SPORTING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10000, 22 March 1910, Page 5

SPORTING.

fLACING. TURF NUTES. (By "Zetland"). Sir George Clifford's Full Sail has been sold to an Australian buyer, but may be a starter in the Great Easter Handicap. Equitas has been accepted for an events to be run at both Ellerslie and Riccarton at Easter time. Up to Saturday it was generally supposed that the Advance mare would be started in the Great Easter at the Canterbury meeting, but in the latest double cards long prices are quoted against her name, so" it is still doubtful at which meeting she will be raced. \

Longner, who received injuries last month by being run into by a cab at Woodville, is progressing satisfactorily, and may be started next month in hurdle events.

The Wairarapa entrants at the Manawatu meeting are Merrie Rose, Mataari, Longner, Tribulation and Inspection. A filly by SirLaddo Betsy l is being sent to join H. Fletcher's team at Tauherenikau., SilKen Rein has been thrown out of work for a time. As oeveraJ hurdle races of late have been easily won the owners of the Saracen mare might have picked up a fair amount of stake money if they had kept her going a little longer. Lurllne, late Thera, won the St. Patrick's Handicap at Miramar on Saturday last. Mr J. E. Henry's allotments for the Wairarapa meeting, which openfc on Saturday, give evidence of careful thougnt, and there should be a good percentage of acceptances. As it is impossible for a handicapper to witness all the racing in certain districts the task of making up the allotments is made difficult, and at least some horses may not be treated as equitably as they would be if the assessor had viewed their recent running instead of having to take his line from the various press reoorti. In the Easter Handicap, one mile and a distance, Sunbonnet has been awarded 9st, and cannot be regarded a3 having been leniently dealt with. At Masterton last week she deadheated with Ballarat over six furlongs, carrying 7st 81b, and won the Autumn Handicap, .'ne mile, with 7st 111b. She has now to carry 17Ibs more over a longer distance, which so far she had not bt en partial to. On her receDt running Truganini reads well with Bst 81b, and the rest of the field are fairly dealt with. In the Te Waka Welter, JFirst Consul, 9st 71b, has none the best pf the bargain in having to give weight to Merrie Land, who has certainly won more races, and run with greater consistency. Succession, the winner of one very ordinary race, has to give weight to Leahora, a winner at Dannevirke this month. The assessments in the Wardell and Makahi Handicaps leave very little room for argument, and should bring out good fields.

The time is fast approaching when country racing clubs will have to consider the advisability of approaching Parliament on the subject of booKmakers. As stated in these columns some two years ago —when legislation was the means of the totalisator having to compete against bookmakers on racecourses—it was only a matter of time for racing clubs to fird that they would have difficulty in keeping up the amount of their stake money. That this has been proved in many cases is now an undeniable fact, for the vigorous competition of the layers of the odds has so materially affected the totalisator revenue that there are a number of racing clubs which find they are forced to their prize money, while in the natural sequence of things should be increasing amounts. If racing clubs allow this state of things to continue much longer stakes will become so much reduced that racing will be very detrimentally affectd, so it is full time that some means should be thought out, and acted upon to better the present state of affairs. From time to time the Premier and members of the Ministry, are waited upon by ascertain of people who desire that restrictions, and still more restrictions, should be placed on horse racing. Parliament obliges this particular section of so r called reformists, and consequently many racing clubs have difficulty in continuing ou the same lines as heretofore, while the matter of showing progiess is out of the question. It is now time that the matter\should i) 9 taken boldly in hand. If our legis-j

la o:b listen and grant concessions to

the party that 1 ) pleases to -condemn horse racing, why should not racing clubs, in their own defence, approach Parliament with a demand to have theii rights of many years continued without the interference, of those with whom racing finds no favour.

WAIRARAPA RACING CLUB. Acceptances for the first day's events in connection with the above Club's Easter meeting close with the above Club's secretary, Mr E. A. Laery, at his office, Featherston, at eight o'clock to-night.

By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 21. Maori King was withdrawn from the A.R.C. Easter Handicap and Wimmera from the Hobson Handicap, at 1.45 p.m. to-day.