THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 304, 19 December 1908, Page 4

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

|P BAO>"G FIXTURES. I • Club. SJJeeetnber 28 and 30, January 1 and 2 t, Auckland B.C. r~. , Club Xmas. '' DATES OK COMING EVENTS. December 23—Manawatu Cup. December 26.—Auckland Cup. December 30.—AJt.C. Summer Cup. TUHP TOPICS. (By "Moturoa"). Acceptances for the Stratford meeting close on Wednesday next. There will'be racing at New Plymouth, EUerslie, Awapuni and a host of other places on Saturday next. The otlly thing;' to do with bad luck is to make .the best of it. AH prods are ''stayers." Some stay in front and some in the ruck. It is a fact that Les. Jury has joined the ranks of horse-owners. All "Serene! Swimming Belt and Tawhaki are unlikely starters at the Manawatu meeting.

■The owner of the Canterbury Cup winner, Bignor, has his optic on tlic Australian Cap. : In every hone race there is a horse " in the van," and, more often than nut, half-a-dozen "in the box." C. Jenkins will steer Gold Crest in the iFalmerston Stakes, after which he will proceed to Auckland, where All Red and Uiabolo claim engagements. Jockey Harry Price, who steered Star Boss to victory in the Xew Zealand Cup, ■Will have the mount on Shuja in the Auckland Cap, and will ride Gold Lace in the Railway Handicap. : A tramcar in Auckland is reported to have "jumped the rails. - ' Probably a sportive driver was having a preliminary practise wtih the intention of entering it for the Nationals. The motor car is all very well in its own smellful way, but you can't beat ■the horse much. A car goes off with • conk! conk! and conies home—if it ever does come home—crook! cronk! " That's something like a horse," said the proud owner to a friend, as a local ''crock" was led out of the stable. "Yes. something," remarked the other, looking at him suspiciously; " what is itT A giraffe or a hat rack?" They don't speak now. (veronica, who Tan second to Gold Crest in the Easter Handicap at Auckland, is galloping well at Randwkk, but is very highly assessed by 'Stralian nandicappers, and may not pay her way t for some time to come. Final payments for, the Palmerston Stakes must be considered highly satisfactory. Gold Crest, Nautiform, Armlet, Broadsword", Penates, Rnngipapa, Full Rate, and a number of others are ■till in the weight-for-age event, and a fine raee is expected. Golden "Eagle has 8.1 in the Awapuni {Handicap, and is giving weight away to several good ones, notably Tumut, and Ballarat, ana will have to be at ler best to possess a winning chance. -Hacremai has pai* up for the Tiritea OpSn Hurdles, but Mikotahi has dropped out of the hack hurdle race. The Wellington R.C. has recently had completed on their course at Trentham a large water-tank for the express purpose of watering the tracks. Prohibition was only lost in the district by a few votes, and on the first count it looked as if the tank would come in ihandy for watering the dry punters who patronised the. Wellington Club's meetings. The Jlanawatu R.C. summer meeting ~""»p«is on Wednesday, and, despite rather poor nominations, splendid acceptances tmve been received, and racing at Awapuni promises to lie highly interesting. On the opening day of the gathering the principal events set down for decision ore the Palmerston Stakes, of 500sovs., Tim over six furlongs; the Summer Handicap, of 300sovs., one mile; and the Awapuni Handicap, of 300sovs., a six furlong race. With the tinkling tote in full swin?, horse-racing in Japan was going ahead likf Arnst in the sculling race, and horses poured in from 'Stralia and 'Murka faster than a man could count them. But the boom is as dead as the Wanganni " city of champions " fizzle now, the tote has been flung out with a thud like a Tommy Burnser, and racing is making record time to the canines. Owners are now exporting horses to India, and nothing but the poor' form of )Hiny scrambles can survive the upheaval.

The New Zealand bred Mischief, by Hirkenhead—Miss Never, is proving himself a champion amongst the two-year-olds racing in Queensland. At the recent Brisbane meeting Mischief added further to his laurels by running off •with the Champagne Stakes from a emnrt field. Mischief, whose starting price was about that which would be laid on Gold Crest in a maiden hack Irace, was ridden tby his owner, W. J. Tucker, and was out on Ms own from the word " Go," winning in a canter by Jour lengths "from Patris, who runs in *the colours of the erstwhile Auckland tportsman, the Hon. H. Mosman, who, raced the disappointing Hengist and a number of other horses in New Zealand In the nineties. Mischief is described as a slashing big colt, and litis proved Ibis ability to carry weight. Good judges affirm that he will be a regular "smasheT" at three, years. |

< On this day week tile Auckland and Mnnawatu Cups will engage the attentions of our stayers. Bobrikoff and Carl Rosa have most friends for the Northern race and are doing well on' Ithe tracks. Moral heads the handicap In the Manawatu Cup, and his recent wins- at Woodville and Dannevirkc, although there was nothing smart to beat at either place, show that the old fellow is in capital neck, and he may be depended upon to stay every yard of lthe journey. The unlucky Apa has earned every pound of his weight, and twelve furlongs is undoubtedly bis pet distance, but the Addington gelding has bad a most remarkable bad run in Cups. and punters generally fight shy of him. Kopu is a light of other days, and Taugiraoana seems to have lost her brilliancy. 'Muskerry has been reserved for this event, and Heortborn ran so well in the New Zealand Cup that his chance is favourably considered down south. Mafcuta is down in "the weights, but nothing appears to be dangerous amongst the lightweights.