SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 January 1925, Page 3

SPORTING.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Jan. 20, 22, 24—Wellington R.O. Jan. 21, 22—Foxton R.C. Jan. 2-1 —Dargaville Il'.C. Jan. 28, 29 —Pahiatua R.C. Jan. 29, 31—Takapttna J.C. Feb. 4—Tapanui R.C. Feb. 4, s—Ejgmont R.C. WAIR 0 A A CCIEiPT'A NOES. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WAIROA, Jan. 8. Acceptances for the Wairoa race meeting are: Trial Hack Handicap, six furlongs Polyphemus 9.0, Tutankhamen 8.10, Shake Hands 8.7, Werekara. 8.5, Merry Sara 8.5, Jubilee 7.13, Selenite 7.13, Hinetapora- 7.13, Trovolo 7.13. Welter Hack Handicap, seven furlongs.:—Prowler 10.11 Mountain Gun 9.5. Te Kuperiga 9.2. Wairoa Handicap, one mile and a half. —Correspondent 9.4, Festivity 8.10. Haurangi 8.1, Theie S.l, Merry Bells 7.10, General Carrington 7.8, Mangatoetoe 7.0, Charming Prince 6.7. Maiden Hack. —Solitration, Shake Hands, Basham, Wairoa Bell, Whaikofero, Manutai, Only Hope, Patna, Damon, Trovolo. Matauranga, all 8.0. Telephone Handicap, six furlongs.— Mangatoetoe 9.0, Polyphemus 5.6. Merry Imp 8.4, Tutankhamen 8.2, Shake Hands 7.13. Merekara 7.11. Stewards’ Handicap, six furlongs.— Civilform 9.9, Crisis 8.12, Prowler 7.12, Rbyal Diadem 7.10, Westerner 7.10. Stymie 7.0.

Rarnva Handicap, seven furlongs.— Mountain Ton 9.11, Te Ivupenga 7.9. Manutai 7.7, Damon 7.5, Jubilee 7.5. Huramua Welter Handicap, seven furlongs,—Crisis 9.9, Theie 9.7. Haurangi 9.7, Westerner 8.8, Whariti 8.6, Mangatoetoe 8.3, Charming Prince 8.0.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By Maecenas.)

It is stated,that at least two clubs which hold race meetings less than a hundred miles from the town of Palmerston North are dissatisfied with their starter, and are likely to make a change in their official. At the spring meeting of the Wanganui Jockey Club the starting machine gave Mr C. O’Connor trouble, but since the meeting the Wanganui Club have had this important matter attended to.

Numerically, the fields for the Wellington Cup and Telegraph Handicap are not quite as strong as in many former years., but class is well represented.

After racing in the Stratford Cup Thunderclap was very lame, and in consequence was not started on the second day. Examination by Vet. Woods revealed 4 the trouble as, only temporary. In writing about the success of Backwood in the last Melbourne Cup, “Galtee More,” a writer for the Irish Times, records another injustice to Ireland, by pointing out that Backwood was bred in Ireland. In these parts, Backwood, like “Guiness’s Stout,” is referred to as English. By the way, the same writer gives the value of the Melbourne Cup as £20,060, whereas the stake is not worth half that amount.

After going thoroughly into the position, which included a visit of inspection to- the course, the committee of the Wanganui Jockey Club arrived at a decision to change the position of the judge’s box on their course, and with this in view will get the work done immediately. The position decided on for the new judge’s box is a point just off and level with the stewards’ stand, and the judge will gain access to the box from a passage built from the corner of the stewards’ stafid nearest the main grandstand and lawn. Approximately, the box will go back about 50 feet, and will not interfere with the view of anyone. While changing the position of the judge’s box it is more thaii likely that a. certain amount of ground will be taken off a point in the lawn, the object being to enlarge the “bird cage.” Each of the respective changes will be an improvement on t the old order of tilings. According to reports, some rough and even vicious riding was witnessed at a meeting held on the West Coast of the South Island. After the numbers of serious and even fatal accidents which have taken place in this Dominion during the last few weeks one would imagine that jockeys, even for their own protection, would do all in their power to ride cleanly, and where necessary help the stewards to detect offenders. But such is not the case, and after witnessing some recent racing the writer is Convinced that a certain class of rider is prepared to take on any risk in an effort to help his own or some favoured horse, and when inquiries are instituted in such cases it is next to impossible to get evidence sufficiently clear that would justify such stewards in punishing the wrongdoer.