TURF TOPICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 864, 16 November 1916, Page 5

TURF TOPICS.

More than usual interest is bcijig. taken this year in the Spring Meeting of the South Canterbury Jockey Club, which lakes place on the 23rd and 25th insts. Several Riccarton trainers intend taking teams to the fixture, including a number of horses that raced prominently at Riccarton last week. Acceptances fall due at 9 p.m. to-morrow, and there is every indication that they will be of a satisfactory nature.

Three prominent three-year-olds in The Toll', Sasanof, and Kilboy are engaged in the Auckland Cup, and it will be interesting to see the opinion Mr Morse forms of their merits. The programme for the Wellington Racing Club's Summer Meeting provides for the distribution of £7OO extra in stake money. As usual, the fixture will extend over three days. The two-year-old Rirkenvale, who savaged his rider at the recent Trentham meeting and was subsequently gelded, has been sent home to Awapuni. To-morrow evening acceptances fall due for the spring meetings of the Feilding J.C. and the Takapuna J.C. •

During his three-year-old career All Ready gave promise of developing into a more than useful performer. His form in the autumn of two seasons ago was of such an attractive nature as to bring him into favour for the New Zealand Cup of last year, but unfortunately he failed to survive the necessary preparation. This did not prevent him starting in no fewer than 20 races last season, in half of which he was placed, but without registering a single win. This season his showings have been more in "Keeping with his early promise. He ran one good race at the Dunedin meeting last month, and got on the winning list at Gore, thereby marking his first success for nearly 18 months. Even more attractive was his win in the Winton Cup yesterday; for amongst those to finish behind him were such smart performers as Gunrest, Marsa, and Magdala, none of whom had the least chance with the son of All Red and Aerina. /

A number of Riccarton-trained horses that sported silk at the C.J.C. meeting are now under a course of physic. This and the fact of others being spelled has taken all interest out of training operations. Night Alarm, who showed greatly improved form in winning the Trial Stakes at Winton yesterday, is a three-year-old son of Calibre and Midnight. In yesterday's race he started favourite, and scored in decisive style from Maraekoa and Verdun.

The well-known trainer, P. Coffey, who has been following his vocation ut Sydney for the last two years, returned to Wellington on Monday last. He brought with him Toa Tere, Belle Boyne, and an unnamed two-year old by Cardinal Beaufort from Cintra. The last-named was bred by Mr G. M. Currie, but failing to change bands when submitted to auction in Sydney was leased by Coffey. Toa Tere won a number of good races in Australia, but latterly was too well looked after by the handicappers to have much chance of success. Coffey intends taking up his residence at New Plymouth, where he will set up as a public trainer. According to a Sydney authority Bee and Zuland are in the sale list, so that there is little chance of either being brought back to New Zealand. Judging by her latest displays Bee is in need of a well earned respite. An Australian scribe slates that Mr VV. G. Stead was very anxious to secure F. Dempsey to ride Sasanpf in the Melbourne Cup, and offered the owner of Lingle, who had retained Dempsey, .€lf)00 to forgo his call, but the latter would not budge. F. Foley, who was subsequently given the mount on the Cup winner, was the most successful light-weight jockey in Sydney at the conclusion of the A.J.C. Spring Meeting. ' Wolaroi, the winner of the V.R.C. Derby, was bred by his owner, Mr D. U. Seaton. As a yearling he was

offered at the Rand wick sales with a reserve oi' 2")ogns., but no one would take him. Mis breeder was. thus compelled to take him home and' have him trained, with most satisfactory results, as he won all the important two-year-old events, and has now won the V.li.G. Derby. English papers just to hand contain the result of the Great Foal Slakes, of £BOO, one mile and acpiarter. A. Taylor, the Manton trainer, started two, Escomb and Grosvcnor, and the former was sent out favourite. The latter beat his stable mate easily by a length and a-half. Grosvcnor was bred by his owner, Mr K. TaUersall/ bv Cicero (Derby) from Sceptre (One Thousand, Two Thousand, Oaks, and SI. Leger). This was Grosvcnor's first success. For some lime Use progress of trolling in Wellington has been greatly hampered by the shortage of lolalisalor permits. Though posscss- •> ing one of the best appointed courses in the Dominion, the Wellington T.G, has only one day's racing per year, as against Christchurch 17, Auckland 11, and Dunedin (>. The unfairness of this division has been keenly felt

by the many patrons of light harness racing in the Empire City, and at various times they have brought their disability under notice of the Government. Yesterday afternoon a strong deputation from the 'Wellington Trotting Club waited on . the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. G. W. Russell), and discussed the position at some length. The deputation, through the President of the club (Mr E. Riddiford), expressed the opinion that it had public support behind it when it asked that Wellington district should be given more equitable facilities for carrying on the sport of trotting. Not many years ago the club had permits for eight days' racing, but owing to various circumstances the number bad been reduced to one, although the club had secured a long lease of (he course at Mutt Park, and had already spent £I2OO on preliminary improvements, which were a direct benefit to the people of the district. The Minister, in replying, said that the fact that such a large number of men had waited on him was a clear indication that trotting as a sport was going to get a fresh start in Wellington. He sympathised with the deputation in the arguments it had put forward, but he had to point out that permits for the present year had already been allocated on the recommendation of the conference. If there should be any break in connection with any other club not being able to use its license lie would be prepared to consider the question of giving Wellington another day's racing. Otherwise nothing could be done until next season, when the question of adjustment in favour of Wellington would naturally have to be considered. Rarely has there been such unanimity on the part of backers as to what would win the Derby (writes "Pilot," in the Sydney Referee"). Favourites in Mountain Knight and Wallace Isinglass had run unplaced the two previous years, but a similar happening This time was regarded as out of the question. While admitting improvement on the part of Wolaroi, the summing-up of even the recognised best judges of racing was: "What's the use of looking beyond Kilboy?" "Wolaroi will never be able to carry 8.10 on this ground," was the general verdict; but in his preliminary he strode down in great style, while Kilboy moved a trifle stiffly. However, the hitter's trainer, M. Hobbs, had no fear concerning the result, nor did Mr Luttrell, who told me he expected the Kilbroney colt to win easily, and also outstay his stable-companion, Sasanof, in the Cup. Mehi King moved freely in his preliminary, as did Easteour't, who, however, gave the impression that he would have been advantaged by a tinner track. Stageland, despite J. Scobie's high opinion of him, had less the appearance of a probable Derby winner than any other colt in the field. His condition was excellent, but he is such a light-necked, light-framed customer that he did not look up to Derby weight, especially on such a track. Of course, the heavy track was the first thing alleged to be responsible for Kilboy's failure, but he acted well enough in it until pressure was applied in the straight. Then, again, the going was very dead, if not actually soft, when he scored in Sydney. Almost needless to say his joint owners and trainers were greatly disappointed, and if he does not show to much greater advantage in the Cup, presumably he will be given a holiday again before being raced. He was the youngest of the Derby competitors, as he will not be actually three years old until near the end of this month. TEMPLAR.