SPORTING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9185, Issue 9185, 8 April 1910, Page 7

SPORTING.

Tho gelding Waitapu was schooled at Ellerslie befo.re he was taken South, again giving a very careful display. Gossip, the dam of Bobrikoff, who was foaled in 1898, was sold in Melbourne in 1903 for 105gs for exportation to New Zealand.

"Tommy Burns" has decided to get out of the racing business, and his horses, Brilliant Boy and Julia B, are for sale. The latter is a two-year-old half-sister by Soult to Annapolis, the West Australian champion.

The amount exacted by the Government under the new regulations from the Auckland Racing Club over the recent autumn mooting was £948, which is just about twice the amount the club would have had to pay under the old system. It is quite possible that Armlet may be shipped to Australia in the winter, but there is no certainty about it, and the difficulty would lie in getting someone to look after R. J. Mason's team during his absence.

The Wellington Racing Club conducted a 10s totalisator at the Trentham mooting, and it was well patronised. The A.J.C. Doncaster Handicap winner was for sale for 750gs before the race, but. luckily for the owner, no one took the horse.

Private advices from Sydney state that the jiencillers had all the worst of the battle with the punters at tho recent A.J.C. meeting. At the Queensland meeting on the 26th inst. tho Auckland-bred filly Lady Olga (by Merriwec —St. Olga) won the Trial Handicap in easy style from a field of 12. Lady Olga was bred by the late Mr W. Porcival, and was sold as a yearling at Glenora Park for 90gs. J. Pcachcy, who has trained for Mr Jas. Bull for some years past, has given up the charge of that owner's horses. Pcachey is at present having a look round in Wanganui, and may decide to settle there.'

Tho Now Zealand Cup winner 'Frisco has again been put into work. The son of Earwig, who is in tho same stable as North East and Strathmoira, has been doing stud duty in the Hunterville district. Mahuta is also duo to resume work at an early date.

Storey, the winner of the Doncaster Handicap and Coogco Handicap at Randwick, was picked up as a yearling for 20gs. He was for sale at 750gs om the day that he won tho Doncaster Handicap, and, as that race was worth over £1200 to the winner, a groat bargain was missed. Mr E. E. A. Oatlcy has good reason to rejoice that no buyers wore in the field for Storey. Hero is another illustration of a valuable race being captured by adopting a patient course. Recognising that Storey required time to mature, he was not raced until three years old.

The stallion King Rufus, purchased this week for New Zealand by Mr G. M. j Currie at the New South Wales sale, is a highly-bred young horse, rising four years old, by William Rufus (son of Melton) from' Arrowroot, by Morion from Semolina, by St. Simon. "Terlinga," of the Australasian, who selected Trafalgar and Maltine to beat Bobrikoff in the Autumn Stakes at Randwick, penned the following after the running:—"Bobrikoff upheld his New Zealand reputation by beating the best horses Australia could produce, and running a mile and a half in 2min 33sec! He ie a very*" plain-looking customer, and one would hardly expect a combination of the flashy Finland and little Gossip to produce a first-class racehorse, but it has done so. All the same, I wish Alawa had been here to take on the New Zealander. Ho made Maltine look very small at Caulfield. I doubt if we saw the best of Trafalgar. He looked decidedly big for Trafalgar, and failed to The defeat of Bobrikoff in the A.J.C. Plate on Saturday last was not altogether unexpected. There has always been the impression that the brilliant son of Finland does not care for a journey extending beyond a mile and a half when the pace is solid, and very few expected, says Phaeton, that Mr Lowry would run his crack over a thrce-milo course. The Hawkc's Bay owner, however, sent the champion out to battlo against Prince Foote and Co., and probably expecting a slow run race in tho early stages, which would suit Bobrikoft ; but * tho connections of tho champion three-year-old evidently knew that tho New Zealandcr would not see out a solid run race, for Prince Foote made it merry from the start, running the distance in 5.28, only 4§scc outside the Australian record. Bobrikoff cut an inglorious figure, and was last of the four runners, and although his brilliancy cannot be denied, he must at present be written down as a non-stayer. It is only a fow years ago that, owing to tho leniency of a number of handicappcrs. the N.Z. Racing Conference were compelled to pass a rule making it compulsory to start a handicap at 9.0. This, however, has not altogether had the desired effect, for it seems to be the fashion nowadays to handicap a couple of horses up to the 9.0 mark and then make a flattering handicap with the-others. Take tho recent A.R.C. Autumn Meeting. In not one flat race, outside the Welter, was there a starter carrying 9.0, while so low did the weights range that- it was impossible to get riders, and overweights were numerous. The tendency to keep the weights down is to be regretted, for, instead of competent horsemen being able to ride, youngsters have to be put up, and this, to a large extent, is responsible for the number of complaints we hear as to foul riding, and also the unruly horses at the barrier. Tho evil is getting worse, and it is now up to the authorities to raise the minimum weight to, say, 7.0, instead of, as at present, 6.7. Describing the race for,the All-Aged Stakes, the Sydney Daily Telegraph writes:— Prince" Footo, Parsee, all tho two-year-olds entered, and some others having gone out. left Knox, Bright Steel, Maltine, Bobrikoff, Noirbo. Irishman, ant! Malt King to run for the All-Aged Stakes prize of a thousand sovereigns, and though several of them had no right at all there, the field was aristocratic. Still, the absence of Prince Foote and at lci'st ono of tho two-year-olds. was regretted, and robbed the contest of some interest. Knox and Bright Steel represented Victoria,, but they were not seriously considered, nor was Noirbo, and Now' Zealand played its strongest card with Bobrikoff, while Malt King, Maltine. and Irishmr.n were considered worth- to represent the elder State. In the

ring Bobrikoff was, a very pronounced favourite, with Malt King next, and Maltino third. But tho result of the race did not bear out expectations. Generally, a bitterly fought contest was looked for, and so was a new mile record for tho Commonwealth, neither of which, however, came about. On the other hand, it was practically a one-horse race from tho timo tho field entered tho straight; at all events, it was so over the last two furlongs, for Bobrikoff. Almost from tho moment tho start was-made Bobrikoff took up a position in the rear, while j Knox and the handsome Bright Steel j were cutting out the work at tho best pace they were equal to, and Maltino was always handy to them. All the way j tho field" ran in close formation., right j into the straight, but as they "landed j there an opening on tho rails presented j itself, and Bobrikoff, taking advantage j of it, was in front in a twinkling. Maltino was first to make her effort, and as Bobrikoff headed for tho last furlong she went after him. Malt King, at the same moment, made his bid, but it lacked brilliancy. Meanwhile, however, Bobrikoff was reaching out in great stylo, and adding to his advantage. Interest in the race vanished a long way from tho judge's box, for Bobrikoff was | three lengths in front, and on the way home he increased it to four lengths, by which big margin he boat Maltinp, who was attended by Malt King. Irishman was a close fourth, and a long way in front of all tho others. Though Bobrikoff is a stranger, ho was accorded a hearty cheer. Ho won because ho was the better horse at the weights, and though tho time he made for tho AllAged Stakes was slower than tho record, it would have required qnc of j tho best milers ever seen here to have j beaten him yesterday. Malt King did not run with his accustomed dash, and Irishman was almost on top of him at tho finish. SOUTHLAND RACES. (Per Press Association.} • INVERCARGILL, April 7. Tho Southland Racing Club's autumn meeting concluded to-day. The weather was showery, and the attendance good. Tho totalisator returns for the mooting were £8446, as against £6572 last year. Nine bookmakers were again licensed. Tho total foes for the meeting were £354. Results: — Second Handicap Hurdles. —Coy 1, Homeward 2, Royal Shell 3. Awarua Handicap.—Stratagem 1, Obsono 2, Astrakhan 3. Time, 2.4 4-5. Myross Welter. —Officious 1, Radiator 2. Sombrero 3. Time, lmin 22secs. President's Welter. —Strathfillan 1, My Lawyer 2, Rifle Range- 3. Time, 1.36 2-5. Second County Mile. —Wairaki 1, Baron Northburn 2,' Grafton Laddie 3. Time. 1.52. Winter Oats.—Warsaw 1, Cuiroscttia 2, Adage 3. Timo, 1.49 4-5.'