SPORTING

Southland Times, Issue 18930, 2 May 1923, Page 3

SPORTING

NOTES BY SIR MODRED. Handicaps for the Wanganui Steeplechase and Canterbury Hurdles are due on Friday. An entry of twenty has been received for the Second Hurdle Handicap at Ashburton County meeting. The Martian gelding, Rapine, has gone into winter quarters at his Ngatarawa, Hawke's Bay quarters. There was some support locally on Saturday for Prosperity in his race at the Amberly R.C. meeting. The trotting races—one each day—at Aehburton County R.C. meeting have attracted entries of 31 and 36 respectively. Vagabond, by Martian—Gipsy Girl, who has raced in Australia and Maoriland, wo:» hie first hurdle race on Monday. Quite a number of West Coast horses art reported to race at Ashburton, Oamaru and Dunedin in the near future. Carmine may make his appearance in the best company during the progress of the Ashburton County R.C. meeting.

The imported English horse Telamon is being schooled at Riccarton for hurdle racing on behalf of the Ashburton owner, Mr Grigg.

The ponified Martian—Linda mare, Etta, after being treated to a spell, has been engaged to make her appearance in public at the Ashburton fixture.

Riccarton mentor, W. G. Hobbs, is to prepare the Tressady—Lileacre yearling recently purchased in Sydney at 260 gns. by Mr Murray Hobbs.

A wind against him in the far straight and the fact that W. J. Tomkinson was unwell after reaching Auckland may have accounted for Happy Voyage’s failure to do more than equal the one mile record.

Local trainer W. Robinson, hurried home from Timaru to attend to the schooling of Muzzle over the battens. On Monday morning Muzzle and Mettle Drift cleared three flights of hurdles in a satisfactory manner on the S.R.C. tracks. Robinson left again for the north on Tuesday, and, after campaigning Warhaven at the Ashburton County R.C. fixture, he will return to Invercargill with his pupils.

Light harness mentor A. McLellan will leave for Dunedin to-day with Wallacetown and Downcast to fulfil engagements at the Forbury Park T.C.’s Winter meeting, which commences on Saturday.

In England there is some talk in favour of a higher scale of weights, and one of the arguments advanced is that the present scale is likely to drive some of the best horsemen out of the game. This is an argument (says “Carbine” in N.Z. Times) that has been used in New Zealand in support of the Dunedin J. C.’s proposal to raise the minimum to 7.0.

In the past season local trainers had trouble at this time of the year in getting their charges exercised during the unfavourable weather, but the construction of a binder path has altered all this and of late regular work has always been possible. Yesterday morning F. Murray and J. A. Rowland galloped their respective pupils on the outside of the course proper. Francaise and Rigel in company running over six furlongs in Imin 23secs, a nice gallop on a dead track. With the light harness brigade the clay track was in good order and Wallacetown, Downcast, Clonmel and Solace got in some sound work, the lastnamed moving belter than for some time past.

Vagabond, winner of all sorts and conditions of races across the flat, including Auckland R.C, Handicap, Great Northern Guineas, Avondale Guineas, New Zealand Cup (1919>, Hastings Stakes and other events, scored his first success over the battens at the Hawke's Bay J.C.’s Autumn meeting on Monday, when he won the Karamu Hurdles for Mr W. R. Kemball. The full brother to Ascalaphus, winner of the Invercargill Cup of 1918, is a son of Martian and Gipsy Girl, by Gipsy Grand— Marion, by Maribyrnong—Peerees, by The Peer. He was bred by Mr J. F. Buchanan, owner of Martian, in 1914, and has raced profitably since he opened his two-year-old career. He should do well over the ■mall sticks.

The tax-gatherer has recently put a fine comb through adherents of the turf in South Australia, with the idea of raking off surplus earnings of trainers and owners. Recently a prominent Adelaide trainer received a communication containing numerous questions to be answered, such as: “What have your stake-winnings amounted to?” “What have you won in betting?” But the impertinent query 7 that annoyed him most was: “What have you got from punters on your horses?” Perhaps in so: row, more than in anger, he wrote: “Abuse I”

It is reported from Hawke’s Bay that Zeus, who is being worked by his owner, Mr T. E. Welch, gives the impression that his period of usefulness has not been exhausted. Zeus, it may be mentioned, is a son of Martian and Stephanie, by Stepniak —Fanna, by Maxim (son of Musket I—Hermione, by Cadogan—Helena, by Traducer— Strenna (impJ, and will go down in turf history as the first son of his sire to win an importafit cross-country event. The race referred to was the Beaufort Steeplechase Handicap of £750 (about 2i miles) decided at the last N.Z. Grand Nationa meeting. On the morning of the race the dusky horseman Rangi Thompson informed the writer that “he would win the Beaufort on an outsider,” and so it proved, as the Martian gelding was ninth selection in a field of ten, Glenisla being the outsider, and won by half a length from Old Gold—the tip was not accepted, it may be explained. Foaled in 1910, Zeus is getting up in years, but he may win again during the winter campaign. He is not the only jumper produced by Stephnie, as another of her sons, Gangway, by Castashore, raced over hurdles in New Zealand, and if memory is to be depended upon, afterwards competed with success in the tight little island of Tasmania. P. T. Hogan picked Gangway as a likely hurdler long before fie looked like earning a bracket.

It is good news to learn that the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s racing track is likely to have recovered from the effects of a visitation of flood waters and be ready for the use of trainers to-day. A number of Southland light harness horses have been ordered to the vicinity of the firingline of Saturday next, tempted by optimistic reports from Dunedin, and it is expected that the home province will be strongly represented on Saturday and Monday next. In the event of the track at South Dunedin being in suitable order on Monday next, the imported American trotter, The Triumph, will be stripped to beat the Revenue record of 2.11 2-5 for eight furlongs.

A Press Association message from Dunedin advises that Lady Joan has been penalised for her success in Auckland, with the result that she will start off the 12 yards mark in the Prince of Wales Handicap, the leading event of the Forbury Park T.C.’s meeting on Saturday.

The Wellington Racing Club’s Autumn meeting resulted in a cheque for £8,045 12s 9d being forwarded to the Government coffers in the shape of taxation. In addition there is a sum of £2OO odd paid in amusement tax. During the past season the Southland Racing Club paid £7,250 15s in taxation and racegoers ask why improved accommodation, including a grandstand outside to replace the building destroyed by fire some years ago, is not provided. JI the public who believe in racing would

I plainly let candidates for Parliamentary j honours understand their requirements and i vote accordingly, the wowser brigade would Ibe put to flight and turf taxation would i speedily be reduced to equitable limits.

Amongst the successful applicants for a jockey’s license at the recent sitting of the Licensing Committee of the Racing Conference was the ex-Southlander, J. Olsen. Olsen was formerly a prominent jockey on the flat (says the Dominion), and on taking to the cross country events had the ill-luck two season’s ago to get a badly damaged leg while riding Signysian at Napier Park. After a long spell in hospital the leg responded to treatment, and is now well and strong. Olsen, who has been attached to P. Hazelman’s stable, was in town during the week, and he states he will commence riding at 9st. when the winter meetings commence, and that he will reduce this weight considerably as time goes on. At present he intends to stay with Hazelman.

A Wanganui writer reports that the well-known steeplechaser, Khartoum, met with a bad accident on the W.J.C. tracks last week. He was being schooled in company with Naughty when the mishap occurred. The pair set out on a round of the cross-country fences, but, at the first obstacle, the hencoop, Khartoum galloped right kjto the jump, and came a purler, giving E. Copestake a nasty fall. The horse was badly injured in the shoulder and it was some time before he could be moved. The chances are that the descendant of King Rufus will be unable to race during the approaching winter season.

The judging at the Manawatu meeting came in for considerable criticism. The integrity of the judge was not questiqned (says “Carbine” in the N.Z. Times), but the public confidence was upset. First of all there was an altered decision. Then the public took exception to there being several persons beside the judge in the box; and finally it seemed that after close finishes jockeys hurried back to the box to urge their claims to the decision. FORBURY RE-HANDICAP. (Per United Press Association). DUNEDIN, May 1. Lady Joan has been penalised 12 yards in the Prince of Wales’ Handicap at the Forbury Trots.

FOOTBALL

WESTERN DISTRICT SUB-UNION. A meeting of the Western District Rugby Sub-Union, held in the Glbbe Hotel. Riverten on Saturday, was attended by Messrs F. C. Mills (chairman), D. Rae, W. Buddle, H. Brown, G. Duncan, and D. Hamilton. The secretary of the Riverton Club wrote regarding the fixture between that club and Otautau, which Otautau did not fulfil.—Decided that Otautau Club should make an explanation. The match set down to be played at Orepuki on May 12 was altered to be played at Orawia on the same date.

The following transfers were granted:— J. Smith from Riverton to Orawia; J. Dickson from Orepuki to Riverton; D. Mac Gibbon from Otautau to Orawia; A. Carston from Owaka to Orawia. The following Junior fixtures were arranged : May 9—Orepuki v. Otautau; referee, H. Brown.

May 12 —Riverton v. Nightcaps*; referee, Mr D. Rae.

May 16—Otautau v. Riverton; referee, Mr A. C. Mills.

May 19—Nightcaps v. Orawia; referee, Mr J. Wilson.

May 23—Riverton v. Orepuki; referee, Mr C. Cassells. Orawia v. Otautau; re feree, Mr Wyeth. • ! May 26—Otautau v. Nightcaps; referee, Mr A. C. Mills. Orepuki v. Orawia; referee, Mr H. Brown.

June 6—Orawia v. Riverton; referee, Mr Wyeth.

June 9—Nightcaps v. Orepuki; referee, Mr J. Wilson.

Each match to be played at the first mentioned place.

SOCCER

SELECTION OF NEW ZEALAND TEAM. OTAGO PROTESTS. (Per United Press Association). DUNEDIN, May 1. A meeting of the executive of the Otago Football Association has decided to proceed with the protest against the appointment of sole selector for the New Zealand team for Australia. In reference to Fordham’s statement “that the Otago Association had written in ignorance of the subject, for B. L. Salmond (selector) had a letter from the Association’s selector giving the names of players available from Otago district,” the Chairman stated that Salmond had written to the individual instead of the Association. Had his letter been sent to the Association it would have been referred to the selectors. It was regrettable that Fordham should have said what he did. His remarks indicate a cleavage between the Otago Association and the selectors which is not so. CUP FINAL RIOT. HUGE CROWD OUT OF HAND. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright). (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, April 30. A special meeting of the board of the Empire Exhibition has issued a report on the Wembley Cup final scenes stating that the trouble was due entirely to the unprecedented crowd which was three times greater than anticipated. All reasonable steps were taken to obtain order. Nearly five hundred police in addition to mounted men together with two hundred officials were present. The traffic ar rangements were so admirable that tens of thousands of people were landed on the scene with extraordinary rapidity. Once the crowd rushed the barriers no force ww adequate to cope with it.

TENNIS

THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM. SELECTION CRITICISED. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) SYDNEY, May 1. Brookes has informed the Tennis Council in the event of a tennis team sailing for America, that he saw no reason for altering the team selected—Anderson, Hawkes, Mclnnes and Schlesinger. It is suggested in Sydney circles that Brookes has overlooked the claims of New South Wales colts. Clemenger journeyed to Melbourne at the week-end at his own expense to demonstrate his superiority over Melbourne colts. He won one and lost one against Mclnnes. The match w’ith Schlesinger was unfinished owing to bad light 6—3, 3—6, 3—6. 6—3. The team can still be altered if altered prior to the Council confirming the selection. The American tennis authorities have informed the Australasian Council that the American zone final must be completed by August 11 so as to meet European winners on the 16th. This necessitates the departure of the Australian team early in June. Up to date £7O has been subscribed in Sydney and Melbourne tow’ards the £3OO required for Anderson’s business substitute. QUESTION OF AMATEUR STATUS. LONDON, April 30. Wallis Myers, commenting on the organisation of a fund to send a Davis Cup team to America headed by Anderson and to compensate the latter for business losses, says: “This interesting development in Australia shows the wisdom of the International Board’s decision. It does not define

the term amateur. Obviously it means one thing in Australia and another thing here and may mean something else in other countries. The financial position of governing bodies and clubs as well as players was involved. With 17 countries competing it would be impossible to design and enforce a uniform definition of an amateur.

CRICKET

HAWKE CUP COMPETITION CHRISTCHURCH, May 1. At a meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council, the chairman stated that the Hawke Cup competition had been put in the hands of a special committee, but it had not been found possible to get a satisfactory scheme. The only way, it seemed, was to go on as at present, but to limit the number of challenges that any one Association could receive. The group system was impracticable, owing to expense and difficulties of travelling. Among the minor counties in England circumstances were altogether different. The competition for the Hawke Cup, he said, was one of the finest features in New Zealand cricket. Last season a conference between those interested had been mooted and probably would be held in the winter.