SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 July 1928, Page 3

SPORTING.

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By “Maecenas.”) The ex-North Islanders, Nine of Spades and Jovial, each won jumping events at Ti'maru last Saturday, feats that convince one that jumpers are at a low standard in the south. Trainer F. D. Jones leaves for Sydney during the week. He will have a fair-sized team, including Limerick, Arikiwai, Roscrea, Lighthearted, anil Gay Crest. Judged by bis work, Limerick is; more forward this year to take on his spring campaign than was the case last year. This is just as well, as in the three-year-old Mollison the son of Limond will meet one that has thus far maintained an unbeaten record, and gives every indication of developing into a champion. . Red Fuchsia is a genuine stayer, and at the scale of the handicap is not by any means badly treated in the Grand National Hurdles. At the recent Trentham meeting lie was taken out after Beau Cavalier a long way from the winning post, and this unpaired his finishing run; but at Riecarton he will meet Beau Cavalier on much better terms, and it will be surprising if Bed Fuchsia does not prove one of the very hardest to beat in the coming Grand National Hurdles. George Price always finds time to visit his relatives in New Zealand, and he is due to leave Sydney this week on one of these trips. Price has over twenty horses in work at the present time, and during his absence his team will be cared for by his foreman, J. Sweeney, who returned to Sydney last weelo after spending a holiday in our Dominion.

It was expected by some that Comical would be given another chance in the Grand National Steeplechase. How would this gelding’s rider get him over that stiff gorse jump familiarly known as “Cutts’s” ? 1 ■On the strength of his successes at the recent meetings of the Te Kuiti and Wellington Racing Clubs, Pouri is now much in the “limelight” as the likely winner of thle coming Grand National Steeplechase. Pouri is quite a- fair juniper, but he is on the small side, and lias IQ stone to carry, and he will also find the high formidable fences much more difficult to negotiate than those at Ellerslie and Trentham. These are features Pouri’s admirers should consider. t Southerners were hailing Loughrea as a likely winner of a Grand National Hurdle Race, but evidently the gelding’s owner is much more moderate in his view of Loughrea’s ability as a hurdler, for he has ignored the National and instead nominated Loughrea in the Hunters Hurdles race. At his best Loughrea was a first-class performer over a distance of ground, and it would appear only a matter of this gelding remaining sound enough to receive work‘enough to make him fit and he would prove many classes above hunter torn!. The race track at Riecarton in August is usually more firm and in better racing condition than are most tracks in the Dominion until late in spring. For this reason Beau Cavalier, despite bis load of 12.5, may do better in the Grand National Steeplechase than was the ease in the late Great Northern and Wellington Steeplechases. As in the case’ of Waimai, who also was a bold jumper, Riecarton with its big jumps will favour Beau Cavalier. The winter meeting of,the Gisborne Racing Club is set down J'or Thursday and Saturday next. Tin's meeting will close the racing season of 1927-28. In winning on Beau Geste at the South Canterbury Hunt Club meeting last Saturday, J\ Green increased his lend for the jockey championship to two, and as only a limited number ol flat events are decided at the Gisborne meeting R. Reed will want all the luck

offering to pass Green’s record for the season. The' connections of Glendowio are broadcasting the news that it lias been decided to take Glendovvie to Australia to race. Witli tli© opinions of the different Australian handieappers before them in relation to other New Zealand horses, surely it is not expected that Glendowie will he more- favourably treated there than was the ease in our Dominion. If Messrs Rothe'ry and Rhodes are sincere in their expectation of more lenient treatment by Australian handieappers then most New Zealanders will be much surprised if such comes true. The Canterbury Jockey Club received a splendid response for owners for the leading events for the Grand National meeting. While such payments reveal much larger fields than anticipated, the fact remains that this year’s Grand Nationals will be quite as weak and possibly of poorer class than last season which, at that time, were recognised as the weakest for many- yeans. It is generally admitted that * our Do*minion is just now weak in hurdlers and steeplechasers, and the once popular meeting at Riecarton has lost much of its charm for us in the north. These factors will tell against 'the coming meeting at Riecarton _