SPORTING.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16266, 17 July 1918, Page 5

SPORTING.

RACING AND TROTTING NOTES. (By "£ooKER-Ou.y) j We learn thai an unexpected demand j for income-tax has been made upon the Racing and Trotting Clubs of the Dominion. The- matter is important, for if it should be found that, the tax is leviable it will be a very serious blow to the Clubs, whose finances are not in a state to sustain such a payment, and who have devoted money which might have been available for it to the various patriotic -funds. The Weather was not suitable for fast work yesterday. A heavy fog followed the frost 'and kept trainers from extending their. horses. The Kilbroney—Cyre horse Kilboy, who won the Australian Jockey Club Derby nearly two years ago, and m the following autumn defeated Desert Gold over two miles in the Gold_Cup at Wellington, has been sold to Mr H. Hassall, the Hawke's Bay studmaster, to take the place of the imported sir© Merry Moments, who died a snort tim© back. * Waimai arrived aib Riccarton yesterday. The Auckland steeplechaser was brought on to Riccarton rather earlier than was at first intended, as he oould not act properly on the heavy going at Trentham. Seville, a North Island hunter, is an inmate of R. Longley's Gtable. F. D. Jones has decided to take Bore and Majestikoff to the South Canterbury Hunt Meeting. Those concerned are reminded that acceptances for the South Canterbury Hunt Meeting close on Friday evening at 9 o'clock. Owing to signs of shin soreness, M. Hobbs nas not bustled. Flight Commander aiid Sans Souci along for a week. Both colts appear to be throwing off their trouble. Rongahero was scratched for the Grand National Steeplechase at 4.10 p.m. yesterday.

Good Day has been scratched for the Caulfield Cup. NarahtjUong is the third V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race winner to be sired by a son of Carbine. _ The others were Merunqua (by Carbinier), and Arquebuse (by Pistol). Prior to his success in the V.R..C. Grand National Hurdle Race, on Saturday week, Narahquong had won nine races in 38 starts, extending over three seasons, but with one exception his victories were gained at .country meetings.

At the Cowra Police Court (N.S.W.). on Monday, July Bth, _ a middle-aged man, named Thomas Wilson, was committed for trial on a charge of maliciously injuring the racehorse Powdal. The evidence was to the effect that accused was seen coming from Powdal's stall on the Cowra racecourse, and also chat ho was teen rubbing the horse's leg with a handkerchief. Just before the last race, for which Powdal was the most fancied candidate, a needle was found to have been inserted to its full length in one of the, animal's fetlocks. I>avid, Whitaker, trainer of the horse, stated that accused, who was a Gtranger to him, asked several times in which race he was going to start the horse. Several racebooks, it was stated, were found on accused, and in qno of these another needle of similar description was found, and another was picked up from the floor of the change room while accased was being searched. Accused reserved his defence. The Sydney "Referee" of Juhf 10th says: A* New Zealand-bred gelding in Association by Elevation from Black Scotia, made his appearance in a Flying division at Rosebery, on Saturday, and ran well enough to suggest that his visit will not he unprofitable. In the House of Commons, on April 301 h, Mr Prothero moved the second reading of the Horse Breeding Bill, the object of which, he 1 explained, was to regulate the stallions which travelled for' hire or were exhibited in public places or markets, or shows. The Army had recently bought a number of light and heavy horses, and the reports from the remount officers disclosed a very serious state of affairs. A letter from the War Office ,vas quoted in the report of the committee appointed by the President of the Board of Agriculture in regard to the supply of horses for military purposes. In that report,

which was published in 1915, the War Office stated that owing to the inferiority of many of the sires a large number of these horses were of so poor a stamp as to be of no military value. The committee to which he had referred recommended the compulsory registration of stallions, and that would be carried out under the Bill. It would embrace not only pedigree stallions, but all other stallions. The Bill would also apply to Scotland and Ireland. It was read a second time. (By "Searchlight.") After giving full consideration to the unanimous request of the Conference not to retire from the New Zealand | Trotting Association, Mr P. Selig (who has been chairman of the Association ! since its inception) told a deputation of trotting enthusiasts yesterday that he would accede to the desire and offer himself again for. re-election to the Board. \ Nominations for the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's August Meeting close to-day at 8 p.m. The local traces were very heavy yesterday, and jogging was the only work inaulged in. A. Cox is keeping Red Heather and Reta Peter up to the collar, with a view of racing both in the unhoppled division at Addington next month. The Hutt trainer, D. Nyhan, who has a useful team in work, intends patronising the Metropolitan August Meeting with Prince Akwood and Mahinga. | E. McCann is handling a small team at Riccarton. Lunsdale, who, claims an engagement at Timaru, is doing plenty of solid work, and is well forward. A couple of maiden pacers by Harold "Dillon have recently been taken in hand by McCann, and show ntudk promise. Private H. Goggin, at one time chief clerk in the local trotting club's office, writing to a- friend, states that so far he has got through the campaign safely. Amongst those whom he, recently came in contact with were Private C. Jones and Sergeant H. W. L. Digby, two former members of "The Press" staff, both being well and sticking to their guns. V.R.C. PROFITS. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, July 16. The profits of the Victoria Racing Olub for the year totalled £27,254, and were given to patriotic funds.