THE TURF.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16186, 24 July 1923, Page 3

THE TURF.

STEEPLECHASE MEETING. Tho Gisborne Pacing Club’s-steeple-elui-so meeting will bo held at tlio Park racecourse on Thursday and Saturday pi this week, and tho only bar to a highly 'successful meeting is the possibility of really bad weather. The climatic conditions appear to be improving, however, and it would-be thoroughly ju keeping with the records of the Gisborne tracing Club if sunshiny weather were vouchsafed for the balance of the week. The organisation of the meeting is on the usual excellent lines, and the regular • staff of racecourse officials will handle tho office and tote arrangements. Mi B. It. Lusk will be tho judge, and Mr K. H. .Skipvvith will supervise tho dispatch of the lields. The acceptances for the first day are unusually good. While local horses the hulk of tho acceptances, .outside owners arej represented by a round dozen of well-known horses. In the Gisborne Steeplechase Handicap live horses have accepted and a really line race is anticipated. Tho Maiden Hack Itace has, as usual, the biggest hold, a ‘ total of twenty-one. The Hack Elat Handicap has fifteen horses, and the „ Flying Handicap eleven. Seven jumpers have accepted lor -the Park Hurdles, ten •for the Tramway Steeplechase, and the last race of the day, the Winter Oats, has drawn a field of six. • All the indications are for a ,\:ery largo attendance, and with; the gradual improvement in the times it is'anticipated that the totalisator returns, the true barometer of public interest in racing, will show a marked recovery. Tfic first race starts at 11.30 a.m., and special train arrangements have been made for tho convenience of town and country patrons. P IS. TROTTING CLUB’S ANNUAL MEETING. I*he 1923 annual mooting of the P.B. Trotting Club will be hold on Friday, July 27, at the Park racecourse. The acceptances are, well above previous figures, particularly from the point of view of outside owners, and as in the case of the Gisborne Racing Club steeplechase meeting it is expected that tho day will be one filled with excellent sport. The big race of the day is, of course, tho P.B. Trotting Cup Handicap, for which eleven trotters have accepted. The cup is an exceedingly handsome trophy,- and should bo provocative of very keen competition. The biggest field of the day will probably come out ,i» tlio Wuikanae handicap, in which fifteen have accepted. The Park handicap is not far behind with thirteen, and the smallest field is in tho Stewards’ handicap, for which nine acceptances have been received. Even allowing for liberal scratchings, every race will be contested by a good number of trotters, and the public are promised a splendid day's sport. TROTTING NOTES. This morning the track presented a busy scene, a large number of visiting horses doing useful work. The track was very heavy. With fine weather the public should have a splendid day’s outing on the 27th inst, upon the occasion of the Poverty Bay Trotting Club’s meeting. With ,T. Bryce, Andrew Bryce, Withers, and Rennet ti here to compete for the gold whip, the racegoers should witness some very fine sport, as these men are considered to be amongst tlie beat reinsmen in New Zealand. Bryce’s team of horses seem to bo in great buckle. Mr. J. R. Carrington’s horses are also looking well, and should put Up good performances on tho day. In fact all the visiting horses are a very fine lot. The local trotters, Wild Lnd, Medway, and Peter Dean, should run well in tlio Cup. Tho remainder of the • Gisborne horses are a useful lot and should be seen at their best on Friday. At present some 30 outside horses are here, and there aro. a number yet to arrive;