SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1920, Page 3

SPORTING

RACING FIXTURES. Nov. (i, X, 10, U—Canterbury ,I.C. Metropolllan. Nov. G, 10.—Auckland lI.C. .Spring. NEW ZEALAND CUP TO-DAY. PROSPECTS FOR THE MEETING.

LATEST NOTES PROM RICCARTON (By Wire—Special to News.) Christchure.li. Last Night. There is every indication that the Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting, which will open to-morrow will prove quite as successful as usual. There is a big crowd of visiting horses at Riccarton from tl-e North and South, so thai the fields should be large. The class is a trifle disappointing in some of the events, but other races will ensure a high average. In the matter of quality the New Zealand Cup is one of the races in which the field does not look up In the best standard. Kllrtisb was scratched to-day owing to lameness, and it is feared that his case is serious. This leaves Vagabond top-weight. He has been galloping fairly since his arrival, and so have Oratress, Imaribbon, and Kllgour, white the Southland candidate Bengeroop Is another who has made friends lately. (lien* Canny has not done a great deal, and he has gone out of favor. Royal Star and Warlike have both been under suspicion for lameness, but they seem all right now, and both should race well. NightTaider is an uncertain customer, who may finish a bad last, or on the other band is capable of going very close to winning. It all depends on his mood.

The Stewards' Handicap is quite as open as the Cup, but In this ease it lias to be admitted that Ike field is of good class. The two top-weights, Arrow-smith and Surveyor, have been galloping brilliantly, and they will be among the popular picks. Tresspass, Miss Cold, Chimera, Rude, Stinart, Clean Sweep, and.Maioha are others who have done good track work. The Welcome. Stakes looks good for Mermin, but Song Bird, Winning Hit, and Jfetcorite are useful youngsters. Turning to the minor races, Lord Nagar may be favorite for the Spring Hurdles, hut the writer has a great liking for General Petain, an improving horse. Isabel is sure to race well in tie Spring Plate, but Royal Jlac is a very promising Southerner.

Link Up, Battle Scene, Foo Chow, anil Malaga are four Riccarton hacks who may pick up some money at the meeting.

The Derby on .Monday looks like being a good race. Opinions are divided as to whether Humbug or (las Bag is the better of the Williams' pair. Both of them, and .also Duo, will lie kept busy to beat Winter Wind, who has done well In bis work. He is a fine colt, but tl ere is just a doubt about his soundness during the last day „r two. "~ NEW ZEALAND CUP SCRATCHING. By Telegraph,—f-ess Association. Christ church, Nov. .1. Kilrush lias been scrolehed for the New Zealand Cup. AUCKLAND SCRATCHINGS. Auckland. Last Night Silver Lode was scratched for the Tri.il Hurdles at 10.30 a.m. to-day. and Gatherer from the same event at 11 a.m. I-icome was withdrawn from all enticements at 12,3.". ii.iu. to-day. NOTES BY "MOTUROA." THE CUP MEETING. The New Zealand Cup meeting opens at Riccarton to-day, and will be continued on Monday and Wednesday, and concluded on Saturday next. Racing starts at noon each day, and judging by the quality of the horses engaged tie meeting should be a memorable one. In weiglit-for-age races Gl<4amlnir, Amythas, Arrowsmliili, Humbug, Vespucci, Winter Wind, Delight, and other high class horses are expected to sport silk, while In the handicaps Arrowsmiih, Surveyor. Trespass, Kilrush, Vagabond, Oratress, (ilen Canny, and Tenterfield represent "clr.ss." The fields are not as strong numerically as anticipated, but quality rather than quantity is the chief desideratum.

A final payment; of fifteen for the Xew Zealand Cup is only fair, and quite two-thirds of the acceptors have to be taken on trust for a two miles journey. Vagabond won with

7.11) last year, but the estra stone will stop him—lf recent form is any guide as to his condition. Oratress, 8.7, should beat Vagabond, and her owner (Mr. S. Gibbons) and trainer (F. Tilley) are very sanguine of success. Tilley has few equals as a trainer of distance horses, and his opinion sl'ould carry weight. Olen Canny did not do well enough at Trentham to suggest that he Is at his best, and Oratress should hold the Northerner safe. Tenterfield has performed disappointingly lately, but be is an undoubted slayer, and cannot be lightly discussed. Royal Star has lost friends this week, and, at any rate, may not see the two miles out. Itnaribbon lias not won over so initcli ground, but the way they are backing her suggests that her party have no doubts as to her staying powers. Rose Piul; reads best of the lightweight division, and may be tre toughest opponent that Oratress and Tenterfield will have to stall off in Riccarton straight this afternoon.

Twenty-one hold their ground In the Stewards' Handicap, six furlongs, and If the going Is good it should he u great race. Itleearton touts are prepared to see Arrowsmlth run n great race, despite his 0.13, and the public will certainly .send the imported horse out Aral favorite. Surveyor, Miss Gold, Clean Sweep, Chimera, and Ctrysostum will see to it that Arrowsmilh Is kept going from end lo end, but with a fair run the favorite should be well in the limelight at. the finish. Of the hurdlers, .lack Symons has done a lot of racing this season, and on Grand National form should outstay most of his opponents in one or more of the jumpers' events. Kol'u is another that should pay his way at the meeting. Isabel and Cashmere represent winning form in (he Spring Plate, and Early Dawn and lien Bolt should show up in the Linwood Handicap. Malaga should be favorite in the Apprenllces' Plate, and Demand and Dainty Step may carry big 1119110$' in the Itlccarton Welter. The absence of national makes the C..1.C. Welcome Stakes look a fair thing for Mermin, and It. is doubtful whether the McLean Stakes winner, Meteorite, will prove equal to extending the unbeaten son of Absurd.

THE AUCKLAND MEETING. .Very large Acids are carded for to-day's laces at Hllerslie, and hntli to-day and on Wednesday punters are promised a wide range lor speculation. Tie elder events on the opening day are the .Mltclielson Cup, flreat Xnriliern (luineas, A.1i.0. Welcome Stakes, Onehunga Steeplechase, and Shorts Handicap. The entries include some good handicap horses, hut the welglil-for-age division suffer by comparison with (lir.se engaged nt Itlcpiirlnn. Upwards of it dozen Taranaki-owned horses will he seen under silk at Ellcrslie. Volci is set' a fairly stiff task in the Mltchelsr.il Cup, hut lie is sure to run a ';nod lei e, even with ft.'.'. Possibly the winner will come from amongst the lig'.tweigl'ts, in which case Hoyai Ahliev and lord Ivcn'iwor.J. may he worlli considering. T!ie (Ireat Northern Guineas looks like a due! hoi ween Landslide and lucmuii. and Aiioklcnders will noi hear ,f tin- dinner's ileOil. Seventeen two-year-olds hold their places In the A.lt C. Welcome Slakes, hut Toa Tuna may prove 100 seasoned for the opposition. One would not put the Oneiiiinga Steeplechase heyond Wninial, and in (he minor events Depredation, Scrap o' l'apor, and Scntlish Knight may strip as fit as any. POITREL THE CHAMPION. 11 was only fllung Ihnl ihe St. Alwynne horsev Poitrel, vanquisher of Desert Mold, Olouminn. ICtnkaulisir, mid other wtight'fer-

age cracks, flhouid cap a wonderfully s.uoceitßful racing career by carrying off the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. And what a victory it was! Only twice previously In the records of flfty-nine Melbourne Cups can we find a horse winning wilh Hist or over, and only once has Poltrcl's time been beaten. Of lie last seventeen Cups, seven have fallen lo three-year-olds, which (joes lo prove bow dangerous a horse of that age must be with only wcight-for-age lo carry. However, i'oitrcl downed Erasmus, Balltros, and other good Ihrcr-year-ulds, and Ihere is liiiln douhl that be is one of the greatest lioracs that ever looked tlrough u le-idle in Australasia.

TURF TOPICS. ■ Tb Xcw Zealand Derby will he run at Iticearton on Monday. On track form Humbug should start a warm order. The Fordell-trained Isabel is a good advertisement for Hallowmas, and after she contests the Oaks on Wednesday this par may prove significant. Diamond Xap and Orane appear to be the best treated ones in rbe Hurdles at Horowhenua. The former Is better than his bad luck performances suggest. U. Burt will be on I'apatere each day at Mlierslie. A. Trleklebank. who was engaged previously, has been called away to Wnlpawa on urgent private business. Tee Hunters' Steeplechase will be run on the first day, and the Onehungn Steeplechase on the second day at the Auckland spricg meeting, the, reverse of last year. Papatere looks like running a great race ia the Hunters' Steeples. The death of the celebrated racing sire Advance recalls an episode in the life of his breeder, the late Donald Fraser, of Itangil;!:el. When Advance was at the helgbt of his career his quaint old Scottish ow.er unsuccessfully eonte/ited the liangitikel seat, and, at a dinner given to celebrate the opening of a new post ortlce at Bulls, was congratulated upon being the owner of a Cup winner, but, was also chaffed somewhat seveiely by an ex-Premier foe having changed tis political party adherence. The reply crnr in characteristic bluff t'asKon, sharpiy and to the point, "1 wad rather breed another home ike Advance than be Premier of this colony, ai:' what's more, I'd rather he a/he farmer than u dead Premier my day" Curiously enough. Advance's pectwe. was (itemed to have a missing link on ii s dam's sue.

I ADVANCE DEAD. Tuesday last there died at Air. Duncan Fraser's estate at Parawanui, Bulks Advance, ono of the greatest handicap performers ever seen In New Zealand. He was bred by tre late Mr. Donald I'raser, In 1896 and was a black colt by Vanguard out of Laurel tracing back to Sharky. Advance's first racing season was 1898-1899, when, as a two-year-old, be was saddled up twice, winning his first race, the Nursery Handicap, run at the Wellington n.(\ .Summer meetm- ridden by Tommy Wilson, and paving £ l:i i s 0 n Hie second day he finished outside a nii-v. His tally foi the year, £l7O, was only -be forerunner of bigger things. The nest season (JB9I>-1900) Advance was leased to the Wellinslfci gentleman who ra<M under the nom de dourse of "Douglas Or , don," and in fifteen Starts recorded ten «-,"■« one second, two thirds, and twice unplaced Commencing with the Hawkc's Bay meeting, he won the Plying Handicap *»>" ™to the C..T.C. Metropolitan be * 0 „ the Riccarton Welter, and was third in C -u t ""« I'lite. The Wellington tt ' , meeting saw hi,,, fl„,„ third Z I\X? ion Handicap, and on the second £ he accounted for the opposition in tie Hut r„ k Spring Handicap. His first imp,"" Z. formances at three years was i„ the'werw "»■ Cup, but at the same meeting he fli, ed second m the .Metropolitan Handicap Tie, — a ;:wC:^!:,^-^ r DuiieCin Cup, A.RC £■ ster m , CS ' t- th'e season IsS '"" lied the lIS , """"•" < id7 " Me topeu the Ist of winning horses with £3 «, I" four firsts Tl, , 0ali "" 1 rosliUfi ' l ■""»' eo Cup, ; „„i Auckl . lml ri ; (e < - un - (-..1.C. -ance,,, uo.ip, ami second in i.., f>.,-„i,. . Campion stakes and i,, the A b ;"? d "' tte Alleged Stakes. AUtUmn *""«> and '» *. -unpiiicedp^p, B^'^^-^ •he same-meet,,; « second to Machine run" ," I>e ra " »<"te» at Wang , Csu " '■" ln l " e J »*»n in stakes £785 hw , • Sm °" lm w ™ <laj's, when stake h v Vr"",""" '" laUe ' <'<"> easily be Judged ' '*' f " orm ™">'. oet', , 'bVhtTor ,v3snotam^-- ■ ■ w ii.ii and over fences. M.ele. U lT S Xr", tUre - inCOnnerttonw » l '- l»s lease of the horse. In after years Toimnv "«« have regretted his generosity hut "it I""'™, !' n °« Bh S " ort t0 that "■ was .in m the game of racing."