SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 316, 6 January 1909, Page 4

SPORTING.

TURF TOPIC'S. (By 'vMoturoa.") That tlic sport of kings is as popular as ever iii Taraiiaki was clearly showu "by the successful meetings held by the Waitara, Taraiiaki Metropolitan, and Stratford Racing Clubs duriug the past mouth. Slight -shrinkages in totalizator receipts were in each ease more than equalised by fees gathered in from irrepressible '"Bar Vons," who lined up in great numbers and did good business. (J. Jackson and C Price were the most successful riders at tin; .Stratford meeting, finishing lip with three wins apiece. , Messrs. A. Mitchell, A, Best. T. Salter, and l'\ Hooch, and J. Clareburt, R. CJilbert, U. Barlow, W. Price, C. Cochrane, I anil T. Jones each rode one winner. Mr. ;S. K. Cooper tops the winning owners with £l2O won by Sir Artcgal in the County Hack and .Final Handicaps. Sir Artegal raced consistently at Waitara and at the Taranakj Jockey Club gathering, and the success attending the fctepniak gelding's efforts at Stratford was well deserved. Mr. A. Wright picked l up both hurd'e races with Scenery, a six-year-old daughter of 2se\v Forest. Scenery is an inditl'erent fencer, but had too much pace for the opposition between the fences. White Star's running at the local meeting did not suggest him as a likely winner in the big handicaps at StraLford, but, favored with a light weight ami ridden nicely by the youthful Jag'ewoud jockey Gilbert, he ran two solid I races, winning the Cup and making StajI boy do his best iu the Dominion llandicap.

Stayboy, who has been a paying mivestment this season, linished up li's task gamely in the Dominion Handicap, mid after settling the pretensions of the favorite Rangihaeta, he set sail after Jlallet and White Ktar, and beat the latter by half a length after an exciting finish. Kirsty won the l'"lying Handicap from end to end in the goud time of 1 liiin 1.) 2-ssee, but with (ill) more to cany i" the I'inal Uaiuliciip was never sighted. The latter event was run ill liuin l(sc:, but the course was hardly as fast as oil the first day.

Mendip followed up his success at the T.J.C f . meeting by gathering in the .Midhirst Handicap after a good '•go" with

Astraea. In the Toko Welter his Hist olb safely anchored him, and after running well up for half a mile the ftt. ftuil gelding faded out of the contest. Te JJikaka was cm hand with his usual "hot stull'," and Tanekaha scored a hollow victory in the Uaihvay Hack Handicap. Mulga Bill was well backed each day, but ran like a moderate. Cylie made amends for her unlucky defeat in the Trial Trot by winning the Stratford Trot iu good style. Olive,

who beat 'the Cleveland .mare oh the , opening day, spoiled whatever chance •he had. ju the Stratford Trot by breaking badly "when making his run, but lie 1 had 110 chance with the winner any way. Billow made a poor showing in the Summer Hack Handicap at the Taranaki meeting, ami did no better in the Midhirst Handicap on the first day at Stratford, but in the Toko Welter the daughter of Daystar was always in the division, and lasted long enough to beat Astraea, giving Charlie Cochrane his only winning ride at the meeting. C. Price rode two nice races cn Sccrfierv, and also "did the trick" on Notorious iu the Cardiff Stakes. But for being thrown he would have liaJ an easy :wiu on Mendip in the Midhirst Hack Handicap. Clemency mils consistently, but can do no better than run seconds, a brace of which went down to her record r»t Stratford. Tauhara, a Jive-year-old gilding by St. Paul—llrasmere, in Bob trough's stable. ha< been heavily backed in his last few starts on the strength of good track form, but has let his party down badly on each occasion. ■Diiystar sired three winners and few seconds at the Stratford meeting, St. i Clements two firsts and two seconds. St. Paul two firsts and two seconds.