SOUTHLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1590, 14 October 1920, Page 11

SOUTHLAND.

Bengeroop’s Win at Kurow —Checkmate Sold to an Australian Buyer— Listening Post to Contest Railway Handicap at Ellerslie—Serious Mishap to v Windermere —Winton J.C.’s Generous Stakes —P. T. Hogan’s Team for Dunedin Meeting—Excellent Acceptance for McLean Stakes —J. Thistleton’s Useful Team at Riverton—-Five N.Z. Cu[p Candidates to Race in Mosgiel Handicap on Friday—Lady Winston to be Taken Up Again. INVERCARGILL, Monday. Stormy feather has been experienced here'during tjhe past week, but strong winds have served to dry the tracks quickly after the showers, consequently the work in anticipation of the liunedin and Gore fixtures has not been seriously interrupted. P. Hogan secured his first important win of the new season on Thursday, when Bengeroop credited the local mentor with the Kurow Handicap, a success that was fully anticipated by followers of the stable. The winner is a son of Calibre —Alumini, and is owned by Mr. H. Woodley, who purchased the horse as a yearling in Invercargill for 30 guineas. It was at the same sale of Mr. J. Grigg’s Longbeach thoroughbreds that Mr. F. A. Price secured Rorke’s Drift for 610 guineas in 1915. Bengeroop, who always shaped like a stayer, is still in the New Zealand Cup, but his starting probably depends upon how he shapes at Dunedin this week. He is nicely handicapped in the Mosgiel Handicap, and will be heavily supported from this district. Finding that Checkmate is going to be asked a serious question by the handicappers, despite the fact that he had only won a single minor event, Mr v W. Stone has parted with the son of Antagonist for export to Australia. The smart little galloper will be shipped from Lyttelton this week. He changed hands at a very satisfactory price to his late owner. The local owner Mr. E. Russell contemplates a visit to Auckland about the end of the year, hence the fact that his representative Listening Post has been engaged in the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie. The Solferino geldiAig is a smart galloper over five furlongs, and with increasing age he may see out a more extended journey. He will be racing at Wingatui this week.

A serious mishap occurred at Riverton last week, with the result that the very promising three-year-old Windermere may have to be laid aside until next season. The descendant of Sunny Lake —Angele got one of his hind feet through a culvert, cutting the limb badly above the joint. He is owned by Mr. C. Hazlett, and had some valuable engagements before him. He was doing particularly well in his workThe clever little Vice-Admiral mare Eight Bells overpowered her riders on two occasions lately on the Southland R.C.’s tracks, and has since been missing from R. Berry’s active workers. One of her forelegs has filled, and it may be a long time before she is in a fit state to resume training operations. The sum of £3OOO will be disbursed in stakes at the annual fixture of the Winton Jockey Club next month. The principal event, the Winton Cup, carries with it £4OO in stakes and a twenty-guinea cup presented by the tdtalisator proprietor, Mr. W. F. James, to commemorate his twenty years’ connection with the Western District turf institution. It. is a noteworthy fact that nearly all the principal races to be decided in Southland this season will have .trophies attached donated by well-wishers of the racing game. P. T. Hogan has a team of ten horses engaged at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s spring fixture this week- Of the number Bengeroop, Almoner, Calma (jumper), and Kilkee can be pronounced as very nearly at the top of their form. He will also race two nice juveniles in the two-year-old events. Of the pair Liqueur (Winkie —Honesty) is a smart galloper and well forward, but Songbird (Kilbroney —Grey Linnet) looks like developing into the better racehorse in time. However, the latter can travel fast although hardly wound up, and may make the opposition go fast to head him off at the right end of his races. During the past week A. D. Mclvor has been sharpening up Primum, Mantua and Silver Peak in view of the Dunedin gathering. The firstnamed is very well, but Mantua and Silver Peak are susceptible to some improvement, although both have been doing well in. their track essays.

The Invercargill-owned steeplechaser Palladio was taken to the Kurow meeting in company with Bengeroop, but the best the veteran could do was to run second in the Waitangi Steeplechase to San Sebastian. His experience will do him no harm, however, and the old Pallas gelding may presently be seen to advantage racing between the flags at the Gore and Winton meetings, at both of whicb cross-country horses are being catered for.

Reports from Riccarton to the effect that the juveniles trained there were backward probably had a beneficial result as far as the McLean Stakes was concerned, no less than thirteen juveniles having been left in that race, including four or five owned in Southland. The prospects for the opening meeting of the Southern season are very bright, and the fields are likely to rule large, as a number of horses will probably be started for educational purposes. At Riverton J. Thistleton is preparing the jumpers, Gowanbrae, Staff Officer and Cazna, and the gallopers Sartolite and Bright Spot, while the two-year-old by Solferino—Amarilla, owned by Mr. H. Cunningham (Winton), has just been added to the string. Five New Zealand Cup candidates, Kilrush, Jock, Rose Pink, Nightraider, Silent King and Bengeroop, are due to race in the Dunedin J.C. Mosgiel Handicap on Friday next. Wicklow, who ran third in the Waitangi Steeplechase at the Kurow meeting is now’owned by Mr. J. C. Mills, of Riverton, and is trained by H. G. Coker at Riccarton. After a lengthy retirement owing to a bad attack of strangles the useful gelding Red Admiral is now reported to be working well at Riverton. The Vice-Admiral—Busybody mare Lady Winston, who has been spelling, is about to be taken up by the Invercargill trainer J. Gray.