RACING AND TROTTING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 698, 6 May 1916, Page 15

RACING AND TROTTING.

# RACINIi FIXTURES. May 10 and 11. ll'.C. Winter. May 17 anil IS Marlborough ».('.. Autumn. ACCEPTANCES. May 12 Mail borough li.C Autuniu. May 12 Auckland li.C.. Winter. TROTTING FIXTURES. May II mid 111 I'mlnny T.C. Winter. May IS mid 2(1 New Heighton T.C. Autliiiiii. June I ami I! Canterbury Pari; T.C. Autumn ACCEPTANCES. May 0- Knrhury T.C. Winter. May 12 New Briulitoii T. C. Autumn. May 21 South Wairarapa T.C. Annual. May 2l>- Canterbury Park T.C. Autumn. TURF TOPICS. The weather .conditions were anything Iml pleasant for the concluding day of I he Ashburton Racing Club's meeting, ;i light rain setting in half-way through the afternoon. It was not heavy enough to affect the going to any extent, but made mailers decidedly uncomfortable for the spectators. In most of the events fair sized fields were seen out, while the racing came quite up to the lirsl day's standard. As a result of the somewhat meagre attendance the totalisntor receipts showed a shrinkage, which amounted to £3250 on the meeting. As the revenue from other sources also fell short of last year's, Ihe club will have little surplus to hand over to the Patriotic Fund. The half dozen that went out to contest the Second Hurdle Handicap were, with the exception of Daylight Bill, a very cheap lot. The veteran son of Stronghold was palpabjy short of work, and though he ran to the head of affairs half a mile from home, he was well beaten a little farther on. Cast Iron, the favourite, held a handy position all through, and, jumping heller than ; most of his opponents, drew away in , the home straight for a comfortable win. Sartosta put tip a fair race for] a maiden effort, but she took a lot of risks with her fences, as did the southern representative Copper Boy. Miss Maronan and Resemblance! were again out-classed. A serviceable held of twelve lined up for the Morcton Hack Handicap, the result of which was looked on as particularly open. No doubt the fact of C. Emerson having the mount was responsible for Bellshire being installed favourite, but even so the Downshire gelding only carried a few pounds more than Comely and Arthur George, while Finloss was also in strong demand. Commencing very smartly, Sir Malt showed the way all round Ihe top turn from Bellshire and Red Shield, with Comely at the head of the ethers. The leader held his advantage till within a furlong of the post, where Bellshire had his measure. Then Comely put in a very strong challenge, and, out-staying Bellshire, won by a length and a half. Two lengths back came Sir Malt, closely followed by Bon and Red Shield. This was Cornell's first race in Mr H. A. Knight's colours, the Racecourse Hill .sportsman only recently having acquired the daughter of Gluten and Soult Rose from Mr G. B. Starkey. Despite his failure on the first j day, Oxenhope was made favourite for the Autumn Handicap, the only others supported to anything like I the same amount being the bracketed pair, Martins and Margerine. From a splendid send-off Down was the first to show out, and he led along the hack from Margerine, Oxenhope, and Marlins, Specialform bringing up the rear. With half the journey gone, Margerine, Martins, and Oxenhope were racing in line, just clear «f Down, with Gnome and Chrysotis, who had been slow to begin, improving their positions. Once into line for home, Oxenhope faded out badly, I being actually last to finish. Halfway down the running Marlins was! in front, but he had to do his best to stall off a determined challenge I by Down, who was only a neck to I the bad when Ihe posl was reached- j Chrysotis was pulling in good work] at the finish, but Ihe journey was too short for her, while Margerine l faded out in Ihe last furlong." The' > winner's performance was a genuine one, and stamps him as a greatly im-1 proved horse. Oxenhope, on the I other hand, ran like a duffer, and is ! evidently not an everyday customer, i The half dozen that contested the Juvenile. Handicap were all fancied,! actual favouritism resting with the Chokebore pair of Iwo-vear-olds, Glen Helen and Subterfuge. Aycli/l'e wound up a good second liivotinte, bul was unlucky al the start, losing s <> much ground in Ihe first furlong as to quite spoil his prospects. Subterfuge got a break on her opponents at the start, and cut out the first half mile at such a pace as to make the result look a fore-1 gone conclusion. Turning into Ihe, straight she was right out bv herself, ' hut When called on for a final effort j collapsed very quickly. Bonsign who: had always been.well placed drew out Hearing the post and won I decisively by three lengths from Del-1 tonio. Had the latter been heller! placed ill Ihe early -singes he would ; have been dangerous, (den Helen,! who was (he more fancied of Ihe' \ Chokebore pair, was slow |o begin.; while llighwaler swung round when! the tapes went up, quite spoiling her ! own chance, as well as interfering with Deltonio and Avcliffc. Bandy had a derided call in the ' belling for Ihe Winchmore Welter, 1 the next best hacked being Fieryj Cross, who had Ihe services of (":. > Fmerson in Ihe saddle. There was I also plenty of money for Hap Dha and San Sebastian, and altogether il : was a good betting race. Fiery Cross and Fab.rikolf made Ihe early running from I.ion and Bandv, but at Ihe cud of half a mile FicrvCross j was deposed by I.ion and Peg! Fabrikotl landed into (be straight with a useful lead, and, slicking lo bis task j heller than usual, got Ihe verdict bv a length from Bandv, who put up a line race under his big weight. Reg finished well a head behind' Bandy,, wilh Fiery Cross a similar distance back. The Selma Trol was a particularly good betting race, as with the ex- < ception of Mountain Palm, each of < the half dozen competitors had ( strong followings. Making the most ! ol his handicap, Searchfield was i right out by himself as they raced 1 along the hack straight, tlie hack 1 markers having made little impres- i sion on him. II was not till within I two lurlongs of home that the leader I started to come back to his field. 1 Tiring badly, he faded out half way ' 1

(down the straight, leaving the issue j to Hodvic and Lucille. This pair fought out a spirited finish, victory ! resting with Hodvic by a bare length. | The American-bred, El Carbine, was ! putting in good work, over the last half mile, and only for a couple of skips may have taken a hand in the linish. Though there were only half a dozen competitors for the concluding event, the. Wakanui Handicap, betting operations indicated the openness of the issue. Peronilla, on whom C. Emerson had the mount, was sent out favourite, and she flattered her supporters till within a [ furlong of the post. There Speedometer, who had always been handy, | came with a well-sustained effort, I which landed him a winner by a length and a half. It was a smart performance on the part of Speedo- ! meter and Peronilla, while Chudic ! showed improved form by defeating I all the others. I Tannhauser made his rc-appear-i ance after a lengthy spell in the Autumn Handicap at Ashburton yesI terday. The brother of Cherubini ! looked decidedly on the jolly side, j and alter showing a good turn of ! speed in the early stages, faded out j at the business end. As the result of his three wins at Ashburton, C. Emerson's total for j the season now reaches 55, which I leaves him seven behind J. O'Shea, j who scored one success at Hastings yesterday. The veteran trainer, R. Derrett, j had his charges in great heart for ! their Ashburton engagements. Three of their number, in Martins, Margerine, and Fabrikoff, earned winning brackets, while Sir Mall registered a third in the Moreton Mack Handicap. Wishful put up his best performance to date by acting as runner up to Eligible in the Hawke's Bay Cup. Evidently the racing he did at Riccarton improved the Boniform colt, as in yesterday's race he turned the tables on Balboa, who finished in front of him in the Great Autumn Handicap. Mr W. (i. Stead was indisposed prior lo the Hawke's Bay meeting, and missed the pleasure of seeing his colt, Eligible, win the Hawke's Bay Cup. The most consistent performer seen out at the Ashburton meeting was the Sarlo gelding Bandy, who in his three essays registered two iirsts and a second. His greatly improved form reflected credit on ins trainer, F. D. Jones, whose stable is in great form just at present. Peronilla ran consistently at the Ashburton meeting, registering a second in both her efforts. Slie is a particularly quick beginner, and may slay belter next season. Oxenhope seldom runs two races alike, and his form at the Ashburton meeting suggests that he is a horse of moods. On the opening day he put up a good light in the Ashburton Cup, so good, in fact, as to make his prospects over the shorter course of the big event yesterday look particularly bright. For three-quarters of the journey his chance looked second to none, as at that time he was going strongly just behind Martins and Margerine. No sooner did Humphries ask the son of Obligado for an effort, however, than he shut up like a book, being actually last to finish. Oxenhope does much better for B. Deeley than for any other horseman, and had the Aucklander been able lo ride him at Ashburton,

as originally intended, the result of the Cup may have heen different. Eligible's victory in the Hawke's Bay Cup yesterday, under 8.12, stands out as one of Ihc finest performances registered by a three-year-old this season in handicap company. It also stamps the Boniform colt as being second only to Desert Gold in the three-year-old ranks. Desert Gold is suffering from an abscess in the ear, hence her withdrawal from the Hawke's Bay Slakes. She has now retired into winter quarters', and will probably be taken to Australia next spring. A Oliver was to have ridden Eligible in the Hawke's Bay Cup, but a sudden illness prevented him at-' tending the fixture. After considerable trouble C. Price's services were secured for Mr Stead's colt. The North Canterbury and Oxford Jockey Club intends spending £3O in further improvements to its track; also to purchase and re-sell sheep which will be grazed on the racecourse. At a meeting of the Manawatu Racing Club held this week, the "during pleasure" disqualification of Jockey R. Gray was altered to one of two years. This is the result of the Racing Conference judges' decision that clubs have no power to inflict "(hiring pleasure" penalties. Those Canterbury owners who have horses engaged at the Forburv Park Trotting Club's meeting are given a reminder (hat acceptances close this evening. First day handicaps for the New Brighton Trotting Club's meeting are 6ue on Monday. Arrangements have been made for a special train to convey Canterbury horses to Dunedin for the Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting. ['[ will leave Christchurch at 6.50 a.m on Tuesday, and pick up horses at stations as far south as Studholme. As the result of his win at the Reel ton meeting. King William has been penalised 2scc in the St. Clair Handicap at the Forbury Park meeting. The excellent programme drawn up tor the Canterbury Park Trotting Club's Autumn meeting is sure to appeal strongly to owners. In most of the events the prize money lias heen increased and the limits shortened, so there should be no lack ol high-class horses. Entries close with Mr Rattray on Wednesday next. J TEMPLAR.