SPORTING NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 21 October 1914, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

(By Sir Single.)

Draft has rejoined. J. Fryer's team after a spell. He is very much in the rough as yet. Mr Stead's filly Sweet Corn started at 33 to 1 for the Gimcrack Stakes, in which she ran second to Starland. The Boyne, dam of Rewi Poto, has thrown a Day iiily to Maniapqto at the Orissoge stud. Advices from ■ Australia state that it was J. Scpbie, avlio was acting for a Vicloiian owner, who recently priced Mountain Knight, and was told 10,000 soys. Cordon, by Coronet, from Pauline (dam of Patriotic, Silva, and Co.) is a. I .good sort, arid appears fairly well forward. According to present intentions he will be amongst those under Gilk at Waverley. Whatever the farmers may have thought of the dry spring, horse trainers managed to endure * with calmness, as tne tracks have been in firstclass trim and much better than could have been reasonably hoped for at this time of year in an ordinary season. Old Prophet is said bo be standing up to his work in good style at Elierslie^ and iecuntly utlm jumping live hurdles did a couple of rounds of the grass at a strong three-quarter pace, 'i'he son of St. ± Saul walked away quite sound after working. •.. At his stables near "Giie racecourse Oney Cox has a. team of five, including the evergreen Timothy, who despite his many seasons of racing is still, as fresh and clean legged as a young one. Cox had intended sending the St. Paul gelding down to Dunedin for the hurdle races there at the- recent meeting, but as it turned out was unable to do so. Mr A. W. Gillies' horse Sir Moseley appeared well forward, and if arrangements as they existed at the time of the scribe's visit were carried out Cox left for Wellington .with the horse today (Wednesday). After the Trentham fixture Sir Moseley will be taken south for the' Riecarton gathering. . The two-year-old Trombone (by Zimmerman—Orchestra), also owned by Mr Gillies, passed under the surgeon's knife about live weeks ago, but has made a surprisingly quick recovery, and now appears little amiss. He is not overburdened with size, but is a shapely youngster, and has yet plenty of "time to grow a lot. Bred as he is a useful turf career should be in front of him. The half-brothers Plantation and Patronymic are again in commission under Cox's care. Patronymic has been in work about five weeks, and may be I given a run at Waverley, but bo far Cox has only hacked Plantation about. If, however, the-black gelding gives indications of ability to stand another preparation he will be put into regular toil. Tom Pine .has a quartette ai> his establishment near the course, all of whom have previously sported silk. The bright particular star is that useful and consistent eprinter Play Off, who early opened "Mr F. Selwood's" 1914-15 winning account by1 annexing a race at the Wanganui J.C. spring meeting. Play Off claims engagements at the Wellington and Riccarton fixtures, and Pine was to leave for Trentham with him to-day (Wednesday). The chestnut mare Florist, who it will be remembered paid a sensational dividend when she lost her maiden status at New Plymouth last year, and who afterwards did Pine good service on different occasions during the remainder of the season, is again in full commission. She is a probable starter at Waverley, and should Pine make the trip to Riccarton with Play Off it is likely that he will t^ie Florist also for a shot at some of the hurdle races. The St. Paul gelding Crawford has rejoined.Pine's team, of which he has been a member for the past fortnight. In previous essays he showed considerable pace, but was often unlucky in meeting and just getting beaten by particularly good hacks. He slipped over a. couple of furlongs smartly on© morning recently, thereby demonstrating that he had lost none of his pace during his spell. Mr Spratt's filly Vestalis (Martian— Ingleneuk). has . been under Pine's charge for the past three months. She is only a pony, but a very well put together one, and there is no doubt she can go fast, as she showed on the tracks last season. Unfortunately she was then very piggish at the barrier, but as she has so far given no sign -of "dirt" this season, her mentor is hopeful that this trouble can be overcome. T. F. Goddard has a string of seven, of which- Mulga Bill is the veteran. "Bill," as the general run of koHseflesh goes, is now getting -into, the sere and yellow leaf, but like Johnny i Walker is "still going strong," and despite his, many seasons', racing his legs are as clean as a youngster's. There is no doubt that most of the" Merriwees did last a long while, and Mulga Bill must surely be one of the toughest amongst many tough ones that now defunct sire left. Talking •about tough Merriwees, what about Comedian? If one's memory serves he must have been one of about the first Ibatch of that sire's gets, but he won .a race here two or three seasons ago, ;and might have been winning them yet had he not been burned to death ■an ,a stable fire on the West Coast. Sir Single has a kind of recollection {which may be right" or wrong) that •'•'Bo'isun" Cowper, a well-known figure iamongst racing men, particularly in vETawWs Bay and the Wairarapa, flmraght Comedian over to Hawera on the occasion referred to. At anyrate scribe renewed acquaintance with '"rß©s" (the Qther day at Oney CoxY 'to wMe'h establishment he is now attached. , The younger division at Goddard's includes a three-year-old gelding toy •Coronet from 'farina, Rownet (by Coronet—Couriere), and a full-sister to him, Rownet was in work last season, but went somewhat . amiss and was^ eased off. H© appears all right again now, and is to be taken in hand forthwith. His frill-sister has been in some time, but for a. long while was a poor doer, and a great' deal has not been done with her as, yet, [.- Writes Field Glass in the* New Ply- | mouth Herald.—The Papa&nta" gelding Master■" Katesby, trained by J. O'Neill, has been doing well in his .'schooling lessons lately.—P. Scally has in work-1 a promising horse called -The Guide; jvhich is very fast.—Th e Maniapcto horse Ngapqto, in Dick Johnson's stables, is said to be some class as a-, hurdler. He appears in the hurdles at J WaverJey.—Simple Sam' and Simple Dave hava again changed hands. They are now owned by Messrs S. Campbell ana J. MagiH; .-.-.-

But to return to Gcddard's team, two other members of which are Patroness, who had her number hoisted as winner of a couple of jamateur riders' races last season, and Patronata, who was placed in any quantity of races without managing to lose her maiden qualification. In one instance at least nothing but bad luck in th» shape of interference kept her out of first money, and with, ordinary good fortune she should score in her turn this season. Patroness bears a particularly bright and healthy appearance, but Goddard tells me she does most of her toil on the roads now. Gn the tracks she is a rip-and-tear sort, and without a very strong horseman in the saddle is as likely to do five or six circuits as t'.v-o, It is said, that B. De&ley was expected to appear at the meeting of the A.R.C. Metropolitan Committee, but. having riding engagements in Dune-^ din which he would have to break, wrote the committee to that effect, His license in the meantime has not been renewed, and no meeting 'of the committee will he held unless a special i meeting is calld before November 12, which puts Deeley in an awkward position. C. Browne'and J. O'Shea were not present, and no applications were put in on their behalf, and so their position is • much the- same as that of Deeley.' J. Conquest, who- attended in person, and It. E. Brown, it is said, were questioned relative to reports furnished by stipandiary stewards, of which they had not previously heard anything until informed by the committee. The Auckland District Committee granted extensions of li- , censes in both cases. The death of the unlucky Flagfall (says Field Glass) has robbed New Plymouth cf a very smart sprinter. When a youngster, the son of Benzonian—Fleetfoot^ met with an accident through running into a tram pole, and he met his death through running into a telegraph pole! He had a light season at the stud at the Vaikato and was ptit in active work at the beginning of this season. He finished unplaced at Marton and going on to Avondale was third on the first day and on the second won a hack race. He was taken to Wanganui and again ran consistently, securing a second and a third. He was expected to run well at Waverley. Dick Johnson is to be sympathised with in losing the services of such a promising horse. At the timo oi his death Flagfall was held on lo.aso by the New Plymouth sportswoman, Mrs Crocker, from R. Hanr.cn. Commenting on Woorak's victory in the Craven Plate a'Sydney Avriter says: —Woorak, which was very lively at the start, was placpd near the outside of the field, but as scon as the barrier rose he shot across in front of the I other horses, and was immediately in the lead. He made the pace a cracker, and soon had the whole field strung out in a line at the back of the course. Ca-go-u was chasing him, and was the only one which was able to come anywhere near him, Jnst after the field came into the straight: a .great effort was made by several of the horses to close up on Woovak, but lie raced away again, and finishing beautifully, won by four lengths from Cagou, with Gigandra three-quarters of a length back, third. Gigandra made a great finishing effort, but no other horse was in it with Woorak. The extraordinary brilliance of the winning colt was emphasised by all the features cf the race. He started from a bad position, he made all the running, and he ended by winning the mile and a-quarter in 2.5J, which cuts down by a quarter of a second the -Australasian record for the distance.^ After the race there was hot discussion whether AVoorak would not ( have Avon the Derby if he had been al]<j\> ed to run away and string out his field, instead of being held to let Mountain Knight hang on his quarter. In its report of the A.J.C. Derby, the Sydney Mor.ning Herald, says: "Thewithdrawal cf Royal Rufu's or= the previous day left a field of 11 to compete for the well-endowed A.J.C. Derby, which was generally regarded as the best of good things for the Victorianowned W.oorak._ A shade of odds could be got about him when betting opened,: but the great army of his admirers, up to the eleventh hour, were, called to lay a shade of odds on, though he eas^ ed to even money just before the rise cf tlip harrier; the betting quotations showed that . Ravello and Mountain Knight were regarded as his most dangerous opponents, and the pair disputed second favoritism, while Carlita and Giru —the winners of the Rosehill and Hawkeslmry Guineas respectively, were the only others marketable. It" v;as a well-conditioned field, and as they lined up at the barrier Naxbery occupied the berth next the inner rail, while in extended order were Secret Service, Mountain Knight, Woorak, Giru, Indiscretion, Tawdry, Silver Steel, Imshi, Ravello, and Carlita. There was little time cut to waste at the post, and the barrier w:as released to a splendid dispatch. The first to show in advance were the favorite and-Mountain Knight but ere the first' furlong had been covered Woorak Avas out in command, and, with Mountain Knight and Silver Steel to escort him, made the pace very .solid. Silver Steel retired ere the halfmile post was reached, and his place hehind Mountain Knight was temporarily taken by Giru. With Mountain Knight and Carlita at his heels, Woorak turned for home, but at the distance Mountain Knight threw out a bold challenge to the favorite, which responded game-^ ly, and the pair .were battling, it out on terms at the half-distance ? .Avith'Giru at the head .of the others. Inside- that point Mountain Knight got. his: head in front, and, though Woorak fought out the finish resolutely, Mountain Knight carried too many guns for the son of Traquair, which 'suffered defeat by half-a-lenath. Carlita began, to fail inside the dv J:nnce, whence Giru made his effort, ■;■ -I secured third money, while Seen.:. Service ran past Carlita, and finished i.i the heels of Giru.