SPORTING NOTES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 63, Issue 4490, 15 October 1941, Page 5

SPORTING NOTES

ON RACING AND TROTTING. ITEMS FROM HERE AND THERE. [By Old Rowley] Owners and trainers are reminded that acceptances for the Waikato Hunt meeting, to be held at Cambridge on October 27 (Labour Day) close on Friday next. The Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt meeting will be held on Saturday next and patrons should witness some interesting races, for the fields are quite fair. ♦ ♦ * ♦ The Auckland Trotting Club will hold its spring meeting on October 25 and 27 and acceptances for the first day close on Friday next. ♦ * * ♦ The performance of Nordic Song in the Gordon Handicap on Saturday last was quite good and on Monday he put up a fair performance to finish fourth. In his two previous starts this season he finished well, registering a third placing at Te Aroha, Little Rose and Hinkler being ahead of him, while at Paeroa he ran promisingly without getting a place. By Hunting Song—Nordica he should, be worth keeping an eye on, particularly when the fields are not quite so strong. * * * * Of interest to owners and trainers of maiden horses in the trotting sport is the following statement made by Mr J. R. McKenzie at a recent meeting of the Board of the New Zealand Trotting Association: Mr McKenzie drew attention to what he considered a weakness in the sport in the poor provision made for maiden horses. During last season, said Mr McKenzie. 422 maiden horses were raced and there were only 95 races in New Zealand for them. In addition, 350 new horses had been registered. At th< j present rate he calculated it would be four and a half years before all these horses graduated to the second grade. In referring to the South Island in particular, he remarked that trotting clubs were paying little attention to maiden horses, and it was left to the racing clubs to provide the few opportunities. With the exception of the Ashburton Trotting Club there was not one within 50 miles of Christchurch offering any encouragement to the maiden trotter or pacer. At Methven recently two races had to be run in divisions, and with the stakes reduced the winner received a penalty that placed it on a mark which no races provided for. A way out of the difficulty might be in making it compulsory for clubs to put on maiden races and in the event of the fields being too big that the places be balloted for, with fees returned to the owners of the horses not accepted. He moved that the association consider a remit to be presented to Conference compelling all clubs to put on a race, 3min. 39sec. class or slower, for a mile and a half.

The local horseman, J. H. Mcßae rode two good races for a second placing on Kinkle in the Hunters’ Steeplechase on Saturday last and a win or Bisquit in the Manukau Hurdles on Monday. C. G. Goulsbro may claim to have been one of the unluckiest riders when his mount Kronos was badly checked when making a strong run in the Great Northern Guineas, but he had better luck on Foxola in the Epsom Handicap cm the second day.

As a matron it seems that Mussie is throwing some fairly good stock, for Kilcash, which won the Mitchelson Cup and Manuma, the winner of the Normanby Handicap, at the Ellerslie meeting are both from her. Kilcash is five years old and is by Musketoon, while Manuma is a four-year-old by Jay. Both are mares and are owned by Mr P. Corbett.

Although the win of Broadcaster in the Musket Stakes on Monday last was made easy by Royal Merit coming away from the rails and letting him through he should be worth remembering, for even if he doesn’t quite reach classic standards he should prove a tough proposition in the juvenile handicap events.

The fallacy of condemning one poor performance on the part of a horse was amply demonstrated when Bronze Ora won at long odds on Monday last, for after running two good races at Paeroa, he could not do better than finish sixth in the first division of the Gordon Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday last, although it can be truthfully said that he did not get the best of the running, but on Monday he drew the rails and Tremain hopped him out smartly, giving him all the run of the race. Incidentally his sire, Bronze Eagle, is proving to be a useful sort and his latest winners include Royal Message, Bronze Ora, Bronze Meter and Bronze Moth.

There was nothing wrong with the performances of Burra Sahib in his races at Ellerslie and the manner in which he won the Liverpool Handicap on Monday showed he is possessed of the courage necessary to the making of a class horse. Provided he keeps right this fellow should not find a rich handicap stake above him in the near future.

The Wellington Racing Club will stage the first day of its Spring meeting on Thursday, October 23, and a glance through the fields reveals that many of last year’s prominent performers are engaged and enthusiasts will no doubt watch their performances very closely in. view of their likelihood of competing for the rich prizes which will be offering in th' > Auckland district as the season progresses.

Salutation, which won the Dunedin Guineas on Monday last is a grey filly by Theio, from Queen Salute. As a two-year-old she did a failamount of racing without showing any outstanding ability, but it appearthat she is going to make her presence felt in the southern classics, particularly if the going is on the heavy side.

The New Zealand Cup candidates, Iceland Spar and Don’t Forget ran prominently at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Spring meeting last week-end, particularly Iceland Spar, which won the Churchill Handicap, of 1 mile, 21 furlongs and was second in the Army Handicap, 1 mile, on the second day •of the meeting.