THE TURF

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144860, 11 December 1915, Page 8

THE TURF

FIXTURES. I December 17—Kawakawa Racing Club. Uecp.mbe.rli” and 28—Thames J.C. December 27 and 28—Taranaki J.C. December 'll and ‘2B—Dunedin J.C. Summer. December 27 and 30, January 1 and 3 Auckland Racing Club. December 27, 23 and 20 —Afanawatu R.C. December 27—Porangahan R.C. December 27 and 28—Dunedin J.C. December 27 and 28—Recfton J.C. December 27 —Taratahi-Cartcrton R.C. December 27 and 2S— Cromwell J.C. December 23. 29 and 31—Auckland Trotting Club. December HI and January I—Greyrnouthl—Greyrnouth J.C. January 1 and 3—Stratford R.C. Annual. January I—AA'yndhaml—AA'yndham R.C. January .1 —AVaikouaiti R.C. January I—Karnmea R.C. January I and 3 —Vincent J.C. January I ami 3 —HaVke's Bay J.C. Jannarv 1 and 3—'Jarton J.C. January 1 and 2—Wairarapa R.C. Summer. January 3 and I—Xorlli Otago J.C. January J ami J— Southland R.C. January d ai;d a— A\ erthmd R.C. Jannarv 13 ami 14—Whangarei R.C. January 20, 22 and 24—Wellington U.C. .January 22 —Northern AVairoa R.C. January 20 and 29—'Jakanuna J.C. February 3 and 5- Gisborne R.C. February 7>—Canterbury J.C. February 0* and 12—Poverty Bay T.C. February 12—To Ivuiti R.C. February IS and 10—South Auckland Chili, February 23—Rotorua J.C. March 3—Upntiki R.C. March 4 ami 0--Te Aroha J.C. March S and 11 —Otalnilm T.C. March 17 and 18—Obinemnri J.C. April 5 and S —. Auckland T.C. June 21—Waikato T.C. A recent issue of the Sydney Referee contained a nice picture of Mr. J. Man-kins’ Ton Tore, which has been so successful on the other side. Training operations are in full string locally just now in view ol the holiday fixtures, and a large number of horses are being put through good solid ivork. The Taranaki Jockey Club’s course is looking splendid just now. Everything will be in apple-pie order for the Christmas meeting, which promises to bo a particularly Miceessud gathering. Several "likely-looking youngsters arc being handled by local trainers. A number of them, on appearances, should bo a cm. above the ordinary. It is reported that .Mr. A. (I. Crawford ha: •told Lady Amai to Ain J. I. X. Al'Keiir.ie, the price being She is a good, honest little marc, and should prove a good investment. One or two very nice ymingstcis were exhibited in the thoroughbred classes at" the Stratford Agricultural Society’s show. Air. C. Rut.eoe again came to light with a yearling wmch stooped the pool. Tins youngster is by Lord Formby from La Mile. 1 believe 1 am correct in saying that Mr. Hnscoe has had the distinction of exhibiting a winner of his own breeding at each of the Stratford shows. AV. il. Paterson's Santa Rosa beat Mr. J. lAavidson's Husbandman for Die championship in tho entire class at the I Stratford show.

Lavcndo (Caulfield Cup), Patrobas (Melbourne Cup), and Tangihou (Xcw Zealand Cup) \rore nil in tho maiden rank;; prior to Urn commencement of this year.

Despite Do Gama’s poor form at the recent V.lt.C. Spiring -Meeting, the New Zealand liorsc lias Peon awarded R)st. 21b. in the Perth Cup (two miles). The whole of the protils of the Stratford Racing Club’s annual fixture will bo donated to the patriotic funds. fjtyrnx is enjoying a spell just now, but will be taken up again after the holidays with a view to competing at the autnian meetings. In all probability tlie gelding will be raced at the Wanganui Cup meeting, at which there may lie only one open hurdle race, instead of live, as in the past. A.'-Jackson, who has got Euroco in work, is likely to have one or two good performers in his stable shortly, says a Wanganui writer. Jackson had a great run of luck a few years ago with John, .Roosevelt, and one or two other horses, but of late has had nothing in his stable. Kuroco is looking really well, and hopes are entertained that this gelding will win another race or two before lie is linallv retired. He is engaged at the Taranaki and Stratford Christmas meet'll was claimed in Christchurch that the sum of £10.433 invested on the recent New Zealand Cup was a record for any race in the Dominion, hut this is contradicted by an Auckland writer, who points out that the turnover in connection with the Auckland Cup was £12,122 in Exhibition year, and £11,973 last vear.

In’ contrast to the heavy betting per lotalisator above, the following should prove interesting:—The smallness of the totaiisator investments at some ol the Perth meetings is very noticeable. Dor instance, at. Canning Park on November (1 the largest sum invested straight out on anv race was C2o, and on the place machine £253 PH. On an nyorngo the place investments at Perth minor meetings are about throe times as much as the straight-out investments.—Sydney Referee. The death of Mr. F. H. Pyne. ot Canterbury, which occurred a tew days ago. leaves a e>ip in the community which will not lie easily filed. lie was a prominent figure in auctioneers stock and station agents. The.linn of Pyne and Co. was associated with nil the biggest horse sales held in Canterbury for a quarter of a century, during wlucii time Mr. Pyne wielded the hammer on most occasions. The deceased gentleman raced a few horses, and only last month scored a win at Rirearton with the two-year-old ally. K.illcna. He had been'associated with the management of the Canterbury Jockey Club for 20 years, and was a sportsman in the fidlest acceptance of the term. Increased attention is being accorded io the expanding girth. S. Fergusson introduced the novcltv to Australia some months back, and it promises to become papular. Since then 3’’. Bidlock has landed one of the biggest events in the Old Country on Son-in-law while using this speciality, and “Vigilant,” in the London Sportsman, then wrote: —“Mow often one sees a horse going well in a race at. one moment, and looking to have a big chance, only to be in difficulties immediately afterwards. In many eases the explanation forthcoming is that the saddle slipped. or, as in the'instance of Epsom Lad, in Hie Eclipse Stakes, that it broke, his rider. Gomez, holding it together, with on hand. and. despite this drawback, succeeding in winning the race by a head from lan, who in turn was only o head in front of Disguise 11. For cno race iron in such circumstances._ however, many are lost. Mishaps of the kind are mostly due either to the undue strain caused by tight girthing or to the horse swelling himself out when being saddled, and thus counteracting the endeavour to girth him sufficiently. Hitherto, moreover, . tight girthing has ben responsible for various

Evils, girthgnll, for-example, while in many eases the pressure of the girth, by preventing the respiratory organs from having full play, means all the difference between winning and losing races. Many horses that, have gained a reputation for iintrustworihim’ss, thanks to a simple invention, have redeemed their past out there by winning races, especially races run over a distance o! ground, in which absolute freedom in breathing is all the more requisite. The invention, which has been patented by Messrs. Watson and Gutman in most conn tries, is. like all good tilings, so simple that one wonders no on has thought of it before, mr it, consists ouh in a row inches of .strong elastic let into the webbing of the girths, surcingles, and rollers. This plastic is of double the strength of the webbing, ami M, docs away with the necessity of very tight girthing. At the same time, as can be readily appreciated, it allows the horse his natural breathing expansion, thus enabling him to travel faster and last longer than when tightly girthed in the ordinary way. One might just as well expect a pedestrian to win races if lightly lacod up in a corset as for horses to score despite the disadvantages arising out of girth drawn. as oni’ at times seas them, so lightly as to clivido tho harrol, lino into two distinct parts, in addition to reducing tho pressure, and thereby conducing to tho oomin/t of horses, \t minimises the chances of girthgall and of tho souring of their tempers. The whole idmi of the *Uont *rirlb seems to ho good,”