SPORTING.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16159, 13 March 1918, Page 5

SPORTING.

RACING AND TROTTING NOTES. (By "Looxer-On.") Tile plough and the outside of the courso proper at Riccarton were open for fast work yesterday morning. Both provided good going, but most of the gallops were done on the couree, as the plough was rather dead, owing to a shower through the night. Except where the track is specified all gallops were accomplished on the course. Margerine was given two rounds at half to three-quarter pace, and freely. , Brambletye and Adjutant finished together at the end of a mile, run in lmin 47sec. Gamecock ran four furlongs in 51sec, and Long Range, assisted by Sir Fanciful over the last part, five furlongs in lmin 3 3-oth sec. These tasks were dono on the plough. Biplane, who was not out to mako time, surprised by running a mile with his head in his chest in lmin 43 2-stli sec. W. Bush was in the _ saddle. Fiery Cross, with a light weight up, covered txie same distance with ' his mouth open in lmin 42 4-sth sec. Biplane ran his first half in 52 l-sth sec, and Fiery Cross in 50 3-sth sec. Elcus and Afterglow got to the end of • five furlongs in lmin 2 4-stli sec. Scornful covered the same distance in lmin 2 2-stk sec. Wrestler, with a light weight up, ran a mile in lmin 44 3-sth sec. He was very tired at tho finish.

Comely, assisted by Euripos over the last six, ran eight furlongs in lmin 44 4-sth sec- She stopped over the last quarter. Jingo beat Matty over six furlongs. The time was fair, but Matty does not appear to be at her best. Daytime, who was sprinted half a mile, will not race at Waimate. Thcstius beat Battle Eve over five furlongs run from a stand, on the plough, in lmin 5 l-sth sec. Glendower held Spangle safely at any stage of a gallop over nine furlongs, run in lmin 59sec, on the same track. All Pink was too good for Bondage over five furlongs, and looks to be an improved mare. Killjoy went pleasingly over five furlongs in lmin 4 4-5tU sec. Disdainful did not run up to expectations while covering three-quarters of a mile in lmin i 7 3-sth sec. She was very stiff afterwards. Jeannot was schooled over the pony fences twice, gylans jumped the two flights of big hurdles down the back. Ho-flow them in his stride, and is undoubtedly a fine fencer. Vagabond *vas scratched for the Great Easter and Great Autumn Handicaps at 9 a.m. yesterday. Bee, who is now trained in Sydney, bv J Burton, is evidently coming along nicely, for at llandwick last week she left six furlongs behind in lmin 20sec.

The Federal Commissioner of Taxation (Mr It. Ewing) asserts tliut statements that hare been published to the effect that stakes Avon by Biplane a.6 the spring race Meetings in AuHtrn'ia had been treated as excess profits, and taxed heavily, arc totally incorrect (says the ''Australasian", 1 . No action, such as that indicated, has been taken by the Taxation Department. At the, Melbourne yearling sales last week, Mr C. G Macindoe, of Auckland, bought the 'following lots: R g by Pendil —Amherst marc 7ogs, br f by Bemedale —Georgia IlOgs, f , y Bobadil —Sessa lOOgs, br c by PistolBridge of Roses 22ogs, and cli c by Trafalgar—Lady Pilgrim 60gs. Murray Hobbs bought a black colt by St. Anton—Monderland for IlOgs. while Mr E. J. Watt, formerly of Hastings, paid 500gs for a brown colt by Roseworthy— Nalurmi.

(Bt "Searchlight.") Nominations for tlio New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's Easter Meeting close to-day at 8 p.m. A paymcnt of 3 sovs is due at the same time for the Champion Stakes for three-year-olds, to be decided at the same Meeting. Mr F. TJnwin is now educating a promising yearling colt by Wild wood Jr. from a Blackchild mare. The AVaimate Plains Trotting Club has received a very liberal response from owners for the 1920 Taranaki Futurity Stakes. The entries total 52, | and include youngsters by most of the i trotting sires in the Dominion. j As J. Nelson is goin" into camp early nest month, he has decided to relinquish training. All ttTe hbrses recently trained by him have been returned to their owners with the exception of Sympathy. who has joined M. Edwards's stable. I Only half to three-quarter pace ■work! took place at Addington vesterday. Amongst those out were Agathos, Sunrise, Frank Tracey, Bank Note, Red Heather, Olive L., Electrocute, Master Park, Red Bell, Truganini, Michael Gahndo, Quick, Promise, Erleen, and several maidens in C. James's stable.

DESERT GOLD'S STAMINA DOUBTED. (By Cable.—Press Association. —Copyright.) (Received March 12th. B-50 P-m.) SYDNEY, March 12. • Desert Gold's defeat in the King's Plate is attributed to the colossal task of making her own pace against a solid stayer like Wallace Isinglass.. No other two mile weight-for-age race has ever been run a.t such a pace. Desert Gold's stamina is open to doubt. Her form suggests that one milo and a half is her best distance. When Cetigne's owner decided to contort the C M. Llovd Stakes, ho determined that the patriotic funds should not suffer in tha event of Cetigne beating Desert Gold, iho latter did not compete, but Mr ktirton decided to contribute lialf tho stake to the Red Cross. Tho opening day of the V.R.G A " tu ® n Meeting was to some extent spoilt by unfa vourable weather (says Goodwood in tn Australasian"). Luckily the rain did not come until the Newmarket Handicap had been run, but then it foil in earnest, and in half an hour the betting ring was converted into a series of lakelets, and the runnin„ track was rendered extremejy heavy. J-ho bad weather, much to the disappointment, of those present, was responsible for tho withdrawal of Desert Gold from tho Easendon Stakes. It had been proved in Now Inland that she does not readily act in heavy goin", and Mr Lowry reluctantly scratched her. ° The bookmakers commenced betting on tho race before tho time for declaring scratchings had expired, and, with Desert Gold at 2 to 1 on, odds of 4 to 1 were laid against both Wallace IflinglaßS and Lanius. Wallace Isinglass eventually started favourite at 6to 4, and duly won. It was bad luck for the members of the ring that they should have laid a false price about AY allace Isinglass, but they have been caught in the same way before, and they have only themselves to blame. Mr Lowiy was probably more disappointed than tho public that tho conditions were against the mare's running, as he wal naturally anxious that she should be given an opportunity of atoning for her defeat in tho Futurity Stakes. He was quite within his rights in withdrawing her when ho "did. He only came to a decision to take the mar© out of the race after a careful inspection of tho track.

WAIMATE PLAINS T.C.'S ANNUAL MEETING. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) HAWERA, March 12. After declaration of final forfeit, the following remain in the TAKANAKI FUTURITY STAKES, of 150 govs ; ono mile and a half—Wee Bill, Lady Esmo, Moon Drift, Norwood, Queen Chimes, Tafctsy Dillon, Molly Chimes, Normia Heir, Leewood, b g by Rotomanuka—Goosio, b f by Galindo—Alice Wood, ch o by Peralta— Jersey mare, ch f by Proud Child—Fatality, ch f by Advance —Queen V.