SPORTING.

Waipa Post, Volume XVII, Issue 963, 3 July 1920, Page 3

SPORTING.

NOTES AM) COMMENTS. Prince Palatine, whose; ,sale was recently announced, is to be located at Mr Simmon’s stud farm, Kentucky. Amongst the track watchers at Trentham, the opinion is held that Falstaff and Spangle are both as good as Mannish over hurdles.

Amongst the horses being got ready at Trentham for the coming Wellington Meeting is the Birkenhead gelding Matatua, who generally races well in heavy going.

Astinome is amongst the regular workers at Trentham. and recently she greatly pleased her owner by the way she got to the end of a half-mile on a heavy track.

Word from the south states that R. O’Donnell, for many years connected with the Yaldhurst stables, is shortly setting up as a public trainer at Hamilton.

A rumour is going the rounds that during the present session of Parliament a Bill will be brought down making it an offence, punishable by a month’s imprisonment, for a bookmaker to make a bet on a horse race.

Though South Island horses are cbnspicuous by their absence, the total entries for the Wellington Racing Club’s Winter Meeting is well up to the number of previous years, and the meeting should be a big success.

Fisher, winner of the big hurdle race at the Royal meeting at Randwick has been entered for the jumping races at the coming Wellington Meeting. The Maniopoto gelding was brought; back from Sydney by the Moeraki.

Swanee River, who has been spelling as the result of a. cold, is again in work at headquarters, and the other morning she ran down the straight in company with the Sequinnetta rising two-year-old in J. M'Laughlin’s stables.

Commenting upon the jockeys’ dispute in the Dominion, “ Pilot,” of the Sydney Referee, says: It is certain that the position will receive full consideration at the coming Racing Conference, and, even if the association is not recognised, some conditions associated with a jockey’s calling in New Zealand will be improved. Thereby something will be gained, though the association might have achieved more by not countenancing the seeming anxiety of some of its members for rather hurried direct action.

Mr W. R. Kemball will head the list of winning owners in the Dominion this season, his total at present being nearly £II,OOO. He has had twenty representatives in the money the biggest winners among them being Hymestra. Mu'ltaine, Miss Gold, and Trespass, each of whom topped the thousand mark. Mr F. S. Easton, with six money winners carrying his colours this season, will be second on the list. Amythas has contributed £7695 to a total of slightly over £IO,OOO. Sir George Clifford occupies third place on the list, Moorfowl accounting for £3IOO. Mr G. D. Greenwood is fourth in order.

At a meeting held at New Plymouth last week the Taranaki Jockey Club unanimously adopted recommendations providing for a comprehensive and ambitious scheme of improvements to the racecourse. The estimated. cost is £70.000. The scheme provides for the purchase of an additional area of nearly 24 acres adjacent to the present course, making a total of 55 acres, and for the adoption pf a plan of improvements submitted .by Mr A. C. Hill, of Ellerslie. When the scheme is completed the club will have one of the finest and most up-to-,date racing tracks in New Zealand. It is likely that it will be at least seven years before the improvements are completed.

The annual report and balance-sheet to be presented to membef-s of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club on the 7th instant states that the operations of the club have been of a phenomenal character, the business in every department far exceeding that of any other period in the history of. the club. All liabilities due on the land at Riccarton, purchased from the Sliand estate, have been liquidated, and that property is free of encumbrance. Owing to the increased revenue derived from the fotalisator the committee has increased the stakes for the present season to £34,000. The taxes paid to •the Government during the past season amounted to £24,815 Ss Id. being difficult to obtain.