SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 29, 27 February 1909, Page 6

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. Duuedin J.C.—February 27. Warganui J.C—March 4 and 6. Dannevirkc J.C.—March 10 and 11. Opuoakc R.C.—March 17. Napier IPark HA.'.—March 17 and 18. VHilpawa; C.K.C.—MUri'h 24. Taranaki J.C—March 24 and 25. | TURF TOPICS. ; (By "Moturoa.") The Duuedin Jockey Club's autumn meeting will be concluded to-day. Kelso has run out of hacks, and should go on winning in open company. The Wanganui Jockey Club's autumn meeting takes place on Thursday and Friday next. Zioneas was burned in her box last | week at Timaru. She will.be "hot stuff" no more. Loch Fyne, Le Beau, and a number of other Auckland hurdlers have been' put into commission again in view of the winter meetings. Cymbiform was not without a few admirers in town on Thursday, and the good price paid by the Multiform colt : was greatly appreciated. A ton of caipital went overboard when Truganini missed on Wednesday. 11l transpires that the unlucky prad got a very bad passage, and will be laid aside for some time to come. Contender broke a long string of costly disappointments in the South Island by gathering in the Suburban Handicap on Thursday from a good field.

Serenade, who scored at Riccartoii and again at Winga'tui, is said to be as fast as a defaulting motor-agent, and should repay watching.

The hurdler Pharos has broken do\vu| ''badly aud may not race again. lie is no longer Pharos; he's a " done hoss." Wanganui acceptances should appear in to-day's issue and probably the double will be easier to pick now that] the Held has been reduced in numbers. A Southern sporting scribe, writing under date of 23rd February, stated: ■'Glenculloch, Prim, aud Rose Noble are in good form, aud should run well in the Dunedin Cup," which was a wonderfully accurate forecast, the three horses mentioned lilling the places, though not exactly in the order written, in Wednesday's big handicap. Such is fame! Doraudo, the famous Italian long-distance champion, has been honored by having his name conferred on A. Ellingham's Sail FranRuby colt. Iranui tried to win the Duuedin Cup from end to end, but was well, beaten ,at the turn for home, and Prim, who had been ridden a patient race, came with a great burst of speed, and scored i by over two lengths from Glenculloch. ' The aristocratically-named Lord Nolan and lady Diffidence are the present ruling favorites for the Australian Cup. Signor has lost jnaay admirers on account of his size, but the New Zealander is going well, and will make a bold showing on the day. j The Porirua stable will probably sup-

ply two starters in the Wanganui Cup— Ail Red and Taitoko. The Auckland 1 Cup winner will be ridden by C. Jenkins, and Taitoko will most likely have to carry a few pounds overweight to obtain the services of R. Hatch. Sir George Clifford has won four out of the last six contests for the Dunedin Champagne Stakes with Stronghold, Glenowlct, Husbandman, and Sharpshooter. With the once invincible Stead stable cut up, Clifford should hold a mortgage over weight-for-age races next season. | An error crept into a recent paragraph in these columns, the two-year-old Golden Loop being termed a colt insteinl of a filly. It is just as well to correct even the slightest error in this respect, as the popular owner would not cave to have any scab owner trying to get the Ingoda—Zemlia incident on to him. When a victory comes one's way—which isn't often—it's just as well to reap the full benefit of it. The fivc ; ycar-old Sant Ilario mare San Severo caused a lot of trouble when tHie field lined up for the Publicans' Handicap. Fractious horses get more attention than they deserve, and, as we often

notice, the one which delayed the start so long gets a flier in the end. San ?evero hopped out with a good lead, and soon had a commanding advantage, which 1 she maintained to the turn, but although Valdimar closed the gap somewhat in the run home, the leader was a length ahead ot anything when the judge's box was reached. The much-maligned Bar Von comes in for little else but hard words in these parts, and it is interesting to note howother (and probably better informed

sporting people) regard the Man of Odds. Indian clubs recently threatened to oust the bookmaker, but a storm of disapproval caused them to steady up a bit, and now the tinkling tote has gone back in favor, aud the following par from the "Asian" shows plainly in which direction public feeling points:— "The experiment made in 1907 of doing away with the bookmakers did not encourage the stewards to persist in their course in face of the general opposition of the racing public, and there is r .io getting away from the fact that, despite the cramped odds which he frequently offers, the bookmaker has done his share towards bringing racing to its present pitch of popularity. The public want him, and have plainly shown that, for them, the machine does not compensate for the absence of the professional layer."

The Newmarket Handicap comes up for decision to-day, and claims the attention of Maorilanders by the iact that Soultline, Prophecy, Golden Slipper, Seddo-.i, Peterhof, Kerlie, and Idyll still remain in the six furlong race. Soultline was weighted at Ost 111b, and will put up 101b penalty for his win at Caulfield. Soultline is undoubtedly a splendid horse, but lOst 71b appears to be almost a prohibitive weight, and he reads badly alongside of Irishman, 7>l 131b, who ran him to a head in the futurity Stakes. Excepting the topweight, the Xew Zealanders are almost friendless, and if Soultline cannot »coop the biijlion I am afraid none of it will be credited to Maoriland-bred horses. Scotland, who scored last year under Bst 41b, is again an acceptor, and is well fancied, as are Haltine and Parsec. Another important event to lake place at Flcmington to-day is the weight-for-age Essendon Stakes, run over a mile and a-half. The following arc the acceptors:—Knox, Nushka, Signor, Golden Slipper, Dyed Garments, Little Lad, Prophecy, ilonobel, Pendil, lolaire, Soddon, Lord Kolan, Trentmoor, and NciUi. When the famous Gammon Act (by Bloated Bookmaker out of Old Women Parliamentarians) was brought into existence, it was hailed with' joyful shouts by the whole army of pencillers, «nd. viewed as a prad that would gallop rough-shod over the racing clubs, it was apparently something to crow about. Racing clubs put up the largest obstacles allowable, but still the neddy was to the fore. Ikey Hoses-caused his name (or alias) to be flaunted in the daily press, and everytOiing in the garden was lovely. But as time grew on, as they say in the Good Book, the festive Gammon Act began to show itself in its true colors, and a darned skittish animal it proved to be. With one swift kick it put the kylmsli on betting advertisements, and with a series of 'pig-jumps landed several leading lights of the hook-making' fraternity in the soup for advertising that they were still on the earth and were prepared fo carry on the business which Parliament decreed they should do. At present consternation reigns in the pencillers' camp, and the cry of Israel is upon the land. How things will turn out, the Deity alone knoweth!