SPORTING NOTES.

Shannon News, 8 October 1926, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

\ ■ THE OTAKI MEETING. The acceptances for the Otaki Maori Racing Club ’s meeting (October Bth and 9th) are exceptionally good, in fact much better than last September. There is an increase in all events except one, . and there the total is the same as last year. The class of horses is good, and provided the weather is fipe there should be splendid racing. Visitors are expected from' all parts of the Island, and a record . meeting is looked f&r. Automne, Ngawati and Thrcadneedle . have been scratched for all engagements -at • the Otaki meeting, v . - . Mr.'Shaw has the Otaki course looking well for the coining races and provided fine weather prevails everything will be right up-to-date. The judge’s b<?x has . been removed back. severe 1 feet, and is - now ; ereeted on concrete pillars, and made the level of the Stewards’ stand. A fine new sand roll has been prepared, an acquisition that no doubt will find' favour with all owners and trainers. Many Colours is stated to 1 be back in work at Greenmcadows looking very fresh. He will be at Eiccarton in November. pink Note and. Pink Terrace are reported to be striding out very freely in the south. Pink Note has reeovered from his cold.i i Irapuka is reported to have pulled'up lame following exercise in Taranaki the other morning. ' , Crossfire, Closefire and,. Lucernal are being kept; going in Taranaki in preparation for the, Otaki meeting. Corn Money is reported to be 'coming to hand quickly and is considered to be a likely proposition this season. ' . Bugle Note, the*: ex-Woodvillo hack is spoken of as being very fit at present. He promises to be prominent at 'Dunedin. Dismantle is considered to be one' of tlie best three-year-olds at. Wingatui. /.She is stated to be striding out bi'il-. .Tlautly in her track work and is considered -a likely candidate for honours in the Dunedin Guineas. • , . ' i * .. Taranaki reports' mention that Apathy has bV II turned out since Hawera having received a nasty cut. The Tree Lucerne gelding is, however, making a good recovery, but will be off the. scene for some time. \White Fanjjj, the smart Gisborne hack, .hasr a promising youngster relative named White Sister. The former is reported to be training on well. Bay Dighton and Vivo are reported to be doing all that is asked of them in Taranaki. They are a promising pair. Mr. W. H. Ballinger promised to play a more prominent role diiring the course of the'day when Axle took second honours in the First Hurdle Handicap, the opening event, but the run was not continued, although Royal ( Game was third .in the Raukapuka Hack Handicap.' The Wellington owner’s third candidate, Waetae, was outsider of the, field in the big race and apparently Tan accordingly. The New Zealand Cup candidate, Full Swing, who is not without plenty of supporters for the big event next month, accounted for the opposition at Geraldine on Thursday in easy fashion, Heather Lad,' the second place getter, being three lengths away., Backers of the winner had to be content with a comparatively short price. | Lancer, the winner of the Ohapi | Hack Handicap was ridden by the ap- I prentice jockey, A. Eastwood, who ha.o | his first inount at the'Ashburton hature last week when he rode the same horse into third place in the second division' of the Trial. A hot in the imported Violet 11, was beaten

by the youthful horseman into second place. jt , ' Moorland, the winner of the Squatters' Handicap, was not telegraphed among the acceptors for- the event. Such episodes occur fairly regulariy and followers of the sport certainly wonder how such oversights are possible.