SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 26 May 1927, Page 6

SPORTING.

FIXTURES.

June 1,3, 4—Dunedin J.C. June 3,4, B—Auckland R.C-. Juno 3, 4—Otaki Maori R.C. June 18—Napier Park R.C. June 22 —Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club. June 24, 25 —Hawke’s Bay J.C. June 25 —Oamaru J.C.

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “Maecenas.”) Rowley got into the hack event at the coining Auckland- meeting at the minimum weight. If he happened to strike anything like his true form lie would make a job of his opponents. The Forded trainer F. Tilley ns usually represented at the Otaki meeh jugs, and next week he will be there with Sliining Armour and Avro, and both should run well. Dick always runs his best races at Eliersl'ie, and if he is well forward this year, lie no doubt will show up prominently at the coming meeting there. Dick finished at a great rate on the second day of the late Egrnont meeting.

R. Reed, who was on Degage when that good mare won last year’s Cornwall Handicap, will again be on her in the same event this year. After riding at the Auckland meeting next month R. Reed intend® going to Australia for a couple of months. The opinion is commonly held that this good horseman will ultimately reside there altogether. In the hand® of a good rider Maunga. will take a lot of beating in tlie Great Northern Steeplechase, but if allowed to cover the same unnecessary ground at Ellerslie as was the case in the Wanganui Steeplechase, Maunga's ehanoe will be remote. Usually there are two or three days between the running of the Great Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase, but this year they will be run on successive days. The fact of this year’s Northerns being run on Friday and Saturday of next week will minimise the chances of any one- horse winning both events. With the usual spell between the races named, some of those engaged this-.year would have had good prospects in either or both events. Zircon run® his best race® in front, but at Wanganui last Saturday he did not jump as smartly a® usual and could not reach the lead; but, despite- this failure, he will strip a. much better gelding for the Great Northern Hurdles, and must- run well under 10.5. Zircon ran third in last year’® contest.. Some considered that Rangatahi was responsible for a. -big reversal of form at Wanganui, but this was not so, as for quite one and three-quarters of the two and a quarter miles of the Century Hurdles he was prominent. The fact that he does not -stay well, and wa® meeting Zircon on 141 b better terms would account- for much of the better showing. Seeing how easily Kawini defeated Rangatahi over one and three-quarter miles in the hurdle race at- the recent Waikato- meeting, -and the fact that Rangatahi was good enough to win over the- distance in the May Hurdles at Wanganui last Saturday, it points strongly -to Kawini being extremely hard to beat ,in the Great Northern Hnrdlesi race this year In. past- import-ant hurdle races Maunga often finished best of all runner®, but usually occupied one of the minor place®; therefore it was not surprising that many named Maunga a« a certainty for the Wanganui Steeplechase last week, after seeing him jump most proficiently the first few fence®. Although, a-s the .race wa® run, Maunga only beat Bonny Rill, and even then nnay not have done- so had Bonny Rill not hit the- final jump, Maunga would have been very unfortunate to have lost, a® he covered many length® more than any of hi® opponents in the- Wanganui Steeplechase.