SPORTING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, Issue LVII, 12 April 1910, Page 2

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. April 13 and 14— Manawatu R.C. April 27 — Manaia R.C. annual. NOTES BY "OBSERVER." Manaia weights are due on die 18th ' inst., and there appears splendid prospects for a successful gathering. The Egmont Club's winter programme bears a slight alteration from last year's in the matter that the leading handicap of each day has been made "open." The last few meetings have shown the 1 club's funds to have made a substantial ■ increase, and with a corresponding result from next month's gathering it is probable that nothing less than £100 stakes will figure over the 16 races. Tiptoe has never shown himself m such bright condition as at the present, and if matters continue well with the raey-lookmg son of Sylvia Park then his adversaries will find that there will be something to test their best metal in the Mcßae Memorial and Manaia Handicaps of next month's meeting here. In a visit to me during an afternoon, of last week he showed himself as a high kicker of top grade, and although he takes some sitting at times, his groom appears to enjoy tlie fun.. White's stable near the course got a thorough searching with influenza a couple of months ago, and although Tom Goddard was more fortunate, he didn't escape without a touch of the infection to a couple of his string. The Phoebus Apollo bprse Foremost has been put into work, and I believe that it is Mr Casserley's intention of also trying on the track here his recent acquirement, the 1000 guineas horse bred by his Majesty the King. This royal customer is worth inspection, and there will be more said of him when space permits. Two local candidates for Manawatu whose form particularly recommends them are Mulga Bill and Emblem. Lady Menschikoff, who is said to be at her best, has four times run second lately. ■ - Te Puia has had an easy tamV sirie'e Feilding, and it will be interesting to learn what alteration it makes in her racing. Redwing will race in open company, which may prove too select for her at present. Lethean' s wound is on the off-side arm, but although half a dozen stitches were necessary it is only skin deep. Maharanui is training well, and will probably be schooled during this week. Sandstream freshened quickly during his sojourn here, but as rapidly went off again. The Waverley tracks are considered to be among the best for winter - and early spring working, and the strength of the horses trained there has clearly made them known this season. A brown two-year-old filly in T. C. White's stables, which was broken in about a fortnight ago, carries the appearance of one thaifc has been reared and handled well. She is by Stepson — Lady Jewel, who is a full sister to Crown Jewel, who will be remembered as a successful performer. The filly shows abundance of quality, and so far as shape is concerned there is to be found little wanting. Messrs Gillies and Nalder have just completed the sale of a three-year-old sister to Clemora (St. Clements — Ora) to the owner who races Clemora. Now that the above firm are interesting themselves in blood stock transactions., their extensive connections appear certain to stimulate the private market. The filly, changed hands at an amount running into three figures. A very good representative batch left here yesterday (Monday) for the Maaiawatu meeting of Wednesday and Thursday next. The team taken as a whole are in excellent buckle and consist of Coroneted, Te Puia, Red Wing, Mendip, Lady Menschikoff, and Mulga Bill, while Emblem will rejoin R. Brough's team at Awapuni. Emblem showed solidity by making the long journey to Wellington and winning her first try. One might feel bold enough to say that if the livercolored chestnut fails to pick up a stake at Manawatu it will prove disappointing j Mr Gribson informs me that Coroneted has continued to give him every satis- | faction in his work since racing at Feilding; but he has given up beh.g sanguine about the fine-looking chestnut's winning chance. In my opinion he will be very hard to beat in anything he is starting for. The Reefton race meeting of Wednesday last week gave Miss Gift another chance of getting on the winning list, and her second was recorded through the medium of the Boatman's Handicap. The Reefton Plate was won by Manga one, who is also the property of Miss Gift's new owner. The two principal handicaps at Manawatu bear stakes amounting to £200 and £300 respectively, while the Stakes are worth £500. Tlie Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club will open the season at Mr W. Bremer's, Waihou, on April 23, when after a meet at Fordell the pack will be hunted at the master's estate, Hawera. j The Wanganui sportsman^ Mr G. F. I Moore, has in the liberal manner that is usual to him assisted the club's finances. Brookes and Higginson, the local professional horse-breakers, have just returned from a visit to Waverley, where among others they broke in five thoroughbreds, four of which were for S. Brereton, and one for M. Gardner. One of these (a 16-months filly by Soult from a mare by San Frati — Maude) is mentioned as being especially attractive. Two others are from Kohina — a two-year-old filly by Maniapoto, and a three-year-old by Sylvia Park (filly), a chestnut which very much resembles Hinekorangi. Something unusual in the matter of af>:e for breaking in was found in a nine-year-old gelding by Sou'-wester — Victress (Showman's and Sedgebrook's dam). Owing; to an accident he was allowed his freedom until this ago, which, however, the horse-breaker tells me did not make him any more difficult to bring under subjection. He is mentioned as a bold upstanding customer. The fifth is a two-year-old Maniapoto from Dr Bill's dam, who bears a striking resemblanace to his sire. The defeat of Bobrikoff in the A.J.C. Plate, three miles, w.f.a., detracts little or nothing from his racing reputation. The distance he was beaten, by was inconsiderable, and his time when compared by the dead-heaters Wallace and Quiver in the Champion Stakes (whose record still holds supremacy) was remarkably cood. That prince of trainers, R. J. Mason, was within an ace of winning tho double* on the first day of Wellington. .Armlet madn no race of the Thompson Handicap in slash jno: time, while Peilo Dor only mot with dofcat in the Railway Handicap by Effort through stumbling m tho straight. Tho Jackson Stakes .it Wanganui, tho Challenge Stakes at Christchurch (both w.f.a.), with a finish of tho sequence by the Thompson

Handicap at Welington, may be termed sound going. Ot tue three tne nrstTineniionud may be quoted a fine achievement, for Mason brought the daughter of Menschikoff expressly, for one race, and after a great nnibii beat the 2-year-old crack of tlie season, b'ormby, by half a head. To many the performance had a sensational ring about it. Oiolden Loop was staunchly supported at Wellington, but disappointed his .stable by finishing outside the placed division. | A number of Taranaki sportsmen will I visit Manawatu, the racing there being always looked toward as enjoyable. Lowe will rido Coronettod in his engagements there. Waiuku is the only horse who has I won the Thompson Handicap more than once and to make his partiality to the mile raco fully pronounced. The son of St. Lcger triumphed on three successive occasions. Starting in the autumn of 1895 with 7.5 to carry, he finished the treble with 10.3 up, and in each race beat his own previous time . It is distressing to report that Mr Stewart McGuinnes.s, who raced him in partnership with the late Mr J. J .Russell, was recently afflicted with a serious disorder, which has necessitated his removal to an Auckland institution. It was this gentleman who purchased Lady Fisher, the dam of Maniapoto, Roliepolao, and the colt who brought 700 guineas at Randwick the other day. | Numbers of readers will be delighted to hear that the old Auckland horse owner, O. C. McGee, was in attendance at the Easter race meeting at Ellerslie ! wearing his long robe of years with remarkable ease. Among others that [ could" be easily counted of the past half- ' century sportsmen was "Tom" Brown, ' | whoso figure was not less known on the racecourse than it was on the hunting ( field. Well established in the front seats of New Zealand studs that have proved 1 the durable builders of our turf is the Papakura Estate. It is to be seen ' among the recent reports of _ Sydney blood stock sales that the mission of tne Papakura stud master, Mr Wm. ' | Walters, to the sale ring was attended i by his securing a brood mare or two l for replenishing power to his stud. I Very early in the 1860's Mr Walters' father paid a visit to Australia and bought a brood mare and filly foal, also ! a yearling filly. The mare died while , the vessel which bore her the voyage was rounding the North Head into the • Waitemata. The foal survived, and after becoming the idol of the Auckland , turf under the name of Yattarina added , thirteen ontries to stud books, the first ,of which became that sterling little horse Libeller. The other surviving voyager grew into that prolific matron Fanny Fisher, whose racing career I [ have no detailed recollection of, except j that it was attended by even a greater ' I success both in the matter of quality and quantity than that of her paddock mate. In latter years it was a frequent occurrence to see the late Mr "Walters behind Yatterina at the starting post with a carriage whip. The older the ! bay mare became the more cunning was encouraged by her. At one meeting at Ellerslie I can well remember how the strength of the Papakura stables was asserted by its members winning the whole six events on the i programme. In those days, when the late Mr Walters, was director, Harry French trainer and horseman, the memburs of th© Papakura- stalls bore names that were dreaded by all rivals. We wonder whether the venture of Mr Walters' son William will prove as lucky. On the concluding day of the CanterI bury Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting, the Champion Handicap, of two miles, was won in the fast time of 4.44 3-5. Th winner, Prince Alert, was on the Bsecs mark. The whole of the times registered through the meeting demonstrate the high pitch of perfection that trotting, has reached there. 0. Cox has the handy number of five ( horsos, four of which are in work. The team is made up of Lethean. Lady Heroine, Bow Bells, Clemoline (St. Clements — Cuisine). This latter will be remembered under tho name of Lurline at unregistered meetings in the district. Tan Pan, who is a half-brother in blood, to Milan, being from Waikaha, the dam of Waiwhera (red water). I have to express my gratitude to the district owners and trainers who have been so thoughtful and kind in sending their animals to my home for inspection , during these days that I am incapacitated from active pursuits. The en- 1 joymenfr produced by both their action ' and thought has proved a powerful tonic to mo.