SPORTING.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 8 March 1920, Page 3

SPORTING.

Mr J. Jackson's Wirokino is again in Mr Frank Higgott's hands, and is doing slow work. Soporific is still being spelled at Foxton on account of lameness. There is no chance of him again racing for some time.

A two-year-old by Treadmill out of Alecto is now doing slow work on the Otaki track.

After protracted negotiations it is reported that the Wanganui Jockey Club has purchased Mrs D. Taylor's Westmere property for the future location of their racecourse. Tho property is a fine one, adjoining the Westmere railway station, and contains 175 acres. R. J. Mason will probably go,over to Sydney to avoid the rigours of the Canterbury winter, and take a couple of horses with him. Gloaming has been blistered and turned out.

While exercising Lady Realwood (Allwood —Reality) on the Feilding track the other morning, the mare struck herself and will consequently have to be eased in her work. This is hard luck for Owner Kerr, who has the pacer in nice nick in view of the Palmerston trotting meeting next month.

An interesting contest, took place at Ballarat recently at the conclusion of a trotting meeting, when tho comparative speed of an aeroplane and the well-known trotter Malto was tested. The aeroplane pilot imdcrtook to travel over the racing track (about a mile) four times while the horse went once round. The movements of both aeroplane and trotter were viewed by some thousands of people. Before tho aeroplane had gone a round and a half Malto, driven by Owner Ma gill, had covered half the journey, and, after a vigorous trot up the straight he passed tho winning post amid cheeres, leaving the aeroplane in the rear about three furlongs away. The betting was two to one on the aeroplane.

Kyoto will shortly join Idle. Talk at Mr Nat Williams' stables. Waimatao is at present enjoying a spell, being sore, while Hushabye is also being given a well-earned rest. There was a sensational happening at the Nelson Trotting Meeting on Friday in the Wakefield Handicap, the seventh race on the programme. There were four grey horses in a field of fourteen, and one or other o£ them was always prominent. Passing the stand three- of them—Cloraine, Grey Belle, and Wairoa Belle —wero in the lead. Six forlongs from home Grey Belle dropped out. Cloraine still led Wairoa Belle half a mile from home. The latter took charge in the straight and won easily. There was only one ticket on the machine on tho winner, and when the announcement of a dividend of over a thousand pounds was made on the blackboard in front of the machine as soon as the horses passed the post the crowd became greatly excited. They surged round the machine to get a view of the lucky holder of the winning ticket, aud a Blenheim hotelkeeper, who was supposed to hold tho valuable piece of cardboard, was carried shoulder high. After some time the excitement died down when tho horses were paraded for the next race. It is understood the ticket was taken out by a partner in a Nelson business firm. The money was not collected on the course.