SPORTING GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12325, 23 May 1918, Page 2

SPORTING GOSSIP.

mm and mm. | (% •' ARGOTS.”) { FIXTURES, I My- 2S—N'orth Otapn ,Tock#j Club. M.iv 23, M—\Tsng*mu Jockey Club. Uuio 1, 3 —Dunedin Jockey Club. ( ""n# 1, 3 —Auckland Racing Club. 1 dime 8--Canterb\iry Park Trotting Clubi '! nrio It—South \V«irarapa Trotting Club. | June 3. 4-Otnki Maori Racing Club. ■l'ino 13-Ashl-urton Trolling Club, •tuna 19, 14 -/I labor no Racing Club. , Jun, ?]. 22-N«jy>r Perk Raring Club. : •’«"« SS. Ji)— FU-wkeT Pay Jockey Club. ; 25—South Canterbury Hunt. I nominations. j Mar 32~.Gisborne Racing Club. ; -'lay 31 —Ashburton Trotting Club. 1 Mnv 31 —Napifr Park Runes Club. I June M—Hawke's Ray Jockey Club, i July 3 South Canterbury Hunt. ■ HANDICAPS I May 34--Dunedin Jockey Club, ! May 3U.-friaborn» Racing Club. June 4—Ashburton Trotting Club. June 10--Napier Dark Racing Club, June 24—Hawko's Buy Jockey Club. July IS—South Canterbury Hunt. | ACCEPTANCES. Ms; •>!--South Wairarapo. Trotting Club. May 21—Auckland Racing Clnlb, May 27—Dunedin Jockey Club May 2S—Canterbury Park Trotting Club. ■ luno T—Achburtou Trottiiifi Club. June 7—(iisborne Racing Club. | Jims 14—Napier Park Racing Clubj June 26—Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. July 19—South Canterbury Hunt. i Acceptances for jiho South Waira- [ Mp:i Trotting Oiub close to-night. F Hickinbottom ha? decided to take i bis pacer, Wee Bell, and the trotter, i Peter Bell, to race at the South Tt’aij iantpa Trotting Club’s meeting m | .lime 3. I A. J. Wright is working n two-year-old by Silver King at Addington. The youngster looks like developing into a useful trotter. A. Butterfield will drive Mintson in ilie chief event at the Canterbury Park Chib’s meeting on Juno 31 hear excellent accounts of a two-year-old trotter by Ei Carbine, from Swift, the dam of Swiftwood, the first hew Zealand Trotting Stakes winnerThe youngster is said to be one of the best young horses seen in the south. The pacer, Ouimet, who finished second In Dora Derby in the Innovation Handicap at the recent Fbrbnry Park Club’s meeting, is training on satisfactorily under the care of It, Hart, and will be raced at Groytown on June 3. The Otago owned trotter, Patard, has bad an unlucky season having failed to win n race, but has been twice second and three times in third place. There hare not been many of the progeny of the stallion Gold Bell racing this season, but Steel Bell. Gold Boy and Gobi Girl have won over 1100 for Mr Roe’s horse. The two pacers, Gold Girl and Steel Bell, and - the trotter, Gold Boy, are owned by Mr Roe. The Southland owned stallion, Four Chimes, was very poorly patronised by bleeders when he was at the stud hero last, season. With the exception of Cathedral Chimes and Ma.tohlight, his stock have done all their racing in the senth ibis season, and have been very successful. Cathedral Chimes and Nihilist have won nearly £2OOO, and Four Chimes progeny's record to date is 1’2583 10s, made np of nine firsts, nine, seconds and eleven thirds. Biplane is again in commission, after a short rest. He is being confined to 'sifatly tasks at present, but Mason wul doubtless be sending him along shortly, in view of an early trip to Australia. Naupata frequently shows signs of lameness when lie makes bis appearance on tho track in the morning, hut the trouble usually works off before be has been out long. He is shaping well in Ids tasks and lie may pick up another hurdle race shortly. Kirkby bore a somewhat rough appearance when bp arrived at. Riccnrton from the North Island, ami gave the impression that be was very backward. This, however, was far from being Ibe case. The Birkenhead gelding howls along in good style no the tracks and j his schooling effort on Tuesday showed ' that he was ns capable as ever, as lar ias jumping is concerned. > When Slogan was retired, more than a year ago, it was considered doubtful I if be would bo tried again as a racing preposition. Recently, however, F. Christmas took the. Hir Laddo gelding in hand once more, and after being hacked about, for a time, 1m is now ! being sprinted. He is beginning to j fine down into racing shape, and be 1 mnv be given a chance to earn distinction as a"hurdler, in which department j fie bus already been tried with saiisi factory results. 1 W. Hihbord lias broken in a couple jof yearlings for Mr M. A. N’icbolls. One of them is. a. fillv by Mastcrpicce- ! St Fauna, by St Ambrose—Fauna. and j the other a 'roll, by Masterpiece or Syoiuira—Avarice (dam of Tremena). Iby Treadmill—Golden ( rest. He has j another filly, by Masterpiece- St Helen. I hv Signor- Helen Portland, to break I in as soon as be can secure some more j stable assistance. I Mr B. H. Skip with, well known in i sporting circles ns stnrlerjor a. number lof racing clubs in the North Island, and now Corporal Skipwitb, of Hie Avmv Service Corps, wrote recently from Sling Camp. Ho was m good health and sent best, wishes to all his friends in New Zealand. hi ter mezzo, a half-sister to Siuapis. k one of the juvenile brigade who '■> showing useful sprinting form at 1 renl.liani. The yearling colt by .\jihnmius--Kcne lias been named Printemps, while Russet, has been claimed for the Auinmnns- Alma colt. They are in regular work at- Ti'cntharo, and are commencing to shape well in short sprinting tusks. The Tventhnm trainer, .1- AV. Lowe, has a very promising; team of rising 1 wo-vear-nld in work- they include youngster? by Martian Intelligence, Solferino- Rosalia, King Ruins Commerce, Bonifnrm- -Drought and Demos-thenes--Formality. Coven meet tax paid in connection with (he Manuwatn Racing Club's Autumn Meeting amounted to no less a sura (bun £-f.jlG Is !od. The ex-N'ew Zealand trainer, D. -I. Prim, k now located at (dcnlr.mky (Victoria), where ho has a fair-sized loam in work. Ono of his team is IPn Puller, winner of (he Ascot Thousand. The Bezonian- Peace filly in H- r j>l lenl s stahlo at, 'lre-ptham is on (he small sid'’. Him resembles other members nl the Peace family, and being an early loal may race in the spring. Silo sported three furlongs s>turdav morning wn.ii some iviigT-h nvipuria lions m the saino stable, and was m front passing the post, Tfio hull--!- ; ter to f'hakwana has been n an>-,| [ f lk. ' n.e Some (.he reductmn in racing dins ! ha.- l"’en in force, many minor;. ~f tpii. j tors and pacers, «ho tnrmerlv raced i tin’ir herfes only on. home cni]r...;., | has., been forced t" (ravel thorn j• ntfim parts, in The hope of Winnies :■ , nee or two. [boss who so far thu

sr;>son have adopted Clip travelling policy Imre found it most expensive, ant lar from a paving proposition. The increased cost of feed and the c-tm charges for r.ul and hunt amount to 1 a com idprahlp sum, and even il some success ir. achieved ,1m amount usually "'On is not ,-it all profitable. 19nrin Hipm' strenuous limps, w lion prices m>> high ?i:i r! going higher. dtp chibs should come 1o the assistance of owners, by making Mie nomination and acceptance ,r.-p r , ligbi possible. Two or three y°nrs ago several dubs derided io reduce Iho nomination fpps, and this was much appreciated by owners. hut most Hubs retain the excessive fpps for ap. oppf.a neps, Yhi Ist owners nr» struggling alone to kor.p the spoil going, finhs continue to make pood profits on Ihoir mootings. T doubt. if there is !, ny clnh fhat has Imld a meeting this year which has not, shown a handsome, profit. Yitb few exceptions Hubs are in sound financial position?, and as many contemplate extensile alterations and improvements at tlm cessation of the war, they are evidently building up a good balance with which to start, operations. In tbo meantime, the owners, whom the clnh. should recognise as the men who arc providing the snort, are hard .put to it to male ends meet. Tinder theso circumstances, a review of nomination and acceptance fees would he a grateful act, on (ho part of all dull.. It, has been argued that reduced fep. will bring about increased entries in all events, which in maiiT oases is upt desirable, but this difficulty could bo easily met hy placing more restrictions on the conditions governing the raees. This is another matter that clubs would do well to consider, with a view to confining races to horse? who have accomplished a certain time; in fart, nearly all races would he improved with restrictive conditions at both ends, which would in some measure limit ihe size of fields. "With the reduced number of days’, racing now available, owners are forced to enter.for race?, in some cases where they will he compelled to concede long starts nr voluntarily sacrifice a lot of time to ct*. pete. The matter is of great importance to owners, and for the next season’s racing it. is hoped that something on the lines indicated will be brought into force hy clubs. The victory registered by Elsdon in the Adelaide Cup, i*un early this month adds another important success to the long list, of triumphs recorded of Into .years by imported horses in big events of the Australian turf. The first English-bred horse to rank ns a. cup winner in the southern hemisphere was, 1 think, L'ocluel, and thp interesting little fact, connected with the brown son of I’rince Charlie and Nelly Moore is that, though sired in England, he first saw the light in New Zealand. Lochiel tarried the colours of (ho Into Mr (4. (4. Stead to victory in the New Zealand Gup, Auckland Cup- and Australian Onp in 1887, IBBS, and 1839 respectively, so that lie was a- very noteworthy winner. Frisco (by .Earwig), who won the New Zealand Cup in if,o7, is another who was sired in England and foaled in Maoriland. Comedy King (by Persimmon), who came from thenorthern to the southern hemisphere as a foal, captured the Melbourne Cup of 1910, ami Eyeglass (by Isinglass), who journeyed from England to Australia as a foal with Comedy King. landed (he Adelaide Cup in 1911 and 1919, while that rare is also down to the credit of Hamburg Belle (by Plnlindesl, St, Spasn (by St Amant), Green Cap (by Martagon), and Elsdon (by Symington). Almissajhy Ayrshire'', Harriet Graham (by Y illiam the I bird), and Defence (by Carbine), respectively won the Australian Cup, while Eilyveil (by Marl-a-gon) and Rebus (by Radium) figure as winners of the Sydney Gup. Lnvcndo Hiv Chaucer) and Shepherd King- (by Mnrtogou) have tlmir mimes enrolled amongst, winners of the Caulfield Cup. Dollar Dictator (by Earla Mnr) captured Uie Perth Cup, whil P Bachelor's Persee (by Bachelor's Double) is numbered amongst, winners of the (limensland Gup, Sir Foote. (In- Sir Hugo), Playawny (hy Carbine), ami Polycrates (by Pnlymehis) are a trio of Englishbred ones that scored in .ihe Newmarket Handicap, and in the Caulfield Futurity Stakes Sir Foote and I’lavaway respect - ively landed that important race, as did Antonio 'by Prisoner', Comedy King (by Persimmon), Eudorns (hjv’Forfar' sh're', and Flash of Steel (hy Orhv). Ihe Metropolitan Stakes was won bv Quinologist (by St, Fnisqnin). Guile large number of English-bred horses have been imported tn Australia during the past- lew months, and that important successes may follow their advent, on the Australian turf will come as no surprise, for some rare bred ones arc included in the. collect ions (hat hare made the voyage .from the northern tc, ihe southern hemisphere.