RACING AND TROTTING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 277, 28 December 1914, Page 5

RACING AND TROTTING.

RACING FIXTURES. December 29 and January 1 and 2—Auckland R.C. Summer. . ' December 29 —Matfawatu R. 6.. Summer, December 29-—-Mount Somers and Springburn B.C. Annual. December 31 and January I—Greymouth J.O. Summer. January I—Methven R.C. Annual. acceptances! December 30—North Otago J.Ci Summer. December 30—Southland R.O. Summer. TROTTING FIXTURES. December 30 and 31—Auckland T.C. Summer. January 1 and 2—Canterbury Park T.C. Summer. January 2 and 4—Greymouth T.C. Summer. ACCEPTANCES. December 29—Canterbury Park T.C. Summer.

TURF TOPICS.

Warstep's brilliant victory in the Auckland Gup, in conjunction with her New Zealand Cup performance, stamps lier as one of the best representatives of the weaker sex seen out for some years. From her two-year-old career upward there has never been any question aslto her great turn ■of speed, as witness;; her victories ihiMthe C.J.C, Stewards' Handicap and SJiead Memorial Cup vlast Beason. she .underwent a thorough preparation for the New Zealand Cup, and almost accomplished the unique feat of winning that race friam "end to end. Her Canterbury Cup achievement was dlso a creditable one; yeb in face of these two demonstrations of improved stamina she did not find favour for the Auckland Cup, despite tile fact that she was meeting Eeputation on 101b better Serais than when he defeated her in the Biccarton long-distance race. As usual, Martian's daughter Was allowed to run" along in front for most of the journey, and when Reputation headed her inside the distance it must have appeared to the spectators as if Canterbury Cup running wa?: to be repeated. oEhen the immensity of his task commenced to tell on the three-year-old, and after one of the finest struggles in the history of the race the' filly managed to -get-'" her head; /in front l as the post was -reached. It must have been" a very similar finish to that .between Warstep and Indigo in the New Zealand Cup, though in Satur-! day's contest the honours -were all in I favour of Mr Bidwill 's great three-1 year-old, j Canterbury-owned horses were in i great form at the Beef ton Jockey Club's Meeting on Saturday, Ladrone, Svea-i borg, and Trilby accounting for four out of the seven events ori the card. Only for losing so much ground at the start of the Otago Handicap ori Saturday, Beval would probably hav« reversed positions with First Glance and Hesione in that event. The :Riccartpn-trained Kilmeny ran a splendid race in the Grafton Hurdles on Saturday, but failed to concede the speedy Admiral .Soult-an; allowance of

When: competing in-.the Handicap at Ellerslle on Saturday two of the competitors',- in 'Mountain Dream/ fell, arid:itheHforirter had to be shot as the result;of a broken leg. It is a noteworthy fact that despite the war there was .an increase in' speculation at'every hteetiug on Boidhg Day at which the tbtalisatoT was-'in-use. ■:■ By winning the Auckland; Cup, in 3min 26 3-ssec,/ u \Yarstep lowered the time record for that event of 3min 28 3-ssee held by Master' Delaval since 1906.

G. ridirijgf at-'Ellerslie on Saturday -was? twice: Made the subject of venquiry by the stewards.. As a result he" was cautioned for alleged interference with Desert Gold in the Great Northern Foal Stakes, and with Reputation in ,the Auckland Cup. The well-known..".'Flcmin.gt.on trainer, . It. H. Frew, is at present <m a holiday , trip to: New Zealand. ■'.■'■>■ Lady Rona is ineligible to compete in ttie Ladies' Bracelet on the first day of the Canterbury Park T.C. meeting, aa . are Lucille and Rothannic, in the second day Bracelet. ' Emmeline was run to a standstill in the early stages of the Boxing Day Handicap at Ashburton, and she finished, very tired, well behind the placed horses. Tjie Ashburton horseman, J. Brankin, was in great form on Saturday, landing the. three principal events with St. » Kevin, Glendalough, and Eccentric. One of the most popular victories at Ashburton on Saturday was that of Lucille in the Trial* Handicap. The daughter of Harold Dillon and Alice Wood was nicely handled by her owner, Mr J. Smith, whose first victory it marked for just on two years. Though-there was considerable dissatisfaction expressed when the handicaps were issued for the Ashburton Trotting Club's Meeting, it is a note-! worthy fact that only one first favour-j ite, in .Rothannic; managed to catch the judge's eye. Moneymaker, who prevailed in the Gore Trotting Cup on Saturday, was heavily supported for that event both on the course and in other centres. He is a four-year-old son of Rothschild and Cocoanut, owned by the Bakaia sportsman Mr W. Morlatid. The Canterbury-owned colt Sungod, by Harold Dillon, from My Mistake, appropriated the chief event at the Westport Trotting Club's Meeting on Saturday, and by getting to the end of two miles on a slow course in smin 4 2-fJsec, put up a very creditable performance. The Auckland Racing Club's meeting will be continued to-morrow, when the chief attractions will be the weight-for-age Islington Plate and Summer Cup. Reputation, Balboa, and Warstep figure in the first-named event, and if Reputation takes his place in the field he is sure to be made a strong order. A cable message from Melbourne states that the Victoria Racing Club has reduced the stakes for the Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup, and Essendon Stakes, to be decided at the Autumn Meeting, by 500 sovs. each. The only unsatisfactory start at Ashburton on Saturday was that in the chief harness event. No sooner was the signal given than Evelyn got in the air, and Huon Drift, who had been placed right on the outside of the course, swerved in, interfering with Persuader, St. Swithin, and Win Soon. At the finish of the Boxing Day Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday, the judge had no less than three attempts to place the horses correctly, and his vacillation in this respect provoked a hostile demonstration from the crowd. In his first essay the official hoisted the numbers of Andy Regan, Edith A and Little Tib in that order, the actual winner, Eccentric, being omitted altogether. This decision was strongly protested against, and after a while Eccentric was placed first, Edith A second, and Little Tib third. Again the crowd expressed its dissatisfaction, and it was not till fully 10 minutes after

the race Lad been decided that the numbers were displayed in their proper order. Amongst the competitors in the President's Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday were J.C.H. (who won), and Merry May, both of whom were shown in the racecard as being trained by J. C. Wilson, but were not coupled on' the totalisator. Quite a number of Merry May's supporters considered they were entitled to anticipate in J.C.H.'s dividend, but in this they were mistaken, for the rules of trotting do not make it compulsory for horses from one trainer's stable to be coupled on the machine, though with most clubs it is a general practice.

GJendalough *s performance in winning the Final Handicap at Ashburton was more meritorious than the time (2min 18sec) would indicate. After coming up to the mark at a mixed gait, the mare would not settle to business till she had lost at ieast three seconds, and it was a great effort to turn what looked like certain defeat into a brilliant victory. TEMPLAR,