SPORTING NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 14493, 16 October 1920, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES

RACING FIXTURES.

Get. 23, 27 —Auckland Trotting Club. Oct!, 23, 25 —Wellington Racing Club. Oct.'2s—Waikato Hunt. Nov. 6,8, 10, 13 —Canterbury Jockey Club. Nov. 6, 10—Auckland Racing Club. Nov! 27, Dec. I—Otahulm1 —Otahulm Trottinr Club. ANSWER? TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Grand National," Whatawhata. — The N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase of 1914 was won by Tim Doolan, carrying 10.2, and ridden by A. J. McFlinn. Bercola (11.3) and The Spaniard (11.10) filled the places in the event. "Cup," Hamilton.—(l) Sir Solo has a Wellington Cup success. That was In the 1913 year, when the Sir Laddo horse defeate.j Coroniform and Bobriikoff. (2) No: F. D. Jones rode the third horse. E. Lowe was Sir Solo's rider.

"Hurdles," Te Aroh»- —(1) Black Northern carried 11.7 when he won the Ruakaka Hurdles at the 1915 meeting. He was not started on the second day. (2) He had previously won at the Hamilton meet ; Mg.

Th«s New Zealand Cup

Events concerning the big two-mile race at Rfccarton next, month are in the go-slow stage at, the moment. With ■the next acceptance falling due on the 22nd inst... and the Wellington meeting at -rfcich several of the Cup candidates are engaged, following, those who concern themselves with such items will know the composition of the field and have an inkling of how Ihey are faring. I'rrtil this sifting ortt occurs comment can be delayed.

Walkato Hunt Meeting. Racing followers in these parts arc looking forward with interest to the first, meeting of the season right at. home, so to speak, in the Waikato Hunt fixture, which will be held at the Claudelands course, Hamilton, nn Monday week, October 25. With Hie weights announced on Monday next tin 1 interest of owners who have their horses nominated will be railed for as aceeptanees are due to close by next Wednesday .evening. A few defections from the 'fields can be looked for in the ordinary course, hut the numbers facing the barrier promise to be such as to provide interesting racing. As the day will be a universal holiday and special train facilities will be provided, the attendance of the racing public from the outside centres should contribute in a marked measure to the support which Hamilton and its surroundings will provide. The club has set nut a very laudable programme and the financial and racing successes of their Labour Dav fixture at. Hamilton are thoroughly warranted to be pronounced in response to this encouragement.

Jottings. The Hamilton Racing Club has elected Mr R. J. Gwynne a life member in appreciation of his services to the club as secretary. The annual meeting of the Whatawhata Racing Club will be held this evening. The total stakes beiDg given away at the coming meeting of the Waikato Trotting Club will amount to 1500 sovs. Following the acceptance day the work on the local track will become of the serious try-out order, and the number of track followers is sure to be large, pursuing the tuning-up turns for Monday week's racing. With the acceptances for the Wellington meeting closing last evening. turf followers will be busy from this out running a line through form for selection for events being decided on Saturday next.

The weight brings them nil back! First. Call was making very heavy weather of it over thp final threequarters of a mile of the Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase at the Whangarei meeting's first day. Arrowsmith, unassisted, was responsible for a brilliant, performance at Riccarton on Monday. Jumping off at the six-furlong post on the heavy plough, he dashed through it, and finished up brilliantly at the winning post. in imin 15 2-") sec. This was the. best performance at Riccarton, under the conditions, for a long time. Woody Glen's Wliangarei Cup success was amply warranted by the forward running he had been displaying in actual racing tests. The Glen Albyn gelding will do better yet. Dead Sweet bobbed tip again when the majority of people weren't considering him seriously. He won the five furlongs Manaia Handicap at the Whangarei meeting on Wednesday, downing the favourite, Crow-hurst. There is nothing wrong with the work Kilrush is displaying on the Riccarton (racks. Those having the Kilbroney—Prank gelding in mind for corning big events for which he is listed will consequently rest, easy. The Winter Cup winner Killowen, whose owner. Mr D. Morton, died recently, is on the private sale list.

Glen Canny, who is now on the tracks at Trentham, is reported as i(ally well. After the Wellington meeting the son of Pistol, who has now von four times on end, goes south to Riccarton for the New Zealand Cup meeting. Greenstcad, the winner of the Epeom Handicap and Craven Plate, is a fine example of Hie lottery of buying yearlings. At auction then he realised i('o guineas. Yankee Doodle, according to report, fenced in great style the steeplechase country at Avondale on Wednesday. Costing 325 guineas as a yearling in the autumn of" 1917. (Wen Canny has now won £2200 in stakes. As he was pot by Carbine's well-tested son. Pistol, he can boast of a dash of great blood from there, in addition to stout breeding on the dam's side. The season is young yet, but the Riccarton horseman, C. Kmerson, is at the head of the jockey's list. The Aucklander, J. O'Shea, is well up on the list. Regent, who won a double at Avondale, cost 200gns as a youngster, lie Is by M.arble Arch —Kakama, and did not. race at either two or three years. Pershore, by All Black —Perseis, who has been racing so consistently across the Tasman, in the colours of the ex-New Zealand sportsmen, Mr K. .T. Watt, must prove one of the hard horses to heat in the Melbourne Cup.

The value of the two classics recently won by Comrade, in France, would run to about £15.000, which is well ahead of Hie record of other three-year-olds racing in tin; Northern Hemisphere this year. Though lie has entered on his lllti year, the Auckland-bred gelding, Tararu .lack, is by no means a hackrunnier. By his win, under 12st, in the First Steeplechase at Randwick recently, the son of Spalpeen displayed grit, while the time was such as to add further lustro to the performance. Salitros, the winner of the A..1.e. Derby, is a chestnut colt, by Limelight (imp.) out of Suffer (imp.), and must, he much belter than he was thought to be. At least half a dozen others were more fancied than Salitros for the classic event which he won like a champion in record time for the race. Canterbury advices state that, Moorfowl lias been -thrown out of training and will be mated this season with BenZonian. ft may be remarked that Kirrii'lnuir. Hip dam of Moorfowl, also vvenl off the Inrf at a like age to her dniiihlcr. In Ihe latter case leg troiiides were Ihe cause, but il is wind rdliiionl (li.it has brought about Moorfowl's retirement.

INCREASE IN DISTANCES. The Sporting- Editor. Sir, —i ani very much pleased lo seethat other clubs are framing their programmes wilh increased distance. You would be astonished the number of race.-foilowing people who rome up and urge me to keep going in the direction 1 have tried lo advance the last few years In the Hamilton Racing Club. I really believe if the racing clubs wen' aware of the strong feeling the racegoing public have Ihey would all meel and plan a gradual scale of increased distances. I do not believe in a too sudden change, but a gradual and determined one, so that owners and breeders would see and know that the stayer was appreciated and would be caterer] fur. A noble animal is the. thoroughbred, and capable of great endurance Why not increase up lo reasonable limits, rather lhan decrease. Chat stamina? 1 hope and trust to see the day when all cups will be two miles and IQst the maximum, and 7sl 71b the minimum. Why rrush oul the great horse who has proved himself by giving him over lOst ami letting in .something that has been bottled up willi fist odd? Look at Wafeeful's Melbourne Cup, lOsI —one of Ihe greatest mares in the Pout-hern Hemisphere beaten on the post by a fist 71b horse. To his credil he did well Ihe ncxt'ye:ir even if he died after, which was truly unfortunate. My point is, do nol load the great so that you break them down. Rather improve (lie breeding from staying slock. My contention is that any horse which requires more than 2Ast handicap for a cup is nut of its class. Ry making the lOst and 7sl 71b there would he a largo Held of riders to pick from, also stronger riders, and what is the all important, the breeder would raise the class of horse which would give Ihe results required. How often do we find an interesting race robbed of all interest owing to the top-weights withdrawing not because they are too heavily handicapped, but thai many of the others are too light. An owner has a very strong feeling for his noble winner. and will not stand to see its heart broken in a hopeless race. Hoping lo see Ihe grea i. -.layers bred and appreciated and catered for by all clubs. —1 am, etc., E.M.M.