SPORTING NOTES.

Shannon News, 1 October 1926, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

Comedy Prince, who was given a physic after Wanganui, is again back in' work. All going well, the Comedy King gelding will race at the Wellington meeting prior to accompanying his stable companion, Mah.Jpng, to the New Zealand Cup fixture. Mah Jong’s. success at Wanganui has raised" his winning stake money to £450, which carries him out of hack company. His big mission is the. New Zealand Cup in which he will not be without some support from local followers and ho has already firmed .considerably in the market. He will have the benefit of racing at Otaki and Wellington before entering upon the bigessay. / stables will have three representatives in the New Zealand Cup, for, in addition to Mah Jong, Novar and Diogenes also claim engagements. The last named, who had 1 his training operations interrupted owing to a leg mishap, is still carrying plenty of condition and docs not promise to be as far forward as the other pair. The Otaki Maori Racing Club has received excellent support from Awapuni stables. No less than 19 animals one of which in' Lin Arlington, figure in the nominations for the first day.

A short portion of the outside of the grass proper at Awapuni, which originally marked the old entrance from the stables to the training tracks, is at present receiving attention in the form of re-turfirig, the sown grass neve? having properly taken. Certain other sections arc receiving similar attention. The work jn connection with the laying down of the additional tracks at Awapuni is steadily progressing, but the heavy downpour of the early morning made working conditions far from favourable, surface w r ater lying in some of the low lying sections. The cxeava--tion and transfer of the soil from the hilloek at the gates entrance is proving a job of some magnitude and some little time must elapse before it is completed. - A’ par has been going, the rounds relative to the Merry Moments mare, . Merry Bells, having thrown ?. white . foal to Backham. In conversation with an Awapuni studmaster, the writer was in formed that such was not correct. At birth the foal which eventually develops into a pure white is invariably grey, while another strange feature of the works of nature is that a grey horse is frequently coal black at birth. Zarisco worked attractively in a gallop over eight furlongs on Saturday morning at Biccarton, states the Sun', , the distance being accomplished in 1.42 4-5. She was assisted over the last five, furlongs by the two-year-old Starfligh't, who finished on particularly well. It "was his first sprint over the distance, and he displayed staying , ability. The gallop of the morning was accomplished by Footfall and Starmist, over a mile and a-quarter journey. Keeping together throughout they never slackened and the task was completed in 2.7. Money Order displayed all his old brilliancy in a dash over four furlongs. The time was 47 4-ssec. Considering he has done very little galloping it was a useful performance.