SOUTHLAND NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17347, 30 September 1924, Page 2

SOUTHLAND NOTES.

(Special to the “Star.”) INVERCARGILL, September 29. So far the Riverton Racing Club has received no reply from the Minister of Internal Affairs as to the extra permit, and is anxiously awaiting a favourable notification from Wellington. The well-known mare Eight Bells, who produced several foals to Fleetham, will be mated with Some Boy 11. this season. The Riverton mentor, J. Hymers, has Humboldt and Bright Alark, also a couple of novices by Soldiers’ Chorus, in work at the present time. During a wild storm that swept over j Southland one night iast week the two-year-old Bilbo iGrevspear—St Helen) crashed into a wire fence in the darkness and was seriously cut about, but he is now on the w4y to recovery. Bilbo, who was recently added to the list, is inteded to enjoy his liberty for some time to come, to permit him to mature. I The Western District jockey-trainer, I R. MXellan, has San Salvador, Moun- ' tain Rose, Coastguard, Sw.mashore, Beauty Light and Marconigram in regular work on the Riverton Racing . Club’s tracks. j The Solferino—Zia two-year-old, for

some time under the care of F. W. Ellis, has been turned out to mature, prior to rejoining the local trainer’s stable. This nice youngster will have the name Solzia claimed for him. Of late years, W. Al'Kay has made quite a name for himself as a successful trainer, hence it is interesting to J learn that he has Vice-Royal, Bloom, Lady Blissful, Flag Lieutenant and a brother to Bloom, also two youngsters by Sunny Lake from Sweet Melody and Sidelight in active preparation at Riverton. M’Kay’s recent pupil, Rose De Val, is in foal to Some Boy 11. Judging from the work accomplished by Frenchman (F. J. Al'Kay), Salerno (j. A. Rowlands), and Tommy Dodd (F. W. Ellis) on the Southland Racing Club's tracks, this trio are intended to compete a- the Dunedin Jockey Club’s spring meeting. The veteran horseman, A. M’Kenzie, has the hurdle racer Rorke’s Drift in hand and will probably remove to Riverton in the near future with the sturdy son of Calibre. A number of improvements arc at present being made on the Southland Racing Club’s course, including the stand, concrete steps fronting the j erection of an owners' and trainers’ j grandstand, designed to carry about a i thousand spectators. The totalisator figures will in future be shown in a j position high up on the south-eastern j end of the grandstandfi in order to re- } move the congestion from the investment windows of the permanent totaiisator buildings.