SPORTING NOTES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 63, Issue 4462, 11 August 1941, Page 5

SPORTING NOTES

ON RACING AND TROTTING. ITE}IS FROM HERE AND THERE [By Old Rowley] A very popular win with local sportsmen on Saturday last, was the victory of Harmony, in the second division of the Stewards’ Hack Handi’cap, when she came away nicely to win by a length from Gayjax and Hogarth, both of which are very promising. It was a good start for what is hoped will be a successful season for the well-known local owner, Mr A. H. Storey. Although he had the services of the local horseman, J. H. Mcßae, who had come up from the South Island to ride him, Golden England could make no impression at any stage of the Thames Steeplechase and appeared to be far from ready for the 21 miles journey. Mr G. Ramsay’s Etaro, trained by the local mentor, E. J. Murtagh, went a remarkably good race in the Hikutaia Hurdles and when he was taken to the front it looked as though he had the race in safe keeping, but Kena proved a little too strong for him at the finish. However he is only a young horse yet and for his first ■ time out it was a creditable showing

The annual meeting of the Waikato Trotting Club will be held on August 26, and seven nominations have been received for the six vacancies on th* l committee. The members nominated are:—Messrs E. H. Cucksey (Te Awamutu), A. O. Casey (Matamata), AG. Downes (Hamilton), M. McNair (Haii ini), W. Perrin (Paterangi), P. Reid (Hamilton), and A. Wheeler (Hamilton). All the retiring members are seeking re-election, the newcomei being Mr A. Wheeler.

In winning both steeplechases at Thames on Saturday last, Conflagration achieved a distinction that has seldom been equalled in recent years and he appeared to win both quite easily. A great share of the credit must go to J. Williamson, the rider, who is attached to R. Martin’s stable at Matamata, for this boy rode very confidently and in both instances he waited until they were going along the back for the last time before he took, the lead. Incidentally this lad had the experience of being loudly applauded for his double victory only to be greeting by loud disapproval of a large section of the attendance when he rode the winner of the Parawai Handicap, Expellant, which earlier in the day had run unplaced in a hack event.

Acceptances for the Pakuranga Hunt meeting, to be held at Ellerslie on August 23, close with the secretary, Mr W. S. Spence, on Friday next, at 5 p.m. .

R. E. Horne had the honour of being the first local horseman to ride a winner on the flat this season, when he was successful on Little Rose. It is worth recording that although she has been placed several times, this was her first win and it is fitting that Horne, who had ridden her in most of her • previqjis engagements should have been the jockey on this occasion.

Beginner’s luck can hardly be accredited to Mr W. S. Goosman, M.P. for Waikato, for he again had the exasperating experience on Saturday last, of seeing one of his horses, Glen Connell, just beaten. It will be remembered that the same owner was rather unlucky with Laughing Fox, when it was narrowly beaten by Nan Vaals at Franklin, and also when the same horse won, but the placings were reversed at the Rotorua meeting in February.

The Auckland Trotting Club have drawn up a comprehensive Programme for their meeting on August 30 and have stated that in the event of the Mount Eden Handicap field giving them justification for division it will be run as two separate races, in which case £l2O will be added to the stake. Nominations for all events close at 5 p.m. on August 18.

With the death of Mr J. T. Morris, at Marton, there passed a well respected veteran of the early days of racing in the Dominion. Although at the time of his death he was in retirement, he had trained horses for the best part of .60 years and for some thirty years he rode, only giving up this branch of the sport when his son, Bert, was commencing his career. The late Mr Morris’s first patron was the late Mr John Green, of Marton, while later he successfully trained Master Lupin, Ngata, The Native and Omahu. Mr Morris is survived by three sons, Mr J. Morris, the amateur horseman, and L. G. and B. H. Morris, both of whom are now trainers.

When making a tour of the studs situated in the North Island, Mr Gerald McElligott, M.R.C.V.S.,' joint director of the world-famous British Bloodstock Agency, Ltd., expressed pleasure at the manner in which Foxbridge, the leading sire of the past season and Vermeer, the younger sire at the Cambridge stud, had developed since being in the Dominion. Both animals were sent through his agency. Mr McElligott also spoke on the importance of the breeding industry and referred to the impression made in th? past by the potentialities of the Dominion as a nursery for bloodstock. It is his intention to attend the Grand National meeting at Riccarton after which he hopes to complete nis tour of inspection in the North Island.

Another well-bred stallion must be added to the already imposing list of those recently arrived in the Dominion and that is Sea Tonic, a seven-year-old bay horse by Cameronian (a Derby winner), from Seaweed, which will eo to Wellington.

The much boosted Springfield Globe, whose reputation has not been flattered since he commenced racing in New Zealand, may have been rather unfortunate when racing at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s August meeting on Saturday last, when he contested the August Handicap. He appears to have been close to the winner, Ferry Post, which had all the worst of the race, but he subsequently broke and upset quite a number of the other contestants.