SPORTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 September 1927, Page 11

SPORTING

WANGANUI J.C. MEETING (Per Press Association.) WANGANUI, Sept. 8. _ The Spring Meeting of the Wanganui Jockey Club opened to-day in glorious weather wtih a fairly large attendance. The tote took £ 19,218 against. £25,165 last year. The going, was good. Remaining results: — Wanganui Guineas, of 500 sovs. 1 mile —I,G. M. Currie’s b.f. Damaris 8.3 (B. H. Morris) 1,2 Great Charter 8.5 (R. Reed) 2, 3 In the Shade 8.5 (T. Green) 3. The only starters. Won by half a head; a head. Time 1.47 3-5-Great Charter and In the Shade led out from Damaris, and were two lengths ahead down the back stretch. Damaris challenged in the run home, and a thrilling finish resulted. Durie Hack, of 175 sovs.; 6 furlongs—s Nastori 8.1 fR. Reed) 1; 8 Vast Acre 8.8 (L. G. Morris) 2; 3 Carrigallen 7.7 (W. H. Jones) 3. Also run: 4 Te Kawana 7.9, 2 Denier 8.10, I Bank Note 8.7, 15 Lucky Days 8.4, 18 Cochineal 8.3, V Arch Arrow 8.1, II Avro 7.13, 6 Miss Mercia 7.12, 14 Chips 7.12, 9 Reckless 7.13, 10 Marsurd 7.11, 16 Sovena 7.3, 12 Henna 7.8, 13 Bronstell 7.4, 7 Volplane 7.4, 19 Oratrix 7.6. Won by half a length; half a length. Time 1.17 1-5. Marangai Handicap, of 360 sovs.; 1 mile and 110yds—1 Mask 8.8 (B. H. Morris) 1, 5 Alloway 7.4 (H. Wiggins) 2,2 Te Monanfti 9.7 (R. McTavish) 2. Also ran: 3 Degage 9.4, 10 Beacon Light 9.4, 7 Eden Hall 8.12, 16 Imperial Spark 8.1, 4 Bennanee 8.1, 13 Shining Armour 7.11, 9 Monaghan 7.11, 8 Royal Mint 7.10, 6 Star Area 7.10, 17 Novar 7.7, 11 Mint Leaf 7.6, 12 Tame Fox 7.1, 18 Vivo 7.2, 14 Pantagruel 7.0, 15 Hangawera. Won by a head; four lengths. Time 1.51 4-5. Tame Fox, Mint Leaf and Star Area were slow to move. Alloway, Hangawera, Degage, rantagruel and Mask were the early leaders. Monaghan led Alloway, Hangawera and Mask into the straight, where Alloway and Mask fought out a slashing finish, Mask prevailing by a head. Flying Handicap, of 300 sovs.; G furlongs—s Kiosk 8.0 (J. Barry) 1; 6 Kaiti 7.4 (R. Reilly) 2; 2 Grand Knight 7.4 (G. Ridgway) 3. Also ran: 7 Beremoana 9.10, 1 Lysander 9.6, 10 Shirley 9.2, 9 Oration 8.1, 11 Laughing Prince 7.11, 8 Huikai 7.7, 3 Whenuanui 7.5, 4 Doree 7.2. Won by two lengths; a neck. Time 1.16 1-5. Huikai was left badly Kaiti and Lysan • der led Doree, Kiosk and Grand Knight down the back. Kaiti, Lysander, Doree, Oration and Kiosk was the order into the straight, where Kiosk came away to win by two lengths. After the third race, a two-year-old parade was held, the leaders being: First division, A. B. Williams’ b.c. Knightlike 1, Flying Binge 2, Irish Court 3. Second division; Mrs. M. A. Perry’s b.f. Tea Miss 1, Silver Rule 2, Episode 3

TNANGAHUA TROTTING CLUB. The monthly meeting of the Inangahu.a Trotting Club was held on Wednesday, the President, Mr G. G. Lockington, in the chair. Correspondence was read from P. J. Kelleher, enclosing form of application for totalisator permit; from New Zealand Trotting Association, stating that the programme for the annual meeting was approved; from F. Roche, Westport, thanking the club for reappointment to the position of starter ; from Mrs C. F. Marks, Auckland, acknowledging letter of sympathy. It was decided to apply to the Railway Department asking for a train service similar to that granted at the Club’s last annual meeting; to sell the Club’s Racecourse privileges by public auction; to ask hte County Chairman to declare a holiday between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, the date of the Club’s annual meeting; to write to Mr If. D. James and ask him to conduct the totalisator on the same terms as formerly; to write to the local Police Department asking that a mounted constable be provided to patrol the course to stop leakage at the fences; to write to Mr Davey, Chief Stipendiary Steward, regretting his resignation and thanking him for assistance at past meetings. Mr H. T. Crumpton was re-ap-pointed as the Club’s measurer, of horses, and Messrs Lockington, Galbraith, Newton, Coxal I and the Secretary as the Ticket Committee. The Chairman reported that the improvement of the track was being done satisfactorily,, and by the time of the meeting it would’be in better condition than ever.

NEWS AND NOTES. Mask, winner of the chief event at Wanganui yesterday, was a disap* pointment last season, only winning one race. The Canterbury District Committee has again recommended that jockeys’ licenses be issued to A. G. Campbell and M. Kinvan. Footfall is present favourite for the New Zealand Cup, in which event he will probably be ridden by F. E. Jones. C. Emerson has been retained to ride Rapier in the New Zealand Cup and if he is fit and well he will play a leading part in the race. Bankhead, a brother to Cardinal Logan, is favourably mentioned for the Novice Handicap at Wellington. Although the victories of New Zealand horses have been regular in the big events in of late, they are also winning a good share of the smaller events. Recent winners are King’s Folly, Leading Lady, Justify, at Rosehill, and Climax in West Australia. *New Zealand horses have been freely entered for Tattersall’s Meeting, to be held at Randwick on September 10. Asleep is in the hurdle Race, Philippic in a mile and a quarter Novice Handicap; The Hawk, The Thorn and White 'Fang in' the Tramway Handicap, seven furlongs; Piuthair, Clarinda and Battlement in the Spring Handicap, one mile and a-quarter; and Arikewai, True Blood, The Thorn and First Acre in a mile welter. The Chelmsford Stakes of nine furlongs, weight for age, with penalties and allowances, is, of course, the most interesting race. Following are the weights to be carried by the prominent horses -Pantheon 9.11, Amounis 9.8, Fujisan 9.8, Limerick 9.4. Commendation 9.4, Rionscup 9.4, Piuthair 9.1, Ronsard 9.0, Merry Mint 7.13, Statesman 7.9, Prime Don 7.6. Limerick’s success in the Warwick Stakes adds £736 to his wining total, which now stands at £14,248. There is a possibility that Mr G. J. Barton may secure a lease of Sheik in order- that his colours may be represented in the Trotting Cup. A Christchurch writer expresses the

hope that the list of candidates for the Trotting Cup will be considerably reduced before the day as the field is likely to be too large to provide an ideal contest. Some of the owners and trainers in the Auckland district are not at all pleased with the action of the Auckland Trotting Club in tightening up the class attached to the principal events on their programme. The trotter Sarsaparilla, who promised to be a good racing proposition, is again in work under M. B. Edwards’s charge. Sarsaparilla showed fine form as a young trotter, and then seemed to go all to pieces. He is, however, now training on the right way, and he may do better this season. R. 11. Reilly, who scored at Marton on Miss Mercia and Tame Fox, is an Auckland lightweight formerly of Australia. It was due in large measure to Reilly’s vigorous handling that both these horses won, and he should not lack further opportunities on lightly weighted horses, or for that matter, horses handicapped at any weight. During a discussion on the question of unpaid entrance fees at the Otahuhu Trotting Club’s annual meeting the president said there were always allowances to be made in sport and among sportsmen, and the affairs should not be run under a policy of “cold-blooded bank managership.” There was a harmonious working between the Auckland and Otahuhu Clubs in the collection of unpaid fees. The Secretary said most of the amounts owing under* this heading were long-standing, and there was only one pound outstanding in last year’s fees.

The Wanganui trainer, W. Rayner, leaves at the end of next week for Ellerslie’ with a team of six horses — Mask, Lysander, Damaris, Thaw, Covent Garden, and the two-year-old Episode. It is a strong combination, and the racing at Wanganui this week should serve to tune them up for Auckland engagements. The team will stay over for the Auckland Meeting, which this year is to be held a fortnight after- Avondale. The speedy Eulalie is, according to reports, being specially set for the Dunedin Guineas. The R. J. Mason stable has never won an important race at Wingatui since Nones captured the McLean Stakes of 1914. Prior to that date Machine Gun’s success in the Champagne Stakes of 1903, and Orloff’s win in the Dunedin Cup at the same meeting stand as the only important wins scored at Wingatui since the change over from the Forbury Park to ohr present racing headquarters. Things were different in the old days when R. J. Mason won the Dunedin Cup with Lurline (1874), Vanguard (1885), Spade Guinea (1887) and Gipsy King (1888). The prowess of the past will not, however, make Eulalie win this year’s Dunedin Guineas unless her speed can carry her over a mile.

The Hawke’s Bay trainer, J. H. Jefferd, took his team to Marton by motor horse-van, and he <is enthusiastic concerning its advantages. The horses left their own stables at Ngatarawa at 6.40 a.m., and arrived outside the doors of their boxes at Marton at 3.50 p.m. On the same day the Greenmeadows trainer, L. E. Goodwin, patronised the railways. He left his stables for the train at 5 a.m. and arrived in his quarters at Marton at 7 p.m. He was held up at Marton for nearly an hour before he could get unloaded. In addition to the advantages of convenience and time, Jefferd states that the horses are in plenty of light and fresh air throughout, they can see each other, and do not fret, and the stable hoys are carried free of charge. He is using the same means of conveyance from Marton to Wanganui and return; in fact the van awaits his convenience throughout the trip. ’ A few-weeks ago the discussions for the Australian Jockey Club’s Derby, one of the richest races in the Southern Hemisphere, all centred in Royal Feast and Agrion, the best respective two-year-olds of the previous season in Australia and New Zealand. During the past week or two conditions have undergone a complete change. Royal Feast, a giant in stature, has gone amiss so seriously that he is to be gelded and given a long spell, and now R. J. Mason has found it necessary to scratch Agrion on account of foot trouble. That it was more serious than at first anticipated could be gathered from the fact that he was not nominated for next Saturday’s Chelmsford Stakes, but with the Derby still nearly four weeks off the trouble must be more extensive to have compelled this early scratching. With these two cracks off the scene the field will probably be below the highest standard ,and Merry Mint, another New Zealand representative, already well in the limelight as the result of his win in the Hboatr result of his win in the Hobartville Stakes, will now attract considerable interest. He may even now be the ruling favourite. Still another New Zealander, Royal Lineage, must be considered. It was only a maiden field he beat at Riccarton last month, but his form was highly promising, even more promising than that of Merry Mint prior to his departure, and there is no knowing to what extent he will improve in Sydney. NOVICE RACES. (To the Editor.! Sir,—lt was with great pleasure I read the remarks of the Chairman of the District Committee of the Grey-

mouth Jockey Club, in connection with the inclusion of a Novice Race onthe programme of the Hokitika Jockey Club. I heartily agree with Mr Coates that the time is now present when to encourage local owners and breeders that such a step should be taken. In fact the Westland Racing Club should include one on each day of their Summer Meeting and if the other Coast Clubs do likewise, I think it would meet with the approval of the racing public. We have at present on the Coast quite a number of enthusiasts who race on a small scale, some with horses bred locally, others purchased from various parts of New Zealand. All these owners are not fortunate enough to have young “Gloamings,” and you will agree with me that the races on the Coast at present suitable to start young horses in are difficult to win. We can take as an instance last season’s racing. It is not usually the rule to start young horses in a race exceeding six furlongs. At our Christmas meetings any horses starting in the majority of five and six furlong races had to meet horses of the calibre of “Nincompoop,” “Heisler,” “Clontarf,” etc., horses who can show a clean pair of heels to many of our best sprinters. Mr Evans, in his remarks on the question did not appear to relish the idea of Novice Races, his main aversion being from the totalisator point of view. Could one of these races affect the tote turnover to any extent when we see at every meeting insufficient horses to meet the number of races? How many times do we see a horse started two and sometimes three times a day? At the last Easter meetings, there were at least two or three horses who started three times on one day, and even then there not a great number of starters in each race, This should prove conclusively that there is room for Novice Races on the Coast. Even allowing Mr Evans’ statement that the totalisator receipts would decrease, to go unchallenged, would it not encourage local owners to such an extent that in future years the clubs would benefit thereby. Where would racing be in New Zealand to-day if it were not for the classic races which our Metropolitan Clubs have placed on their programmes. In most races of this class, the tptalisator turnover is far from the value of the stake. I could cite hundreds of instances in support of this contention, but, Mr Editor, I am afraid I have taken up too much space with this letter, which I hope will meet with the approval of the’ racing public. Trusting the District Committee and all involved will take the advice of then* worthy Chairman and Secretary.—Yours etc., “ENTHUSIAST.”