SPORTING.

Shannon News, 13 January 1925, Page 3

SPORTING.

At the Reef ton races Bonideer ran third in the Cronadum Handicap, while Bestir was first in the High-weight. Pillage, Bitters, and Probate failed to gain places. Nominations for the Foxtou Club’s meeting shows a total increase of 54 over last year’s nominations.

The Wellington Cup has drawn a field of 25 horses representing the best class of handicap performers in training. Last year there were 31 nominations. This year’s field does not include the Auckland Cup winner Te Kara, but the New Zealand Cup winner Sunart is there, also the placed horses in both events, and the dual Derby winner Count Cavour. He and Quiescent are the only three-year-olds engaged. Mr. H. M. Bishop, of Hawke’s Bay, has been appointed assistant judge to the Wellington Racing Club. A well-known North Island owner, who has figured very prominently in the winning lists in recent years, has got tired of the game, and a clearance sale of his thoroughbred stock can be expected very shortly. T. Tito, the Hawei'a apprentice, who was severely hurt while riding at the recent race meeting at Te Awamutu, is convalescent, and expects to be discharged from the Hamilton hospital in about a fortnight’s time. It is understood that Australian buyers are negotiating for the purchase of Hipo, who recently won at Auckland. The price asked is £2OOO. At that price Hipo cannot be called an expensive horse. He is a very fine sprinter, and has proved himself also in middle distance events. i

The time, 3.34, taken for the Auckland Cup, is the slowest since Zimm'ernian won in 1907, when he covered the distance in 3.36 2-5,

The English-bred Merit, who raced disappointingly at Feilding and Woodville, had an easy win in the Bowen Handicap at Ellerslie, and further success can hardly fail to come the way of Mr. Riddiford’s importation. Te Kara, owing to kicking habits, was not (drawn for in positions at the post in the Auckland Cup, but was stood behind the field. The stewards of th’c Auckland Racing Club decided on this at the previous meeting. The following were the respective sums invested on the totalisator in connection with the four leading events decided at the Auckland Racing Club’s recent summer meeting: Auckland Cup, £23,570 10s; Great Northern Derby, £17,161; A.R.C. Handicap, £lB,888; Grandstand Handicap, £15,246 10s. Word is to hand from Melbourne that J. Cameron has decided not to take either The Hawk or Egyptian Flower to New Zealand. In this he was influenced by the announcement that the Wellington Racing Club proposes cutting the Waterloo Plate out of its summer programme. It was intended to run The Hawk in that race.

The successes of Bonny Rill in both hurdle events at Marion were popular, the daughter of Boniform being owned by Mr. J. McDonell, a steward of the club. The favourite in the First Hack Hurdles, Waioeka Jack, was hampered by the heavy going, and lie also rapped ono of the hurdles hard. It is probable the totalisator will be i-:s' ailed on Irish racecourses before those of England. Colonel McCabe, manager of the Mallow racecourse, recently announced that a double-event totalisator would be given a trial there, and if the results were satisfactory he would initiate the full system customary on Continental racecourses. Strike talk on the part of some of the bookmakers was, in a measure, responsible for Col. McCabe’s determination. Otaki racehorses that have been running in the south will arrive home tomorrow. Unfortunately Bitters and Probate suffered with colds and were not at their best. The riding of some jockeys in the south was nearly equal to that at Tauherenikau.