AN EQUINE CHAMPION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18237, 22 November 1924, Page 9

AN EQUINE CHAMPION.

gloaming back at home. Alter a triumphant visit to Svdner and Mr G. 1). Greenwood's Gleaming leturued to his twiner's etablo *i RiccarTbe Welkin gelding was landed -it Lyttelton irom the Mc-eraki yes.erday nt midday in lis presence of an *dini.ir.g crowd o? w*tersiders and others. Mr ar-d Mrs Greenwot>d iiso arrived bv the vessel.

~ t,a ,^ aT ® v-'eer. sp'.sndidiy tr-eited on the Ci.ier 3ice," eaid M r Grcenwcodi. "and have ueen warmly welcomed tverywhere. Ther tt y® *?-endid sportsmen, both public and o-vners. Igo oyer and win their races and ??" A' r '°" it- The Vic tori mis call U-ioanung their horse, because he was lonjed there." Other features of tho trip v_ore mentioned bv Mr Greenwood on lines aueady covered by our Alistralißn correspondent. Gloaming at Melbourne. Mrs Greenwood then took up the story and gave an interesting account of the visit to ALelboume. After his iriumj)h3 in Sydney, said Sirs trreenwood, Gloaming was taken on to Melbourne to let the Victorians see him. for the time since he had left his native place, as a yearling. Gloaming arrived at Melbourne about a fortnight before the commencement of the V.R..C. Meeting. The first race after our arrival was the Caulfield for which he had no engagements. J. ho week following there were races at Moonee Valley. Gloaming had been entered for the Cox Plate at that course, but the weather had been very wet, and the oourao was soft, with very heavy going, eo it was not thought advisable to race him. However, Mr Greenwood consented, on the invitation of tho committee, to permit him to be paraded thore, to allow liim to be seen by the public. Ho was accordingly mounted by his usual jockey, George young, and with the Greenwood colours up he waa paraded in front of the Moonee Valley Btind, amid great enthusiasm from the watching crowd. Gloaming also treated uiem. to a sample of his pace, for ho galloped alone once round the course in line style, and in splendid time. 'The following Saturday, Xovember Ist, was the V.R.C. Dorby Day, and Gloaming was there, engaged in the Melbourno Stakes. On hi 3 appearance at Flemington, he was again received with a demonstration of appreciation and enthusiasm, tho crowd treating him to cheer after cheer durirr; his preliminary. Had Gloaming been beaten on that, his first appearance before the Melbourne public, it would have ueen a sora disappointment to them. But ho rewarded their appreciation by wmaing the Melbourno Stakes in fine stylo from Whiiticr, aw ' t third. 'Then of course the champion vras cheored to <tho echo, roa? after roar going up from tho immense crowd until some of them must almost have lost their voices. It is gratifying and "touching to realise that what <the Australian people appreciate first and foremost is a good horse, and although they aro a nation thaii. bets considerably, Bport is their first considera tion. This is fully borne out by their lovo for Gloaming, for there ia litti'e money to be mado by backing him as he is aliyays odds on, and those who never put a jenny on him cheor him lustily, oven though they have lost on their own particular fancy. It was most unfortunate 'that the weather was so bad during the V.R.C. Meeting af Fleming-ton. The rain camo down in torrents day and night, and after Cup Day tho ground on tho coureo was heavy and Blippery—in fact dangerous. Many horses were scratched. Oaks Day was a deluge, and on tho last Saturday, although fino overhead, tho ground was in very bad condition. It was thus considered advisablo by Mason and Mr Grecnwoo4 not to allow Gloaming to start on either of the last two days, greatly to the disappointment of everyone, the owner included. In fa-ct, owing to the state of the course, tho fields had dwindlod greatly, and the result of the racing was moat unsa/tiafactory. However, although the pnblio wero disappointed of a view of Gloaming on the last two days, thejr had a chance of viewing him on Cup Day in spite of there- not being a xacp for him on that occasion.

In viow o£ the faot that on Cup Day at Flemington, many people come who _ otherwise never attend a> race meeting, it was mooted in several quarters that Mr Greenwood should bo requested to allow Gloaming to parade in view of the public on the course on that day. Accordingly, tho V.R.C. approached him in 'the matter, and it was. arranged that Gloaming shouldi be paraded in front of tho stands with jockey and colours up half-an-liour before the xace for the Melbourno Cup. This wis done, and a huge concourse of about. 130,000 people wore "thus enabled to see tho champion for once in their lives »t least. As Georgo Yoiing rode him along in front of the stands, a multitude' of enthusiastic people cheering and clapping him at every step. Gloaming curvetted along, shaking his head, ana nodding it to the crowd as if he understood that the plaudits were for him. It was most appropriate that for Gloaming tho populace should make the welkin ring with ehouts and cheers. Bight along the^courso, U» people stood, and some had wailced half a mile from the stands eo as to get a near view of the champion, as he came proudly along. Then he turned back and passed tho cheering crowds «« ain >, pri "V ol "£. dancing as if to say, ' Yea, here I am, my friends Take a good look at me. Gloaming is in excellent fettle and looks tho pictur! of health. He 1m now made his * fifteenth trip across tho Taaman and it is remarkable that each time ho has crossed a fine weather voyage has been experienced.

METHVEN KACING CLUB. A meeting of tho committee of the Methvcn Racing Club was held in the A. and P. Association rooms on Thursday evening. Mr T. S. Harrison presided, and there were also present Messrs S. G. Holmes H. Green, Jer. McAnulty, Jas. M.-mger, S. E. Richards, L. L. Richards, T. Magiure, D. McNamara, C. Nordqvist, Jas. Campbell, A. McKendry, K. Hendersofa, and M. A. Stone. Apologies for absence were received from Mr W. J. Cooksley, and Mr H. A. Nickolls. . Mr Mauger reported on the work in connexion with the altering of theetarting place for tho seven furlong race. What wi3 done bo far was .approved, and it waa decided that the committee meet on the course on Saturday afternoon to complete the work. The following were added to tho Grounds Committee: —Messrs Cooksley, A. McKendry. and Jas. M-auger. in regard to th© totalisator, the cccroMTy reported that Mr McDougall would work the machiae on the same terms as previously. The secretary also reported that he had arranged with Mr W. A. .Shemeld to provide a car for use as an ambulance, and with Mr J. Rutledge to drive it. Mr Shemeld and Mr Rutledge were thanked for their generous ° fi A'recommendation waa received from the Stipendiary Steward that the nomination of Princess Thorpe be not accepted until such time as she becomes more tractable at the starting post. It was decided to Accept the nomination subject to receiving a. written insurance from, the owner that the horse was now quiet. Tho secretary waa instructed to advise iho steward to this effect. The aeorctary of the New Zealand Racing Conference wrote in reply to an application for an additional totalisator permit, advising that the application had been forwarded to the Canterbury District Committee for its recommendation. The secretary of the Conference also wrote in reference to the employment of farriers on race days, isking whether the club had had any difficulty in this connexion, and if the cluh, would be in favour of collecting farriers' fees from owners. The cub was against the proposal. The secretary was instructed to write tp the Hon. Sir R, Heaton Rhodes inviting him to be present at the race meeting and to pjesent the cup to the winner. _ The following were elected ft J remittee :—Messrs S. G. Holmes, T. S. H ar JJ* eon; J. McAnulty, J. Dowling, and H. Green; steward in charge of jockey.i Mr S. E. Richards; blackboard steward, Mr M. A. •Stone > flag steward, Mr L. Jj. Rl Mr aI J. 3' Campbell offered to provide a car to convey the starter to the startuig-plice of the various races. Mr H. Green waa anointed to act as totalisator steward. The secretary reported that satisfactory, nominaI tions for the Meeting had been received, -ind that all arrangements for the Meeting were well in hand.

TROTTING NOTES. | JComination3 for the "Wesfport T.C. s Annual Mooting close on Thursday at 8 p.m. The Auckland Trotting Club will take nominations for its Summer Meeting on Friday nest at 6 p.m. The fixture extends over three days, •and an attractive programme has been drawn ud. The principal event on the opening day is tho Auokland Trotting Cup Handicap, of 2000 eova, and a gold cup valued at 100 gnineaa. Thjo Summer Cup and the President's Handicaps, run on tho second and third day respectively, are both endowed v.-ith. 1000 6ovs, while no race on the programme is worth less than 300 eovs. At tie same time a final payment of 8 aenrs is duo for tho 19-24 Great Northern Derby, and first acceptances are due for the 1925 Derby. The Hawera-trainer V 7. Willctts, has arrived at Auckland with Eose 'Bingen and Axarawa. Both are expected to race well at Otahuhu to-day. Man o' "War is -working well at Alexandra Park, and, along wiih. Linden. Billy

Sea, is expected +o race prominently at the Otahuhu T.C.'s Spring Meeting, to-day. Tho Methven. Rating Club has. received large nominations for the two trotting events at its Annual Meeting. Amongst the horses engaged are Tenerifte, Erin's Logan, Placid, Nelson Mao, Winsome Melody, Awamoa, King Sandy, Ella Locanda, Bill Bill, and Lady Minto. ' , ' The Australian owner-trainer C. Rokkjer lias had the misfortune to lose the aged pacing stallion Golden Moss, by Ribbonwood from Chieftain. Moss Rose, who dropped dead at Ale;:»,ndra Park early in. the week, after a work-out. Tho pacing mare Cora Dillon, is on a visit to the Pour Chimes horse Matchlight. Tho brood mare Peony, by Bcllo Vue, has foaled & colt to First Fashion. J. J. Kennerley has Pedro Pronto, First Fashion, Sifter Beatrice, Rare Bell Direct, Jingal, and a maiden by Harold Dillon from Agasinia, in strong work at Belfast. Logan Chief and Lincoln Huon, who raced without success at Addington laet week, are having a spell. The Australian-bred pacer Lightnin , who was brad' to Aoron last season, is not in foal. Recently she was stinted to Great Eingen. Mr D. Spence has decided not to raco Prospect and she will visit one of tho local aires. At Kirk's Bazaar, Melbourne, on November sth, the well-known Australian sportsman, Mr A. G. Hunter, purchased a two-year-old filly by Admiral Wood from a Directory inaie. lor 305 guineas. The youngster is reported to show much promise, and is engaged in the 1925 Y.T. and R. A. Derby. • iIV V Yin Direct, an aged pacing stallion by Direct Mauritius from Yin Don, wa* successful in winning the Richmond Thousand at Melbourne earfy in tho month. There were twenty starters, .and he won. after a keen struggle in 3m 23is, equal to 2m 15s to the mile. The Forbury Park Trotting Club has received excellent acceptances for its Spring 1 Meeting, to be held on Friday and Saturday next, and complete arrangements have been made by tho club's executive to make the gathering an enjoyable _ one for the public. Particulars regarding admission charges and the regulation of passenger aris motor traffic are advertised in this issue. Excursion fares will be charged on the railways. and a special train will leave Dunedin for Chrietchurch at 9.20 p.m. on the second i day o' (, if» Meeting.