THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 313, 11 January 1908, Page 3

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

RACIMJ FIXTURES. Jan. lo and lu'.-Tuapeka County J.i,'. Annual. Jan. in, 22, and K.C. Sumriicr. Jan. 22 anil £l.—roxlon R.C. Annual. Jan. 1» ami ;(().-Pahiatua It.C. Annual. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Wellington Racing Club's summer meeting open, this day week. li. niinrin has been taken back to I anterbury and „iH „„ t 5 ,, 11t iu t , Wellington (up.

Manhpoto, who has >howcd some of his old time da»h during tin holiday ,e-i- ---*.""•'* at Present favourite for tin Wellington Cup. The Wellington Racing Club has decMed to license bookmakers at a fee of ti a day for inside betting, and £lO a day for outside betting, which *,.,.„„ | a reasonable charge considering the voiume of business done at that meeting. What remarkable foresight some owners neem to possess! When thev say (to themselves) that Dobbin can't win, Dobbin doesn't run anv faster than a' nearse-tugger, but when the owner says Dobbin will very near win (and kicks his opinion), the prad rurw as if (he Seven Devils were on his tracks and I fairly bolts in!

! They start young in the Old Country! Frank Wooton, who is riding with such since-* up that way, had only seen fourteen summers in December last. Strange, but true! The weight of money on a prad. instead of slowiii" him down to a walk generally, causes hmi to bolt in on his own. liuite a number of Taranaki horees figure in the nominations for the Fovton meeting, which opens on the 22ud inst. Sylvan Park and Immolation are in the Hack Hurdles, and Cold Eagle, Dear Dolly, Somali, Mikotahi, Te Kuiti, Belario, Tarina, and Supplement help to swell the entrants in othre events. Advertisement from an Auckland paper:—" \\ ill the gentleman who invested half a-crow n with me on Cambrian who he ran second yesterday, kindly call at the Sports Club tonight." Just imagine what a restless night that investor must have had thinking all the time that he had been beaten tor a few bob; and imagine, if you can, how he fell on the advertiser's neck and wept tears of joyl

JLeeside and St. Joe, who raced at the Dunedm meeting, have been shipped to Tasmania. Leeside should pick up a few hurdle-races over that way, but St. Joe will hardly last long on the hard tracks in "Tassy." • • . i The Nursery Handicap at the Australian Jockey Club's summer meeting on Boxing Bay brought out a pair ol promising youngsters in Orcus, full brother to the famous Poseidon, and Emita, sister to Emir by WallaceEmmie. Emita, who was a red-hot favourite, won the race from ten others in easy fashion, finishing very strongly. Orcus is not quite ready at present, but ran up well, and is said to take the eye much better than did his big brother, Poseidon, at the same age. • • * ».

Blue Spec, who won the Melbourne Cap of 1905, is still paeing it with the best of them. At the recent Perth meeting he won the big w.f.a. event, the Perth stakes, 1% miles, in convincing fashion. • • * * Further evidence that buying at yearling sales is very much of a lottery was forthcoming in the result of the richlyendowed AJ.C. December Stakes on Boxing Day. The winner (Malt Queen) and second (Matchmaker) cost together 220 guineas—Malt Queen's price was 135 guineas; the buyer wanted to stop at 100 guineas, but was persuaded to go on. Malt Queen has'started thrice anl won each time. Behind the two youngstem named, and unplaced, were Maltman (410 guineas), Anirine (470 guineas), Safrano (300 guineas), lady Malster (450 guineas), and The Black Dove (300 guineas).

In England last year W. Higgo had tittt rides, winning 14!) races. it is duubtlul whether ue will come out quite so well this season, as up lo October ii uis ngures were U4U mounts lor VM wins. A either is llauer likely to come out with quite sucn a good average as last year, when he won WS ul tne 3M races in which he rode. The lad who lias nude the greatest stride lorward in England this year is W. Robertson, with 3ti wins tor 181 mounts. Last year he rode in ten races, winning once.

A gelding highly estimated by visitors to the Alanawalu meeting, writes "Geraint" in the "Manawaui Standard," was the Australian-bred Penates. His owner, an old-time racing man, had gTave doubts as to the soundness of his colt prior to the holiday meetings, and he gave instructions for the colt to be given a searching gallop, although a vet. had advised him that such a course would probably break him down entirely. Penates stood up to the gallop and was taken to Manawatu, where he cut out the five furlongs in lmin. 21-ssec, and is now fairly sound, the ailment apparently being nothing more than a alight splint.

Mr. Fred Easton, who purchased the Soult—Cecile filly at the Manawatu Stud Company's recent sale, is having a private track made at his residence, iloutoa, near Foxton. The land in that locality is particularly suitable for racing purposes, and Mr. Easton has got an excellent course, a mile round, quite near the house. He is erecting suitable stabling for his horses, which include the Soult filly, a half-brother to Purdey, one of the fastest horses of his inches ever bred in the Dominion, and another one purchased at Mr. liathbone's sale. At the present time L. Proctor is in charge of the horses.

A visitor from Australia informed "Glencoe" of the "Dominion" that he docs not think there is any truth in the rumour about Pink 'Un being affected in the wind. He further added that he thought the horse was, and is still, a really first-class sprinter, and if Dave Price does not win a good race with him lie would lie very much surprised. " Beresina," he said, " used to be very short of wind, but Price managed tu win a good race with her."