SPORTING NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8797, 7 December 1906, Page 1

SPORTING NOTES.

Two of Carbine's progeny were winners at the .Newmarket first October Meeting. '.Melodeun, alter a series of failures in Australia this season, is to be treated to a six .months' spell.

L. H. Hewitt is remaining in Sydney for t"ne midsummer .meetings, after which he will journey to England. Tha English two-year-old Polar Star, by Pioneer — Go On, has w^on twelve races this season, without meeting defeat. Starshoot's three-year-old brother, Katanga, by Hotchkiss— Crescent, won the Watson Plate at Bendigo, Victoria, last month.

Seddon, the two-year-old brother to, Wairiki, who has shown poor form in Australia co far, has been turned out for a spell.

Lady Wallace-, who has shown no form since she defeated Isolt in the Spring Stakes at Randwick, has been turned out for a spell.

_It is reported that Master Wootton's services are so highly valued in Eng-land that a retainer of £3000 has been offered for them for nc-x't person. i

Highland Fling, by Multiform — Marion, was offered at auction in Melbourne recently, and was- pasfod in at 250 guineas, the reserve on him being 500 guineas.

The latest additions to Australia's thorou<rhbred» are a yearling colt by Carbine — Prickly Heat, by Childwick; and a yearlingfilly by Greylesf— Easter Shine, by Sheen.

J. Lowe, who trained Solution for her Australian engagements, has returned to New Zealand, and the Soult mare is now under the cafe of M. J. Carmodv, at Caulfield.

Armistice is said to be suffarinsr from an attack of strangles. This is unfortunate for he-r connections, as the Mabaki m°rG looked Jika. winning a g00d ... raoe-duu'' tie near, future. " ' .■'■■'■'•■■•

In connection witt tb.e disqualification of Hydrant by the stewards of the "Victoria Racing Club. Mr H. Brown i* claiming £30, the stake money earned by the horce wben he- finished third in the Cup Hurdle Race, the event which brought about the disqualification.

A return/ has . been prepared by the Victoria Racing Club authorities ehowingi the number of arrests made during the four days over which the recent meeting at Flemington extended. On Derby Day there was one arrest, the offence being that of playing an unlawful game. There was but one arrest on Cup Day, tho alleged offence being 1 the stealing- of a betting ticket. There were no arrest* on Oaks Day, but on Steeplechase Day there were two, the charge against each person arrested being that he was a suspected person frequenting the racecourse with intent to commit a felony. Considering the number of people of all classes that assembled at JTlenungton during the four days (there were some 90,000 present on Cup Lay aione), this record is an exceedingly satisfactory one.

Mr Geary, who, handicaps for both tho Perth and Kalgooriie .Racing Clubs, and whose remuneration from these wealthy clubs and iroax his stipendiary steward's f£«s must approximate to J22000 per annum, would appear to havo incurred the displeasure of the West Australian Breeders', Owners' and Trainers' Association, for that body has, it is said, forwarded to tho ruling authorities a petition asking for another gentleman to be appointed in his stead. In portion of the P&tition it is stated that Mr Geaxy (who was formerly assistant to Mr Daly, the "Australian Jockey. Club handicapper, Sydney) has failed to give anything like general satisfaction to owners and trainers in his adjustments, and in his dual capacity- of stipendiary steward has engendered and stirred up considerable strife between the various racing clubs and the members of the Association.

An English exchange, commenting on young- Wootton, the Australian light-weight jockey, says: — Wootton, the successful lightweight, who added very materially at Kempton Park on October 5 to his reputation, reminds regular race-goers very forcibly of Johnny Reiff, when ho first began to. ride in England. He is like him in physique ; he is regarded s a wonder for his inches; he is being made the target of the snapshotters; he is being lionised by the crowd; and, more important than anything else, in a business sense, the similarity is further demonstrated by the fact that he is riding a remarkably high percentage of winners. Tho result is that he has at once attracted a big following among the speculative public, and signs are not- wanting- thai; anything he may ride in Ihe immediate future will staTt at a rather fake price. Ho got home on a 10 to 1 -winner on October 5, but this may not occur again for a time. Meanwhile, the popular answer to the familiar query, "What'll win?" will be, "What is Wootton riding?" English jockeys are kept busy throughout tho flat-racing season, but, taking all the year round for it, they have- a. comparatively easy time compared 1 with leading American horsemen. For instance, up to tho first week in September no, 'fewer than 16 American jockeys had ridden 400 times or over, tho lad with the greatest number of mounts to his credit being W. Miller, with 962, out of which he had scored 256 firsts, 212 seconds, and 131 thirds. However, in tho matter of winning percentage he was beaten by Nicol, with Xi wins for 767 rides, end Radtke, with 184 wins for 668 rides. Other jockeys prominent in the- list were U. Austin, 732 mounts, 118 wins; Sewell, 633 mounts. 165 wins; E. Robinson, 678 mounts, 117 wins; Aubuchon, 615 mounts, 107 wins ; and Koern&r, COS mounts. 91 wins. The foreg-oing will show that once a jockey takes the fancy of American owners, h& in not left with much spa.re -time on hia hards. Miller, for instance, bad been riding- at tho rate of (excludingSunday?) nearly four and a half races- % day for eight months. If leading American jockeys occasionally put up indifferent displays towards the pud of a season, it i«< not purpriping 1 , .as. from overwork in the saddle, they must become thoroughly stale.