SPORTING GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11955, 14 March 1917, Page 4

SPORTING GOSSIP.

CBy " ARGUS.")

FIXTURES. March 15—WairnMe Racing C'ufc. March 15 IR—llaßtorton Racin? Club. March 17-—West);cut .7oeXpy Club March 17—Gpujyiko Racing Club The Waimate Racing Club "will hold its annual fixture to-morrow. A\ainiate has always been a great sporting district, and the meeting is also very popular with owner* in all parts ot Canterbury and Otago. This year the club has attracted a fine lot of competitors, and tho racing promises to be more than usually interesting. The seven acceptors for the Waimate Cup represent good class. Oxenhope has a big load, especially in view of tho fact tliat tie distance is a trifle beyond whajt he is partial to, but it is not a difficult course, and should suit him admirably. Daytime is in a similar category, and he may be able to stall off better stayers in the short straight. The other live eonmetiters should not be troubled by the length of the journey. John Barleycorn is reported to bo very well, and be can be relied on for a good performance. .Marco Bello has been under a cloud lately, and Ringform is to be preferred, despite the fact that ho is not over sound. Varnish has been oif tho scene for some time, hut if he has returned to his spring form ho will keep his opponents very busy, as ho is a very solid customer. Jeannot is not badly treated, even with his penalty. He is coming on nicely, and he will seriously trouble tho opposition. Marsa is a popular pick tor the President's Handicap, but Samisen and Robert Bell are a likely pair, with all their weight., while Sir Malt wilt only need to show his best form to be very troublesome. There is some promising material in the minor ovents, and a very successful meeting seems assured. 'Die great drawback, so far as Christchurch sportsmen are concerned, is that they are unable to return home until the following day.

Tho list of men drawn for military service in this week's ballot, includes a number of tiainers and jockeys from different parts of the Dominion. Canterbury's contingent includes the following, all of whom are specially associated with the trotting sport:- E. A. lierry, A. Hendnoksen, 15. A. Jarden, A. D. Chapman and JH- \V. Hessey, from the Christchurch district, and W. H. Price, of Ashburton. From, otli.udistricts the trainers drawn include A. A. Howard, Feilqing: J. Y. M'Craekeir Hastings; G. M'J jean* inverc-ai™iil; and \V. Words, Gisbcrnc, while among the jockey's are X. Flanagan, Auckland; J. H. Hunt, Trenthani: M. M'Dona Id, Forirua ; J. H. M'Leau, Levin; and T- P. Wilson, Wingatui. The last lias not yet been hoard of the Emilius ca.se. After winning the Christchurch Handicap, at the Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting in November, Emilius was disqualified for crossing Capriccio. the raw being awarded to Erin's King, with Capriccio second and Admiral Wood third. The owner of Emilius asked the Trotting Association to review the ea.se, and at its meeting last week the association instructed tho club to pay out the stakes to Emilius, whoso owner and driver, R. M'PonneU. was fined £o(). The club has now lodged an appeal with tho Trotting Conference against the decision of the association. W. M'Donald has been hacking Teviotdale about- for some time past and he now has the Achilles gelding in steady work. At his best Teviotdale was a very useful performer, and though ho' is now in his sovenih year, he should be capable of winning races yot, provided "lie remains bound. The two-year-old* Kilowatt (Marfan —Forked Lightliing) and' Immortelle (Martian —Everh.'sting), showed fair promise in the early part of the season. but did not prove- ni> to expectations. They were gelded some time ago and R. J. Mason now lias them moving along again in slow work on the tracks. Balarang starter,' a strong favourite for the Newmarket. Handicap hut he gave a disappointing display, being in trouble a long way from home.

Woorak is credited with rumr.nn; a. flood race in the Newmarket Handicap, finishing well in front of Balaransr, whom he was meeting 101 b worse than when (he latter heat him in the Futurity Stakes. There are many pood judges who maintain that Australia ha* never had' a better horse from six furlongs to a mile. Frank 'Won it on, who is now attached to the Army Service Corps in Enpi and 'was promoted to corporal toward]; the close of last year., Mr S. .Toel won a race at Johannesburg at Christmas with Scotch and Polly (ridden hv the crack English jockey, Donoghuc). and it was the "first timo his colours had been suceossfullv carried in South Africa for nearly eighteen years. For many years M r Joel has done all his racing in England. The .cross-country jockey F. TV. M'Cabo, who is in England on military sen-ice. rode schooling work on some of F. Hartigan's hordes at. Weyhill recently before the last mail left lhe Old Country. M'Cabe expected to have a mount or two in public before leaving tor rranee. 11. Lewis had his twentieth mount in a Newmarket Handicap when he rodo lpoh this month. Few Australian jockeys have lasted as long as Lewis, aho probably rides as well now as at any previous timb in his career. J. Barden was another who retained all his ability until he retired from riding a few years ago, but unlike Lewis, his mounts were comparatively few as a youngster f and he realjy only came into marked prominence when he "was a heavy-weight and at an age at which tho average Australian jockey lias lost form. Among the two-year-olds Mr de Rothscinld is having trained in England is John Gay, a full-brother to Fantarie and half-brother to Chanterell a, both of whom are now racing in Hydney. Fanager, dam of the horses mentioned, wjis sold in England last year for 1400gs. Another of the voungdo Rothschild is having trained is Cattegat, a half-brother to Quinologiiit, another well-known performer in Australia. The Acting-Chief Secretary, Mr David Storev ; has received an official report regarding th working of the totalisaror at Kembla Gragne. It states ti) at the operation of tho machine, save for minor disabilities usually associated with any innovation of the kind, was eminently successful. The public rapidly became interested, ana there was floon a rush of investors. This produced a little congestion at times, hut arrangements are being made to prevent a repetition of any crushing by applicants for tickets.

Colonel Sir Adam Beck, the Director of Remounts for Canada, stated that in order to produce a better of Armj

FACING AND TROTTING NOTES.

horse the sires lie. would select vrrmlS. be thoroughbreds, occasionally interspersed with registered English hunter sires. Since the war started Sir Adam has supervised 111 purchase of 48.000 head of cavalry remount and transport horses for the British Army, ana ho says that as far as Canada is concerned, the country has been practically denuded of horses suitable for the Army, and that unless they make it worth while for the. farmer to breed the light horse. the situation will ho alarmine.. Afr.';;<iv. he added, it J* serious. The small motor-car is taking t-he place of tho road bom? in rural coin\nrinnies. mvJ mates for the thorougithred sires are thu.s being lost. He recommends contracting to take tho offspring of farmers' wares unbroken- except to halter.. in tie autumn of their three-year-old season at £4O, but in order to give the farmer a chance in case his co'-t shou'd not bo ot the proper Army type, he would declare, at tiro years. This would enable the farmer to at, once break the two-year-old to ride or drive, and save a, year of its usefulness being wasted.

Of all the offences committed against the Rules of Kaeing, there are few which occur more frequently than those which come under the heading of interference. duo to foul or careless riding, arid there is certainly no broach of the rules on which a greater diversity of opinion exisrs among racing officials when it comes to dealing with an offender. Quito recently there has been an epidemic of inquiries into cases of interference. and tne. wide difference in tho punishment meted out, where the offence has heert considered proved, has brought the whole subject pointedly tinder notice. Tn two cases riders hare been suspended, one for two months and l.ho other for three, for interfering with other competitors in a race. Tho two months' penalty was imposed after an accident wliich brought two horses down, while in the other instance a horse was almost down, having his chance quite extinguished. There- has been other cases lately, however, ana qniie as bad a.s these two, in whica stewards have deemed 3. fine ample punishment, while other stewards have considered a case amply dealt with .»> cautioning the offender. No one would wish to see- a hard and fast rule, und* r which a set penalty would be inflicted, for every case of interference, regardless of' tho circumstances. It freelv recognised thai there ar« degrees of fi"ilt and that eveiy cjiso must he dealt with on its merits, but there appears to be no uniroimit> about the treatment of oftonders. I was a reform which it was hoped would follow the appointment of stipendiary stewards, but they have not accomplished anything worth notice. <lu > officials still take their own view, and ii- tho majority of cases thcy_ err <-n the side of leniency. The subject is one which the Stipendiary Stewards Committee might with advantage tako in hand, with a view to securing something more uniform in the penalty for offence:; of a similar cnarrvcier. have always held that steward* do not take a sufficiently serious r:w of foul end careless riding Crossing and other forms of interference are much too common and nv?< not liktMy to be checked while officials are content to let the offenders off with a mild fine. It is only on rare occasions that a ca«Q can be sheeted home, but for every one that is detected there are several that escape notice, though much valuable information might be obtained at times Iron tho conversation of liders after a race,. In this connection it has always appeared to roe that the stipendiary stewards might do much "better work in the way of supervision if they took up positions at different, parte of the course, moving about for each race, instead of viewing the running, as is their usual custom, from the stewards' &tand or some other point of vantage near the winning: post. The worst offences do not occur in the straight, and when they do tho club officials are equally well plnced to obserre them. In the meantime, however, it. should be clear to tho authorities that there is something radically wrong with a system of control which makes it possible for ono rider to be suspended for a and another to be left* off with a fine for an offence of equal gravity.