SPORTING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 79, 9 March 1916, Page 6

SPORTING.

A well-known Ricoartnp trainer -who has been on a jaunt to. the North Island told me a good story about a happening at the Woodville meeting, says a South Island writer. Tie travelled to the meeting with a wellknown Hastings trainer, who lias in his stable? horses owned by .some of the biggest men in tiie land. Going down in tho train.tln> trainer gave him one of Iho big man’s cheques Tor £2O (he usii.»]ly bets in £loo’s),. and he told me during a long conversation that he wanted him to put the amount, on his horse to-morrow, and, of course, there was the usual palaver about telling no one, etc., etc.. Hoi ho! thought the Ricfcartonite—giving me a cheque the day before. He does not usually do this. And—the owner going.to-put a whole £2O on when be usually puts it on in centuries. Hello!,. £2O found if I’m any judge. Thus musing, to himself, he pretended to fall asleep, and then decided to go to the track in the morning, and look at the horse. Judge his surprise when the horse was not worked, and then the theory hardened ithat the animal was a non-trier and the £2O was a, sling away in esse the stewards asked questions. Arrived on the course at the races the southerner espied the horse, which whs hull fat, and more like a mare in I oal than a horse lit to race. Tims firmly convinced that the animal was a non-trier, the Riccartonite put the £2O :n his pocket.. Before the race the trainer found him, and asked, him for the tickets, but. the .southerner was ready for him, and had a heap of old tickets tied up with cotton which he risked. Of course the horse was unplaced, and no questions were asked, so probably to this day the Hastings trainer has not undone : his bundle of'tickets. When he does be will wake up to the fact that there are others in the game who are ns smart as he, is. .