SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 November 1924, Page 3

SPORTING.

TURF FIXTURES,

Nov. 19—Aehliurst-Pohangina R.C. Nov. 21, 22—South Canterbury J.C. Nov. 22—Levin R.C. Nov. 26, J.C. Nov. 26, 29—Takapima J.C. Nov. 29, Dec, I—Feildingl—Feilding J.C. Dee. 6 —Metkven R.C. Dec. 6 —Tauinarunui R.C. Dec. 10, 11 —Woodvill© District J,C. Dec. 13 —AVaipa R.C. Dec. 26 —Waipukurau J.C. Dec. 26, 27—Dunedin J.C. Dec. 26, 27 —Westland R.C. Dec. 26, 27 —Taranaki J.C. Dec. 26, 27, 29 —Manawatu R.C. Dec. 26, 30, Jan, 1, 2—Auckland R.C Dec. 30, Jan. 1, 3—Greymouth J.C. Jap. I—Weikouaiti R.C. Jan. R.C. Jan. 1, 2 —Stratford R.C. Jan. 1, 2t—Hawke’s Ray J.C. Jan. 1, 2—Marton J.C. Jan. 1, 2—Wairarapa R.C, Jan. 2, 3—Southland R.C.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By Maecenas.) Last autumn Puwherc gave indications of turning into a useful hurdler, but subsequently he failed. As Puwhero is a young gelding he may prove at Aslihunst to-morrow that there are still indications of the makings of a jumper in him. Santonio has a good horse’s weight at Ashhurst to-morrow, hut vas the class is poor he may give his .supporters plenty of excitement for their money, although a larger track would be more .in his favour.

Even when not by any means ready, Mpgalo gave indications of pace and gameness, .so as the Awapuni-trained filly is on the improve she should be a source of annoyance to her opponents. if a runner for the Korn aka Hack at Ashhurst.

.Considering the prize offering and the nearness of more important meetings the class of horses engaged in the Ashhurst Cup is good. Of those engaged several have shown recent form. Happy Days has done well in races up to a mile, hut over ten furlongs may find difficulty in beating performers like Diamond Ring and First Salute.

No less than twenty horses appear in the Siberian Hack at Afehliurst, and .amongst their number are .some promising “hacks!” The circular track should suit smart beginners like Benmure and Dangle, and the better of this pair should certainly make the event interesting.

As the acceptances for the various races are really good, the Ashhurst Racing Club should have a most successful meeting to-morrow. The Levin Racing Club, which, race on Saturday next, also, received good acceptances, and should these country clubs get good weather, there is a chance that a credit balance may be shown. A difficult matter in these days of high taxation, and good stakes. Now that -the Gaining Bill has been passed into law 'one sees the usual demand for the few totalizator .permits, even from clubs that have no right whatever to make application for Same. In one case a certain club is appealing for exemption in one breath, and in the next is practically demanding another day’s racing. Could anything he more ridiculous. Amongst the numerous applications for 'additional trotting permits is one from the Waimia.te Plains Trotting Club. Looked at from any point of view, these clubs are thoroughly deserving of their application, and to the unbiassed mind it would appear a difficult matter to refuse same, seeing that it has been- made public that population basis must pl!a.y a prominent part in deciding which clubs are deserving of permits. That luck plays a prominent' part in racing is again proved by ,the success of Gold Light in the weight-for-age races at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. The absence of our best and proved weight-for-age performers from the meeting named has once more caused Dame ‘Fortune to smile on the favoured owner, W. Hazlett.

Based on the forward running of Tukia in the Stewards’ Han,cheap, compared with the easy manner in which. I loyal Blood heat the Fordell;trained mare in the Electric Plate on Saturday last it certainly -appears as if Mr. Scholium was most unlucky to lose the services of Boyal Blood through carelessness .on the tminerts part, lor on Saturday Boyal Bipod must have won the Stewards Handicap. 3'n past meetings Tarana.ki-.train.ed horses have done much to make the Foil ding .Jockey -.Club’s gatherings : successful, aud, judging from the number of horses trained in these parts nominated at the coming meeting of that club, they will go far to popularise the Feilding meeting. During the current season L’Amour has not reproduced his form of previous seasons. He is engaged in the' Baumai Welter at Ash hurst tomorrow, and should he show a little improvement on the form displayed by him .at the Carterton meeting last month he w.o.uld prove hard to beat, as the .class As not good. The large number of thirty-three are engaged in the Maiden at the Ashhurst meeting. Allowing for a liberal scratching, a big field is assured.. Under ' such conditions a favourable position at the Inarrier is essential. Quick beginners like Miss O’Dille arid Midnight Camp should show up with average luck in the draw. ■Since racing in the Australian Jockey Club’s Derby. Nigger Minstrel livid not been right, and it .was courting disaster running Desert Cold’s brother against Gloaming in tlie Craven Plate. At present Nigger Minstrel is on the easy list, and was to undergo veterinary examination on Saturday last, and until .the report of such is known nothing definite will ,be mapped out for the three-year-old. Just how Nigger Minstrel put up such a great fight and ran what certain

Australian writers describe as “the horse of the century’’ in Heroic to a. head. in. the (A.J.G. Derby its what puzzles most sportsmen.

What a. good and consistent mare Gold Light is the spring meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club has revealed. But with due respect to Gold Light’s wins, the Canterbury and Stead Gold Cups, her owner is a lucky man to miss' getting no opposition from first-class weight-for-age horses like Gloaming. Bapine ■ and Nigger Minstrel, a.nd the death of Ballymena also removed another which would certainly have beaten Gold Light. In fact, had the horses named all taken part at the Canterbury meeting just past, it is quite possible Mr. Hazlott’s good and honest performer may not have gained a “place, ’ let alone won either the Canterbury or Stead Gold Cup. Still, luck is part and parcel of the sport- of racing. Now that the Gaming Bill lias passed, even those members who opposed same with all their power must admit that a clause favouring distribu-

tion would have been for the good of all, as such a clause meant that certain provinces in which too much racing is being held, to the detriment of the sport and business alike, would have lost certain days, and provinces or towns that are literally starved in regard to racing permits would reoo ire their just rights, and incidentally the Dominion as a whole would be the winner. The Racing Commission, which drew up such an admirable report at a big cost a few years ago, strongly recommended redistribution, but, of course,, fair as the proposition was, it did not meet with the support it .deserved from, honourable and fair-minded men, hence with these malcontents and the fanatical opposers of sport of almost any kind a Gaming Bill that was hard to fault met its fate, and thus to-day we. have the modified but poor substitute of the present Gaming Bill. Still, as things are, sportsmen should be thankful for small mercies. Without being guilty of parochialism, one is justfied in demanding permits for the Waimate Plains Trotting Club, the Taranaki Trotting Club and t}ie Stratford Racing Club, all three of which are well able to provide everything the owners and public want, and apart from, this the growing and prosperous .province ,of Taranaki is only asking for her just rights; in the past this has been denied her.