TURF TOPICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 170, 24 August 1914, Page 9

TURF TOPICS.

, Acceptances for the Amberley Steeplechase Club's meeting close this ..evening, for the New Zealand Trot;ting Cup are due on Monday next. The pacer Eccentric, who claims engagement in the New Zealand Trotting „C!up, is to be prepared for that event ~by; . J. Brankin.. , Fashionwood appears to have paid .pearly : for his showing at thf Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting in his Horowhenua engagements. In the mil 6 and- a-half Stewards Trot he is called on; to give away up to 33sec, and in . the Electric Handicap he concedes Resurrection 18sec. • Jn the chief,event at the Horowhe"nua Trotting Club's meeting Havoc is called ,on to concede his ten opponents from 24sec.to 44sec.

:-v T ; he Foretell trainer, F. Tilley, is lilce-ily.-to have a strong team for the early spring.. meetings, which will include 1/eonta, Postillion, Kaniki, Kew, and Bonny Helen. Postillion is reported to be getting through a very satisfactory preparation, and hopes are entertained /that Goodwin Park will also be able ! to race again early in the season. , Cisco, the A.J.C. Derby winner of 1912, is in work again at Randwiek. The Waipa Racing Club has decided ;to donate £5 and all the profits of its forthcoming meeting to the "War Fund. Since his return to Auckland, Captain Jack lias been thrown out of work, and his trainer anticipates that proper treatment of his injured leg will make the veteran 'chaser as good as new again. Since 1900 (in fourteen seasons) Wallace's progeny have won £166,128. Maltster's record since 1906 (eight seasons) is £178,097.

The Spearmint stallion Javelin was recently bought in England to take the place of defunct Collar at the Cobham stud. Javelin's dam Full Cry (Flying Fox—Lady Villikins) was sold, last December for 4600 guineas. The Qaniaru studmaster, Mr J. F. Ileid, is out with a suggestion that in . order that good horses should be pro- ' iluced for remount purposes each owner of a thoroughbred sire should grant . free of charge their services fpi' a cer'tdin number of mares, halfbreds, calculated to be of the kind to produce tile right class of horse, the progeny of the mares to be at the option of the ■ Government under certain conditions.

Twelve members of the Egmont"Wanganui Hunt Club have been accepted by the military authorities for active service, and as. they are ail taking the hunters used by them during the past with them, they will be well jnounted. Hereford, who ran well at Bircarton, probably got his name because he has a big white face and was bred at Bushy Park, Wanganui, famed for its Hereford cattle. Old Melinite, his dam, is still alive, and she was a useful mare over the battens. The Spaniard cost a very small sum •when purchased as a youngster by S. "Waddell at, one of the Te Mahanga sales, . a matter of 14 guineas . it is paid. He was a twin and lost his twin sister and mother and was handreared, and was one of the. most unfortunate of horses during his career, though a good jumper who seldom put ji foot wrong in schooling. He was so badly hurt on one occasion that his owner 1 (Mr Armstrong) gave him away to his then trainer Gooseman, who in time got him right and sold him back. It may not be generally known (says an exchange) that Mr Armstrong backed him and Morning for the double last year to win £IO,OOO, and he was the second leg and only just missed bringing the wagers off. As the result of dissatisfaction expressed by a large number of members of the Metropolitan Trotting Club, regarding the Committees' decision not to proceed with the erection of the new stewards' stand, a special committee

meeting was held on Saturday afternoon to further discuss the matter. After thoroughly reviewing . the situation the committee came to the conclusion that it would be inadvisable to proceed with the erection of the stewards'' stand a,t the present time. One of the arguments adduced- was that the amount of cash in hand would not warrant the undertaking of such a heavy expenditure, and in face of the opinion obtained from financial authorities it would be impossible to borrow sufficient at a reasonable rate of interest. Another objection to the proposal was: that it would be impossible to have the stand completed for the November meeting, and the half finished building would be an eyesore. The Committee expressed the opinion that every confidence should be into the public mind, and that all public bodies should help the community by providing as much labour as possible. With this object the Committee had arranged a schedule of necessary works to be done on the club's property at Addington, which would provide considerable work. These include a new training- track on the land recently acquired by the club, the removal of the horse boxes to the new track, and the repair and painting of the buildings On the course. Given a successful November Meeting, the Committee anticipates that it will be able to go ahead with the erection of the new stand at no distant date.

The decision of the Metropolitan Trotting Club's Committee not to proceed with the building of its stewards' stand has been adversely commented on in local trotting circles. Neither of the chief objections raised at Saturday's meeting are regarded as satisfactory, for the club is surely in a good enough position financially to provide the necessary funds. It had a very good season last year, and also made a substantial profit over its August fixture, quite sufficient with the amount of cash in hand and on fixed deposit, to warrant the work being utidertaken. Concerning the other prime objection that ihe building could not be finished iii time for the November meeting, the writer is given to understand that the architects- were prepared to guarantee the club in this direction, so that argument will hardly hold water. The decision to put a numbed of minor works at the course in progress is a commendable one, but it will not amount to much. Little manual labour will be needed in the construction of a new training course, while the scarcity of white lead will preclude any great amount of painting being done. TEMPLAR.