RACE FOLK.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 857, 8 November 1916, Page 8

RACE FOLK.

AT RICCARTON.

ROUND LAWN AND PADDOCK. (By Petronel.) "Fortune . . . shifts to and fro her unstable honours, kind now to me, now to another." If a racing man ever soliloquises he must very often calmly murmur to himself something like the foregoing. And surely every owner of racehorses competing at the Cup Meeting must feel that now and then he is the victim of Foil une's capricious game. The philosophic "punter" takes gratefully what he is given, while Fortune stays, and if she Haps her nimble wings and flies away he just patiently waits for a return visit. The unwary hacker will quickly lose his head if reverses come his way, and so he "gets in" deeper and deeper still.

There were many backers of both kinds at Biccarton, and there were all sorts of owners with all sorts of temperaments, with, of course, the cheerful souls preponderating. I think there have been many Cup days with a larger attendance, and with a larger gathering of representative sportsmen from North Island racing centres. However, considering the circumstances of the time, the visitors were fully as representative as could have been expected. This is no time to go about in sackcloth and ashes, even though many thousands of New Zealand men and women are hard hit by the cruelty of war. Therefore, if we can decorously take our part in the national sport which is an industry of great importance to the State as well as one of the pleasant recreations of the people, all the belter for ourselves and for the country.

And so if was good lo sec Parliament well to the fore. The Hon. A. L. Herdman, Minister of Justice, was the only member of Cabinet who could lit in a Cup day holiday with his business tour, and I am sure he enjoyed his leisure time thoroughly. Sir George McLean, in smiling health and beaming humour, was greeted with, perhaps I may say, tender friendliness, by those who have known him long years or short. We all wish to see his vivid and honoured colours on the racecourse soon again, and perhaps we may not have to wait very long before the "Zetland spots" are carried by a first-class horse as in the good old days. That, al any rate we fervently desire. Another Upper House man, the Hon. Francis Wigram took, I hope, a pleasant holiday away from his praiseworthy work in connection with the Aviation School. The establishment of this School is a patriotic work in which sportsmen may well participate, and I am sure Mr Wigram can stand all the chaff about having his head in the air about his Hying scheme. The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, who is a steward of the C.J.C., always seems to me to enjoy himself tremendously at a race meeting. At Riccarton I suppose he has to lead a Jekyll and Hyde kind of existence—he is Hyde as a steward and Jekyll as a highminded enjoyer of pure sport. But Mr Rhodes is always cheerful, and I am glad to say, now looks very much more robust than he did immediately after his return from Egvpt. Mr Witty, Mr McCallum, Mr P.. Smith, Mr I). Buick, and Mr "Paddy" Webb, were among the Members of the Lower House I saw, and it seemed to me that the Member for Greymouth had lost some of his dash. Mr Buick was rather confident about his horse Rangitero winning the. Criterion Handicap, and perhaps was not quite so ready to rise again after defeat as he used to be. Mr Witty generally knows a thing or two at a race meeting, and in addition to backing winners he early spread the news of the birth of a son and heir to Harry Cutts, eldest of the two brothers who train for Sir George Clifford. "Just come by telephone" said George Witty, and I am not quite sure whether the past and present editors of a Christchurch daily paper quite understood the Member for Riccarton! ******

With the Auckland Spring Meeting commencing on Saturday there was naturally a shrinkage in the number of visitors from the northern province. We always have with us some of the leaders of the trotting branch of sport because these people will, by hook or by crook, fix in their business meetings so that the evening hours of visitors are usefully tilled in after a day's enjoyment or disappointment a) the races. So Mr John Rowe, president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference, is becoming a regular visitor to the big gatherings in Christchurch. Mr Rowe, by the way, is just now very much in earnest about a reform which will do away with the annual election of members of the Trotting Association. There is really no reason why members of that body should not be elected for three years. As things are now a man may be guided by the very best intentions in his work of reform, but just when he is making his usefulness effective he may be turned down if his ways do not suit the ways of the trotting clubs which elect him. Mr 11. W. Kitchingham, the Greymouth trotting enthusiast, is also an advocate of the three years tenure of oflice and I expect Mr 1). 11. Roberts is too. Mr C. F. Mark, the wellknown and well-liked secretary of the Auckland Trotting (Hub, is one of the constant visitors at Cup time. He has two sons at the front and his third son and only other child is in camj) getting ready to go. Privately Mr Mark has heard that oncson was ill and getting better from an attack of meningitis, but so far he has had no official intimation of any description. Mr H. R. MacKenzie, of the Ascot Stud spoke to me ad-

miringly of his yearlings and foals by Elysian. They are all marked by the individuality of their sire, who is a true descendant of St. Simon in that his vitality is so pronounced. Mr Mackenzie's other horse is Penury, whose daughter lady Penury, raced by Mr Mackenzie, won the important City Handicap al Hllerslie on Saturday. Though strictly a Gisbornc man Mr Fred Hall is bound up in Auckland, where his horses are trained by the versatile and voluble Jack Hac. Merry Hoe and Bleriol arc competing at the Cup Meeting and if Merry Hoe should will the Canterbury Cup today, look out for Jack Hue's three volume novelsworth of reminiscences! The evergreen Mr J. D. YYickha.n, who so far has confined his ownership to the trotting horse, journeys very regularly to Riccarton. I wonder why he does not buy a thoroughbred yearling or two? lie must have lost enough money hacking other people's horses to buy a score: However it is the noble army of self-sacrificing "punters" who so largely help to keep the great game going, and no one should grudge pleasure to other people. • •*•*• Wanganui owners were this time conspicuous by their absence, which was regretted as meaning that the horses trained in and around Wanganui were not considered good enough for the company at Riccarion. Mr J. Goring Johnston represented the Highden stable, which had rather bad luck with Panmure, the Forfarshire horse running third in the Stewards' Handicap, and second in the Criterion Handicap. There is nc doubt as to the quality of Panmure whose trainer, George Price, is looking forward to belter times now that the series of three turns of bad luck has been completed. Before the Wellington meeting Panmure was stopped in his work by a slight accident then he got his heel opened by a kicfc while at Trentham, and the third acl was Birkenvale's savaging of Bell which put an end to the present career of what promised to be a more than useful two-year-old. Perhaps before the week closes Price may have his smile from Fortune Mr H. McManaway was one of the few men from Wairarapa represented, and he had his bit of bad lucl when Waimahaki fell in the Hurdle Race on Monday, and so smashed hi? off-foreleg that he had to be destroyed instanter. The Mahaki gelding was, it is claimed, a "bonser" over the small sticks, and therefore Mr McManaway's loss is severe. Mr W. E. Bidwill had horses running, but he was not at Riccarton. Taranaki men were scarce, too, and I missed those stalwarts Mr Newton King, Mr (Montie Mills, and Mr Jervois George, who were at Ellerslie scooping in the spoils of Glenroy's victory. The McKenzie clan got in early with a really good win on Glorify, and despite Ladogcur's unconvincing form in the Riccarton Welte" on Saturday carried off lots of pelf by that gelding's success in the Epsom Handicap on Monday. From Hawke's Bay there was a strong contingent, and everyone was glad to see Mr T. H. Lowry back from his trip to America, and hear that Mrs Lowry had greatly benefited by the visit to the States. The Lowry horses did not race with all the luck on their side. Still, Estland has proved himself, and Egypt ran a

hard-fighting race in the Derby, in which, perhaps, his condition was a trifle too robust. Anyway, though he was narrowly beaten by The Toff after a magnificent finish, he was honoured in his defeat by a remarkably game little gelding. Marco Bello won the Metropolitan, and rejoiced Mr Lowry's heart exceedingly. To me, one of the pleasures in racing is to note an owner's keen enjoyment of success, and Mr Lowry's enjoyment was as vivid as that of a schoolboy of 12 who has a "bob's" worth of "black to consume at his leisure far from the madding crowd. Of course, when Marco Bello won, his New Zealand Cup backers began to puzzle themselves with questions as to why the racy-looking Varco colt did not start on Saturday. And so doing they, as one of them plaintively said to me: "I missed Thaddeus, the best thing of the day, for he is one of the most improved horses of the year." Mr E. J. Watt, back once again from Australia, has disclosed nothing of merit this season. But his time will come. He is the picture of placid contentment, so evidently he is naturally waiting for the time when the "skirts of happy chance" will flaunt his way. Mr C. Archibald, I think, regretted that Hyttus was not up at Ellerslie. The black fellow does not act well on the Biccarton track. I also think that Mr Archibald would have liked Hyllus, the Auckland Guineas winner, to have been in the New Zealand Derby. Mr G. P. Donnelly, who has given up the racing of his horses for the time being, was, of course, delighted with the success of Simonides in the Welcome Stakes, lie told me that the Demosthenes yearlings and foals are better than ever. Simonides may not shine on a course with turns, for his mouth is much malformed as the result of an accident; but with a good long straight Mr Troutbeck's colt will always require a lot of beating. I saw Mr Martin Baird, fine sportsman and treasurer of the Hawke's Bav Jockey Club, Mr W. J. Stratlon, that club's late secretary, Mr Troulbeck, very naturally pleased with his first "class" race success, and among others the always confident Mr Frank Armstrong. By the way, this sportsman is off to Samoa in a week or so on active service. A man of authority with a big knowledge of horses is required to take charge of the commissariat department, so Mr Armstrong goes, and we shall look to see him back in good time for next season's Grand National Meeting. Good luck to him! ****** Wellington invariably sends a numerous contingent down to the Cup and indeed to every race meeting held at Biccarton. Mr J. B. Harcourt, the courteous president of the Wel-

Jlington Racing Club, is almost alJways with us. Just now he is full ! of ideas for the future of his club. When the war is over! Ah! Mel What lots to do when that comes to |pass! Mr lan Duncan, a shade rei gretful about the accident which ] will prevent the Achilles—Prelude yearling colt from going into the ring to-morrow, was pleased with the appearance of his recent impor- ' tations from England. Mr H. D. Nelson is one of our consistent visitors. The owners of Chakwana, Messrs Vivian and Eric Riddiford, are about due for a win. They are ever cheer- ! ful sportsmen and I hope they may win a race before the week ends. Mr A. S. Watkins is one of our constant visitors and he of course takes much interest in the doings of the \ Riddiford horses and of Seadown. i "Mr H. Whitney" is a hard tryer and always comes to win a race and i place money. Commissioner Cullen • may I suppose be classed as a Wellingtonian. He is one of the many who has lost a boy in the war; but deep though his loss is he cannot i sit with folded hands and lament for the what might have been. Two lawyers fond of sport are Mr Skerrett and Mr Tringham, and other ; members of the Wellington Racing : Club I had a word or two with are Mr i.I. W. Abbot, without a horse just ! now, the handicapper, Mr H. Coyle, IMr Chilman, Mr P. J. Griffin, Mr I George Nash, who will not go empty ' away with Taringamutu. While others from the Empire city were Mr Hickey, Mr Beasley, Mr Shannon, Mr ! Dwyer, Mr F. McParland, Mr J. Mc- ! Parland, and Mr D. Bohan, who has ! lately joined the ranks of owners. For I once in a way Mr A. E. Whyte, the i secretary of the W.R.C. did not come I down. I believe business calls pre- ! vented his appearance on Cup day. jHe may come down for the Stead , Gold Cup in Saturday. Mr Joseph ] Ames spoke to me admiringly of Merrivonia's filly foal by Hallowmas. ! From the other side of Cook's i Strait, Mr J. J. Corry, Mayor of Blenheim, was accompanied by a lot of : good sports from Scddon. ...... Otago, North and South, as a rule, j sends plenty of visitors to Riccarton, • and though I saw many men I know j I missed some familiars. One of these was Mr George Procter, the j secretary of the North Otago Joc;key Club, who could not get away from his business. The war hits all ; round and in Mr Procter's case a pro- | perly ejualified assistant did not turn •up. Mr 0. R. Wise, proud of his i boys at the front and regretful that 'he has not a dozen more to send, j told me of his mares and foals, and j Mr Bruce Christie gave me word that the Martian—Grand Rain colt has improved out of knowledge since 1 I saw him some four weeks ago. Mr J. F. Reid, of Burnside. was also in ! enthusiastic vein about his yearlings i and really he has cause to be. I • only saw Mr Jasper Nicholls at lunch j time, just to pass the time of day, i for which I am sorry, as one always j hears words of wisdom in the discourse of this philosophical sportsman. Mr W. Gardiner, jun., cheer- \ ily optimistic as of yore, must have i been highly pleased with John Bari leycorn's vigorous galloping in the | Cup and in the Metropolitan. It is 1 a bit annoying to get so near and still be far away from the money .box.

1 "Oh! the little more and how much it is, t Oh! the little less and what miles away!" »| Other North Otago men I noticed F were Mr Andrew Carter, Mr E. Sluds holme, Mr J. Blythc, Mr J. Hall, and "Mr Neil Gilchrist. Mr Peter Miller > and Mr W. J. Gore were representatives of the Dunedin Jockey Club I " J saw, but some other Dunedinites preI j sent were Mr Henderson, Mr Elliott, I I and our old friend Mr W. Hayes. Mr r jAbbey Jones and Mr W. A. Sauns i ders were racing officials up from a | Southland which province sent a 'goodly number of sporting enthu- \ siasts who have but lately come into I the game. • ••«•• II Local sportsmen, and by that term j. j I mean Canterbury owners, have s i done fairly well so far. It was sat- .! isfacfory to see Mr G. D. Greenwood j 1 at last win a big handicap at Riccartjton, and he is to be congratulated r on the form of the two-year-old Bi--11 plane, who is good. The win of ArFjdenvhor in the New Zealand Cup 11 was a fitting reward for Mr Hugo I j Friedlander's patience with the Mar--'lian colt. I should say everybody ; was glad to see Mr "Charley" Reid t win the Irwell Handicap with Kilrea. , J This filly ran a sterling race in the t! Welcome Stakes. Mr Gordon Fulton t! scored a popular victory with Ban- [ \ ian, and there was, of course, much 1 ! enthusiasm over Mr Gerald Stead's 1 i Derby victory with The Toff. A '! game horse and a game rider—Hew- " itt's first win since his return to >,New Zealand it was—met with a '; very fine reception on returning to '! the birdcage. It was a pretty little "; episode to see Mrs Geo. G. Stead the j first to congratulate her son on his [ ■ success. Sir George Clifford's horses ? j have so far run without good fortune J but there are other days. There was , no chance for a dress display on Sat- !! urday, but on Monday full amends , were made and Biccarton was quite i at its best in the brilliant sunshine.