SPORTING.

Otaki Mail, 4 July 1923, Page 3

SPORTING.

The Dannevirke Steeplechase wag only an exercise canter for Whipcord, and at no stage did lie cause Ids supporters anxiety. Up to the presnt Pririae Abbey has not done as well over the small batInns as his astute trainer (R. Hannan) would expect, but as the chest- . nut son of Quin Abbey is engaged at Trentham he may show up in some j or the minor hurdle,,races. The northern-owned hack Irish Jig has a great private reputation, and many shrewd bettors lost heavily over ■ "lie Ellerslie defeat and expected to j.g.-jt even at Trentham.; but as liish [Jig was not engaged there liiccarton [may be the convincing ground. Ci'owhursf was made a. very warm CH.vonrite for the Hack Hurdles at Dannevirke on Wednesday. He duly won, but, 'his performance was onlv

.-."., inn. ■ui> ireuiuiiKwiut; wus uiuv ''air, and the chestamt~hns not' made li'io improvement one would expect with a gelding possessing the paee '".l'owhursi has shown.

rslup Socks was only raced at No- ■ :)ie.r Park. laiUhonigh on bis showing " ere lie looked certain 1o nave won it Hastings. He is engaged at Trent"'•am, and although the class is a strong one Blue Socks can 'be depended on 'o run well. \ During-the last two seasons many of the smaller race meetings have felt he "slump," but the recent. Dannevirke meeting was the (juiciest held in ii.hte half of the island for many a long day. On Wednesday last, at Dannevirke, 'he first six winners were first favourites, while in the seventh event the 'first choice of backers (Merry Queen) was narrowly beaten. Had ai\ investor backed 1 the first six winners, a nonnil ti piece, bis profits would have (iiilv been a little over £G. Mr L. Hazlett's pair of jumpers (PaJencia. and Pamplona) are nicely handicapped in the Wellington Steeplechase, a.nd as the fences are formidable this paiir of 'accomplished jumpers may run well. Klcullus, which was a, good perI'oi'mer a couple of seasons back, was produced at Dannevirke. He stripped well, but showed no form.. Passionless was a favourite for the miein sprint race a,t Dannevirke. She duly won, but, by o smia.ll margin; Will.' as the daughter of FornVby was 'ml'uicky at the start 'all the honours of the race were with her. In his engagement at Dannevirke Ma ' Rou«h.r;i was backed down to an ah- ■ snvdly low dividend. The son of Ab- | surd cje-rtoiinlv -vvon. but Baghv had : to do- his bait to land him a winner. The so-called steeplechase course at Dannevirke was an absurdly easy one,. | a»nd one is safe in sying that some of the competitors which successfully negotiated the jumps iniajy possibly . have had more difficulty in complet- ; ing a. hurdle race at. Ellerslie. i Many good judges who witnessed ! the performance of No Bother at El- ' le.rslie say that, the bay gelding will give a lot «if trouble to his opponents in the Wellington Steeplechase. ! Although En Route failed to get around in the hurdle races at. Ellerslie h-3 is not by any means a. poor jumper. The son of Advance should nih a good If miles on the opening day iat Trentham. I Oak Hose ag ; ain won easily amongst j Hie hunters at Dannevirke, and if started in minor steeplechases he would be very troublesome, as he is a.n improved 'jumper this season. | The trainer of Tenterfield fancied ■ that, gelding"at Dannevirke on Wednesday. He look charge four furlongs I from home. but. when challenged by . Patuki over the last hundred yards he < gave up without al struggle. ' Although General Petain won at Wingnfui with 12.13 to the saddle, he h'als got Into the Wellington Steeplechase at 11.8, and even with this im-, post will haive to do better than on any I previous occasion. Th' some" quarters General Petain is Wailed as Si champion, but as the southerner is affected in the wind he may never show up , in races run over a longer distance ' than three-miles. i fn sporting circles Magistrates Stout's decision in the "tipping" charge against the Manawatu Times has been Well received, as it is generally conceded that to convict on the evidence offering would have seriously interfered with the liberty of the press which in thi s Dominion is most careful to conform to the law, and m verv isolated instances onjy is the 'border line" even approached.' '. Many good trainers contend that, if a horse is a good jumper it only tends J io sour it of the game if repeated | "schoolings" are resorted to, 'and to strengthen this theory one can-quote several recent, cases of horses jumping splendidlv' with little or no jumping exercise. Previous to winning the Winter Steeples at Ellerslie, Omahu had not jumped a "brush." since last August Aitcr winning at. Wanganut, Rahul was not again tried over "cpuntrv" till the eve of his success in-the Napier Steeplechase, Then there is the case of Seadowh, which had not seen a "fence" from .Tuly of last year till he gave a nnishe'd exhibition on the Hastings course on the opening day of the recent meeting