SPORTING NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 20 December 1913, Page 11

SPORTING NOTES.

(By "Sir Single.")

v Mr Norman Gorton, of Feilding has been appointed judge for the Taranaki Jockey Club's Christmas meeting _The Hawera contingent, engaged at Woodvilla earned more laurels* and incidentally stake money, than they managed to annex at Feilding, as three of them, namely, Play Off Actor, and Bradmante, had their immpere hoisted in premier position durong the gathering, whilst Patronymic, a second and a third, aridlhvader^a thirds Play Off was also placed second oncei and; Actor and Bradamante.;,l^^. third apiece. In fact *™^»lfe«ta*ter i^raihed in this town that^idid not get placed was Grattan ,i.4™r™ declaration of second forfei*so^9 .remain, in the Egmont Stakes, 27 m the Hawera Stakes, the two ■classic races to*be decided respectiveJy on the^ first and second day of the figmont Racing Club's February meetxng. v^The; highest equine; ' 'class of the J^>mimon is represented in each .race consequently the Egmont Racing Club's^l9l4^6umnter gathering will be ■a memorable occasion as marking a big stride forward, even for such a progreissive body as this club has always been.

By, scoring, in the Telegraph Hack on the second day of the Woodville meeting Bradamante registered her tiret win in the colors of her. present owner, Mr A. W. Gillies, though as a two-vear-pld, when owned by Mr J. B. Keid. she caught the judge's eye in the Nursery Handicap at the North Otago J.C meeting last January. Bradamante started favorite in the event she won at V ixnlville; this no doubt being due the excellent race she ran in the JUectrje on the opening day, when she flushed close up third to Astor and »uratura. After a disheartening series of "almost got theres" Peter Jackson broke it for a win with Astor at Woodville, upon which he will be heartily congratulated by> Hawera friends, as tfp till then his luck with the smart vpronet geldipe had been sickening. The, success of the Birkline—Astor ■double at Woodville is said to have put much pelf into Taranaki pockets. T^^^»««|*- the -fields -for the- Taranaki «nq^Stratf6rd Jockey Clubs' meetings tip, Christmas and New Year are commbaed ,almip6t Ir entirely of, Taranakixrained horses, but there, are plenty iabd prospects for interesting lacing at these gatherings are good.' 'A% thfe Jtnhe of writing'the open sprint laces^in, particiilaip ilook as if they Tmigli| take^*k>t;df picking. X^A ?W^lingtoh writer states that Avaunce, who since she left dryer's Jab'out:twelve months ajgo has been in :th<9/ paddock, & to join :J. Lowe's *eaniva]t Trentham.

The .well-known jockey F. D. Jones, vrha was recently appointed to succeed ij.' Farmer as private trainer to Mr ■ffli<> ;jE. Bidwell, of Rototaroa, has alaready taken up his new duties, and will have a team of seven horses to start, ;on. : , -

A largely-attended meeting of the English Jockey Club wae held at Newmarket on October 29, when the motion of -. the stewards in favor of the abolition of assumed names for purposes of racing, as passed at the meeting of the club held in the week of the second October Meeting, was brought up for. confirmation. After much discussion, the proposal was aegatiyed. '■:^Parliament devoted some time last week to consideration of Mr Hunter's ■Gaming ; Amendment Bill, which pix>poses to increase by thirty the number -of totalisator permits in the interests ot the - country clubs which, were de^ prived of their privileges as the result of the report of the Racing Commission. The Bill passed its. jsecond reading; but in committee the opposition was so great that Mr Hunter intimated /that, he would not proceed further this session. : However,1 he will ibrinjg ofchei Bili up first thing next ses«ipnV, and hopes to get it through, but «4 Parliament, will not sit again until vend, of June* the> Bill, even should ;it; become, law, can hardly ajffect racing during the current season, v. . A petition presented, at the last meeting of the. Egmont Racing Club Committee w;jth the object -of obteina rig further ;fabilities for ' schooling liurdle horses' at Hawera was not an -unreasonable request, and the manner in -whipji it was- received- gave, for ip^ing that' something^ itt -$he direction Eradicated' j*-ill. be, ifloiie an the near'ruture, though1 the ■committee that has been appointed to So into the matter will have to make heir report first. Under present con■ditions, with the hurdles out in the •open paddock and with, no measured distances, the timing of schooling gallops is more or less guess work, and no reliable guide to trainers. Also, sheep may get in the way of liorses, and the going is very rough.^ These facts;' however, appear to be generally recognised by the committee, and their attitude to the petition was Vby no means Unsympathetic. , At the came meeting, however j a broader field in regard to the Hawera training tracks was opened up, and as the subject has been causing some discussion among local sporting circles lately, a few lines upon it may not be out ot

at the outset Sir Single woukl like to say that some of the complaints arid statements made are, in his opinion, not justified by facts. For instance, the scribe has been assured upon more than one occasion that tne Egmont Racing ,Club does not care •whether horses are trained at Hawera or not, and that members of,the committee haye said so. Possibly such * remark may have been; mage in a lieated woment, but that it represents ;ftBiBV coiisidered vjudgppnt or real fe^l- ~& ing^of 'even a majority.^ofvthe commit;l tee-this scribe does *o* for one mo-\;:i-*ieiit^ jbeUeve.- Had such,-been the case^ spent oh; laying 4own sajid ■ track (of ■> which

more anon) would never have been expended. Nor would anyone of ordinary commonsense argue seriously that the absence of horses in training here would hot seriously- set back the interests of the Club. However, the.' statement may be heard,' and, moreover, is believed by those who ma,ke it. ,■ ' ; ■ ■ . -':'- • '

In view of the rainfall in Taranaki and the nature of the soil, the provision of good tracks throughout the year is not such a simple matter here as it might be in other parts, and in some cases, when, trainers compare local conditions with those at other places they have tried, it may also be. a case of distant fields appearing green, and in all probability if they could recall eA'ery little incident they might remember that at times they thought those spots which now seem so blessed pretty rotten while they were there. Then on calm reflection they might admit that trainers are as well catered for at Hawera as at most places in New Zealand. So far as the Club's intention to provide every facility for trainers goes, this, Sir Single believes, is so, and certainly ,the .committee can reasonably claim that having provided a plough, sand, track, and grass gallop, with permission to gallop on the outside of the course proper at times, they have done their whack.

However, knowing that no one can tell exactly where the shoe pinches except the man who has it on, Sir Single asked.-.-'a" local ,-trainer, who had expressed dissatisfaction; and whose admitted, ability in his business entitles his opinion to, consideration, to define more explicitly what was wrong. Boiled down, the essence of his argument was that the whole matter hinged upon the sand track. The committee, he said, expected when the sand track was put down that the whale of the wet weather work would be doie upon it, and this, while right enough in theory, had not worked out in practical experience owing to the material used in the first place, which was, he said, more of the nature of rotten sandstone than of beach sand. In course of time this was beaten down into an almost solid foundation, and over this the better material was spread when the sand track was recently reneved. It was expected that the two sands would m time mix together and form satisfactory going, but this, he claimed, it had not done, and the consequence was that when the loose sand had been disturbed by horses working the harder foundation was left bare in spots, which were apt to jar horses working subsequently. At all events he had found his horses generally go sore aft«r galloping on the sand, and was of opinion that to gallop much on that track would mean knocking them out altogether in quick time. -JEe considered that a thorough scarifying of the sand track, at some period when the weather was settled and the plough in good order, might effect some improvement,'by mixing the sand and making tiie underlying foundation less solid.

Ihus ,th^ whole, business practically hinged on the sand, form fine weather with the plough m good order nobody wanted t» {gallop on the grass, bat when the plough was not usable and the. sand track likely to knock out horses if fast work was done on It, trainers must, have grass to stir up their charges, on. The small grass gallop provided^ could not be expected to last long with the number of horses it would have ta carry, more especially as, in his opinion a mistake had been made in letting the grass upon it grow too long; more frequent cutting would have improved the sward and rendered the track able to stand more. A similar remark applied to the outside of the course proper, and in this connection he'thought that when the outside was opened the width in .towards the rail might be extended without much damage to ihe course—in fact the cutting up would be less because all would not have to gallop practically in each other's marks.

Tne foregoing were the main features of this criticism of the local tracks, and although Sir Single cannot feel convinced that trainers are bjadly used at Hawera, or even that they are not better off than at most places, it must be admitted that there is something in the sand contention if that track's condition is as staged, and that this is so the Writer has heard from other sources besides the one quoted. Considering the amount that the sand track has already cost it would be a pity to forego an^ reasonable expenditure to bring it up to its full usefulness, and' were th>s consummation effected and a new hurdle track (as alreaidy referred to) provided, there would not, Sir Single thinks,' be much more grumbling. At, all events the last vestige of excuse for it would have disappeared. '