SPORTING.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18150, 13 August 1924, Page 12

SPORTING.

Acceptances for the second day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National Meeting axe duo ct noon today. Acceptances for the Fgmont-'Wanga-r.ui Hunt Annual Meeting arc duo today. Nominations for the Marion Jockey Club's Spring Meeting closo on Friday. Nominations for the Rangitikei Hunt Meeting close on Friday.

Nominations for the principal handicap events at the Avondale Jockey Club's Spring Meeting (Avondale Cup, Flying Stakes Handicap, and Plumpton Handicap) close on Friday. Tho 'Sew Zealand Turf Register'-' is now on sale at "Tho Press" office. To followers of form this compact booklet is essential. It sek> out in a thoroughly lucid manner all tho pw-st season's results, and in addition to complete reports- of all totnlisator racing meetings held during the past season, with an index to tho performances of all horses, it contains a jockeys' directory, racing statistics, tables of winners of past races, a list of registered colours, entries for coming classic events, tables of Australian and New Zealand time records, the rules of racing, and a list of dates approved for the fixtures _ for tho current season. Prompt placing of orders is necessuy to avoid disappointment. liJta, the winner cf tho Cashmere Plato at Riccarton yesterday, is a three-year-old half-sister by Finland to Duo.

Tho mount on Sturdee yesterday gave E. Warner his first victory in the Grand National Steeplechase. Warner will bo ni&ociatcd with Merry Singer in the Grand National Hurdles tomorrow, and -the way in which the 'Merry Moment gelding finished in the Jumpers' Fiat Race yoterday sugg:,sts a distinct possibility of pulling off the second leg of the big Riccarton double. Mr G. F. Vallance had nob previously won a Grand National Steeplechase end has yet to own a winner of tho Hurdlo Race.

Sturdee's time in the Grand National Steeplechase yesterday w;ts distinctly good, being tho second best in the his"tory of tho race. Oakleigh, when ho won in 1922, established tho record—bin 5-31-s*—which was 14 4-5s better than Lochella's record in 1919. Sturdco took 7m 4s. E. Shaw, tho rider of Agnola in the Trial Hurdle Race at Riccarton yesterday, suffered a broken collarbone when his mount fell at tho fence at Cults's.

The Grand National 'Meeting at Hicearton supplies the principal topic of discussion amongst the. sporting fraternity at present, and to all interested in any form of sport the latest issuo of the "Weekly Press and llefereo" will be especially welcome. Pull details of the first day's racing aro given, and the comments by Looker-On on the form shown will be read with interest by all, and will form an invaluable guido for events to be decided during the remainder of the present week. Antisthen©s f The Rook, Wayfarer, and Spectator comment at length on matters of interest to every sportsman, while corresponlents from all parts of New Zealand forward the latest items of news from their respective districts. In the trotting columns Searchlight discusses the form shown by the various horses at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's Meeting at Addington, and In Things Seen relates many happenings of interest to every follower of the light harness sport. The "Weekly Press and Referee" still easily holds its position as the premier sporting journal in New Zealand, and to the sportsman is a real encyclopaedia on anything connected with sport.

Onyx, winner of the August Handicap, "is not amongst the acceptors at Aldington to-day,' but is likely to bo seen in commission on Friday. Tho Dunedin-owned paoer Friendship recently slipped twin foals to Happy Voyage. Messrs H. Matson and Co. will hold a clearing sale of trotting stock on behalf of the late Mr J. L. Jopp at 64 Lincoln road, Addington, at 9 a.m. to-day. A special horse sal© will be held by Messrs Matson. and 00. at Tattersali's on Monday. Trix Pointer, winner of the 1919 New Zealand Trotting Oun, has been leased to Mr H. F. Nicoll, of Ashburton. The daughter of Demonio and Bally Pointer has finished her racing career and will go to the stud. A Sydney message says Mr W. G. Stead's racehorses —Horoscope, Limerick, Father's Voice, Bosh, Fallodeen, and the Absurd—Las Vegas filly arrived by the Ulimaroa yesterday in good condition.

Dick again displayed his dislike to the first fence of the Kennels doubleand baulked when competing in the Grand National fcJteepleohase yesterday. He will not compete again at the meeting and is to be shipped north to-night.

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB. STAKE MONEY FOR SEASON. (SFECIiL TO "TBB PEBSS.") AUCKLAND, August 12. The committee of the Auckland Racing: Club met for the purpose of considering the programmes framed in connexion with tho four meetings to bo held at Elleislie during the coming season, and they were finally passed. Tho total eum allotted in prize money for the four meetings amounts to £66,i&0. The fohowing is a comparative statement of the sum allotted in prize money by tbe Auckland Kacing Club to the various meetings for the last three seasons and the one forthcoming:—-

It haa to be explained that in the division of the Jervoia Handicap laat year the club paid the full 6tnke to each event, which made tho prize money paid £65,700. In the event of the division being again necessary for the same race this Beacon, the prize money will aa a result be raised to £66,750. A perusal of tho programmes shows that all the open handicapb (except two-year-old races) that last year were £550, have been increased by £2OO to £750. Tho Great Northern Hurdle Bace to £2OOO, Winter Steeplechase to £IOOO, Cornwall Handicap to £9OO. and King George and York Handicaps each to £BOO. At the Easter Meeting the ilangere Handicap (a hack flat race) has been changed to the Mangere Hack Steeplechase, atid the Nelson Plate haa been altered to the Kelson Hack Handicap. The Champagne Stakea for 1926 has again been made worth £ISOO, and t!ie S3, Leger Stakeo £IOOO.

1921-22. 1922-23. 1923-24. 19-24-25. £ £ £ £ Spring' .. 32,050 12,200 11,350 11,650 Summer . .. 30,750 29,000 27,650 27,750 Autumn . ,. 13,000 12,900 12,200 12,000 Winter .. 17,300 16,900 14,100 14,750 Totals .. £73,100 £71,000 £65,300 £66,160