SPORTING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9115, Issue 9115, 11 January 1910, Page 5

SPORTING.

Bs "Gebaint.''

To-morrow the Pahiatua Racing Club will inaugurate its summer meeting, and it promises to be one of the many successful gatherings held by the Club, the executive of which has fully solved the problem of how to conduct a meeting successfully either from a financial or social point of view. Acceptances for to-morrow's racing are most satisfactory and include Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, and Mana.\vatu horses, the leavening certainly mixing form as compared with what has been noted on this side of the range during the Christmas and New Year racing. The train service from Palmerston will be found excellent. Special trains will leave Palmerston for Pahiatua each day at 9.45 a.m., reaching Pahiatua at about 11.20 a.m. They will return at 6 p.m. each day, and excursion fares will be issued. Previous reference has been made in this column to the excellent sward on the new course at Rangitikei following upon a liberal use of special grass seed supplied by Messrs Barraud and Abraham. Confirmation of the good results is also available from the polo grounds adjoining the course, where there is a perfect carpet of delightful green, making a soft and springy turf that quite takes' the sting out of the most energetic polo even for the most "tender" ponies. Indian files received at Sydney contain information that the ex-New Zealander Soultline (by Soult—Castorline) scored an easiy win in the December Plate at Calcutta. The Viceroy's Cup in India was run 1 on Boxing Day, and the winner turned up in the English imported Retort. The runner-up. Fizz, also hails from the Motherland. Master Delaval, who won many races in New Zealand, was placed third. Peru, the Australian horse, was to have started in this race, but went wrong, so his stable mate, Master Delaval, was started. The Auckland-bred pony Norma, who went to Australia, has been shipped to India. Lord Nolan has been suffering from a bad heel, and, although very lame, has been kept a frequent visitor to the Flemington tracks. With the exception of Paisano, Parable was in a class by herself of the horses engaged at the Hastings meeting. The Western India Turf Club gives something like £900 per annum to its handicapper. It is said that in riding fees Wootton received £7000 in the season just closed in England. Hewitt finished third on the winning list in Austria last season. A native of Austria called Janek was first, while the ex-Australian horseman Carslake was second. Hewitt recently paid a visit to England from Austria, and while there won the Croxteth Plate on Well Done, who belongs to Lord Derby. The race was over five furlongs, and Hewitt, getting well away from the barrier, was never afterwards troubled. Mr E. P. Gall headed the owners' winning list in Ireland with a total of £2734 in tho season just closed. By the above figures it appears that there is not a great deal of money to be won by owners in Ireland. General Symons (Childwick—Hamiltrude) was the most successful sire, with 13 winners, totalling £2518. This season General Symons' list is already fufi at fee of 98 guineas. Argentine buyers will pay good prices for English stallions, but not for mares. A well-known English writer says that Argentine buyers will not hesitate to give 30,000 guineas for a sire, but will not give more than 300 guineas for a mare to mate with him. Formby can be placed as the best two-year-old seen out since the season opened. He gave the Hon. J. D. Ormond his first win in the Great Northern Foal Stakes since Renown won in 1899. Grand Slam has been put out of work. J. R. Franks gained his first victory for Messrs Stead Bros, when Ringdove won the Wairarapa Cup. _ Pukewai won his first race at Wairarapa, although since last winter, when he first started racing, he has run very consistently. He was bred by Mr S. H. Gollan, being by Waiuku out of Miss Dargon. During the last nine months' racing in France between £9,000,000 and j £10.000,000 has passed through the totalisator. The French Government take 8 per cent out of this. San Lass has arrived in Palmerston and has joined H. Telford's string. Jeanne D'Arc, who was sent early in the season on a visit to Conquerer, was returned home stinted, but after a period of nine weeks had elapsed she had to be 6ont to Sir Laddo, there not being sufficient time to send her back to the Wairarapa horse, and she is now out at the stud farm at Stoney Creek. Her foal by Conqueror has grown well and is full of quality.