TURF TOPICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16918, 24 December 1925, Page 14

TURF TOPICS.

FIXTURES—RACING. December 26—Waipulcurau J.C. December 26, 28—Westland R.C. December 26, 28—Taranaki R.C. December 26, 28—Dunedin J.C. December 26, 28, 29—Manawatu R.C, December 26, 29, January 1, 2—Auckland R.C. January 26, 28—Wairoa R.C. Annual. Feb. 4, 6—Gisborne R.C. Summer. Feb. 11, 13—Poverty Bay T.C. Summer Meeting. Fein 18—Tolaga Bay J.C. Annual. Feb. 25. —Waiapu R.C. Annual. March 10—Opotiki J.C. Annual

TROTTING. December 26 —Gore T.C. December 26 —Ashburton T.C, Dec. 26, 28 —South Wairarapa T.C. December 26, 2S—Westport T.C. December 28, 30, 31 —Auckland T.C, December 30—Inangahua T.C. December 30 —AVinton T.C. January 1, 2—Canterbury Park T.C. January 2-—Westland T.C. January 5, 6 —Greymouth T.C. January 16—Wellington T.C.

The Avondale Jockey Club lias been informed by the Hon. It. F. Bollard (Minister of Internal Affairs) that, in consequence of the remodelling of the Avondale racecourse, the club's next autumn and spring meetings may be held at Ellerslie. * # » « The announcement that D. Withers during the Cup meeting at Auckland will make an attempt with Great Bingen to reduce the New Zealand pacing record of 2.3 2-5, held by Acron, makes good reading. Great Bingen is now recognised as the best pacer in the Dominion, and if Mr. J. R. McKenzie’s horse succeeds in establishing fresh figures the owner will come in for much congratulation. If Great Bingen lowers the record he will earn £IOO, and should he beat the record by two seconds he gets £250.

* *| * * George Phipps has sprung some good ones on the New Zealanders, but it is doubtful if he ever gave them a better one than Black Lila, says the Sydney Sportsman. When he took Black Lila over a few months ago the railbirds were not impressed. She was tucked up, and they had not seen her hump her list to the front in a Sydney Thousand, carrying a rider who was as much use to her as a sack of grain. George sprang her on the Otahuhu meeting in the Massey Memorial Handicap of £SOO, one mile and aquarter. In a field of 12 she was the absolute outsider.. She trailed the favorite, Florrio Bingen, from the word go till the straight was reached, when Phjpps pulled her out and gave Florrie the go-by, winning in 2.47, a 2.13 J gait. We have seen Black Lila finish out over a distance with list of indifferent rider on her back. In her early days Black Lila earned her oats drawing fruit in a cart to and from her owner’s farm to the Richmond railway station, and her first efforts in the racing line were in a Tradesman’s Trot, at a meeting of the Richmond Trotting Club.

THE HOLIDAY PROGRAMME. AUCKLAND CUP PROSPECTS. Although Gisborne-owned horses are racing at Waipukurau and at Awapuni on Saturday, the Auckland Cup meeting at Ellerslie is absorbing the attention of most Poverty Bay followers of the sport of racing. There the representatives of the district’s foremost owners and breeders will endeavor to repeat the successes obtained by Gisborne horses in other years, and it is confidently anticipated that at least some of the stake money will find its way into local circulation.

It is the Auckland Cup race, of course, that commands first attention on the Ellerslie programme, and the opinions or experts who are. in touch, with the big training centres arc be-; ing eagerly canvassed. Ono of the i curious developments of the Cup prospects is the emergence of Hazo as one of the pre-post favorites for the big two-mile event, and even many of those whose support has placed Air. j Greenwood’s entrant in that position are not very clear in regard to their choice. In an analysis of the posi- j tion, ‘■ The Watcher” comments as follows upon the Haze boom: — | ‘‘lt is a remarkable position for a maiden to be one of the favorites for a race like the Auckland Cup, yet that j is what Haze has come to. He has never won a race, but his seconds in first-class company have brought him much into the limelight. R. .T. .Mason will not have it that the gelding is as good as people think him, .and this makes the position all the more interesting. When Hazo finished second to Rapine in the Metropolitan Handicap he carried 7.7 to Rapine’s 9.7, and was beaten by two lengths very decisively,- for at the distance Haze looked a winner, but_ was unable to withstand the determined finishing effort of the top-weight. Rapine also stood him up some ground from the straight entrance, for Hazo was always well up, just in behind the pnee-ipakers. This would point to Haze not being so very good after all, especially in view of the subsequent defeats of Rapine by The Banker in the Canterbury Cup and Runnymedo in the Stead Gold Cup. In the Auckland Cup Haze receives 51b the better of the deal, but if the Metropolitan form is repeated it will hardly be sufficient to reverse the order between the pair. Then if Rapine can dispose of Haze, what about The Banker? This Kilbronoy gelding may have been somewhat lucky to win the New Zealand Cup, and it looked as if he was, but after the Cup he won on his merits. He is a four-year-old, and therefore has the advantage of Rapine, and it is only reasonable to expect him to bo more improved than the Martian six-year-old on their Riccarton form. He meets Rapine at the weight-for-age difference, and, all things considered, the form at the New Zealand Cup meeting is in favor of the New Zealand Cup winner. This includes also Count Cavour, who may at the difference of 101 b. be a more dangerous opponent. to The Banker than either Rapine or Haze, but; he is not like Rapine and The Banker, a weight-for-age winner, nor, for that matter, is Musketoon, or any other of the runners in the field. The Banker and [Rapine are the only two in the whole fifteen runners who could be considered worthy of representing the Dominion in, say, the weight-for-age races at Rand wick next autumn. Could any other be chosen who would have

reasonable chances of success? Musketoon, perhaps, may be considered on his improved form this season. Weight, of course, tells its tale at the end of a two-mile .journey, and if there is amongst, the light-weights a sticker, the top-weights may have some trouble in shaking him off. Perhaps it may be Star Ranger, who, on his season’s performances, is lucky to get in so lightly.”

THE SPORTSMAN’S HANDBOOK

The latest issue of the New Zealand Turf Register (pocket edition) is now available, and will no doubt find its way into every sportsman’s library. Its contents are a comprehensive volume of racing information, in a

form sufficiently succinct to make tin 10-.io or readily poeketable. They cover the public form of all horses that; have raced in New Zealand, in running and trotting events, from August Ist to December sth, and give the essential details as to weather and course conditions. In addition, the sportsman will find the list of racing fixtures and the jockeys ’ directory. A new departure adopted by the compilers of this authoritative turf handbook is the indication given as to the trainer of every winner. WAIRARAPA CUP. (Per Acs.i'MMfcion.i MASTERTON, last -night. Agitato 7.1 was omitted from the Wairarapa Cup in the telegraphed list of acceptors for the Wairarapa summer meeting. BIG FEES. AMERICAN HORSE RACING., NEW YORK, Dec. 15.—-Sam Hildreth, America’s most famous trainer, lias contracted for another six years to run Sinclair’s Rancocas stables at a salary of £SOOO annually and a percentage of the earnings. Laverne Fator, the jockey, gets £7OOO as first jockey.