SPORTING NOTES.

Mataura Ensign, 11 December 1917, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

__4 . (By "Starter, ") The noininations received i'oi' the Gore- Trotting Club's meeting on Boxing Day are 1 I ahead of last year, and include some from as fax* north as Christehureh. A nomination of 20 for the Gore Trotting Club Handicap, class 5.0, in harness, is particularly good, and n great race should be seen in this event this year, as even before l lie handicaps are issued it is pretty safe to say, judging from the. wide r.Migo of stables from which the nominations come, that there will be a satisfactory acceptance. It may not be out of place to mention in ihis column that subscriptions are being received by Mr Clarke, I'n ion J Junk, towards a fund to provide a Soldiers' Club for district soldiers at (hire. The movement is such a worthy one that there should be no need to do much canvassing for the necessary money. Will sporting readers, who are invariably among the lirst to support any deserving cause, kindly note what is contemplated and send in their contributions to Mr Clarke? Already there is a sum of over £IOO in hand and about another £2OO is needed.

, Bon is getting very '.sour, and, if given a chance, sticks his. toes in promptly when asked to go on to the track. Ho was tried in the jumping ring a few weeks ago, and to date is the only horse'that has absolutely refused to jump, in fact, he lay down and tried to get out from the enclosure underneath the bottom rail. From Victoria is announced tbo death of Mr James Wilson, one of Australia's most noted racing men. Born in Yorkshire 89 years ago, Mr Wilson came to Australia at an early age, and eventually settled near Geelong, where he bought the St'. Albans Estate. Here lie founded the famous stud of that name, which ho later sold to Mr John Crozier, who afterwards disposed of it to Mr W. I{. Wilson. The deceased sportsman regarded First King as the greatest horse he ever owned, and after First King's first Champion Stakes win expressed his willingness to match him against the English crack, Springfield, the American Ten Broeek, or any other horse in the world for £SOOO a-side over any distance from two to three miles. H was stipulated that the match was to take place at Fleming ton, £IOOO being allowed to any acceptor from America or England. Naturally nothing came of the challenge. One of the last winners owned by Mr Mr Wilson was Hush Money, which was successful as recently as two years ago. Thaddeus changed stables recently, and is now a companion of The White iving at J. Rutledge's establishment. There is little chance of John Barleycorn being seen out at any of the holiday meetings as he is still on the easv list.

The Queensland Government has been collecting all forgotten winning bets, value ot lost tickets, and fractions from the totalisaor. Officers of the Government, attend race meetings within tho metropolitan area for the purpose of chockin gdividonds and fractions. Several errors werv discovered concerning short-paid dividends and in this respect a total of £250 was claimed. Fractions amounting ,10 £227 a 1.6s 7d and unclaimed dividends totalling 1*1247 7s 8d were gathered up and paid into the Government Treasury. Seventeen three-year-olds stand their ground in the New Zealand Trotting Ocrl'bv of 1918, several of whom have already raced. They are a well-bred and thoroughly representative lot, and no doubt many of them will earn distinction before the New Brighton Autumn .Meeting comes round. i" Tb" New Brighton Trotting Club has rccr-ived -excogent support for its Deffoy ri I'ICU, no; feiver than 18 presenfryearI'nus baring been engaged. Nearly every trotting stud of note throughout the Dnmin-'on is ropreseuTed, while .small breeders are in strong evidence. ! Aincjican-bretl sires claim a largo portion of the entry, those best represented being Logan Pointer, Petereta, Harold Dillon and Brent Loeanda. Reports from Trentham credit Johnny Walker . ami Menalous with getting through satisfactory . tasks. Arrangcments have been made tor B. Deeleyto have the mount on the former in."the. Auckland Cup, but jie may have to put: up a few pounds overweight. The Ash burton Trotting Club has decided to institute a raco for two-year-olds to l>e known as the New Zealand Sapling Stakes. This event, which will be endowed to the extent of £375, first comes on for decision at the winter meeting in 1919. A shipment of valuable bloodstock, consigned by the British Bloodstock! Agency and other exporters to the United States, was lost a few weeks ago through enemy action. The horses concerned included the stallions Maiden liiiegh and Sunflower J 1., the brood mares Scotch Night (half-sister to Dark Honald) with colt foal by Orby, and Brownie (by Galiinule), with a good colt by Marcovil, the Cicero yearling Winged Words, which cost lloOgns., and .'JO to 40 others, including several purchased at the Musket sales. Although the heavy loss was covered by insurance, that fact renders it none the less regrettable, as many of the horses will be difficult to replace. A considerable profit was offered on the purchase price of Maiden Erlegh before he was shipped. The vessel whose valuable cargo went to the bottom was one of the best known stock-carrying boats in the world.