SPOTTING GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12193, 17 December 1917, Page 2

SPOTTING GOSSIP.

RACING AND TROTTING.

(By "ARGUS.") FIXTURES. December —Ashburton Trot tine: Club. December 26—Core TroPinsr Club. December 26—Westnort Tro'tinr' Club. December 2fi—Tnranaki Jockey Club. December 26—Puneclin Jock*v Clnb. December 26—Thames Jockey Clnb. December 26, 27 — Daciir v Clnb. December 26, 27—Rcefton Jockey Clu\ December 26, 20, January I—Auckland Racing Club. December 27. 31, January 2 —Auckland Trottin- Chib. December 29—Cromwell .Tockev Chib. January I—Canterbury Park T-nUing Club. January I—S'rfltfor-J 'flnoirr? Club. January 1 Mnr'on Jc.rW Club January I—'Vincent JoH.-py Club. January I—Wynrlham TJacin" Club. January 1, 2—North Ofruro .Tockev Club. January 1, 2—Hnv.-ke'= Bar Jockey Club. January 1, 3, 5—4"? Jockey Club. January 2, Thcinc Club. Jvuarv 2. 4_rt~nynT\iif'i Clnb. January 8, 9—Club. January 19, 2°--Wr Hfnr-f 0 „ n-cin- Clnb. January 21—Wo'bnotor T club. January .11—PnVi'm Club. NOMINATION?. " December 11— v ineent Jockev Club. December 17—'Wellington Pacim* Cub. December 19— Canterbury Park Trotting Clnb. Poc.emV- 10—'Wvuclbji.in TJaoin* Clnb. January 3—WeU,TrctfHub January ft riub ' January 9—Trotting Club CChamnion. St«kp«s> January 10--rW«t»i>' T?->e?ri<r Club. HANDICAPS. December 18—North Otaro Jockev Clnb. December 27—Wvndbnm Kncirs: Club. December 2ft—Crcymouth Jcckev Club. December 31—Vincent Jorkev Club. ACCEPTANCES. December 17—Core Trotting Club. December IS —Marlon Racing Chib. P-vembt-r 18 —Keeiton .Jockey Club. December 19—Iratfurd Racing Club. December 19—Dunealn Jockey Club. December 21—Asbbur.on Tril'ii'g Club. Dv:c?iii'~ur 21—A nek lard Tro tim:; Clnb. December *2l—('"treymouth T oMirr/ ''bib. Doi'C-mber 21 Hawke's Bay Jot:ke\ h;b. December 21—Nor!li Ot;u;o .locke- Club. December 22 —Cromwell Jockey Clab. December 27 —Canterbury Park Trotting Club December 20— nroymnnth Jockey Club. December 29 Wynihium Hue ins Club December 31—Vincent Jockev Club.

Six horses, drawn from two Riccartun stables, will represent; South Island i.incrusts at the summer meeting of the Auckland Racing (dub. The contingent is not .so large, as has usually boon the ease in the past, hut the half-dozen are a useful lot, who .should pay their way on the trip, though races will not be easy to win a t Ellorslie, where s.ome of I lie he,st horses in the Dominion will bo performing.

Sir George Clifford's team at the Auckland Racing Club's meeting will number four. Adjutant has been responsible for some excellent track work lately and he is in good condition. lie lias not raced well this season so far, but a return to the form he showed in the last Great Autumn Handicap would make him dangerous in the Auckland Cup. Gamecock has been going along nicely in his training during the last few weeks, showing something near his autumn form. He may not be up to the necessary standard for the Great Northern Derby, but he may show up in some of the minor handicaps. Wrestler is an uncertain customer, a brilliant galloper, but liable to go amiss at any time. Provided ho remains sound, however, lie should run well in sprint events, as he can pace it with the best. Long Range, the two-year-old of the party, has come on a bit since ho raced at Rir-earton, and he should be equal to a decent performance in handicap company, when the cracks are out of the way.

Mr D. FT. Roberts had an unlucky experience at Ellerslie throe years npo. when Kilmenv finished in second place in three hurdle races, beaten by a fresh opponent on each .occasion. For the present trip he has two very useful' representatives. Fiery Cross will attractas much attention as any of the visitors. He is a great track horse, capable of putting up records over any distance, while he is also a very solid galloper in a race. He has shown that he can pet to the end of a mile and a. half, and he is likely to sliane well whenever lie starts in the north. His stable companion. Glendower, is still eliir'ble for hack company, but he is an improving sort-, who may bo equal to paying the expenses of the trip, should Ibe stable crack fail to realise expectations.

The American hrcd mare Nee rot-to, who was brought here by Mr J. Conway, was sold by him before he left for the North Island. The mare has tin's season produced a filly foal to Great Audubon.

Lady Roseherrv, the dam of Tfie Limit and Ladv Patricia, has produced a iilly to Great Audubon.

The King Cole mare Nordica had a colt foal this season to Harold Dillon, but unfortunately the youngster died when about a month old.

Finland finished fourth on the list oi winning sires in the Dominion last season, his progeny capturing £'9690 in prize-money. That was his best record, but he looks like having another good season, as he is already credited with more than .CIOOO, more than half of it being contributed by Estland and Lingerie.

In the Reynolds Handicap at the Wairarapa meeting last week Nanna was one of the hottest favourites ever seen on the course. She was beaten by a head by Glorify, and appears to have been unlucky, as her rider lost one of Ins stirrups on the journey.

As a result of her recent font} Devotion is in strong favour for the Manawatu Cup.

Harold Young, the well known .lightwe.ght horseman, has returned irom Australia, where he was associated w,th i\l. Hobbs's stable, and he will again be riding for .K. Tilley at the holiday meetings.

F.our horses who changed owners at the sa.ie of the late Hon J. D. Ormond's team were racing at the Wairarapa Kaoing Club's meeting last week. Hymestra and Torfreda were winners, but Bagdad and Centre failed to get any of the money.

The Otaki trainer, F. Higgott, will have Kiiltess, Amity, Bradarnante and ,-kedaddie racing at she holiday meetings on the West Coast.

B. Deeley will pilot Johnny Walker in the Auckland Cup, while A. Reed will be ,on Seadown. So far no rider has been secured for Menelaus, but it is understood that the New Zealand Cup winner is a certain starter.

Bagdad, who was among the unsuccessful performers at the Wairarapa meeting last week, is a three-year-old brother to Hyettus, by Hymettus— Asiatic. He cost 420 guineas at the Karamu sale last montfi. As a two-year-old he started several times, winning a maiden hack race at the autumn meeting ,of the Manawatu Racing Club.

Momae, winner of the Hack Welter Handicap at the Wairarapa meeting, is a four-year-old by Achilles—Momakai and is therefore a sister to Aratiatia, who won races over hurdles when trained by J. H. Prosser.

All classes of sporting men in England are "doing their bit. Owing to l.hfi absence on military service of tfiia

Jockey Club's official handicapper, Mr Dawkins, Sir Bowland Leigh adjusted the weights for the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire.

Deltonia (Delaware —Lady Melton), who was taken to Australia last year by M. Irlobbs, and broke down, has been put into training at Pandwick by J. Trenoweth. The latter bought Delton io at a very low figure, and, if !lie stands, intends making a hurdler of 'h;m. When schooled over tlie jumps, prior to going amiss, Deltoni.o shaped most promisingly.

The successful Australian sire, Bobadil (Bill of Portland—She), who was bought for 330 guineas by Mr F. Fairbairn last year, and sent to Queensland, is to return to Victoria. He is to go to the Chatsworth Stud at Tabilk, ufioro Woorak is located. Bobadil is twenty-one years old.

O'wing to the difficulty of obtaining grain in France, Mr Clarence H. MacKay is taking fifty-one of his brood mares from that country over to America, and will locate them on his farm near Poslyn, Long Island. It is ro be hoped the boat carrying Mr MacKay's brood mares fares bettor than ibe Mnnehiha, which had ,on board the s+anions Maiden ErVpii and Sunflower 11., as well as a large consignment of brood mares, when she was torpedoed whde on the way from England to America.

Many old-time sportsmen will regret to hear of the death of Mr W. L. Philp. who was :)iu r a prominent and nc? iv ■ steward of the Dumdin Jockey Club in ittv days at Korhury Park. ?.Ir Philp never figured prominontiy as a liorstowncr, writes "Sentinel" in the

" Ota go Witness," hu:- h>? ran two or three in h..s colours, and tinboi'se lie i ver owned was the trotier Native Cat. whom he sold before the famous mat"h with Our Pony. Mr Ph ip was mine host "of the Terminus Hotel in the days when the Ihinedin .Joe.kiH' Club had its ollices i:i the-, same building, and his home n..tnrally held prominenc!! as a great sjiori'iif-; ivwlrxvoiis. I.n more iw>nf- years Mr Pliilyi i"joined the Dum-din Jockey Club, and held oiler. as a stewanl, but he gradually dmppfd rjeietly out of active partieipation in the sport. In bis -day he was Dt!.' of the most eonseicnfio'is stewards ihal: the writer lias over i-:n.n\Yii. it was Mr Phiip s constant practice to carefully no to the state of i lie goinsr, both on the course proper and the training track", and ii; this resj'i'ct: be showed a splendid, but very ravly imitated, rxjimple to ether stewards hold'tig office as members of the Giounds ('ois'Mi: i! tee to various racing clubs. H:'s son. the late Mr WPlnb.i, at tale time acted a.- starter to 'be Gore Pacing Cbil>. but none of lis tbrei-i cons (who have all preceded, tlmir lather to the " Great Beyond ") At as prominently connected with racing.

Restriction of racing is the order of the day in South Africa as well as elsewhere. and in its notes on this " Tho Latest " (D-urban) says:—"lt is understood that the Bill has been passed, and is likely to come into force on or about November 1 next. The licenses of all the four Rn.nd recognised clubs havo expired, or will expire during the present month, and it will remain to be seen what dat.es will he, allotted them for the coming season. The prohibition of the issue of free passes to the various courses will, doubtless, affect Auckland Park and New Clare more than it will those racing under .Jockey Club rules, and has, no doubt, been introduced as an attempt to minimise gambling. "Whether it will make the slightest difference is extremely doubtful, as if people want to race they will do so, whtlier ihey have to pav for admission or set in free, and while it has been suggested that the issue of free passes tended to improve the tote returns, this is also more than doubtful. The only really sensible rule passed appears to be the one prohibiting: anyone under the age of sixteen from beinc? admitted to racecourses. No one will object to this, unless it be the mothers of large fa.mdies who used to picnic on them, but there may ho some difficulty in deciding the age limit, especially where flappers aro concerned."'

Tho Paris correspondent nf the London " Sportsman,'' in dealing with 1)10 question of remounts in a Roptrrnhor issue of that paper, delivered lrmsolf as follows:—" Tlio French military authorities have asked for the renewal of at least one-tenth part of tho supplies made for cavalry, artillery and the Transport Corps, li, is computed that a grant of six million sterling will he mjirml to replace the horses needed hv th-i different armed services. Yalunb'o opportunities for completing supplies have hcon 111 >s«ed since the commencement of the campaign. Proper publicity has net, been given to the sales in Paris, in Nonnar;dv, or Brittany. Dealers have been buyers, and are h'ko to make money out of the lop secured without opposition from those who are officially commissioned to provide 'or the gaps made by accident or malady in the cavalrv stables.. Too much authority is vested in the military and not, enough in tho veterinary service. Tho former is always prone to regard tho ailing horsn as a negligible quantity, and, without cons dering the chances of a. speedy and complete recovery, gives order for his snJe or rejection. "Paris-Sport''' quotes cases where the carst hor.se has. been sent up to the Paris market for human food, and has been bought for £34 or more as likeiy to render excellent service to his purchaser, after rest and proper veterinary treatment. Tl is n fact, that tho demount ha.s been authorised to raise tho purchase price for misfits, either from tho racing stable or tho h.b. studs, and to give from ,£'oo to £64 for suitable animals. The increase in price is enhanced by the fact that tho lapse of time for delivery is no longer imposed on the vendor, and the seasoning of the new purchase takes p'aeo in ono of the camps, whet have been kept pretty free from epidemics by tho earn of tho army veterinary.