TURF TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 49, 17 February 1908, Page 3

TURF TOPICS.

(By ''Moturoj.")

Visitors to the Egmont summer meeting had nothing to complain of as regarde their treatment by tbe officials of tbe club. The energetic secretary, •Mr. Turton, worked hard to make the meeting not only a success, but also an enjoyable outing. A liberal number of complimentary admission and luncheon tickets were distributed, and in consequence the meeting was attended by a class of race-goers who are a credit to the sport, and who help to keep it clean and respectable. Racing, of late years, has in many parts fallen below the" level of respectability, and it is a pleasure to »ee a club endeavoring to foster clean tport and popularise the game by uplifting it to its true level as the Sport Of Kings. Tbe totalizator investments for the meeting totalled £12,403, as against iJC 12,724 in 11)07, but the amount ( £301) collected in bookmakers' fees places the club in a far better position than last year.

When Mahuta won the Egmont Cup in 2min 36 4-ssec be shared with Convoy the honor of doing the fastest time recorded in that event. Convoy carried Oat 81b when he won in 1904, and amongst his many victories were the Rangitikei, Timam, Taranaki, and Weilington Caps. In tiie latter race be ran seeoqd to Gladsome, who was subsequently disqualified owing to F. D. Jones not being a properly-licensed apprentice, and the race was awarded to Convov. Tbe old battler, who must lie over eleven years of age now, ie still going on with the game, and contested stick events at Takapuna and at Gisborne daring the past few weeks. It is a queer coincidence that Ballarat, in running second in the Flying and subsequently winning theWaimate Handicap at the rec«nt Hawera meeting, emulated the racord of Kitchenmaid. who put up the same performance last year. After hi* poor showing at the Canter- " Vir v mectins. Sir scratched for all at' the'u'«J""n meeting ol tbe Australian Jockey Club. The Woodviile, IV Arolia, and Dunedin meetings commence on Wednesday next.

A Southern writer nas computed that Ballarat has won over £2OOO in stakes alone during tb<t six reasons she has been chasing the spoil. 6t. Joe carried top weight, 10.1, in the Launceston Cap, one and a-half miltt, run on the sth inst, and was ridden by Sid. Reid, but the Handsome flack horse had no chance with the Weight, and finished fourth from last in ft field of twenty-four. St. Joe was to 8.12 for the Hobart Cup. The Wellington Pony and Galloway meeting comes off next Saturday. Bookmaker* will be licensed at fees of £5 inside and C 3 outside. Applications for license? should reach the secretary not later than Thursday nest, February 20th.

Australian sporting scribes are booming Dusky Morn as a 1.12 horse; faster 1 than Cruciform; the speediest prad in I Maoriland. etc." How they work it out i is incomprehensible. At the Newmarket ] weights Munject is probably the better ] horse. Any way the latter has most to i recommend her. Time tests arc not > infallible, and when even hacks are 1 timed to do 1.15, or better, as frequent- | ly happens in the Dominion, it is time to send the "ticker" to a watch-foundry or put a competent timekeeper on the Job* ■ (Munjeet does not carry a penalty in the Newmarket for her win in the Special Weight Race la«t week. There was an alleged race meeting at Eketahuni this weeK. A writer in tumorous vein in the Wairarapa Age »aya, among other things, in reference thereto:—"The judge's box in wonderful in its simplicity. It is stowed in a ; protrudes several feet above the I level of the front palings. From this } board the judge takes a line with a ntump opposite, r.nd on a kerosene bo\ the ticM p.i-t. intersecting hi- im.>L'in;"> line •'» ' '■ lowing of no nii-t.ike. A marquee un tli.. Liwn i- i 'l'ooh llali' among tent-, for it ii tlie weighing in room. the secretary's office, press room, stewards'room, and sundry other compartments in one. This is convenient enough, as if one requires to go from the steward*' room to interview the secretary he stays where he is. Equally convenient is the lawn,' which is the saddling paddock, parade ground, and betting enclosure combined. However, the-e are trifling "matters, and the meet ins gws wit h a swing in *pite of minor drawluck*." It is about time the Eketahuna club did -f to improve their mudflat. Tbe course i* a half-mile circular track i.i a paddock of stumps. At till* time of the year the horse- ha v.- to 'gallop through several inches of -oft 'day. and the rwinjr dust make- it iin'pos»ible to pick out the runner-, flara'belle. who showed lip prominently at Pahiatua. won a double at the meeting. Lucretius was another doubl"winner,,ami Hefine. Molly Fi«her. an 1 ! Dolaa won one race eaeh.

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