SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 July 1924, Page 7

SPORTING.

MEETING AT GISBORNE. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) GISBORNE, July 24. The Gisborne Racing Club’s steeplechase meeting opened to-day in dull weather with occasional showers in the early part of the afternoon. The going was good. The totalisator investments totalled £12,775, compared with £9675 on the corresponding day of last year. Results: Park Hurdles, 11 miles. —Waioeka Jack (Nixon) ], Birka 2, Whanoko 3. All started. Won by five lengths, with eight lengths between second and third. Time, 2.24. Maiden Hack Handicap, five furlongs.—Night Song (Dixon) 1, Yoltore 2, Merchant 3. Polydamus was scratched. Won by two lengths, with a length between second and third. Time, 1.5. Flying Handicap. 6 furlongs—Startle (Barry) 1. Heathersprig 2, Civilform 3. Also started: Scotch Mixture, Koodoo, Jovial, Lord Muskerry. Won'by threequarters of a length, a head separating second and third. Time, 1.18. Gisborne Steeples, 3 miles.—Highway (Nixon) 1, Alahia 2, Zeus 3. Also started:' Oakrose, General Raven, Tarakete, Golden Point, Whispering Sain. "Whispering Sam fell. Won by three lengths, with eight lengths between second and third. Time, 6.17. Hack Flat Handicap, 6 furlongs.— Many Colours (Mr Black) 1, Sweet Heather 2, King’s Up 3. Scratched: Kiliroe, Tecbir, Call Boy. Won by a neck, with threequarters of a length between second and third. Time, 1.19 1-5. Tramway Hack Steeples, two miles— Iyilliard (Rennie) 1. Radio 2, Silverstride 3. Also started: Ethiopian, Patetonga, Fortunio, Potaua. Manutai, Keta Kehua, Fortunist. Manutai and Ethiopian fell. Won by thirty lengths, with four lengths between second and third. Time, 4.10. ~ Winter Oats Handicap, 14 miles.— Hyrax (Hunt) 1, General Carrington 2, Huarangi 3. Also started: Barrier, Martini, Persian King. Won by threequarters of a length, with two lengths between second and third. Time, 2.17. SECOND DAY’S ACCEPTANCES. GISBORNE, July 24. Acceptances for -the second day of the Gisborne Racing Club’s meeting are : GISBORNE HURDLES, V 2 miles.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. • (By Maecenas.) Although not quite so numerous as in many former years, the nominations received for the coming Grand National. meeting at Riccarton suggest that the gathering will be a successful one. As Yoma and Te Ka wa figure in several events, the nominations for which closed on Friday last, it appears almost certain that the Taranaki representatives will make the trip to Ric- 1 carton. As Yoma is on the up grade, and' ran an excellent race on the second day at Trentham (ridden right out he mighthave run third to Arch Salute and Winning Hit), the son of Campfire should certainly run well in his Canterbury engagements. . Te Kawa showed a lot of speed with a great load in the saddle on the first day of the Wellington meeting; but on the second day his performance was not so good, for, after being placed into the straight, the son of Maniapoto stopped badly over the latter part of his race.. Certainly he was again carrying a big weight on a very heavy track, so excuses can be offered for him. In Lochson, Income, and Alteration the province of Taranaki has a trio of useful performers engaged in the coming Grand National Hurdles. In the history of the race, horses owned by sportsmen from these parts have been successful on five occasions, namely, Dummy, Havdn, Waiwera, Compass, and Royal Arms. A verv good record. The Gisborne meeting will bring the 1923-24 season to a conclusion on Saturday, when the second day’s racing will eventuate. Trainer J. Lowe has taken Carawock and Star Ranger to Riccarton, where he expects to get the benefit of dry tracks. Carawock will again be ridden by A. Wormald, and promises to strip very fit. The Taranaki-owned San Forte has gone south for the Grand National Steeplechase. San Forte ran verv badly in both his races at Trentham, and will have to show extraordinary improvement to have even the slightest chance in the big “cross-country” race at Riccarton. Of .all the competitors that raced at the Wellington meeting, none will be better served by the “big country” of Riccarton than Pamplona, yet one has seen the best of jumpers fall at the simplest jumps at the Grand National Steeplechase. Still, if one were asked to name a couple of geldings almost certain to get round the Riccarton course, Pamplona and Oakleigh are a pair most would nominate to do so. Although much above the age at which horses show first-class, not to mention weight-for-age form, Gloaming is again to make a descent on Australia, to race at the important Australian Jockey Club’s spring fixture, and all going well Gloaming and Parody will be shipped for Sydney tomorrow (Friday).

If raced at the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting, and again in the Trial Hurdles at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting, both of which Income is nominated for, the son of Guianforte should he sufficiently well schooled to do himself justice if a starter for the Grand National Hurdles, which event is

decided on the second day of the Canterbury Club’s fixture. After being off the public racecourse since the Wanganui meeting, where he went wrong, Master Peter made his reappearance at the South Canterbury meeting. He did no look himself, and after doing reasonably over the early stages of the race, Master Peter tired and finished well back, and is not anything like as forward as last year, when he ran well in all his races atRiccarton. After years of good work in the interest of the Egmont Racing Club, and also racing generally, Messrs J. Gray and A. Good have been honoured with the president’s and vice-president’s chairs. As stated before, both are great workers in the interests of racing, and are not by any means mere figure-heads. Although always strong in “hack” class, this province has never succeeded in producing the winner of the Winter Cup at Riccarton. and, strange to relate, this is an event in which horses relegated from the “hack” ranks are expected to play a prominent part, and the history of the raqe goes to show that ex-hacks have done exceedin§ly well, as the following have been successful: Spider. Waiwera, Aboriginal, Parky, Cherry Blossom, King Star. These wins have been registered over twenty-five contests. Horses from these parts have not done so well in the Grand National Steeplechase, for although forty-seven contests have taken, place for the cross-country blue ribbon, Dummy, Paritutu and Bercola were the only Taranaki-owned horses to succeed; but it may be mentioned that Levanter, The Guard, and .Haydn, three great steeplechasers, were bred in our province, but were owned by owners from other parts of the Dominion when they were successful in the event. °ue were doubtful about racing clubs being excessively taxed, a perusal of the balance-sheet of the Egmont Racing Club will convince any unbiassed mind that the taxation of the sport of racing is nothing short of iniquitous, for while this well-managed body distributed .no less a sum than £/952 10s in stakes to owners, the Governemnt extorted the huge sum of £8331 8s 7d. It is obvious that this fearful demand cannot be met for long by the sport-loving public, as shown by the number of clubs forfeiting their permits, and, as often stated in the sporting columns, the Government is surely killing the goose that lavs the golden eggs. To any fair-minded person. is the tax a just one?

Jovial 11 7 Birka 10 4 Demagogue 10 12 Pavilion 9 9 Hyrax 10 7 Cuvier Light 9 0 MAIDEN HACK HANDICAP, 5 furlongs. Merchant § 7 Castanea 9 0" Matin Bell 9 2 Welcome Sound 9 0 Kero Kero 9 0 Only Hope 9 0 Tecbir 9 0 Mono King 9 0 Polyphemus 9 0 Damon 9 0 Eucalyptus 9 0 WAIKANAE HANDICAP, one mile. Sootch Mixture 11 4 Pitch 9 11 Barrier 10 12 General Heathsprig 10 6 Carrington 9 9 Hyrax 10 4 Persian King 9 0 Civilform 10 4 Lord Muskerry 9 0 SECOND FLAT HACK HANDICAP, 7 furlongs. Many Colours 11 3 Royal Heather 9 0 Sweet Heather 10 12 Manu Pango 9 0 Garzon 9 11 Call Boy 9 0 Mountain Top 9 10 Manutai 9 0 Perle de Leon 9 1 Iola King 9 0 Kilroe 9 0 Royal Alf 9 0 Kero Kero 9 0 TE HAPAKA STEEPLECHASE, about 24 miles. Highway 11 9 Tarakete 9 0 Oak Rose ' 11 2 Whispering Sam 9 0 Killard 10 10 Fortunio 9 0 Zeus 10 10 Patetonga 9 0 Silver Stride 10 2 Manutai 9 0 Mahia 9 6 Potaua 9 0 Golden Point 9 0 Kata Kehua 9 0 TURANGAMUI HACK HANDICAP, 6 furlongs. Princess Nata 9 8 Matin Bell 9 2 Merry Imp 9 8 Tecbir 9 0 King Up 9 6 Welcome Sound 9 0 Esquimaux 9 6 Call Boy 9 0 Mangatoetoe 9 6 Porete 9 0 Merchant 9 6 Damon 9 0 Fort George 9 3 Kero Kero 9 0 FAREWELL HANDICAP, 6 furlongs Scotch Mixture 11 3 Startle 10 4 Civilform 10 11 Sweet Heather 9 5 Haurangi 10 11 Mark Over 9 0 Koodoo 10 8 Waioeka Jack 9 0 Heathersprig 10 6