MISCELLANEOUS SPORTING

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3718, 9 November 1926, Page 5

MISCELLANEOUS SPORTING

[By Gleaneb.]

RACING,

Another N,Z. Cap leaves backers of tlie favourite lamenting.

A pleasing result to. sec such a good home as Count Oavour win...for such a sporting owner as J. S. Barrett After the many disappointments in Australia he would be a very pleased! man when he led “The Count’ in.

Tire Count’s favourite rider, F. C. Forter was no doubt largely responsible for his fine performance. Commendation’s win in the Riocartou Handicap was a splendid' trial for the Derby for which he is a .racecourse certainty if ever there was one.

The Steward’s was a complete, boil over. The public evidently forgot Comic Song’s performance _ last year in almost similar going and weather condition®. His price would make his supporters, feel light-hearted all day. Desert Glow ran a solid race an the Cup while Overdrawn stayed oai well. A race should come, his way before, the meeting closets. Licdnius, second in the Steward’s, has had a. great run of seconds. Rascal from. S. WaddoU/s stable would be well : supported when successful. in the Spring Plate.. Tins a® a good one. * The Oaks run on the third day should be a good contest Countersign and Pharla may go best. .Star Stranger may start in the Stead Memorial and ' Canterbury Qup. Should he do so the race between him. and Count Oavour should be a good one

Valacare the crack Australian mare from Valais was. defeated in Melbourne on. Friday Last by running off the course.

Pink Note is in great form as is Volant both of which should Win the Cup meeting. No horse has won the N.Z. Cup with over 9st and once agtain the hoodoo seems to have, worked as the only horse, Rapine, m Saturday ’s field finished out of a place.

FOOTBALL. Devon proved too good for the Maoris, who fielded a very weak team. Colds are playing havoc : with them ana from private advice received the. weather and lack of coal for good fires has give.ii them the. “blues’’ completely. Hon likes to be. welffl fed! and! warm before he gives oi his best. Trouble has really come in the camp of the N.Z. League- team. It is •unfortunate but one can under,si and it il Manager Mair adopts the-tactic® with the team that he adopted with the English reporters. Fancy comparing the League pack to. that of the 1924 All Blacks. One o/his best forwards Mouatt wouldn’t, 'have a look in in. a Rugby rep. team and although he spoke, in a slighting manner of Cooke, McGregor and Co., he has no b(ack in Ms team to. compare, with Mu,''hr Cooke. Duffy is a good fullback but one doubts if ho is as good as Nepia was in 1925.

BOXING. Harry Mason. British lightweight champion, outpointed Alex Ireland of Scotland in a 20 round contest last Thursday. Elkie Olark, featherweight champion oi Britain and a great little fighter, is visiting South Africa. Tom Keene is to go to U.S.A. If 1 any average heavy carries the fight toTom. it will be a case or shout tlie. gate. Billy Ediwards’ poor defence lost him. his flight against Sunny Jim Williams (U.S.A. negro). When. Edwards has- become a really skillful boxer. A good trainer would work miracles. He will' have no difficulty to turn the tables on, the smiling' son oi Ham.

The decision given in Hector Ledkie’s favour in the Leckde-Gunn fight received a very unfavourable reception. The pair meet again in Dunedin, and unless Leckie shows improvement Gunn should win—that is it the referee 1 gives a 'fair decision.