SPORTING.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 16 July 1919, Page 3

SPORTING.

—4 Among the horses to put up a fine performance at the recent AVellington meeting was Mr AV. H. Bowden’s Probity, which won the Crofton Handicap after splendid race. The mare was ridden by AV. Bowden, and paid a double-figure dividend. The win is all the more creditable to Mr Bowden from ' the fact that Probity has not been trained on a race track for the past fifteen months. “AVc can’t let our boys abandon school to become jockeys,” remarked Mr J. AV. Poynton, S.M., at tbe New Plymouth Court recently. The occasion was the hearing of a charge against Ernest George, who, being the | parent of a child 1 of school age, failed ' to have him enrolled on any school register. The truant officer stated that the boy, who was 123 years old. had not been to school this year, and the ' father had already been fined ten times. He made the plea of shortage of labour as the excuse for keeping his boy away from school, “AVhat j J labour!’’ asked the magistrate, and' when fold the boy was being trained j |as a jockey in his fathei’s stables, Mr s | Poynton said that sort of thing could j not. be allowed, as it was only “fooling” with the law. “There are too i many jockeys already,” he remarked. ; A fine of £2 and 7s costs was imposed, j Several racehorses, which have been competing at the AVellington meeting, j returned home on Monday, walking [ from Trcnthaai, father a new oxperii ence. Needless to say the attendants I did not appreciate the change. J It is reported that tbe AVellington ’ Racing Club received 3000 applications j for guinea tickets for the race Kill, i Unfortunately about 2200 could not be ; considered, as the Town Hall would not j hold more. t It is reported that Master Strowan . was in a bad way for two or three days j after the Wellington Steeplechase, and , doubts are expressed as to whether he will be able to take his niac-o in the National field next month. 1 A contingent of Feildieg horses arI rived here last night, --efter fulfilling * engagements at Trentham, and left for home this morning.