SPORTING GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12068, 25 July 1917, Page 6

SPORTING GOSSIP.

RAGING AND TROTTING. (By "ARGUS.") FIXTURES. August 16, 17—Metropolitan Trotting Olnb. August 16, 18—Canterbury Jookoy Club. NOMINATIONS. August 3—Canterbury Jockey Club. HANDICAPS. August B—Canterbury Jockoy Club. ACCEPTANCES. August 3—Canterbury Jockey Club. August B—Metropolitan Trotting Club, August 13—Canterbury Jockey Club. Tho conditions of tho New Zealand Trotting Cup have- not yet been finally agreed on by the committee nt' the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club. It is rumoured, however, that when the details are announced they will restrict the race to horses who have- done 4.34 or better for two miles, and that the stake will lx> £2OOO. On the second day the chief event may lie for 4.36 horses, with a stake of £750. It is further stated that the Free for All may have to be cut out, in order to provide races lor a.s wide a range of horses as possible, within tho limits of a two days' programme.

Tho Auekl.ind-owr.rd gelding, Cardrona. by Lupin from a Natator mare, is hooked for a visit to Ricearton, where ho claims tin engagement in tho "Winter Cup. He is expected to arrive this week.

A. J. M.'Flinn has made a good recovery from his recent accident. Hois now riding work at Ellerslie, ;Mid will probably be lit to take part in the jumping events at. tho Grand National meeting next month.

Penury is believed to be a sure starter in the A\"inter Cup. J. Williamson will leave Auckland with her next week, and he wtll also bring tho hunter Tangihaera to compete in some of the minor jumping events.

St Khun, who is cue of the popular fancies lor the Grand National Steeplechase, is repoiled to he going on well in his preparation. He should be, much better next, month than when he competed at Trcntham, where he was palpably short of work, its a result of a mishap at Hastings. F. Tiztchen hopew to. secure leave from camp to ride tho St Ambrose gelding at Ricearton.

An Auckland -owner-trainer is trying to secure tho necessary permits in order that he nay take all his horses to Sydney with a view to selling them.

Dr W. C. Ling, tho well-known Auckland veterinary surgeon, was recently entertained by a number of his friends. Ho leaves for the front shortly, having accepted a commission in the New Zealand Veterinary Corps.

The Gisborne trainer, F. Loomb, has the imported horse Cynic in forward condition, and the solid preparation he is receiving suggests that he is being got ready for Jong distance I'.ace.s next season. Cynic won four races over long courses in Ireland luforo being sent to New Zealand. He is a well bred horso, by Henry the First from Cynane, by CvHone---Suiitai, by Donovan—Distant. Siiore, by Hermit. Cynano is inbred to Distant, Shore, whose daughter, Arcadia, was the dam of Cyllene.

It is stated that Balboa will be retired to tho stud in Southland, and already there is evidence that tho well performed Varco horse will receive plenty of patronage next season.

The luck of the racing game has been well illustrated in connection with the perlortnanccr; of three well-known performers in the Dominion. L.-i.st season Marc Anthony won £l4llO in stakes, while his earnings this season, entirely in place, nionev, were onlv .C7(i. Halboa's total dropped from .Ci'GK) to £l-19 and El G a lie's from £2310 to £4OO.

The progeny of several sires imported to the Dominion and now domiciled in New South Wales will appear well up on the list at the end of the season. Fourteen of Sir l.addo's progeny have won twenty-one laces of the value of niw.'i sovs. Hraeburn, Ladjfy and Sir Wallace were the most successful. Seven of the stock ol Varco scored fourteen wins valued at 3*253 sovs. Marco Bello, Sodd-el-Bahr and Varnish were the biggest winners. Vasco was represented by six winners of twelve races of the value of 2313 sovs. Thaddous and Tango wore the biggest winners.

The. horses which AT. Ilobbs took to Australia have como in for a. deal of attention since their arrival at Pandwick. Kilboy and Kill'em are, .specially mentioned, as a pair who were giving their trainer a lot of trouble before, ihey left New Zealand. They have apparently done well since then, as* thej* show no sign of lameness.

Sasanof lias roooivod some favourable notice from tho critics since he put in an appearance at Itandwick. .Uo is said to havo grown a little and to bo much stouter tlian when ho was in Australia last spring.

Tho Indian sportsman, the Rajah of Piidukota, is very much before tho Australian public at present. In addition to winning the Victoria Racing Club's Grand National Steeplechase, •with Old Mungindi, ho was successful in tho Dnutta, Ga.Ha. Hurdle Handicap tho sanim day with Kino; Mostyn, an aged gelding by .Mountain King—Alice Mostyn.

King Kora, who won two flat races at tho Victoria. Pacing Club's Grand National meeting, is a. three-year-old colt by Comedy King from tho New Zealand-bred mare., Kora, by Stepniak —Dom/etor, by Wallac.o---iolcusi.s. Kora was at one time owned by Mr J. B. Reid, but when tho Eldorsiie Stud was dispersed early in 1912 she was secured by Mr Hoi Green for 750 guineas. At the sarno salo Koto's [lister, Pedometer, was taken by Mr G. L. Sfcoad, for 140 guinea l *. She was in foal to Varco, the progeny being Kooordier, who was a useful galloper.

An Australian writer says that Reo arrived in Sydney looking really poor, and .1. Burton will evidently have to build her up to some extent before starting to put her through a preparation for her spring engagements.

Linass must bo acc.oun.tod' one of the most unlucky horses in Australia. Since he commenced racing hm has taken part in ninety wonts, of which bo has only ivon six, while, ho has been second in fourteen and third in twenty.

Owners continuo to destroy indifferent racehorses in England in preference, to attempting to dispose of them. A reliable London writer states that fin. May, at one, training stable, four horses wiero shot in on© morning.

Recently a horse named Bandora, described as by Nordeufeldt, has been winning in Tasmania. 01' eonrso, racing men knew the sire was not tlxo Musket horse Nordeufeldt, but they naturally wondered what tho breeding of tliis Nordenfeldt could be. Ifc transpires ho is by Arsenal, who won the Melbourne Cup in 1880'.

The discovery of 'electric batteries in saddles in a house in Perth lias caused the stewards of tho W.A. clubs to keep a keen look-out for electrical speedproducers of every kind. At the Boulder Racing Club's meeting at the end of lost month tho saddles of all the winning horses were, examined, but nothing came to light.

Ireland means to keep its minor racing prices for horses of its own breed-

'ing or training. Prior to the suspension of racing, the stewards of tho Irish Turf Club issued tho following notice-:—"It has been derided that in i'uturo no entries can bo accepted for races of less vuluo than £'J(X) for horses that have not been bred in Ireland, or trained in Ireland prior to May 1. 1917." This was to combat the possibility of tho comparatively few meetings "in England causing .sonic owners in that country to send lair horses over to Ireland to run for minor races. The Victorian sportsman, Mr L. K. S. Mackirmon, who this year supplied the winner of the Victoria Racing Club's Grand National Hurdle Race with Morunqua, is to be accepted as one of Dame Fortune's favourites in his racing ventures. In a short space; of years Mr Mackiunon has won tho Melbourne Cup (Kingsbiirgh), Maribyrnong Plate (Oriellet),'Ascot Valo Stakes (Sconscr ,ind Woorak), Australian Cup (Realm), Grand National Hurdle. Raw (Morunqua.), Australian Hurdle Raco (Realm), Oaklcigh Plate (Queen o' Scots and Woorak), Williamstown Cur> (lolaire), Epsom Handicap (Woorak), Champagne Stakes (Woorak) and Sydney Cup (Realm).

Wallalo (bv Wallace—Halo) suddenly struck lirst-cl«ss form when hf> won the Essondon Stakes and Australian Cup in 1911. A short time a.fter recording his winning feats at Flemington, Wallalo was di-qualficd for two years in Sydney, and since his reappearance last, year has entirely failed to produce, anything approaching his old form. Wallalo was a. runner for the. V.R.C Grand National Hurdles, but thoush he stood up, he made a poor show, and whipped in tho field.

For some time past a rumble has been heard from Victoria that the present system of stipendiary st7>wards government in that State, was likelv to be challenged. At present the stipendiary stewards cost tho Victoria Racing ClMb £2200 per annum. So a .suggestion has l>ren made that the appointment of one competent stipendiary at £IOOO or CI2OO per annum, to act with three honorary stewards of the various clubs, would be an improvement on the present arrangement. The matter is likely to be, .settled at an early date.

Mr S. B. .Tool is extending liis racing operations in South Africa. He was back in England in May, and while there sent out eight morn horses to Johannesburg, where lie will have nearly thirty in training this year.

Tn Melbourne the. racing of inferior horses \s to he di.scnnra.ged. and with that end in view those, rani he clubs whose courses are south of tho Yarru will not include third division handicaps in their future programmes. A third division horse occasionally develops into a fair performer, hut if. us is generally accepted, the object, of racing is tho improvement of tho thoroughbred, nothing is gained by catering for a. very inferior class.

Opponents of the totalisator may rail against it as much as they like, but it is in Xew South "Wales to stay. At Sydney meetings leger bettors are taking so kindly to the new form of speculation that, ere long, there cannot otherwise than be a falling-off in the number of bookmakers doing business in that reserve at the various courses. There will also be a, greater increase in paddock speculation when proper provision is made for investors. The. clubs certainly have not gone out of their way to advance the cause of the machine, in most cases limiting the pay-out windows to two each for first and second dividends. The. waiting caused through this has done a lot to put many people off totalisator betting, but when proper provision in every Jespect is made at each course the machine will grow to such an extent in popularity that by this time next year tho books will find its competition a very serious matter.

Some of the leading sportsmen mi America provided a pointed .illustration recently that they are keenly interested in seeing 1 lint the Jiritish thoroughbred is i)of, prejudiced through the abnormal conditions created by the war. "When It was announced in May that all horses in England would be put on rations and that grain would be limited Air J E. Madden offered to subscribe £2OOO to a fund ior sui plying gram, if needed, for the specific use of thoroughbred brood mares in England, and other sportsmen expressed an equal willingness to help, if the, report turned out* correct, among them being Mr August liclmonfc. chairman of the New Yo -k Jockey Club, who also offered to subscribe £2OOO. It win decided, however, to apply to Messrs "Weatherby and Sons in England before taking any action. Mr Madden discussei. the subject briefly as iollows:—" AV\ have been drawing on England for our thoroughbred blood theso many years, and I believe that we should now do our part to jrive what help we can to aid the horsemen abroad maintain their stock to the highest point of efficiency. Thoroughbreds, especially tho brood mares, demand a certain amount of grain, else there is sure to be a decline. We can raise a pretty good-sized fund over here, it seems to me, and ship over enough gir.in for distribution by Wcatherbv and Sons from time to time to ir-inimiso ihe danger which thoroughbred stock in England is now facing."