SPORTING.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18148, 11 August 1924, Page 12

SPORTING.

Xoirunatiotts for tho North lara<l'uki Hunt Meeting close to-day. Acceptances for the Egmont-W anga-i-ui Hunt Annual Meeting are due on Wednesday. The New Zealand ''Turf Register' • i.-.i- tho 1923-24 season, which is now i u sale, is replete with the information necessary to'followers of form. The "Turf Register' 5 makes its appearance at an opportune time, and as tho issue is limited, orders, should _ be placed riomptJv to avoid disappointment. The following horses arrived from the iiortb on Saturday, to fulfill engage- , ments at- the Grand National Meeting :ii is week:—Vagabond, Tcnterfield, Blue Hall, Kilfaire, Penury Rose, I'onena, Birkenella, Nukumai, I' irst i Line, Goldpieoc, Gang Awa', Radiae. j I Vise of Athens, Gamecock, and j Clicquot. ' The Canterbury Jockey Cub adver- | tiscs ill this issue particulars regarding j motor-car concession tic-kots for the three days of the Grand National Meeting. These tickets will be on sale at tbe club's office only, and will not be •ild at tho entrance gates to the roursc. ! Nigger Minstrel, Mr T. 11. Lowr.y s lliree-vear-old brother to Desert Gold, will probably leave Wellington tor Sydney on Friday. The Grand National Meeting will be opened at Ricearton to-morrow. An excellent day's racing is in prospect, j In two ovents only are the fields or small dimensions, and in these the interest is intense, the formof tho various runners being of a high order in their class. The usual efficient tram and train services will be in commission, the former service commencing flora Cathedral squaro at 9.30 a.ai. ; mid the latter from Christchurcb station at 9.53 a.m. This allows ample time for intending visitors being present for tho first race, which is set down for 11 a.m. In the Hunters' Hurdles, w-ith which proceedings commence, Adjutor, with 12st 131b. is asked a big thing to concede 191b to Bullford. The latter 1 s schooling during the week was brilliant, and he will monopolise tho betting. Grim Joke should l>e an im7)roved horse after his outing at the Oiiristchurch Hunt Meeting, aud ho and Cairnmuir u;ill be handy should the other pair mentioned not standi up to their job as anticipated. Santiago rarr an excellent race in the Open Hurdles at tho Hunt Meeting, and will now be meeting horses more in his own class, if started in the . Trial Hurdles. Income stands out alone in this race were.he a proficient .lumper, but his efforts over the battens since arriving at Ricearton have been very disappointing, and' on paper Royal Star, Tenter field, Goldpiece, and I/O Fort should l>e more troublesome to Santiago than the top-weight. The Cashmere Plato is made up of horses of more or less unknown ability, hut Marine, Chickwheat, Winkie's Best. Rawene, and Coch-y-Bondhu will have a fairly strong following. A pretty fair fieldl of horses is likely to go out to contest the Jumpers' Flat. Race. Boomerdav is topweight with lOst 131b, and this race may, bo his mission rather than the big hui'dle race on the second day. He has not got matters all his #wn way, and Tinokaha, who won the race in 1U23. is again engaged, and is not l:kely to return so handsome a dividend r as he did last year. Others who will claim" a certain amount of attention arcTDcmand and Merry Singer. : , , Tho Grand! National Steeplechase has been robbed of a. Ettle interest by disquieting rumours regarding Pamplona. but. -if this gelding and his half"btot&erj Lochclla,-go out fit and well, ihft northerners, who include among '■tliera Cariwock,' and Fire bßglbfc, wiTZ have quite as hard a proposition to dispose ot as in any other evenb thqy have previously contested. TJi? remainder of. tho "field is mado up r.f experienced jumpers, and a repetition <i>f the excellent fencing seen at ihe" "Wellington Winter Meeting, and the 1 Cferistchurch Hunt Meeting, would mak&iihd Grand National Steeplechase of ■ JffcW alone well worth the trip to Ricearton to witness.

i Six competent -'chasers make up the i Held for tbe Enfield steeplechase. - Kovno and Charlatan have both cstabi lished good records m a brief career ' over tho big fences, and arc likelv to 1 receive most attention on the machine. I However, their task in returning dividends will be keenly contested by I aul j Prv, who has taken very kindly to I ihis denuriment of racing, and by Red Sei. whose experience over tho ! course last .Saturday week should nut him more at home than he was then with the stiff Riecarton country. Something more than a glimpse of Bonnie Winkie's true form was seen I in tho Brabazon "Welter at the Lhri>tchurch Hunt Meeting, and in all prob- ! abiiitv - with a clearer passage m I the ' Winter Cup to-morrgy the ! Winkie gelding will reward his | connexions with some of the spoils. I lied "Wink, too, should •be prominent, laud Boadicea. who finished second to ! Sunny Loch last year, will command a I strong following, aa_ will Broadwood, { "Wassail, Sunart, and Yoma. To go j through' tlie prospects of the whole i twenty-six acceptors would occupy j much space, but; with so big a field I anything is liable ~to happen during the running. Should one ol the little fancied candidates get home the return .should bo a liberal one, though the betting is certain to take u wide range in so good a field. Kuhio, on the strength of his forward showings at Trent-ham, may be pent out favourite in 'the Avonhead Handicap, in which some consistent performers such as Kilfaire, and Sartist will oppose fne ex-Auckland-train-e:l gelding. Star Ranger will probably i run in the Winter Cup, but if reserved for the Avonhead Handicap wall be entitled to all respect. The Polymnian has hardly been up long enough to give of his best, but the recent racing done by Ruby Ring, King Sol, Ham Owl, and Waetea should help them to put a dash of interest into tho event'. The annual reunion of members of tho Canterbury Owners' and Breeders' Association will be held in the Masonic Hall to-night. An attra-ctivo programme has been arranged, and the various trophies won during the past season will bo presented. Handicaps for the second day of the Metropolitan T.C.'s August Meeting will be published to-morrow and acceptances will close at noon.

It is reported that the Australianbred paecr Billy Sea, has been purchased by the North Island sportsman, Mr J. A. Mitchell, owner of Lady Nan, Bicolour, and Padlock. Retreat, who, prominently in Australia last season, is a recent addition to P. Riddle's team at Addington. Mr R. C. Fisken has sold the trotting gelding Wild Lad to Mr J. D. Piper, of Pahia-tua.

Prospect; has finished licr racing career, and.will bo retired to the stud. Mr D. Spence, well-known in local trotting circles, returned to Christchurch last week, after an extended trip to America and England. The Canterbury Owners' and Breeders' Association have completed arrangements to lease the rooms and purchase the furniture recently held bv the Canterbury Press dub. They will take possession this week. PONY RACING CLUBS. SELECT COMMITTEE'S REPORT. (Keooxved August lOth, 6.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, August no. Tho report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Bony Boeing recommends that all pony clubs bo compelled to become non-proprietary, and that an appeal to tho Australian Jockey Club Coiwnittoe be allowed before any disqualification by the Associated Bacing Clubs cm become effective. AUSTRALIAN JOCKEY. CLNB. ; SYDNEY, August 9. Tho annual i*epo-rt of the Australian Jockey Club shcrws that tho prizo money distributed during tho pMfc yeaT was £142,000. Tho totalizator receipts wore £1,315,000, compared with £1,£773,000 last year. From totalieator and admission tajcea the Stato Government benefited to the extent of £174,000 and tho CommoinreaJth GovernI meat £13,000. . \