SPORTING NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 June 1912, Page 2

SPORTING NEWS

RACING FIXTURES. — #t June 19, 20. —Hawke’s Bay, J. C. Winter. J une 20, 27 —Napier Park R. CJuly ■4, 5. —Gisuorne R. C. - chase. / /

RACING NOTES.

(By “Aeronaut”)

The acceptances received for the two principal events at the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s Winter meeting, which commences to-morrow, are very much below the standard of what one would expect for races of their importance. in, the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (three, miles) we find the three previously figuring at the head of the handicap missing, due, no doubt, to reasons which require but little explanation, viz., Oorazon went completely off during the last couple of weeks and, as a consequence may uot be seen at his best until the latter end of the season ; Continuance is being reserved for “bigger game’’ ; and Antarctic is obviously not ready. Thus we find Whakaweira left at the head of a field of seven very moderates. Prior to the Wanganui meeting the latter was in strong demand for the big cross-country event for which he was in a prominent position for about half the journey when he came to grief. Glenmore is a good useful sort that should run well in moderate company. Appin has his win in the Tamaki Steeplechase on the concluding day of the A.R.C- meeting to his credit, in which event he created a very ’ favourable impression. The meeting J between these three and a couple of those lower down should provide a good race. For the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (two miles) Black Northern is top weight with 12st. 51bs., but I cannot fancy his chances when compared with those of Paisano. (list. 101 b.) and Stevens (10st. 21b.) The latter, it will be rerememhered, put up" two fine performances at the recent Wanganui meeting by running second to Darby Paul in the Century Hurdles on the opening day, and again filling the role of runner up to The Native on the second day. ■. Supremacy for honors over the sticks is bearing a very open appearance jjist at present, as Jerry O’Connell, C. Price and A- Julian ar call ©veil with eleven winning mounts each, while'A. McFlynn comes next with ten. May be the next couple of clays will give one or the other of the trio a lead. The limb J. D. Ormond will be represented in the Hack Steeples to-mor-row by, : a maiden performer in Mollington, who, it will be remembered, was one of those nominated for the last Grand National Steeplechase but who did not make the acceptance.- Others carrying the “All Cerise and Blue will be Idealism and' Outward.

Wplowa. the crack Australian two-year-old, is not engaged in either the Melbourne Cup or Caulfield Cup. The hurdler Hawick, who recently returned to Porirua, will he schooled over the country again, with a view to contesting the hack steeplechase at the winter meeting of the Wellington Racing Club next month. The Hastings-owned and trained Composed has been responsible for some very taking track work during the last week or so, and will be one of the well-backed division in the Bracelet to-morrow.

Khamsin is shill suffering from injuries received on the second day of the CHaki meeting, when she received a severe bumping from another horse in the same race. Though no action yja-s taken by the stewards at the time, I am given to understand that since then the rider of the horse responsible for the alleged trouble (who is a wellknown light-weight apprenticed to a bur stable in the north) has received a very strong censuring from the stewards of the Otaki Racing Club. 0. O’Neill, the ex-New Zealand jockey, is now private trainer to MrT. N Gatenby, in Tasmania. Since he took up his residence in that State, about three months ago, O’Neill has ridden over' a dozen winners.

It is indeed pleasing to hear that Antagonist is in work again at Riccarton after his long spell. His one performance in public, in which he fairly ran away from Vice-Admiral, Orton, Countermine, and Bronze in the Middle Park Plate, stamped the bay son of Soult and Miss Annie as being one of the most brilliant colts seen out for many a long day, and it. is greatly to be regretted that unsoundness prevented him from showing us what he would do as a three-year old. Every lover of a good horse will hope that Antagonist may be able to stand a proper preparation for weight-for-age races in the spring. Jockeys winning rides in New South Wales pay them better than in most of the other States. Though the S. A. J. C. Handicap was worth £275 to the owner of the winner, £7 10s was all that W. H. Smith was entitled to as a winning fee. Under A. J. C. rules liia percentage would have been £l3 15s, but the South Australian rules on the matter are much the same as those in vogue in Victoria, a jockey only receiving 5 per cent, of any stake when its nett value to the winner exceeds £3OO. In Sydney a jockey’s fee is 5 per cent, when the amount exceeds £IOO, and £3 when it is less than that sum. In Melbourne, when the stakes to the winner are worth oyer £3O, but do not exceed £IOO, tbe winning rider's fee is £3, over £IOO, but not more than £2OO, £5, and over £2OO but not exceeding £3OO, £7 10s. In Adelaide recently R- Lewis received £7l 19s in fees for his success in the Adelaide Cup and Nursery Handicap, earned on Eyeglass and Uncle Matt, while J. O'Brien got £4l 18s for his wins in the Goodwood- Handicap and South Australian Stakes.

A New York despatch;, published on April 19, read: “Six sad men are in the Tombs prison cells here to-night as a result of carrying out the ways that are dark and tricks that are / vain ot the heathen Chinese. The six Chinese stowed themselves away in one of the Titanic s lifeboats before it left England. When the crash came Sunday night the Chinese did not become excited. They knew the lifeboats would be lowered if there was any danger of the great Titanic going down. All had shawls, and when they heard the shouts of those on board that women were to be saved first they covered themselves with their shawls, leading the crew to believe that they were wo men. It was not known that they were Chinese until they were taken on board the Carpathia. When it was discovered that the six Chinese had taken the places of women in the boats some of the Carpathian crew wanted to toss them into the sea, hut the officers of the Cunard relief vessel put them in irons instead. There was deafening applause last week at the hide sales at Sydney, when a single hide realised £5. It was an especially prime hide, weighing 891 b, and the 14d per lb that it fetched was announced as an Australian’ record. The hide came from North Queensland, and it was the exceptional substance it contained that caused so much competition. The big price showed that the hide and leather markets are just now particularly bouyant. Whether the applause that rang throughout the auction roam at the market barometer being topped in this way will be re-echoed by those who buy the leather when made up into hoots and shoes is quite another matter.