SOUTHLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1539, 23 October 1919, Page 10

SOUTHLAND.

Eleus Suffering From Severe Cold — Otautau Hack Racing Club’s Progressive Policy — Winton Jockey Club’s Annual Meeting — Listening Post in Future to be Trained at Riccarton — P. Hogan’s Trio of Representatives Fail to Win at Ashburton — Wild Night Resumes Work—Mr. W. T. Hazlett’s Team. (Telegraph—lnvercargill Correspondent) INVERCARGILL, Monday. - For the greater part of the current week, trainers have been working their charges between the showers, which is rather unfortunate for the stay-at-home brigade, as they are unable to get any fast gallops in for

the spring fixture, which is only a week away. Visiting and local horses which - have been racing at Ashburton, Oamaru and Dunedin will have the best of the argument. Eleus is suffering severely from an attack of cold, a’fact which explains his 'indifferent running at Dunedin and Ashburton. It seems a pity to race him at all under the circumstances, but evidently this is being done in the hope that he will be able to compete at the New Zealand Cup gathering. The writer must now discard the son of Elysian for the long race, but he may see out the shorter journeys successfully. It will not surprise the writer to find Almoner running a good race in the near future. The son of Boniform —Cassock is putting some spirit into his work. Now that it appears he is going in a satisfactory manner he might prove an awkward customer to meet in minor events at

the Cup meeting or the leading races at Gore and Winton. The San Francisco — Fleetwood gelding is now trained in the vicinity of Invercargill by J. Gray on behalf of his owner. The erratic chestnut became the property of the Winton sportsman at the moderate price of £5O, not £5OO as reported by one* influential northern journal. He can gallop fast, but is not always inclined to do his best, in addition to which he is a wayward horse at work and a delicate feeder. The Otautau Hack Racing Club, who were recently granted a totalisator permit, have collected £l3OO from sporting men in the racing club’s home province towards the purchase of a new course. Upon the establishment of improvements they hope to make the sum of £lOO in the near future. Portion of the property acquired will be leased, the remainder being used for the racecourse. The Winton Jockey Club have announced that they will give away £2300 in stakes at their annual fixture next month. The Winton Cup stake is £3OO, with a cup valued at 30 guineas, donated by Mr. W. E. Taylor, the owner of Burrangong, added. The meeting is a favourite one with southern pe’ople, the club being easily the oldest in the south, and conducts is operations on a good course, amongst pretty surroundings. As there are no horses of similar age to work with here the promising two-year-old Listening Post has been sent away to Riccarton to the care of M. McDonald, ’who will supervise his future preparations for classic and other engagements at Christchurch and Dunedin. His dam, Eager Eyes, will again be mated with Solferino after foaling to Balboa. P. Hogan took Wild Pilgrim, Eleus and Almoner to the Ashburton County Racing Club’s meeting during last week, but the trio proved unsuccessful, although Almoner displayed promising form and gained some place money to assist towards paying his way. Wild Pilgrim got a fall at the first hurdle of his race on the opening day of the meeting, and was not started again. He is undoubtedly feeling the effects of his strenuous racing over the hurdles since July last, and is also suffering from injuries, sustained through becoming entangled in a wire fence at Wingatui. Mr. J. C. N. Grigg, of Longbeach, will hold a sale of untried stock from Ashburton here during the currency of the Southland Racing Club’s summer meeting. Local buyers will probably be able to again find horses equal to Rorke’s Drift, Tin Soldier, Tdmiral Talbot or some other, useful gallopers disposed of here by the Canterbury studmaster in the past two years. Wild Night, whose brother, Winter Wind, won the McLean Stakes at the Dunedin meeting last week, has been taken up again after a lengthy spell. He is under the care of G, S. Smith, who controls the preparation of a number of light harness horses, but also understands the galloping game. Mr. W. T. Hazlett’s Mazama and The Frenchman (Danube —Directoire) have resumed work on the local tracks. The latter has been one of the victims of the cold epidemic, which is now causing trouble to all of the local stables. The unnamed brother to the successful Brackenfield in the same stable, who is by Boniform — Gargaron, is suffering badly from a similar cause, while the Kilbroney fillies from Simper and Sprig of Erin respectively and the daughter of Solferino —Directoire are recovering from the same trouble. Mazama is somewhat in the rough, but wears a healty appearance, as the result of having recently served an apprenticeship as a stock horse, with his owner in the saddle. It will be some time before he is ready to face the starter. The majority of P. Hogan’s horses have returned from the north, several of their number having been abroad since July last. Kilkee, Glenshine, Fleetham and Vice-Grand (the Winton Guineas candidate) are looking very well, and are almost certain to claim some money if started at the Gore spring meeting, which opens on Saturday next. Of Mr. W. S,tone’s horses, Priinum remains under Hogan’s care, but may not race again until he displays better manners at the barrier. Anton and Bright Spot are being worked under the eye of their owner, who, as both are somewhat highly strung, has been exercising the pair at the barrier during the past week. The two-year-old Martial Dance is only doing walking exercise, as he has not yet recovered from a cold.