SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 1 July 1925, Page 3

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. July S, 11—Wellington -R.C. July 18—South Canterbury Hunt Club. July 23 —Waimat < Eistrict Hunt Club. July 23, 25—Gisborne B.C. GRAND NATIONAL HURDLES. BY CABLE —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. (Received June 30, 11.15 a.in.) MELBOURNE, June 30. Mountain Lion has been scratched for the Grand National Hurdles. SERENADE SCRATCHED FOR WELLINGTON. (BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.! WELLINGTON, June 30. To-day Serenade was scratched for all engagements at the Wellington meeting. , NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By Maecenas). If Windermere is brought to 1 rentham he will carry plenty of South. Island support in the Hack Steeplechase. , , Although the -season lor cross-country racing is well advanced, the promising young division has been less than loi•nier years. . T The well-known handicapper, Mr J. E. Henrys, who has been on a trip to America,' is expected to arrive in Now Zealand next week. The Riccarton-trained Cashman was expected to do well in the Steeplers at Ashburton, but disgraced _ him self by running off each day at a simple fence. When Jubilant beat a very mediocre field at the Banks Peninsula meeting her praises were happily sung, but she failed badly at Ashburton, and at piesent is far from good. ..... Tentertield was much fancied for his •engagement on the .second day at Ashburton, but ran badly, and appeared to be as unreliable as ever. Like many other clubs of a similar size, both in the North and South Island, the Ashburton Racing Club have had a bad run financially for a considerable time. . Last season Charlatan gave indications of developing into a line “chaser, and he started well this year by running a good race at Ellerslic, but a bacf fall at the South Canterbury meeting appeared to be responsible for Chor’atau losing much of his confidence over “country.”

Kipling was a competitor tor the Winter Steeples at Ashburton on Saturday, but was never in the “firing line.’’ but too much notice cannot lie taken of this form. Kipling is not going to Trontham, but will be a runner at Riccarton.

Windermere has only been at stoep'eehasing u few weeks, but in a -short time has developed into a promising aspirant for “cross-country” honours. This gelding may develop into a firstclass steeplechaser next season. The well-known South Island rider,

C. Emerson, docs- not claim a very strong constitution, and in consequence was not riding on tlie second day at Ashburton, where the conditions yrere most wintry. The nominating of Loughrea for the Grand National Hurdle race has caused surprise. In many rates of late this gelding has been .scratched directly the Canterbury Jockey Club’s handicapper has weighted him. so it may he that liOughrea has again been nominated to be withdrawn directly the weights appear. The ex-North Island gelding Kaikuhu, which did not show much form up north, was narrowly defeated each day at Ashburton. On this form Jovial and Te Kawa will do well in the South Island. '

Considering the class opposed to him, Nukumai paid a surprisingly good dividend in the Hawke.’s Bay Hurdles. Possibly the fact that Nukumai had important engagements -like the Wi,iuer Hurdles (Trentham) and Grand -National Hurdles (Riccarton) caused many of his admirers to stand off him. Tlie Southerner Dancing. Days has a lot of pace for five furlongs, but at Ashburton Lava did not give Dancing Days a chance. On this showing- Lava will run we'J at Trentham, if carrying tlie confidence of J. McCombe.

Te Kawa’s name appears amongst the horses entered for the Grand National Hurdles (21- miles). Pearson will lie ill-advised to give' Maniopoto's son a preparation for such a lengthy distance. Kept to short distance hurdle races (of which there .are ample). Te Kawa would

return purchase money. When General Carrington was beaten by Royal Soup; at Napier Park comment was- made in these columns that the amateur rider of General Carrington was lucky to retain his license, so bad did he ride. The form of General Carrington has been so good since that it shows the criticism as warranted; in fact, it would take a lot of weight to-day to bring Royal Song and General Carrington together. Tlie South Island trainer R. Longlev does not believe in giving his

“charges” much jumping, and this treatment appears’ to suit Eu Route, which gave a splendid exhibition of clean, fast jumping at the Ashburton meeting. En Route will be a starter at the coming Wellington meeting, and is sure to run well in his engagements.

Seeing that the V.ILC. weight adjuster awarded Rational 11.8 in the long-distance Grand National Hurdles, it'would have been interesting to see what weight the better performed iiOughrca would have received had he been nominated. Roth the geldings named appear among the nominations for the New Zealand Grand National Hurdles,, to lie run at Ricearton next month. • Owner-trainer J. McCombo was a big loser when Sunny Loch got beaten on the first day of the late Dunedin meeting. He went for “evens” with liunare and Sunny Loch at the Banks Ren insula meeting, but was again doomed to lose his cash ; but the successes of The Cheat and Lava and the good dividends they returned would bring back most of, it not all, the previously lost bullion.

Although Charlatan won the ohici steeplechase at the Ashburton meeting, bis pciformancc was nothing to enthuse uvor. and was certainly not up to Grand National form, as he really had not the race won till the last .jump, at which obstacle the unseasoned Windermere bad Char bit an doing his best. Charlatan appeared to jump as if suffering from a strain of some kind, posable,, due to his bad fall at Timavu.

When first racing in the well-known erise and white chequers of Air- Eric Lddiford. Eli Route gave promise of

taking high honours over hurdles, but. be subsequently raced as if ungenerous, md was subsequently sold to n patron >f R. Longlcy’s stable at Christchurch. Since going Suutlij-aEu Route has raced

most consistently- ai fiat races, and, judging by his effort at Ashburton, gives promise of performing wei] in hurdle .races this season. When Charlatan and Windermere were racing locked together at the final jump of the Winter Steeplechase at Ashburton on Saturday last, it was obvious to any close observer that there was unnecessary jostling, of which Windermere got slightly the worst, a happening that caused him to lose second money and his backers a second dividend. ‘ The judicial committee immediately held a n inquiry into the incident. but. as usual, the riders called were as non-committal as possible, so no action was taken ; but the committee was anything but satisfied with the evidence of those concerned. The heads of trotting in the Dominion are much perturbed over the handing of permits held liy tlie W anganui Trotting Club to the Jockey Club ■of tlie same town, and they point out tfiat- virtually such permits belong to the TroTtlng'Association, and that the Wanganui 'Trotting Club was merely an agent. Personally the writer does not favour the handing over of permits, but would like to point out that the Trotting Association was. anxious to secure the permit held by the Chevoit Racing. Club, which body, like the Wanganui Trotting Club, was financially embarrassed. It is wonderful how circumstances alter cases. However, as there j s a likelihood of trouble over the transference of tlie W anganui permits it may not eventuate.