SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 180, 9 November 1910, Page 8

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. (By '"Moturoa.") Canterbury Cup to-day. Knees at Ellersiie again to-day. Boanerges had a bad run in the Stewards'. They say that Con the Shaughraun can fly like thae wind. Miscount's record of ill-luck: Four starts, four seconds. North-east should be benefited by Iris i nice on Saturday, and may be worth i watching. 1 The much-boomed Martist finished ;> *1 bad last in the New Zealand Cup. They say that Jack Pin hasn't left ' 3 sound watch at Waverley. He is ver F smart. Diabolo ran the race of his life o - Saturday, and bad bad luck to meet a ! 3 redorcl-sniasher at the death. \, St'. : 'tiill's victory was anticipated in] a Webbtown on Saturday, and the pencil-1 '- lers knew all about it —you bet! | '• Cronstadt was rushed over the first '■ half-mile in the Xew Zealand Cup in

431/2 seconds, which goes to prove what ' a poor judge of pace his pilot must have • been. Many a "highly respectable" Taranakiite, who would not be seen at races in his own town, will have very important business at Waverley to-day. Our old enemy Euclid used to talk of the Bridge of Asses, but E. J. Watt's Bridge was the bridge of wise men on Saturday. Euclid is out of date, or his snorting knowledge wants rubbing up, f.r something. Not a T- '_' ting passes without "scaling" by dubious "Bar Vons," and punters should be wary with whom they bet these days. Picking winners is just about ten degrees easier than sorting out straight pencillers. Jockey H. Gray's luck is a thing to marvel at these days. Few thought he was aboard such a. smasher as Bridgo turned out to be on Saturday, and nothing but a champion could have beaten Diabolo so decisively on the day. The Danube Stakes duly materialised on Monday, but backers of the Canter- ' bury crack had to put up with the shortest price at the meeting. Danube

did not beat Birkd Ue by much, but he always wins his races in the last furlong, and that's the only part of the race which counts, anyway. Of the well-backed division, Ingoda and Merriwa cut up badly in the N.Z. Cup. The public sized it* up very well when they sent Bridge and Diabolo out first and second favorites respectively. Jockey Brady had a day out at Ellerslie on Saturday, riding King Soult to victory in the Guineas, Salute in the Flying, and the dead-heater Kanewarra in the Hobson Handicap. Equitas was a trifle lame before contesting the Stewards' Handicap, and there were fears that her game leg would not stand the strain. However, Jenkins hopped her out first, and rushed her home on her "top-gear" before the doubtful limb could: give out, and she paid a handsome price for a second favorite. Mention of big dividends reminds me the pencillers got a scare when it was wired through that Bridge had paid over a "tenner." The actual "div." came along later, and it was considerably less. Then more than one punter who had "gone gay" in the first glow of success ,began to feel very sorry for himself. Obsono Tattled up into second place in the Stewards', just beating Bliss by a head, and returned his few supporters a record price. Of the twenty runners Obsono was No. 18 in the order of favoritism. Derby Day at Riccarton saw the "morals" winning race after race. Xavier, Dearest, Danube, Sunburnt, Culprit and Domino were the hottest of hot orders, and Prim's victory in the Metropolitan was the only thing which 1 saved the odds merchants from total bankruptcy. 1 Plantation and Sandy Paul have been ' showing some good gallops lately, and ; it is quite on the cards that they will run prominently in their coming en- : gagements. Good reports come to hand " regarding Attention and Hinekorangi, ' and they are in good nick to fulfil Waverley engagements. Trafalgar was the unlucky horse in p the Melbourne Cup. 'Straiian papers state that he should have won easily. ' Half a mile from home he commenced ' to come through the field, and had 1 reached fourth place when a series of ® bumps sent him right back again. Once ! in the straight, Cameron got clear, and then the favorite fairly jumped lengths. .In front, the flying Comedy King was going great guns, but yard by yard the favorite gained on him, and a hundred

yards from home he looked like win- j ning. Comedy King swerved out dan- j gerously, but McLachlan straightened j him up in fine style, and then fairlj i lifted him along, reaching the post a bare half-neck in front of the rapidlyfinishing Trafalgar. The winner paid a surprisingly good price, Trafalgar, Britain and Flavinius being better favorites than he was. I —===== I