SPORTING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3052, 24 November 1908, Page 6

SPORTING.

RACING.

RANGITIKEI SUMMER MEETING. The programme for the Rangitikei Summer race meeting, to he held on January Ist and 2nd, 1909, will he found elsewhere in this issue. The total stakes amount to 1,855 sovs, the principal event of the meeting , the Rangitikei Cup, being allotted 300 sovs. The next in order of value, the Greatford Stakes, receives 200 sovs. Liberal treatment has been meeted out to the other events, which range in value from 70 sovs to 130 sovp. Nominations for all events and entries for the Maiden Hack Race and Parewanui Hack Scurry will close with the secretary (Mr H. A. Goodall), Bulls, at 9 p.m. on Friday, December 4th. FEILDING ACCEPTANCES. By Telegraph—Press Association. FEILDING, November 23.

For the Feildng Jockey Club's spriing meeting the following acceptances have been received for the first day . Flying Stakes, 6 furlongs—Rangipapa 8.6, Ballarat 8.2, Muskerry 8.0, Crucinella 7.10, Golden Eagle 7.9, Lothair and Toa Tuhi 7.4, bir Artegal, Voegang, Andrew Mack and Catapult 6.7. Aorangi Welter, 7 furlongs— Rangihatea 9.'', ouovant and Aorangi 8.10, Windage and Shuja 8.9, Burton 8.7, Nightmare, Separator and ■ Stratagist 8.5, Maidi, Coy, Eclogue, Finnesseur, Murutoa, Longner and Reumac 8.0. St. Andrew's Handicap, 1£ mileMoral 8.13, Tangimoana 8.5, The Lark 8.3, Mahuta 8.1, Husbandman 8.0, White Lie 7.8, San Julie, Rifiemaid and Tan San 7.4, Sunglow 7.0, All Guns 6.10, Lamsdorff 6.9, Anemone 6.7

Spring Hurdles, 2 miles —Lyrist 12.7, Gold Dust 11.2, Lull 11.0, Mahoe 10.6, Paparaehi 10.5, Showman 9.11, Defeat 9.9, Oryx 9.3, Forest and Don Carlos 9.0.

Waituna Hurdles, one mile and a half—Master Douglas 10.11, Commander 10.9, Stayboy 10.8, Xavier 10.6, Peregrine 10.5, Haeremai 9.13, - Papatawa 9.11, Yosami 9.9, Ballance 9.3, Maidi 9.2, Whimper, Maori Rifle and Moose 9.0.

Kiwitea Welter, 1 mile — Bourrasque 9.13, Waitapu 9.13. Ikon 9.0, Sandstream 8.12, Nova 8.11, Grenade 8.10, Carrissima 8.9, Probability 8.8, San Fernando 8.3, Lethain 8.3, Chicane 8.2, Hiro 8.0, blue Ribbon 8.0.

Fitzroy Hack Flying, six furlongs —Advantage 8.5, Seaton Dale 8.0, Andrew Mack 8.3, Chase Mab 8.0, Sir Antrim 8.0, Roosevelt 7.12, Vi 7.11, Investment 7.10, Timothy and Burton 7.7, Shuja 7.6, Awha, Marton, and Pa'one 7.2 Fond Memory and Overtime 7.0, Flying Wind 6.8, Longner 6.7. The following nominations have been received for the Maiden Hack Scsarry—Merrj* Messenger, Awha, Tdetis, Tauhara, Belle Amie, Marton, Reumac, Colussus, Vinco, Longner, Goodwin Park, Eclogue, Hermia, Finnesseur, Somano, Fond Memory,

Toanga. Third Feilding Stakes —Provocation, Expansion, Filtaway, Broadsword, Armlet, Guiding Step, Gold Crest, Ambrosian, Bobrikoff, Crucinella, Lady Menchikoff.

According to a cablegram to hand the Australian jockey, F. Wootton, has made good use of his opportunity since he made his reappearance in the saddle, but his chance of heading the list this season in the Old Country was practically disposed of when.he was ordered to stand down last month. A London correspondent writes:—The Australian boy jockey, Frank Wootton, who has challenged such men as Maher and Higgs for the premiership of the season, has just got himself into trouble. He had a pretty successful afternoon at Newmarket; when he was called to appear before the stewards to hear the result of a protracted inquiry into his riding of his father's horse Gravy at the Manchester meeting some weeks ago. On that occasion Gravy collided with Water Wag, who in turn interfered with the likely winner, Marcellin. The stewards decided that the foul was wilful, and have ordered young Wootton out of action until November 2nd. This spoils his chance of getting into first place for the season. At the moment of his disqualification the record stood like this:—

When Wootton rode his first winner in South Africa he weighed only 4st 91b. He is now onjy 6st, and never wastes. The American, John Reiff, whom he succeeded as the knickerbocker jockey, was a prodigy, but the spectacle of a fourteen-year-old apprentice fighting out the championship with such old, practitioners as Maher and Higgs is unprecedented. A few weeks back an English cablegram stated that William Blenkiron, who at one time was a leading racing man in the Old Country, had died in a common lodginghouse. Papers now to -hand bring details, and the one I quote from headed the article thus: "Squandered Fortune. Owner of Derby Winner Dies m Lodginghouae, where he was known as 'No. 11.' Life Secret Laid . Bare." The following is the story:— The tragic death in a common lodginghouse at Hammersmith has revealed the secret of a mysterious individual who at one time was possessed of considerable wealth, and who, being reduced to the lowest depths of poverty, preferred <o sink his identity/and live a recluse sort of life at Hammersmith. He was an elderly man, of resp»ctq,ble appearance, and had taken up his quarters at a lodginghouse known as Jubilee Chambers. No one knew his name, and no letters had ever been received there for him. For months he was known as "No. 11," that being the number of his cubicle. A fellow resident recognised him as William Blenkiron, aged 70 years, a former racehorse breeder. Upon the death of his father the deceased participated with other members in a fortune of between £70,0C0 and £BO,OOO. ' Directly after, Blenkiron started a

life of dissipation, which only terminated when the whole of his fortune was exhausted. Later on he worked on many racecourses, until age interfered even with that precarious occupation. Eventually he drifted to life in a common lodginghouse. Such is the sad story of William Blenkiron's death.

Continuing his subject upon "Racing as a Hobby," "Spearmint," the London turf critic, writes: —"Apart from betting, the turf is an expensive hobby, and that fact should be soundly considered by everyone before attempting ownership. Motor cars can also be expensive, and firstclass yacht-racing is not cheap. Stamp collecting, I am told, can run into big sums of money, and picturebuying is not always a royal road to wealth. Sometimes, too, those who go to gather wool on the Stock Exchange come out shorn. The mutability of wealth has been the thume of hundreds of philosophic disquisitions. It will be the theme possibly of hundreds more. Yet, while we find money coming to those who are disinclined to hoard, and lack knowledge of the secret of causing it to grow, we shall come across financial failures. Those connected with the turf, however, may well object to racing and betting being specialised as the causes of a gentleman's misfortune, when, on his own statement, he is £50,000 short over a vnotor car business and £30,000 to the bad by Stock Exchange investments." ! CRICKET. The following will represent the W.F.C.A. Cricket Club in a match with Carterton, at Carterton, on Thursday nextA. Caselberg, Hall, Rothenberg, Swan, Congdon, Robertson, Phillips, Welch, Moorhouse, Pragnell, Smith. ■ FEILDING ASSOCIATION. By Telegraph—Press Association. FEILDING, November 23. The Feilding and District Cricket Association was formed last week, the affiliated clubs to include Kimbolton, Cheltenham, Halcombe, Sandon, Rongotea and Feilding. A new cricket ground is to be opened to-day; it is a splendid ground, with a true and fast turf wicket. OTAGO REPRESENTATIVES. DUNEDIN, November 23. The local selection committee has picked the following players in view of the Northern tour at the end of the year:—Fisher, Austin, Seideberg, Williams, Wordsworth, Ayles, Hopkins, Wilson, Tnrrance, Eckhold, Kilgour, Kenny, Foster, Watson.

Mts. Won. 2nd. 3rd D. Maher 354 101 65 41 F. L. Wootton 490 98 83 76 W. A. Higgs 533 98 89 62 0. Madden 404 66 56 53 C. Trigg 492 58 48 52 W. Halsey 389 53 50 52