SPORTING

Grey River Argus, 7 March 1918, Page 3

SPORTING

~ r-^ : — The state of the poll of winning riders up to the Nelson Meeting wap as follows: Roy. Reed; 3o, H. Gray 30 A. Heed 24, C. Emerson 23, J. O'Shea 21, J. Olsen 17, L. Manson x7, C. Price 14, B. Deeley 14, H. Young 12 d. Clarke 12, B. Ludlow H A. J. McFlyuu 10, R. S. Bagby 10, H. Robinson 10. • The decision not to start Desert Gold in the Essendon Stakes owing to the rain was no doubt a wise one. The mare will most likely be seen under silk in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes, one mile, to-morrow, or in the Governor's Plate. In the former she would again be pitted against Wedge, who defeated her in the Futurity Stakes. The Botanist case has been partially revived. Botanist was entered fo rthe Reefton meeting, but was subsequently disqualified for being m charge of a man who was on the unpaid forfeit list. Now three others? have been placed in the same list for 6«inn: concerned in the nomination of the horse, and as one is a well-known Nort hTsland trainer and another n North Island owner ,the plot thickens as ifc were. The entries are good ,for the C.J.C. Great Easter and Autumn Handicaps. In the seven furlongs' event 43 have been entered against 46 last year, and the list includes all the prominent North Island sprinters except" Chortle, who has gone wrong. lii the great AnriHJin Handicap there nre 35 entries, which is eleven roore than were entened last year. Amongst the number are Menalaus, Sasanof, "Wishful, Vagabond, Margerine, Fiery Cross. Bymestrn, Croesus,* and Biplane, all of whom have won important races 'Ins season. According to a report from Gisborne, Gazique is to be prepared for the Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton. He failed in this event last jear. but won the Templeton Handicap on the second dayl Prominent amongst the entries for the big events of the C.J.C. Easter Meeting are Beltane and Kill 'Em. who are now racing in Melbourne. The former has been supported for bis stakes on several occasions in Melbourne, but he has failed regularly whic hsuggests that' he is a better horse on the tracks than he is In a race. Kill 'Em, who is a full-rbother f o Kilboy, was • a big onler for the Foundation Cup at the Williamstown Meotinrr last md.nthj bijt he got a v»ry bad passasre ,and was out of '■>I<iop ai the finish. CrjHro in Melboimip all speak .well of the three-venr-old, °o it may be thafc he wil! «needilr get on' thf wirmiiis; list after his return to the Dominion. A nronosnl ha«? ..been mooted (any a cable from Sydney n few jlny» artoi to arrange a meeting be + ww>n BirVnnp and Desert Gold i<h Au?+™lin. ami inronsina considerable interest. Tlv* "C! nil '» states +hnt n mc?"»^f to T\.f r Oppmvood bmu»»n+. tT"» '^l* tl'nt. aftor Biplanp's defeat by Estland Tm rolt was ht pre.p'eiit "unfit +o enmnet-ao-ainst De-ei;t Gold. M«\ T jO wrv interviewed in .Melboufr*. rflif">d th" «1 iffiw.lt v of getting' two stich wrr ormprs fit and well ohn civen date He did not at present feel di<*no«"i to consent to such a proposal, becnuse anything might happen befove the actual day of the contest. Tlr» suggestion wns made that a sneeial meeting should be arranged at Randwick, one" event bping % tHe. mateh_ befcwepn the champions. *It was elaimeri thnt it. would be such an attraction a* to provide a large profit for r>atriotio funds. One difficulty is that the Commonwealth Government has derided to grant no new racing dates Th-> A.JC. hn« no- snare dates, and under the tipw deeisfpn could not without special Governnient sanction look for a new oneF '•*■ Apparently there is little wrong with Bipiuiic, lor tue nioriiiug axicr ilia arrival at Riccarton from Wanganui it. J. Mason gave the Comedy Kingcolt a gallop over live furlongs, and he pulled up sound. G. Young will ride Sir Geo. Clifford's light-weight brigade for the remainder of the season. Mr. D. P. Wilson, jun., ia reported to have purchased Hot Air from Mr. 3as. Hymers for 400 guineas at Dunedin. At Dunedin Mr. A. Chisholni purchased Kilbrogen from Mr. George Henry, the price Being -reported as 250 guineas. The price paid, by Mr. W. R. Keinball for the yearling colt by Autumnus —Ukraine, is said to.be 100 guineas. This youngster, who is a half-brother to Sasanof, is reported to be exceedingly promising. Kiwitea, • who showed promising form a while back, when racing in the colours of Mr. T. R. Taylor, of Kiwitea. diod recently from some internal trouble. On Friday J. Thorpe, the Ellerslie trainer, found it necessary to shoot Haskayne, who was suffering from tetanus, and his case pronounced hopeless. Haskayne, , who won a number of good • handicap races at Ellerslie and elsewhere, was purchased at the late "Hon. J.\ D. Ormond's sale n-Hh a view to being made a hurdler. He had been tried,:- and had proved a good jumper ,ahdi was doing nicely, and it w-is intended to race him at an "arlv rlafco ovpr th"e%bht€ens as a preliminary to winter; racing.