SPORTING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9686, 10 January 1910, Page 5

SPORTING.

RACING

RACES. By^Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, January 9. The following are the results of the Jpony races at Miramar, day:First Maiden Handicap—Dearest, 8.9, 1; Gipsy Girl, s.O, 2; Torrent, 8.10, 3. Brooklyn Handicap—Billy, 8.12, and Ciscorose, 8.2, dead heat, 1; Flying Wind, 3. Wellington Cup Handicap, of 60 sovs—Petronel, 10.5, 1; Wliarekoa, 10.8, 2; Pieutse. 8 10, 3. Settlers liat-dieajj—Firefly, 9.0, 1; Miss Ruby, 9.3, 2; Trixie, 8.6, 3. Newtown Handicap—Billy, 9.3, 1; Ciscorose, .8.7, 2; Mytre, 10.8, 3. Tramway Handicap—Paul, 8.5, 1; Paul Beaver, 8.7, 2; Flying Wind, 10.8, 3. EXTRAORDINARY SCENES. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, January 9. There were some extraordinary scenes at Miramar pony races on Saturday. A protest was lodged against. Peraonel, winner of the Cup, owing to alleged interference. The stewards dismissed the protest, but disqualified Todd, the rider of Petronel, for the remainder of the meeting. Sirrah, who had run earlier in the day, won the Newtown Handicap. As the horse passed the post there were howls and shouts from the bookmakers, demanding an inquiry. The stewards met and disqualified Sirrah, ordering the bookmakers to pay out on the second pony Billy. The supporters of Sirrah uproariously demanded their the bookmakers, an appeal which f ell'on'deaf ears. Flying Wind won the Tramway Handicap, and again the bookmakers shouted for an inquiry, as the result of which the stake was awarded to Paul, who had run second. This was the signal for a further outburst, the club's officials being jostled and pushed about by the crowd. The police assisted the stewards to reach a place of safety.

TUR* NOTES. (By "Zetland"). Gold Lace, 7.12, has-been scratched for ihe Wellington Cup. The Gold Reef mare, trained by J. W. Lowe, at Trentham, was one of the first selected by hackers as being decidedly well in, and her name has already been coupled in many doubles with fancied horses in the Telegraph , j Handicap. The Wellington Cup of 1908 was ■ won by the Masterton-owned and ' trained Moloch, and last year the ' locally-trained Blue Ribbon scored, [ while another Masterton candidate, Turnut, won the Telegraph Handicap. ' Many sportsmen, therefore, are care- [ fully watching the form of the Wai-, rarapa horses entered this year, and 1 soaie of them are being taken in • the double betting. Those engaged 3 are Merrie Zealand, 8.0, Moloch, 7.5, Osiris and Warlock, 6 7, in the £ Wellington Cup, and Tumut, 9.4, ILongner, 8.7, Sunoonnet .7.8. Siin>

plex and Aboriginal, 6 13, in the Telegraph Handicap. Merrie Zealand was sore at Tauheremkau last week, Moloch seldom runs up to hia form, Osiris is certainly not in winning vain at present, and Warlock may not stand the preparation necessary to run a mile and a*ha!f. Tumut and Sunbonnet should run well in thei engagement, but as Longner is to be schooled ths week over hurdles he may not be a starter. The horses engaged at the Foxton meeting are Silken Rein, Epsom Downs, Happy New Year, Purakau, Marionus and Kalypso. Satisfactory acceptances have been received for the Pahiatua meeting this week, and although the fields will not be large, the racing should be decidedly interesting. The Cup with seven acceptors, is very open, when recent form is taken into consideration, and the other principal open events, the Railway Handicap, should provide a close finish. The report of a race at a meeting held up North last week states: "Three others came out, but were left at the post under the impression that a false start had been given." This is indeed a striking commentary upon the modea of our present day race meeting starters The tim- 1 has certainly arrived wir.. racing clubs should go ;horuu2hl iauiie tion of what undoubtedly is the weak point in New Zealand horse racing; that of the barrier starting. Strange to relate there is seldom an effort mad*; by starters to endeavour to improve on the unsatisfactory style of starting, consequently at the majority of meetings there are complaints loud and long on tht> part of owners, trainers and backers, at so many unsatisfactory despatches being made from time to time. Surely there must be some means of securing more, regular "send-offs" than are now witnessed, and it might be worth while for some starter, who may wish to make a name for himself, to try the system previously suggested in these columns. It is a well-known fact that to expect a field of highly trained horses to "toe the mark" and then await a start is absolutely too much to expect. On the other hand, before the advent of the barrier,excellent despatches were made by lining the'horses up some distance from the post, keeping them in line at a walk, and at the opportunate moment giving the word '"Go." At some recent meetings starters have availed themselves of the services ot assistants, who, however, have had little to do. If such assistants were to walk the fields up in line towards the barrier the official starter could despatch them when nearing the line, and it stands to reason that much of the unsatisfactory work so noticeable would be relegated to the past. The catching injthe tapes, and the jumping back of horses at the rise of the barrier, would mean two objectionable features obviated, and taken altogether there is so much to be said in tavour of the altered style that it is a wonder it has not been tried before this.