SPORTING

Evening Star, Issue 15882, 14 August 1915, Page 10

SPORTING

TROTTING AT-ADDINGTON. Our Special ’ at Christchurch wires*:—-■ o.Fortho concluding day’s trotting at Addington the weather was fine, but the track • was still heavy from the effects of the ram on, Wednesday. The attendance was again good,r an d j339,563i passed through the machine, making £96,8954 for nlee^*n .®' as hffainst £76,952 last year. the racing commenced tvith the Midwinter Handicap, 2m, in saddle, and the hitherto .erratic 8 Whispering Lad (llsec), with a patent gripping attachment to lus car, never put a foot wrong, and, leading practically the whole distance, won pulling up in smin Ofjseo, I Galician (scratch) just beating 4 Grattan Abbey (llsec) for second > money. .Investments,. £3,018. Erin’s King (ssec) was -made n good, favorite in. the Federal Handicap, IJm, in haniese, and after Oromstall (ssec. M. Edhad led over the, first part ,of the last* mile, during which the favorite put in a break, the latter challenged in the run home, and won a very great race by a length and ahalf. from Soda (6sec), ■ who was half a length in front of A 1 Franz (sciec). Queen’s Drive (2sec) and Dot Robbins (3sec) were never prominent. Time, 3miu 45|soc. Investments, £4,298^. Frandocia (4sec) was made favorite for tbe National Oup, 2m, in harness, but refused to leave the mark, and 9 Breeze (6sec) was responsible for. the pace for a mile and a-balf, when 11 Tommy C. (ssec) and 2 Calm (ssec) took charge, the latter winning in the run home by nearly six lengths, 6 Jingle (4scc) just failing to catch Calm for second money; Breeze. 4 Win Soon (scratch), and 8 Persuader (6sec) next. Time, 4min 47|sec. Investments, £5,572. After the race the owner of Calm lodged a protest against the winner, on tbe ground of interference, but it was dismissed, and Reay (the driver of Tommy C.) was fined £lO for careless driving, and cautioned that his license would bo suspended if the offence is repeated. For the Canterbury Handicap. 2m, in saddle, the coupled pa-itf—Harold Direct (Bscc) and Kokemoro. (lOsec)—were made first choice, but the former got away badly, and the latter dropped out after 'a lap. . Grainger (Isec) and Ariadne (7scc) fought out the last mile, and in the run home the former won by nearly two lengths, with Vermont 10 lengths away third. Time, 4min 47?scc. Investments, £4,975^. Auckland Girl (llsec) and Bedchikl '(scratch) were the first favorites for the Addington Handicap, 2ra, in harness, for trotters only, but the latter faded out in the last two furlongs. 3 Master Raymond (2sec) smothered her field for pace, and won comfortably by four lengths, while 4 Treasure Seeker (lOsec) just beat Auckland Girl for second place; 8 Wild Tree (12sec) and 5 Trnganini (llsec) next. Time, 4min 49|sec. Investments, £4,465. The start for the Islington Handicap, 2m, in harness, appeared to be very ragged, and Prince Berlin (6sec). P, screaming hot favorite, 3 Stanley’s Child (2sec), and Huon Drift (scratch) lost seconds. 4 tiun God IBsec) led all the way to the grand stand, the favorite just catching him there and winning by a bare length from 2 Emilius (ssec), who just beat Sun God. Time, 4m.iu' Slsee. Investments, £4,950.

Aotea Eoa. (dsec) was made first favorite in the Lightning Handicap, Im, in harness, but the winner was found in 6 Hon Cces;ir (osec), who was always handy to 2 False Alarm (osec), who led to the turn, and easily beat him by three lengths fit the run home; 5 Sherwood (2sec) a length, away third, Aotea Boa fourth. Time, 2min 17t&ec. Investments, £5,644. For the Farewell Handicap, one mile, in saddle, Eccentric, on the scratch mark, was made favorite, bnt lacked his usual dash, and failed to catch the leaders, 9 St. Kevin (osec) was always in a good position, and catching 5 Bell Metal (3sec) at the grand stand won by a length and a-half, with 15 Adonis (2sec) a length away, 3 Frandocia (2sec) and 4 Breeze (4sec) next. Time, 2min 15|sec.' Investments, £6,664.

THE WEEK’S CARNIVAL. NOTES AND INCIDENTS. JFnoii Ocr Special Correspondent.] Though Mr F. Armstrong did not have a representative in the starters for this year's National Hurdles, he had the satisfaction of breeding the winner; in fact, he bred both Harbour Light and Hurakia, and had not the former foil at the last hurdle would have had the honor of breeding both first and second. . A peculiar feature of the trotting at Addington during the week was that there were more pound investments on the pound machine than half-sovereign investments on the 10s machine. At previous meetings the reverse of this lias been the order of things. The experiment of making the Grand National Hurdle Race two and a-quarter miles was proved a success by Thursday’s race, and the whole distance, was run at a fraction faster pace per furlong than Morning's record time for the race two years ago. When Morning won in 3min 44fsec in 1913 'lie averaged a fraction over 14sec to the furlong, while Hurakia on Thursday ran out the two miles and a-quarter in a fraction under that pace. Though Tuesday’s and Thursday's jumping events at llicoarton produced an unusually large- number of spills, the injuries received under the circumstances were unusually light The fine race run by Morning in the Beaufort Steeplechase on Thursday has firmed up the opinions of those who maintained that had he stood up in the Grand National ho would have won the biv race. Personally, lam still of the opinio 1 !! that Ngatoa, with his lightea’ weight, would have won had even Glenmore, Tim Doolan, and Morning completed the course. He appeared to mo to be easily the least distressed horse at the end of the race, and the run he put in over the final six furlongs was a very strong one, and the best at the end of the Grand National that I remember for many years.

The 1915 Grami National was a peculiar race. Fur two miles and three-quarters it was a good race between Morning, Glenmore, Tim TJoolan, and Captain Macky ; then Morning and Captain Macky tired’, and Ngatoa chipped in, -malting another interesting struggle over the next three furlongs; then Tim Doolan fell. leaving it a Anal struggle to the next and last fence, when Glenmore tipped over, leaving Ngai toa to run home, the same.as Le Vanters Lucky in 1897, when Dromedary fell over a policeman in the run home.

Tim Dc-olan ran a sjdendid race in tho Grand National until lie fell at the second last fence, but in the Beaufort Steeplechase on Thursday he never looked dangerous, and is probably a little stale. A month ago Hurakia was one of the most fancied horses for the Grand National Hurdles, and it was surprising, considering tho work he had done in the interval, that he should pay sucli a good price on Thursday. It is now many years since the Grand National Steeplechase was so nearly won by a horse with jumping ability only. The Brewer’s chance against such good and fast ones as Tim Doolan, Glenmore, and Morning was purely a jumping one, yet, thanks to accident "to this trio, The Brewer had only the winner between him and the richest jumping stake in the Dominion. As it was he won £3OO by running second, and returned his backers the. best dividend of the meeting up to Thursday night. The Southland horses, which generally pick up a stake or so at the Grand National Meeting, failed in the two opening days to catch even a third place, but Otago horses, in Pride o’ Oiutha, The Brewer, and Micky Free, all ran forward and paid their" way well, each paying great prices-when’they got among the money. Multiply was one of the best honored horses prior to the National Meeting, but in the one race he started in ho did not show anything of his usual brilliancy, and as he was sore his trainer was unable'to get enough work into him to get him,, ready for the big task set him. Christchurch was even more full up of visitors this National Week than ever before, i and the number of Otago and Southland • visitors - to ; bothy Addington and Riccarton was unusually large. The

attendants on each of the six • days easily constituted records for the August Carnival.

CromstaU trotted’well both, days-at Addington, but- he«found the company too hot each time, and on, Friday tided yery badly over the last two furlongs. When submitted to auction in Christchurch yesterday at the late it.' Buckley’s stud dispersal sale the stallion All Bed was passed in at 250gs, the reserve being 350gs.

At” the Redcastle stud sale in Christchurch on Thursday morning the following prices were obtained :—Red Shield, 4yrs, 105gs; Aye Ready, 3yrs, lOOgsj Red Rohe, 4yrs, 55gs; Rose Shield, 15yrs; 40gs; Edna, May 11., lOyrs, 250gs; Aerina, Byrs, 75gs; Hermosa,'2oyrs, 55gs; Northern Rose, ,10yrs, _Bogs; Mint Queen, 7yrs, 140gs ; Soberside,'llyrs, 27gs; Takahau, 6yrs, 42gs; and the stallion Masterpiece, 7yrs, 230gs. After working on the tracks yesterday irtorning Prairie Fire got away with his rider and ran an extra round. When he pulled up he was bleeding at the nose, but; his owner did not. think anything was very seriously wrong. At a special meeting of members of the Canterbury Jockey Club held yesterday morning "it was decided to vote £2,000 towards the patriotic funds.