SPORTING.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 24 December 1920, Page 6

SPORTING.

[By Vladimir.]

<Jorc Trotting Club's 'meeting on Boxing .Day. | D.J.C. meeting at Wingatui on Mon- . day (Boxing Day) and Tuesday. 1 Wyndham. races on Saturday (New Year's '.(Day)-. I Southland (R.C. 's meeting on January 1 3 and 4. > Cllffcton Chimes has now joined W. I X. Wilson's stables at Gore. | Stailand is in strong demand in the , nortli»for tlie Auckland CurJt The latest; purchase of Mr R. Actonj Adams is a three-year-old full sister to the speedy Killowen. At latest advice all was well with the Southland-owned lAuckland Trotting Cup representative, 'Royal Step. IMr 11. Brinkman '(lGhristclrarch) will handicap the trotting events at the Tuapeka Jockey dob's annual meet- ! «"g- - On his return from his Australian trip Mr G. IX Greenwood wrote to 'Mr lan Duncan regretting the death of Karo, and returning the cheque for her purchase. J -'During Christmas aud New Year weeks there will be about 15 race ■meetings and eight- trotting 'meetings. These j will provide about 30 days' racing and j a dozen days' trotting. • 'Riccarton experts incline to tlie 'belief that Lady Pallas, owned by J. MaCombe, has been nicely treated' in the south for her holiday 'meeting engagements. In addition to M. Connell and K. Bracken, it is considered probable that another Australian jockey, J. 'Pike, may don colours at the 'Auckland Cup ingIt is reported that Marching Order has been scratched for the first day of the Southland (R.'C.'s Summer meeting, his owner being dissatisfied with the weight allotted the Soldiers ChorusOrder gelding. Copa de Oro Junior paced badly in the 'Summer Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday, and it was subsequently discovered that the colt had contracted strangles. Mr W. OJ. Robbins will now be unrepresented in the Great Northern Trotting Derby. Tenterfield failed in the N.Z. Cup with 8.1, but this fact does not trouble his admirers in the North Island, who maintain that there will be a different tale to tell after the race for the Auckland Cup, in which the Australian-bred horse has 8.3 to carry. Permission has been granted by the Dunedin Jockey Club for an aeroplane carrying Mr J* IP. iMurphy, of Timaru (owner of Bengeroop and' Almoner), and a friend' to alight on the Wingatui racecourse on the opening day of the club's summer fixture. Messrs Williams, of Hawkes Bay, will be represented by a strong team at the Auckland .R.C. Siummer fixture. Trainer 'H. J. Jeffard left Woodville for the north with Gasbag, Humbug, Chrysostom, Grotesque and Tigritiya. The team is a strong one, four of the ! horses having already won good races during the current season. Satisfactory acceptances have been received for the first day's events at the- Dunedin J.C. Summer meeting. Eleven have been paid up for in the Otago Handicap. The first race each day starts at 12.15, and the last at 5.30. The 5.10 express to Invercargill will stop at Wingatui each day to pick up passengers for stopping stations south of Clinton. Several" local sportsmen intend visiting the Wyndham races on New Year's Day. This club has put on a most attractive programme, and always caters well for visitors. An official of the club will meet the special train from Dunedin at Clinton, and will supply lawn tickets to those requiring them, so that passengers will have no delay upon arrival at Wyndham. The hard-pulling Post Haste darted away from the six-furlong mark; on the Southland IR.C.'s inner grass circuit on Tuesday .morning, and almost immediately broke a, blood vessel, as he -was noticed to .be spraying blood as he ran past the five-furlong post. A little later 'on Jockey IS. iftibbs. became aware that something was wrong, but could not pull up his headstrong mount. The I horse was staggering at the half-mile post, and, before another furlong had been cast behind, he pitched forward—a dead horse. Gitbbs ; got a nasty fall, and his injuries were presently discovered to include a broken collarbone aud a number of painful bruises. The acceptances received by the Gore Trotting 'Club for its annual meeting on Boxing Day are very ■satisfactory. 'There is an average of 14 in each face, and no race has less than 11 acceptors, while in the Croydon Handicap for trotters a field of 02- has accepted. The weather during the last ■week was the finest that has been experienced for some time, and trainers were consequently enabled to put in good work on the tracks. The Racing Club's property is looking at its best at present, and all that remains to ■make the Trotting Club's meeting a success next Monday is a fine day. The first;race is timed to start at 12.20 p.m. The story runs that at the New 'Brighton-TjC. meeting on Saturday the owner of a.horse gave a friend £2O to f invest on the chance of his representative, who may be termed Sure Thing. -Noting that the transaction had been observed, he called his friend back and, with a knowing winlc, told him to put the money on, let us say, Madam Butterfly. The commissioner, who was somewhat excited, .misunderstood, and actually carried out the false instructions.. Then iSjire Thing "strolled in," as they say at the tracks, and the chagrin of his owner-driver can- be better imagined than described when he leaned "-that his capital had been invested on IMadani Butterfly. Sure Thing' returned a price of well over £2O. At- New Brighton on Friday evening last representatives of the N.Z. Trotting Association, backed up by a policeman, took possession of the trotter Nature's 'Gentleman, who was last week ruled out for life by the light harness authorities. The horse is being held by the association pending further inquiries being made into his past career and the antecedents of his 'connections,-one of whom is a lady. Nature'* Gentleman is an aged black gelding with a long white blaze marking his face. The state of his legs shows that he has trotted many miles in his time. 'He is alleged to have shown extreme speed in •Ohristchureh, and many experts were awaiting .with, curiosity 'his appearance in engagements mad'ei for him lit grtbuifoatt 'compftny, and then the- trouble arose'that caused' him to be taken-into custody. It is freely statedrthat he'has beenraced in Aus- ;■ tralia v -and. it is -even hinted -that he r first saw the light of day elsewhere.