SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 295, 22 January 1910, Page 3

SPORTING.

' i;.\UNi ;-!\Ti,:-:ks. Jan. 22. 24 and -,;— Wellington R.C. Summer. February 22 and 24—Foxton R.C. Jan. -21),' Feb. 2 and s—Takapuna J.C Feb. 3 and a—C.J.C. riinnuior. February !) and iO—Egmont R.C. February 10 and 17—Taranaki R.C. Feoruarv 23 and -t—Woodvdle .1.1.'. March a" and s—Wanganui J.C. Autumn Meeting. March 20, 28, 20- -Auckland Racing Club Mar 21 and 24—Takapuna Jockey Club. Julie 3, 4, S—Auckland Racing Club. DATES OF COMING EVENTS. New Zealand: JaTiuary 22 —Wellington Cup. JaYniary 2~4—Wellington Stakes. JaMiaTV»-j2'.)—'ilik.apuna Cup. Februa ry"""l6—Taranaki Cup. March 3—Wanganui Cup. March s—Jackson Stakes. March 2(i—A.R.C. Faster Handicap. March 28—Northern Champagne Stakes March 2!)— Great Northern Oaks. Australia: February 26—V.R.C. St. Leger. FebruaYv 26—Xewmarket Handicap. March I—Australian1 —Australian Cup. March s—Chamnion5 —Chamnion Stakes. MirrcTi -26~-A.J.C. St. Leger. March 28—Sydney Cup. NOTES BY "MOTUROA." WELINGTON CUP.

The thirty-seventh Wellington Cup comes up for decision at Trentham today. Previous to 1890 the race was run aver two miles, but since then the distance has been reduced to a mile and a half and the stakes increased, a thousand pounds being offered for to-day's race. In looking through past records of Wellington's chief event one cannot pass without admiring the. record of Mr. G. Hunter's Cynisca, which won the Cup in 1890-1-2, three years m succession. The heaviest weight ever carried to victory was 10.4, under which Advance scored in 1003. and the fastest time recorded for the twelve-furlongs journey was 2min 33sec, registered by Ropa in 1906. Of the many recollections of past Cups the sensational disqualification of Gladsome in 1904, hecause T. D. Jones, the pilot, was not a licensed ridei\ is fresh in the minds of even the youngest sportsmen. Of the old-time jockeys "Bob" TJerrott had the very tine record of six winning rides, and of tne latter-day knights of the pigskin C. Jenkins has won three times, on Advance. Conway and Achillas. Strangely enough. Sir Geo. Clifford has never claimed a wfrincr of the Wellington Cup.

A splendid field of nineteen horses :s carded for to-day's race, the likely starters and their riders being as follows:—All Red (C. Jenkins) JUI, Husbandman (T. E. Jones) 8.6. Roosevelt (H. Grav) 8.4, Ringdove (A. Olliver) 8.3. Downfall (L. Wilson) 8.2. Diabob (R. Hatch) 8.1. Merrivonia (E. Lowe) So. Waipaku (W. Price) 7.12". Crucinella (W. Rvan) 7.12. Sir Antrim (C. Pric •) 7.9. Paisano (W. Kirk) 7.5, Muskerrv (H. Price! 7.6. Moloch (W. Bennett) 7.5. Ladv Medallist (J. Buchanan) 7.5. Equitas (R. Youngi 7.2. Bnliin (11. Watson) 7.0, Kopu (FT. Kirk) 7.0. Osiris (L. Morris) 0.7. Chauvelin (E:v.vaor=on) 6.7. Ail Red, Husbandman. Dlaboli Muskerrv and Moloch contested. lasjXyear's Cup. when Mr,=k"n'v ran Blue Ribbon to a neck and' Husbandman finished a length and a-half further back. Moloch won in 1908 with 6.10 in the saddle.

AH Red fills the post of honor this year, and a T ter his brilliant form at Auckland. \wrere li> won the Cup with 0.1, th e handicapper could hardly award him less than.P.ll at Trentham. Husbandman anil P fall have performed disappointingly <■:' '"'. but the former is safrt to bo g.i 110;., '>\. Roosevelt will probably hav;; the •■•.■ vices of If. Gray, and thp New Zealand Cup winner i= not hadlv trotyl. However, the little son of Menachikoff has been racing now fur three months on end and it is just possible that the Wanganui horse is a trifle stale. Ringdove must have a chance en Wairarapa Can form, and Merrivonia. who- was beaten by a head ill that race, appears well in. Biaboio is said to he the elect cf th-j Porirua trio and is goir.or srrcat on the tracks. WaipaKu won the Aslihurst Cup with 8.12. but is too much of an in-and-out customer to have many j friends. (*fiieTr!"!!a h-is won up to a mile and a-qnnrtr r ;>nd is well treated with 7.12. Sir Ant rim has n record for consistency and Ip.s. also won over a ten furlong course. Foxton sportsmen prefer him to Waipaiu at the weights. Should the weather .;-; at all wet, the sticky tracTcs —for Trentham' is an unlovely mass of stick-fast mud on a rainy day —are sure to unset the calculations of the top-weights, and a light-weight may prevail. Mn«kerry ran second last year but was ricrht off color at Ellersiie last month. Lady M.edaDist is said to have gone oil'. Imt Paisano and Moloch Imve corne through good preparations. Diabolo. Crueine'la and Ringdove may possibly claim most admirers in this • tifternoon's race.

TURF TOPICS. (By ''Moturoa.") There will b ( . races at Trentham and at Foxfon to-day and, on Monday. Nominations for the Taranaki -Tockvy Club's autumn meeting close on Monday nigh-nit 10 o'clock. Wanganui sports reckon that with a dry coiirvo Crucinelia would take a lot of beating at Trentham. Bay Paul, who ran well at Tar-wia'ki New Year meetings will lie given a flutter in snrint events at Foxton.

Ladyßcina has been showing picnty nf pace on the tracks at TiSmthnm and may have more friends than Kohinoor and Tribulation when they line up for the Nursery Handicap to-day. Splash was in gr; at nick at Pahiatua and will again -i'.nv; silk in the Rnappiiu Handicap, in wh.ich a poor crowd is engaged. A Southern scribe voices a feeble word '(>;• Pi'ua:'. an inmate of I'rosscr'..; -l:i!:',e. ::nl the pi'ad is in ,n tlie minimum.

TUN sevilic lio'd? no hrief for Clifford'- sprinTers kit -.< few nisihl's ««o h-'il ;i vidd (Ironin in wlii.di V>vads\yord wfi'j ;i v.H-i' liv a iiPcl; from ko:t:o hfii' e iiiikiimvii. The incident in p-ivni To-,- what 1 "L i worth —it niicrlit he r fii-e of hi~i>iv:it :(•'•! cr liurelv lir- effects of ;> lil.eral snp;>er of pi),-];. pickle;, find —cy—lemonade! AViili fine weal her eondil ions tlie Tolceraph Handicap at Tr.'nlhamshould provide an interesting contest. Tlio chances of Armlet. Full Sail and TCilindini are freolv di~r-u<~od. but so much depends rn the «t-at? of the course that it is hard to form fin opinion of thpir merits. Tnnint (7.13) won the race from Armlet (*.?'• ii.sf voar. Despite iiw failnve at Stratford there will l>f nl ntc <•( money for Kaiwaka m I ,, ir - 1 1i. l ov „-,t; e~ iJnrf-.i. Th» V'-—;-. mv I'"''-:' 'it- i>!' •:'■•• "'' race and ; 'w--■n-,o] c-o;-"!; ; - .■■;.:..:■-.-. Perhaiis >.e wa= unlucky 'ii Stratford. Ringdove" is said to 1 have covered a lot of unnecessary ground in th e 'wiu-

mug o: the \Vairaiapa Cup and !': ' Caiiiei'iiury-irained horse i.s e::pceied u> put his in'-', r'oo: i'ovuard ai. Trenlhai::. Tiie Fox tun v_up will be ran ih. , ;>i ternoon. Recent winners ;:il;.;ltimt ;u ' ■>■ dav's race :;;:■< .;de .Milan, who '.von .i

double at Paluatua. and F.ingot, v.ho race prominently at the Christmas gatherings. Sharpshooter is sot to carry topweight in the Anniversary Handicap, and before leaving Riccarton he was galloping brilliantly. Last season Sharpshooter gathered in the Middlepark Plate at the Canterbury J.C. summer meeting, and later on scored in the Duncdin Champagne Stakes. He can travel fast.

Gold Lace was responsible for a ni:e gallop on Thursday morning and the Stewards' Handicap winner is apparently cherry ripe just at present. Gold Lace would he little troubled with 9. .12 on firm going, hut in the Electric Handicap the mare is giving weight away to some very fit horses, notably Boanerg >s, Broadsword am* Gipsy Belle. The latter won the race last year with 7.7 up.

Purakau won his race at Pahiatua in good style, putting down a pair of fair horses in Te Ru and Cyrcne. He will be ridden by V. Wood, who is said to be a promising horseman, in his races at Fox Ton. The Soult gelding Strathmoira war, the hottest favorite to score and Pahiatua, and they say that Mr. MeMaimway's horse will again spoil th e betting next time he faces th? barrier. The Porirua tea for Trentham is exceptionally large this year, including— All Red. Diabolo, Lady Medallist, Lace Collar, St. Felix, Tauia-a, Swimming Belt, Laius, Gold Crest, Pakau, Kini, Simplex, Tktoko and Gipsy Belle. They ought to win a few races between them! Cyrene will probably sport silk in the Disposal Staltesf on Monday, and Golden Loop figures in the Douro Cup on the same day. The latter race was won by Consolation last year, Merrivonk and Seaton Bale—now in 'Strajia—fiSTing the other places. The "also ran" division included such horses as Longnrr. Eclogue, Miss Mischief and Effort. Subdue is going nicely and will have the services of H. Kirk in the Trentham Welter to-day. C. Jenkins will ride Tauira, the hurdle horse, but the latter will have to show better form th-tn when he finished last in each of the welter hamiicaps at Taranaki last autumn to nave a chance in to-day's race. Separator raced well at New Year meetings, arid can travel fast '<>r a mile. ♦