SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 223, 14 January 1911, Page 7

SPORTING

RACING FIXTURES. Jan. 21, 23, and 25—Wellington R.C. Summer. Jan. 21 and 22—Foxton R.C. Annual. Feb. 1 and 2—Pahiatua R.C. Annual. Feb. 15 and 16—Taranaki J.C. Autumn. COMING EVENTS. Jan. 21—Wellington Cup. Jan. 23—Wellington Stakes. TURF TOPICS. (By "Mottiroa.") The Wellington Cup will be run this day week. Acceptances should appear this morning. Mr. C. L. McDonald's Positano—Wakeful filly will race under the name of San Repos. Elysian is now in steady training at Ellerslie, and if his temper* has improved since last season he may quickly run into his old form. Gunpowder, by Hotchkiss—iSt Elya, won the Moonee Valley Handicap, of 150 bovs, last month. The New Zealand-bred horse started favorite, and won in hollow fashion." John, 'who caught a cold on his Auckland trip, is still on the easy list, but the spell has done him good, and he will be put into work again in a day or two. Mr. Middleton Melrose believes in the adage that small fish are the sweetest, and recently lie took three horses to Hanging Rock, and they were all returned winners. Magneto won the Cup, Paris the Maiden, and Advantage the Bock Plate. The erstwhile Maorilander cannot go wrong in 'Stralia. That Prohibition did not make the Ellerslie meeting absolutely "dry" on the 2isth of last month, was amply proved by the hundreds of "pocket pistols," flasks, "dead marines" and "square faces" found kicking about on the course next day. The soft-drinkcries supplied the soda-water, and you brought your own waiprro! Soultnne bobbed up again in India last month, looking .fit and well, and his party put in the shekels until the gelding was a short order. He led alf the ■way, and won with his mouth open. With 9.7 in the saddle, the New Zealandbred horse chopped a piece off the record for seven furlongs in those parts, and hoisted lmin 26% sec. The popular Lepperton trainer, Arthur Gilbert, has a promising sprinter in the shape of Wai Rose (Wairiki Delia Rose), and she is reported to be galloping well a,t present. At Stratford she was not nearly ready, but she showed a good turn of speed for a few furlongs. Arthur's luck hasn't been anything to brag about lately, and a turn of Fortune's wheel is just about due. The Aucklanders, Goldfinder and Dazzling, are now located at Trentham, and their work, though nothing exacting has been asked of them, is pleasing the trackwatchers. Goldfinder is making more friends every day for that Cup. The Gisborne pony, Masonic, is now trained by S. P. Casey, who has charge of Advantage and Co. The stabie confidently supported the li|lipiitian for the Yarra Glen Handicap, which race he pulled off easily. The success of Masonic across the water sets one wondering whether Red Lupin isn't wasting his time in New Zealand.

Congratulations to Jockey W. Young, who joined the ranks of the benedicts in Auckland last week. [ The Auckland Cup-winn?r, Waimangu, is looked after by James Wattie, who, it is worthy of note, piloted that pood horse Templeton to victory in the first Auckland Cup, run away back in IS74 — before a lot of us .were thought of! It is marvellous the way some "stooards" rush off and deal out "lash" to unfortunate prad-pushers. In Victoria the other day a jockey didn't appear to ride a particularly brilliant finish, and the men behind the gun smartly handed him out three months' disqualification. It turned out that during the race the jockey broke a blood-vessel in his head, and when he had washed away the blood and got his second wind, he said things to those stewards—things that stung—and they shame-facedly climbed down and dropped the "three months" nonsense. They will be more careful next time. They have unearthed another champion in Queensland. The latest is Baralla, who cantered home in front of a good field in the Newmarket Handicap at Brisbane recently. The winner lumped 11.5, was giving 3.8 to the Derby winner and 5.0 to the minimum neddies. Next day the handicapper awarded him 12.2—it was not a welter handicap either —and his owner very promptly scratched his horse. Baralla is due to show them how to gallop in Sydney in the autumn.

Reports from Trentham arc to the effect that Merrivonia and Bracken are in fettle, and they should catch the judge's eye before very long. Trainer Ayres has had the pair going at top recently, and they were most successful at the recent holiday meetings. Amurkan Jockey O'Xeill topped winning riders in France last season, riding 158 winners out of 718 mounts. George Stern, who has been at the top of the pole in the Land of Frogs for several seasons, was a close second with 152 •winning mounts out of 588—a wonderful average. Turbine was rather badly cut about in one of his races at the Auckland meeting, and it is doubtful whether he will be' fit to race at Takapuna. Golden Loop appears to have received any amount of weight in the Flying at Foxton. Lord Soult and Ascalon strike one as a pair that are very well and not' harshly handicapped. Ascalon and Hermia are galloping brilliantly, and McDonald's pair should run forward before many meetings are over. Danny Maher says in his "Reminiscences": "The American style of riding Had been pretty generally adopted in England when I got over, and races were run from end to end, just as they' were in America, although I have often since heard that this stvle of riding was quite a novelty, and for years anl years 'the waiting behind and then coming with a sharp burs,t at the finish' method of racing was all the rage. There is, however, I think, little doubt that results work out miich truer by coming right through with a horse than in the old-fashioned style. It is not altogether easy—in fact, it is uncommonly difficult, to draw a. direct line between the English and American form of horses," continues Danny, "hut J think the ckss of English thoroughbred is better, while mares like Sceptre and Pretty Polly, and 'extra good' horses like Ard Patrick, Spearmint, and Persimmon, would be anything from 141b to 2Hb in front of any American horse."

Daisy Paul, after a short season at the stud, has come on well in the last few gallops, and is a likely starter at Foxton. i-m From Kieearton come gio«i.. s ic|.<n-ts of the gallops recorded by Los Angelos, nnd his party oxpect him to run prominently at Trentham. When in Auckland Mr. G. D. Greenwood secured the yearling full sister to Orton (Obligado—Kitcroa" filly), together with two other promising colts by the same sire. Smilax is another Obligado, and they all gallop fast. From'Foxton we hear that Mr. S. Messena has Wnioru and Waipaku in good i title. The latter will probably race at

Trentham, and has come on a lot since contesting the Rangitikei Cup. 151 lie Vale is said to lie the prettiest filly at Ellerslie, and the daughter of Orange and Blue ran two seconds in pony company at Alexandra Park recently. Cullinan will be given a chance to (lis-: tinguish himself over hurdles. He is built on weight-carrying lines, and may do well at the illegitimate game. A lot of good money was lost over Oaby (Menschikoff—Nannie) in the Maiden at Bulls, but the filly can travel fast, and Trainer Tilley has her well forward for Pahiatua engagements. She is said to be worth watching. At Levin F. Carmoont has Sir Frisco and Thetis doing strong work in view of the Foxton meeting. That good-looking disappointment, Swimming Belt, has been sold to a Southland sport, and will be trained in future by If. Carr, of Invercargill. The Manaia Hack Racing Club will be affected by the abolition of the pencilled, and next season the club will run a truly sporting gathering—without betting. How long this will last is questionable; but the little club is said to be very sound financially, and can carry on for some time yet. Writes "Phaeton":—Quite a host of Taranaki sports arrived at Onehunga on Saturday by the Rarawa, with Alexandra Park as their objective, and the backing of Red Lupin as their principal business. Needless to say, they were highly elated when the Lupin gelding scored his clever victory. 'The fastest times recorded at the recent A.R.C. summer meeting were: Five 1 furlongs, lmin I 2-asec, by Theodore; j six furlongs, lmin 14 2-ssec, by Kakama; 'ssven furlongs, lmin 27sec, by Antoinette (an Auckland record); one mile, lonin 40sec, by Dazzling; one mile and a quarter, 2min Bsec, by King Soult; one.mile and a half, 2min"32 3-5-ec, by Miss Mischief (a New Zealand record).