RACING AND TROTTING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 827, 4 October 1916, Page 5

RACING AND TROTTING.

RACINO FIXTURES. October s— Kurow J.C. Spring. October 7—Hawke's Buy .1.0. Spring. October 12—Mastertou R.C Spring. October 13 and 14—Dunedin J.C. Spring. October 21 and 23—Wellington R.C Spring. October 23—Waverlcy-Waitotara R.C. Annual. , _ . , October 23—North Canterbury .T.C. Annual. October 23—Walpawa R.C. Annual. October 23 and 24—Gore R.C. Spring. ACCEPTANCES. October 6—Mnsterton R.C. Spring. • October 6—Dunedin J.C. Spring. October 16—Wellington R.C. Spring. October 16— Walpawa County R.C. Spring. October IC—Waverlcy-Waitotara R.C. Annual.

TROTTING FIXTURES. October 14 and 18—Auckland T.C. Spring. October 21 and 23— Greymouth 1 .C. Spring.

ACCEPTANCES. October 6—Auckland T.C. Spring. October 17—Greymouth T.C. Spring,

TURF TOPICS.

The fact of Sasanof not having been engaged in the W.R.G. Champion Plate suggests that Mr Stead intends racing the son of Martian at the V.R.C. spring meeting. It is quite possible Merry Roc will be taken South, in which case Bleriot would probably be taken as a companion to the New Zealand Cup candidate. In conversation with E. J. Rae, a northern sporting writer gleaned that the pair would probably take part at the Wellington Spring Meeting, after which the trip to Riccarton would be finally considered. The Ellcrslie trainer is anxious that Merry Roe should have a race if she is to contest the big two-mile event at Riccarton. With the war regulations in force regarding registration, owners employing jockeys to ride would do well to insist on their showing proof of registration. The penally on employers for non-observance is very heavy. . The somewhat meagre financial support accorded the patriotic funds by the Wellington Racing Club was made the theme of rather pointed discussion at last week's annual meeting. One speaker, Mr J. J. McGrath, took the executive to task rather severely in this respect. He quoted figures showing the comparative amounts contributed by the various clubs to patriotic funds. The Canterbury Jockey Club bad contributed £5058, the Auckland Club (the totalisator turnover of which was more than that of the Wellington Club) £5020, Manawatu (five days' racing) £421)0, Wanganui (six days' racing) £2857, the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club the whole of its proceeds (with a debt of £30,000 owing by the club), and the Wellington Racing Club £llsO. It seemed to him that as the Wellington Racing Club owed no debts at all, and being a purely sporting club, there was no necessity at all for it to make a profit. The president pointed out that the club had rendered very great assistance in giving 13 acres of land to the Government for the use of the soldiers, and in lending its buildings. The Government had acknowledged that this was worth, directly and indirectly, £-1000. As had been pointed out, the Wellington Club desired the other clubs to establish a permanent memorial that would stand for all time as a tribute to whaLJhc racing clubs of New Zealand had done.

The enterprise of Messrs W. G. Stead and S. Luttrell in paying what is reported to be a record price for Kilboy has met with speedy and well deserved reward. As already mentioned in these columns Kilboy was practically sold to an Indian buyer at a big price, but the deal did not materialise, consequent on the colt failing to pass a veterinary examination. Undeterred by this the two New Zealand sportsmen stepped into the breach, and had the extreme satisfaction of seeing their representative capture one of the most coveted prizes of the Australian turf —the A.J.G. Derby. Kilboy's racing career has certainly been of the meteoric order. During his early two-year-old campaign he gave fair promise, but it was not till the autumn that he showed n foretaste of his true worth bv spreadeagling a strong field in the C.J.C. Challenge Slakes. Subsequently his ownerbreeder, 3\lr J. B. Reid, decided to send the son of Kilbroney to Australia with the dual object of racing and selling him. He formed one of M. Hobbs's team that went across last winter, and not a litlle of the colt's recent success can be credited to ihc Riccarton mentor, who had all the anxietv of his early preparation. Kilboy made his \nstralian debut in the Chelmsford Stakes last month, but he was not forward enough to show his true form so early in Lhe season. Since then his track work has brought him into favour with Randwick habitues, with the result that he deposed Thana and Wolaroi in favour for yesterday's contest. The manner in which he downed the Australian three-year-olds was so convincing as to suggest him attaining dual Derby honours. Kilboy's success in the Stead livery recalls the victory of Noctuiform in the A..T.C. Derby of 1905, but it is to be hoped thai his career will he of a more lasting nature than was that of the sensational son of Multiform. A brother to Hoc and Snub has made its appearance at Mr C. G. Dalgcty's stud farm. At the same establishment Nanles lias produced a filly to the imported horse Sanquhar.

Rather extravagant statements have been circulated regarding lhe price at which Kilboy changed hands when acquirer] by Messrs Stead and Lutlrell. As a matter of fact the terms were <.~<!'o if ihe colt won the Derby, or £2OOO if l )e failed to make good in that event. Mr \V. G. Stead's horse Eligible, who was sen! I<; Australia, with a view to contesting svelght-for-age events at Ihe A..1.C. meeting, returned to Wellington on Monday. He Is still showing signs of Ihe mishap that befell him at Randwick, and is unlikely to race again till the autumn.

Though she has only been in Australia a few weeks, Kooya put up an excellent race in the hurdles yesterday, only .lack Rice finishing in front of her. The experience is sure to do her a lot of good, and her prospects of picking up a hurdle race at the meeting look decidedly bright. The disappointment of the race for the A.J.C. Derby was Wolaroi, who till recently figured as favourite for that event. Mr Seaton made no

secret of his preference for Wolaroi's chance ever that of his other representative, Eastcourt, yet in the race the latter gave by far the better showing. As Eastcourt was reported to be backward, yesterday's race may improve his V.R.C. Derby prospects considerably, and he certainly promises to be Kilboy's most formidable opponent in the Flemington blue ribbon. Two of Martian's progeny, in Sasanof and Bee, fought out a great finish in the Spring Stakes at Randwick yesterday, victory resting with the three-year-old. Their achievement was full df merit, for amongst those to oppose them were such well performed horses as Cagou, Cyklon, Wallace Isinglass, Carlita, and Wallalo. From a time point of view Sasanof's achievement eclipses that of Kilboy in the Derby, but it must not be forgotten that he had 221b less in the saddle, while the track would be much drier when the Spring Slakes was run than when Kilboy made his effort.

Those owners who intend supporting the Oamaru Trotting Club's annual meeting should not overlook the fact that entries close at 9 o'clock this evening. A number of trotting enthusiasts assembled at the Addington track this morning to witness a trial of Mr H. Reynolds's starting barrier. The contrivance is particularly simple, consisting of a scries of worsted threads drawn across the course at the various starting marks. These are fastened to a piece of rubber attached to a post on the outside of the course, and the least pressure put on litem serves to ring a bell. This indicates to the starter whether his horses are in line or not, and on the signal to go being given the fraii cord is immediately broken by the competitors. In this morning's trials the device appeared to be quite successful, and was generally commended.

At a committee meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club held yesterday trainers' licenses were granted to J. Brvce and P. Reardon; jockeys' licenses to J. Boyd and T. H. Richards (conditionally); and jockeys' apprentice licenses to C. Larsen and J. Bell, jun. Transfers were approved of Galore from K. Quinlivan to A. A. Cameron, and Silver Tongue, Elocution, and Form Up from G. P. Donnelly to H. E. Troutbeck.

Like so many of its predecessors, the Epsom Handicap resulted in the victory of a comparative outsider. Panacre, the winner, raced badly at the recent Tattersalls meeting, and went out of favour for the big mile event as a result. He is by that great speed sire, Linacre, from Panara, a mare that raced with some success a decade ago. Favouritism rested with Polycrates, an imported son of Polymelus and Marmite, who only for an interrupted preparation may have won. For a fortnight before the race Polycrates had been under veterinary attention for lameness in the shoulder, and as a result did little fast work to fit him for such a race as the Epsom Handicap. While running out in a paddock at Epsom recently the steeplechaser Captain Jack staked himself rather badly. He is making a good recovery, but the veteran's owner has abandoned the idea of racing him again.

The death occurred on Friday of W. O'Shea, brother of the wellknown rider. 'Although he did not follow the riding profession, he was associated with several racing sfnhles in the district at different times.

Reports from EJlerslie credit Mullinsrar with looking particularly well, and the opinion prevails in the north that he is an almost certain starter in the New Zealand Cup. The Wellington horseman, W. Bell, passed through Ghristcnurch to-day en route to Kurow. where he will ride Mr Whitney's horses. He will have the mount on Disdainful in the Diinedin Guineas. IT. Young is also on his wny to Kurow to ride Finless and Golden Rupee TEMPLAR.