SPORTING GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11755, 20 July 1916, Page 5

SPORTING GOSSIP.

{Bj APQM)

FIXTURES. July fi?—BrackenSeld Hunt. Augiut 15. 17 ly—Uaiiterbury Jockey t/iuo-

A very heavy list of nominations was received last night for the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club s Augu meeting, every event on the program" having filled well. The unhoppled j ters' races havo drawn particularly good nominations, while the open sa die races are much wronger than usual. The principal harness events ha\ e at tracted most of the erack perfonut ■) ;nd there will be large ftelds to try the new system of n ?'^ p Pj6 | the mile races. The nominations are thoroughly representative, there ,8 a big contingent of visiting from all parts. •The champion pacing mare, Country Bolle, was mated last spring with the American stallion, Logan Pointer, the intention of her owner being to retire her permanently from the race track, 'lhe mare slipped her foal rccejitly. and j Mr W. J. Morland has evidently decided to have her trained again, as she; figures among the nominations tor tho August meeting of the Now Zealand ( Metropolitan Trotting Club. i Our Thorpe is a notable absentee from the list of nominations for the New ' Zealand Metropolitan Trotting j Club's August meeting. : Among the nominations for tho August meeting of the New Zealand Metro- i pilitan Trotting Club is Pygmalion. I The son of Rothschild —Ilam was foaled j in 1899. so that he will have reached his seventeenth year by the time the meeting is held. He has done stud duty for a number of years, and was last raced in August, 1903. The Kaikoura Trotting Club is having its track re-made and graded, and has secured the sen-ices of R. Hart to do tho work. Hart has had a good deal of experience in laying out tracks, and is accounted quite an expert at the work. In the meantime, several young horses that Hart had in work at tho Heathcote course have been turned out until their trainer returns from Kaikoura. R; Mills has recently taken in hand a well-grown racing two-year-old gelding by Petereta—Ngaio. Tho youngster is half-brother to Little Kauri and tho defunct Little - Arthur, both of whom were speedy pacers. Granger, who has nafc raced for some time, was recently put into work again, but his owner has decided not to race him until November. | 4ir K. H. Smith, the Belfast trainer, has just broken in a youngster by O.Y.M.—Te Kuini, who is particularly well grown, and is showing a lot of promise. Rorke's Drift arrived at Riccarton last night. Two boxes have been engaged at Riccarton by tho Westland ownertrainer, J. Stewart. It Is understood that J. Bealo has taken out a license to ride trotters. \ Red Knight, the colt by All Red, lately in W. H. Thompson's stable, baa been gelded and turned out. Lady Black and Revalenta were scratched for the Winter Cup at 11.30 a.m. ye&terday, while Bisogne was withdrawn from tho same event -at 2 p.m. According to a recent Melbourne report, El Progresso may be sent to Riccarton to fulfil his engagements in the cross country events at tho New Zealand Grand National meeting next month. Information received from Melbourne announces. the death of a well-known ex-Otago breeder and sportsman, Mr J. R. Mackenzie, who has for some years been residing in Victoria. During Iris career as an owner in New Zealand Mr Mackenzie raced jjuite a number of useful horses, including Phaetontis (who subsequently won the Grand National Steeplechase in the late Mr J. Buckley's colours), Paladin, Pallas. Trentbridge, Canada, Maple Leaf and others. The deceased sportsman also supported the light harness game on occasions, but it was as an irffporter and breeder of Clydesdale horses that he was generally best known Mr R. H. Skipwith has been appointed starter to the Avondale Jockey Club, for which he acted at the autumn meeting this year. Seadown. ono of the popular fancies for the Winter Cup, will be piloted in his Riccarton engagements by J." O'Shea. Seadown won two races in good style at the autumn meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, and he 'is in fine trim just now, despite his failure the only time he started at Trentham this month. Gold Soult was not among the competitors at the Wellington Racing Club's meeting, but he is spoken of as a certain starter in the Winter Cup, in which he will be ridden by L. Wilson. His track work at Trentham was very attractive and he may have to be seriously reckoned with in the principal flat events at the Grand National fixture. B. Deeley will have the mount on Multifual in the Winter Cup, a race he "won last year on Banksia and in 1914 on Chortle. At Trentham Multifual won the Parliamentary Handicap in good style. Should he capture the Winter Cup ■ next month, Deeley will equal the riding record of A. Oliver, who won in successive years on Penates, North East and Nyland. Though Nicomar failed to win at Trentham, he showed himself to be a smart jumper and he may develop linto a useful hurdler with a little more experience. 1 t Last year Leonta carried lOst 131b into second place in the Grand National Hurdle Handicap. He appears to be nicely handled this year with lOst 71b, as he is a 'good stayer and his running at Trentham suggested that ho is just coming into form. Master Achilles, who was purchased ! by Mr J. Foreman after winning tho Selling Race at Trentham, will be trained by J. J- Gravesfock. Tiio Bame owner and trainer were associated a few years ago, when Full Rate was a very successful performer. The withdrawal of Bisogne from the Winter Cup will be an unwelcome surprise to many early backers, as the Bezonian colt has been a popular pick for the race sinco he raced so well at j Trentb&m. .All his form, however, haa been shown over short courses, and Be has done nothing yet to earn him' strong recommendation over further than six furlong 3. In consequence of the injuries sustained bv L. Traill, when Ngatoa fell in the Wellington Steeplechase, Rangi Thompson has been engaged to ride Crown Pearl in the Grand National Hurdle Handicap. Thompson, who tftas a very capable horseman a few

Rifim MiD TROTTIKS N0IE&

years ago, has been absent from the saddle for some time, consequent on meeting trouble in Australia. win on Kirkby in tho Second Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase at 1 rentham was very popular, as it was his first success since his reinstatement. Glenroy is said to bo a sure starter for the Winter Cup, in which he will bo ridden by R. Hatch. Ho failed under 9st 21b last year, when ridden by A. Oliver, so that he does not read well at lOst lib. Ho is a speedy customer but a mile particularly at Riccarton, with its long straight, may always find him wanting in decent company. There was a strong Canterbury flavour about tho racing at Wyong Parle, New South Wales, this month. In the Maiden Handicap C. Emerson rode Sir Mostyn, who finished second, while in tho next event, the Flying Handicap, Martuk was unplaced. The Wvong Handicao. ono mile, was tvon by Mr M. Hobbs's Down, 6st 121b, while the last race of the day, the Welter Handicap, seven -furlongs, was won by the sarno owner's "Peg, carrying Bst 121b and ridden by C. Emerson. Mr H. G. Taylor is reported to have had a big win over the success of his horse, • Zuland, in the Maiden Handicap at Warwick Farm, Sydney, this month. The programme at the Victoria Racing Club's Grand National , meeting this month included a- two-year-old handicap of a ntile. It was won by Algol, by' The Welkin from the New Zealand-bred mare, ICamo, by Seaton Delaval —Waitemata. Algol is a brother to Wolcen, a smart gallopei, who has several . successes to her credit. It is a compliment to the framers of the rules and regulations governing the trotting sport that each year very few alterations and amendments are required at tho annual conference. As might be expected, most of the notices of motion that are on "the order paper came from he Trotting Association, which, having to bo in constant touch with all the. rules in the carrying out of its duties, occasionally find a necessity for alterations and new rules to cover some of the many difficulties that crop up each year. It is pleasing to note that year by year the alterations are becoming fewer, but this season there were more than usual, on account of it having been found that the finances of tho association required to be augmented, because, during the last few years, the, expenditure had been greater than tho .receipts. With few exceptions tho alterations put forward by tho association were adopted by the conference and will come into operation for the coming season. One of the proposed alterations was in the direction of increasing tho fee for registration of joint interests from 2s 6d to 10s. This was not approved by the delegates at tho conference and was defeated. It is somewhat difficult to understand tho reasons that actuated the delegates. They must have been aware that the reason brought forward for the increase was the fact that tho association required more funds, and surely if an owner desires to lease his horse a fee of 10s is only a small sum to pay for the privilege. 'There are many cases of leasing and partnerships with horses, especially as between owners and trainers, and I know many of the latte: wcuid only be too pleased to pay to secure certain probable winners, even if the owner objected to the fee. Under the circumstances it is hard to understand why the proposal was not adopted.

The most .important financial matter before the delegates was the proposed increase of fees for licenses to ride, jlrive and train. The present fees are 5s for riders and drivers, and a similar amount for a trainer's license The association's nct;ce of motion was to increase the amount bv 2s 6d m each Although this was not adopted, the delegates decided to increase the fees for professionals by 100 per leavmg the amateur licenses as at present, whilst to many of the riders, drivers and trainers the increase will not make a great deal of difference, it will press unduly hard on some of those who are only in the sport m a limited , should not be.at all surprised if the new rule defeats it?elf to a hirge extent, though many riders, drivers and trainers taking'out amateur licenses, though in the past, eligible to rank as amateurs, they have taken out professional licenses. If this be so, the old trouble of the doubtful amateur will again appear, an evil that in the past caused tho association much difficulty. A liew rule making it compulsory for all purchasers of a registered trotting horse to pay a 5a fee is not a good ono. With a view of keeping trace of all registered trotting horses there is a rule in tho books necessitating that both buyer ana seller shall inform the association of the transaction. This has in tho past been a splendid safeguard, and- although somewhat difficult to fully carry out, has been generally observed. But, with the. new rule, I am afraid many will fail to notify transactions and thereforo much of the benefit of the old rule will be lost.

The Provideut Fund is now reaching a ■ substantial sum, and looks like being in a few years quite self-supporting. When one' realises the great risk that riders and drivers take in their business, the association must be'accounted very fortunate that it has only been called upon to recompense trainers and riders and drivers for a few accidents, and it is a standing credit to those taking part in sport of their ability to keep clear of accidents. At the same time, whilst hoping always for tho best, the association must be prepared for the worst, and thereforo must ho careful to conserve tho finances of the Provident Fund, to enable it to stand all calls upon it. It is proposed this year to take a proportion of the fees that usually go to the fund into the general account, and if, after experience, it is found that tho Provident Fund, with this depletion, still has enough accumulated funds to meet ail necessary requirements, the practice could very well be continued. At the same time it will be necessary for tho membeis of tlie association to watch tho alteration with an extra careful eye, to see that the fund in no way suffers but continues to become solid in every way and capable of standing all claims that may be made upon it.