RACING AND TROTTING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1274, 13 March 1918, Page 3

RACING AND TROTTING.

RACING FIXTURES. March 11—Wnimate 11.C. Annual. March 11 and 15—SVairarapa R.C. Autumn. March l(i—Ohincmnri J.C. Annual. March IG—Westport J.C. Annual. March 18—Opunakc R.C. Annual. March 20 and 21—Rangitikei R.C. Annual. March 20 and 21—Southland R.C. Autumn. March ,'!0 and April I—Auckland R.C. Autumn. March GO and April I—Riverton1 —Riverton R.C. Autumn. NOMINATIONS. March 12—Riverton R.C. Easter. March 15—Canterbury J.C. Autumn. March 20—Manawatu R.C. Autumn. April 2—South Canterbury J.C. Autumn. April 20—Marlborough R.C. Autumn. TROTTING FIXTURES. March 30— N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. Easter. April I—Waimate Plains T.C. Annual. April 13—Auckland T.C. Autumn. NOMINATIONS. Marcli 13—Metropolitan T.C. Easter. • turf Topics.

Tlipro is bound to bo some excellent sport witnessed at Wahnatc to-morrow, for the fields are well up to the average, and all the races look particularly open. Most of those engaged in the Studholme Stakes can be expected to register a merry flive furlongs. At the weights Golden Prince and Sir Malt may be expected to find plenty of favour, as both are quick beginners. After her improved showing at the Akaroa Meeting, All Pink looks like playing her part well in the Trial Plate, for slic should be all the belter for her race at Motukarara. The field for the Waunute Cup is likely to lie further reduced, but even so the result will puzzle backers. Killard and Marsa should both be quite at home over the journey. Despite the magnitude of his task, Kilboyne reads well in the President’s Handicap, as do Golden Prince and Linden in the Wnitangi Hack Handicap. In such a small field as that left in the Stewards’ Welter All Ready may be sent oiit favourite. Timaru running points to Ramitiairi and Colenut being prominent in the Morven Trot, while the distance of the Hook Trot should be to General Ron’s liking. A large number of Riccarton horses were entrained for the South to-day to fulfil engagements at the Waimate Racing Club’s Meeting. A correspondent, “Sport,” takes me to task regarding my remarks in Monday’s issue objecting to the adverse criticism levelled by some Australians against Mr Lowry for not starting Desert Gold in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes. The. writer also questions Mr Lowry’s sportsmanship in not letting his mare take her chance in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes in preference to the Governor’s Plate. Surely “Sport” should concede Mr Lowry the right of racing his marc as he thinks best, especially when-he lias been generous enough to donate her winnings to such a good cause. Mr Lowry’s explanation that he took on the Governor’s Plate to test the marc’s staying powers in view of important long distance races at Sydney is surely a satisfactory one. As a matter of fact, it looked as if Desert Gold bad just as good prospects in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes as in the Governor’s Plate. In the St. George Stakes she met Cetigne on the same terms as she would have been required to in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes. In the former, according to Australian papers, she beat him decisively by a length. What reason, therefore, is there to suppose that be would have turned the tables on her under similar conditions in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes? Probably when full details of the racing come to hand it will be found that betting considerations had something to do with' the “disappointment” shown at her owner’s action. The programme drawn up for the Autumn Meeting of the Ashburton County Racing Club, to be held on May 9, provides for the distribution of £1.155 in stake money. Of this fine amount £IOO goes to the Ashburton Cup, which is run over a mile and a-quartcr course. Several Canterbury horses appear amongst the final acceptors for the Taranaki Futurity Stakes, run over a mile and a-lialf course. Prominent amongst them arc Queen Chimes and Norwood, both of whom have shown winning form this season. A final reminder is given owners that entirics for the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Easter Meeting close this evening. Included on the programme issued for the Ashburton County Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting is n trotting event worth 120 sovs.: It is for horses that can go 2,30 orlictter, and is run in harness over eleven furlongs. The Wairarapa R.C. Meeting is set down for decision to-morrow and Friday, and has drawn a really Rood class of horses. Red Ribbon and Multifual are likely to show up well in the Cup, and it will be interesting to see how Nanna shapes over a mile and a-quarter, in view of her engagement in the Great Autumn Handicap. A win in tomorrow’s big event will entail a 141b penalty for either of the hig handicaps at Riccarton. Sir James Carroll will soon have a few horses racing in his interest, and has registered his racing livery “light green, scarlet sleeves and cap.” After fulfilling Wairarapa engagements. Red Ribbon will be sent to Auckland, where she is expected to run well in the Easter Handicap. Beltane and Kill’cm, who were recently sold by Mr E. S. Luttrell to Mr S. P. Mackay, arc now being trained at Melbourne by j. Scobic. A recent arrival at Ramlwick is the New Zealander Bunting, who practically broke down when lie won the Brisbane Cup with 9.7 in June, and lias been spelling nearly ever since, and his leg is .seemingly sound again, but, of course, it remains to lie seen bow lie fares when he commences fast work. Amongst the horses likely to oppose Desert Gold in the, weight-for-age events at the A.J.C. Meeting are: —Cetigne, Lingle, Wallace Isinglass, Lanius, Wedge, and Panacre. E. A. Connolly, who landed so much money over Bronzctti when that colt won the Caulfield Cup, is reported to have backed him heavily for the St. Lcgcr. His luck was not as good as in the spring.

Amongst the New Zealand horses in work at Ranclwick is Dcltonio, who is being got ready for hurdle racing. A. Wood has won two Newmarket Handicaps in succession, and each on a horse concerning whose ability to commence fast enough for such a race there was a deal of doubt. However, as with Polycrates last year. Wood had Cetigne well up soon after barrier-rise. At Flemington the competitors do not stand as flat-footed at the barrier as is customary in Sydney, and Cetigne may have had sufficient ■ move on at the start to make all the difference to a horse that has never shone as a beginner over there.

Some owners are as inconsistent as some racehorses (says an exchange). Mr E. E. D. Clarke, who objects to the totalisator because it makes people selfish, is prepared to let breeders avail themselves of the services of his stallion. The Welkin, at a fee of 500gs Like some of those New Zealand owners whom he alleged had so little to say concerning the prospects of their horses, Mr Clarke is evidently of opinion that he has a good thing, and means to kccji it for himself. C. N. Kidman, who trains New York at Melbourne, wished to scratch him for the V.A.T.C. Stanley Steeplechase, but the owner, Mr J. Timms, would not have it. The latter had reason to be pleased with his judgment, as New York won, though in another few strides he would have been defeated by Pinion. New York, with 12.1, ran the two miles 3 furlongs 80 yards in 4min ,‘Mlsec, which in the days of the muchboomed* old-time racehorses, would have been regarded as almost an impossibility. Tlie time works out at the rate of about 3min 47scc for two miles, which, with such a number of jumps to be negotiated, was smart travelling. In the early days, several Syndey and Melbourne Cups were won in worse than 3min 40sec. The proposed scheme of improvements to be made at Ellerslie as soon as conditions are normal are on an extensive scale, and provide for greatly increased stand accommodation at every point of vantage. The recent purchase of properly adjacent to the rear of the present paddock (says an Auckland writer) will bring about a change long before attention is directed to the more extensive improvements. The plans are already laid for transforming the paddock to bring in the new property. When completed, the present totalisator house and other buildings will be removed a considerable distance to the rear of their present positions, while a new tea kiosk will be erected, and the paddock further beautified by garden beds and floral shrubs. There will be sutlieient room in the inside paddock to accommodate some thousands of patrons more than at present. TEM I'l.Atl.

V.R.C. MEETING. OPENS IN RAIN. UNSATISFACTORY RACE FOR ST. LEGER. [From Our Special Correspondent.] Saturday morning gave promise of beautiful weather for the opening of the V.R.C. Autumn Meeting, and a large attendance visited I'lemingfon. Unfortunately soon after racing commenceV a thunderstorm swept the course, and though it cleared, the wind changed again, and ns the race for the Newmarket Handicap finished rain fell heavily, the course and surroundings soon being flooded. Inside the paddock an“ around the bookmakers' ring the water made miniature lakes, but the stands provided plenty of shelter. Those on the hail and the flat, however, were not so favourably situated, and a section of the patrons of the latter place caused an amusing diversion by making a rush past the mounted police and jumping the fence into the grandstand enclosure. Some hundreds took part in the rush, and as they were slipping and falling all over the place, those snugly sheltered under cover were provided with plenty of amusement while the show lasted. Desert Gold Withdrawn.

When the rain was falling heavily, the connections of Desert Gold were in anything but a happy frame of mind, but Mr Lowry, her owner, did not definitely decide to withdraw her until after the Sires’ Produce Stakes had been decided, when an investigation of the track showed it to be very heavy. The withdrawal of the New Zealand crack caused a lot of disappointment, and unfortunately the man in charge of the number board hoisted the marc’s number as a starter. A large number of the pencillers eager for business opened betting, offering to take 2 to 1 the New Zealand mare, while 4 to 1 was on offer against Wallace Isinglass, and several of the “hard heads” got in at this price, although there was not a great amount laid. When the marc’s number was taken out of the frame Wallace Isinglass was quickly an odds-on favourite, and he duly landed the odds laid on him. Hut it was only his superior condition that pulled him through. Inside the distance Lingle and Lanius, his only opponents, were alongside him, and the trio were all hard at it, Wallace Isinglass staying on the better and winning by threeparts of a length. An Unsatisfactory Race. Five were saddled up for the St. Lcger, and Prince Viridis was sent out an oddson favourite. Thrice being really the only one given a chance of bringing about his defeat. The favourite went out to win from end to end, but as they swept round

into the home turn, Thrice and Bronzctti were on his quartet's. The last-named ran up on the outside, and at the distance was on terms with Prince Viridis, who then commenced to hang badly. All the way down the straight he bored out, taking Bronzctti with him, and though the lastnamed headed him a hundred yards from home, Prince Viridis came again, snatching a head victory in the last stride. It was generally expected a protest would ho forthcoming, and one was immediately lodged, hut the stipendiary stewards did not take long to dismiss it, their decision coming in for a lot of adverse comment. Prom a disinterested point of view, the writer is of the opinion that Bronzctti was decidedly unlucky, and in nine cases out of ten under similar circumstances the second horse would have got the race. One hears strange stories of the doings in racing circles in Melbourne. The Big Sprint.

When the numbers were framed for the hig sprint event, the Newmarket Handicap, a field of 2!) was left to race down the. straight six furlongs. In the rooms overnight there was a fair volume of business, but t) to 1 was on offer the field, the event being generally considered to he very open, liluc Cross was the actual favourite overnight, hut on the course Cetignc supplanted him, at a shade less odds than was on offer the preceding evening, tlxe Sydney horse being a couple of points shorter than Panacre, Blue Cross, and Hoprig, who were the second fancies. From the spectators’ point of view the race was not a good one to watch, and the field was well into the straight before the leaders could he picked up with any degree of certainty. At this stage Poitrina had a good load from Petracia, Wedge, and Pah King, while Cetignc, on nearly the extreme outside, could he seen coining with a great run. Passing the second stand, Cetignc was almost on terms with the leaders, and finishing with a brilliant hurst of speed went past the post half a length in front of Poitrina, who was a neck in front of Wedge. Petracia was fourth and Pali King fifth. The connections of Cetignc were very

sanguine of tlic ability of the son of Grafton to account for the event, and they took a fair amount of money out of the ring by his success. He was generally considered one of the best-handicapped horses in the race, but quite a number of good judges considered he would not begin quickly enough to win a race like the Newmarket Handicap. His trainer-owner specially prepared him for the race, giving him a lot of sprinting off the mark, with the result that victory came his way. Cetigne has now proved himself to he a performer considerably above the ordinary, and his winnings total just on £20,000, only being exceeded in Australia by Carbine and Trafalgar. The running of Cetigno and Wedge in the event has drawn attention to the performances of Desert Gold at Caulfield, which are now conceded to be better than they were considered at the time. DESERT GOLD’S SECOND DEFEAT. By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright. SYDNEY, March 12. Desert Gold’s defeat in the King’s Plate is attributed to the colossal task set her of

making her own pace against n solid stayer like Wallace Isinglass. No other two-mile weight-for-age race in Australia was ever run at such a pace. Desert Gold’s stamina is open to doubt, and her form suggests that one mile and a-half is her best distance. When Cetigne’s owner decided to contest the Lloyd Stakes he determined that the patriotic funds should not suffer in the event of Cctignc beating Desert Gold. The latter did not compete, but Mr T. A. Stirton has decided to contribute half the stake to the Red Cross. WAIMATE PLAINS T.C.’S ANNUAL MEETING. Press Association. HAWERA, March 12. After declaration of final forfeit, the following remain in the TARANAKI FUTURITY STAKES, of 150 sovs. One mile and a-haif.—Wee Bill, Lady Esrna, Moon Drift, Norwood, Queen Chimes, Tatsy Dillon, Molly Chimes, Normia Heir, Lecwood, b g by Rotomanuka —Goosie, b f by Galindo—Alice Wood, ch c by Peralta —Jersey mare, ch f by Proud Child—Fatality, ch f by Advance—Queen V.