THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 281, 21 November 1908, Page 4

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

RACING FIXTURES. November 28, December 2—Takapuna Jockey Cluu. November 30, December I—Feilding Jockey Club. December 3—Waitara R.C. Annual. December 23, 28, 28—Manawatu Racing Club. December 26 and 30, January 1 and 2 Auckland Racing Club. December 20, 28—Taranaki J.C. Xmas. December 26, 30, January 1, 2—Auckland Racing Club. DATES OF COMING EVENTS. New Zealand. November 30—Feilding Stakes. December 23—Manawatu Cup. December 26—Auckland Cup. December 30—A.R.C. Summer Cup. Australia. November 3—JWbourne Cup. TURF TOPICS.

(By "Moturoa")

Wuudville weights are due on Monday.

The Takapuna J.C. Spring meeting opens on Tuesday. Acceptances for the Waitara R.C. annual meeting close on Monday night. Bitter experience has taught this scribe that the only certainty about horse-racing is the bookmaker's profit. The appearance of Mr. Morse's weights for the Auckland Cup will open up the betting for the northern race. With Master Delaval, Zimmerman, 'Frisco, Downfall, Calilornia, and Signor in the Cup, " doubles " should prove a veritable J gold mine to the Ikeys. The New Zealander Delaware, who ran into third place in the Melbourne Cup, was runner-up to lolaire in the Williamstown Cup, a handicap race of lOOOsovs., run over eleven furlongs. The winner was conceding Delaware 261bs. and won in a canter by a neck. New Zealanders who figured on the .payment sheet included Messrs. Nettleford and Price with 11041, the result of Pink 'Un's forward Tunning, and Mr. Harvey Patterson, who raked in £SOO for Delaware's third in the Cup. The next meeting which will engage the attention of the Taranaki sports is the Waitara J.C. Annual meeting, which takes place on Thursday week, December 3rd. Good nominations have been received, and there should be a decent day's sport served up for the patrons of the club. The train now stops at Lepperton opposite the course, which is very convenient and shortens the distance to the enclosures very considerably.

A true bill! A new-chum " bookie " was struck for ten shillings on the first race he fielded on. 'When the punter—a half-crown bettor—called round to

" collect" he was greeted with a cheery smile and the man of odds remarked, "Ha, ha, old chap! You've tacked a winner. Now, what are you going to play it up on? You're standing on velvet, my man—on velvet—your luck'i in now! iPlav it up on the next race," anl a dazed punter had the bet of his life and lost on " the next."

An impression which has prevailed in commercial circles that there is a tightness in the money market (says a Wellington writer) is being, brought home to those converned in the operations of racing clubs. It has been very noticeable at recent meetings that many racegoers wjio formerly freely invested in tens and twenties have restricted their investments to the modest couple of sovereigns. This was especially noticeable at the Masterton races, where, de-

spite fine weather, large attendance, and goou fields of horses, neither tl)e

totalisator nor the bookmakers were patronised to the usual extent.

The Election Stakes is over and the O.K. horse has proved himself a racehorse amongst hacks. The race was his from the jump. Jumping into his stride at I'uniho he came along with a big lead through Omata and the South Road, doing along the back stretch—Egmont Village and the Carrington Road—he increased his lead, and at Bell Block was lengths ahead. At Bell Block he had everything spread-eagled, and, full of running, he came on, carrping the Themnning, he came pn, carrying the Theout an effort. It was a "cake-walk"

and there was no second dividend. The other starters, "I'm alone" and "The Ringer," were beaten off and altogether failed to run up to expectations. The tussle between the cup that cheers and the translucent beverage

which is only fit to make one's ablutions in, was a great "go." The latter -p-j.-ty was handicapped rather heavily, and after doing good work 'cross country failed to concede weight to his opponent in the run home and suffered defeat by a head. The eold-tea candidate had gone through a searching preparation at the hands of a select eoterir

of energetic trainers, but the flowing bowl candidate is very hard to beat (100 true!), and won a good race ny a narrow margin without any apparent efl'iirt. It was a close finish, lmt, after al!, to win by a head is just as good as to win l»y a dozen lengths. Mr. J. Mayo, the lucky owner of Lord Nolan, drew £5227 in stakes alone as the result of the colt's win in the Melbourne Cup and third in the Victorian Derby. What lie won in bets would take several columns to enumerate. The Lone Hand magazine took on tlie unusual role of tipping people what not to back. The cover of the current number was printed away back in April, anil represented a horse bearing on his saddle No.' 4, trotting riderless round the course. In the Metropolitan, Plun3er finished minus his rid«r, and in the book Plunder was No. 4. In the Melbourne Cup No. 4 was Dyed Garments, and Dyed Garments fell and finished without his jockey. Unfortunately, most Lone Hand readers who regarded it qs a tip backed No. 4 and fell in. It's a sad world. A 'Stralian sporting scribe pens the following:—Citizen Wren's stewards had quite a field day at Richmond (Vic.) pony races the'day before the Cup. They started by holding inquiries into the running of Ados and Grace, and arrived at verdicts of " not proven." Then the owner of Andy, considering that 'his prad's win was incompatible i with the animal's recent performances, asked them to lay their intellects on to the matter, which they did. and once more reached tlie "not proven" decision. After that thev considered the adjourned charge against a moke called JS.A:, and settled the case by cancelling tlie jock's license for incapacity. Next 'they fined a jockey £"> for cheeking the. starter, but kindly allowed him to ride in and win the next race before anteing up. Then they wandered about and handed out penalties varying from CI to £2 to nine different persons for being late at the start, or cheeking a steward, or some other caper. Doubtless Wren's stewards considered they

were setting an example to the V.R.C. But what a lot of irregularity there must be about pony courses, to call for so many penalties all at once!

Referring to lite suspension of the

crack light-weight rider V. Wootton, who Ims a chance of heading the list of winning jockeys iu "England for this season, the Sporting Times makes the following comment: Wootton's name has cropped uji more than once in connection with questionable riding, nr probably the stewards would have dealt more lenffentlv with him ' on account of his youth.' It was very likely in his own interests that a somewhat severe sentence was passed upon liini, and ve trust that not only will it have a salutary effect, but lie a warning to others. He is one of the best boys that we have seen, ranking with 'Jimmy' Orimsh.iw and 'Johnny' Reiff; and we hope to see him equally good as a nmn, as Fordham and Archer, who were great lightweights, were. There have, however, been plenty of brilliant light-weights who did no good later on. and all for the reason that thev had become eaten up with vanity and conceit. 'Cucss there's nobody who can teach me anything,' once said a swollen-beaded Vnnkee who is no longer riding. It" Wootton only avoids the swollen head he may become something much more than a brilliant light-weight. .Meanwhile Wootton is doing well, and M. Veil picard. who runs a team of tiptoppers in la belle France, has offered the colonial lad a retainer of £2OOO to Tide his neddies. Race riding is a paying game.