SPORTING NEWS. By Hippona in the " Auckland Star."]

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 400, 7 September 1889, Page 6

SPORTING NEWS. By Hippona in the " Auckland Star."]

ELLERSLIE VISITED. The delightful spring weather of the present week has enabled local trainers to push their charges along with a view to forthcoming engagements. J. Konn had the whole of his team down at Ellerslie on Tuesday,and they ali performed serviceable work. I paid a visit to the course on Wednesday morning, for the purpose of seeing how tho horses brained there wore progressing. All the work was done on the course proper, outside the hurdles. JWnjor George's pair of two-year-olds, Reprisal, by First King — Memphis, and Vendetta, by St. Albans— Tho Maid, accompanied by ITiesole, woro clown before breakfast. The youngsters were pent once round in company, J'eprisal I Rhnping like a leal tradesman. Fieeole, who i<* looking woll, put in a couple of round's ab a useful pace, finishing up fast. Atter breakfast, there wero a lot of hoiues^ on the course. Hilda was sent a couple of ciicuits at a slow pace. This maie is hoalthy and well, but very much on the big side. Ciapy lias furnished out a good deal, but not so much as I would have liked. She has evidently done a good deal of useful work. The daughter to Trenton accomplished a nice (striding gallop, moving very ficoly. With Coi unna out of tho road, Cihsy should make a bold bid for the Guineas ab the forthcoming Spring Meeting. In heigh j, she now stands 16.1. Lady Norah was sweated over three miles, and moved freely. Sho showed no signs of fcho mishap she mot with a couple of weeks back, when .she struck one of her legs w hile working in the middle of the cou«se. Tho ware is on the big side. The disappointing Patchwork was also sweated. This horse is being schooled for the jumping business. Harry Harrison has six horses under his care, including a couple of two-year-olds, Claucus, by Somnus — Irishwoman, and a colt by St. Lcger — Atalanta (half brother to Paddy). The pair merely cantered. Both of the youngsters are backward and in tho rough, Glaucus only being taken up a couple of weeks back. He is a nice shapely colt, and when ready should bo able to gallop. The St. Leger colb is a big powerful upstanding fellow, with good bone, bub he will want time. Antelope did slow work. This marc appears quite again, but one of her hocks still shov^ signs of the unfortunate accident she met wioh in bha lasb Auckland Cup. Raglan looks in booming health, and ho may reward Harrison for tho good wintering he has evidently received. Percent additions to the team aro Tupaki's full brother and a grey maie named Seaweed, by Corsair, brought up from the Thames, in which district she has won one or two small races. Seaweed originally hailed from Oisborne. Sho is an excellent jumper, and i,b is in thi-> class of contests sho will figure. Harry Hickton sent W. E. Gladstone, the colt by Musket — Miss Laura, a couple of circuits at half-pace. This is a fine upstanding horse, and on his looks he should be able to race. Priscilla, a two-year-old filly by Captivator — Patch, performed a u^ctul once round. Sho is rather small, but shapely, and is much like her sire in appearance. Among the others that worked were Major George's Clive, and his two-year-old tilly. Miss Cole, by King Colo — Tenambra, who is a well-made little lady. Adam Skivving's two-year-olds, Cartridge, by King Cole — Melody, and Master Pat, by King Cole — Eileen Allanah, cintered once round. Mr Bobbett's colb Quadrant was nob woiked, bub during the morning I noticed him having a couple of hours' run in a naddock at Green Lane. George Wrighb did not have either Tcxsum or his two-year-old filly Mary on the course, but he took me up to his stables, where I looked over the pair in their boxes. These pair are the most forward in condition ab Ellerslie. I ha\e always entertained a great opinion of Mary, and I was more pleased than ever with her after my visit. She is beautifully put together, and Wright deserves praise for the condition ho has her in. [f Mary does nob secure Nordenfeldt hie first victory, I shall be a false prophet. Since last autumn an hnpiovcmenb has been made in bhe surroundings of the course by planting trees along the vacant space down tho avenue from Green Lane to the back entrance to the gtandstand, and also on the Club,3 property leading from the railway platform. A circle of trees has likewise been planted ab tho back ot the grandstand and totalisator house. The trees aro now sproutins, and it is intended to place peats under them, which will be much appreciated by the public at large. It has always been a wonder to me why one or two good shady trees are not planted in the middle of the saddling paddock, and I don't think tho picscnt season should be allowed to pass without it being done. Ruddy, it is quite e\ident, does his part of the woik well, and he is now busy renewing the flower beds in front of the giandsbanci, while bhe training tracks are in excellenb order for the time of year. If there is one thing required on bhe course more than another, it is a new scratching boaid in the paddock, for the one there has been an eyesore to everyone who visits the place. The numbers arc so small and indistinct that one roquires a pair of spectacles to decipher them, even at a elope distance. Surely some of the Committee will advocate the erection of a new board befoie tho Spring Meeting comes round, and alto see thab bho.«e outsido the paddock aie also provided with one, erected near the totalizator house.

THE KOHIM&RAMA-TRAINED HORSES I hud a run down bo J. Keans private training establishment at Kohiraarama one morning this week, and spent an enjoyable timo looking over his string. The veteran trainer has twelve hordes in work. I was well pleased with Gorunna, Certainly, he has not grown up to any great extent, but he has furnished and thickened, and a moro compact and better put together horse you could not find. His quarters and thighs are something wonderful, and his legs are beautifully t clean. Corunna has not yet lost his winter coafc, bufc he bears evidence of having done a lot of u&eiul work, although I question whether he has done any strong galloping. Cuirassier stands out like a giant above his companion, and he has lost the superfluous Uesb that racegoers have seen him carry. A ■windgall on one of his hocks has caused his trainer some anxiety, and the blemish is still plainly visible. I understand, though, so far it has not interfered with his preparation. The great son of Musket will want a Jot of strong work, before ho is wound up, but at the same time ho shows thatKeanhas not been idle with, him. The game-looking Leopold is in blooming health, and despite the hard work of last season, his legs show no effects of it. Fabulous has furnished considerably during the winter, and is looking healthy and well, and the latter remark appplies to Fusee. Kean has La Dauphine, who created the surprise in the Nursery Handicap at the last A. R Q. Summer Meeting, in hand again. She has grown and

furnished into a fine-looking mare. The only two-year-old in the stabto is Cambria, by Nordenfeldt— Erycina. He is too small for my likfng,' but so far, as he has been tried he is reputed to possess the galloping ability of the family from, which he spring?. Among the others in the stable, was JVlontro.«e, by Ingomar — Dundee's' Katie, who looks a much improved animal to when he was down at Ellerslie ; while the Ingomar — Rangi gelding lately put in Keans hands is fast losing Ms superfluous flesh.

A PROMISING TWO-YEAR-OLD. During the week I journeyed to Major M airs prettily- &ibuabed homestead at Lake Takapuna, where is located one of the grandest -looking two-year-olds that I have over looked over. It would be a hard task for tho most captious critic to find a fault in his formation. He has 2>lo»ty of size, length, bone, and substance, and it> ovenly made all over ; in &hort, he id what racing 1 men call a " plum." In colour the colb is a beautiful bay, and tho only mark of whito he possesses is a miniature star on the forehead. The youngster has been named The Dreamer, and he was sired by Traducor's fou Somnus, from Sweet Alice, by Sledmere. There is a doubt about the breeding of the colt on the dam's rfide, bub in appearance Sweet Alice herself look? as pure-bred a-? Eclipse. At present inquiries are being maie in Sydney ■with a view to tracing back hir pedigiec. The Dreamer, in all likelihood, will be seen out in the soring, but it will bo later on in the season before he is wound up, for the wise policy of not forcing tho colb is being pursued. The owner of Tho Dreamer is the class of men we want to see taking an active part in turf purfeuits, and I should hail with delight the success of his colours in an important race.

STUD NEWS. "The first ot the Nelsons "made their appearance on Sunday last at Major George's establishment at Wapiti, Florence producing a colt foal to the erst racecour&e favourite. She ajrain visits Nelson. At Sylvia Park, Nelly Moore (the dam of Lochiel and Covunna) has produced a colt foal to Novdenfeldt, and Pulchra (dam of St. Clair) a filly to the same sire,

TRAINING OPERATIONS AT HASTINGS. The iSTapier scribe "Hippo" thus recounts a reconfc morning's work atHastings,and in view of the iorthcoming spring meetings his remarks are interesting;: — Whisper and Man Friday were senttwice round thcplough together, Whisper being able to romp past the colfc afc any distance. When near the end of their gallop the boy let the mare have her head, "and she came right away from the son of Robinson Crusoe. The little mare is doing and going well. Lady Florin, who is looking big and well, worked by herself ; she is going really well. Tit and Soudan went twice round the plough together. The chestnut lilly has improved a lot since she was seen at the Napier Park winter meeting. She is now gointr fairly well, and is still on the improve. Soudan is looking fi ebher than ever. The Tres Deuce and Pearl Ash fillies were spurted along together. They arc two very nice fillies, and are likely to improve a lot with age. Strephon and Quilt did two miles on the plough together. They are t«o good colts, but Quilt has not yet got o\cr his accident, and walks very lamo after his gallop?. Tirailleur and Renata did the usual twice round together, both going well. Tirailleur has improved more than any of the other last year's two-year-olds ; he used to , be a long-legged, badactioned colt, but he has now thickened out and improved in his action wonderfully, and with a little more timo and work he may still further improve in appearance and sryle of sroing. Renata is a really good-looking colt all over. He is short of work, but if I mistake not is a fast one. Kotuku, if she trains on, will, with a light weight, be able to travel ;..%he look 3 a speedy lady. Marshal iS'ey was schooled over the hurdles, jumping fairly well. He should make a good hurdler. Pearl, since her retirement from the turf, has acquired a peculiar habit of making a trumpet-like sound as she goes along in her work.

RACING AT SANDWICH ISLANDS. Enthusiasm over racing is worked up even in fche dominion of the King of the Sandwich Islands. They have a club there rejoicing in the title of the Hawaiian Jockey Club, and this institution held a race-meeting in June. There were no less than fourteen races on the programme, and many of them were run in heats. A start was made at 10 o'clock, and the meet ing concluded at 6 o'clock ! Each of the races is described in the local paper's report as a " dash," as, for instance, halfmilo dash and a quarter dash. Mr J. A. Cummins was the most successful owner, as he won five races and ran four times second.