SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 19 January 1926, Page 5

SPORTING.

FIXTURES. January 2U, 22, 23 —Wellington R.C January 22, 23 —-Foxton R.C. January 23—Bay of Islands R.C. January 26, 28—Wairoa R.C. January 27, 28 —Pahiatua R.C. January 29, 30 —Takapuna J.C. February 3—Tapanui R.C. February 3, 4 —Egmont R.C. February 4, 6—Gisborne R.C. February 6, B—Te8 —Te Kuiti R.C. February 11, 13—Dunedin J.C. February 11, 13—Taranaki J.C. February 11, 13 —Poverty Bay T.C February 13, 13 —Rotorua R.C. February 17- —Clitden R.C. February 18 —Tologa Bay J.C. February 18, 20 —-Wanganui J.C. February 20 — Canterbury J.C. February 24, 25—Gore R.C. February 24, 25—Woodville J.C. February 25 —Waiapu R.C. February 25, 27 —Marlborough R.C Feb. 27, March I—Te1 —Te A roll a J C. March 3, 4 —Danuevirke R.C. March 5, 6 —Nelson J.C. • March 6 Banks Peninsula J.C. Afa feh o—Matamata R.C. March 10—Upotiki J.C. March 10, 11 —Southland R.C. March 12, 13—Napier Park R.C. March 13, 17 —Ohinemuri J.C. March 17—Opunake R.C. March 17 —Otau-tau R.C. March 18 —Waimate R.C. March 20 —Bay of Plenty J.C. March 20 —Masterton J.C.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By Maecenas.) Present judications point to the summer meeting of the Wellington Racing Club being quite up to the standard of previous cup meetings. Licinius, which wa*s a paiticulail.y brilliant youngster last season, is again galloping* well. He will be ridden by Die Don til Island ligh t-weight, O. Eastwood, in the Telegraiph .Handicap tomorrow. Young Eastwood, who made a good impression at the recent Auckland meeting, will steer Star Hanger in tho Wellington Cup to-morrow. Ailter the success of Surveyor in the Golrlfields Cup at, Taka-puna last Thursday he is certain to come in lor solid backing in the Wellington Cup tomorrow, but bis task on this occasion will be much more dillicult. Grand .Knight is a mueh-di«eussed Wellington Cup candidate. He will have the -services of .15. Morris to-mor-row and providing the pace is not too fast’over the first mile this imported horse may prove hard to beat. As things are, there is just a suspicion that Grand Knight may not relish a solidly rnii twelve furlongs. After .showing excellent form at the autumn meeting of the Wellington I lacing Club Tho Banker went north for the Auckland Racing Club’s Easier meeting, but Jailed badly there. The Banker again failed at the recent meeting held at Ellcrslic, hut will history repeat itself by Tho Hanker again running well at the Wellington meeting? After running good races both over hurdles and on the flat at the lale Mauawatu meeting Santiago failed badly in the Stratford Cup on New Year's Day. This gelding is engaged in the Trenthani High Weight to-mor-row, but at the weights may have difficulty in beating the improving Mask. * This half-brother to .Rational and The Monk ran quite a fourth in Hie recently run. Great Northern Derby. A repifcition of this form will make Mask very hard to dispose of to-mor-row. The Waverley Racing Club is Impelul of being able to race in the first week in May. On Saturday morning at Trenthani Star Ranger (not Star Stranger) decisively beat Grand Knight in a gallop. Star Ranger is at lii.s best just now and some expect him to repeat Ins Avondale Cup performance 10-morrow. This summer has not been as dry at Trenthani a»s many loruier years, and some I.inn* ago ii was decided mi to leave a good .sole ul grass on race tracks. This has had the elleot of keeping the moisture in the .ground. Oa Friday last it rained for several hours, hence the race track to-morrow | will he in great order. A I,though the Goldfields Cup won by Surveyor last Thursday carried with it a, JL'oDI) prize, the sou ul Nassau escaped a penalty for to-morrow's Wellington Cup. As lie won that event in something like his old style no doubt many will support him to-morrow with the luxurious impost of 8.2. Rady Cavendish is indeed lucky in missing .such good two-year-olds as Commendation, Lysander and .Joy King in her contest for to-morrow’s Wellington Stakes. Usually one finds some of the best youngster® of the season competing in this event. Note is galloping attractively just now and will" have the services of Roy Riaed in the Fltssheubent- Handicap tomorrow. Note and Magna Charta should iprovide a good contest. Ais C. Emerson decided not to conic up for the Wellington meeting. listening Post and Tommy Dodd will be l ridden by F. Cl Jones. One big advantage- about Jones as a rider is the I act of his -always being fit. As stated elsewhere, Hipo has not shown sprinting form for a considerable time, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the Taranaki gelding will show good form in -the 'telegraph Handicap to-morrow. Many wise heads look on Hipo as particularly good. The writer is confident Magna Charta is a good one, and it is only a matter of Ids bong sea-sone.l enough for race® to fall to his lot. It will be surprising should he go through the V elinerton meeting without a win.

The hard state of the race trucks ha.s caused the temporary retirement of many horses, hence clulis that race in the autumn may have reduced fields, l ake, as a ease in point, the rich '\ akapuna C'up <of Cl Hid). Which ('vent drew only fourteen nominations. It is a pleasant (surprise* to find the ICgniont Pacing (Tub seeming sii.-Ji excellent nominations.

A. very high-ebi'.s loti o-l “hacks" are engaged in the A pip rent ices' Plato at the Wellington Pacino Club's meeting to-morrow. Of i hem Poiyphennis. Kilbronsyth. Mosaic, and Minotus are all ‘.voected to do well.

The class of performer engaged in the Wellington Stakes to-morrow is not up to tin* standard of many foiinei yeans. I n lor 1 hex' conditions !),.’! should not he excessive weighif Id * i Daily Cavendish. Nincompoop has not vet si ;• 111 k hi' early lAvo-yenr-ohl form lint is likeiy to do so shortly, and when lie does he wild cause plenty ot hot her to Ids opponent-'. At t'lie W’oodvi lie meeting in December h'st .Magna Chartn. 1 lie half-brother to that once brilliant mare Chimera, made his only public appearance. Without. being mrlulv husth'd Maxim Chart.a can a very close fourth and a i the lime, nave one the impression of being a promi-sing youngster. The class of two-year-olds opposing -Magna

Charta in the Fitzherbcrt Handicap tomorrow is not good, so lie should at least run prominently. The .southerner. Tommy Dodd, heads the- handicap with 9.1 in the Anniversary Handicap, and in such a field is not- at all badly -handicapped. On his recent performances he is decidedly useful and may make his presence felt at Trenthani to-morrow. Rouex has run several good races this season, and he too should command respect from backers.

Another good lot of “hacks” are engaged in the Ruapehu Hack, and the event will take some winning. At 8.0 Tavnatete’s sister Ohui is nicely placed, although it must be admitted that up to the present her public form has only been moderate. She may show her best form to-morrow, but Mime and Victory Bond are certain to race well also.

At the time of writing one can only rely on public form in discussing the prospects of the Wellington Cup candidates. AH said and done, this is

the best guide of all, but is not always followed even by the keenest follower and -hacker of -horses, the “inside” information, with its pitfalls, always taking -precedence. East week we went into the recent form of the acceptors for this handicap, so without, again repeating such it may be remarked that nothing has transpired which should cause one to abandon the good form of Star Stranger. Not accepting the Eillerslie form as The Banker’s best, he can bo relied on to- prove hard to beat-. While Te Monanui is worthy of consideration.

In years gone by some great fields have competed for the Telegraph, Handicap. While to-morrow’s field is a good one, it falls short of many of its predecessors. With R. Reed in the saddle (particularly if Star Stranger wins the cup) Mimetic is assured of a big following in this event, and if caught in the galloping humour is certain to run well. Black Cat has not yet reproduced her two-year-old form ths season, bur, as she is remarkably well just now she can be ticked off as one that will show up well at TrenI tliani. South Island sportsmen have a good word for Set Sail, and Peueus, with Goldfinch in the saddle, looks like running well. Possibly Black Cat will again show she has pace, but may encounter -strong opposition from llipo. The Douro Cup of 700 so vs (back conditions) to he decided on the second day of the coming Wellington meeting (Friday) has special, charms lor many owners and it is given out that there arc several “waiting” for the event. With such a great prize offering on a second day, there is a strong inducement for an owner to “hold out” a candidate, if at -all good, and likely to prove hard to beat for the rich prize. For this reason many ol our leading racing men do not favour such a good prize being placed on a second day’-s programme, while prospective owners arc iasked to race their horses for prizes oil the first day that do not reach even half the value of the second day’s prize. The fact cannot be denied that the larger prize on l-lie later day is a strong inducement for some owners to give their riders questionable instructions.

O. Emerson stands well above tho South .Island riders and has put up sonic good records when riding in that part oi iho Dominion, blit in the North island ho has not put up the same record, for in these parts there are -several horsemen at least the equal of tho rider mentioned. However, one splendid feature about Emerson's career as tt jockey in the fact that lie has an unblemished record, and a lew of our his faithfulness to both owner and the his faithfulness to goth owner and tingenera! public (who keep tile sport going)-

Those who profess to be in a position to give good information on the subject state that the astute Forded trainer, F. Tilley, is very sanguine about Enthusiasm and Tamatete for the Wellington “double” to -be decided to-mor-row. Tamatete would only need to- reproduce his best to make an exhibition of the 'J clcgrup-h Handicap field, but EitiinixiuMii would have to reproduce her very best form to beat performers like Tin* Banker, Star Stranger, and Te .Monanui for to-morrow V> Wellington Gup. If file trio named are to be beaten the lightly weighted Star Ranger may Ire the one to do the feat.

Trainer G. George went through on Saturday’s mail train with Te Monanui,, Hypo, Oration and Nastori en route for the Wellington meeting. Trainer Alt Shearsby also went south by the me,ruing express for the Wellington meeting with Crossfire, Snatch--T, and Roya] Mint.