SOUTHLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1597, 2 December 1920, Page 11

SOUTHLAND.

Activity on Local Training Tracks— Preparations for Otago and Southland Holiday Fixtures—Eleus and Silver Peak Doing Good Work— Lady Winstone Recommissioned After Lengthy Spell—Bengeroop Sold for £lOO0 —Southland R.C. Increase Value of Their Four Trotting Events at New Year Meeting— American-bred Stallion Mohawk a Prize Winner in Show Ring at Winton.

INVERCARGILL, Monday. With favourable weather and good tracks at their command trainers have been very busy throughout the home province during the past week owing to the fact that. entries for all the Otago and Southland holiday fixtures fall due in a few days, when the sum of over £15,000 will be on offer in stakes. The three-year-old gelding Last Order, by Pallas —Order is being sent to Riccarton to be placed With Trainer F. D. J0ne5.,..,. , ;, r ’Th s e Winton Stakes winner, Mantua, jarred a joint at the Winton J.C.’s fixture, and has been on the easy list, but there is nothing seriously wrong with the Solferino filly. Her stable companions Eleus and Silver Peak are doing good work at present. The latter lost a considerable amount of condition during the trip to the New Zealand Cup fixture, but has now freshened up again. Lady Winstone, the useful mare by Vice-Admiral from Busybody, has been taken up after a lengthy spell, and has joined J. Gray’s select team, which includes Admiral Fisher and Namoi. The latter is a promising mare by Vice-Admiral —Cora Dhii, by Martian —Cora Lynd. The Finland gelding Borodino, who has been spelled for some months, is now working with G. McLean’s team in Invercargill. He demonstrated the fact that he has not lost his pace by galloping well over half a mile on Saturday morning. The Winton Trial Stakes winner, Filigree, by Boniform —Brocade, followed up her success here by accounting for a race at the South Canterbury J.C.’s meeting. Mr. G. L. Stead’s cast-off is rather a smart galloper, and it is evident that she has been served by age. She races in the interests of Mr, W. Ainge, of Dunedin, who purchased her from her breeder at £l5O.

Bengeroop raced in the colours of Mr. J. P. Murphy at Timaru last week, the owner of Almoner having purchased the Calibre gelding from Mr. H. Woodley at £lOOO. It is reported that the big fellow let his connections down in the principal event of the South Canterbury J.C.’s meeting, when Warlike won, Bengeroop being beaten into fourth place in a close race. Almoner has been doing easy work since the Winton meeting and has freshened up in a noticeable manner. P. Hogan had Bengeroop, Kilkee and Kokowai racing at Timaru last week, but the best his charges could do was to earn place money. Owing to the recent resolution of the Trotting Association calling upon racing clubs catering for the light harness sport to give trotting stakes of similar average value to galloping events, the Southland Racing Club considered the advisability of eliminating trotting from its summer programme. However, matters have now been amicably settled at the earnest request of the local owners of trotters, and the stakes for the four races have been increased by £305, making the total available for ters during the two days’ forthcoming fixture £955 —easily the best money given by a galloping club in Maoriland for general utility horses. Following on his successful effort in the Farewell Handicap at the Winton meeting the ancient Awahou has been galloping well on the Southland R.C.’s tracks. He is doing his work like a juvenile, and may be taken to Wingatui to compete at the summer fixture of the Dunedin Jockey Club. A substantial offer was made during last week for the Kilbroney— Glory mare Kilbroy, but Messrs. Grieve Bros, refused to part with their promising novice, who continues to do well under the care of the local trainer R. Berry. During the past week Mr. W. Norman, well known as a starter of galloping and trotting races, resigned from the .Wyndham, Southland and other clubs as far as thoroughbred events are concerned. In the future Mr. Norman will confine his attention to dispatching light harness races. It is understood he will be asked to reconsider his decision by the Southland Racing Club, who wish him to see them through the summer fixture. Mr. Norman, who is a prosperous

agriculturist, follows the starting business more as a hobby than anything else, and for a number of years he acted in an honorary capacity. The order to shoot the injured mare Adelina was countermanded at the last minute, and the daughter of Rokeby—Jessie Lewars is now in slings, and an attempt is being made to save the sister to Michaela for the stud. The imported American-bred stallion Mohawk was placed first in the thoroughbred sires’ class at the Winton A. and P. Show last week, the North Island-bred Burrangong (who is a full-brother to the defunct Auckland hurdler Step) acting as runnerup. It is now fully expected that the . Southland Racing Club’s new track will be ready for racing upon at the: P approaching summer