SPORTING NEWS.

Hastings Standard, Issue 413, 31 August 1897, Page 2

SPORTING NEWS.

[By Giesy Grand.] Another attempt is to be made to train Dante for hurdle racing. Venus, engaged in the Cup, is by Mozart from Stars and Stripes. She will be seen under silk at the coming Dunedin meeting. The two Cup favorites —Euroclydon and Waiuku—are in splendid health and doing good work. I prefer the latter's chance. Petroline has received top weight—9st 61b in the Flying at Marton. Rangipuuehu heads the list in the Hurdles with list 81b. In referring to the number of fatalities that have taken plaace in jumping races in Australia a Sydney writer pens the following:—" The lamentable ending on August 7 in the G.N. Hurdle Race at Caulfield of the brilliant but ill-starred dual V.R.C.Grand National winner,Buzzi, following so closely the ominous calamities of the consistent larrikin, the sturdy Woonooke, and the unfortunate Larnook, recitHs'vividly to sporting readers' mind the singular coincidences chronicled last year with reference to the untimely fatalities to that wonderfully game steeplechaser Dungau, the unlucky J. 0.1., the staunch and speedy Artist, the champion South Australian hurdle racer Radiant, and the local horse Tenalba, together with the sad death of the jockey McLeod. The unpleasant reminiscences of those painful events also revived the ostensible fact that each horse enumerated in the above disastrous catalogue of turf accidents is remarkably associated with the thirteenstarter theory evolved in your sporting notes 12 months ago. Of the 13 starters in the V.R.C. G.N. Hurdles, the winner last year, Buzzi, and Woonooke and Artist, have since been killed; while of the 13 runners in the Steeplechase last year the winner, Dungan, and J. 0.1, and Larnook, have also been killed since. In a field of 13 horses in the Caulfield G.N. Steeplechase last year the worthy winner, Larrikin, has also followed the fatal footsteps of the above valuable specimens of the noble thoroughbred.