SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11373, 16 May 1900, Page 6

SPORTING.

.—*- —■ i WANGANUI JOOIOT OLUB'9 - v'- ; STEEPLECHASE MEETING. _ ,v : [by TELEGRAPH.— association.] '• Wanoanui, Tuesday. '■•' The following is a list of this 'acceptances .received in connection with tbo abovo mooti ing, which opons on the 24th inst.: — WANGANUI STEEPLECHASE of 300sovs, e \ -'Three miles. St. lb. at. lb, Rhino ' ' ... 11 3 Tatararaoa ... 912 Blackdust ... 11 2 The Guard ... 911 e Whangaroa ... 11. 0 Cuckoo ... 911 Light ... 10 5 Claymore ... 9 9 6 Cairo 10 2 . Scallywag ... 9 8 First Hurdle Race of lOOsovs, two miles and a distance: Torpina' 11.7, Cannonado 10.5, 3 Deny 10.2, Vbltigeur 9.6, Kaimate 9.6, Stockado 9.6, Kauri Gum 9.5. i First Hack Flat Handicap of 80sov6, ono s mile and a distance: Taplow 9.1, Brilliantinc 8.7, Masona 8.3, Coma 8.0, Cora Linn 7.13, - Lubra 7.9, Somnolent 7.7, Legion of Houout 3 7.7, Tho Bugler 7.6, West Guard 7.5, Queen's e Guard 7.3, Liable 7.0, Last Spec 7.0, Forest Rose 7.0, Kurerow 7.0, Van 7.0, Manaroka t 7 - 0 -. , First Hack Hurdle Race of 75sovs, ono mile ) and a-half: Maparu 10.9, Whetu 10.7. Am* ' thyst 9.12. Matarawa 9.4, Laddie 9.0, Garfiold 9.0, Huka 9.0, Kilkenny 9.0 r Hunters' Hurdles of 50sovs, two miles: 3 Whetu 12.0, Egmont 11.7, Amethyst 11.4, Kai- - whakiroa 10.9, Sunlight 10.7, Berber 10.7, Trafalgar 10.7, ( Suburban Steeplechase of lOOsovs, two miles e and a-half: Whangaroa 11.6, Barbarossa 10.7, r Tho Friar 10.7, Tatararaoa, 10.3, Cuckoo 10.2, Fireworks 10.0, Scallywag 9.10, Tangahoo 9.9, Pipi 9.7, Silver Ray 9.7, Ronald 9.7. " Flying Stakes of lOOsovs, six furlongs: - Chasseur 9.5, Bonafido 8.12, Sundial 8.12, Ja--1 doo 8.6, Tho Hempio 8.6, Indian Shot 8.0, s Famous 8.0, Ostiak 7.12, Return 7.9, Jowel s Gun 7.5, St. Ada 7.3. t The scarcity of really tip-top racehorses in C England in comparison with tho largo numr bcr regularly bred and run is tho source of 3 much trouble with many writers in tho Eng--3 lish press. The increase in tho number of horses running in each year during the nineties ranged from 2100 in 1590 to 5753 in 1899 -nearly double Up to 1895 it had failed to reach 3000; but that year it got up to 3089, • to be increased to 3556 in 1897, and now to 200 > beyond this. In 1893 the number was 3571, - made up of 1364 two-year-olds, 1039 threol year-olds, 517 four-year-olds, and 651 fivo and upwards. The two-year-olds thon exceeded f the whole of the seniors from three upwasds, t being also 300 odd more than the latter. The I gradual increase of two-year-olds during the , same period takes us from 934 in 1890 to nearly 1500 in 1899. If we consider tho few j good animals of any age now running (says 1 a London pajwr of January 23), this array of figures must be viewed as serious, and should , be deemed positively alarming. One of our t i best Derby years was 1864, in which season I' tho number of racehorsos totalled 1943. If ■ with half the number of horses running wo . could produce half-a-dozen such as Blair Athol, General Peel, Scottish Chief, Ely, , Cambuscan, and Paris, what ought not 36 ' years of " improvement of tho broed" to do ' I for us? Tho return of brood mares in tho j Stud Book is now nearer six thousand than • | five; in 1864 it was nothing liko half tho - I number, and a 200-guinea sire had not thon i been heard of. Yet one reads of some protty ■ good ones running about that time: Lord . j Olifdon, Saecharometer, Liddiugton, Fillo do ( j I'Air. Breeze, Tomato, Fairwater, Culler Ou, I Umpire, and plenty of others that would I mako short work of most of our modern lot. i This is not satisfactory to reflect over, ami if I our classics, any or all, should bo taken from 1; us this season—bv no moons an impojsiblo I contingency—it will not tend to mako matters . I much better.