Sporting Notes.

Lake County Press, Issue 693, 30 January 1896, Page 7

Sporting Notes.

[By Peeping: Tonal Brooklet won the Wellington Cup ofter a clinking good race with Saracen, who was. travelling very fast at the finish. The performance of the latter ought to bring him into prominence for the Dunedin Cup. Skirmisher appears to have faded out of the contest in the last quarter of a mile, but ran well up to that point. On this Wellington Cup form Saracen ought to beat Skirmisher again at Dunedin, but we are three weeks off the Dunedin Cup yet, apd a graat change may be brought about in the meantime. I still fancy Skirmisher for the Dunedin Cup. That good mare Lady Zetland, won a race on the first day at Wellington, and Strathbuaan, a horse that coqld not be made to pay his way fit Christchurch as a two and three year old, appears to have won the Welter Handicap comfortably. There are excellent nominations for the Maniototo races. Our old friend Stimulant is entered for all the principal handicaps. It is a significant fact that Rugby is nominated for all the open trots. I understand that the Lake County stewards have received word from Christchurch that Silverwood is in the saleyards there. The Lake County management has decided wisely when they ask that Silver wood be produced at Christchurch and Rugby at Maniototo both on the same day. If this is done, it will prove conclusively that Rugby and Silver-wood is pot one and the same horse. Writing of the Rugby business reminds me that trotting events has caused the management of our upcountry clubs no end of trouble this year. There was the protest against Jess at Cromwell ; the Rugby affair at Frankton on the first day ; the disqualification of Lora on the second day, and the J.H. business at Gore. Of course the offence of the last-named boy’s starting before his time was not so serious as that suggested in the two cases first cited. “ Mazeppa ” says : The rider of J.H. pleaded in defence that he could not steady his horse at ’ the post, and that he broke away with him, a statement utterly without foundation, as J.H., when submitted to a trying ordeal, proved himself to be as quiet and tractable an animal as ever facea a starter.” Judging from recent experiences, I should say it is about time that the stewards of our up country racing clubs began to consider the advisability of striking trots off their programmes altogether. Trotting events are, ns a rule, not popular with the race-going public up-country, and latterly have caused no end of trouble on local courses. A trotting club might then be formed on the goldfields, but about that X shall have something more to say in the future. In last week’s Wituese “Mazeppa,” commenting on the recent race meeting held at Frankton, has something to say that will. I trust, be borne in mind by the stewards of the Lake County Jockey Club. I refer to. what the Witness sporting writer says about the falling ofi' in the totalisator returns at the club’s last two. taco meetings and the thereof. If public confidence is to be restored on up-country racecourses, the management must select two or three men who are competent to judge to see that jockeys ride an honest race and make a fair effort to win, otherwise racing on the goldfields willgo to the dogs. Thelast two meetings at Frankton have been pretty fittingly designated jockeys’ meetings, and I am inclined to think that there were very good grounds for the assertion. At all events I have heard more complaints from owners this year about jockeys haying them, than heretofore, and 1 naturally ask the question “ Is the system of licensing jockeys a boon to racing men, and an unmixed blessing to the sport V’ I think not. An upcountry owner could often get a local boy who could ride his horse fairly well and honestly, but the lad is not licensed and the owner must fall back on the profesaipnal, who is a perfect stranger to him, and who, in too many instances I regret to say, takes precious fine care that; his horse does not win. In the future it will be better for some owners tq pay the fee and secure a straight go, than fall n prey to the ring of jockeys yearly visiting the goldfields to akin the lamb.