THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 330, 23 January 1909, Page 6

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

RACING FlXTUltliS. (January 23—ITuxtou li.c. Animal. January27—Pahiatua Racing Club (Annual). January 29—Wellington Racing Club. February 4 and s—Cisboruc K.C. Summer. February 10 and 11—Fgmont R.C. Siun- ' incr, February 11 and 12.—Poverty Hay Turf Club Annual. February 1J and 18—Woodville District J.C. Autumn. February 24, 25, and 27.—Dunedin J.C. Autumn. March 4 and s.—AVanganui J.C. Autumn. DATES OF COMING EVENTS. January 28—Takapuna Cup. January 20, 30, February 3—Takapuna Jockey Club. TIME TOPICS. • (By ."Moturoa"). The Wellington B.C. summer meeting will be concluded to-day. 1 The Fox ton meeting'will be concluded to-day. ' Ikon started favorite in the Wellington Cup. ' The public only succeeded in "t : ie correct pea" in two races at Trcntliaiu on Wednesday. Alerrie Zealand in the. Anniversary Welter and 'IV Kaliurangi iu the Uuapehu Handicap were "hot orders," and both won easily. 1 The I'orirua pair, All lie'd and Gold 'Jrest, b.okeil bright and well on the first day at Tivnthiin, but neither showed the. brilliancy which characterised their ell'orts' at'the holiday meet-

■ Cutaway curried most money hi the Electric, Xniiiuui (with Jenkins aboard) 'being second favorite. Halfway up the straight t'liuway looked like winning, lint Gipsy Utile smothered everything inside the distance, and won comfortably by over n length. 1 Jockey 1!. Hatch, who tops the winning jockeys, rode two winners 011 the opening day at Tieiithain. With 42 wins to his credit at this early stage of the season ho promises to fracture all records.

Three of the progeny of Merrhvee in 'Tluudore, Mernvonia, and Tumut won races on Wednesday.

1 Flingot win well fancied along the coast for the rare he won on Wednesday, nnd it seems incredible that such 1111 apparent "good thing" should pan out the limit. The cloud of mystery which overhangs horse-racing reminds one of Egmont on a rainy day. Tho Derby wanner Husbandman ran an honest horse in the Wellington Cup, 'but it was too much to ask a three-year-old to give away weight aud a year to Blue Ribbon and Aluskerry. •

1 A line field of eighteen runners contested, the Wi'lliagton Cup. When 'the itapes fiew up Aluskerry was first to 'move, and took up the running from Tangimoana, Sir Frisco, Husbandman, and Sunbonnet. The first four furlongs 'were left behind in 49 3-ssec, and at tho mile post Sunbonnet' had wrestled the lead from Aluskerry and Diabolo and Iraniii had tailed oil'. Five furlongs in 1 111111 2 l-ssec, six furlongs in lmin 14 3-osee, seven furlongs in lmin 27 3-5 see, and again Aluskerry was in the van, I the mile being rattled oil' in the fa3t time ol lmin 41 2-Ssec. Aluskerry w.is first nto the straight, Ikon fading away, and Blue Ribbon, Husbandman, and Artillerie quickly put in their claims. A great race home resulted in Blue Ribbon wearing down tho leader and winning by a neck. Husbandman was a close third, and Art'illcrie,, half a length away, fourth. Sunbonnet was fifth and Swimming Belt sixth. All Red was never .prominent, ami finished a long way back. Probably the terrific pace set by Aluskerry in the first mile upset All Red. Tangimoana, nnd Apa, for they never appenred to be dangerous. 'Startling par from a Sydney paper; "Edward VII. broke one of his shoulder's and was destroyed!'' But it only referred to an eld prad wheh forgot to jump in a hurdle race. "How did yon do over the Cup?" was a question put to a local punter on Wednesday evening, "flow did I do?" he replied disgustedly; "no good at all. I backed All Red. How could a bloke ?>ack a horse with the name of Blue Ribbon! Coiueiinvad'riiiU!"

■ Air. J. 11. McDonald's Tc Kaliurangi, by Conqueror—Valance, was made the medum of a solid punt in the Ruapehu Handicap, and Hatch made no mistake, winning from end to end and finishing up nearly half-a-dozen lengths in front of Seaton Dale,'who was a head in front of the fast-finishing Passion. iGhlando will probably start in the Takapuna Cup next week. Everything is well forward for the forthcoming meeting of the Taranaki Jockey Club and this year's Cup gathering promises to be. a record one.

Mr. O'Connor had several troublesome horses to slip on the! lirst day at Trcntlinin, but with his usual patience he Hiiietcil tile, restive ones and scored 11 distinct success at the barrier. The Taranaki Metropolitan Club are fortunate in securing his services for their 'March meeting.

Muskerry's record reads like a hnrdluck story, seconds and thirds in wellendowed events being much in evidence. Sir Artegal is engaged at Takapuna, hut is an unlikely starter, and will next lie seen under silk at the Egmont meet-

There, was .great joy at Lepperton last night when the news filtered through that White Star had won the Cup at Voxton anil paid a handsome price. The long felolw from Richmond Road did the lmkn and tlic festive howl flowed freely. It was a great night!

I Acrasia is to hn mated 'with Orzil this ■season. The Melbourne Cup winner and lier foal by Sum, Francisco arrived in Sydney last wee);. Her yearling colt by fit. Ambrose is still at Mungio Bungie Station, and is expected to be racing next season.

I Bargains in blood stock are occasionally picked up. Madder, the dam. of fMiinjcet, Munisla, Madrigal, and All Sled, all of whom won most important 'races in Xew Zealand, was purchased at 'the dispersal of the Kirkham stud by LVI-r. J. B. Reid for 40gns.

The last has been seen on Australian soil by Peru. lie journeyed by train to Newcastle last week, and was shipped to India by the .steamer Gowau--1)111'11.

The opening of the racing season 1008-d was (says the Indian Planters' Gazette:) signalised by the very notable innovation from the Indian Turf, namely, the appointment, for the lirst time on the stewards' list of a paid official. ■Stipendiary stewards have for many years past been recognised as a necessary addition to the Turf government in Australia and the Xew Zealand colonies, but the necessity for them has never been recognised in England. It India, however, where the stewards at headquarters and elsewhere, but particularly in the Presidency towns, are mostly husy men who have, little timeto devote, to racing affairs, stipendiary stewards have long been wanted, and it is a decide*! step in the right direction to find them now beginning to be employed. It is impossible to expect amateurs, if we may so apply the term, to have ieii'thcr the time, and., in many cases, the. nee: ;s;iry knowledge, and experience which the professional has. It is recognised, that to obtain the right stamp of man with the necessary experience is an extremely difficult' matter, but ir: Mr. Boteler'wei think the stewards have made a very wise selection. To he effective, however, stipendiary stewards must be in the plural number upon the stewards' list, for one man is not sufficient to do the work, for which those gentlemen are engaged. ■Mr. Jlotelcr, as an advisory aid to the stewards of the Calcutta. Turf Club, is ■the, right man in the; right place, but ■there is so much detail in connection 1 with the duties of stewards of race ■meetings that one official alone is certainly not enough to tlo the work as ,t ought to be done. In Australia the stipendiary steward is, we believe, and we gather from the remarks of our colonial contemporaries, very often little more than a racecourse detective- of a superior type, ami, of course, in that rapacity he is extremely useful, anil must, always be. so because he is able to watch carefully what happens in the race; and also he Is, in the colonies, stationed at, lixwl points upon the course and bo asked to keep his eyes open to see what happens. 11 would he a very good, tiling if this were done, in ludili, ami the moral cll'crt would lie immense.