INTER – PROVINCIAL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 844, 10 May 1906, Page 6

INTER - PROVINCIAL.

(From Our Own Correspondents.)

CANTERBURY.

Christchurch, May 9. Mr. Stead has sold Delaware to a Melbourne owner.

One thousand pounds will be the value of the Grand National Steeplechase this year. Porcelain is considered to have the Hawke’s Bay Stakes at his mercy. Unless tse Hawke’s Bay two-year-olds Loftus and Zimmerman, and the Wellington colt Moscow show something better than they have already done, the Yaldhurst colt should win comfortably. Ability is doing a lot of solid work, and was sent over a few flights of hurdles on Monday. He jumped as well as usual, and seems to take kindly to the game. Silkweb, whom T. Cotton, jun., brought down from Auckland, was tried over hurdles one day last week. The Soult horse shaped fairly well for a first attempt. A. number of Yaldhurst yearlings were out at Plumpton on Saturday. One, a full brother to Sungod named Bonaform, at once caught the eye, and if he does not turn out a good one it will be a surprise to many who saw him on Saturday. D. J. Price will probably go over to Australia shortly with Savoury and Melodeon. Messrs. Price and Nettlefold did very well out of Machine Gun, and expect to get their money back and a little besides before parting with Savoury and Melodeon. Chivalry and Tirole, who have not been raced for some time, competed at the Chrstchurch meeting, but although they ran well, failed to score a win. Chivalry had to give the winner of the Flying Handicap, Alexis, nearly three stone. The Ashburton Racing Club’s autumn meeting will be held on Thursday and Friday. The following should run well on the first day— Longbeach Hack, Assegai; Fairfield Welter, Bombastes; Ashburton Handicap, Makaroff; Selling Handicap, Merrymaker; Grove Farm Handicap, Zetland or Manjess; Trial Handicap, Stepmar; Laghmor Plate, Franc. The committee of the Canterbury J.C. met on Tuesday last. The disqualification of G. J. Pine by the North Canterbury J.C. was increased to six months. A. Thompson, an apprentice, having left his employer’s service without notice, owners were warned against employing him. The programme committee report was adopted. It recommended that no alteration be made to the New Zealand Cup, but the Grand National Steeplechase be increased to lOOOsovs, an addition of lOOsovs be made to the August Handicap, and 50sovs each to the Hanbers Flat Race, Beaufort Steeplechase, and Sydenham Hurdle Race; also, that the Second Hunters’ Hurdles be struck out, its place being taken by the Spreydon Hack Hurdles of lOOsovs. Altogether an additional £550 will be given away in stake money at the Grand National meeting. The committee intends dealing severely with any cases of excessive punishment occurring on the racecourse. The folowing transfers were approved:—W. Hayes to H. H. Pyne, br c, lyr, by Stepniak—Firecross; G. Palmer to J. Montgomery, ch g Handel; T .Shannon to S. Tapp, b c, 2yrs, by Hillstone—Spring Rose; G. Stead to J. Montgomery, ch c Equiform; H. Friedlander to W. O. Rutherford, Makaroff.

The Christchurch Racing Club had fine weather for its meeting at Plumpton on Saturday. The racing was quite up to the average. The Christchurch Autumn Handicap brought out a field of eight, as follows: —Convoy 9.6, Terrapin 8.10, Tirole 8.8, Czarevna 8.8, Pas Seul 8.2, Beau Seaton 8.2, Makaroff 8.1, Tsitsihar 6.13. Beau Seaton was made a better favourite than Terrapin. Makaroff and Beau Seaton led out at the start, with Pas Seul at the head of the others. This trio piloted the field to the seven-furlong post, where Convoy moved up into third place. Makaroff was first into the straight, and easily holding his own, won by two lengths from Beau Seaton, who was a neck in front of Tirole, while Czarevna was another neck away fourth.

The Maiden Handicap, seven furlongs, was won by Korea (Stepniak— Illusion), who led all the way, defeating Whakaraupo by three lengths. The High-weiht Handicap, one mile, fell to Assegai (Benzoin —Fireside), Farley Grove runniny second, Cannie Chiel third. Assebai won by three lengths.

A good race took place in the Flying Handicap between Alesis and and Chivalry. The former led for half the distance, when Chivalry ran up to him, but weight told its tale in the last few strides, and Alexis won by a bare length. Zetland was third. Good Sight won the Hack Handicap from Balsam and five others, while Hilarity accounted for the Welter, Cannie Chiel being second and Largesse third.

tel at Caversham. Mr. Crossan has raced horses all over New Zealand, and also in Australia. It was undeihis colours that the famous mare Wanderoo registered a mark of Bmin for three miles, and was the first horse in the colony to do so. This happened in March, 1901, at the D.J.C. anniversary meeting. Wanderoo established her record comfortably, and paid dividends of £35 and £5O 14s. Many other well-known performers carried Mr. Crossan’s colours, among them Beaconsfield, Lugnaquilla, Ranger, Informer, Susan and George M. Patchem, whilst the best known of his gallopers were St. Denes, Zither, Romanoff, Proposal, and others. Assegai, one of the winners at Christchurch on Saturday, is out of Corselet, a close relation of Machine Gun.

HAWKE’S BAY. Napier, May 9. Eclair, who was knocked out about this time last season, is showing good work in his efforts over the steeplechasing obstacles on, the Hastings tracks. On looks and performances he should be a hard proposition to settle in approaching ’chasing events. T. Quinlivan, jun., shipped Melodeon to Lyttelton on Monday by the Tarawera. Mr. Nettleford negotiated for the purchase of Medallion’s son. . George Collelo has increased his string by the addition of Anadeja and The Squatter. A committee meeting of the Waipukurau Jockey Club was held m the Tavistock Hotel, Waipukurau, on Monday evening. The balance-sheet of the Easter meeting showed a profit of £575, was passed, and accounts in connection with the meeting were passed for payment. The secretary s honorarium was increased to a year. A sub-committee was appointed and authorised to spend £3OO on ploughing, levelling and fencing both sides of the course. A committee meeting of the Napier Park Racing Club was held yesterday afternoon, Mr. John McVay in the chair. The following dates were decided on for next season: —Spring meeting, October 10 and 11; autumn meeting, March 13 and 14, 1907; winter meeting, June 26 and 27, 1907. The tender of the “ Daily Telegraph” was accepted for printing the totalisator tickets.

An Australian buyer has been after Vladimir for use as a stallion, but it is not likely that a deal will take place, as his owner hopes to get a race or two more out of the son of Stepniak. Excellent nominations have been received foi* the North Otago Jockey Club’s Winter Meeting, and indicate that the club will experience the best meeting that has ever been held at the white city.

WELLINGTON. Wellington, May 9. The financial result of the W.R.C. first autumn meeting, held on their new course at Trentham, is highly satisfactory, the receipts from all sources showing considerable increase. Those of the Wellington public whose occupations permitted them assisting at the recent meeting speak in nothing but terms of praise of the general arrangements. Should the club at any time arrange to hold a day’s racing on a public holiday, or even on the weekly Wednesday halfholiday, they will be greeted with a,n attendance that will surprise those only accustomed to seeing racegoers who are drawn entirely from the ranks of folks whose time is at their own disposal. Obviously tradesmen and their assistants are unable to patronise the club’s fixtures when race days fall on other than holidays. The W.R.C. is exceedingly unfortunate inasmuch as public holidays have for years been claimed by racing clubs, many of whom are much less important than the local racing institution. Last season the W.R.C. claimed Labour Day, but the Racing Conference, however, declined to take that date from the Otaki Maori R.C. The matter may come up again next conference, and as a solution of the difficulty ithas been supgested that the Otaki Club be allowed to race on the King’s Birthday, November 9. This seems a logical way, giving the Wellington Club Labour Day, as there are no race meetings held on King’s Birthday within 100 miles of Otaki in the south, whilst Waverley is the nearest on the north line. Owing to the absence of Sir Geo. Clifford’s team and representatives from the Porirua stable, the bulk of the events at the Hawke’s Bay R.C. Autumn Meeting will be almost entirely confined to Hawke’s Bay-owned racers. Solution, Flamen and Apalogue, owned outside of Hawke’s Bay, have continued their engagements. The former should run well, but the bulk of the added money may be retained in the Napier province. Owners on the look-out for their winter’s oats might do worse than peruse the Otaki Maori R.C. programme. The Cup, the principal open handicap on the first day, is worth 260sovs, whilst the six-furlong flutter has 125sovs added money. The Huia Handicap of one mile on the second day is worth 170sovs, and the Railway, three-quarters of a mile, is for llOsovs. There are 10 hack events, the added money to which averages 85sovs per race. Nominations, which in each case is Isov, are due on the 18th inst. The executive of the Wellington Racing Club intend to at once set about erecting their steeplechase fences at Trentham, in readiness for their July winter meeting. Provision was made when the race tracks were laid out and formed for a capital steeplechase course inside the ordinary racing track. Upon this ground artificial fences and obstacles will be erected, and when finished an ideal cross-country course should be evolved. From the nature of the soil the “ take offs” should be good, and with ample space there should be no difficulty In providing a clear run to each jump. The Porirua pair, Exmoor and Waitarere, will be raced over obstacles this winter. Gold Crown and Mauri would also make excellent hurdlers, but their owners may restrict them to

South Star is hitting out well in his exertions over the country jumps that his mentor (A. White) has erected on the Waipawa R.C. training track. Brenda and The Duchess are being treated to a rest. After competing at the Hawke’s Bay J.C. meeting this week, Polyanthus will leave the custody of H. Moore. Her new owners (the Messrs. Douglas) have made other arrangements for the education of Violet’s daughter.

W. Stowe, trainer of Oryx, Operetta, Rajah, Eone, Te Hauke, and Comedian, who has been having a rather rough time of it lately through the ravages of an internal complaint, is now nearly all serene once more.

T. Quinlivan, jun., has leased Feu-de-Joie from Mr. J. Cotter. The stranger is a half-sister of Torpedo to Jolly Friar.

OTAGO. Dunedin, May 9. The weather is broken and threatening for the Tahuna Park meeting, and the track is likely to be heavy, so that Myostis’ attempt to lower Fritz’s - track record of 2min 17 2-ssec may not prove successful. For the first day of the Ashburton meeting Assegai receives a penalty of 51b in the Longbeach Welter, and a 101 b penalty in the Fairfield Welter. Hilarity gains a 101 b penalty in both her races, and Alexis one of 101 b in the Grove Farm Handicap, whilst Makarog takes up a 101 b penalty in the Ashburton Handicap. Owners are reminded that nominations for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting must be declared on the 18th inst.

Machine Gun, the flying son of Hotchkiss and Rubina, has deserted the post for the paddock, and a prince of sprinters will carry silk no more. With such splendid conformation and racing credentials to recommend him, he should make a good sire, but one cannot help regretting that there is a stain on his genealogical tree which debars him from being classed as one of the Vere de Vere’s eligible for admission to the English Stud Book. The two yearlings purchased on behalf of Mr. L. C. Hazlett at the Randwick bloodstock sales landed here on Saturday after a safe journey. The well-known reinsman and trainer R. McMillan, passed through by this week’s boat to Melbourne, and is taking over Mauritius, Miss Aera, Lapel and Cariola. The two latter are believed to be in foal, and in that event will be thrown out of work. McMillan intends returning to this colony in a few weeks. Mr. W. Crossan, a well-known member of the sporting world, has become mine host of the Waterloo Ho-

flat events for another season. Defoe, Moccasin, Hydrant, Lissa, Black Squaii, Wind, and Kohinui will represent Hutt trainers, and as Wairarapa is fairly prolific in jumpers, there should be no dearth of candidates for winter lepping events. When the contestants for the New Zealand St. Leger returned to the Trentham weighing enclosure in company there was some applause. A section of the press apparently assumed that the demonstration was a tribute to Sir Geo. Clifford for his sportsmanlike action in starting his horses in classic events, for which he must have known they had not the slightest prospect of winning. From enquiries made to some of the sports who were amongst the applauders, I learn that their cheers were intended for the winning horse and rider. Possibly amongst the crowd there were partisans of both sportsmen, but it is obvious most folks would be found applauding a winning horse rather than a loser; both owners are good sportsmen, and if each of their riders were cheered it was only their due. The relentless way in which the W.R.C. is dealing with ilegal bettors, both in the press and by private detectives, on their racecourse is apparently being seriously taken to heart by some whose betting transactions are entirely confined to S.P. betting. Threats have been made to the effect that horses controlled by such owners will not in future be included in the nominations for the W.R.C. events, some professional owners having emphatically stated that horses owned by them will never agan set foot on the local racecourse. The local racing authorities seem unconcerned, and truly if racing at their future meetings is as free from even a suspicion of corruptness as their autumn fixture, the loss of such owners’ patronage may prove a blessing in disguise. The time may yet come when clubs will refuse nominations from owners who are known to continually infringe the rules of racing in connection with ilegal betting.

WANGANUI. Wanganui, May 9. The weights for the Wanganui J.C. Winter Meeting are due on or about next Saturday, 12th inst. Needless to say, they are being awaited with considerable interest. The prospects are exceedingly bright for the club having a most successful meeting, and with fine weather some very high-class and exciting sport will be provided for those who attend. Mr. Ryves Webb, the club’s custodian, is hard at work getting the tracks into tip-top trim for the gathering. There was some talk a short time ago as to the club reverting to the old steeplechase course, which was an excellent one for the

purpose, the jumps and country making it an ideal one. The only disadvantage was that the horses went out of sight of the spectators for a considerable distance. Now they race round the course proper, and the jumps are not nearly so stiff; moreover, there is no water jump to negotiate, nor stone walls. These were the jumps which used to bring quite a number of the horses down, but those they have to clear now are not nearly so formidable, and any decent “ lepper” ought to get round safely.

I mentioned last week that Hokio was doing good work on the local track, and his running at Hawera confirmed this, as the gelding ran second in the Hack Hurdles on the second day of the Egmont gathering. Only £5 were invested on him, and four of these belonged to the connections of the gelding, so that they had a good win, as Hokio paid £23 3s 6d for second place. Some maintain that he actually won the race, but that as he finished right under the judge’s box, while Romany King was away on the other side, the latter caught the eye of the gentleman in the box first. Hokio put in a very fast sprint after getting over the last hurdle. He was splendidly ridden by R. McGregor, and took his fences in great style. He will be ridden by McGregor again at Wanganui, and as he is in winning form now, he should be hard to beat. It is stated that after the Hawera meeting £5O was offered and declined for Hokio. It was the intending purchaser’s intention to take the gelding down the West Coast of the other island, but he has gone up in value now, and will remain here for a while. St. Maria, the winner of the Telegraph Hack Handicap at the Egmont gathering, is a three-year-old filly by St. Clements —Maria. She is owned by Mr. Hikaka (owner of St. Claimer and Reclaimer), and has been whispered about for a long time as an exceptionally fast filly. She beat a big field in the race under notice quite easily, and it is evident that she has a fine turn of speed. Scenery was well backed locally for the Hawera Cup, but the mare could do no better than run third in that event, which fell to Claremont (a four-year-old St. Cyr gelding). They both carried 7.2 in this event, but in the Manaia Handicap next day Claremont was called upon to concede Scenery 171 b, with the result that the mare won after being left several lengths at the barrier. That the daughter of New Forest is possessed of a lot of pace she amply demonstrated, and she should he well worth watching in future. S. Reid handled the mare splendidly in the Manaia Handicap, and showed great judgment. There were 43 on Hokio in the

Messrs. ROSS and BRADSHAW report the following quotations on the Wanganui Steeples and Century Hurdles: —

Prices subject to market alterations

Hack Hurdles at Hawera the first day, and only five when he won. White Star annexed a double at the above meeting. He is a three-year-old gelding by Daystar—Rejected, and was sold at the disposal of the late Mr. J. Paul’s stock for £2O. It is rumoured that R. McGregor, the well-known jockey, intends to give up riding after the Wanganui meeting.

The Egmont Racing Club is considering the proposal to lay down a sand track. The question of cost is the 1 stumbling-block at present. It is estimated that it would cost £4O to lay the track with 9in of sand. Lingerer, the gelding by Apremont, whom Mr. E. W. Borlase paid 30 guineas for at the recent Warrengate meeting, ran two good races at Hawera, finishing second in the Telegraph Handicap and occupying a like position in the Opeke Handicap, paying £1 10s and £2 5s respectively. Since Charlie Birkett has had the gelding he has made considerable improvement with the chestnut. Walter Raynor’s many friends will be pleased to hear that he still continues to make satisfactory progress from the injury he sustained when Science came down with him at Feilding.

THE PROFESSIONAL IN SPORT.

It is always in the autumn —the time of physical, if not moral decay — that we hear most about the evils of professionalism in sport (says the “ Australasian.’’) It is only indirectly a result of the season, because at that time the recruiting agents of the various football clubs are busy enlisting a team. Football is one of the few sports where professionalism at once excites hostility, and we fear that the motives underlying this antagonism are not always of the best kind. They are mainly a fear that the clubs possessed of most means will bid highest and so secure the best of the purchasable players. The interests of the players themselves greatly considered, although from the social standpoint it is the beginning and end of the question. There is nothing particularly vicious about professionalism in sport, and on the other hand, there is nothing ennobling about it. Some games are so complicated and hard to learn that professors are required to teach them just as in a school or a university—but there is a tremendous difference in the ends, which in either case are to be reached by means of such instruction. Every act that has a tendency to convert sport into a business strikes at the very heart of it, and does injury to sport, without benefiting business. This is the aspect in which it were wiser to consider professionalism first in its influence upon sport, secondly in its effect upon the individual.

Is it necessary for the success of football, cricket, or golf that men should be paid to play it? If it is necessary in these games, why not also in tennis, rowing, bowls, or lacross? What difference is there between each and any of these sports that the professional should have a place in one and not be in the least necessary to the other? The answer on reflection will be that neither class of game demands more in physical effort or intelligence than the other; but that some games have a revenue to* spend, others have means apart from revenue, and the rest have neither means nor revenue. Cricket and golf were acclimatised in this

country with certain bad habits attached, which were weakly regarded as part of the routine of the game. In cricket, young Englishmen, who had not then begun to live the wholesome, strenuous life, were either too tired Or too lazy to do their own bowl-

ing and fielding, so they employed poorer men to do it for them. Thus,

easily, professionalism became part

of English cricket—those who were employed in the first instance for what was considered the drudgery of the game, being afterwards engaged to help in winning matches. Professionalism got a good start in the days when cricket matches were played for stakes, and heavy bets, and had a second impulse when the first All England Eleven —which like some later teams was mainly a business -undertaking—started out to exploit , the kingdom for what it was worth. /But professionals were never really ‘ necessary in Australia, and only gained a precarious foothold in cases , where too wealthy clubs wished to • use the methods of Englishmen. Professionalism has done no good to cricket. It has helped to make batting—which has become too good for the rest of the game—a good deal

better than it might have been with amateurs bowling to amateurs, and in so doing has disturbed the balance between the cricket club elevens, and spun matches out inordinately. In what respect has Australian cricket benefited by the existence of the professional? For there can be no manner of gain to the game in methods which makes strong clubs stronger, and prevent the weak ones gaining strength. Usage has made us, perhaps, a little bit too tolerant of the professional in cricket. Golf was a game originally played in a crude way, by semi-civilised communities. The moment it was made fashionable it became expensive, and the professional flourished as the green bay-tree. From an oldfashioned sport it developed rapidly into a modern mechanical science—and accomplished science masters were required to teach it. All the treatises on the game—most of which are written by professionals for professionals —start by advising the novice to engage a professional, and go out every day for lessons, which, in effect, begin with the alphabet, pass on to words of one syllable, and in time reach the higher degrees in the education of a golfer. Men are no longer self-taught; they do not slog their way to a fair proficiency, as in old times; and, regarded in the philosophic and recreative sense, the game is, perhaps, none the better for its evolution or its elevation.

In both cricket and golf professionals are at least employed as teachers—in football they are employed purely as players. The fee is for their muscles rather than their brains. They do not teach anything, excepting—by force of example—bad habits. If their muscles fail their brains are not much good, either for football or anything else. When they have ceased to be players we never see them continued in their occupation as “ coaches” or teachers — so in that respect they are at a disadvantage, as compared either with the professional golfer or cricketer. Locally we have known many of them who were street-corner and publichouse heroes for a few seasons, and useless loafers ever afterwards. They had tasted the pleasures of both idleness and adulation, and were spoiled for obscure hard work, in which men got no applause for merely earning their living. That is not the reason why the football clubs make rules, saying that players must not be paid directly or indirectly for their services. If it were, the clubs would not so ingeniously evade their own rules to obtain an unfair advantage over their more scrupulous rivals. The indirect form of professionalism begins with a billet, seldom satisfactorily filled, because the player reckons that he is being paid for his football, and does as little work otherwise as he can. It reaches the climax in demoralisation when the players begin to “ shadow” the secretary,

on the chance of being able to cadge another shilling for beer. Club executives are so caught in the net woven of their own foolish laxity, that they dare not tell such loafers to go about their business, lest rival executives should make it two shillings for beer. This is no imaginary case. It occurs every year in the experience of officials of so-called senior clubs, who, provided they can win, consider it quite right and proper that players of the stamp referred to should continue to wear their club’s uniform.

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