SPORTING.

Shannon News, 16 February 1923, Page 3

SPORTING.

The Levin owner, Mr J. O’Connor, will have Pleasure trained locally in future.

The Otaki representative, Petunia, is having some success in the south. On Saturday the Absurd gelding landed the Warrington Handicap at the ..Dunedin meeting) and won com- . tortably. At the same meeting Glentruin ran a second to Many Kittle in the Hazlett Memorial. This 'imported mare—- ' one of the smartest gallopers in the Dominion—seems to have a lot of bad luck, being shut out from the big end , of the money in several big races by narrow margins. • The Otaki-trained Probate, who is having a successful racing season, scored in the Second Welter Handicap’ at Gisborne on Saturday. The Otaki horseman, Ryder, was in the saddle. South Island sports are puzzled „ over the defeat of .the brilliant filly Dazzle Dazzle at the Dunedin meeting by Wild Hind. It is reckoned by some that her trainer has been too easy on her since her' victories at Trentham. Over the middle portion of the journey she appeared to be winning comfortably, but she failed to finish on, and Wild Hind beat her in the run to the judge. Another version is that Razzle Dazzle was not . wisely handled. The Wingatui course . severely tests two-year*olds who have big weights to carry, and it is argued that Razzle Dazzle was beaten through being hunted to the front too soon. „ The Merry Moment—Labour Day filly Merry Day, who lias been in the limelight of late, is apparently to be included among the lucky purchases, as a Napier writer states she was bought by her present owner, Mr A. E. Booth, f6r the small outlay of £4O. At three years old, Merry Day won £SBO in stakes, and a totalling up of figures bearing on her captures this season shows the same to be £2817. A big string of horses are at work on

the .Wanganui tracks in view of the * Wanganui and other early These ipclude Explorer, Battle Song/ Khartoum, Thespian, Lisfowel, The Hawk and others. > Oakleigh, .winner of the last Grand National Steeplechase, has been put into work at Ellerslie after a lengthy spell, and will be prepared'for the. jumping season. The death is reported at Blenheim of Mr L. Griffiths, for many years sec- ' retary of the Blenheim Racing and Trotting Club.' • The well known horseman, L. G. Butler, has been suspended for three months for the alleged careless riding of Deroulede'at Woodville.' The mishap appeared to tie accidental owing to his mount swerving and interfering with other horses in a race. Butler is appealing against the decision. The form displayed by Olynthus in winning a hurdle event at Woodville suggests he may have further successes over the battens during the next few months. Two. Westport sportsmen are negotiating for the purchase of the North Island galloper, Maioha. ' There is a. yearling filly, an own sister to the brilliant filly Razzle Dazzle, at the W'aikanae stud, and the brood mare Simper has a Boniform colt at foot, which : is described something out .of the ordinary. / A Southern punter recently claimed that he put up a record by backing three non-triers in one day at the same meeting. ‘ Palestrina’s recent win in- the Midsummer Handicap at the Canterbury R.C. meeting makes her secbnd success in -this event, having wOn last year. It is probable that the mare will be sent north to contest the Wanganui Cup. A southern writer, iri referring to a small country meeting, says: “It is hard for country clubs to show a profit these days, with taxation relentlessly squeezing them to death, while the enemies of’ the turf smile and preen themselves with satisfaction.”