SHORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 108, 3 June 1909, Page 3

SHORTING.

AUSTRALIAN* RACINU. -Melbourne, .lime -1, There arc 203 entrants for the Caul field Cup, 22S for the Melbourne Cup. u7 for the liraiul National Hurdles. SO for the Steeples. 78 for the Caullield Hurdles, ami SI for the Steeples. NOUTHEUN HACK MEETIX'i. lly Telegraph.—l'rcss Association. Auckland, Last Night. The weather is slightly overcast tonight, but there seems a promise ol line weather for the inauguration ol the Oreat Northern race meeting at Ellerslie to-morrow. It is anticipated that the field for the Great Northern Hurdle race will number ten. J'aritutu has been an absentee from the Ellerslie track for the- past couple of days, but he has been worked elsewhere.

TURF TOPICS. (By ''Moturoa.") The Auckland. J'uncdin, and Olaki winter meetings open to-uay. Belario aim ln s h ailu' arrived at Elleisiie on Friday and attracted niiicii interest on the tracks, both horses appear to be very tit. I'aritutu exh.oitcd symptoms of lameness last week, and was au absentee from the tracks on Tuesday. -Vionarty received rather a bad knocking about when being shipped to Melbourne recently, and may not sport silk on the other side until tin; spring meetings roll round. The death of Courier is another streak of bad luck for -Mr. Fred Tilley. llie Fordell trainer lost Apa at the W'anganui Cup gathering, and The Lark and Bunyau have since been proven uutrainable.

Le Beau has been jumping splendidly at Ellerslie, and on Saturday morning finished in front of Kiatere, Armagh and Rouseabout, after completing a round of the big fences. Le Beau carries top weight ill ttie Maiden Steeple to-day. Alarming rumors have been in circulation regarding Jaek Pot, but on Saturday morning he did strong work and pulled up perfectly sound. -The first race at Ellerslie, the Maiden Steeplechase, is. .timed to start at 11.45 a.m. to-day. Starboard scored very easily at Takapuna the last time he sported silk, and his work on the Ellerslie tracks has been very pleasing. The Daystar gelding is a likely starter in tfie Jcrvois Handicap, for which there are no less than 23 acceptors. It transpires that Nogi injured himself very severely in the Wanganui Steeplechase, and he will most likely be off the scene for the rest of the season. N'orth-East is one of the most consistent prads running on this coast. In the last four starts the Euroclydon gelding has finished first on two occasions, one third and once unplaced. NorthEast is going on the right way and will be seen out at Otaki.

Stayboy was doing good work before being railed to Auckland, and figures at the top of the handicap in the Maiden

Hurdle Kace. There are several "newchums" engaged in the race, but the class taken right through is very ordinary.

There was a big gathering "of sportsmen at the Rutland Hotel, Wanganui, on Saturday evening, when the popular horseman, .George Price, was given a farewell dinner. Mr. Price was presented with a valuable pair 01 ue 1 glasses by his many friends, and many good wishes were expressed for his future success in the ranks of the trainers.

That good mare Effort, of which great things are expected, will probably face the barrier in the Cup at Otaki. The three top-weights have shown winning form recently, and the issue appears to be decidedly open. Irish galloped well over a couple of rounds on Tuesday morning, but pulled up slightly lame in iio'.u. It is to hi hoped that nothing serious is wrong wit'i the Eton gelding, as he has been heavily supported for the Great Northern double.

Jackpot, looking well, was restricted to half-pace work on Tuesday, and was anxious to do better.

Kairoma came a bad cropper the same morning while being schooled in company with Helario and Waione. Kairoma pulled up very lame and appeared to-be badly knocked aiiout. nrlario and Waione completed the course, jumping proficiently. Sol jumped a couple of fences and then accompanied Luminator over a round, the last seven furlongs taking lniin. 37 3-osec.

Don Hannibal has been purchased uy Mr. W. Lyons and will be shipped y> Sydney next month. Don Hannibal showed good form at the Avondale autumn meeting, and has been nominated for the Epsom and Metropolitan Handicaps. Grenadier has been showing something of his old form on the tracks of late, and may pick up a race shortly. Mr. H. Jeffrey's five-year-old Montpelier ran a good second to North-East in the Borough Handicap at Hawera, and will be given a run in the -Maiden at Otaki.

On Hawcra showing Goodwin Park cannot be said-to have .be™ harshly treated in the Otaki Hack Handicap. Mullet, who figures in the same race, is quickly running into form again. Tlie'Duiiedin and Otaki meetings will he concluded to-morrow, but the second day's races at Kllerslie do not tak" place until Saturday. Young Frank Wootton put up something like a record for the first 18 days of the current English season, between March ii and April S, by riding in 04 races, of which he won Ki, was second in 15, third in 0, and unplaced in 30. He easily heads the winning jockeys so far, while M-ahcr, who luckily bent him last season, was onlv sixth, with five wins. A few days, after the publication of these positions in the " Sportsman " Wootton won six races, beginnhg with a/Welter on his father's horse, Japan, at Kempton l'ark, and during the afternoon \vo,i a couple of useful races and ran second in one. He won a two-year--1 old race on l.onawand—trained by m* father-ami a Welter I'lute on Jackson, who both started at the head of the quotations. Two days later, at New market, the Sydney boy was again m form. He opened the first race on Laveuse a mare trained by Mr. J. K. Brewer for Mr. Lionel Robinson. Later in the day he won the Fitzwilliam Stakes of «.)5 for Mr- Sol Joel on the French-bred Gourouli. by St. Bunnell, and the next race, the Crawford Plate, lie carried ofV for the American sportsman H P.Whitnev.oii Hillside HI, an American bred gelding by Hamburg, who was favorite.