SPORTING.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1433, 5 December 1919, Page 6

SPORTING.

FIXTURES. SEASON 1919-20. Dec. 10—Bay of Plenty J.C. Annual. Dec. 10 and 11 —Woodville District J.C. Summer. Dec. 17 —Taumarunui B.C. Annual. Dec. 20, 27, and 29 —Manawatu R.C. Summer. Dec. 26 and 27 —Taranaki J. C. Christmas. Dec. 26 and 27 —Westland R.C. Summer. Dec. 26 and 29, Jan. 1 and 2—Auckland R.C. Summer. Dec. 31, Jan. 1 and 3 —Greymouth J.C. Mid-summer. NOTES. Nominations for ail events at the Marton summer meeting close to-niglit with. Mr A. Way, secretary, Marton. Nominations for all events at the summer meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club close to-night at 8 o’clock with Mr H. S. Moss, secretary Acceptances for the Auckland Cup, Railway Handicap. G.N. Derby, G.N. Foal Stakes and Royal Stakes, also nominations for minor events at the Auckland Racing Chib’s summer meeting close this afternoon at 5 o’clock. Acceptances for first-day events and a final payment for the 14th Palmerston North Stakes at the Manawatu Racing Club’s summer meeting will close on Tuesday next at 9 p.m. with Mr J. M. Johnston, secretary, P.O. box 52, ’phone 195, Palmerston North. Nominations for all ccvnts at the Wairarapa Racing Club’s summer meeting close w r ith Mr C. J. Carlyon, secretary, at 5 p.m. to-day (Friday). The full programme, ■which i° a very attractive one, will be found in thh “Referee.”' Vigilo, who was running a good race in the Hack Hurdles at Feilding on Saturdays until interfered with, is now an inmate of MeAuley’s stable at Foxton. The acceptances for the Woodville meeting are quite above the average both in numbers and q,uality r and will give punters something to think about. Mr Henrys has certainly made a good job of the handicapping, and given fine weather the club should have a record meeting on Wednesday and Thursday next.

An “extra effort” syndcate of Sydney' tonsorial artists in one of the Melbourne Cup sweeps drew Artilleryman (first), two non-starteis, a twoscore prize, and a couple of lesser ones. A well-known sporting scribe in commenting on their luck says “cripcs, y r ou’d get a riclfctty shave in that saloon next morning.” Quito a number of improvements to the stands, tracks and lawns are in progress at the Hawera racecourse. The Government derived £10,665 .13/8 in the shape of tax from the N.Z. Metropolitan Trotting Club Meeting, the general tax being £5684 2/, dividend tax £4921 11/, and the tax on stakes £lll. Mr C. C. Sheath, seerctaiy of the Now Zealand Jockeys' Association, has forwarded a copy of the following letter to the secretary of the Takapuna Jockey Club: —“Dear sir, —At a meeting of my executive I was instructed to draw your club’s attention to the following, and they sincerely hope the requests will bo given effect to at your future meetings: (P) That you keep the racing track free of dogs. The number of stray dogs at your last meeting was a danger to the li\cs of the jockey's riding in each race (2) That all jockeys’ fees shall be pa*d. in cash immediately after the last race. (3) That your club will carry out Part xxv., Rule 2, which states; 'No horse shall be ordered to the post more than twenty minutes before the lime appointed for starting. If your club finds it necessary to alter the starting time of any race my Association has no objection, as it is not any concern of ours, but to alter the starting time after the horses have boon ordered to the post, thereby increasing the time longer than twenty minutes from the time the horses arc ordered to the post, my executive objects to, as it is an entire breach of the above rule. The jockeys were ordered to th. 1 post 33 minutes before they were ordered to line up to the barrier in the last race on Wednesday, and, taking into consideration the fact that many of the jockeys had been wasting and are clad only' in thin riding colours, my executive is of opinion tint your club showed scant consideration for their feelings. ’ ’ Complaints arc also made in this district about the undue length of time that horses arc sent to the post before a race. In Australia the horses go straight from the paddock to the starting barrier, the time of the starting of the race from the time the horses leave the paddock being 10 minutes at tlie most. Kipling again lot his connections down at Feilding. The half Inother to Bobrikoff is going to prove a pretty expensive proposition to his connections. By winning the Feilding Stakes and Oroua Stakes the Australian-bred Acre has shown himself to be an accomplished sprinter. When the son of Linacro romp'd home in front for the firstnamed event, such came in the shape of a surprise, but though lie was penalised for the Oroua Stakes that did not stand in the way of Ins being made favourite for that race. Croesus, who was in receipt of 31b from his Australian rival in the Oroua Slakes, put up a courageous finish, but Acre secured the verdict by a head. Acre, who figures in the A.R.C. Railway' Handicap, was originally' weighted for the Ellerslic race with S.-.t Sib, but as a result of his dual win his impost will bo raised to Sst Kill) as (hji l result of a 51b penalty. This may not place him out of court, but it will us well for backers to awail the posting of the acceptances as the Australian horse is also engaged at the .Manawatu meeting, which opens on the same day as the A.R.C. gathering at Ellerslic. Joekcys are invited to inspect the latest productions in coloured clothtop boots, Just landed at Hannah’s.*