SOUTHLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1340, 30 December 1915, Page 26

SOUTHLAND.

Southland R.C.’s Approach ng Meeting—Royal Scout Changes Hands — A. D. Mclvor’s Team—Sale of Thoroughbreds From Longbeach Stud. INVERCARGILL, December 24. Indications point to the leading meet ng of the southern turf season, that to be conducted by the Southland R.C. on January 3 and 4, proving an unqualified success, but at the time of writ'ng no reliable estimate can be entered into as regards probable winners, as many of the horses engaged have yet to be tried out at the D.J.C.’s summer fixture, while the

s weight adjuster’s declarat.on will not be made until the concius on of the s Duned n gathering. The proceedings i i.t Wingatui will probably thin out vie ranks of tne intending visitors, r tut it is pleas ng to be able to say Liat many gaps thus caused will be .iJed by home-trained horses. The Wyndham R.C. are lucky this ’ ; eason, in that Sunday intervenes between the'r annual gathering on New i ear’s Day and the opening of the .southland R.C. meet ng, otherwise many of the horses engaged at the aland centre would have been held ,n reserve for the Invercargill fixture. However, the Wyndham gathering is u rowing in importance as the years pass, and quite a number of its races serve to encourage owners who are chary of test ng the.r horses at Invercargill, where competition is keen .am more select. It was fully intended that the American-bred colt Mohawk should make his first appearance during the i.oLday season at the Dunedin J.C. summer fixture, but he showed s gns of soreness iast week and will now Le held in reserve in the hope that he will recover sufficiently to enable him to race at home. He is a big fellow and will be served by a policy of pat ence. So iar as the son of Mexican has been tried out, he has demonstrated that he can gallop. It is satisfactory to learn that two three-year-olds have come on well since being raced in the Winton Stakes Handicap, the horses referred to being Orderdown, by Glenculloch — Order, and .Jock, by Glenculloch —Follicle (dam of the useiul Canrobert geld ng Cannonade). The pair will probably race at Wyndham, although in different interests, and some curiosity will centre round the appearance of Jock, as he promises to turn out useful in time. Golden King has not yet come back to h.s form of last season, but may be given a run at the Southland R.C. fixture. Before these lines appear in print entr.es for the annual rac’ng fixture of the Wairio J.C. will have- been called up, and there is every reason to bel eve that they will reach a high total. This back-country gathering will possess unusual interest this season by reason of the fact that a new track, recently laid down, will be in use, while the whole of the course appointments have been removed to a new s te and an up-to-date totalisator erected. During the past week Barton Bros., of circus fame, disposed of the North Island gelding Royal Scout to an Invercargill sportsman. The son of Royal Fusilier, who will in future be tra ned by G‘. McLean on the S.R.C. tracks, is looking and galloping freely at present. It is reported from Riverton that trainer A. D. Mclvor has Buller, Spanish Princess, Agreement, Minesweeper, Lady Buller and Neuroma in excellent shape at present. It is interesting to note that the five firstnamed horses on the foregoing list are all sons or daughters of Canrobert. The Winton owner Mr. H. Cunningham, who races both gallopers and trotters, is talking of sell ng all his horses, including a number of brood mares, but will retain the thoroughbred stallion Buff Gauntlet, who has some promising foals to advert se his worth as a sire. Mr. Cunningham has disposed of his hotel property at Winton, hence his desire to make an almost clean sweep. Desp te the fact that rain was falling in torrents on Thursday last, sportsmen from all over the province motored into Invercargill to be present at the sale of a draft of horses from the stud of Mr. J. C. N. Grigg, of Longbeach, Canterbury. There was a large attendance, proceedings being conducted under cover, and the sale was easily the most successful ever held n this part of the world. There was spirited bidding for the four-year-old gelding Rorke’s Drift (Calibre —O’Rorke’s Fancy), and eventually, after a keen duel on the five hundred mark being passed, the local owner Mr. F. A. Price outstayed the Duned n trainer D. P. Wilson, who was acting on behalf of a client, and secured the Winton Cup winner at 610 guineas—a record Southland race-

horse price. Shortly after leaving the saleyards, Rorke’s Drift slipped on the si ppery roadway and came down, injuring his knees. As a result of the mishap he was allowed to drop out of his first day D.J.C. engagements, but he has since been paid up for in the Wyndham Cup. Mr. Price’s horse w 11 remain in charge of P. T. Hogan, who was the first to discover the quality of Mr. Grigg’s horse. Of the other racehorses disposed of, Hardshot (Calibre —Alumini) brought 220gns. (Mr. J. Todd, of Heriot), Gunrest (Calibre —T'nwald Beauty) 75gns. (Mr. W. Swale), and St. Hilary (Calibre —Ilarita) 40gns. (Mr. D. Sheddan). A number of three-year-olds, two-year-olds and yearlings were also sold, the majority of which were sired by Calibre, and of the bunch the best price reached was that of 66gns. for a nice yearling colt by Calibre —Fidelma, secured by Mr. D. Kilkelly. A number of brood mares also found new owners. The Wyndham Cup, of 300sovs. (one mile and a-quarter), to be decided on New ear’s Day, has attracted fourteen acceptors, including a number of R ccarton-trained horses, and this fact goes to show that the leading one-day fixture of the home province is making rapid strides in progress and popularity. The race-card privileges for the Southland R.C. meeting brought over £l5O at public auction last week, a striking indication of what is expected of the lead ng club’s meeting.