SPORTING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 14, 15 January 1913, Page 2

SPORTING.

0 TARANAKI AUTUMN MEETING.’ The Taranaki Jockey Club’s autumn meeting takes place on February l‘_' and 13, and ohers well-endowed engagements for all classes of horses. 01 the sixteen events cafided, eight arc “open” and eight (including two hurdle races )are reserved tor Hacks. Stakes offered total £I9OO, allotted out as follows: —Taranaki Cup, £3OO, one mile and a quarter; Paul Memorial Handicap, £2OO, one mile and a distance; three open sprints, £l5O each, and one of £IOO, two open welter handicaps, one mile, £IOO each; two /lack hurdle races, one mile and a half, £IOO each; four hack handicaps of £IOO each; two hack hurdle races, one mile arid a half, £IOO each; four hack handicaps, of £IOO each; and two hack scurries, £SO each. The’ club’s secretary, Mr. E. P. Webster, will receive entries for all events — ..fees one sov. each—up till 9 p.m. on Friday, Jamiary 17, 1913, and there should bo a good number of entries from this district.

Bobrikoff lias had so many ailments during his racing career that it is rather remarkable that he should lie still on the scene, at eight years old, much less to preserve sufficient of his form to win such a race as Auckland Cup, even under the lenient treatment extended to him. It may not be generally known that Mr. H. Friedlander bred Bobrikoff and sold him as a yearling to Mr. E. J. Watt for 80 guineas. Mr. Watt seems to have soon tired of his purchase, and offered him at auction without success, Bobrikoff being subsequently disposed of privately to his present trainer, F. Davis, for less than the price Mr. Watt had paid for him. In due course he was handled, and commenced to show some promise. At that time, in addition to acting as private trainer to Mr. T. H. Lowry, Davis held a jockey’s license, so that he was debarred from racing the horse himself. The result was that he passed Bobrikoff on to Mr. Lowry, who has owned him ever since.

Prompt and very proper action by Mr. W. Garment, stipendiary steward, prevented what might have been serious trouble at the Ballina Christmas races. It seems that when the acceptances for the first race on the second day were posted on the course three horses remained in—Bigal, Ballina, and Noble Fly. “The books” opened up at 6 to I against the field, Bigal being immediately backed down to even money, while Ballina was accorded solid support at 2 to 1. When the time for starting approached, it was discovered that Noble Fly was not on the course, and the bookies wore a very anxious look, while punters who had got in early, were congratulating themselves on the good price obtained.

However, the stipendiary steward

(Mr. Garment), on being appealed to, declared all bets off, and Noble Fly’s owner was fined £3 for late scratching. A record for non-starting has been put up by the Hokitika racehorse 'Hillspring. After refusing to start at the Reef ton and Greymouth meetings, also on four occasions at the Westland Racing Club’s midsummer meeting, bold recently, this horse went to the post twice last week at a small meeting held at Kohatahi, and on both occasions refused to start, thus having refused on ten consecutive occasions to leave the starting post. At I r.e conclusion of the races Hillspring was put up to auction, but was passed in at CO. _____