SPORTING NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 82, 3 November 1916, Page 5

SPORTING NOTES.

(Notes by “Cicero.”) I he Auckland Racing Club’s Spring meeting also opens to-morrow. The following should he well supported in then respective engagements. Maiden Hurdle Dancastor. Great Northern Guineas Bjornoborg, Welcome Stakes Bagdad or Gwent, Onehunga Steeplechase Gluepot or Tragedy King, Shorts Handicap Kitty Beilairs or Ring Lupin, City Handicap Colonel Sonlt, Hobson Handicap Rekanui, Flying Handicap Bisogne or , Toro Toro. 1 ‘

The acceptances received by tbe Canterbury Jockey Club for their Metropolitan fixture are remarkably poor (Cup and Stewards’ excepted).. The direct reason of this is hard to account for. Possibly the war may. have an effect, or perhaps we aro in for a loan year, which occasionally ‘ we experience. Despite the lack of; competitors in the minor events, the* racing promises to be good. Proceedings will open with the Spring. Hurdles of £3OO for which event six • moderates accepted. Gladful would ■ only have to reproduce winter form \ to have the event at his mercy, but Rongahore may he more forward than I the Karamu representative. For a £SOO race the lot engaged in the Spring Plate must be adjudged very poor. Splendant on form looks “good”. Again we find an ordinary lot in the Linwood Handicap, Bramhlctye and Ascalaphns should run prominently. The fourth event on the programme is the New Zealand Cup of £2OOO, two miles, which has drawn eighteen acceptors. The race looks decidedly open, and a great contest should eventuate. Balboa (9.2) who heads the handicap is a first-class performer and a fine stayer. His best efforts last season were: First Auckland Cup two miles under 8.5, Blackall 7.7 second, Snub 6.13 third, time 3.27 1-5. Third Wellington Cup to Bee and Fir,st Glance, and second in the Great Autumn Handicap with 9.5 in the saddle to Marc Antony (7.4), Rorke’s Drift (8.3); filling third place. One point about this horse which is puzzling many is whether he is forward enough to carry such a weight. Merry Roe (8.9) is much in the boom. She is undoubtably a good mare and taking her form at Trentham where- shtn ca rried 9.13 to the front in in 1.12 is as well now as jtijne in her career. Sonlt’s performances of last season a Hj floMr s King Edward Handicap miles carrying 8.13, Colonel ( ,-Son It (9.1) and ’ Mullingar (7.7) filling, the places. Won Egmont Cup with , 9.0 in the saddle, Welcome Nugget (8.10) second. On the second day at Egmont she 1 registered her best performance for the year by carrying the welter weight of 9.13 and winning the Atkinson Memorial 1J miles in 2.7. As a three-year old the Auckland mare won the N. Z. St. Ledger, 1$ miles defeat-; , ing that good colt Chernbimi fwho woir* ~ both Canterbury and Auckland Derbies) who finished second. On the second day of the same , meeting, Merry Roe won the Gold Cup, 2 miles by fifteen lengths from Mr Greenwoods’ colt, thus proving powers. Indigo (8.3) has no form as a recommendation, Marc Antony (8.2) g lifts held the position of favourite | jjj-om the nominations, his | tlf-jit season was his succesthe | Great Autumn Handicap which ho ran in 2.34 defeating a very, “ strong field. He finished weh each day ■at Trentham. Multiply can be , written out. Rorkes’ Drift 7.13 has been backed with a lot of southftin money. He may be suited bettei *oii the lather days of the meeting. Snub (7.12) ran a couple of sterling races at Ellerslie last Christmas. He was less than a length from Balnea in the Auckland Cup, and oarryitui 8.7 ran third to Desert Gold and Eligible in the Derby. The latter defeating Mr Dalgety’s colt by half a head, time 2.32 2-5. He is looked on by many as unreliable. Mullingar (i .11) ran a good race in the last Auckland Cup. On the third day of the same meeting he won the Racing Club Handicap 1* miles, of £IOOO, defeating amongst others Colonel Soult, Blackall and Ell Gallo. Judging by track work Marble Arch’s son is well, but may fail to see out the final finish. Of the lighter weights Ardenvhor and Fiery Cross have’admirers, in fact many of the, latter gelding’s admirers look on the, race as practically over. Snub, Merrv Roe and Marc Antony may take' part in the settlement of the Cup of 1917. The Stakes, four furlongs, which carries with it a prize of £IOOO may he decided by Hymestra and .Biplane. Of the dozen acceptors for the Apprcm ' A; dees’ Handicap. Battle Eve reads well. The Stewards’ Handicap of £ISOO is next event. This creates almost as much interest as ~ the New Zealand Cup, and as.m fornv er years. Wars a very open appearance. To win this event, a horse must be capable of running at least seven furlongs on other tracks, as like the Newmarket Handicap, the event is run on a straight, and ic quires both speed and stamina. The • . three-vear-olds engaged tins year are a <rood lot, and the winner may come from one of that ago. Of those big i i„ the handicap Chortle and BimetO have had the advantage of three races of late, which is a big advantage. Egypt C. 9) * the repre - sentative of a powerful stable. He went vevv fast on several occasions last vear, notably at Trentham ip January where he carried 8.13 to victory over five furlongs in 594 seconds, and ran the Kilburn Plate (four lur- • longs) in 474. He is very well at present and must bo a thorn in the sides of the heavier weighted division. Chakwana (8.4) is a good ami brilliant mare, and should run well. Possibly Egypt, Chakwana, au d Chortle will go as fast as the majority. The first day’s programme will close with the Riccarton "Welter, in which even Gold Soult and Comely are well handicapped,