SPORT AND PASTIME.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 9, 10 July 1909, Page 14

SPORT AND PASTIME.

The Turf. RACING FIXTURES SEASON 1909. {Tuly 17, 21, 24— Wellington R.C. Steeplechase, i July 28 — Hawkes Bay Hunt Steeplechase. August 10. 12, 14— C.J.C. Grand National. The financial results of the present season have beer so satisfactory that most of the metropolitan clubs will, it is anticipated, follow the example of the Auckland and Canterbury Clubs in adding "largely to their stakes. The Canterbury J.C. has approved of its programme for the ensuing season, and ownei's will be able to run into big money if the horses carrying their colours and confidence are fast enough. The Canterbury Club's spring meeting is the "big plum" of the Riccarton year-, as it extends over four days. Consequently, the C.J.C. has made considerable increases to most of the principal events at its spring gathering. That great race for sprinters, the Stewards 1 Handicap, will be worth 1250 sovs. A few seasons back this race was worth but 600 soys, and its rapid rise in value is an indication of the attention now paid to the claims of the sprinters. If it continues to receive such handsome additions to its stakes, in a year or two the Stewards' Handicap will be seriously challenging the pre-eminence of the New Zealand Cup. The "Welcome Stakes is increased to 1000 soys, and so is the Metropolitan; the Members' Handicap will be worth 600 soys, and the Criterion and Fendalton aie each raised to 500 soys. If the expenses of travelling and so forth were not so stiff, this country would be a veritable happy hunt-ing-ground for owners. Even granting thoss little drawbicks, it takes a lot of beating at its weight. • The Canterbury J.C. has decided upon a very sensible step with regard to its. j^ress-ioom. In future application for a Edit, must bo made seven days prior to a meeting at Riccarton, otherwise it will not be reserved. The restriction of the press stand to bona-fide sporting press writers is only fair. They are expected to carry out their work with precision, but this is often rendered difnc-ult at times by the presence of jovial and irresponsible sports, who have just "touched" a winner, and their noisy interruptions do not tend to good ■work. Other clubs might, with advantage, take a leaf ont of the Canterbury Club's book in this respect. Prolonged and hearty laughter, no doubt, does, as the physiologists say, stimulate the whole glandular system, but it plays the very deuce when one is trying hard to give a fairly intelligible account of an exciting finish in the fewest words and in lac shortest possible space of time. Will secretaries please note ! Continuance was not carried at Gisborne on the first day, but it fared a little better on the concluding day. Some of the information wired from Gisborne was singularly correct. On Thursday, one wire gave Pearl Reef, Sublime, and Te Arai out of four tips. Pearl Reef paid an unexpectedly large dividend in a field of five, and crowds of those who knew it to be a good thing, and did not back it, thinking the dividend would not be worth collecting, are now feeling very disgusted. To get practically the limit in such a small field was indeed royal. Muskerry is said to be a sure starter in the Parliamentary. The black mare, with Wimmera as mate, is due at Trentham on Tuesday. Nero may not be sent down for the meeting, and Auratus is another that comes under the doubtfulstarter classification. At Hastings this week Gold Dust had a slight advantage over Pikipo at the end of two circuits on the course, of which six hurdles were cleared. Polyanthus, who went with them, was several lengths away at the finish. Kairoma has been shaping better in his jumping. At the Park track, Eldorado has bsen fencin^ in good style recently. Jack Pot, I believe has been giving Ellingham some trouble sinGe Hastings. Unless C. Pritchard has had some very decent addition to his team, I think the following is the full tally of the popular Hutt mentor's little lot: — b h 'Penates, 4yrs (Ruenalf— Housewife) ; blk c Lares, 3yrs (Clytus — Housewife) ; b g Tilson, aged (Lethe — Danebury mare) ; 'blk g Moccasin, aged (Hippocampus — ) ; blk g lAotea, aged '(Linstock — Sou'•Wester mare) ; b g Te Bu, 4yrs tfßirkenhead — Eider); blk ra 'Mon Ami, 4yrs (Soult — Satanella) ; b g Rangikapua, oyrs (San Fran — Waingongoro) ; br f i lAema, 2yrs (Stepniak — Couronne) ; br g ' Mediterranean (San Fran — Lady Bevys) ; ■b in Lady Paul, 4yrs (St. Paul— Lady Chester); b c lyr (St. Ambrose—Crimea) ; br c St. Bees, lyr (St. Ambrose— dlarlip). —— <* With the big fields which are assured in the hurdle events at Trentham, it will puzzle some trainers where they are to get the.ir riders from. The W..R.C. has just issued, so I learn, a license to E. ttlurlagh, who used to ride Climax and other Taranaki horses. Murtagh can go to the sc;\le at about 9st, and being a ■thoroughly capable horseman, is well worth a trial. At present Murtagh is acting as head lad to F. Higgott at the Hutt. A littlo while back the American writer, Mr. Vosburgh, went for the Figure System in great style, and said, among other things, that the late Mr. "VV. C. Whitney dismissed it as "a jcheme to sell a book." This has Drought a rejoinder from Mr. Allison, the principal exponent of the Figure System in England, to the effect that the statement is entirely false. He goes on to say that for three years he was in correspondence with Mr. Whitney, who asked all sorts of questions as to pedigrees and figures, and rarely answered a letter. When in London later on Mr. Whitney wrote saying that he found himself rapidly changing his views on the subject of breeding, and in recognition of having drawn liberally on Mr. Allison's time and knowledge, forwarded the latter a cheque for £1000. Within a fortnight after the above occurrence Mr. Whitney bought Rambling Katie on the figure basis. Mr. | Allison says he would never have mentioned Uie letter or the cheque only to demonstrate to Mr. Vosburgh how grossly 'he is mistaken. , Mr. Allison questions whether any other breeder has ever so substantially recognised the £ value of advice given. No wonder Mr. is such an ardent believer in the virtues and efficacy of "figures," especially when they run into "four." THE BLADE. GISBORNE R.C. MEETING. SECOND DAY. JfcT TBLEGBAPH. — tfBKSS ASSOCIATIOH.I GISBORNE, 9th July. On the concluding day of the steeplechase meeting, a sum of £5563 went through the totalisator, as against £5351 for the second day last year, making an ogrregate of £9590, as compared with £K>.555 fov the corresponding fixture of 1908. Balance of results: —

Second Hack Flat ; six furlongs. — Sublime, 10.1, 1; My Darling, 9.7, 2; Ardfert, 9.0, 3. Also started— Eiya 10.7, The Squatter 10.5, Martyr King 9.9, Bravery 9.7, Whakaweira 9.3. Won by half a length. Time, lmin 20scc. Final Steeplechase ; two miles-. — Mozart, 11.6, 1 ; Waiohika, 9.9, 2 ; Atanui, 10.2, 3. Also started— Te Kainui 10.11, Wairaka 10.9, Local Option 9.13. Won easily. Time, 4min ll^sec. Farewell Handicap ; one mile. — Gladsniuir, 10.1, 1; Continuance, 10.0, 2; Spate, 10.5, 3. Won all the way. Time, lmin 49sec.