SPORTING.

Southland Times, Issue 18840, 5 June 1920, Page 3

SPORTING.

NOTES BY SIR MODRED.

D.J.C. races conclude today. Auckland meering closes Monday. Canterbury Park trots again to-day. Gisborne Winter race- June 10 and 12. Ashburton Winter tr-Uing races Thursday. C.J.C. classic entries die Friday. June 11. Dunedin classic entries close Friday next. Great Northern Steeplechase to be run today. Listening Post is reeo\ aring from severe strangles. Calma and Palladio arc entered at Napier Park. Vice-Admiral— Miss S-gna! filly called Morse Signal. Jock—Silver Peak double money came to Southland. A prominent Dunedin bookmaker is going to Australia. Magdala’s success on Tuesday impressed the hamlioapper. Onslaught will in fun-re be trained by the mentor of Warlike. Jock was risen ISib in the weights foi winning easily on Tuesday. Killowen was backed at Wingatui on Tuesday, but ran very oad!y. H. Young (Radial) nearly caught G. Young (Silver Peak: napping on Tuesday. With Silver Peak out of the way Eight Bells would have been very valuable. Magdala look- like waning a valuable Steeplechase in the is-ar future. Martifors ran a aery fair race in the Brighton Handicap on Tuesday, when Bengcroop won. Jockey Hector Grey contemplates paying a visit to England to try his luck as a horseman. The steeplechaser Arlington went sore and could not. be raced a: the Dunedm Winter meeting. BobrikotTs half brother Kipling, has resumed racing atier being spelled smee the spring campaign. The Maonland mare Star Lady, by Demosthenes—- Lady Lucy, ha.-, been engaged in the Caulfield ('up. Magdala. Grafton Tot. and Glenisla fenced very attractively in the First Hack Steeplechase on Tuesday last. Backers will ke-p a close watch, on Hot Air for some time to come, as she appear# to be coming back to ,orm. Sir George Clifford lias -old Onslaught, by .Antagonist ---Mad Whirl, to .Messrs ‘Clarkson and J. B. Pearson, of Riecarton. Glenspotise jumped badiy on the opening day at Wingatui, and T. D'Uonnor did well to stick to him on two occasions. if Whipcord could jump as well as ho ;an gallop, the son of San Francisco and Whiplash would soon ,viu a good hurdle race. Mettle Drift must have met. with =ome mishap in the Brighton Handicap on Tuesday last, ns he was never near the front, which is act hi# form. Apprentice jockey A. F. Ellis has won a large amount in stakes during the current, season, his best mounts Icing the champion, A myths*. Royal Star and Jock. It is pleasing to note that the Riverton trainer J. Thistleton led in a couple of winners at Wingatui. his successful pupils, viz.. Magriala and Sr. Cletus. accounting for both hack steeplechases. Tlii-tleton has experienced a pronounced -Weak of had luck for some time r. including the death of two of his charges of la*e, in Sarioval and Oreli, and the turn of the tide did not come before it was tong overdue.

Prim uni lias struck trouble in several of kis starts curing ilie past ice. weeks ami the Bon ot Nassau was up against it again in the Invermay Waiter at W.rgatui on Thursday. He was ha ily knocked back at a critical stage of the race ana really did well to get where he did at the finish. If um was unlucky. I Lor Air was even a greuter sufferer, as the All Red mare was humped back until her prospects appeared to be hopeless. However, ii the happenings referred Co acted to t lie detriment of (he gallopers named they may have as-i.-ted in paving the way for a win by the veteran Golden King, who i- all the wonderful horse claimed by I’. T. Hogan. Tone and again this season the Golden Knight, gelding has appeared to he a hopele.-x-. case, troubled bv pronounced infirmities, bur. somehow or other, the master of Rorke's Drift Lodge has managed to keep him on i U s legs. His victory on Thur-day is hi.-, first since January 2nd last, when he feat Mandrake by a head in dm Waihop.ti Handicap at the Fournland Racing Cluo's .-dimmer meeting. The sneers.- a dm-ved oy the Dunedin J.C, on Thursday w'dl more than even up matters for the d-e retire in receipts mi the; Opening day of -he current Winter fixture, end, nr the -amm time, go W;!V ~, seppr-o the !• rmdwho will have it 'that the metropolitan i aiy v .- tr „ foo'e-h to nir tad their Dime.fin Cup meeting in Feornary by one day m f mmr of the Jime e-.rh-onne. The leadin: club , f the .-out portion of the 5.0.-i, „ r dc ; tl m tht ’ ■>: Southland for "contributing to its -mere . |. lte years, and as Us -importers in this part of the world have declared in no ..m-r.-tefin .manner in favour ot the June gathering. the DJG will probably con:m, : .. tb< ir pohev of m conragn.g whet has h. vn p-nm-d ;h '. r>ation:i! gatnenng .-.f r|..- Soph" Alter being indulged m a neee.s-.arv diort aped bieeiham is cnr,|o aga.in bur there is some doubt as to wh -rher he’ will stand up to a preparation. Should he f ,iI to tram on the s „ n of IT-fm will probably be placed m the service of L n -,1,.,-,, when the Bind sfa-'tm comes round. When tried out as a jumper recently lac imported horse shaped particularly wed u ;t „ re . it pity that there is any d-.ubl as to his public appearance as a hurdler. lb i,. a V erv ■tout horse of except lonal pedigree how--ever, and sutdtnasters will probably welcome his auvent to the sit*, s ih vision.

It is reported that Ali Ready was unlucky in the Provincial Handicap at Wingatui on Thursday, a '’art which goes to •how that the descendant of All Red i„ racing at the top of his form at, pre.-em. The victory of Gaylight in the valuable Otago HuniU Handic.tr at Wimnnti on Thursday was not unexpected, as the son of Gay Spark displayed ; ttractive form recently when he accounted for the Welcome Hurdle Handicap at the Royal meeting at Riccartnn. He is only li w>.y o a r „|,l and •s such should improve- at the strenuous game of racing over the pattens, ii is rath-T remarkable that a .-ire vrv little heard of hitherto, viz.. Gay Spark. .-Imul.-t have his name crop up twice ou i'humday in com flection with the succes of Gaylight -and Silent King respectively latter is given as by Gay Spark or Calibre—and it is •Iso of interest to poußdanilers, as there arc several of his progeny ;us yet untried in this district. Gay Spark was not a great racehorse, but be was a well-bred animal of Clan ran aid—Catherine Wheel. A leading sportsman 'v'm is also a member of the Racing Conierence, expressed the opinion recently that ' v. o measures that were almost certain to become law next, month were the system id licensing by a committee of the cuiib ranee and a uniform 7st minimum. He argued that there should be tin appeal from the committee of the conference to the full conierence, in the event of any person feeling aggrieved at the withholding of his licet;-'e. Jockey 11. Hewitt i- at present under medical ail’-ntion in Auckland, on account of trouble in one of his ~ gs.

It is reported that Mr 11. W. Drown (owner of Arrow.-ndth, KilruMi, and Daytime i ha.' purchased from Mr .1. Grigs the English-bred horse Counter Attack, by .Jaeger—Assertive. by Cocksure II. —The Tabard. He is ar present having a spell after which tie will jnin the stable controlled by F. Christmas at Ricearton. The greatest of New Zealand racehorse? and sires. Carbine, has played a prominent part in the history of the Epsom Derby, as his son Spearmint won the world’s principal three year-old race in 1906, and now Spionkop, a son of Speurment, scores in the Derby of 1920. Spionkop was it consistent. but unlucky performer last season. He ran sis times, and was second on five occasions, and once third. He is owned by Captain G. Coder, a son of Major I-.’. Lodcr, who won lh>> Derby and Grand Pits de Paris with Spearmint in 1906. Like bis sire, the great son of Musket and iler-

sey, Spearmint was a stayer and it would appear that the latter’s son, Spionkop, takes after his famous relatives. When Carbine was purchased for export to England by the Duke of Portland, it was with the declared object of improving the breed of stayers in England, and it must be said that the results were up to expectations, as the descendants of the Aucklander have won over all distances in Great Britain since those far off days.

Mr E. W. Alison, junr., has disposed of the hurdler Thrace for 500 guineas, subject to veterinary examination, but the name of the buyer has not been disclosed. llis host of friends in Southland will bo highly pleased to hear of the success of G. Fielding in steering Lochella to victory in the Great Northern Hurdle Race, and hope for his further success to-day with the son of Graftcn Lock in the Great Northern Steeplechase. Trainer C. Christie has always contended that Lochella is one of the best jumping horses ever bred in Maoriland, and results are working out that way with wins in the New Zealand Grand Nati< hi til Steeplechase and Great Northern Hurdle Race on the credit side of the ledger. Mr R. Acton Adams has implicitly trusted in Christie’s judgment and has hacked a winner after a spell of inditferent luck with expensive horses. He has now probably bet'n influenced by his trainer in contemplating a trip to Australia with Lochella.