SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 March 1925, Page 3

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES

March 26 and 28—Wellington R.C. An-

tuiiin. April 1 and 2 —Manawatu 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. TROTTING. April 11 and 13—Hawera Trotting Club NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By Maecenas.) Great acceptances have been received for the autumn meeting of the Wellington Racing Club, which takes place on Thursday and the Saturday following. . After he won the Waimate Cup the connections of Mountain Lion decided to forego the Oamaru meeting in favour of the much more difficult Thompson Handicap. Carrying 8.12, the three-vear-old Sun Up made a big attempt to win the sixfurlong event on the opening day of the Oamaru meeting, but Songbird beat him in the last stride. This event was Sun Up’s “trial” for the Thompson Handicap, and, although good, was not up to the standard required. Now that Dubious has won over hurdles, it may be the forerunner of a successful career as a jumper. His prospects certainly look promising.

On his form over a middle distance !at the last Wanganui meeting, where he won, Siaosl appeared to have an excellent chance in the Thompson Handicap, but his trainer preferred his chance in the long distance St. Leger. As Civility has been accepted for in the Thompson Handicaxi, she may have proved better than her stable mate Siaosi, but with this in it is difficult to imagine Civility winning the Thompson. A good class of two-year-olds are engaged in the Plunlcet Nursery at the Wellington autumn meeting, and although Oration has not yet beaten any high-class youngster, he may be selected as favourite. In Gold Acre and King’s Speech the lucky Jamieson stable shelters a good pair, and the “elect” will take a power of beating. At the autumn meetings of the Taranaki and Wanganui Clubs, Drolatique ran most consistently without securing a win, but with a strong rider like- R. S. Bagby in the saddle in the Highweight Handicap to be decided at Trentham to-morrow (Thursday) Drolatique may emulate the deed performed by his stablemate (Steel Bar) in the spring, which gelding won on each occasion he ran in this class of race.

In many' former years the form of many acceptors pointed to their being very dangerous in the Thompson Handicap, which event is decided at Trentham to-morrow. Although a good average lot, many better fields have contested this important mile event. Despite his 9.6, Suggestion will have plenty of admirers, and if stripped at his best will be hard to beat. Pilliewinkie is .a good one, but a longer distance may be more to his liking. Hipo is such an improved gelding that he will prove one of the hardest to beat. A very promising pair in the sevenstone division is Fool’s Paradise- and Reremoana. but the event is open. As such a moderate lot ar© engaged in the St. Leger to-morrow, those connected with The Banker have a chance to win a rich prize that seldom falls to the lot of the “small man” at the racing business. Unfortunately for the owners of his opponents in the North Island Challenge Stakes, Gloaming is galloping particularly well again, and this means that his defeat looks whll nigh impossible. - Haze, which is a well bred one, hailing from the formidable stable controlled by R. J. Mason, has shown form in public of late that will ensure his being well supported for the Silver-, stream Hack at the Wellington meeting. A number of smart gallopers are engaged in til© Railway Handicap of Trentham to-morrow. Rafa will have a big following, but in Reremoana, Moorland, King Merv, and Lucius be is meeting a smart quartette. If a runner in this event in preference to th© Thompson Handicap, Reremoana will run well.

When looking like a prize hull, Songbird came out at the spring meeting at Ashburton and" beat a good lot ot “sprinters,” and at Oamaru on Friday last this remarkably good son of Kilbroney performed a similar feat, after being in retirement for six months. If Songbird would stand training, few horses in tins Dominion would compare with him.

Acceptances for the first day of the Manawnt.n Racing Club’s autumn race meeting close on Friday next, 27th inst, at/9 p.m., a fact which owners and trainers concerned should duly note. , THE! HAWK. In .describing the recent V lI.C. meeting at Eiernington, “Snowdon,” in the A;usfmaHiiisi an, writes as follows : Farist-elasvsi racing characterised the V.R.C. meeting. Of the older horses the outstanding iierformer was The Hawk. As a. racehorse uj> to a mile or ten: furlongs, we may use Gordon’s lines to describe hint amongst his opponents at the recent meeting :- — Like Triton ’mong minnows, Like hawk among chickens. Like anything better than anything else; He skims o’er the: smooth, turf, .he scudsi through the mire, Hei waits with them,, passes them, bids them good-bye.

A PROMISING STALL,! ON IMPORTED LEIGHTON.

A prominent Australian sporting man writes the following: Leighton was the fastest two-year-old of his year in' England, and started favourite for the Derby, in. which race he ran' fourth after not having run for some six months prior to the race One of his best performances wa.si m the Cambridgeshire, where, starting at 60 to. I. anti not fancied owing, to his having been through a bad coughing epidemic, he was beaten by a short, head. Leighton carried Sst Alb, and the. comparative form, before and after the race, of the. horses he defeated, was very good. When overtures were fir,ft- made for his purchase, his price was cabled ai 20.000 guineas, and this figure was actually offered and refused

for him. He is -a 'beautiful horse, on paper, by Rot Herode, from: Queen of the Barth, by Flying Fox, from Lonely, the graudidlami of our great Maltster, and T. could hardly wait for Iris box door to bei unlatched, so anxious wasi Ito .see him. Not a. big horse, my first impression, was muscle, my second impression was concentrated muscle, and ray third, when the horse turned round, was muscle over again. Leighton, is not a. commanding horse, bnt"is wonderfully truly built, and his weUbsiprumg body.is carried by as good a. set of legs as yon could wish for. I do not think T leave ever seen a- better let-down horse behind, and. his buttocks, gaskinis, and second thighs are tremendouis, and he has branded his foals, -one mid all, particularly with his development here. Wilfred Stead, has an unmis+iakahle sire in this horse, earlv a.s it is in his career to make a hold statement! like this.