WAIRARAPA.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1473, 18 July 1918, Page 10

WAIRARAPA.

Suvla Reported Amiss —Chimera to Rejoin Active Brigade — Torchy Having an Enforced Spell—Sir Solo Schooling Well—Woodlands Hunt Suspends Steeplechase Meeting Until Finish of War —Fatal Accident to Well-known Masterton R.C. Steward. MASTERTON, Monday. The Acrostic —Grecian Maid mare Suvla went wrong while doing a gal’op at Opaki last week, and had to forego Trentham engagements. Otara (Gazeley—Te Aorangi) has been purchased by Mr. C. F. Vallance, president of the Masterton Racing Club, and ran in his interest at the Wellington meeting. The lad Baker, who had his leg badly fractured while riding exercise at Napier Park in March last, is still

a patient at the Masterton Hospital. Although able to get about with the aid of crutches, it will be some weeks before the full use of the injured limb will be. regained. ' ; Chimera is to be taken up again by J. Gravestock next week. The daughter of Finland and Landrail looks .fresh and bright after her spell. \ It was unfortunate W. Galbraith temporarily losing the services of Comment on the eve of the/ Wellington fixture, but the injury is hot of a serious nature, and the nikau trainer hopes to have her ready again at National time. A Considering that Sir Agnes.had not had a race for several months, theold fellow ran a remarkably good race in the Parliamentary Handicap at Trentham. He was early in the lead and led for well over a mile, - finish in g a good third. On' Saturday he was a little better than even money favourite for the Winter Oats Handicap, and capably handled by H. Gray, the Boris gelding was never in 1 danger of ' defeat, winning comfortably by a couple of lengths from Detroit, with Kiltess third. The veteran W. Corlett, of Carterton, still owns and trains Sir Agnes. Both the local jumpers Gladful and Wishful played an important„ part in the decision of the Winter Hurdles at Trentham. Gladful won; rather easily at the finish from Sir Fisher, while Wishful was always prominent and finished just behind the placed horses. W- Hawthorne has . the pair in fine racing condition. Although engaged in the' Winter Cup, Lady Black is not likely to see the post, as she? is now on the easy list. Mr. Cameron's mare has. not shown anything like her Irue form this season, although T. I*ritchard spared no .pains, in landing her at the post for her races ini splendid condition. i Torchy is still suffering from the effects of his fall at Hastings, and there is little hope of him ’beihg ready to take his place in the / Grand National Steeplechase. > Sir Solo has been schooling well on the Trentham track this .week, and the galloping will; do the old fellow a lot of good in view of his Riccarton engagements. . . * , W. Hawthorne, who led in the winner of the Royal Stakes at Auckland last December, has four of his team engaged in the 24th Royal Stakes, to be run on the second day of the A.R.C.’s next summer meeting. The secretary of. the Woodlands Hunt (Pahiatua) has received a let-’ * ter from the secretary of the Racing Conference stating that the conference thoroughly endorses the action taken by the Hunt in deciding not to carry on hunting and to hold no steeplechase meeting during the cpn- . tinuance of the war; owing to the absence of so many members on active service. The Minister of Internal Affairs has also expressed his approval of the action taken by the Hunt, and has given his assurance that such action will -not prejudice the Hunt’s right to its totallsatdr per- ; " mit after the war has ended. General regret has been expressed throughout sporting and business ; circles at the tragic death of Mr. Ormond C. Cooper, of Masterton, a steward of the local Racing Club, who ,was attending the Racing Conference in; Wellington as delegate, and when returning to Wellington after the Trentham races on Wednesday evening met with a. motor accident which ended fatally. It appears that the motor car in *• which Mr. dooper and party were travelling collided with a /tram on reaching the* city, with the result that Mr. Cooper was severely injured about the ribs and back. He was removed to the Davis Street private hospital, where h e lay in a precarious condition until Saturday evening, when he died .as a result-of his injuries. The other members of the party escaped serious injury. The late Mr. Cooper was manager of the Wairarapa Farmers’ Co-operative Association/ and was widely respected throughout the North Island. At the monthly meeting of the Masterton Racing Club, held on Saturday last ,an application was received from the poverty Bay . Racing Glub, asking the local club to alter the dates applied for for the spring meeting from October 17 and 18 to October 11 and 12. The Poverty Bay dates -being October 24 and 25, they did not think there would, be sufficient time for horses racing at Masterton to get’to their races. It was decided, to inform the Poverty Bay Club ‘ that this club could not meet ‘ them in the matter, pointing out that ' Masterton had always raced in the -Week previous to

;the Wellington fixture, which -this year will be held on October 25 and

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