SPORTING NOTES.

Shannon News, 3 July 1923, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

If produced at Marton on Wednesday Demos should be much in deimaind, as his showing at Otaki was

verging on his best. Ataipo was unlucky to suffer defeat by M'a Boughal ait Dannevirkei. The black gelding is well, and if started at Marton on Wednesday will have lots of admirers.

The Dannevirke Steeplechase was only an exercise canter for Whipcord, and at no stage did he cause his supporters anxiety. Up to the. presnt Prince Abbey has not done as well over the small battens as his astute trainer (R. Hannon.) would expect, but as the chestnut son of Quin Abbey is engaged at Trentham he mialy show up in some of the minor hurdle races. The northern-owned hack Irish Jig has a great, private reputation, and. many shrewd bettors lost heavily over the Ellers lie defeat land expected to get even at Trentlmnii : .-but- as Irish Jig was not engaged there Ric carton may be. the convincing ground. Crowhurst was ina.de a, very warm favourite for the Hack Hurdles at Dannevirke on Wednesday. He duly won, but his performiahce wa:s onlyfair, and the chestnut, has not marie the improvement one would expect with a. gelding possessing the pace Crowhu rst has shown.

Blue Socks was only ra.ced at Napier Park, ialthouigh on his showing Ije looked certain to have won at Hastings. He is engaged at Trentham, and although, the class is a strong on© Blue Socks dam 'be depended on to run well.,

During the last two seasons many of the smaller race meetings have felt the “slump,” but. the recent Dannevirk© meeting was the quietest held in. this half of the island for many a long daiy. On Wednesday last, at Dannevirke, the first six winners wer© first favour-, ites. while in the seventh event, the i first, choice of backers (Merry Queen) was narrowly beaten. Had an investor backed the first six winners, a pound a piece, his profits would have only been a little over £6. Mr L. Hazlett’s pair of jumpers (Palencia and Pamplona) are nicely handicapped in the Wellington Steeplechase, and as the fences are formidable this pair of 'accomplished jumpers ma,y run well. • Elcullus, which was ar good performer a couple of seasons back, was produced at Dannevirke. He stripped well, but showed no form. ! Passionless wias a favourite for the open sprint race at Dannevirke. She duly won, but by a smia-11 margin; but as the daushter of Formby was unlucky at the start 'all the, honours of | the .race were with her. . I In his engagement at Dannevirke Ma Bough,ai was backed down to an absurdly low dividend. The son of Absurd “certainly won, but Bagby bad to do his best to land him, a, winner. ■ The so-called steeplechase course at, Dannevirke was an absurdly easy one. I and one is safe in sying that some of , the competitors which successfully I negotiated the jumps mlay possibly j have had more difficulty in completing a hurdle race at Ellerslie. | Many good juidges who witnessed the performance of No Bother at El~ lerslie say that, the bay gelding will give a- lot of trouble to his opponents in the Wellington .Steeplechase. The Ramgitikei Hunt Club bold their meeting on Wednesday, and the Wellington Racing Club’s winter fixture opens on the following Saturday. Although En Route failed to' get around in the hurdle races 'at Ellerslie he is jnot by any means a poor i jumper. The son of Advance should rah a good If miles on the opening rfav iai Trentham. Oak Rose again won easily amongs + the hunters at Dannevirke, and if started in minor steeplechases he would be very" troublesome, as he is an improved jumper this season. The trainer of Tenterfield fancied that gelding" at Dannevirke on Wednesday. He took charge four furlongs from home, but when challenged by Patuki over the last hundred yards he gave up without tal straggle. Although General Retain won at Wingatui with 12.13 in the s'addle, he has got into the, Wellington Steeplechase at. 11.8, and even with this impost will have to do better than oh any nrevious occasion; Tn some quarters General retain is had led as ai champion, but as the southerner is affected in the wind he may never show 1 up in .races- ran over a longer distance than three miles. In sporting circles Magistrate s . Stout’s decision in the “tipping” j charge against the Mahawatu Times , haig been well received, as it is gen- i erally conceded that to convict on the | evidence offering would have serious- 1 ly interfered with the liberty of the press, which in. this Dominion is ntost • careful to conform to the law, and in very isolated instances only is the ‘border line” even approached. Many good trainers contend that if a, horse is a good jumper it only tends to sour it of the game if repeated “schoolings” are resorted to, land to strengthen this theory one can quote several recent cases of horses jumping splendidly with little or no jumping exercise. Previous to winkling the Winter Steeples at Ellerslie. Omahu had not, jumped a “brush” since last August. After winning at Wanganui, Banmi was not again tried over “counUrv” till the eve of his success in the Napier Steeplechase. Then there is the case of Seadown, which had not seen a “fence” from. July of last year till he gave a finished exhibition on the Hastings course on the opening day of the recent meeting.