks as gay as ever, lie is sure to be knocking at the door again wKen least expected. While doing walking exercise prior to working this morning, Owhetoro and Martial, a couple of F. Claridge 's active brigade, took charge of their i>ilots and galloped off the course. Martial, who was being ridden, slipped and fell on the tram line, but beyond a few slight scratches no damage was done. C. Stratford, in charge of; the Martian gelding King Star, is due to leave for the West Coast on Thursday week.

H. Cutts arrived from the north this morning with and Battle Eve.-*

The two-year-old filly Gyp, who fell while working on the tan track yesterday morning, appears none the worse for lier mishap, and went quite sound in her work this morning.

The only excuse that can be found for Battle Eve's defeat in the Feilding Stakes is that he carried olb overweight, and was thus conceding Rangit'ero 101b. Battle Eve was well placed all through, and seenis to have been beaten entirely on his merits. Judging by his displays at the Takapuna meeting, Gold Lac has lost the dash that characterised his early spring racing. Prior to the weights being issued for the-Auckland Cup, efforts were made to secure B. Deeley's services for Soultikoff in that event. The fact of Deeley not being able to ride the weight allotted that horse has enabled F. Stenning to secure the crack horseman's services, and he will now have the mount on either Jack Delaval or Monojaek. Several big prizes in Tattersall's sweeps have recently found their way to New Zealand. The rich £IO,OOO prize fell to a resident of Belfast, Canterbury, £SOOO to a resident of the Lower Hutt, Wellington, and £IBOO to a lady resident of Feilding. The acceptances received- for the Hororata Racing Club's meeting on Saturday next are of such a satisfactory nature as to ensure an excellent afternoon's sport. Nine stand their ground in the Hororata Cup, and though the absence of such as Thrax, Banksia, and Camulus is to be regretted, it was quite expected. As it is, Troon now holds pride of place, and she can be relied on to acquit herself creditably. The" distance will probably trouble Briar Patch, Flower of the West, and most of the light-weights, but Gold Coin and The Pole are a pair that can be relied on to see the full journey out. Very big fields are engaged in the Bangor Handicap, Brackeufield Plate, and Coalgate Welter, while the two trotting events are sure to excite plenty of interest. Undeterred by the want of success attending his last Australian (venture, the Otago sportsman, Mr L. C. Hazlett, intends making another trip early next year with Palisade and Sister Radius. It is to be hoped his enterprise will meet with a more fitting reward than was the case last season.

Though Expect and the other members of the Highden team are not to fulfil their Auckland engagements, it would not be safe to assume that they are amiss. Since his mishap at Riccarton last month, Expect has been giving his trainer some trouble, and lias not done a great amount of work. Under the circumstances, the risk of taking on such a severe contract as the Auckland Cup evidently did not appeal to trainer George Price, who sets too big a store on Advance's son to risk a breakdown on the hard, Auckland tracks. There are plenty of good stakes to be picked up nearer home during the holiday season, and it would come as no surprise to find the Highden team playing a leading part in the decision of some of these.

The fact of Valhalla being called on to concede his erstwhile stable companion Cherubini weight in the .adjustments for the A.J.C. Villicr's Stakes will come as a surprise to those who saw the pair's New Zealand efforts. Only last autumn it is certain that any Dominion handicapper would have asked Cherubini to concede Valhalla anything from a atone upward, but the positions are now reversed, for in the race under notice there is 31b difference between the pair, and that in favour of the C.J.C. Derbv winner.

The Rakaia Racing Club receives entries for its 'annual meeting up to 8 o 'clock this' evening. Sun God, the promising son of Harold Dillon and My Mistake, who showed winning form at the recent Inangahua Trotting Club's meeting, will not be a starter at Hororata on Saturday next. Several Canterbury sportsmen who journeyed to Dunedfn for the Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting returned home on Saturday, in consequence • of the fixture being postponed..

It is understood that most of those trotting owners who took a prominent part in the recent Auckland boycott have signed the apology required by the club, and, as far as they are concerned, the unpleasant incident is now at. an end.

The Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting will be- continued to-morrow, when, if the course is in good order, Dillon Bell will make an attempt to establish a new track mil© record. TEMPLAR.