SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 231, 4 February 1911, Page 7

SPORTING

RACING FIXTURES. Feb. 4.—Takapuna J. C. Summer. Feb. 4. —Canterbury J.C. Summer. * Feb. 0 and 10—Poverty Bay T.C. Summer. Feb. 8 and o.—Egmont R.C. Summer. Feb. 15 and IG—Taranaki J.C. Autumn. COMING EVENTS. Feb. B.—Egmont Cup. Feb. 15.—Taranaki Cup. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Taranaki acceptances are due on Monday night. Everything points to a successful meeting at Hawera next week. Lady Medallist and Playmate promise to be amongst the fittest horses running at the Egmont meeting. The handieapper has set Red Lupin a big task to carry lOst 131b in the Pony Race at Takapuna to-day. Captain is spelling, and is hardly likely to be started at Hawera.

Seaweed made a hack of Zealand at Pahiatua, and must be a rattling good mare.

Aimwell is running into form again, and should be heard of before long. Some people say that it is harder to get a bet than a drink on Sunday. The big penalties are hardly worth the risk, anyhow. The Highden cast-off, Allurement, has joined Trainer Jamieson's string at Awapuni. The filly's future will be watched with interest. Sir Geo. Clifford has won five out oi the last six races for the Middle Park Plate. He has a good string engaged in to-day's race. The veteran Silkweb, who contested forty races last season and has been kept busy since, is showing signs ot lameness, and is to be given a wellearned rest.

Last year's race for the Middle Park Plate was a sensational one. Danube was reckoned a good bet, but Madam Madcap bolted in five lengths ahead oi the champion in the fast time of lmin 13 4-ssec.

Lord Soult appears to have lost his dash, and his displays at Foxton and at Pahiatua were wretched. The hard tracks must remind him that his "understandings" are tender and not as young as they used to be. Colleen Mary scored a meritorious victory in the Filly Stakes on Thursday, and had to put up lmin 14 l-ssec to keep Stead's filly Aphaea (Stepniak-Bri-tomart) at bay. The latter is decidedly smart.

Crucinella was not started in the Hobart Cup after all, and it is doubtful whether the New Zealand-bred mare would be given a run in the Launceston Cup on Thursday. She has been breaking the watches across the other side, and may win a good stake before long. The surprise of the Pahiatua meeting was the victory of the erstwhile Taranaki horse Burton in the Flying. This was, I believe, the first win that has been recorded by the St. Clements' gelding since beating Shannon Lass at the Taranaki Cup meeting in 1909. They say that tie bookmaker is "dead," but one can hardly move in the streets for broken-down looking persons who want you to "pick a double— £5 to a bob!" Some of them have never even seen a £5 note.

The hardness of the tracKs at the present time is giving most trainers an anxious time, and there will be many ••half-lit" horses racing in Taranaki during the next few weeks. Trainer .1. Prosser's beach track gives him a great advantage at these times. At Wanganui quite a number of horses are to be seen •on the beach every morning, and with .plenty of swimming exercise thrown in, they should be pretty fit when the colors are unfurled.

Petrovna's full brother Rurik was started four times at Pahiatua. On the first day he ran well, but was unlucky. The second day lie displayed great dash, and after dead-heating with Leahora in the Newmarket, was pulled out again and had no difficulty in accounting for the opposition in the Makuri Hack Handicap. Foxton form was good to follow at Pahiatua, Seaweed, Captain Bell and The Rover scoring again. Millenial ran right up to Her best form, and got second each day. The police hopped off the mark at Wanganui on Thursday afternoon and raided the Club stables, alleged to have been used as a common gaming house. A man named Jack Farrell was arrested on a charge of using the building for the purpose of betting, and was remanded to appear on the 11th inst. It is stated that the police have secured a number of photographs of the visitors • to the stables, and developments are 1 being awaited with interest.

"That horse has the blood of champions in him," said the proud owner, pointing to his sorry nag. "Ah! But now well he conceals it," gushed a lady friend. lAigh-breeding will tell, you know!

Ribstone Pippin, winner of the hurdle race at Pahiatua on Thursday, was secured by Mr. W. Hook in Australia for a moderate outlay of 70 guineas.

Lord Kelvin was given a run in the Toronga Handicap at the Victorian A.T.C. meeting recently, but failed to show up prominently. Other runners in the same race included Chauvelin, Golden Cairn and the pony Masonic, so Maoriland was well represented. Captain Bell was the only first favorite to catch the judge's eye at Pahiatua on Wednesday. Dorando carried most coin in the Hurdles; Lord Soult in the Railway; Rurik in the Flying; Brown Trout in the Welter; Ariom in the Cup, Jolly Maiden in the Trial; and Zealand in the Telegraph. The pencillers could have done with such a day as a "benefit," or a '"send-off" before they moved off the landscape Sydney-wards.

Mediterranean must be accounted an unlucky horse. The best the Welling-ton-trained horse can do is to run second. Paying a remunerative price in the First Welter Handicap on Wednesday he assumed the lead at the half-distance, and looked all over a winner. Then Julian dashed up, and in a tight finish, Julian, Mediterranean, and Brown Trout passed the judge's box in that order, heads only separating them. Brown Trout has been sent out favorite so many times lately that somebody must be losing a head of capital over this '■' moral" that always "knocks at the door" without actually winning. The ex-Xew Zealander Apologue recently won a race in India, but has since proved a very difficult animal to train, and it is said that the Melbourne Cup winner will never do much good in that hot clime.

An Australian paper states that a prominent punter recently backed eight winners in six races at Belmont (W T .A.). There were two dead-heats during the day. That just about takes the whole bakery, biscuits and all, Mr. D. O'Brien won another race the other day with Respect, the two-year-old daughter of Multiform and licriot. Referring to the personnel of the Racing Commission, the Duncdin Star remarks:—Both the South Island men are we'll known. . A,s for the three Northerners, Mr. J. Rowe .may be supposed to have been as it were automatical!v selected by virtue of his position as chairman

of tke Trotting Conference, just as Sir j G. Clifford was as chairman of the Racing Conference, and the fact that Mr. | Kowe got to the head of tire trotting j world on his merits may stand as evi-1 dence that he is a. capable and just man. Mr. G. P. Donnelly is amongst the leading owners and breeders of llawke's Hay. He is described as those who know him as a man of strong common sense, and he has had lengthened experience of racing. The same remarks apply to Mr. R. IL -.\olan, who is president of the fla-w-era Racing Club, and represents the Taranaki country clubs on the Racing Conference. He possesses ousiness ability and knows what there is to know about a racecourse, anu, besides, he is the one member of the Commission who may he supposed to look after the interests of the minor clubs, that is if we are to imagine that there will at any time be a conflict of interests.