SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 August 1925, Page 3

SPORTING.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By Maecenas.) All thing# considered, the acceptances received for the North Taranaki Hunt Club's meeting, which is set down for Saturday next, are quite good and favoured with line weather, a pleasant day’s sport should eventuate.

Although the unfavourable weather bad a detrimental effect, the Wellington Facing Cllub will make a small profit over the Fleet, meeting. Now that the galloping and trotting meetings tendered to the visiting American fleet are over, it is obvious that horse racing does not appeal a great deal to our Yankee cousins. This was reflected by a limited attendance' at such meetings, from both oiliceis and men of the visiting fleet.

During the Grand NnutiouaL meeting Eerie wa# priced on behalf of a South .island spontsniwui, but no deal 10 sulited. a k s the price asked (900 guinea#) and the amount the southerner was prepared to give (500 guineas) differed' so widely.

After ijiis great showing in tlio hurdle race on. the opening day, when he led at the final obstacle, Omaha was much fancied by his connections for the Admiral’s Steeplechase at Trentham on Saturday last. And the betting public, too, were of the same opinion, as the son of Maniapoto* started a big favourite. Omialiu jumped badly at a couple of fences, and at no stage was he going like a runner with a winning chance.

Since joining \V. Bailey’s stable, Sir Wai hats ini/p roved considerably, and on Saturday at Trentham this gelding finished most gamely. A “toit’ of money from the right quarter was lost over Forgery at the Fleet meeting. On the opening clay with R. Bagby in the saddle, Forgery appeared a trifle unlucky nob to have won, but with the stable’s apprentice rider in the saddle on Saturday, Forgery stopped badly over the last furlong. After his fine showings at Bic-carton, To Kawa was fully expected (by the general public) to make a bold bid at Trentham. on Saturday, when lie contested a twelve furlong race. But to the disgust of a big army of backers, Te Kawa could not go with Waimatoa, even over half a mile, and when a mile had been traversed Te Kawa was actually last.

After running most consistently aver a number of meeting® the ex-Taranaki owned Captain Sarto won at Trentham on Saturday last. It is reported that the connections of the gelding were very sanguine, and as he paid a> wonderful dividend, considering hi# recent form, their win must have been a .substantial one.

Master Peter ran an excellent race in the Ludlow Hurdles at Trentham oil Thursday last, and in consequence hi# connections were quietly confident that the gelding would win tlio Admiral s Steeplechase on Saturday last, but the fast pace set by Buwhero and the class of Eerie did not allow. Mastet Peter to get oil the winning list. B. S. Bagby was riding in fine form at the Fleet 'meeting, and the success of Tauadees (each day) and fviliaire were in a measure duo to his good riding. Bagby can hold hi# own with the host of our Helens, but unlortui lately increasing weight d<ips not give him much chance when the minimum is seven stone.

Even 'allowing till at the going was extremely bad, the showing of J'e •Kawa ait Treutham cn Saturday was too bad to be true. In the past Te Kawa has shown that he can gallon in soft going; in foot, lie was regarded a, good oiii sucih tracks wGien ’trainee l at Egmoimt. With this knowledge his form on ‘Saturday is more surprising. Fireib light carried a lot of money in the stcoiploc-haise at Trentliam on Saturday, but like the majority of the runners tliis nuare never fla-titered liei supporters. Despite this failure Firebl'igbt is a promising performer “over country, ’ ’ and next season may be found equal to winning some of our besit .steeplechases. A winner on Saturday last that impressed one was Diogenes, a t-hree-year-oikl by the imported Cynic. Diogenes is 'particularly well grown and won in a decisive manner, and one is safe in predicting further successes for him. Diogenes runs in the same ownership as 'Sltarshe.ll. That rain has a, very had effect on the Trentham course ’Has clearly demion.s'tuated last week. As tne weather had 'been dry for a few days prior to the opening day the pace track was reasonably good lor the season of the year, but between the .race days rani fell, and the horses were taking equal to 8 seconds a mile longer on Saturday as compared with Thursday. Father (V Flynn made an exhibition oil' his field in the 'Trial at Trentham bust Thursday, and as lie was reported to have worked well with Gcldhgh! prior to the meeting, many shrewd judges supported the three-year-Oid for'*'the chief handioap on Saturday. His rider kept him at it all the way, and at the finish Father O'’Flynn was beaten into third place, but in new of the early classical races the performance was alt 'least saltisfaeitoiy. Since her unlucky defeats in . the' Wellington and Grand National Steeplethanes, in which events Eerie was very badly handled, her praises have been .sung in this column, and no doubt many thought that such kudos were hardly warranted, hint after hei great performance in the Admiral s Steeplechase at Trentham on Saturday all must admit that Eerie must bare experienced bad luck in the big cross country'’ events, duo to no fault or .failing of her own. A\ it;h 1.L.13 in Itho waddlo at Trentham on ‘Saturday, »11 one of .the worat tracks itirngi} table. t [hi s game ami good daughter of Niassan gave the loaders quite a hundred yards start over the kusb round, rand ‘although the improved, wc-ll-tseasonecl amt lightly weighted forkeni2ill,a. was stilL ten lengths to the good b, Eerie with half a..-mile to go, the tna.ro. won easily at the finish.

STRATFORD RACING CLUB

A NNU A L M EET.ING

The annual meeting of the Stratford Racing Club was held at Stratford last night, when there was a fair attendance of members, presided over by Mr Sidney Pitt (president). lii moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the chairman said that the last meeting had been extremely successful, with profits amounting to £2455, notwithstanding an increase of £SOO in stakes, £435 spent on nainting and repairing build, ings, and £1630 on track formation. The attention of the club should be next directed towards erecting adequate buildings. The amendment to the Gaming Act fixing the minimum

weight for horses was deprecated by the chairman. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The. following motion by Air. H. E. Abraham was carried unanimously: “That this meeting considers that expert assistance of counsel should be allowed to all appellants before district committees or appeal committees, and supports the Taranaki Jockey Club in its resolution that it be a recommendation to the committee to prepare and forward a remit to this effect to the conference.” The following members of the committee were re-elected unopposed: Messrs S. Pitt (president), H. E. Abraham (vice-president), and A. Stewart (members’ representative). Air. T. H. Penn was reappointed auditor at the same fee.