SPORTING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9598, 18 September 1909, Page 3

SPORTING.

RACING

f The racing season in Auckland will § be inaugurated today, when the 1 Avondale Jockey Club will make a £ commencement with their three' I days' meeting. The big event of I the opening day's programme is S the Avondale Cup, in which the I following horses are engaged:— I Grenadier 8.11, Dawn 8.7, Sedition I 8.3, Waimangu 8.0, Lochbuie 8.0, I Ben Jonson 7.10, Santa Rosa 7.7, I Elysian 7.7, Inglis 7 5, Sir Artegal f 7.5, Tattoo 7.3, Noteorini 7.0, Mich- | aeloff 6.10, First Wairiki 6.10, Lycia jj 6 10, JLeafire 6.7. 8 Step'niak was represented by a I winner in Victoria recently, his fourI year-old eon Kerlie winning the 8 Heatherlie Handicap, nine furlongs, at the V.A.T.C. Meeting, run at Caulfield on the 4th inst. Woorooma 7st 131b, who was favourite, was in front at the distance; but a little further on Kerlie dashed up with a fine run and scored by a neck in lsiin 58sec. The field beaten by Kerlie was a numerous one, composed as follows: Woorooma 7.13, Aberdeen 8.1, True Scot 9.9, Even Time 8.7, Mala 8.1, Dunolly 7.13. Le Jeune 7.13. Akim Foo 7.1, Trelo Vouni 7.9. Moani 7.7, Bolderood 7.7, Kildean 7.5, Blind Harry 7.3, Lithgow 7.1, Lady Hova 7.1, Santos I 6.10, Bonnie Wallace 6.9, Georgia S 6.7, Cross Step 6.7. Kerlie is en • gaged in the Epsom Handicap (7st 41b). the Metropolitan (7st 21b), the Cauifield Cup (7st 31b), anu Melbourne Cup (7st 51b). In referring to the three year-old : Provocation, "Milroy," of the "Sydney Mail," says:—The New Zealand crack is a really nice medium sized horse, with a rare turn of loin and quarter to recommend him. He is a fine goer, slim and graceful in front, and a right good one to follow. It is quite evident he is a horse of great speed, but he struck me when I first saw him as being a bit of a fighter; that is to say. he is a very free goer, whom it will be difficult to adapt to any condition of pace in a race. He was all go and dash when he first appeared at Randwick, but it may have been the journey and new surroundings that stirred him up. There is no doubt at all as to hin quality, and the general opinion among his countrymen is that he was clearly the besst two-year old of the season. The full list of entries received by the Wanganui Jockey Club for the Wanganui Guineas of 1910 and the ' Jackson Stakes of 1911, now to < hand, are, it id pleasing to find, of { a most satisfactory character. For the first-named race 60 horses have * been nominated, while no less a num- < ber than 140 figure on the list for ( the Jackson Stakes. It is at all times pleasing to chronicle a good re- ' suit to the Wanganui Jockey Club, < for, in addition to being one of the < opular old-time institutions of the Dominion, a true sporting spirit is ' invariably to be found in anything ' < over which they exercise control or promote. F. Tilley has sold The Lark to Mr < Albert Jackson, owner and trainer i for £IOO, with £25 out of the first win. If Nestor's son

stands a preparation be will soon j rceoup Mr Jackson for his outlay. The well known Hastings horse- J man J. Hall, has definitely decided ; to retire from the saddle, and thtsogh he has been offered many mounts at both Rangitikei and Vvanganui, he has declined them al!. It is understood that Hall intends embarking , in quite a new sphere. The Auckland bred gelding An- i napolis, of whose run of successes in West Australia mention was recently made, added stiil further to bis record on the 4th inst at Kalgoorlie, when he captured the Spring Stakes ot 300 sovs, which event was run over a mile and a quarter, at weiglat-for-age. Annapolis won his race nicely by a length in 2min lOJsec Annapolis, who was bred by Mr Jv Lennard, of Te Aroha, was got by Phoebus Apolio from the Cuirassier mare Roxana. Advices to hand from Riccarton credit Husbandman wilh looking in hard, robust condition. The Great Northern Derby winner is having his New Zealand Cup praises warbled in such a strong key that he is now a comparatively short price for the big spring handicap. Numerically, at any rate, Sir George Clifford is particularly strong in three-year-olds at present, having ten of that age in regular work. Provided they go on in the right way, says a correspondent, I expect to find several of them paying their way before the season is very far advanced. I have a particular fancy for Taskmaster. He may not be briiliant enough to win good < races over short courses, but I will be surprised if he does not make a first-class performer over a journey, and his breeding, by Treadmill Madowla, certainly encourages the hope that he will stay. He is still in the New Zealand Cup, but somehow I should doubt his being a starter, as his owner is well known to show a greater partiailty for the Derby than the Cup, and he may not care to risk a severe 2-mile race two days before the classic race. I am arguing, of course, on the assumption that Taskmaster will prove up to Derby form,' and if he fails in this respect his chance of winning the New Zealand Cup would not look bright What is far more likely, however, i;i that Husbandman will be the Chokebore candidate in the Cup. As it is improbable that he will face the smarter before the big Riccartonirace, he is not being unduly hurried, but he is bowling I along freely in the strong work which is being allotted him, and he can be relied on to keep the I best of hia opponents very busy in (November.