SPORTING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16664, 24 September 1914, Page 10

SPORTING.

NEWS AND NOTES. The. Geraldine Racing Club’s meeting will be commenced to-day, and concluded to-morrow. The fields are large for most of the events on the opening day and some interesting sport may bo expected. A special train will leave Christchurch each day at 9 a.m., leaving Orari on the return journey at 6.15 p.m. and reaching Christchurch at 5.21 p.rn.

There should ho some exceptionally interesting sport at Wanganui this week. Several Now Zealand Cup candidates claim engagements, including Expect, Bonny Helen, Labour Day,, Kooya, Moutoa Girl, Peroneal, Maninroa, Portraiture, Montana, Football, Hyettus and Want. Some of this lot have already raced this season, with varying results, hut special interest will attach to the fora shown at Wanganui by Expect, Bonny Helen, Labour Day, Kooya and Moutoa Girl, all or whom ha ?e pretensions to Cup class. The contest for the Wanganui Guineas also promises well. A field drawn from First Flight, Don Francisco, Balboa, Hyettus, Football, Reputation and Panform should servo to throw a aood deal of light on the season’s three-year-old prospects.

There will bo a large number of Ricenrton horses racing at Geraldine this week. A special train left Sockbuni yesterday morning with twenty-seven horses.

Twelfth Night has been given a. dose of physic, and will bo treated to a spell lor a few days.

It was understood that Mr Harvey Patterson intended to send Fabrikoft to Melbourne, to fulfil bis engagement in the Victoria Derby, accompanied by two other members of his team' It is improbable, however, that the trip will be undertaken, in which case the horses may be raced at the Dunedin Jockev Club’s meeting next month, after "which they will compete at the Riccart-on November carnival.

The health of Mr H. Piper, the wellknown starter, continues to cause grave concern to his friends. His condition was so serious yesterday that it was considered advisable to have him removed to a hospital in Christchurch. At Mr J. F. Buchanan’s Kinloch stud, Little River, Mr E- Gateses Lady Lillian, by Phaethon—Lady Zetland, has foaled a colt to All Red. The following mares, the property of Mr Buchanan, have also foaled, all to Martian :—Forked Lightning, by Eager—La Fourchette, a colt; Everlasting, by Padlock—Azalea, a colt; Stephanie, by Stepniak—Fauna, a filly. These mares will nil bo mated with Martian tins season.

Mr G. D. Greenwood’s colt Bimeter made a lot of friends by his performance in finishing second to Spoedfast in the Novico Handicap at Sydney Tattersall’s meeting, and he is being selected as a likely winner before loug. Though Mr W. G. Stead’s colt Ringform finished some distance behind the placed horses in the Chelmsford Stakes, he is given credit for a useful performance.' 110 was going on very strongly at the finish, and ho may bo equal to winning a good race over a journey before long. The extra three furlong 3in the Derby should suit him. It was stated recently that B. Deeley was under engagement to rido Mr G. D. Greenwood’s horses at the Australian Jockey Club’s spring meeting. According to latest information from Sydney, however, this is not correct, and it ia probable Deeley will remain in New Zealand for the spring fixtures. Though Malstcr has been one of the leading sires in Australia for some years past, ho has not succeeded in producing a winner of the Australian Jockey Club’s Derby. _ He did not have a representative in that event last year, and there is small prospect of anything by him competing this year. Toast is the only. Malstcr among the acceptors, and his form up to the present is a long way short of Derby form. Malster s progeny can all go fast, hut few of them have shone a 9 stayers. ■ The Addington track at present is in excellent condition, and if the horses worked on it were forward enough there is no doubt that some fast times would be registered. The declaration of war put a sudden end to racing at most plaeos on the Continent in the early days of last month.' The Yichy Grand Pnx, of £4OOO, was to have been run on August 2, but though twelve of France’s bast horses were on the spot, all arrangements for the meeting had to be cancelled at the last moment. _ Forty other fixtures for the date mentioned had to be declare off with equal suddenness, and most trainers were placed in an awkward position owing to their stable hands being called out for f military duty. It was anticipated that an attempt would be made to ship some of France’s most valuable stock to England, and that some of the rich Americana would ask permission to remove their horses to tho/United States. Apparently it never entered into the calculation of the Belgians that the war war. going to affect them so terribly, as only about a week before they and the Germans were fighting, the Derby, of £I6OO. was run at Ostend, and the Ostend Race Society announced that it hoped to be abie to dispose of its programme without interruption. _ Stilt soldiers wore seen ,on every side at Ostend, and a number of hurdlers and steeplechasers were commandeered by the Government. Furthermore, it was announced that no horses would be allowed to leave the country, and thc-ro were some English racehorses there .it the time.

Prior to the decision of the Chelmsford Stakes, at Sydney Tattersall’s meeting, Woorak had become a strong favourite for the Australian Jockey Club’s Derby, and he is not likely to be deposed from that position. In view of bis attractive showing in the Chelmsford Stakes a win for him in the Derby is now merely a matter of his ability to run a mile and a half nearly as well as ho can cover nino furlongs. This is the view of tho Sydney writer "Pilot,” who further discusses tho situation as follows: —Whether he will be equal to doing so is naturally productive of difference of opinion, and though in tho Chelmsford Stakes bo did not give his supporters the least cause for anxiety over the final furlong, ] must confess to being doubtful whether ho had much in reserve when the winning post was reached. Against this it must be added that_many spectators thought ho could have done alot better, if necessary, and 1 have heard that his rider shares the latter opinion. However, free gallopers of Wooralc’s class are rarely able to respond to any extent when pressure is applied at the end of a race, and it is no certainty the chestnut will prove an exception. Op the other hand, though Coat o’ Mail kept him on the move for the first six furlongs, and that might be expected to tell against Woorak, it cannot be said that any of his followers were really gaining on him at tho finish. Mountain Knight,

if anything, was going book, and Revello was only just about holding his own, but the latter had made a long run. Wcorak was conceding weight to each of the two, so that he will have a pull over them in that respect in the Derby. Woorak’s action, however, makes weight carrying so easy for him that it is not so much a case of whether the few pounds will make a difference as whether ho will ho troubled to a greater extent by- the distance than some of his probable opponents. After seoing him win the Chelmsford Stakes, I should say he would bo sure of beating anything of his own age up to a mile and a quarter, but still it will be no surprise if the last furlong pulls him up in the Derby. His success in that race may depend upon the manner in which it is run. If lie hns something niggling at him from the start it will be nothing in his favour, but if he does not happen to pull hard, and is allowed by the opposition to take things quietly for he first threo furlongs, ho might be able to make one act of it from near the mile post. On the maternal side Wooralc comes from a staying family, but to me he appears almost too brilliant to shino over a lengthy trip. Admittedly Non-haven could both go very fast and stay, but he was a remarkablo exception. Of course. Woorak may be another, but though I do not regard that as any certainty, it must bo admitted that after seeing him win at nine furlongs his backers nave justification in taking him on trust at twelve.

WANGANUI TRAINING NOTES. [Pjer Press Association'.] WANGANUI, September 23. There was fine weather for the wind-ing-up gallops. Balboa, Campendor and Rerehan covered six furlongs, finishing close together in lmin lSJsec. Hyettus and Want did the same distance in lmin 18|sec. Reputation and Submersion finished together over six furlongs in lmin 19 sec. Niabara by herself ran six furlongs in lmin 1 Si-sec. Sunbird covered four furlongs in 52sec. Expect and Parifonm did a round on the sand, and then easy pacing. Kew was schooled over the hurdles, jumping fairly well. Austin ran six furlongs in lmin 20sec. First Flight and Don Francisco ra.n five furlongs in lmin ssec. Garanco and La Favourita went five furlongs in lmin s£sec. Our King covered six furlongs in lmin 18sec. King O’Hara and Ratana ran four in 524 sec. A number of others did useful work. BERAGOON. By Telegraph— Press Association—Copyright SYDNEY, September 03. Bcragoon has been scratched for all engagements.