SPORTING GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12406, 26 August 1918, Page 2

SPORTING GOSSIP.

RAGING Min TOm (By " ARGUS.”I FIXTURES, September 4—Marion Jockey Gib. Scnfember 11—Dnnncvirko Racing Club. September 12 —Ambevlcy Racing Club. September 10—Kgmont Racing Club. September 19, 29—Aehburton County Racing Chib. September 20—Dtaki Maori Racing Club, September 29—Geraldine, Racing Club. October 3—Knrow Jockey Club. October 11, 12—Dunedin Jockey Club. October 17, IS-—Mantnton Racing Club. October 19—Auckland Trotting Club. October 24, 25—Poverty Bay Turf Club. October ?G—Otnhulm Trotting Club. October 2(1, 23—Wellington Racing Club. October' 2fi, 28—Goto Racing Club. October 28—North Canterbury and Oxford Jockey Club. October 28—Wavcrlcy-Wiiioiotarft Racing Club. October 2S—Oarraru Trotting Club. NOMINATIONS. August 28—New Zealand Trotting Cup. August 29 —Kgmont R-ncing Club. September 2—Ashburton County Racing Club. September s—Geraldine Racing Club. September 9—Kurow Jockey Club. HANDICAPS. August 80—Amberlcy Racing Club. August 31—Dannevirku Racing Club. September 7—Ashburton County Racing Club. September 9 —Now Zealand Trotting Cup. September 12—Egmout Racing Club. September 14—Geraldine Racing Club. September IG—Knrow Jockey Club. ACCEPTANCES. August 27—Marlon Jockey Club. September 4—Dauncvirko Racing Club. September o—Amber fey Racing Club. September 11—Ashburton County Racing Club. September 14—Kgmont Racing Club. September 21—Geraldine Racing Club. September 21— Kurow Jockey Club.

The pacer Our Thorpe has finished Ins racing career and will do stud duty j in the Gore district this season. , Bo- . fore finally retiring from the track, ] however, his owner. Mr A. Fleming, has j decided to send his horse against the Australasian mile record, 2min G 2-sscc, : held bv Adelaide Direct. Arrangements ■ for tho trial are now well in hand, and j it’ the weather conditions are suitable it will take place on the, Metropolitan Trotting Club’s course, at’Addington at nine o’clock to-morrow morning. In view of the fact that his trainer, U. 1). O’Donnell, was liable for military service, .Mr G- L. Stead had practically abandoned tho intention of sending any horses to Australia this year to take part in the spring meetings. O’Donnell was rejected by tlie Medical Board last week, however, and Mr Stead has now revised his plans, having decided to be represented at the spring meeting ot the Australian Jockey Club by a couple of throe-year-olds. Almoner, who won the Breeders’ Plato in Sydney last sprhm will he sent over with a view to contesting the Derby, while Kilmonn will go as a. companion to assist the crack in his training and to take part in minor events. According to present intentions, O'Donnell, with tlie two colts under his care, will be a passenger on tho next steamer for Sydney. Koraki was omitted from both trot-' ting events in the list of nominations [or the Amberlcy Pacing Club’s annual meeting, published on Saturday. Raleigh should be AA alter 'Raleigh, Greta should read Delta, and Sweet Kathleen should be Sweet Kalethan. 1 Tt is understood that Mr G. D. Stead purchased the steeplechaser Collector at the close of the Grand National mceting. Nominations for the New Zealand Trotting Cup, for horses that have done 4.34 or better, will close at noon on "Wednesday. , Gamecock is to ho gelded this week, and he will then be given a good spell before being got ready to carry the colours of Ids new owner, Mr 0. 0. T. Rutherford. The Auckland jockey. J. O’Shea, has gone to Sydney, and" will remain in Australia for some time, being under engagement to ride Air T. H. Lowry’s horses in their engagements. 1 AV. J. Porter did not return north ( after the Grand National meeting, and it is understood ho will remain at Riocarton for some time. Ho has only Good Hope at present, but it is expected that the Al’ariborongh sportsman, Mr J. J. Cory, will send some ‘ more of his horses along to be gov ready tor engagements later in the season. Air AAh H. Alacdougall has recently 1 been in negotiation with the Oamaru 1 Trotting Club, and it Is understood i that ho has boon engaged to run the . totalisator at.the club’s meeting in October. Air Alacdougall ban earned a . very high reputation in connection with totalisator management in Canterbury, and he can ho relied on to gism entire satisfaction in this department, at Oamaru. T. G. Fox has decided not to persevere any further with the disappointing trotter Red Bell, who was sold at auction on Saturday, being secured by A. Butterfield at a low figure. The AYnnganni District Committee has endorsed the disqualification for live years imposed on A. Hall hv tbc. Manawatu Racing Club. The disqualification automatically affects the horses Ibex and Tnrangapito, in whom Hall was interested until recently when both were sold*. Fisher has settled down in his new ' quarters in H. Telford’s stable at’Tren- ; ibam. His owner, Air J. B. Al’Fwan, ! has registered as his racing colours, "black, dark green band and arm bands,” this being tho livery formerly borne by horses representing Mr “ A.larj ion ” and Air “Rawdou,” patrons of I. id. Prosser’s Pori run stable. VV. Hawthorne has a team of sixlj icon, horses in hand at Opaki for Air V.. R. Kemball. The tracks have been so bad lately, that it has been 1 almost impossible to do ahy work. ; . It is reported that the owners of Arlington refused ah offer of SOOgs for , tho Signalman gelding after the good race he ran in the Beaufort SteepleI chase. Though Lady Louisa was reported to have broken down while taking part in the Islington Handicap, the final event at the Grand National meeting, site walked off the boat quite sound on- her return to AVellington, and she may be able to race at Alarton. Cbakwana has finished her racing career, and arangements have .'neon made for mating the speedy Hierarch mare with Demosthenes. The new owner of Kipling, is Air J. Collins, and the price paid is said to have run into four figures. This is tho biggest price given for a maiden ihrec-year-old for a long time. t At the meeiing of the At ana wad n Racing Club, held last week. Air L. , Abraham mentioned that Air J. H. P. ( Strang, a former president, and at present, a vice-president of the club, had been awarded the Croix de Guerre, and lie moved that, the club congratulate, him on the honour obtained. This was carried by acclamation, and it was. decided that the secretary cable the congratulations on behalf of the club. The annua’, report of (be Taratahi Racing Club states that owing to the Oovcr.nmont’s curtailment of racing anrino- tho continuation of the war, the ‘hih’s day was taken away, and therel(>re no meeting was held during the past year. The (dub’s property was ■ -'or,ah ns a larm. and showed a profit of 10s Id. There is also thirty

acres now sown with oats, which avo looking well- Tho hank overdraft, has increased. Tho District. Com mitten has to provide funds for the upkeep of the course, interest, on mortgage, bank overdrafts, etc., and an application is being made to (lie committee Cor an amount which will place the chib in tho same financial position as it was last) year.

Somebody in Sydney expects Kilhope. to make a big improvement; as a three-year-oki, and rccoiptly Mr Lowry’s bor.se was backed for a good sum to win the Epsom Handicap. He has also been coupled in doubles with Estland lV;r the Metropolitan Handicap. Kilhope, who is by Kilbroney, irom Angelo, only started twice ns a two-year-old. Ho won tbc Maiden Plato at_ Woodvillc. and finished unplaced in the Great Northern Foal Stakes won by Demagogue.

The New Zealand-bred John Bunny, who was unable to got back in time for the National mooting, is now to remain at Kamlwick until tho conclusion of tho A.J.G. spring fixture.

W. 1:1. M’Lncblan has been riding Biplane in bis work at Randwiok, and should anything prevent B. Deoley making the trip to Sydney the crack Australian horseman, who handled Desert Gold in her races last autumn, will probably be found riding Mr Greenwood’s horse in his spring engagements.

The: New Zealand bred gelding Bunting, by All Black—Bed Plume, was successful in another race at Brisbane this month, when ho beat a good held, including Ambordown and Lauius, in a nine-furlong weight-for-age event. Mrs Burnley Hill, in whose name. Bunting races, also won at the same meeting with Alaniapoto’s half brother, Ifisber’s Hope, by Comedy King—Lady Fisher.

In the course of some references to the recent Grand National meeting, the Auckland writer, “ Whalebone,’’ had the ■ following comments on the management of the totalisalor at RiccartonOne does not know the cause of the delay between the time of closing the machine and the final adjustments being made, bub it is a certainty the interval was so long that the crowd at times became restless, and the hoisting of the ball for the signal to start was greeted with ironical "cheers. The Hon Russell has assured us his appointment of inspector of totalisafcors was not responsible, and tbc blame must therefore rest on the club’s officials. At every meeting of the New Zealand Pacing Conference the totalisator is held up as all that is good in connecl- - with racing, and it came as a big surprise to most people to find that the Government deemed an inspector necessary. Surely there has been nothing serious enough to warrant this, and tho best thing the newly-appointed official could do would be to collect the stamps used by tho sellers immediately the machine dosed, and when the figures were adjusted take the totals oft’ the face and make clubs compute tlie dividends on the figures shown to the public. Tho inspector ought to also insist • that the totalisator close punctually at the time stated, and not, as was the case at Ricearton, allow the dock to be put on from time to time in order to put more money through the “ tote.” The inspector might also explain why the dividend on Waimai was put up 0,1 the board at; a certain amount, but when investors went to collect they wore paid out 3s less, being told a mistake had been made. Great dissatisfaction was also expressed at! tho slowness in paying out, and numbers who had to collect after the Grand National Steeplechase did not see the next race at all, having to wait for their money. _ The Government has given the racing clubs a monopoly ns regards betting, and if the Minister of 'lnternal Affairs wishes to see his newlyappointed inspector a success he should instruct him to sec; (1) That the machine is dosed ,at the proper time; (2) that the dividends are made up from the figures shown to the public on tho face_ of the machine; (3) that better provision is made by dubs for investors and tho paying out of dividends; and (41 that when a mistake is made in putting up the amount of a dividend on the front of tho machine, any alteration be shown above the windows used for paying out. All things considered. the management at Riccarton cannot ho congratulated on the working of their totalisator. which compared unfavourably with the conditions found at Addington, tho New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's course.

AUSTRALIAN RAG!NC. ADELAIDE RACING CLUB. By Tclogiapk—Press Association—Copyright. ADELAIDE, August 01, Ai tho Adelaide Placing Chib’s meeting the following was the result of tho GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE, of 450 sovs. About three miles. Mr A. E. Bowman’s b g Cullulornine, by Finance.—Agues, aged, lost lllb . . 1 Mr A. J. Lord's blk g Hawlnving, by Horloch—Keslrcl, aged, 10=1. lib . . 2 Mr J. Mullins, jmi.'s br g Edinol, by De-veloper-Pinnace. aged, ]Ost 101b" . 3

■ rm iiimn Speaking before the "Workers’ Educational Association on Saturday evening, tlie Hon G. A. .Russell said that in one of the institutions under the. control of bis Department was an old lady who had reached the ago of 10/ years. She was an inveterate smoker, but he could not say whether this was in any way responsible, for her longevity.