SPORTING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 15, 10 September 1912, Page 2

SPORTING.

(By "CICERO") Dannevirke Spring Meeting takes place to-morrow. The Club has received splendid acceptances. To give one an idea of the great cost of keeping up an up-to-date stud like Karamu, I may state that the Hon. J. D. Ormond's trainer (Waddell) has 25 horses in work, while eight others are being fed in anticipation of room being available. In addition, 33 yearlings are being handled and fed, while stallions and brood mares bring the total to 84 horses.

Mr A. Alexander's pair of two-year-olds, Bonny Helen (Bonoform —Helen Portland), and Sun Bird (Martian — Mary of Argyle), are being got ready for their spring engagements by the Fordell trained, F. Tilley. They show exceptional promise and will probably be given- a run at Wellington next month. The former cost 500 guineas, and is a particular shapely filly, while the latter was obtained by the Taranaki owner for only 150 guineas. By the way, it may be mentioned that Mr Alexander was lucky to secure Sun Bird at the figure. It appears that the Yaldhurst trainer, R. Mason, took a fancy to the colt, and was prepared to go to a good price, but through some misunderstanding with the auctioneer, stopped bidding.

Practically no work has been done on the Stratford track for < the past week owing to the bad weather. Trainers are hoping for better weather, as the horses here are palpably backward in condition compared with those trained in other parts of the province. Royal Dragoon is looking nice and lwight. This horse showed a lot of pace at the Egmont and Taranaki Autumn Meeting last season, and it would not surprise me to see him develop into a useful sprinter. Smilax is having an easy time at present. After freshening him up it is the intention of Trainer Brown to jump the Obligardo gelding. Nightfall, who ran very successfully in the colours of the late Mr G. G. Stead, was sold in England recently for 400 guineas. Connie (Coronet —Gipsy Queen), trained by J. Butler, is a very nice mover. She is well forward, and I will be very much surprised if she does not break her maiden status before the season is far advanced. The full brother to Coronetted (Coronet —Ran Rau), owned by a Stratford sport, and Astor (CoronetrClonpett) were given a "brush" over a couple of furlongs last week at Hawera. The Rau Rau gelding got a break at the start, but failed to hold the advantage, Clonpett's son easily holding him at the finish. Astor should turn out useful.

While being schooled on the eve of Martin meeting, the Stratford owned Bismarck slipped into a fence, and cut his shin. It will be some time before ho races again.

Grown Pearl was well supported by : his party for Mar ton, and with Ngatimaru was coupled for a good sum. Attention on the part of some of the "sleepers" and the heavy weight, he was asked to carry, brought about the downfall of Coronet's son.

Postillion's next appearance will be! in the Wanganui Guineas. Despite his defeat at Marton, many good judges are ticking him off for future events.

Lethean and Kecipe have again joined Oney Cox's team. The latter is a useful sort when well.

Labor Day >is particularly well just at present, and I would advise punters to keep her in their mind's eye. She will probably start at Wanganui at the end of this month.

(Although Otahu ran nowhere at Marton, his party are said to be sanguine about his Dannevirke prospects.

Lady Fran, who ran with more or less success last year, has been leased, with right of purchase, by J. Melville, Stratford owner-trainer. Ermengarde has gone right out of favour for the Epsom. This occasions no surprise, as it is an open secret that George Price preferred the stable mate Bronze. A horse lias to be something more than a brilliant sprinter to win an Epsom. Tt is generally agreed that plentj of stamina is required for the big mile handicaps. Hawera sports threw in for a win over the victory of St. Serf (St. Paul —Surf) in the maiden at Marton. They deserved the good price she paid in backing her to beat Postillion, who started with a great reputation, and who would have won easily but for fighting hard for his head all the way, thus heating himself in the end. Of the sixty-one horses handicapped for the New Zealand Cup, thirtynine have made the first payment. The

most noticeable defections are Miscount, Royal Arms, Cheddar and The Rover.

iNgatiranui is galloping very freely on the Egmont track at present. The Maniopoto gelding should play a prominent part in some of the early spring handicaps. Patriotic, after running prominently for a few furlongs, dropped right back in the Flying at the recent Marten meeting. This horse will be worth W&tehlng in the near future. Coolbeggar (late Tripoli) ran a great race at Marton. He is very well handicapped at Dannevirke to-morrow. The Hawera horses Sam Pan and Royal Marine were booked to leave for Dannevirke this morning. The latter has beaten everything that worked with him at Egmont. The southerner, Kelp (Castashore— Purity), who is well enough bred to win a cup, is opposed to a poor lot in the Steeplechase to-morrow. Lamb ton appears to be the only horse of any class amongst a big entry in the Trial Stakes. The stewards of the Cantcrbury Jockey Club are to be congratulated on the way they conducted the inquiry into the late scratching of The Rover. The sentence passed should act as a warning'to trainers, who at times play into the hands of their greatest enemy —the bookmakers!

Fashion Plate, who was successful at the Marton meeting, is sure to lie greatly fancied to-morrow. He meets practically the same horses, and is only carrying a few pounds more weight. Postillion, like his sire, Advance, is inclined to carry his head rather high, and when under a pull tends to choke. It is Tilley's intention to procure a rider with light hands, and the Advance colt will be allowed to (run along in future, more at his own sweet will.

! DIVIDEND FRACTIONS. (Per Press Association.) Auckland, September 8. At a meeting of the Auckland Mutual Sports Protection lAssociation, the que»tion of dividend fractions was discussed. It was decided to call the attention of the Minister of Justice to the retention of sixpences in dividends upon £1 totalisator tickets. The following letter was drafted, and it was resolved that it should at once be sent to the Minister. "I have the honour to convey to you the following resolution: 'That the attention of the Minister of Justice be called to the fact that the Auckland Racing Club for several seasons past have continuously committed a breach of section 35 of the Gaming Act, 1908, \n that they have retained sixpences in dividends on one pound tickets.' "I am further directed to inform you that at the : last autumri meeting of two- days the money' thus retained amounted to.over £150., 'jjAs this has been going on for several seasont a very considerable sum is involved. In one race alone a the autumn meeting over £l7 was retained. The position will be clear when it is mentioned that in working out the dividends they reduce everything to 10s-.'Chances, and then, in order'to arrive at the £1 dividend they merely double the dividend payable on 10s tickets, instead of doubling the actual dividend. "As illustrating this, in the race above referred to, the fourth race, St. George's Handicap, on the second day of the A.R.C. autumn meeting, 1912, on the first horse (No. 5, Antoinette) there were 716 £1 tickets and 728 10s tickets. The total on the machine was £6876 10s. When 10 per cent, commission (£687) and a quarter for second horse (£1547) had been deducted the amount was reduced to £4611. Worked out on the 10s basis, the actual dividend on 10s tickets was £2 12s 113 d. This, doubled for the £1 tickets, is £5 Is lljd. The dividends paid were £2 2s 6d on 10s tickets and on £1 tickets £4 ss. The dividend on £1 tickets should have been £4 5s 6d, according to the Act, showing that 716 sixpences were retained (£l7 18s). On second horse (No. 2, Soultoria) there were 1181 £1 tickets, and 2149 10s tickets, the amount for the second horse to divide being £1547 4s 3d. The actual dividend on 10s tickets was flg IOJd, an on £1 tickets 13s BJd. The dividends paid were, on 10s tickets 6s 6d, on £1 tickets 13s. According to the Act, the dividend on £1 tickets should have been 13s 6d, so that 1181 sixpences were retained (£29 10s 6d). "As the racing public are already heavily taxed by having 2s deducted from every £1 invested on the totalisator, it is but fair that they should receive their dividends in full, as provided by law."

Los Angelos has been scratched for the Cauliield Cup.

A Sydney cablegram states that the Ascot Five Hundred, run yesterday, resulted in Glynne winning by nearly two lengths, with Gaby and Kindly Light dead-heating for second place. There were eighteen starters. Time, lmin 32sec.