RAGING AND TROTTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20043, 4 September 1920, Page 11

RAGING AND TROTTING.

(By ••ARGUS/’) fixtures. SeptemW 8-Manaw*tu Hunt. SemptemW 154—Amberley Racing Club, bsptemhar 23 24~Anhbnrlon County Hieing Club. September 23-9a~Wan gtnui Jockey Club, Sept. 25, 29—Avondale Jockey Club. Sept. 27, 28—Otaki Maori Racin'? Club. Sept. SO, Oct. I—Geraldine Racing Club. Uct. 2—Xapier Park Racing Club. 0«t. 2, 4, 6, o —Australian Jockey Club. Oot. 6—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. Oct. 25—Oama.ru Trotting Club Oct. 28, 29—Poverty Bay Turf Club. DOMINATIONS. September Ashburton County Racing Olub, Sept. 3—Otaki Maori Racing' Club. Sept. 3—Avondale Jockey Club, Sept. ll.— Geraldine Racing Club, bept. 17—Napier Park Racing Club. Sept. 17—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club, Oct. B—Oamaru Trotting Club. Oct. B—Poverty Bay Tur! Club. HANDICAPS. September 10—ITanganui Jockey 01nb. September 10—Aiuberloy Kusing Club, September 11—Ashburton County Vt&dm Club, Sept. 10—Otaki Maori Racing Club. Sopt. 2.i—Geraldine Racing Club. Sept. 27—Napier Park Racing Club. Oct. 4—HbaVWh Bay Jockey Club. Oct, 14—Ouma.ru Trotting Club. Oct, 15—Poverty Day Turf Club, . ACCEPTANCES. September 14—Amberley Racing Club. September 15—Ashburton County Racing CI«K September 17 —Wanganui Jockey Club, Sept. 17—Otaki Maori Racing Club. Sopt. 17 —Avondale Jockey Club. Sept. 27—Geraldine Racing Club, Sept, 29—Napier Park Racing Club. Oct. B—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. Oot. 19—Oamaru Trotting Club. Oot. 23—Poverty Bay Turf Club. Nominations for the- Ashburton County Racing Club’s spring meeting will close on Monday. First acceptances for the New Zealand Cup were taken last night, and already there has been a. considerable weeding out. Of the fifty-four horsos handicapped Sasanof and Araythas were scratched early, while the list was further reduced last night by the failure of fourteen horses to make Hie acceptance. Those who dropped out wore Dusky Eve, Affectation, Hose Wreath, Starland, Right and! Left, Cashmere, Delight, Parornngi, Blackhead, Hetaua, Arch Salute, Motuihi, Samovar and Windermere. Thirty-eight horses hold their places in the field. Nominations for the Amberley Racing Club's meeting, to bo helci in a fortnight, close yesterday, and the re. sponso on tho part of owners is very disappointing. The Amberley Cup has attracted only five nominations, Wattle Handicap six, "Welter Handicap seven, and hurdle race eight. Tho two hack races have drawn littl© more support, whilo tho trotting events, though they have filled better than the gallops, have not come up to expectations. General regret has been expressed at tho decision of tho Auckland Trotting Club not to race during October. There has been practically no trotting in Auckland since last April, and several Auckland owners, having received an assurance from the club’s officials that the grounds would he ready for racing, have had horses in work with a view to competing at the meeting, only to have all their plans upset. Some Canterbury owners, who intended sending horses to the meeting, are also disappointed at tho club’s decision. It is more than likely that K. H. Smith’s team of horses, that are now being trained in Auckland under 8. Groat, will return, to their owner’s charge bore. H. Gaskcll has started training operations again, and is gradually getting together a useful team. I understand that several owners from here will take teams to tho Greymouth Trotting Club’s meeting in October. The pacer Ilorko’s Drift has been having an easy time since he raced at Addington last month, but his stable companion, Day Drift, is being kept hard at it in view of being raced early. Towards the cud of last racing season the trotter. Colonel Havelock went very sore, which has necessitated him receiving veterinary attention, and it will be some time before he is able to raco. The trotter Peter M’Millan, who was operated upon some months ago for wind troubles, ..is returning to K. H. Smith’s stable early next week to resume work. It is to be hoped that the operation proves successful, as this young_ trotter showed a lot of promise early in his racing career. Among the horses engaged at Amberley are Clean Sweep and Mustard Pot, who were winners at the club’s fixture last season. The South Canterbury Jockey Club will distribute £3OOO in stakes during the two days of its spring meeting, an increase of £SOO on tho amount given away at the corresponding meeting last season. Mr A. M 1 Donald (Affectation and Roao Wreath), Mr G. L. Stead (Starland and Right and Left) and Mr W. G. Stead (Cashmere and Delight) were among the owners who were doubly represented in the nominations for tho New Zealand Cup, and some surprise will bo caused by tho fact that all of them have dropped out. Mr G. L. Stead has completed the purchase of a property at To Awamutu, and R. O’Donnell is expected to take up Ins quarters there with Mr Stead's horses in training at an early date, . T ho committee of tho Auckland Trotting Club met a few days ago and anally adopted the programme for the coming season’s racing. The total sura allotted m prize-money to the three meetings to ho held under tho auspices of the Auckland Trotting Chib is £21,000, which represents an increase ol £5950, compared with last year. The fact of the weather conditions experienced having retarded the extensive works in progress at Alexandra Park, tho committee, after a full review of the situation, decided that it would be advisable to allow the new track and the other earthworks to become solidified before bringing tho same into extensive uso, and a winter meeting in place of a spring gathering was decided upon. With regard to the summer programme, the leading feature is the rah- ■ lug of the prize attached to the Auckland Trotting Cup, which goes up from £ISOO te £2OOO. On the same day tho Rowe Handicap, of 500 sovs, figures on the programme. The Summer Cup and the President’s Handicap, which stand out as the leading events’ on the two succeeding days, are respectively worth £IOOO, and no race of a less value than £250 figures on the programme. At the autumn meeting the two leading events respectively carry a stake of £760, and, with the exception of the maiden events, worth £2OO, none of tho other races are below £250 in value. Tho winter meeting, which it ia p posed to hold at the end of June, embraces seven races on each of the two days, with a £750 stake for each of tho two leading events, while several races of tho value of £3OO and £4OO respectively are included. It was decided to increase tho prize for the Groat Northern Trotting Dorter of 1023-33 m £IOOO.