SPORTING.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 40, 17 December 1920, Page 7

SPORTING.

Acceptances for the Gore Trotting Meeting close this evening at 5 o'clock. Mettle Drift is going well. Keep your eye on him at the holiday meetings. Frank Young estimates the cost of making a good plough track on the Gore course at half a thousand. A lot of money. Watty Taylor's cup for Wyndham is on view in Bum's jeweller's shop. It is of fiolid silver, and well worth the winning. The Clifden Club has cut one of the jumping races out of its programrae this season. Silverpeak has been scratched for the Wyndham C'up. Alex Mclvor doesn't like the idea of trying her out over ten furlongs with 9st 21b. A noticeable absentee from the jumping competitions at the local show was Mick O'Brien, of Otautau. He generally has several "leppers" going at the shows. The Gore judge's box is to be placed f urther back from the course, and raised. This should help the judge in making his decisions. Barley Rigs ran well up at Winton, a lot of people thought he won, and at 8.9 in the Mimihau Handicap at Wyndham he reads well. Big Willy Gardiner, the owner of John Barleycorn, Corn Rigs, Barley Rigs and Co., was judging draught horses at the local show this week. Donovan has Fleetham looking well and he carried out the yellow ribhon on Wednesday, denoting that the imported stallion is charnpion for 1920-21 season. In the Mataura Handicap, two miles for trotters, at Gore on Boxing Day, the ancient Bushranger has been given a royal chance, but perhaps he is too old now. Rocks' s Drift 8.8, in the WTyndham Cup reads well, but I doubt it is not the same old Rorke's Drift that we knew a season or two back. If he has come back to form the race would be a gift to him.

Wairio nominations close next Thursday aftemoon at 5 p.m. Owners and trainers wiil note that they close in Invercargill this year with the secr.etary who can'be- found in the "News" buildings. Mr Gibbs keeps weight up on Marching Order all right. Fred Moore will soon it difficult to win a race with this horse unless the weight •adjusters modify their high opinion of him. Bill Stone lost no time in withdrawing his horses from the Dunedin meeting when he saw the handicaps. When an owner has good horses he must expect to carry some go6d weighfs. The handicaps for the first day of the local meeting ar,e published in this issne. W hatever Mr Dunne's qualifications as i handicapper may be tie has certainly teeen prompt in his declaration. Taking a line through his handicaps for the Mimihau and President's Handicaps at Wyndham, Mr Gibbs makes Marching Order wfthin. a pound of Kilbrogan over six furlongs. A complimont Fred Moore won't like I guess! Denial, Luigi and Frog wero amongst the old steeplechasers trying their luck at the jumping game at the show this week. Frog and Luigi, the la-tter well handled by the eldest son of the president of the SouthLand Racing Club, got into the prizemoney. WThat price Melee in the Wyndham Cup? Last -June at Wingatui with 8.8 in the saddle he make hacks of Royal Star 8.13, All Ready 8.3, Burrangong 9.3, Elens 8.13, Kilkee 7.13, Thaddeus 7.10, Almoner 7.9, Bondage 7.2, and Thistledown 7.0, in the Provincial Handicap, 1^ miles. And now Mr Gibbs orJy asks him to carry 7.7. As the local club has issued an invitation to the world's ladies to attend their meeting on Jankary 3 and 4, and barred

all children under twelve years, what about making the outside enclosure available for children of this age and their nurses? What has Breton ever done or shown that Mr Gibbs should put him within a pound of the top-weight in the Final Plate at Wyndham? They ar.e not a good lot but Frenchman) Lady Knight and Clothilde are all better performed than Willy Swale's neddy. There was an attempt made in Dunedin and Christchurch last week to back Eleus and Silverpeak for the doubie at Invercargill. In Dunedin they said the money came from the right quarter, but perhaps this was only the old dodge of imgressing the handicapper that the pair had been reserved for these two races. Quite a number of horses claim engage. ments in the Fed,eral Handicap at Wingatui on Boxing Day and the President's Handicap at Wyndham on New Year's Day. A comparison of the weiglits are : —

The handicaps for the hurdle races at Dunedin and Wyndham furnish another exarilple of how closely Mr Gibbs endorses Mr Henrys' adjustments for Dunedin The weights of the horses engaged in both are : —

The following are Messrs Henrys'. and Gibbs' opinions of the horses who are engaged in both the Otago Handicap and Wyndham Cup, each run over a mile and a quarter S —

Again how great minds think alike !

FMeral. President's. Michaela 9 9 9 8 Satisfaction 8 13 8 13 Kiliowen 8 9 8 8 Kilbrogan 8 2 8 2 Rokelaine 7 11 7 10 Redshire 7 0 7 0 Pyjama 7 0 6 13 Link Up 7 0 6 13

Dunedin. Wyndham, Jack Symons ... 12 7 12 7 Barrister 10 9 10 9 Thticorn 10 8 10 8 Awahou 10 2 9 13 Mandrake 10 1 9 13 Calma 9 8 9 6 Good Start ...... 9 2 9 0 Gowanbrae 9 0 9 0

Otago Hep W. Cup. Radial 9 10 9 10 Eleus 8 9 8 6 Almoner 6 8 5 Beageroop 8 6 8 5 Warlove 8 5 8 4 Satisfaction ... 8 2 8 1 Tin Soldier 7 10 7 9 Thaddeus ...... 7 8 7 7 Jock 7 7 7 5 Linden .., ... ... 7 5 7 5 Malaga 7 3 7 *2 Twinkle 7 0 7 0