SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1916, Page 8

SPORTING.

THE STRATFORD MEETING. The annual meeting of the Stratford Racing Club takes place on January 1 and 2, IDI7, and the splendid stakes offered at the gathering should attract big entries. The four open events at the meeting are: Stratford Cup, of 500 sovs. ]J miles; Malone Memorial Handicap, of 300 sevs., 8} furlongs; Douglas Handicap, of 200 sovs., 6 furlongs; and Ngaerc Handicap, of 200 sovs., 0 furlongs, In addition, hacks of all classes are well catered for, stakes (with the exception of four maiden races of 100 sovs. each) ranging from £125 to £175. Following within a week of the Taranaki Jockey Club's Christmas meeting there is every inducement to outside owners of both open performers and hacks to race their horses in Taranaki at this holiday season, while provincial horses should be entered en masse. All nominations, accompanied by fee of 20s, close to-morrow (Wednesday) evening, at !) o'clock. The Stratford telcgiaph office closes at 8 p.m The Stratford course has been graded and top-dressed since last year, and, this being a good season for grass, is now in splendid condition. i

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Woodville meeting opens" tomorrow. Taranaki weights are due on Friday. Crawford kicked corners off everything at Feilding. Bisogne gave Bimeter four lengths and a beating in the last two furlongs of the Oroua Stakes. A second day winner at Feilding was ridder. out so wide on the first day that the joekster responsible was accused of going bird-nesting! Agnestes (Malster—Corambe), winnsr of both juvenile events at Takapuna, Is one of the fillies picked up cheaply by Mr. E. W. Alison at the Sydney sales.

It will be remembered that the Wellington District Committee refused to confirm Trainer Trask's disqualification, the offence alleged being that Trask "shouted" a horse a whisky at Horowhenua. Stipe A. Gordon is now appealing to the Racing Conference, they say. Each of the Stead Bros, appears to be very keen on capturing the Great Northern Derby. With Sassanof and The Toff to represent the rival stables it looks like producing a great finish. Although not actually training Sassanof at the time the co.lt won the Melbourne Cup, Tom Quinlivan got £3OOO to nothing about the victory, the result | of an old wager, from Mr. E. S Luttrell. I Lucky Tom!

Sassanof, Kilboy, Sweet Corn, Gold Painting, Chelonia and Shrill are now located at Ellcrslie, and will all race .it. the Auckland summer meeting.

MELBOURNE CUP. MR. StimD RETURNS WITH SASANOFP. HIS STORY OP THE BIG RACE. The owner of the Melbourne Cup winner returned by the Niagara last week, together with hir horses, trainer, and trophy. In relating the story of the cup to a representative of the Star, Mr. Stead mentioned that it was the first occasion on which he had competed in Victoria, and the first time he had even seen a Melbourne Clip run. Sasanolf was the first winner that had been owned, bred, and trained in New Zealand. Naturally the owner is gieatly pleased with his success. PARTNERSHIP EXPLAINED.

Mr. Stead explained that about a week before the race he gave his friend Mr. E. S Luttrell d third share in the horse for the period of the V.R.C. Meeting, si that in the event of Sasanoil' winning, Ms name would also be registered as the winner of the cup. Since then the full ownership has reverted to Mr. Stead. Although the elimitie conditions were so bad that the race had to be postponed from Tuesday to Saturday, the going was quite good when tht race took place. "It waa a great race," said Mr Stead, "and just before the horses turned into the straight it became evident to my friends and myself that SasanofT could not be beaten. About a hundred yards from home tin boy who was riding him eased up because lie was winning so easily."

THE TROPHY INSPECTED. The trophy is a handsome gold cup bearing the inscription "Melbourne Cup, 191(1. Won by W. G. Stead and E. S. Luttrell's br g SasanofV, 3yrs." It is the first gold cup that has been given since 1878. Mr Stead's success on his recent visit to Australia was phenomenal.' He left by the Moeraki on August 11 with six horses. Each horse that started either won or ran second, with the exception of one that ran third and one unplaced, and in the owner's opinion he should have won. The tivo that ran second were only beaten by a head. "In my opinion," said Mr. Stead, "SasanoiT should have won the Caulfiehl Cup. There was a great deal of bumping during the race, and I understand that this invariably occurs because of the big field of horses and the sharp turns in the. course. On that occasion Sasanof ran so well as to convince me thut he would beat Shepherd King \yhen they ran in the Melbourne Cup."

WHICH OF THE TWAIN? . Curiously enough, Messrs. Stead and Luttrell were divided in their opinion as to which of their nominations had the better chance in the Melbourne Cup, the former pinning his faith to Sasanofl', and the latter fancying Kilboy (the horse which they bought prior to his winning the A.J.C. Derby). A week before tlie race Mr. Stead cabled to his brother saying that he did not think Sasanoir could be beaten in the Melbourne Cup, and, as a result of similar messages, friends of his in Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Wel-

lington and Christeluireh won useful sums of money. "What struck me more than anything after the race," Mr. Steal remarked, "was the national importance which the Melbourne Cup apparently assumes even outside racing spheres." PLEASURE AND SADNESS, The sensation of winning a Melbourne Cup, Mr. Stead says, is decidedly novel. It was not until the following morning, in fact, that he realised the significance of what had happened. The cheers, the gay crowds, the leading-in of his fleet little three-year-old, and the celebration dinner at Mcnzies' Hotel on Cup' niglit were as incidents in a dream. After thaj a tinge of sadness occurred through the death of Mr Carlylc Studholine, another New Zealand owner who had achieved success in Australia. On the Monday following the Cup Mr. Stead took his friend to the hospital suffering from pneumonia, and heart trouble supervening, he died two days later. A WAGER GOOD. The rumor tl'at lie had laid T. Quinlivan, the former trainer of Sasanoff. £3OOO about that gelding winning the Melbourne, Cup, Mr. Stead said, was hardly correct. His partner, Mr. Luttrell, had laid the sum mentioned, and the wager stood good.

Before proceeding with the business at the meeting of the committee of the Egmont Racing Club on Thursday night the chairman (Mr. J. Quin) took the opportunity of extending a welcome to Mr. Vernon Stratton, who had entered upon his new duties as secretary.. Mr. Quin said that Mr. Stratton was chosen from p large number of applicants, which showed tlie confidence the committee had in him, nnd the fact of his having been some years assistant-secretary to a metropolitan club was a recommendation in itself. The Egmont Racing Club had been particularly fortunate in its secretaries. The first secretary (Mr. Ranson) was appointed in 1882. The President of the club, Mr. If. H. Nolan, occupied the position after Mr. Ranson from 1883 to 188!), when he was suceecded by Mr. W. H. E. Wanklyn, who has been president for a number of years of the New Zealand Racing Conference and of the Canterbury Jockey Club. Mr. A. G. Brett, town clerk of Hawera for many years, followed Mr. Wanklyn, and from 1001 tf> 1903 Mr. J. \V. Hirst occupied the office. In 1903 the late Mr. Turton was appointed secretary, and. held the position up to his death. Mr. Quin went *tr to say that although the duties pertaining to the office were not arduous, yet it was one which required ability and other qualifications, and he believed Mr. Stratton had those qualifications in an eminent degree, and would discharge his duties with credit to himself and to iho satisfaction of the club and its patrons. On behalf of the members and officials he wished Mr. Stratton every success, not only in the position he now occupied, but in everything he took up. Mr. Stratton suitably replied, and thanked the- chairman for the cordialitv of s welcome.