SPORTING.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17625, 30 November 1922, Page 9

SPORTING.

First forfeits for the Auckland R.C.'s Great JTorthern Derby and Foal Stakes, and Royal Stakes are due to-morrow at 5 p.m. General entries for tho Summer Meeting will be taken up to the same time.

Trainers who have horses engaged at the Methven It.C. 'a Annual Meeting are advised that all horses leaving Christchurch will require to be trucked by 5.15 a.m. The special horse train is timed to leave Christchurch at 5.45 a.m. Horses trucked at Sockburn will be added to the train at that station. Nominations closo at. 8 o'clock tonight for the Westport T.C.'s Annual Meeting. Nominations for the Auckland T.C.'s Summer Meeting close to-morrow at 5 p.m.

A payment is due to-morrow at noon for the New Brighton T.C.'s 1923 New Zealand Derby Stakes. The New Brighton T.C. will take nominations for the 1925 New Zealand Derby Stakes to-morrow at noon. Final payments for the Auckland T.C.'s Great Northern Trotting Derby, 1922, and first acceptances for the Great Northern Derby, 1923, are duo at 5 p.m. to-morrow. A search into the records reveals that Elegance, the dam of Refinement, is a New Zealand mare bred and raced by the Hon. E. W. Alison. She was foaled in 190(3, being by Seaton Delaval from Antelope, by Apremont from Miss Ivate (imp.). Elegance was a fair performer in her day, and her record, shows one remarkable'coincidence, for, as ,a three-year-old, she too won the Welter Handicap at Takapuna, the raeo in which Eefins.\ient was successful on Tuesday. The name of Elegance does not figure in any volume of the New Zealand Stud Book subsequent to the original entry in tho 1909 volume, when her foaling is recorded under Antelope's name. At the moment there is no record to hand of the history of Elegance since she has ceased racing in 1913, but in Refinement there is tangible evidence that she has atlea3t been to Australia.

Dr. W. 11. Lang, tho V.R.C. handicapper, who was absent from the Melbourne Cup Meeting owing to illness, is now making good progress towards recovery. In Dr. 'Lang's absence, Mr J. 11. Davis adjusted the. weights in a very capable manner. It comes as a surprise to find' that in Australia, where racing is considered to be right up to date, and in sucli a race a.j the Melbourne Oup, that no hor.-.e wr,s officially pkced fourth. This was apparently no oversight, but it was not considered necessary to place a fourth horse. Tho "Australasian" takes the authorities severely to task as follows: 'There hr.s boon ai great deal of di.nission as to which horse finished fourth in the Melbourne Cup. _ Spectators who saw the race from positions on the right of the judge's box thought Paratooi was fourth, while those on the other side declared that Sister Olive finished in front of Paratoo. After making careful enquiries, we have no doubt that Sister Olive was fourth. Keen observers who were in a line with the winning post are quite certain on tho point. Mr N. Wilson's assistant in the judge's box, Mr H. J. Buckland, states that ho was deputed to make sure of the third horse, and paid no particular attention to the fourth, but believes Sifter Olive filled that position. Now that there is so muc*h "concession" and "place" betting-, it is essential that tho fourth horse should ba placed in every raoe, certainly in an important event such as the Melbourne Cup. This is done in England, South Africa,, India, and other countries where place betting is in vogue, so why hot in Victoria It cannot be said that our judges are less competent than those in other countries, and arc unable to name more than the first three horses in a, race. A very unsatisfactory state of affairs would have prevailed had one of the first three horses in the Melbourne) Cup bs-en disqualified- for carrying short weight, or for any other reason. The owner of Sister Olive wou'd hidvo l>een unable to claim the £IOOO for third place which equitably would have been his, and, while backers of the disqualified horse for a. plaoe or at concession odds would' ha.ve lost their money, backers of Sister Olive would not have been able to collect. This is not an improbable happening by any means. . Mermin ie showing no form at all in Australia, and at present cannot be compared with the Mermin of a year ago. When the Government enters into business on its own it is not ulw-oys .a pood thine; for the taxpayer. But the National Stud at Tully is an undoubted c-sset, says London ''porting Life." Tho latest report of the AudUor-<xen-oral on Government trading—it covers the period to March, 1921—states that in tile official accounts the i-tcclc was put at £2*3,026; an independent valuation assessed it at £94, OCX). Eleven yearlings which sold at Newmarket for £70.030 stood in the books at only £oOQO. '"Touchstone" states in the "Australasian" that Enrythmic is not to appear again, in public this year, and it is passible that he will not r;ice again. He has l>een somewhat of a mystery to his trainer, J. Holt, as prior to the Melbourne Stakes lo had rim a good six furlongs, on the track with Ensingwold. Although the Melbourne Stakes, is decided only over ten furlongs. 33urythmic was very distressed in third place, and his trainer stated that ho was cobbing in a, peculiar way for some time afterwards-. Holt has wisely decided to take no risks with Euvythmic at present, although apparently doing well. Provid-

(Continue,' 3 a* loot of next column.)

ing nothing unfavourable develops in. the interimT Eurythmic will have a race or two- in the autumn and then be retired to the stud. A Melbourne writer states that had Gloaming been taken to Victoria tho weight-for-age races would liavo been, at his mercy. As it was, Violoncello was. the "star," and he was no match for Gloaming at Rondwick. It is ratl er remarkable to find that the threechampions are all now taking enforced holidays, Gloaming, Beaiufmd, and Eurythmic. Heavy rain fell continuously for eevcivil hours, and consjqusntly the Foildina; rnces have Iveen postponed until today and Saturday.