SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 316, 16 February 1910, Page 8

SPORTING.

ta!;.\:-,.\:;i aiti'MX mkf.tlnt;. CUP DAY. (By " Moturoa "). To-day i> Taranaki Cup day. the day of sport-men ,-f the butter province and I ruin near and i" si r. by train, motir, hor>e. ur on iuiii, drawn by till' 'illliiiwcrfiil magnet of sporting instinct, ilii.n-i'.ii.l.-. will he making the;;' way lo the old convincing ground—the Xe\v Plymouth racecourse. To-day's Cup race will lie tii-■ tliirty-lifth race for Taranaki's coveted prize, and it is gratifying to sei' the good fields curded for the event this year. Auckland, Wellington, and Wairarapa province,-! wave sent their representatives, and Taranaki, never k'hind in anything sporting, puts | 'forth its 'best horses to stretch the necks j of the invading forces. Xo less than eighteen horses have paid up for the big handicap. Roosevelt, runner-up to Lady Lucy in the last New Zealand Cup, being awarded the post of honor. The Wnnganui horse has been going well but the opinion prevails that he has move than his fair share of weight. Sandis! ream has performed consistently this «eason, but with 8.11 in the saddle could (•illy struggle into third place behind Tiptoe and Mendip in the Atkinson Memorial Stakes at Hawera last week. .Mr. .Millar's; gelding may have been short of a gallop, as stated, and probably a week will work considerable improvement in that respect. Mendip finished up his effort in the Atkinson .Memorial {Stakes with great determination, and just failed by a neck to give Tiptoe 31bs. The mile and a-quarter race was run in 2min Usee—a fair "go" for that course—and if form is anything to go on the bay son of St. Paul should hold Samlstream, Waitapu, Gleniillln and Uhlando—whom he beat on Thursday at the same weights—perfectly safe, But form is not everything. Next on the list is- Lady Medallist) with 7.13, the brilliant 3-year-old daughter of .St, Alwyne. Porirua representatives have not been particularly successful on the 'Mew Plymouth course, and a lot of good money went the wrong way last year when' Taitoko failed under Bst„ but if Lady Medallist puts up a few pounds extra to secure the services of Jenkins she will just about start favorite today. Waitapu won last year with 7.12 in the saddle, the clock recording 2min 8 4-ssec. That time would win to-day, but the Foxton-trained horse will have to improve on Hawera running to be at all dangerous. Adria is such an uncertain starter that none but the venturesome would care to risk .all their shekels to that uncertain mare. She scored in the Foxton Cup with ridiculous ease, but only carried Ost 71b, and was shot out half j a-dozen lengths at the start. There is little fear of Mr. O'Connor giving any horse such an advantage. Uhlando and ■ Glenullin, on the sam:> mark, have each a Taranaki Cup to their credit, but their form for many months has been too poor to suggest them as horses likely to repeat their winning performance"?. Xo Trumps comes with a reputation from Opaki, but has yet to show some reason for bis booming. Coromandel shaped «- differently in the Maiden Handicap at Kllerslie on New Year's Day and has few friends. Swimming Belt was never a brilliant horse, and would race better ' under a higher scale of weights, and with a stronger horseman in the saddle.' vPerolina has so far failed to show "''!' at the end of a mile and a-quarter, and : Cvrene and Chase Mali have onlv ar rough chance with their light imposrs.ji When the bells are ringing on the to-' i talisator to-dav it will probably be'i found that Lady Medallist and Mendip j; will be best backed of the Cup field.): The race appears to be very oppen. The I following are the acceptors for the big big race:—'Roosevelt 0.0. S*mdstream S.IL Mendip 8.0, Ladv Medallist 7.1:8. Waitann 7.12, Adria 7.0, Uhlando 7.6, Glenullin 7.0, No Trumps 7.4. Coromnndel 7.3. Swimming Belt 7.3. Perolina C.12. Bismarck 6.12, Cvrene fi.!2, Chase Mab 6.7. The only scratching* so far are Koran, Maheno and Astraea. leaving fifteen in. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa"). At the time of writing everything points to this year's T.J.C. autumn meeting marking a decided advance e.e those of former years. Not only have the acceptors increased numerically, but the class of horses engaged is of higher quality than has been gathered together at New Plymouth for maay years. Visitors poured into town by every train yesterday, and the town is tfull of all classes—those who love agood race in the true sportsmanlike spirit, and those who hang on the fringe of respectable folk, seeking whom they may devour, like sharks at Manly. Cowmercial travellers, as usual, are in full force, the demands of business by strange coincidence calling them to New Plymouth at race time. Still, so long as they boost the T.J.C. along nobody cares; it is all in the game. With but few exceptions this year's roll of acceptances compares favorably ■with those of last year, as the following figures will show, the lflOfl numbers Icing given in parentheses:—First Ha;k Hurdles 13 (8), Stewards' Handicap 7 (10), Timarn Hack Handicap 14 (11), Taranaki Cup 18 (12), First Welter 8 (S). Okato Hack Handicap 9 (9) and Flying Handicap 12 (9). Of the thirteen engaged in the Hurdles, Maggie Paul and Prophet put 'ip 71b penalties for races won at Hawera and at Takapuna respectively. Both hurdlers went well at the Egm»nt me* ing last 'Week and shouiu be the best conditioned ones in the race. The Stewards' Handicap claims seven acceptors. Hohungatahi won a double in good style at Takapuna and puts tip a 51b penalty in consequence. Full Rate tops the handicap, and goods reports come from the Wairarapa concerning hi.?

track work. Although tiie~licld will i>e a small one there is ample material fur an interesting in the Timaru Hack Handicap. I\>anga I lied Wing, winners ni llawer.i. 7>nt up 51ijs each, "inn the penalties ( .o not appear to make any appreciable .difference so far as their prospects rue concerned. Red Wing has been a most consistent performer this season, and showed great torm at Jla wen.

A very small field is promised for 'he I First Welter Handicap, most of the :ic-1 eeptors .claiming prior engagements ;n j the Cup 'race, and previous running wul most likely help punter- to find a favorite for the Okato Mack Handicap. The Flying Handicap should provide, next to the Cup, the finest race of the day. Clemora, Hohungatahi and U'thean have alb penalties to carry. Full Jtate, a smart six-furlongs horse, figures at the top of the list, and claims a good following. Clemora's brace of victories at Hawera were recorded in slashing time, and R. Johnson's nurc wants for nothing as regards condition. I Golden Loop appears to be nicely treat-1 ed with fist 12li>, and is going well at! present. Taken right throngn. there is not a really bad horse in the handicap,] and a close and interesting contest tShouM be provided. The Hack Scurry will bring together a speedy crowd of llntterers. St. Kilshrc, Miss Park, Speedy Meg, Prancer ! and several others lnve shown sprinting ability, and with' a! level start the wi?e should be worth watching. The alterations and enlargements to the public dining-room in the club's grandstand, the new entrance at the south end of the stand, and other improvements and alterations to the course appointments have been completed in time for the meeting, and will be | much appreciated by the club's many patrons. Waitapu, Uhlanoo and Glenullin, previous winners of the Taranaki Cup, will contest to-day's race.

St. Bill has been scratched for the Flying Handicap. Complaints of "larks." or otherwise "rough riding" and deliberate pulling of horses have been frequently heard of lately and it behoves the stewards of the T.J.C. to keep their eyes open and see that the racing is clean «nd "above board" at this gear's autumn meeting. Quite recently a Victorian jockey, questioned as to his half-hearted riding of a horse that was only beaten by a kead, explained that his legs had be,m seized with cramp and he could not rid" his horse. Cramps in the hands are very common ailments in these parts, and' jockeys so afflicted should he given the rest cure undiluted—twelve months of it at a time.