SOUTHLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1559, 11 March 1920, Page 10

SOUTHLAND.

Welcome Rain Falls —Eleus and Silver Peak Nominated for Canterbury J.C. Meeting—Belgian King Gone ’ Amiss—Bright Spot Changes Hands —Mr. W. A. Saunders to Act as Secretary for Southland Autumn Meeting—Rorke’s Drift in Good Fettle—The Lumsden Hack Meeting —Magdala Being Schooled Across Country—lmprovements at Winton —Record Entries for Southland. INVERCARGILL, Saturday. The first genuine rainfall of the current year was experienced here on Wednesday and the following night, but the area affected did not extend far beyond the town and coastal area. The local tracks benefited as a result of the moisture, but experienced and

novice steeplechasers must find it hard during schooling operations. The Gore track is in a dry state, which will be all against cross-coun-try racing at the capital of the Eastern District next week.

The Invercargill-owned pair Eleus and Silver Peak have been nominated for the Great Easter Handicap and the latter for the Great Autumn Handicap at Riccarton, and it is understood that both will be seen out at the Canterbury J.C.’s headquarters next month. Silver Peak appears to have shaken off the effects of the kick from her stablemate Anton, and is hitting out boldly on the tracks, while Eleus is also doing, well, but P. Hogan has been easy with the son of Elysian since the Dunedin Cup fixture. Silver Peak will be ridden out to the limit in Christchurch, thus enabling W. Stone to find out what kind of mare his recent purchase really is, for she is a very useful performer.

After the recent Oamaru meeting Belgian King was brought down to Southland by his owner and placed with the veteran J. Hymers at Riverton. The son of Cronstadt, however, broke down this morning, and a new favourite will have to be found for the Gore Cup next weekMr. Stone has disposed of Bright Spot, a daughter of Treadmill and Bonnie Brae, and she will join W. McKay’s stable at Riverton. A. McKay acts as leading horseman for this establishment. The mare is in the pink of condition, and it will not surprise those who know her best to find her proving a winner in the near future. Mr. Stone has also had offers for other members of his string. Subsequent to his resignation being accepted, Mr. W. A. Saunders has agreed to entertain a request from the Southland Racing Club that he

act as honorary secretary for the approaching autumn meeting. It is understood that a difference of opinion with the club’s president (Mr. W. T. Hazlett) caused this very capable official to resign on the spot. During the current week a substantial offer was made and turned down for the rising three-year-old working with Mr .Stone’s team. The juvenile, who is owned by a friend of Mr. Stone, is a fine upstanding son of Pallas from Order, by The Officer — Spot. The gelding is an attractive galloper, but as he is a. heavy-topped horse his connections will have to exercise care with him. The unnamed youngster’s dam, Order, had to be destroyed a few days back owing to sickness. Her best-known progeny were Special Order and Marching Order. The veteran Rorke’s Drift is coming along nicely in his work, and there is a chance that the son of Calibre will be heard from prior to the arrival of the winter months. The Lumsden Hack Racing Club held a non-totalisator meeting on Thursday last, the principal event going to Bengertoop (Calibre —Alumini), who, however, had only a hasbeen in Lord Frederick to beat. The winner, who is trained by P. Hogan, is a very useful but unsound gelding. There were two double winners at the fixture, Lady Knight and Lady Pallas carrying off two events each. The Lumsden Club, who had a very successful fixture, stand next in line in the south for a totalisator permit, and there is every chance that they will not have to wait long. Had not several leading lights been absent from the Dominion fighting for their country, Lumsden would probably have secured a permit, which went elsewhere quite recently. Magdala, the Winter Cup winner of 1912, has been schooled across country, a fact which explains the appearance of his name among the entries for steeplechases at the Southland R.C. meeting. The Winton Jockey Club has accepted plans for special retiring quarters for lady patrons, far away from the vicinity of the grandstand, where the gentler sex will find refreshing rest in comfort in buildings designed for the service of the increased patronage which is the likely result ere many seasons pass.

Record entries have been received for the Southland R.C.’s autumn meeting, to the number of 387. The Southland Cup has 18, the Awarua Handicap (second day) 23, the Southland Steeplechase 17, and the Invercargill Steeplechase 19, while several hack arid trotting races display fields of over thirty each. Frog, a crack show-ring jumper of unknown pedigree, is now being trained for cross-country racing here. He can fly the Southland Racing Club’s steeplechase fences like a bird, but may fail for want of pace. However, he is no slug, and his rivals will have to hasten along when he is about.

The Disposal Stakes at the local meeting has attracted several veterans from retirement, one of the bestknown being the Obligado gelding Icilma, who has not been raced for a very long time. Other ancients engaged are Buller, Robert Bell and Vocation. Red Admiral and Tin Soldier, after being in retirement for practically the whole of the first part of the current season, have been engaged at the Southland fixture. Tl;e former suffered from a very severe attack of cold, if not genuine strangles, early in the spring.