SPORTING

Southland Times, Issue 18975, 23 June 1923, Page 3

SPORTING

NOTES BY SIR MODRED. Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club meeting takes place to-day. Jockey M. McCarten failed to win a race at Napier Park. Dannevirke R.C. Winter meeting takes place on Wednesday next. King George’s win with Weathervane in Ascot Hunt Cup was very popular. Nominations for the leading events of the Grand National meeting due Friday next. McCarten rode in every available flat event at Napier Park, but did not win a race. When Vagabond won the Hawkes Bay Hurdle Race he returned a surprising price. The Dannevirke Hunt Club’s annual fixture takes place on Thursday of the incoming week. It is understood that Silver Peak is to be prepared for the New Zealand Cup on Riccarton tracks. When the last mail to hand left Sydney, the majority’ of R. J. Mason’s team were to be sent up for sale. If northern experts can be believed a number of horses raced at Napier Park had about a week’s training. Kick-Off is reported to be doing well, and it is anticipated that he will reach Sydney a fresher horse than on previous trips. The speedy Listowel has been tried out over the battens at Wanganui, and is reoorted to have shaped well for a novice. There is a chance that Frenchman and Bon Spec will run in their first hurdle races at the Wellington Winter fixture. The hunter Cadet, who has been qualified in the Manawatu district, has reached Canterbury to be raced at local hunt gatherings. It is reported that Comical, by MerryMoment—Mint Queen, is under offer to an Australian buyer, but the price has not been made public. He name of Nouveau Rich has been claimed for Mr W. G. Stead’s Absurd —Class colt, who is to form one of the northern owner’s Sydney shipment. Light harness horseman J. McLennan has a growing string of horses in work at Oamaru, a two-year-old colt by Great Audubon —Miss Florrie C. being the hope of the stable. A prominent candidate for the Wellington R.C.’s Trial Plate will be the two-year-old Clandhu, who is a son of Martian and Black Ada. He is reported to be above the average. That one-time proficient ’chaser Gang iwa’, who is troubled in his breathing apparatus, ran badly in recent races in Hawke’s Bay, and will probably retire from the racing arena.

The Wellington owner Mr K. D. Duncan, has disposed of the full brother to King of Hearts, by Boniform—Dearest, to Mr E. S. Luttrell, of Christchurch. He will race as Bonito from W. Hobbs’s stable. It is not intended to rebuild the boxes destroyed by fire at Trentham. The providing of boxes is to be left to private enterprise, and . the fire-swept zone is to be turned into a motor paddock. According to the Caulfield trainer J. Mc7ann, who is on a visit to Wellington (reports “Glencoe” of the Dominion), the Australian buyers are all well primed as to the ability of Loughrtu, and were Mr Hazlett disposed to put a price on the bay gelding a very big sum could be obtained for him. “I shall adjourn this case for the stipendiary to deal with, because, though the law must be upheld, I personally do not believe in fining people for street betting when other people can bet by telephone with immunity,” said the Mayor of Grimsby (England), Councillor Walter Womersley, when a man was before him for street betting. A great deal has been heard of the Hawke’s Bay steeplechaser Ranui of late, but “Glencoe,” the Wellington writer, utters a word of warning to backers who would Xish to support this well-performed novice future leading events. He remarks: •It did not come as a surprise when Ranui Jorfeited his second engagement at Napier, ind also his Hawke’s Bay steeplechase one as the chestnut was lame after winning the Napier big event. He is also light in condition, and will need careful handling if he is to survive the season.” The Canterbury owner, Mr C. G. Dalgety, has engaged three well-bred youngsters in the QJ.C. Welcome Stakes, the rising two-year-olds being as follows: —Bay gelding Footfall, by Autumnua —Warstep; bay colt Revel, by Gay Lad—Nautville; and bay filly Starmist, by Ajtumnus—Stardancer. Sir George Clifford and Mr A. B. Williams have six youngsters each in the big juvenile event, while Messrs W. R. Kemball and T. H. Lowry have both named four representatives to carry their respective colours. Mr W. G. Stead tops the list with seven Absurd col La.

It is reported from Wellington that several buyers have recently been in quest of the Martian—Gipsy Belle two-year-old in J W. Lowe’s stable at Trentham, but the owner, Mr A. J. Toxward, who bred him, will not entertain the idea of a sale. Mr W. G. Stead recently informed the Wellington writer “Glencoe” that his two mares, Shrill and Sundust, who had been sent to the imported English stallions Sarchedon and Magpie, at the Miller Stud in New South Wales, are both believed to be in foal. One of Mr A. B. Williams’s entrants for the CJ.C. Welcome Stakes is closely related to a well-known Southland-owned horse. The youngster is a brown colt called Redpole, by Solferino—Grey Linnet (dam of Songbird). It would not be surprising if a great sprinter like Solferino should begat a fast horse from the imported English mare, as Songbird displayed early speed on his first one furlong try-out on the Southland R.C. tracks and proved afterwards that the effort was no flash in the pan.

Mr W. Stone informs the Dunedin correspondent of the Weekly Press that Anton is to be taken up again in the spring, as he has now become amenable to reason. The writer referred to dubs Anton, a jumper, evidently being unaware that the gelding referred to has never been ■ehooled in his life, his only claim to jumping fame being his runaway performance as a two-year-old at Wingatui when he bolted with his pilot and cleared the water jump. Anton, now a six-year-old black gelding, displayed great speed on the tracks when purchased by Mr Stone at a high price from Mr M. Hobbs, but he at once developed erratic tendencies, and, after being tried out patiently, he ran his last race as a three-year-old in the Waihola Handicap at the Dunedin J.C. Autumn meeting of 1920. He is a South Australian-bred gelding by the ▼ery successful imported English sire St. Anton from W'onderland. If he has beeome more reasonable with age, there is a chance that he will win races, as there was ■ever any doubt as to his ability to gallop fast prior to his being relegated to obscurity some years ago. According to Sydney Sportsman W. J. Tom kin son and J. Bryce intend visiting Australia in the near future. The champion pacer, Happy Voyage, is also to return to the land of his birth. I. H. Andrews’ lease of the A.J.C. Derbywinner, Rivoli, expired on June 1, and that horse is nominated for the Spring handicaps in the name of his owner and breeder, Mr J. H. S. Barnes. In Sydney and Melbourne this season Rivoli has won £7910 in prize-money. Andrews will continue to train the son of Repartee. Instances of cheap horses developing into winners of good races are not infrequent On the turf, but the latest example of a gift performer turning up trumps will take »ome beating. It comes from New South Walee. where Mr Hunter White gave Les Paddington to Mr J. Hewitt as a two yearGid, and the latter in turn gave him to Mr W. Thompson, on the score that he was not worth training. He was passed on again and for Mr R. C. Treewicke won the Australian Jockey Club’s Hurdle Race of £2OOO and secured other stake money. He has won three hurdle races at Randwick •nd holds two time records over the AJ.C. battens.

The Press Association telegram giving the result of the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle Race made Vagabond record a winning performance over one mile and threequarters in the remarkable time of 3min 10 4-ssec, wfttph seemed to be too good to be true.

It now transpires that the Martian gelding actually took 3min 20 4-ssec to complete the journey, which is round about average time for the distance in a hurdle event.

There was keen competition for the Australian pacing gelding Escort who was submitted to auction at Tattersail’s, Christchurch, last week (reports the New Zealand Trotting Journal). Bidding commenced at 300 gns., but in a jiffy the price was run up to 800 gns., at which stage of the sale no fewer than five genuine buyers were in the field. Finally the issue resolved itself into a tussle between the representatives of a Hawera sportsman, and an Auckland enthusiast, but the Auckland representative outstayed bls opponent and eventually secured Escort for 925 guineas. It afterwards transpired that the Auckland sportsman was Mr Weymouth.

The decision of Mr W. Stone to remove Silver Peak to Riccarton to undergo her New Zealand Cup preparation is not surprising. Trained in Invercargill in the spring, she could hardly be got ready without a considerable amount of public racing, and this would not be judicious under the weights she w’ould be asked to carry in the South. The tracks and climate at the C.J.C. headquarters in September and October favour training operations for young horses, and seasoned performers alike, but, later on, the South comes into its own. When the northern training grounds are baking and under heat, and the atmosphere is becoming sultry late in November, Southland’s tracks provide excellent galloping surfaces, and the air is always clear and invigorating. This fact accounts for southern gallopers invariablyracing well in the early and late autumn seasons.

Evidently the issues of trainers’ and jockeys’ licenses from Christchurch has been found not to work satisfactorily, writes “Sir Lancelot” in the Evening Post. The Auckland Racing Club has given notice to repeal the rule and substitute a Northern Licensing Committee for this island and a Southern Licensing Committee for the South Island. It would no doubt give much more general satisfaction if the affairs of this island were managed either in Wellington or Auckland and a separate official organ printed. The Auckland Racing Club has given notice to move at the conference: "‘The publshers of the Official Calendar shall be responsible for the accurate publication of programmes and compliance with instructions of clubs regarding the advertising of the same. Any loss sustained or expense reasonably incurred by any club by reason of any default, mistake, or inaccuracy on the part of the publishers, shall be made good by the publishers, and be recoverable by the president. All contracts between the conference and the publishers shall be deemed to contain the stipulation in this rule.”

Writing in the New Zealand Trotting Journal, “Mascot” gets off the latest light harness story: —At the Ashburton Trotting Club’s recent fixture an old chap from the country blew into town, and was persuaded to take his “roll” to the races. Just before the big heat, a would-be know-all informed the visitor that this was the race that Emperor had been waiting all the year for. So he plumped £2O on the gelding. He won, and paid an exceptional dividend. Later in the day, the “know-all” endeavoured to persuade this elderly punter to back something else that was “dry.” “Begad, no you don’t,” said the old chap. “I might be backing things that may be waiting for two years.” The Tasmanian Trotting Association has disqualified, during its pleasure, D. O’Grady, owner of the pacer Scotty McDougall, for attempting to ship the horse to Sydney without notifying the registrar. It is reported that the Winton Stakes is to be deleted from the Winton Jockey Club’s programme for the 1923-1924 season, but whether this is only to stand for the incoming turf term is not made clear, many well-wishers of the W’inton Club will hope so at least. The race has proved a far more valuable one to the W.J.C. than-most people are aware of, as by its means the club has received a very large amount of gratuitous advertisement, references to the event and its candidates constantly calling attention to the fixture. It has also attracted some smart horses of late years, such as Laughing Eyes, Baldowa, St. Augustus, Rose Lady. Calibration, Francaise, Mantua, Corn Rigs, Lady Blissful, Vice Grand, Red Admiral, etc., and it has also to be remembered that it is run on a racecourse reserve, an area granted for all time for the encouragement of the breeding of thoroughbred and other horses. It is the only event of its class in the home province set apart to interest breeders of blood stock, men who as a rule continue in an expensive pursuit for the mere love of the game. The whole history of the race, whether as the W’inton Derby, Winton Guineas or Winton Stakes—the three names it has been known by—goes to bear this out. The writer is quite well aware that of late years there has been an organised opposition to the race in certain quarters, uid when the constitution of the party referred to is examined, it will be found to contain the names of some persons who never owned horses and others again who rushed into the sport on the impulse of a moment, as owners, and just as erratically rushed out again. The people referred to — exempting some genuine objectors—have never studied the breeders’ point of view or given one minute’s, consideration to the welfare of the turf—their anxiety is to study the face of the totalisator or endeavour to extract what they term “information” from the men who bear the heat and burden of the day by breeding or payng for the upkeep of likely gallopers, jumpers or trotters. They come and go on the turf like flickers on a movie sheet, md their places are very easily filled when hey pass on. One of the excuses made for opposition to the Stakes is that there are not enough hack races on the programme to suit the ideas of those who buy :heir racehorses ready made. Well, the answer to these commercial-minded owners •s to have an open race removed from the rogramme in order that the handicap classic should remain—it would not be hard to select the open race to be sacrificed to the Stakes, an event that will do the W’.J.C. more good in the long run. It would be interesting to know how many of the opponents of the W’inton Stakes recently congratulated Mr W. T. Hazlett on having bred Razzle Dazzle, one of the best two-year-olds of the current season, or ran :o shake Mr Eric Russell’s hand when the ■wner of Laughing Eyes won the Stakes of he present season. The writer could probably point to quite a number. The conten■ion that the race does not yield satisfactory entries can also be refuted. The zvent of November last drew 34 entries, that of the previous year 36, and a year prior to that 30 nominations came to hand at short notice.

It is reported from Hawke’s Bay that the veteran trainer S. Waddell has purchased the hack steeplechaser Raumanuwhiri, by Kings Guest—Ramona. Waddell is a particularly good judge when it comes to selecting useful performers, hence it can be ready understood that there is some merit attached to the son of King’s Guest. Private information from Dunedin is to the effect that, following on the Wellington Racing Club's Winter meeting, the Wingatui mentor, C. Gieseler, is likely to have his team recruited by three horses from Auckland, some very capable performers being represented in the number. A Sydney cablegram, dated June 22, advises that Mr G. D. Greenwood’s horses were submitted at auction yesterday, with the exception of Gloaming. Pluto and Farceur were passed in at 300 guineas each, while Tressayr, Vespucci, Lascelles and Golden Tress failed to elicit a bid. Lascelles, Martian—Mary of Argyle, is generally looked upon as R. J. Mason’s A.J.C. Derby candidate and. when noted by the writer in his work at Riccarton, created the impression that he was going to develop into a smart galloper. A London cablegram, dated June 21, states that at the Royal Ascot meeting, the Ascot Gold Cup (two miles and a-half)), one of the most important events of the English turf season, resulted:—Happy Man, 1; Silurian, 2; Flechois, 3. The winner, Mr F. Hardy’s bay horse, Happy Man, by Desman—Happy Child, ranks as one of the best handicap horses in England, and in May last he carried topweight (9.0) in the Chester Cup (2im.). and was beaten a length by Chivalrous (8.11).

METROPOLITAN TROTTING CLUB. A SUCCESSFUL YEAR. (Special to Times.) ! CHRISTCHURCH. June 22. The annual report of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club states that taking everything into consideration, the past year has been a complete success from every point of view. The taxes paid to the Government amounted to £45,965 12/9, but of that amount, the tax on dividends, j stakes and amusements (amounting to • £28,903) was imposed as a war measure, j The taxes, it is understood, will be with- ; drawn very shortly, when they would re- [ vert to the cld tax of 24 per cent, on the i totalisator turnover, etc. The expansion : of the stake money was in keeping with • the revenue derived through the totalisator. i The amount distributed six years ago, ■ totalled £19,500, while last year £39,500 : was given. The progress thus shown should satisfy the most fastidious owner.

FOOTBALL.

EASTERN DISTRICT SUB-UNION. WEEKLY MEETING. The weekly meeting of the Eastern District Sub-union Management Committee was held in the secretary’s' office, Gore, on Thursday evening. There were present Messrs Wallis (president). Whittingham, McConnell, Aitken, Piller, Mac Gibbon, Fitzgerald and Green. Apologies were received from Messrs Murray, Miller, Martin and Dickson.

Mr H. Hunter wrote, staling that the Pukerau v. Seaward Downs match at Seaward Downs had not been played, as Pukerau had not put an appearance. A telegram was received from them that morning, but it had apparently been mutilated intranet, and conveyed little information. He had gone to referee the match, and had been put to some inconvenience by the default. —lt was resolved to ask the Pukerau Club for an explanation, and to express regret to Mr Hunter for the trouble caused him. The secretary S.R.F.U. wrote, forwarding a copy of the suggested rules for the Sports’ League Protection League Banner matches. Members generally expressed approval of the suggestio'ns, but in view of the small attendance at the meeting, it was decided to defer consideration of them until the next meeting. S. Wallis was granted a transfer from Zingari (Timaru) to Albion. The Pioneer Club wrote, explaining their default to Pukerau was due to the fact that a number of their second grade players were either ill or absent that day.—lt was decided to draw the club’s attention to the fact that the Sub-union must be advised when a team intends to default, in addition to the notification to the opposing team. The Clerk, Edendale Town District, wrote, advising that the Sub-union had been granted permission to make a charge at the Edendale grounds on six days during the season, subject to the usual conditions regarding advertising.—The Town Board to be thanked, and application to be made for August 1. The secretary, S.R.F.U., wrote, setting out the reasons of his committee in asking the Sub-union to reconsider its decision and play the Town v. Eastern match on July 4.—lt was resolved to postpone the Seven-a-side Tournament until July 11, and play the rep. game at Mat aura on July 4. It was decided to ask Mr W. J. Stead, of Invercargill, if he could come to Gore next Thursday evening and deliver a lecture to the Eastern District rep. team, which will be selected next Wednesday. It is hoped to assemble the team before the match for coaching purposes.

WESTERN DISTRICT REPS. The following team has been selected to represent the Western District Rugby SubUnion against Central Rugby Sub-Union, to be played at Riverton on Saturday, June 30, at 2.30 p.m.—McNaughton, Eade, Cook, Irwing, McGibbon (Capt.), Finnegan, Jaggers, Brown, Ferguson, Clark, Dickson, Lindsay, Robson and Baird. Emergencies: McGibbon, Dickson, Beere, Simpson and Batchelor. The Riverton and Nightcaps will play a curtain raiser at 1 p.m. CENTRAL DISTRICT UNION. A meeting of the Committee of Management was held at Calcium on Tuesday, delegates being present from all affiliated clubs except Waianiwa. Mr R. McDonald (president), was in the chair. The following business was transacted:— The secretary Otahuti Football Club wrote suggesting the appointment of timekeepers.—Received. The secretary of Southland Referees’ Association wrote, asking for prompt starting of matches.—Received. Club secretaries to note.

The secretary S.R.U. wrote re Sports Protection League Banner:—The president presented a copy of proposals submitted to S.R.U. and it was unanimously agreed that these proposals should be supported. Correspondence from secretary of the W.D.S.U. fixing the Western-Central match for June 30 at Riverton was received. The president was appointed manager of the team and the selectors were asked to pick a team. Most of the clubs reported that they had sufficient engagements to finish the season, consequently it was resolved that the Committee take no action regarding further senior fixtures. It was resolved to endeavour to arrange further rep. matches and Mr McLeod was appointed to negotiate matches with Town senior teams. A donation of £2 10/- was received from Mr A. Kennard.—A motion of thanks was carried by acclamation. A donation of two guineas was voted to the Southland Referees’ Association. Members expressed their appreciation of the fine services rendered by the members of the Association in Central District. It was decided to present the Hamilton Shield to the winners (Heddon Bush), at Heddon Bush at a social function on July--20. D. Lindsay and T. Johnstone cf Calcium, were granted permission to play in junior football. The matter of obtaining a trophy for the Juniors was held over. Messrs Chilton and McFadyen presented the following list of fixtures for Juniors which was approved. June 23. —Waianiwa v. Drummond. June 30.—Drummond v. Otahuti. July 7.—Otahuti v. Waianiwa. July 14.—Otahuti v. Drummond July 21.—Drummond v. Waianiwa. July 28.—Waianiwa v. Otahuti. Home team mentioned in first instance. The selectors handed in the following team for the Central-Western match at Riverton on June 30:—K. McKenzie, McBride, G. Galt, 11. McKenzie, Cairns, E. McCarthy, McDonald, McSweeney, O’Connor, Moylan,- McFadyen, Sheffelbein, D. Galt, R. Horner, J. Forde. Emergencies: Forwards—J. Brown, Lee, Forde (Otahuti), A. Brown. Backs—McLeod, M. Horner, Hamilton.