RACING NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 189, 11 August 1919, Page 8

RACING NEWS.

c METi-OPOLITAN TROTTING CLUB. FIRST DAY'S RACING. r (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The August meeting was commenced today in glorious spring weather. Rain fell (( earlier in 'the week and threatened to spoil the track, but it dried well, and the going „ was good though slow, especially for the first half of the programme, and it improved a later in the day. Mushroom won the Introductory Handicap lv solid style, after beginning slowly. Gay Wilkes looked like having a chance with little more than half a mile to go, hut he |. broke up. The favourite, Peter McMillan, after leading, for over a mile and a-half. i f failed t,' stay. Craibwood stayed well, but Sol broke up. The winner paid a good divi- . dead. Bryce'B couple, Some llloy and Dora Derby, were favourites for the Trial Handicap, but tbe former stood on the mark, and Lord Uerby, after leading the field for three parts of the distance, faded out. Sliver Shoe, which comes from the Otago district, paced solidly throughout, and won comfortably from 'the Hawke's Bay-owned Mahlnga, which is trained here. Chaos showed a lot of speed, but did not pace solidly. General Wylie and Our Girl went c well for a mile and a-half. a Asturio was scratched for the August f Handicap, Admiral Wood and Hectorata, -. which were coupled, being favourites. The •- track was favourable to 'Agathos, and, r although the big pacer .covered a lot of c extra ground, his great staying powers 1 enabled him to win comfortably at the end. - Hectorata, which is owned in Southland, r stayed on better than was expected, and 1 the Dunedin-trained Cello Sydney Wilkes would have troubled the winner had he not broke badly Jmrt before entering the straight. The speed was fast for the first half-mile, but the field closed up over the last mile. Sherwood raced disappointingly, and so did John Dillon. j Moneyka was scratched for the Queen j Mary 'Handicap on account of his rider (P. - Strange, having an injured arm and being r considered unfit to ride. The race provided , a poor contest. Our Chum and 'Mara got I clear right away from the field over the last j half-mile and the former won comfortably. j Schnapps, from the scratch mark, was a . long way back In third place. Watchman j went a fast mile and then faded out, and _eneral JoD're went a good mile and a-balt f As was to -have been expected, Nelson ... Bingen was made favourite for the _ Stewards' Handicap (In harness), but Oratran Chimes was on the top of her form, j and, leading the field all the way, finally _ won comfortably. The winner is owned by j Mr. J. D. Piper, of Pahiatua, and trained j by Mr. D. Nyhan, of Wellington. She was driven by A. Fleming, and trotted soundly J throughout. It looked a« if had more use been made of Nelson Bingen in the early ' part of the race, "he would have won. Billy Parole went one of his best races, and Reta Peter did not show up at all until the concluding stages. Bon Patch failed for want of speed after being well placed all i the way. Whist and Imperial Crown 1 trotted without much speed, and Heeswinz, • after showing a lot of speed for a mile and 1 a-half, faded out at the end. It was a fine . contest. Manressa being the only horse in - the race not solidly supported, i The Southlander Dandy Chimes, in Bryce'S stable, was favourite for the Selwyn l Handicap, but be began very slowly, and - was never in the firing line. Jack Arrah, , the winner, Who came on a lot during the end of last season, paced solidly throuhgont, nnd won easily from Peter _tac, who was on his best behaviour, both at the start and In the race. 'Harold Cbild showed up well for a .tulle, but Captain Stanley only came on the scene In the concluding stages. Silver Quick faded out at the end of a mile, but Rundura was prominent all the way, failing in the closing stages. Dillon Maid failed to go off, and Pax did not stay the journey. A fine race for the mile and a-quarter saw Lord Minto just beat Asturio, with Cello Sydney Wilkes third. The winner, which has run his best races In saddle, is owned in the Rakaia district. Asturio was in the front early, but was beaten home. Author Dillon, from scratch, put in a fine run over the last half-mile, and finished up close to the front division. The favourite. Chid, faded out over the last quarter. Admiral Hal, after leading for a mile, stopped at the end. Brown's Nugget, when well placed early, broke off. and was pulled up. Moneymaker was fourth, after pacing a good race •Results are as follows:— INTRODUCTORY HANDICAP. Two miles. All started. Won by a neck. Time, 5.1. Mushroom, 4s " " j Te Kuiti. 6s ..'."._.' 2 Craibwood. 5s _' 3 All started. Won by .three lengths. Time 3.54 1-5. TRIAL HANDICAP. One mile and five furlongs. Silver Shoe, 3s _ __ Mahitrga, 2s .-..._. o The Whip, 2s _. -, _. 3 AUGUST HANDICAP. Two Miles. Agathos. 6s 1 Hectorata. lis ..._. 2 "Cello Sydney Wilkles, 10s _.. 3 Scratched. Asturio. Won by a length. Time, 4.43 4-5-QEUEX MARY HANDICAP. Two miles. ■Our Chum, 4s 1 Mara. Us 2 Schnapps, scr 3 All started. Won by half a length. Time, 4.50. STEWARDS' HANDICAP. Two miles. j Grattan Chimes, 15s 1 Nelson Bingen, 7s 2 Billy Parole, 13s 3 Ail started. Won by two lengths. Time, 4.54 3-3. SELWYN HANDICAP. Two miles. Jack Arrah, 3s „ 1 Peter Mac, 4s _ _ Captain Stanley, Is 3 ; All started. Wou by three lengths. Time, 4.44 3-5. INTERNATIONAL HANDICAP. One mile , and a-quarter. Lord Minto, 5s - „ 1 j Asturio, 6s 2 ' Cello Sydney Wilkes, Us 3 , Scratched: Agathos. Won by two lengths. , Time, 2.01 2-5. ELECTRIC HANDICAP. Oue mile. > Xavier, 4s 1 . Pleasant Mottut, 4s _i Birdwood, os 3 AUSTRALIAN STEEPLECHASE. '] TWO HORSES KILLED. {By Cable.—Press Association.—'Copyt.ghto ! MELBOURNE, August _. The Victoria Amateur Turf Club's meeting was concluded at Caultield to-day. The 1 following wus the result of tbe "ieadiug event: — THE AUSTRALIAN" STEEPLECHASE, of XISUVJ. Abour four miles. V. G. Benyou's b g Algous, aged, by Tartan—Alga, 10.l (Baker. 1 Executors of late W. Skelly's b g Sir Prim, aged, 12.4 (Moon) 2 J. S. l-'ei-hans br g Mountain Hod, aged, 11.4 (Wood) 3 .Sixteen started. Mountain God aud Tlnana mace the early rimuiug. The last- , named went to the front, but was soou displaced by Sir Prim, followed by Algous. Sir Prim led into the straight: but Algous by a 1 fast ruu, wore dowu _ne top-weight and won by two hsugths. Time, 7.435. Jack Rice and Suuderland were killed by i falling. Gladful, Dorian, Cuffs and Sir 1 Muemon also fell.—(A. aud NZ. Cable ) • Algous' iiiue in the Australian steeple- ' chase was a course record for four miles i over 24 fences. It clips s__ee. off tho 1 previous best. Tolson dOrs time, 1.552 j in the Balaclava Stal.es .iiiue furlongs) ami 1 Pram's _.4fi_ in the Kuowsley (two miles) 1 were also records for these events 1