SPORTING.

Shannon News, 31 July 1928, Page 3

SPORTING.

■ Acceptances. The acceptances for the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting close at 8 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday. G. N. Curtain-raiser. Much interest .will be taken in the Christchurch Hunt meeting on Saturday, mainly since it will give some light as to the prospects of Grand National candidates. It has always been regarded as a curtain-raiser to the C.J.C. Grand National meeting whieh commences ten days later. The biggest stake-winner. A statistical review of the 1927-23 lacing season shows Star Stranger to be the biggest winner with £4630 to his credit. Next on the list is Rapier, £4318; Beau Cavalier, £3655 and Glendowie £3400. The best jockey, Much interest was centred on the two leading joekeys at, Gisborne, this meeting, bringing tlfe present racing season to a close, and deciding the jockey premiership. T. Green had a lead of two over R. Reed before the meeting and each secured a single win so that the former is now the winner by two victories, the figures being 75 and 73 respectively. A. E. Ellis was a close third with 69. Awapuni again. . Trainer G. W. New was the most successful trainer during the season having secured 37 wins. J. T. Jamieson was next with 30 .winners and C. Giesler third with .29. Back to work.

Frisco Jack, who went wrong some time back, is nominated to appear at the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting to be run on Saturday next. He is quite a useful sort and providing he has sufficiently recovered from the setback should be able to make an inter esting race of the steeple events. OTAKI MAORI RACING CLUB. ALLOTTED DATES MAY BE ALTERED. ’ The Otaki Maori Racing Club, which in past years have held their spring meeting late in September, or early in October, have this year, as the result of an application,'been allotted November 23 and 24. These dates it was fully expected would greatly benefit the Club both in totalisator investments aiu! number of acceptances. The fields at the last spring meeting were exception- ’ ally poor and in the two-days racing there were, three one-dividend races, while there was one race with six starters, one with seven and five with eight starters. Out of the sixteen races only six had more than eight runners. The small fields which predominate a' these meetings is attributed to tin fact that the fixture was held too early in the new season and there was a general absence of seasoned runners c.i those whieh had had the necessary training to compete in races. Small fields will always have a depreciating effect on the totalisator returns. Thi.is a factor which accounts for the big difference in “tote” investments when compared with the June meeting. Tin average investment per raee at the las winter fixture was £2B7s‘while in October the average was no more thar £1666.

According to the dates allotted by the Racing Conference the Otaki meet ing will be held on the iveek following the Levin fixture, but the former elu are unfortunate in that their dateclash with those of the Wellingto. “trots” and it is understood that the, are applying for an alteration to December. In the event of being unsuc cessful in that respect and the Noi ember dates having to stand, the, should, at least, be favoured with big ger fields than was the ease last yea as, there is little doubt, mentors wii patronise the Levin meeting will go o' to Otaki, when the cost of transpoi will only be a fraction more and th three days’ racing would make a worth while trip, both clubs receiving th benefit. LEVIN RACING CLUB. ..MEETING WILL BE HELD IN.. NOVEMBER. Much disappointment was felt wher it became known that the Levin Rac ing Club had not been allotted an extra day’s racing as it was generally expressed that the sueeess which attended the- last fixture gave the local club a good claim for the extra day especially' when comparisons were made with some of the small clubs who were allowed four days a 1 year. Levin enjoyed a two-day meeting in earlier ye’ars and it is hoped that with their substantial claims, including an attractive course equal to that of any country' club in the Dominion, the untiring efforts of its officials will regain that privilege in the course a year or two. This year’s fixture is scheduled to take plaee on November 17th, a week before the dates allotted to Otaki.

FOXTON GIVES UP JANUARY 22.

ALLOTTED TO. ASHHURST

Ror many years past the Foxton Racing Club, which is one of the oldest racing bodies along the west coast, has been accustomed to holding its annual fixture on Anniversary Day, January--22, the fact that that date is a general holiday having resulted in making the fixture a pleasant attraction to Palmerston North and district enthusiasts. However, with the larger Wellington Club in direct conflict, the officials of the Foxton Club deemed it preferable/ to abandon their old dates and they accordingly made -application for January 16 and 17 which would free them from direct opposition to the stronger

city club whieh by reason of its greater stakes, attracted the better class animal, even if they were faced with the danger of losing at least a section of their holiday crowd. With January 22nd vacant, Ashhurst Racing Club determined to apply for the date in lieu of November 21 as formerly, and the holiday lias been allocated to them by the Racing Conference. While it is quite reasonable to expect that Ashhurst will benefit by the change of date from the point of . view of attendance and totalistor turnover at least, it is somewhat doubtful whether the same success will attend the Foxton Club in its venture. However, it is not improbable that, by the transfer to January 16 find 17, district mentors at least will the opportunity to give their candidates a final race a week before the larger Wellington fixture opens and the, strength of the fields might be considerably stronger in consequence.