SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 10 March 1925, Page 3

SPORTING.

- RACING FIXTURES. March 13 amt 14 —Napier Park R.C. Autumn. 1 March 14 and 17 —Ghinemuri J.C. Anj nuai. March 17—Opunake R.C. Annual.. March 19—Waimate R.C. Annual, i March 21—Bay of Plenty J.C. Annual. March 20 and* 21 —Rangitikei R.C. AnI nual. March 21 and 23 —Oamaru J.C. Autumn. March 25—Otautau R.C. Annual. March 26 and 28—Wellington R.C. Autumn. March 28—Matamata R.C. Annual. April 1 and 2—Manavvatu R.C. Autumn April 4 —Australian J.C. (Warwick Farm) Autumn. # April 4 and 6—Westport J.C. Annual. April 11, 13, 15 and 18 —Australian J.C. Autumn. April 12 and 13—Feilding J.C. Easter. April 13—Beaumont R.C. Annual. April 13 and 14 —Canterbury J.C. Autumn. WEIGHTS FOR. DONCASTER HANDICAP. . BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. SYDNEY, March 9. The weights for the Doncaster Handicap are as follow: The Hawk 10.5, Te Kara 8.12, Parody 8.11, Father’s Voice 8.7, Sunny Loch 8.5, Bathos 8.3, Lovesign 8.2, Pluto 7.12, Mars 7.7, Giggle 7.5. Sydney Cup weights are : David 9.11, Cypher 9.2, Te Kara 8.11, Parody 8.5, Windbag 7.12, Mars 7.2, Giggle 7.0. (Notes by Maecenas.) The Ohinemuri Jockey will open their autumn, meeting on Saturday next, arid conclude it on, the following day. .... The handicaps for the Rangitikei and Opunake meetings have been disclosed by the respective handicap-pens, Messrs. Henrys and Coyle, and will be food for thought during the next fen days. ' The now famous Zaza ca.se was ruither investigated by the district committee. of Hawke’s Bay last Thursday, but uip till the, time of writing the finding has not been made public. From what one. hears the finding will be interesting. If produced in. the .same form as he was at the- recent Eigmont. and Tta-ra-naki meetings, The Banker would appear to have a mortgage on the St. , Leger, to be run at Trentham this t month. i

Seeing that Gloaming was paid: ( up for .in the Challenge- Stakes- and Gold Cup, to be run at the Wellington meeting later in. the month, one may assume that his trip to- Australia, is definitely abandoned. Gloaming’* presence in the Challenge Stakes will prevent much betting on the event. The Campfire mare Pouma, is being specially prepared for the Opunake Cup, but although Pouma is capable of running a good six furlongs, a ten furflong journey may be beyond her. Seeing that the Opunake and Rangitikei Racing Clubs- draw largely on the same owners and horses, it appears, to be rather unfortunate that the Rangitikei meeting: was not a day or two later. The Wellington Racing Club’s date left the .Rangitikei Club no alternative.

Berruguete (Bis-ogne —G-uello), the throe-year-ohl half-brother to Thunderclap, which was formerly trained at Egmont, ..broke hia leg at. Woodville last week.

Asleep (Bisogne —Lady Napper) was turned out in good form for Dannevirke by Trainer A. Wright. He won comfortably on. the opening day, but on the .second day Valencia beat Asleep- by a, head, thanks to R. Reed’s capable riding of Valencia. Realising thlat only by offering reasonably good prize-money for competition ban n. racing club expect ownerr of horses to travel the animals, the Woodville Jockey Club intend increasing their prize-tmoney. After a long series of defeats. Tarleton got on the winning list- by winning the Penin.-ula. Cup on Saturday last, but. as a, maiden performer in Haze ran. second, the performance cannot be called -high class. The Napier Park Racing Club will hold their autumn meeting on Friday and Saturday next. Thi.si province will be more interested than, usual in the meeting, as there are two or three horses: from here engaged there. Owing, it is s/aid, to shipping trouble. Gloaming was not sent to Australia last week as intended. Soane persons appear to. think that the recent great ’ form displayed by The Hawk has something to do with the changing of plains. Never very anxious to run, thp, risk of getting a champion beaten, possibly R. J. Min son does not fancy trying out, his ten-year-old Gloaming against one showing such form) ag The. Hawk.

In former .seasons the Fetlding Cup was decided at. the autumn meeting of that club, but tliis. season the race was decided in the. spring, hence the race will ]>e missing from, the coming meeting, but the, club have used a good de!al of foresight by -stubstitubing a race called the'Oroua Hack. Cup, of £350, run over a mile amd 110 yards. This race should, bring together some good; “hacks. M Although that good three-year-old Heroic? ih.a.s l been showing good form of late, his easily defeat on a number of occasions' under weigh,t-for-age conditions by The Hawk has dispelled, the idea held by some of the Australian writers that he was tlio best horn, ever seen in A lustra! asi a. Certain I v Heroic is a. good colt, and there is still time for him to. prove himself the best of a. term, but the “champion of champions” claim was the most, absurd; one ever raised, for even on his two-year-old record no such title could be claimed. However, recent defeats of Heroic will stop the nonsense.

The classi of horses engaged in the New Zealand St. Leger, to be decided at the forthcoming meeting of the Wellington R'aring Club are the poorest possible, and far from bein.tr up. to woight-for-age, standard ; ninetyfive ]ier cent, of them could not win a, “hack” race run over a, distance of ground, and it is doubtful if any one of them could win a. handicap amoner.t; fair class performers if put in at. the minimum. So much for our weight-for-age performers.