TURF TOPICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 885, 11 December 1916, Page 5

TURF TOPICS.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. "Wager," Lyttelton.—Kilboy was withdrawn from the Auckland Cup at 1 p.m. on December 1. According to reports from Ellerslie Kilboy has done little work since his return from Australia. The other members of Hobbs's team are all in fine heart. When doing a gallop at Ellerslie a few mornings ago Mullingar commenced to bleed from the nostrils, and B. Deeley had to pull him up. The Cup candidate's trainer does not think the mishap is likely to interfere to any great extent with Mullingar's preparation. Chortle will be accompanied to Ellerslie by Multiplication, Sheila, and Vagabond. Since his fine effort at Woodville Chortle has come into a good deal of favour for the Auckland Cup, while Multiplication is one of the most fancied candidates for Railway Handicap honours. L. Wilson has been engaged to ride Tallerly in the A.R.C. Railway Handicap, and it is reported that B. Deeley will have the mount on Sasanof in the Great Northern Derby. The fact of Sedd-el-Bahr having been freely engaged at the Dunedin Jockey Club's meeting suggests that there is little chance of him being sent north for the Manawatu fixture. Leading Lady is to be tried as a jumper, and will probably make her debut in the hurdle events at the Dunedin Jockey Club's Summer meeting. \ Colonel is reported to be getting through y splendid Cup preparation at Ellerslie. He is galloping with great freedom, and no horse in the big event will strip in better condition. As the result of a slight accident Marco Bcllo did not accompany John Barleycorn to Auckland as originally intended. His name figures in several of the chief events at the Dunedin Jockey Club's meeting, and his mentor hopes to have the gelding fit to race at thai fixture. Since his arrival at Ellerslie Ardcnvhor has found a good deal of favour with track watchers. So far he has not been asked to do much on the tracks, but a few gallops will suffice to lit him for the Auckland Cup. He will be ridden by C. Emerson, who will also be associated with his winding up gallops. With the exception of the two juvenile handicaps the entries received for the Dunedin Jockey Club's Summer Meeting arc quite up to the average. The well endowed Otago Handicap has drawn 13 nominations which include the Riccarton representatives Margerine. Snub, Wardancer, Adjutant and Ogier. There is plenty of material for good racing in most of the other events, for the lists include such as Balboa, Marco Bello, Sedd-el-Bahr, Oxenhope. All Heady, Ringform, Rorke's Drift, Golden Prince, Bellshire, and United

Service. El Hallo, one of the most fancied candidates for the Auckland Cup, has been causing his trainer a good deal of anxiety of late. The gelding has been troubled with his kidneys, nnd was on the easy list for a few da vs.

The Rakaia Racing Club has announced an attractive programme for its annual meeting which takes place on January 13th. There are five flat events and three trots, the former including the Rakaia Cup of 20 sovs. to which is also attached a" handsome trophy presented by Mill. J. Harrison. Acceptances for the Manawalu Racing Club's Summer Meeting close to-morrow evening. The Norlh Olago Jockey Club will receive entries for its Summer Meeting up till 9 o'clock to-morrow evening. A very attractive programme has been drawn up for the fixture, one (hat is sure to attract the attention of Canterbury owners. It includes two races for juveniles, and it is to be hoped that owners will support them more generously than was the case at the Dunedin fixture. In order to minimise the trouble caused by horses kicking at the post the Australian Jockey Club have, a sort of false rail erected on the outside of the course proper at Handwick, which is said to have filled a long-fell want. The Auckland Racing Club have decided to have something similar at Ellcrslie, and it will probably be in use at the forthcoming Summer Meeting. During a recent trip to the North Island, Mr Ray Sellars, the popular secretary to the Racing Conference, had a narrow escape from a serious accident. On arriving at Wellington he missed the Napier express by a few minutes, and tried lo overtake it in a motor car. At a bend in the road his car met another coming in the opposite direction, and to prevent a collision the driver of the latter headed up a bank, a capsize resulting. The car was badly knocked about, but fortunately the occupants, a man and his wife and child,

escaped damage. Mr Sellars had to return to Wellington and go through s to Palmcrston by the Auckland express. The Hastings trainer T. F. Quinlivan leaves for Auckland on the 18th inst. with Blackall, Elocution,

Simonidcs, Bunting and Llanishen. The last-named is an English-bred horse recently imported from Sydney.

C. S. Lindsay, who was riding at the WoodviHe meeting, is a son of the old time horseman S. G. Lindsay, who won the New Zealand Cup on Roscfcldt, Tirant d'Eau, and Seahorse.

Form Up, who showed greatly improved form at the Feildirig and Woodville meetings, is to be spelled for the summer months. The only horse K. Qninlivan will have racing during the holiday season will be La Tasse.

When the programme for the Wellington Trotting Club's meeting was first issued it contained a provision that the handicapping and starling would he on the yards system. Some of the club's officials were present at the Addington meeting, and were so unfavourably impressed with the starting there thai on their return to Wellington they at once started an agitation to have the old system reinstated. As a result the club has now decided to go back to the time system of handicapping and starting for its January meeting.

SUM Bell, who contested the New Zealand Trotting Cup, is now being trained by J. Lynch at Epsom. She will be racing at the forthcoming meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club. F. Davis's team arc back in their old quarters at Woodville. The track there al present is good, and Davis recently informed a Wellington writer that he would delay his departure for Ellerslie to the latest possible dale. Egypt looks bright and muscular, and the racing at Riccarton on each of the four days evidently did him no barm. Desert Cold has quite recovered from the injury that prevented her starting at Riccarton, and has been galloping in her best style.

On November 23 the Legislative Council of Western Australia, by 13 votes to 7, amended the Betting Suppression Bill by inserting a proviso that a public place within the meaning of the Act does not include a racecourse during the holding of a race meeting. The opponents of the totalisator and the supporters of bookmakers coalesced to carry this amendment, which has the effect of legalising betting on racecourses, which is illegal under the existing Totalisator Act. < TEMPLAR.