SPORTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 January 1926, Page 6

SPORTING

RACING FIXTURES.

Jan. 30 —Takapuna. Feb. 4, 6 —Gisborne. Feb. 6, B—Te8 —Te Kuiti. Feb. 11, 12 —Poverty Bay, Feb. 11, 13 —Dunedin. Feb. 11, 13—Taranaki. Feb. 13, 15—Rotorua. TROTTING FIXTURES. Jan jr>o;,—-Forbury Park. Jan. ’3o—Hawke’s Bay. Feb. 12 Poverty Bay. Feb. 13—N.Z. Metropolitan. TAKAPUNA RACES. - (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 29. The Takapuna Jockey Club’s Summer Meeting opened to-day in fine weather, with a large attendance. The totalisator investments were £62,727, compared with last year. Re maining results: — Ferry Handicap.—(3) Curraghniore (W. Bagby) 1, (1) Brushwood Boy 2, (2) Hokoi 3. Also ran —(4) Pinon, (0) Knighthood, (6) Merry Ann, (7) Frowning Beauty and (8) Alii" Ngaro. Won by a length and a half. Time 1.56.

Galliope Handicap. —(1) Tea Bell (W. Bagby) 1, (6) Baby Bun 2,- (4) Atapai 3. Also ran—(s) Phaola, (1) Antrim Boy, (9) Calithe, (11) Eiieena (7) Roman Abbey, (2) Value, and (8) lilarchaway. Won by a neck. Time 1.1 4-5.

Orewa Hurdles. —(4) King Abbey (G. Holland) 1, (5) Miss Melva 2, (1) Kawa 3. Also ran —(2) Black Cruiser, (.6) Mahgoloire, (3) Archibald and (7)< Some Bother. Won by three-quarters of a length. Time 3.14. Stewards’ Handicap. —(1) Cawnpore (McTavish) 1, (7) Day Guard 2, (8) Tutankhamen 3. Also started —(6) Quinefte, 15) Air Queen, (2) Nancy Lee, (4) York Abbey, (3) Heisler and (9) Exactly. Time 1.11.

NEWS AND NOTES.

By “Onlooker.”

F. Tilley has trained good mares in Enthusiasm, Lady Lucy and Oratress. Haze, and Nincompoop are both likely to be taken south for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting. Royal Tea’s trip to Sydney has been definitely decided upon, and he leaves Auckland on Friday to go into G. Price’s stable at Rand wick. It is understood that'F. AV. Ellis will start both Listening Post and „ Tommy Dodd in the Dunedin Cup, and M. McCarten and C. Emerson have been mentioned as their respective pilots. Emerson may also have the mount on Set Sail in the Publicans’ Handicap. Some of the stewards connected with the Forbury Park Trotting Club are in favour of dropping the New Zealand Trotting Stakes. It would be a great pity if the classic race were abandoned because it is the existence of such events which encourages the importation of the high-class trotting stock which has greatly assisted in popularising light harness racing. R. D. O’Donnell, who was formerly associated with the late Mr G. G. 'Stead’s stable, and latterly trained a team at Trentham, contemplates returning to Riccarton. He has latterly achieved a good deal of success with the houses carrying Mr AV. Higgins’s colours, and it sems strange that when on the tide of success he should desire to make a change.

The successful studmaster, Mr G. M. Currie, wfill offer 10 yearlings at auction next month at the Koatanui homestead, on the day between the AVanganui races. Five oi the youngsters are by Limond and four by Absurd, the others being by Harrow. Among the Absurds is a brother to Thespian, and Mr Curire is credited with the opinion that this colt is the best he has ever bred.

At provincial meetings in Sydney two or three owners'have had fair wins through backing their runners in the c&ty at tote odds when they seemed certainties. At these meetings machine betting is always light, and the last moment distribution of a comparatively small amount over the other competitors makes' a great difference in the price of a favourite. I notice (writes “Pilot” in the Sydney Referee) where a coup was brought off in similar fashion at Churchill Downs, one of Kentucky’s leading tracks. Course betting in that State is confined to the tote, and those associated with a horse named Half Pint backed - him wherever the books flourish in America—New York in particular. At the Bast moment they put about £l6OO on the machines on various other horses in Half Pint’s race, with the result that, instead of returning a shade over even money, which fairly represented his chance, his dividend wag at the rate of just short of 3 to 1. One of Half Pint’s backers is said tohave put £6OOO on hlim away from the course, which shows there is nothing small about either American backers or books. It must also be admitted that backers who deliberately threw away £l6OO deserved reward for their enterprise.