SPORTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 June 1924, Page 3

SPORTING.

t NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By Maecenas.) Besides the Napier Park meeting, the Ashburton Racing Club will also race to-morrow and Saturday. Royal Star is hailed as a “possibility” in the coming Grand National Hurdles race, hut on his public essays he will require to make much improvement. Royal Star is engaged at Ashburton to-morrow, but one may find that Frisco Mail is too well seasoned tor the son of Martian. The ex-North Islander Paul Pry is engaged in the Steeplechase at the Ashburton meeting to-morrow, but it would occasion no surprise should the Dun-edin-owned Galway (a stable mate of Pamplona and Loughreaj prove more than: a match for Paul Pry. The Trentham-trained Vindictive will be a runner in thd hurdle races at the Napier Park meeting, and will be ridden by H. McSweeney. Vindictive has done fair work over the battens, but may want a race of two in public before showing his best form. Evidently the committee of the Auckland Pacing Club consider the present rules of racing are in urgent need of revision, as no less than 27 remits have been sponsored by the northern body. Spoony, formerly trained by F. T. Quinlivan at Trentham, has been sent to Papakura, to enter J. T. Jamieson’s stable. Spoony ran a. good race in the Oarhine Plate at the recent Auckland meeting, but as yet is only a moderate sort. The Wellington Racing Club made a great effort to secure an extra clay for their winter meeting, but the opposition to the application was too strong. Based on the number of days enjoyed by the Canterbury, Auckland, and Dunedin Clubs, the Wellington Racing Club are not fairly treated. That well-bred filly Sunny Roe (Sunny Lake —Merry Roe) ran" a fine race in her only appearance at the Auckland meeting, and as she has been sent south for the Napier Park and Hawke’s Bay meetings she may cause a deal of bother to her opponents there. The good-looking Polonett was produced twice during the Auckland meeting, and ran well each time. If able to reproduce this when in the Hawke’s Bay district Polonett will certainly pay expenses. Guanaco is not as fast as of yore, but fences as cleverly as ever. ' He is making the trip to the Napier Park and Hawke’s Bay meetings, and with average luck he may get on the winning list for his lucky owner. The Stratford trainer J. Butler has a younger sister to the small, but speedy, Ppuma, and the improving Yoma. She shows a lot of quality, and in the opinion of her trainer she may be better than either of her relatives. In carrying 9.12, and running a mile in 1.45 on a dead track. Yoma put up a fine performance at the Auckland meeting. This was all the more meritorious by reason of the fact that Yoma started from the outside position in a field of 21 runners. On this performance alone Yoma would have an excellent chance in a race like the Winter Cup at Riccarton According to “Sentinel,” of the Otago Witness, the well-known North Island trainer R. Hatch is anxious to try his hand at the starting barrier. As a rider and trainer Hatch has an unblemished record, and has had a lot of experience with horses. Of course other qualifications just as great, and possibly greater, are required if one is to be a success at tne starting game, but until tried how are capable men to be found for such positions ? For a maiden steeplechaser Buckeye gave a display much above the average at the Wanganui meeting, and if this gelding has gone on the right way he should get on the winning list durng the next few days. Although the class engaged in the hurdle races at the Napier Park and Hawke’s Bay meetings are fairly good, ■Tenterfield will only have to reproduce his recent Jorm to place some prize money to the credit of his sporting owner. During the last couple of seasons those two excellent amateur riders, Messrs S. Howard and J. Morris, have fought several sterling battles ’ when opposing each other in trophy events. Similar performances from the' pair can be looked for this season, and the first of these eventuated at the recent Auckland meeting, where, after a great finish, the judge was unable to separate Polonett (Howard) and Spoony (Morris). Now that trainer F. Davis has lost Highland and Nigger Minstrel, his team of horses is not one* to cause envy. Indeed, if Davis is to hold his position as one of our leading trainers, a fresh lot of horses will have to enter his stable. Davis was loth to sever the harmonious relationship with Mr. T. H. Lowry, which also has been a very successful one, but for family reasons Fred decided to remain in the Auckland district. Although Rafa failed to get into the first half dozen in the first division of the Jervois Handicap at the recent Auckland meeting (this event was confined to hacks), and carried less than £350 on the totalisator in the event, he was a big tip for the chief sprint race on the concluding day, and although opposed by such good performers as Pavo, Comical, and company, Rafa carried over £I2OO, but as he was never near the front some “head” money went west. Now that the Egmont Racing Club have decided to go forward with the very necessary improvements to their course appointments, it is to be hoped that no hitch will occur to prevent such being ready for the summer meeting of the club. I understand that the new stewards’ stand will he built on the same plan (but, of course' much smaller) as that of the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham. If this is so, the choice is a wise' one, for the Trentham structure is complete in every possible detail. Southern writers are loud in their praise of the deeds and ability of the two ex-North Island owned geldings. Captain Sarto and Kipling, and describe the pair as good. Perhaps in a certain class the above-named pair are useful, hut in this island one could name, of defeating either in their own particular sphere. The possible solution of the successes of the North Island bred ones was the poor class of jumping horse that competed at Wingatui. One is safe in saving that either miaht have been beaten in hack elass at Ellerslie