SPORTING GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11731, 22 June 1916, Page 5

SPORTING GOSSIP.

(Sjy AUGUS*)

fIXTTTRES. June 23. M—Napier Park Racine Club. June SO. July I—Hawko's1 —Hawko's Bay Jockey ClubJuly 12. 13. 15—WeNinaton Racine Club. July 20—fiouth Canterbury Hunt.. August 11, 17. 19—Canterbury Jockey Cluo. Most of tho trotting clubs aro submitting the same dates for approval or the conference as last year, the cuiet alterations being those ol the Auckland and Manawatu Clubs, ine Waikato Club held its.first totahsator meeting last season in June, whilst tuis year it raced a month earlier. I lie club now purposes racing on January 13, which, whilst it may suit local conditions/ is crowding too much racing into that month and once inoro leaves the Auckland province without a trotting meeting from Easter till tho following October. This has long been a serious obstacle in tho way of the progress of tho sport in tho north, because, -with no local race meetings, a good number of tho horses are turned out for the winter. It also seriously affects the first meeting of the season, because horses racing at tho Auckland October meeting are rarely in condition. Tho Waikato Club had a most successful meeting this year. It has. during the last two seasons, proviaed owners with a chance of winning a stake during tho winter months, and it would do well to reconsider its decision and racs either irbJPune or JTuly* The Auckland Club races early in April each year, but on account of Easter coming about that time next season the northern club's meeting will clash with the Waimate Plains Club, which has again arranged to race on Easter Monday. This season the Manawatu Club raced on February 19, a week before the Wanganui CHib, but it aid not have a very successful meeting, and now purposes to race on December 29, which will clash with the Auckland summer fixture. Tho club had a capital meeting last season, when it raced on June 9, and although there a chance of bad weather during the winter; months the club might consider racpng early in July. There aro no meetings set down for that month, and if the club made an effort to attract owners by good stakes it would bo almost certain to find its meeting a huge success. I am sorry to notice that the Wanganui and Otohuhu Clubs again propose to race so close together; in fact, the dates, although not actually the same, make it impossible [or owners to attend both meetings. Whilst the Wanganui Club Milv haids one meeting during the vear, the Otahuhu Club has two. and I fiave never been able to ascertain why it is so important that it should' hold its last meeting of the year in February.'. If the Waikato Club is successful in obtaining the dato applied for next season, could not the Otahuliu Club consider rac : Tig in July, and thereby assist northern owners with a winter meetI notice, too, that the winter meeting of the Forbury ' Park Club, whica is to be held on May 10 and 12, clashes with tho Ashburton County Racing Club's meeting, which in the past has always had trotting- events on its programme. The winter meeting of tho Napier Park Racing Club will be commenced to-morrow. Tho fields are of fair size, and the horses engaged include 'soma jumpers of considerable promise. The presence of Braeburn will lend interest to the Napier Steeplechase, . while among the hack hurdlers are several sood performers, on tho flat, who have only recently been put to the jumping same. Edeudale, who met with some injuries while galloping at Riccarton recently, was not so badlv hurt as was thought. Ho has now rejoined T. H. Gillette active team and was on tho track this uioruihgi Martial (J. Crerar) jumped two pony hurdles this morning, showing attractive style for a. novice. Tho question of apprentice allowances will bo discussed*by the New Zealand Racing Conference next At present the allowance ceases five winners have been ridden, but it is proposed to increase the number to twenty. -V 1 ' k I According to a Napier writer, the late- Arthur Goodwin's first successes as a trainer were gained with T Res© (Hiko-Primrose), who was bred by the late Mr W. Douglas, but was raced in Goodwin s interest. j Taringamutu is having an easv time at present,. The Wellington filly has ! had a .busy time tins season, and she has earned a rest till the spring. i Reports from Trentham state_that j Chakwana is moving along { nicely in J her work, and she may be seen racing prominently at the winter meeting of the Wellington Racing Club. The three-year-old Seadown, who showed some useful form this season, is doing good work at Trentham. It is probable that he will figure in the llat races at the Grand National meeting. Seadown raced well on his last visit- to Riccarton, where he won a. double at Easter. The Hawke's Bay Jockey Club has made. an. important change in connection. with the meeting, by including a hack race, of a mile and a quarter, on tho programme. Tho experiment promises well, as twentv-ouo nominations have been received. Tho Hawke's Bay Club has frequently shoAvn a desire in this direction, and more than once headed the movement at the Racing Conference to have tho length of races increased. The Gisborne studmaster, Mr Gaine Carrington, who has been making 'inquiries for the purchase of the Martagon horse Lily veil, has had a cable-j gram from' Sydney asking him to make j -his- best offer. If he secures this horse j he has beeii promised a number of wellbred mares, including some from [ Hawke's Bay. | The Higliden mare, Bertrada, by j Charlemagne ll.—Couronne. has com-! pleted her racing career, and will be j mated next season with the imported j horse Absurd. j Jackman is reported to be going on j well in his training, and he is a likely candidate for the Hawke's Bay Steeple- j chase. j There is a dispos-'tion in sonio quar- j ters to hail El Gallo as the best horse i vrho ever raced over obstacles 111 i Zealand.'. This, however, seems rather i high praise. Ki> form on the_ flat-, j thOugn useful, is not equal to_ that of j some horses who have figured in jumping ovehts. Viewed only as a hurdler, he did not beat Te On go. easily enough in the Great Northern Hurdle Handicap this month to make him look a champion. Kidderminster, runner-up in the Ma iden .Plate on the second day of the Gisbonie meeting, is a four-year-old by Hierarch from ?.lerrv Maid (dam of Jolie Fille and by Hotchkiss—Maid of Atho.l. iHCappv Maid, a full sister to Jolie Fille and Worcester, was ilie dam of Ladoga, a good performer who died last year. Royal Rufus, by King Rufus— Liquify, lias returned to New Zealand from Australia. He was bred bv Mr

- RACING AND TROTTING NOTES,

G. M. Currio, and was leased; by him to Mr J. Richards, of Sydney, in whoso colours lie raced tor a time in Australia. Some of the progeny of King Rufus sent across to Sydney have done well there. Common Law (a weigftt-for-age winner in Quesnsland) from irnportofd Roscommon, and Royal Rufus were the best of them. At the Queensland spring meeting Royal Rufus (Sst 81b) won the Sandgate Handicap, of 600 sovs, one mile and a quarter, in 2min lOJsec. J. Cockerill, who has .been in the trotting sport for somo time, has been in indifferent health for some time, and he is now tinder special medical mentThe pacer Miss Havoc, owned by Mr D. Wilkio, of Utiku, has gone into J. Messervey s stable. Miss Havoc has been a consistent performer, but an unlucky place-getter this season. _ She was twice placed at the Waimate Plains meeting on Easter Monday. ..The assets oi tho New Zealand Trotting Association's" Provident Fund are £2652 2s 4d', and consist of fixed deposits, whilst tho Habilities are nil. The fees paid by owners to the New Zealand Trotting Association's Provident . Fund this year amounted to £42S os, whilst fines collected were £270. Claims amounting to £Bl 12s (id were paid during the year. Tin balance-sheet of the' New Zealand Trotting Conference shows that £3oo 10s was paid by affiliated clubs, which, with last year's balance of £l3 8s Id, brought tlio receipts to £3IS los la. On tne expenditure side printing and stationery accounted for £-1-1 19s Gd, travelling expenses £llO 2s, secretary s salary £75, legal expenses £7 7s, and funeral expenses £23 os od, leaving a credit of £SB 4s 2d. There were several happenings in the filial event at the recent Ashburton TVotting Club's meeting that must have escaped the eyes of many of the spectators. There was more than one accident; in fact, at the start there was a general mix-up, and it was fortunate that nothing more serious eventuated. The favourite bracket, Queen Patch and Lucille, collided and spoilt thenchances, and several others had their chances extinguished early through getting blocked and cut out in tho large field. After going about fifty yards Vera K. broke up badly and caused a collision with General Wylie. Mr J. B. Pearson, who was driving tho latter, was thrown out and sustained a bad shaking and a number of bruises. Although not feeling very bad immediately afterwards, Mr Pearson became a good deal worse later. On arrival in town he was too bad to go home, and has had to remain in bed in Christchurch ever since. His many friends will be pleased to know, however, that the popular owner-trainer is makiug slow but sure progress to complete recovery, and expects to be about again , in a few weeks. The opening of the season in England was marked by some unusually large fields. In a two-year-old race at Newbury thirty-three runners faced the starter, and in a race for three-year-olds thirty-six went to tho post. In the last-mentioned race a hot favourite scored. Thei Austro-Hungarian Government has granted leave of absence from tho front to all jockeys and boys engaged in race-riding. When tho season is over they return to the ranks. It is said that there will be an increase of racing fixtures in Germany this season'. It never rains but it pours, is an old stock phrase, and it is applicable to tho existing rush on the part of trotting clubs to include events of classic denomination in their programmes, writes "Sentinel," in the " Otago Witness." It is not so many \years ago that trotting clubs and ntcing clubs apparently held the impression, and d'o so still to a certain extent, that tho mere increase of stakes was fee only method of catering for sports, and, incidentally, an improvement in the horse. A very few years back the hobbled pacer dominated the situation on the light-harness track, and does so still, but the real lightharness horse now stands a better chance of recognition than it did at any previous period of our racing history. The New Brighton Trotting Club initiated a " Derby," and'so established a classic; but, whilst it was a step in tho right direction, it is now recognised as a mistake to have given it a name implying local interest instead of Dominion importance. The New Brighton club may have its race overshadowed by the stake which the Addington club contemplates hanging up next season, but the honour of initiation will always bo its due. The Forbury Park club is also entering tho lists with a race for three-year-okl unhoppled trotters, and this step is far in advance of anything done further north. Be thafss it may, however, the sum total of the move on the part of the three clubs should give a decided impetus to breeding. The per manent establishment of well endowed races for three-year-olds will supply a much needed boost to light-harness breeding, and it also sounds the death knell of- breeding the " auld cart mare " to a-stallion and' hoping that a champion racer will be the result. The inducement to breed on snne lines calculated to improve a breed is best supplied by good stakes open to horses' of the same age. It is a duty which clubs generally recognised more in the breach than in.the observance; but the future ■ bears promise of better things, and where we were once so poor we now may become more than "passing rich." The establishment of events will certainly be welcomed by owners of highclass stallions, and s mply inducement to import others. Even at the present time the establishment of a Sires' Produce Stakes with a fairly substantial nomination for each sire would prove an immediate and' permanent success if tnken up by a leading club. Every stallion worthy of patronage in both the Dominion and the Commonwealth would probably help to build up the stakes and so surmly another step towards progress. The improvement in quality would certainly he followed by class racing, and then one cou!d enjoy a trotting raco without endeavouring to watch a field spread round the full circumference of a trrtck.

Madagascar posseses the only oxen cavalry regiment in the world. The climate is so unhealthy for horses that some substitute had to be found. Tho oxen have been trained to manoeuvre with surprising skill, and lack nothing of the qualities of the horse except its speed