SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 215, 16 October 1909, Page 6

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. Octoher 20 and 23—Wellington R.C. Spring. October 20 and 23—North Otago J.C. Spring. October 28 and 20—Masterton R.C. Spring. October 28 and 29—(Poverty Bay T.C. Spring. November 0, 8. 10 and 13—Canterbury ,I.C. Spring. November (i, !) and 13—Auckland R.C. Spring. November O-Wavcrley-Waitotara R.C. Annual. December 2—Waitara R.C. Annual. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Caul'field Cup will bo run to-day. The Wellington Racing Club's spring meetings takes place ou Wednesday and Saturday next.

Nominations for the Waverlcy-Waito-lara annual meeting close at 8 o'clock on Tuesday next, October 10.

The hurdle,. Snip recently met with a mishap whilst training and is being spelled. Flit a way is reported to be going better than ever anil will probably do big things this season. North-East had a mere exercise canter in the Flying at Otaki ami is already being solidly supported for the next Stewards' Handicap. Lady Medallist played her part attractively in the settlement of the big race at (jtaki on Wednesday and has won six firsts and a third to her credit for seven starts this season.

BobrikofT repeated his Napier Park Railway Handicap victory on Wednesday and beat a good one in Gold Lac. "Botiby" is going better than ever.

Whatakura won both hurdle races at the Duncdin meeting. Simplex returned to form on Thursday and gathered in the Railway Handicap in good style. The Eton horse is not overburdened in his Trentham etgagements. Ngapuka will not sport silk at Trentham. The Aucklnnder recently wrenc'i. Ed a fetlock whilst cantering round a paddocks, and is in consequence on the easy list. Sir Geo. Clifford's team for Trentham will include Flitaway, Taskmaster, Merchantman and Saxifrage. They should render a good account of themselves. Merchantman is described as a slashing Dig 3-year-old colt, a chestnut in I color, and being by Birkenhead out of Brave Heart can lay claim to an aristocratic parentage. His track work at Rieearton has been of a high order an-1 he is due to win at any moment!

Koran was recently jsold by Mr. G. P. Moore to Douglas Noake for £lO and goes, into M. Gardener's stable at Waverli'v. Koran will probably contest tne Wnvorley-Waitotara Cup next month. iSir Frisco's form at the Otaki meeting was hard to follow. He finished among?t the last division in the Labor Day handicap on Wednesday, and there were several very moderate horses in front of him. In the Demonstration Handicap on Thursday the field opposing him was certainly a weak one and he won easily enough. The latter gallop was his true form, but the question remains, what was troubling him on the previous day? One of the best-backed horses at Ota'ki was the half-sister to Sir Joe anil Apa. by Advance, in the shape of Equity She was all the rage each start and won with her mouth open. A Palinerstnn paper alleges she was quite recently running in a coach at Mnrton. but the statement is hard to follow. Whether she can jpull a coach or not is quite beside the outstanding fact that she can "nllop like the wind. Abcrbrothork was solidly supported at Napier Park. The Palm'orston horse ran right up to form but struck something better in Woodhoy in the Park Stakes. Ormoiid's horse was sticking out a mile--on paper—and for some nil-

accountable reason was allowed to a,' a good price. Abeibrotlmck won his race easilv enough on the second day when the opue-ing forces were weaker. Kobinoor. liallysbannon, and Waimoi. whose Hastings form suggested further successes at Napier Park, dulv materialised and brought jov and a little gilt to many punters. Kobinoor won. pulling up. with ridiculous case, and four fur" longs in 49scc., was, under the circumstances, a good "go." The Ila'wko'sßay. youngster will keep them going at Treiitiiiim next week.

The roan filly. Parable, by Mcrriwoe. Palaver, failed to win a race last year, but during Hi,., week won a double a' Grcenmeadows in most convincing style. She is now rising four-year-old and ra'e:= m Mr. E. Kemp's colors. It. is (pleasing to record a win for a bearer of Mr. 11. Eva's colors. Fortune seems to have deserted 'Tlilando Lml."" recently and a long list of defeats have gone down to riilando, Wee Trinket. Kismarek and Illgiiden. Tlismarek commeneed very slowly in the Te Hiwi Memorial Stakes on Wednesday, hut ennie brilliantly in tho straight and just failed to gain second place. The brother io rhlando made no mistake about tV liangiuru Welter, however, and ran in an easy winner frm Mildura and Ten time. His parly are reported to have thrown in for a good win. and it minuet 'be long 'before Bismarck scores again.

Halley's sensational run in the First Hack Hurdles at Otaki was quite re markable. Lothair. who always eraeks up after a few furlongs, was entrusted with most capital. Chase Mnb and fas heavily-burdened Waimaria being fancied most of the others. Lothair flatt"red his supporters for six furlongs and then faded out of it, Chase Mab and Unort going to the front. Hatlcy was a long way back. Chase Mab was easily holding Cohort as they ran into the straight and ITatley was coming fast. C'base _ Mali's victory was being loudly proclaimed at the distance but Hatley, under the whip, fairly buried everything for pace and sailed past the field as if they were standing still, winning bv three or four length*. Considering the most consistent form shown by the winnor this season it is hard to account tor the substantial dividend he pad. Form is an excellent thing to follow in the spring of the year, .especially where hurdlers are concerned. Double winners are as common as long beers but puntcis are too eager looking out for "morals" to see the things that fairly stare them in the face.

Genuine hardly filled Hi" eve as an ideal hurdler, and being led up on four furlong sprints does not suggest ability to score over twelve-furlong courses but the black Bona Fide gelding was solidly supported for his initial attemnt over county at Otaki and won the Maiden Hurdles verv comfortably, lie'tor company was tackled on the'r-ecoud day and the result was the same Genii, me winning easily f,- om Hatlcy in the fan- time of 2.30 for the twelve furlongs. When the company is not too select Genuine may be a' safe bet. Form in hurdle races was good to follow on the second day, Genuine and Hatlev. fir«t day's winners, filling first and'second places in the Second Hack Hurdles. Another victim has gone up to the dangerous game of racing over sticks, ■lolm O'Connell. one of our 'londinircros* country horsemen, was "cauglit" ai rapier Park on Wednesday throiHi Corazon falling over Forest hi the Taradaie Hurdles, ft is only „ matter of tim" in these days of easy fences. The obstacles are ineve (raps. Horses "fly" them instead of jumping and the pace is cracked on until we see hurdle rues run in times which would not dis»ra<o performances on the flat. Horses and jockeys have scant respect for "ponv- I jumps" which lean over as if pointing out the way to tho winning .post and lockey after jockey, and librae after horse, -pay the penalty of their rashness. I do not contend that accidents did not happen in the old days, but I do say that big fenecs commanded respect, slackened down reckless speed, and made it imperative that candidates for lumping honors must be linrn jumpers and thoroughly schooled. At the lime of his death John O'Connell was still wearing a black band on his arm out, of respect "»r Ins late brother. "Billy" O'Conli,.,!.

who was killed at Canterbury a few months ago. It is a very sad thing to see «ood horsemen like the O'Conned brothers losing their lives for the sake of sport ami it is time the authorities devised some means for safeguarding those who make horse-racing over hurdles possible. The mueh-aoused Gammon Act makes itself more ridiculous every day. it has been ruled recently in the Supreme Court that the Act does not prohibit prices ruling on forthcoming events but only debars bookmakers from advertising' the fact that they, personally, are williti" to lav wagers against the horses engaged. Tlius we see the Weekly Press and "other sporting papers publishing bettiti" notes on the forthcoming New Zealand Cup as follows:—.Master Soul), Ii to 1; Robrikoll', All Red, Husbandman, 8 to 1; Bollin. Ladv Lucy. Sandstrcam, 12 to 1; Downfall, Sir Prize, Roosevelt, Merrie Zealand, California, 10 to 1. And then follows ''husiness reports," straight out and in doubles. Considering that the great Act does not recognise any betting away from racecourses and only on race days, recent judgments are hard to follow.' Betting on horse-racing maybe foolish, but its a "moral" that the law in this case "is a bass!"

The Caulliehl Cup, which comes up for decision this afternoon promises to be full of interest to New Zcalanders. Horses bred in this country were freely nominated and at the first acceptance Maianui. Aborigine, Pink-'Un, Mouloa. Waipuna. Artillerie, Golden Slipper and a number tif others were left in. Arlillerie scored a brilliant victory in the Caulliehl Stakes on Saturday last. When the last mail left Australia Parsee was at the head of quotations Artillerie and Post Town being next beet favored. Then followed lolaire, Golden Slipp;'.' and Knox.