SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 28 August 1926, Page 3

SPORTING.

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By Maecenas.) The last two issues of the Turf Register describe Lomint as a gelding, whereas she is a. filly.

Owner-trainer J. M. Cameron is due to leave'Wellington on Friday for Sydney with The Hawk and G-ohawk Zircon ran a, good race in the JeVlicoe Handicap at the Pakuranga. meeting last Saturday, and it appears as if he might- have won a hurdle face at Riccarton had he raced there.

When last- raced (at Otaki) Euphonium ran possibly his best race, to beat Shining Armour and Olympic, and no doubt his -success last Wtednesday was fully anticipated by his connections. While he may never develop into a high-class handicap performer, Euphonium will win races.

In the past the naming of mares similar to some illustrious matron of the turf has caused many mistakes, and even in a lesser degree such duplication of female names is unwise. The dam of Kawini (Winnie) is the latest to cause more than one to confuse her with Record Reign’s relation. _ A correspondent writes me that Kawini’s grand-dam was Winnie (Telford — Nellie). Trainer F. D. Jones has had a wonderful run of luck in Australia with liis team of horses. Young Lochinvar and Reonui winning twice and Limerick once, but Battlement was well backed in a recent engagement in which the stable connections supported him. For many years 'past New Zealand owned horses have gone to Australia, and have done really well for their owners! In fact, the general impression is held that those horses that have made isucli trips have shown form in Australia many pounds better than their previous New Zealand form. Possibly the chief reason for such successes is the poor class of a big proportion of Australian racehorses.

When Limerick won in Australia on Saturday he started at a very long price for one of his class. The forward running of Star Stranger in Australia last Saturday (where he ran second in fast time) would come as a. surprise to New Zealanders, as the event was his -first race for threemonths, and in the past Star Stranger has shown he wants plenty of racing before showing liis best. Saturday’s running certainly suggests that Star Stranger will run well in the big spring handicaps to be decided next month.

Te Karere, who won at the EgmontWanganui Hunt Club meeting on Wednesday -last-, is a full, sister to those useful performers Yorau and Pouma, and when in work for a feumonths -showed speed that suggested her being the equal of her older relations; but she failed on several occasions in very poor company, when expected to do well, and WednesdayYs was Te Karere ’& first win. She lias not the size of Y’oma, and will never reach his standard of excellence Slicis small like Pouma, hut up to the present lias not- shown the brilliancy of that niare.

As only to be expected- where such a big interest is taken in the sport of racing, and where suck a large number of horses are trained and raced, Australia can lay claim to possessing some really good weight-for-age performers, but in proportion to the number of horses in training, it is open to question whether she possesses as many as our Dominion. It has been stated before that a great many people overrate the Australian horses as compared with those racing in New Zealand. The Australian handicappers do not under-rate New Zealand horses, but, in the eyes of many, rather overweight them. In the light of repeated wins of racehorses from this Dominion, are not the weight adjustors of Australia justified in keeping the weight up? In a nutshell : The handicappers in Australia simply handicap our horses on their merit's, whereas the general public look on New Zealand form ns much inferior to that shown in Australia, though facts and performances spread over many years go to show that the form of, racehorses in our islands at least equals that in Australia.