SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 259, 5 November 1904, Page 3

SPORTING.

TARATAHI-CARTERTON ACCEPTANCES. The following acceptances have been received for the TamtnM-Cnr- . terton Racing Club's spring) meeting »r on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 9 a nd «:- ' Hack Flying Handicap, six luilongs.—Joe Chamberlain 8.13, Sardonyx, St. Albert 8.12, Tomairangi, Kudu 8.11, Hamua, Hinurewa 8.2, Maitukokir.i 7.12, Pa lima 7.11, Wttikakaho 7.5, Rungarawa <■». Letnciine 7.2, Tiwha 6.10, Montague Sagaoioiis. Loch Ta 6.7. Hallway Handicap, six furlongs.Kremlin 9.8, Wet Reef 8.1, Bounce ' 8.0, Merope, Narcotic 7.13, Nonem 7.7 Pure Silver 7.."., "old »«*&*■ 13 Waitoti 6.11, Mystification 6.10, Joe Chamberlain 6.9, Turepo, Sedgemere 8.7. Handicap Hack Hurdles., one. and a half miles.-Valkyrie 11.9, Raetna, Jeanne D'Albert 10.3, Moeraki 10.9, Dauber, Aaadeja 9.13, Cavill 9 9 Grand Jury 9.8, Jewel Gun 9 5, Su Amies 9.4, S'tren* 9.2, Wakatuahi, No Shot. Athol Maid, Hooker 9.0. Wairarapa County Cup, one and a quarter miles.-Lass o' Gowrie 8.13, Shrapnel 8.8, Plaidie 8.6. Hand- ; gom. Hose 7.12, Bounce , ; 4, **a ; Lion, Jeanne U'Arc, Tyrone < .2, luiruereion 6.12, Sunlish 6.9, St. Alba 6.8, Tattle, La Torpedo 6./. Kins' Edward Handicap, one mile.— , Tomairangi 8.10, Talune 8.9, Itomua k 8.2 Spoil and Hinurewa 8.0, Patumi , 7.10, Laertes 7.8, Hapids 7.6 Cumulus 7 3 Silverline, Admiral Cerveras n.Moetoropuku 6.13, The Huler 6. 9. Curenawhi 6.7. •BirthdTHack.Velter, seven fu-longs.-Joe Chamberlain 10.11, Spoil 912, Hoity Toity 9.8, Laertes 9.<, Waitoa 9.6, Grey Gown Femmioan 9 o Fireball 8,11, Woodleigh 8.8, Fancy Work, Saraband, Ngatitoa, .vSatloD. Kofago. lne - LoCh T Wafrarapa Hack «u™eas/-St-low JoUv Friar, Polyanthus, Hinu- ' pai,' Aberration, Strathmai. ENTRIES : Farewell Scurry .-Loch Tay, Lad>' *areweu SBKaC i o us, Lavnma, Seer Lctheline. Momtague, Quartf. 'uS SpriUV. ovinia, Montague, SarU, Narrow Escape, St- J* Fair Lady, Enoba, and Bonny E> perance.

ABOUT TRAINING TRACKS. The following notes, by "&« ; Bedivure," ir.the He.eree. sfcouW be ~ interest to sporting readers . the .ntst perfect surface upon which a horse may be galloped con£tt of a springy turf, in which there if „o urivenness. By unevenness I mean rough places, sudden dips or rtS"S-ch might tend to throw a hUeoUtof its stride. He >s a lucky man indeed who possesses a tiack clothed with a thick covering of Nature's carpet, made by "« finer species of grasses which do not tmt ' an* that is not liable to 'bake when under the influence of the summer gun. On the vast majority oi racecourses in New Zealand such happy conditions can scarcely be said t» prevail, and trainers are well aware /that moat of our grass gallops am of very little use for fast ,workdurirtg the height of the season. This is on account of the fact. that they become so terribly hard] as the spring advances, that to extend a horse upon them with fraquen-; , cy would either make the animal sore j uv crack up its joints. In the past i many unnecessary restrictions/ have been placed upon the use of the " emerald circuit," and although some of the langer racing bodies are inclined .; to be more liberal in this respect, there are still many clubs who have am unreasonable abhorrence of see-

ing their tracks " cut up." Having ibeeo through the mill, I speak somewhat feelingly, and I would ask that j such an important matter be given due consideration in the future. It has fallen to my lot, on sundry ocoaaionfi, to be situated near to a racecourse upon which I had hopes of seeing one or more of my representatives bring grist to the mill during the following week. Luckily, and yet unluckily, for reasons which I am about to relate, clean mangers have . been the order of the day, and as the grass tack was too hard, not to say rough as well, I had intended to gi\e the noble steeds a rousing good pjpeopener in the morning on the plough. During the night, however, rain had fallen steadily, and at daybreak the plough was naturally enough of the consistency of pea soup. The grass Was dosed, and I was told that it Would not be opened for fear of the horses "cutting it up." Here was - a nice- predicament. Horses eating like gluttons and nowhere to work (them ! Trainers now rarely meet With such misfortune, but there is

still room for much improvement in •. connection with the management ol many courses. There is no excuse Sot not throwing open either the grass track or the outside of the course proper when conditions such as I have referred to prevail. Owing to the clayey or otherwise undesirable nature of the soil of many of our training grounds the only time that the grass is of any use ia when there has been a sufficiency of rain to make it morn br less soft. That,

then, is the proi>er time to let it be •& available for the use of any horse who ia required to do strong work. It will pay any club to devote attention to the requirements of trainers, • in the way of providing every convenience and fecilty fov the preparation of the charges that lie within its power. Bad tracks mean unprepared or broken down horses, either ol which mean disgusted owners who will relinquish the Turf. The better the state of the gallops, the more likely will the local trainers be to bold tiieir own both at home and abroad, and a fair proportion of the prize money will he retained in the district. In conclusion, I wish to strongly bring under the notice ol those in power the tremendous risk involved in galloping a first-class animal on an inferior surface. A crack ■''' racer that is sound may, even in New Zealand, be worth anything up to £SOOO, broken down its value might be £SOO. Ts it not the duty, then, of all concerned to take every precautionary measure that may tend to minimise such risk ?

NOTES HY VEDETTE. TO-DAY'S CUP YEETIXG. The New Zealand Cup will be run to-day, and a good race may be looked for. On form shown so far the winner is not easily selected. The general opinion along the coast favours the chances of Convoy, Meloiieon, and Mahutonga. Jenkins, it is said, will ride Melodeon, and making allowance for the improvement the colt has made it is kard to separate him from Convoy. Mahutonga with his light weight may be able to beat both, but ho hardly seemed to be quite at his best at Wellington nor in his first gallops at Biccarton. Fleka may run well forward though little has been heard of the St. Andrew gelding. It has been said that the reason why Martian was .withdrawn from the Cup was that his owner feared it was asking the colt too much to run out two miles with 8.12. This does not coincide with the Bandwick Plate form, in which he carried 8.7, boatimgi such cracks as Lord Cardigan and Emir, arKlf Grand Kapids is us good as M™ian ut the Cup weights backers down south evidently think the race as good as ever. Of the other South Island horses Calibre seems to have the best chance. He was timed to do the last ten furlongs ol the North Otago Cup in 2.10. Huluwayo is reported on tho big side. Summing up the top weight, Convoy »nay for onco be selected, though Melodeon, Mahutonga, and Grand Kapids are bound to be prominent. In the Stewards Machine Gun is bound to be placed, though whether it will be in front is not certain. Solution, Ailsa, and Zetland arc all •mart, while Stronghold may sh»w improved form. Derby—Nightfall ; Welcome Stakes—GlenowUt or King

Billy, or one of Mr Stead's pair ; Oaks—Ailsa. '■■ Templar" in the lUi'eree expects that Maliutonga will win the Cup. "Sir Bevudere" in the same paper picks Calibre, Grand Hapids, and Mahutorrga to fill the plaqes. ••Moturoa" writes to say ihat there i 9 m-Lotng jnlsc hut Grand Hapids in the Cup. | Mr 11. Oxenham, the owner of Acraslia, had „ £20,000 book on the Melbourne Cup, and as he never lays his own horses he would have an. absolute skinner. A storynian in the New Zealand Herald held the ticket on Acrasia. in TatteraaH's sweep. He is £6OOO richer now. Mr Tile Shannon has been appointed handicapper [ o r the two days' summer meeting of the Hawke's B a y Jockey Club. Strenuous efforts are to be made by the Canterbury Jockey Club to keep the bookmakers off the Course at Kiccarton at the present meeting. The bookmakers, by the way, are not quite satisfied over the latest decision of the Court of Appeal, and it is probable that before long a Case will be taken Home to the Privy Council.

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB. The meeting oi>ens to-day, when Die following should run well in the various events : President's Handicap, one mile.— NoWorini or Souhfish. Guineas, one mile.—Boris or Gladstone. Welcome Stakes, five furlongs.— Boomerang. Shorts Handicap, five furlongs.— Alba Rose or La Cigale. Pony Handicap, seven furlongs.— Fashionable or Manoeuvre. Flying, six furlongs.—Parkshot or Liberator. Hurdles, one mile and three-quar-ters.— Hippowai or Cavalry. City Handicap, one mile and a quarter.—Marshal Soult or Scott}'.