SPORTING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16506, 6 August 1919, Page 3

SPORTING.

NOTES BY “HISTORICTJS.’I The Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand National meeting opens on Tuesday next. I hope to have some notes on the fixture in Monday’s issue of the Herald. , The local horse, Rewi Poto, still holds his position as one of the favourites in the Grand National Hurdle Race. The black fellow will -only have to exhibit the form shown by him on the concluding day at Trentham to justify that'eonfktence. . i

The Terrapin gelding Sonny, which is engaged in hunter races at Riccarton, is decidedly useful, andl much better class than one expects to meet in such races. Coalition is in great buckle, and Jack Lowe is confident that the son of Patronus will accouht for the top weights. Jack is not a had judge either. _ M. Conza is now domiciled in Stratford, and included in his team is the old gelding Cheddar, which looks remarkably well after twelve months’ sp§U. Lady Leo, who until recently was< trained by P. Johnston, is also a member of this team.

The black colt Jutland is moving nice, ly at Hawera, his trainer (0. Cox) is hopeful that the son of Advance may bo up to classic form, as his owner wishes to compete, if possible, in w.f.a. races. Jutland may not again compete in hack races, but will make his appearance in the open events j>t Feilding. Georg© Jones should win % race with his two-year-old, Lady Delight. Thel filly is very forward, and has the reputation of being very brilliant; in fact I heard on good authority that she recently broke 34 seconds over three furlongs, which is a wonderful gallop. The Stratford trainer J. Thacker has a half-sister to White ’Blaze under his, care. She is a six-year-old grey inane by Coronet —White May, but seeing how old this mare » I doubt whether she will turn out as good! as Whit© Blaze. The gelding Clavis lately developed' a string-halt very bad, and in consequence has been turned out for a lengthy spell. The name of All Over is missing from the Trial Hurdle list, but figures in the nominations for the Islington i and Heathcote Handicaps. Taking a' line through this I should say Mr. Bull has no intention of running the,son of All Red in the National Hurdles. ’Possibly , “Jim” is helping the finances of the Canterbury Jockey Club, hence the acceptance for the Hurdles. All Over and Kilkee (both of which were paying long prices) finished right on the heels of Cerberus at Waimate, and despite the fact that the latter has been heavily backed to win the Winter Cup I do not like him, as ! do not think he will run this trying mile out; in fact I expect several horses to beat him, ' A. big commission has been worked; on Spanner for the Epsom and the money is from the right quarter too. In being awarded 8.7 in the Epsom Handicap (one mile) the Australian-bred colt has got his full desserts; in fact, on performances, has nearly a stone too much. It may he that the weight adjuster for the Australian Jockey Club has some inside information, which he is working on. The owners of—Paraoa are lucky in: getting to take charge of the King Rufus gelding. Freddy is very painstaking, and. what is more, has several good jumpers in his stable, which should ho of help to Paraoa. At the Wellington-mooting this gelding finished on remarkably well each day, but ran his race in patches. If the stiff jumps at Riccarton do not trouble him Paraoa may take a- hand in the settlement of the" National Hurdles. After the Wellington meeting I remarked on the excellent showing for a maiden made hy Loohella. This; geld- ■ . ing’s form at Waimate was even better, and he made seasoned, jumpers like Bore, Moreoamhe. Gang Awa’ and Co. look cheap. Unfortunately Roach allowed the son of Grafton Loch to run off at the last jump, when the race was in his keeping. Providing Lochella gets round safely at Riccarton (and lie is a splendid, but inexperienced, jumper), he will . trouble the topnotchers. The gelding Haerengaw© (Zimmerman —Palaver), which -was formerly trained; by M. Gardiner, is now under the care of C. Jackson, and has been qualified' as a hunter, so all going well he will . he seen out at Waverley this month. When trained at Waverley this gelding was most erratic, and 1 will not be surprised to- find him in similar .mood when he next comes under the starter’s hand. By the way, Haerengawe is halfbrother to Parable, which afflbng othergood races won the Dunedin. Cup of 1912. ' By this time Messrs. Richmond and Stead’s horses should have arrived at Sydney. The team is a remarkably good one, but I do not agree with those who say it is easily the best which has left New Zealand. Why, in 1905 the lata Mr. G. G. Stead’s team practically cleared; the hoard at the Australian JockeyClub’s meeting. One has only to remember that Noctuiform, Sungod and Machine Gun formed part of the fighting force to admit that Sasanof, Spanner and Co. would not have much on them at w.f.a. if it were possible to bring them together at their best. A writer (“Pilot”) for the Sydney Re. fereo doubts whether Spanner is a good one, and his several times quoted his defeat hy Sasanof in the Thompson Handicap when in receipt of nearly two stone from the Martian gelding. As a matter of fact, “Pilot” did not, see the Thompson Handicap run, and he certainly does not know all the facts about that event. This I will state, 1 that if Jones lands Spanner at the post for the Epsom Handicap as well as he was on the afternoon that Sasanof defeated him at Trentham the son of The Nut will stretch the cream of Australia, as he is a great colt up to a mile. A number of good judges are pinning their faith on Parisian Diamond for the Winter Cup, hut personally I cannot see the handsome brown winning, for the following reasons: Parisian Diamond is not the horse he was, say, 14 months ago, when the writer saw' him carry 11.13 to the front in the York Welter .■ ; at Ellerslio, running the mile in Imin. 46 on a very heavy track, a track 1 that was quite six seconds a mile slower than ; when at its best. Last June at Ellerslie i I again saw the right money come for 1 tho son of Charlemagne in the King 1 George Handicap (seven furlongs) ; this | time the gelding ran second to Housewife, but it was due to Gray’s great j horsemanship that Parisian Diamond filled that position, as he stopped to a walk over the last hundred yards. :At Tren- I tham he ran two good races, hut in tho j six furlongs he was ridden right out and 1 only lasted long enough to get second j from Gazique and Form Up, both of j which were closing fast on him, and | both look to have excellent chances of j reversing position with Mr. Beatson’s i gelding in the Winter Cup. i