RACING AND TROTTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17182, 27 October 1923, Page 7

RACING AND TROTTING.

BY

"ARGUS."

Final payments for the New Zealand Cup, Stewards’ Handicap, Derby, Oaks and Welcome Stakes, and acceptances for minor events on the first day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting will close at eight o’clock on Monday night. Acceptances for the first day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting will close at noon on Tuesday. Hall, Mark. Refrigeration, Zouave, Black Ronald and Miss O’Dille arrived from the north this morning to fulfil engagements at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. Palestrina was stretched out over a mile and a half this morning and registered a very satisfactory performance, though she looked as if she could not have done any better. Kukume pleased greatly by the manner in which she reeled off a mile with Pilliewinkie this morning. The Derby candidate Ballymena is causing F. D. Jones considerable anxiety at present. He was lame on his arrival home from Sydney as a result of a fall on the Wellington wharf, injurv being caused to a hip. When galloping at Riccarton on Tuesday he cut one of his hocks, which he injured again this morning. Deucalion was bleeding when he pulled up after galloping at Riccarton this morning. With Glentruin and Murihaupo engaged, F. D. Jones's stable is strongly represented in the Stewards’ Handicap. According to present intentions both of them will go to the post, and no surprise would be occasioned if either of them won. * * Malaga, who has been doing steady pace work for some time past, has been fired and he will be given a further long spell before racing again. Humboldt did very well during F. D. Jones’s absence in Sydney and he should be ready to race very soon. It is probable that he will be tried as a hurdler. The Riccarton jockey. J. T. Humphries, has been granted a- three months’ conditional license. The two-year-old fillv Watermint. by G-reyspear from Waterspray_, the dam of Pilliewinkie, has don© no work sine© she returned from the Dunodin meeting. She is all right, but R. W. King has decided not to race her again until she is a- three-year-old. F. Douglas is at present handling a couple of two-year-olds for R. W. King. They are a filly by Clarenceux from Single Rose and a gelding by Gay La-d from Avarice. The scratching of Mark Time has left M. M’Carten without a mount in the Now Zealand Cup, while H. Young is also free through the decision not to start Admiral Codrington. Three previous winners of the Now Zealand Cup -Vagabond (.1919), Royal Star (1921). a n d Scion fi.922)—are engaged in this year’s race. Although Admiral Codrington has put in a n . appearance at Riccarton, it

is understood that he will not fulfil his New Zealand Cup engagement. He has been freely nominated for other events at the meeting, and probably he will be a. starter in the Riccarton Welter Handicap on the first day. Rational is still at Trenthain, but he is expectod to arrive at Riccarton on Tuesday. Kilbird went home to Hastings after racing at Trentham. but he will be brought back and shipped south for the Canterbury Joc-koy Club’s meeting early next week. The well-known southern starter, Mr A. D. M’lvor, was a visitor to Trentham for the recent meeting of the Wellington Racing Club. He obtained permission to go to the start, and devoted his holiday to studying the methods of Mr C. O’Connor, at the barrier. Visitors to Trentham on Tuesday said good-bye to the old grandstand, which ha 3 done duty fo r the past seventeen years. The building is now being rapidly demolished, and it is hoped to have the new structure habitable in time for the Cup meeting in January. J. J. Kennerley is expected early next week at Addington with his team that will be competing at the New Zea.land Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting, and the horse 3 will do the balance of their training there. Kennerley has a particularly strong team at present, including Acron, on© of the favourites for the New Zealand Trotting Cup. O. E. Hooper arrived from Auckland yesterday with the pacer Linden, who raced prominently at the northern club’s meeting. Linden lightened up a lot on th© trio and h© may not be a starter at the Cup meeting. Tli© Australian-bred pacer Silent Sign, who was an acceptor for the mil© and three furlongs handicap at the Oamaru Trotting Club’s meeting, did not start owing to an irregularity in th© importation papers. The trotter Wandiligong went wrong recently and is now turned out at his owner’s place at Oamaru. The big Australian-bred bora© has been a great disappointment since coming to the Dominion. J. Henderson has a useful-looking three-year-old gelding by Nelson Bingen from Rosie M’Kinnev in work at Oamani. The yonng trotter, who is engaged in the classic event at Forbury .Park, is well grown and has a fair turn of speed. He is not so forward in his preparation as some of the Canterbury trained three -year-old trotterw, but his trainer is /uite satisfied with his showing to date. The pacer Ben Oh an is amiss and it looks as though he will robuire a long spell before being trained again. A number of sportsmen who were in Oamaru for the trotting club’s meeting on Monday, were entertained by Mr and Mrs O’Brien prior to the meeting. Several motor-cars went out to the popular “Jerry’s” place, where a most enjoyable afternoon was spent. The stallion Nelson Bingen was the centre of attraction and the Americanbred horse was looking at his best. He is doing a big stud season, a large number of mares being already booked, many of whom were seen in the well grassed paddocks. Included in the. list was Bertha Belle, the dam of Great Bingen and Worthy Bingen. The last-named, who was a competitor at the meeting, was also inspected on tlfe lawn. The rains of the past few weeks have been most beneficial to the district ancl the paddocks have never looked better. Mr O’Brien’s place appears to be specially suited for the breeding industry, as there are plenty of well-sheltered paddocks and some undulating country, on which young horses should do well. Mr O’Brien had a bad illness some time ago, but he api>ears to have quite recovered. After thanking him and his good wife for the many kindnesses extended to the visitors, a return to town con-, eluded a pleasant afternoon’s outing. Tho high quality of New Zealand pasturage has on many occasions formed the. subject of eulogistic remark in many places beyond the Dominion, and, from what I can learn, it would seem that at least one Australian sportsman —Mr Sol Green contemplates acquiring a property with a view to rearing stock here. No decision has yet been arrived at in regard to the particular locality Mr Green will select, hut it would seem that if 1 portion of a wellknown estate in Hawke’s Bay can be acquired, that district may" he the point for operations. Mr Green re, ccntly purchased several yearlings in England, in addition to brood mares in foal. and. in the event of a. suitable property being secured, these animals [ will, I am informed, probably bo sent across to New Zeal ad.