SPORTS & PASTIMES

Waikato Times, Volume 90, Issue 14024, 29 March 1919, Page 9

SPORTS & PASTIMES

RACING FIXTURES. April 3 —Matamata Racing Club. April 2, 3 —Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. April 5, 9—Auckland Trotting Club. April 19, 21—Auckland Racing Club. April 21 —Alexandra Racing Club. April 26, 30—Avondale Jockey Club. May 17, 21.—Otahuhu Trotting Club. May 31, June 3, s—Auckland Racing Chib Winter. OVER A QUARTER MILLION. “'•COUNTRY CIRCUIT” TOTE RETURNS. The amount of money which passed through Hie totalisator during the racing term on Hie country circuit was remarkable. For a period of twelve days of racing, begining with Hie Taumarunui meeting on February 10 and continuing throughout the succeeding week-ends, to Monday last—with the exception of Rotorua, which races mid-week —the huge sum of £291,184 was handled by the mechanical investment device. The total number of races ,placed on the programme of the eight clubs concerned over the period under review was 95, which brings the average investment out at £30654 per race. Nearly a third of this phenomenal aggregate turnover was handled at the Hamilton Club’s meeting. Rotorua had only seven races on its programme this year. The figures handled by Hie respective clubs, in the order In which the meetings were held, were as under:— £ s. Taumarunui, one day .... 7,918 10 Te Kuiti, one day 19,329 0 Waipa, one day 16,915 10 Rotorua, one day 10,494 0 Hamilton, two days .... 83,309 0 Te Aroha, two days .... 55,356 0 Ohincmuri, two days .. 51,063 10 Thames, two days 46,793 10 Totals, 12 days ....£291,184 0 Last season, owing to the curtailment of racing dates, only one day programmes were carried out at Hamilton, Tc Aroha, Pacroa and Thames. JOTTINGS. Gloaming placed six furlongs behind in imin. 14 3-ssecs. on the Riccarton tracks on a recent morning. A Southern scribe says it was a brilliant performance. Karo, who has A.R.C. engagements, is putting plenty of dash into track work at Riccarton. Canterbury stables are well represented in the leading events at the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting, amongst their contributions being Cathedral Chimes, Willie Lincoln, Pitaroa, Aranui, Harold Devon, Inwood, Greta and Wonderland, L. Morris, and R. Reed each rode three winners at the Mastcrton meeting on Saturday last.

The fields were very poor in numbers at Mastcrton, the hard going of the district racing no doubt accounting for that fact. The success of the Claudelandsowned Flying Cowrie in the second Hack Handicap at Thames on Monday was a deserved reward to the persevering efforts of their owner, Mr. P. V. Norman, with the chestnut daughter of Glengowrie—Punuwai. It is understood that there is to be a contest of opinion os to whether the winner can lift the stake, as it is alleged that the conditions of the race were not complied with. Plying Cowrie had not lifted ns great a value as 50 sovs. as her winning share of a race prior to starting, but exactly how she is to fare under the conditions really stipulated will no doubt be the subject of contest and decision. There was a large number of Australian and New Zealand soldiers at Gatwick yesterday, says the London “Sporting Life” of December 30th, many of them known to McCabe when that jockey was riding with success in New South Wales.« Judging by the way' they cheered when Watergruel sailed home alone in the Deepdene Hurdles, many must have suported their countryman’s mount. McCabe had the bad luck to be smashed up in his first mount in England, at Windsor in 1917, when Pompous fell with Him.

■ Jockey R. E. Brown is making good progress towards recovery from the injuries he sustained when his mount came to grief at Paeroa. He was a spectator at the Thames meeting this week.

Bonnie Maid and Battlcsong have botli been withdrawn from Ellcrslie and Ricarton engagements. The former would have gained strong support if she went to the barrier in thorough racing buckle, but it appears that something has gone amiss. The racing at Matamala on Thursday next promises to be interesting, even if well tilled nomination lists are liberally reduced before the staffing hour. For its resurrection effort,' after a period of inactivity, which goes back to the vicinity of days when legalised bookmaking held sway and incidentally swelled revenue returns, the club is offering very liberal stakes. One naturally opines that a lotalisator permit will be sought for this area, which, if sanctioned, will mean the club launching out on further attractive lines for owners and racing enthusiasts generally. Old Gold, who won a double at the recent Wairarapa meeting, is a son ol Hymettus, who is coming to the Waikato. Old Gold, who gives great promise, was bought at a sale of the late Hon. J D. Ormond’s horses for 45 guineas. Sweet Corn has been engaged for the Hawke’s Bay Cup on Wednesday, in which she is weighted at She also figures in the open sprint event with 9st 81bs, and Mr. J. H. Colebourne will probably start her in the latter race.

The Woodville-owned Orleans (Conqueror—Jeanne d’Arc) has been sold to a Palmerston North buyer, and will be prepared for hurdle racing. A recent addition to E. Watson’s Awapuni team is the two-year-old Olynlhus (Demosthenes —Etona), who has been purchased by Mr. G. Louisson, of Palmerston North.

The New Zealand bred, Irish Guard, hy Kilbroncy—Prank, has been put into wor 1 ' at Randwick. Adjutant is reported to have run one of the best races of bis life in the Ashburton Cup, but Margarine always had the better of him when it came to real business. F. Winter, who was riding as first horseman to the Kaiser when war was declared, lias returned to England He was interned at Ruhleben for over four years. Next season he will prohaidy accept a retainer as first horseman to Mr. .1. R. Joed. In evidence taken before the Natal (South Africa) Horse Racing and Belting Committee last year, it transpired that £54,000 was subscribed for tickets iu a sweep which was conducted at Dolagoa Bay. and of that amount the promoters retained £17.000 as working expenses and profits.

Mr A. McArthur, who will be remem. bored as having boon trainer of Ditto and Ring Lupin, etc., before leaving on active service, has returned to Matamata, and resumed his vocation. Ho has at present under his charge the horses Te Ora, Ring Lupin, and Tyrol, and is shortly expecting Stilts.- He will be assisted by the jockey, J. Mullins.

Mr.' j. Gaddes, of Morrinsvillo, paid 275g5. for Hymettus at the late Mr. R. D. Morrison’s “ Blairlogie ’’ stud sale at Masterton. Hymettus was got by the celebrated Gyllene (son of Bona Vista), while his dam, Florigold, was got by Florizel 11. (son of St. Simon) from Gold Paste by Althotas—Maccaronca by Macaroni from Bonny 8011, by Voltigeur, from Queen Mary by Gladiatcur. Daytime, who was recently purchased in the South by the North Island owner, Mr. H. W. Brown, for 250 sovs. was not long in returning 230 sovs. of his purchase money. The Hymettus gelding’s recent successes in the Autumn Handicap at Ashburton accounted for this, but clever horsemanship by G. Emerson had much to do with it. Daytime has been owned by several** people and has always paid his way.

A Southern writer says that after his fine performance in winning the Dash Handicap at Forbury Park, High Admiral’s prospects of gaining classic honours at Addington or New Brighton will have to be taken into serious consideration. His achievement of covering the mile and a-half on a slow track in 3min. 34 2-ssec. demonstrated that he is a greatly improved colt since racing in the Northern Trotting Derby. The imported stallion, Gay Lad, who has Great Easter Handicap engagements, showed up well in winning the Longbeach hack race at Ashburton, after being left ha If a dozen lengths when the tapes went up. Gay Lad is not at his best yet, but it is something against the English bred horse that he is not a good beginner. Bon Spec, on his Ashburton success, will in future have to race in open company. He is particularly smart beginner, and is coming into early favour for the Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton. In the absence of Mr. R. 11. Aldswertli, who was detained in the North Island, the duties of judging at Ashburton were undertaken by Mr. A. Dickson, of the “Lyttelton Times” staff. In every race Ills decisions were given with commendable promptitude.

Tip-up, who actually finished first in the Fairfield Welter at Ashburton last week and was disqualified for crossing in the straight, was a short time back deprived of winning money at Reefton because ids jockey did not hold a license.

Quite a number of bookmakers operating at the recent Ascot races (Vic.) were caught napping with faked winning tickets. The spurious “ briefs ” were so expertly forged that when presented for liquidating promptly after the pay-out signal was hoisted, the unsuspecting melallicians fell easy victims. The stipendiary stewards were detained until 7 o’clock, settling the claims of numerous legitimate backers, whom Hie defrauded bookmakers objected to pay until ordered lo do so by the ruling body. One bookmaker admitted that 100 unused tickets bearing Hie Government stamp tax bad been stolen from his reserve kil. This trick was very successfully perpetrated in Sydney recently.

BOXING Alan Maxwell, the Taranaki boxer, was recently knocked out inside three rounds by Frank O’Neill, of Greymouth.

Taney Lee, who outpointed Danny Morgan for the English featherweight championship and won the Lonsdale Belt outright, gained a victory against the famous Jimmy Wilde in 1915. Lee won the amateur championship in 1910, but had to return the cup owing to charges of professionalism.

Albert Lloyd and George Cook meet on April 19 for the Australian heavyweight title. Jimmy Clabby and Fred Kay meet next Saturday, while Tommy Uren and Jack Cole clash on April 5.

Jack Darcy, the younger brother o i the brilliant Les, got a verdict over Dave Wall at Newcastle in 20 rounds, but many good judges hold that Wall won well.

Benny Leonard, lightweight champion of the world, will visit Australia shortly and engage in three fights there. He leaves San Francisco in September next and will visit’ India, China, France and England as well as the Antipodes. Jack Green (8.3) defeated Jack Finney (8.55) in a stirring contest at the Sydney Stadium over an eight rounds’ journey. It was a fast and clever exhibition while it lasted. Out of four contests between the pair Green has won twice, Finney once, while one was drawn. The famous French boxer and European heavy-weight champion, Georges Carpentier, is willing to meet In a recent fight for the bantamJack Dempsey, the American.

weight championship of Queensland, Mick Fitzgerald (8.14) gained the verdict over Albert Locke (8.5). Locke claimed that he had been fouled by his opponent, but medical investigation did not support the contention, and Locke refused to continue.

Fred Holland, who is growing old in fistic parlance across the Tasman, added another victory to his list ay defeating Torn O’Malley, getting the referee’s verdict in 16 rounds.

Boxing has been prohibited in Vancouver for many years, but Tommy Burns is moving in a direction which indicates that the ban will be lifted so long as everything runs clean and fair. The ex-world’s champion got that expression of opinion from the License Inspector recently, so we can now hear of him going ahead as a promoter. GENERAL NOTES. The Olympic Games arc to be held in 1920 at Antwerp, Belgium. This is the seventh of the scries which was first held at Athens in 1890, at Paris in 1900, at St. Louis in 1904, at London in 1908, at Stockholm in 1912. The Sixth Olympiad was fixed or Berlin in 1910, but was cancelled owing to the war. Last time New Zealand linked up with Australia in the team, but it ’s forecasted that for the future they will be independent in representation. New South Wales committee has £2OOO available for this item. What New Zealand is going to do is hard to say, but more Ilian likely we shall be in the field if the powers that be show sufficient initiative to permit us to take our place. The Davis Cup tennis contests, which arc to be resumed, will be played first in Europe, and then m New South Wales, as Australasia ‘ is

the champion nation. Belgium Is drawn to meet France and the winner will meet the British Isles. It has been decided to play the challenge round in Sydney in December. During the 1918 season American football claimed the lives of nine players, twelve in 1917, eighteen in 1916, and sixteen in 1915. So we can conclude that it is as close to actual war as men can go in games. Tlie first Australasian Waterloo Coursing Cup is to be run in June 3, 5 and G next. England has two dogs nominated by Mrs. R. H. Pape (London), while New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales are the areas from which candidates are drawn, with the bulk from the latter place. The New Zealand nominees are: National Coursing Association (2), Miss Doris Watt (Dunedin), Mrs S. Woodhill, and Messrs Clark and J. Hannan (Wanganui) 1 each.