SPORTING.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 13, 11 June 1920, Page 7

SPORTING.

Almoner ran disappointingly at Wingatui. His many friends will regret to hear thai the secretary to the Southland Racing Club is laid up, Crib's victories on Thursday ancl Saturday were popular, and improve liis chances in the Nation al, Tin Soldier is out for a long tinae if one can judge >by his lameness after racing on Tuesday. They say that his connections backed Frenchman one day at Wingatui. Danube's stock has never been much good at three years old. Lochella is some. horse! He may be short pedigreed on his dam's side, but he is a damned sight too good for most of them that can be traced back to the ark. Primum has had too much racing lately and was racing worse each start at Dunedin. He should make a handicap horse nexi season. It is mere than probabie that Mclvor ancl Hogan will each take a team to Wellington meeting — unless the transport facilities are against them. Willy Swale t-ried to buy Palladio back prior to the big steeplechase on Tuesday, and is reported to have offered £350 for him. He was lucky not catching Billy Baitd in a dealing mood. The Riverton Club is petitioning the Minister of Internal Affiairs for another two days' racing permit. If any club is entitled to two meetings a year it is the Riverton Club. Should Lochella go over for the Victorian National he will be hard to beat, but I won't have him with the hurdlers that race at Flemington. They will be a very diffffeuent lot to those he stoushed at Auckland last week. Gib. McLean nearly brought olf a surprise on Saturday with old Awahou. But j for a faulty jump at the last fence he | might have won, and then Ihe dividend Aehilleus paid would have been sinall potatoes compared to the one Gib. and his friends would have gathered. Both Billy Robinson and Jack McChesne/ looked surprised when they met each other- rolling on the turf behind the big post and rails last Thursday, but the falling was like the going, soft, and none were hurt. Kintailshore isn't much good as a steeplechaser. He wants more pace and a few other qualifications before taking on the Grand National. Silverpeak is some mare, and her reception when she returned io the enclosure on Saturday showed the public like a straight-going owner and a good liorse. Bill Stone don't bottle up his good tliings, heing a non-betting owner he likes his friends to he on them.

Burrangong was payin.g any old price when he was striding along in front on Thursday, and half a mile from home looked like landing the mustard, but weight, pace and mud, settled him when they started looking for the winning post. Johnny McCombe had a tenner on Lady Pallas when she won last Saturday, and after the race he went round and gave £60 of the dividend for the Pallas-Kitty O'Shea mare. And then he showed a profit of over twenty quid on the transaction. The Jockeys' Union and its many claims were freely- discussed during the carnival week in Dunedin, and the rights and wrongs were frequently explained from both sides. The jockeys of the old days always referred to their calling as a profession, and would probably have scorned the idea of joining up with ordinary trades unions. Bnt there is no doubt the jockeys of the present day have some claim to the better conditions existing for all classes of employees, and if they go the right way about it their claims will no doubt be recognised.

Charlie Christie and Geoi'ge Feilding dropped on their feet when they fcecame trainer and jockey for Mr "Acting" Adams, but they have fully wareanted their selections now. At one time Billy Robinson and Golden King used^to be a profitable double to follow on a race track, and they took up that role again last week. What about pensioning the old 'orse off now Jock? According to some trainers, jockeys have no right to strike, and I believe they are right. But if jockeys have no right to do so why did some of our trainers threaten to do so at Wingatui on Tuesday last? When a jockey went for a bath in the water-jump on Tuesday, the owner he was riding for is credited with remarking that ihe jockey ought to have well stayed in the water. But he didn't. He got out and won for the same owner on the same horse later on at the meeting. Some owners are more generous with their remarks than their money. The two Lochella dcuble was costly to the Tommies throughcut New Zealand, and in the South Island the Tommies caught it hot with the whming combinations each day at Dunedin. The two dividends paid by Lochella at Auckland did not amount to much more than fifty boh profit on the two quid invested. And look at the chances he had of making a mistake at any one of the number of fences he jumped in the two races ! Some years ago a well known Western District man frequently remarked that he would rather go out of the game than liave a horse of his trained by a well known leading Invercargill trainer, but after the reeent Dunedin meeting h8 has, given this trainer two of his horses. Nothing succeeds like success! H. J. Beck was not satisfied with Magdala's running on Saturday and has transferred him to P. T. Hogan's stable. The old horse was originally trained by Hogan who won the Winter Cup of 1912 with him, and always had an idea he would make a champion at the jumping game. Hogan will do will with him, and wu in future also train Blue Admiral for Mf Beck. He gets both horses in good condition for the remainder of the winter season. Cld IlaJTy Searle, who broke Lady Pallas in and taught her how to gallop always maintained that she was a good one, and it was hard luck the old man should lose her just as she commenced a winning career. Since going into W. McKay's stable at Riverton this mare has quietened down a great deal, and under McCombe's training she may continuh on in her winning way.

Tom Kett was lucky to catch a steeplechase with Dunmure at Dunedin, and it was only inexperienoe on the part of Hagdala's rider that enabled Dunmure to win. Dawson on Magdala was half a lengtli behind Dunmure at the big post and rail fence and taking off when Dunmure did he stiuck the fence on landing and rolled over. Had Jimmy Thistleton been up on Magdalu he would have known too to be in that position at a stiff fence, but the younger generation have all got to learn, and young Dawson, who is a good game lad, will remember the lesson he got on Saturday. . Jack McChesney is one of the gamest boys we have riding over country in the South Island just now, and he fully deserved the win he scored on Dunmure. 1*11 wager a crown no other rider on the course oe Saturday conld have won on Mr Kett's horse.