SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 265, 18 March 1911, Page 7

SPORTING.

1 RACING FIXTURES. i March 23, 24—Wanganui Trotting Club. April 15, 17, IS—Auckland R.C. April 17, IS—Canterbury Jockey Club. COMING EVENTS. April 15—A.R.C. Easter Handicap. April 17—Great Easter Handicap. April 18—Great Northern Oaks. April 18—A.R.C. Autumn Handicap. April 18—Great Autumn Handicap. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Wanganui Trotting Club's meeting opens on Thursday next. H. Gray rode four winners at Napiei Ppzk on Wednesday. Miss Advance and Highden have been nominated for the principal handicaps at the A.R.C. autumn meeting. Altear was a warm favorite for the Sapling Stakes at Napier, but was left a dozen lengths when the barrier rose. Luke Wilson, who was injured at Riccarton a few months back, was in the saddle again this week riding Mr. T. H. Lowry's horses at the Napier Park meeting. Last month at Warwick Farm (Australia), George Gun, by the New Zea-land-bred Machine Gun, won the Three-year-old Handicap from a good field. The Porirua hurdler, Torbelle, who went wrong after competing at the Wanganui Cup gathering, is still spelling, a>nd the stable is badly in need of a good hurdler for the coming winter meetings, Pakau has arrived in Sydney, ana some people are asking, "Whaffor?" The big awkward daughter .of Conqueror raced unsuccessfully over the small sticks last season, and failed to win a race. They say there's nothing in a name! Two recent winners over the big fences' in 'Stralia are No Trouble and Easy Jack.

Fort William, the four-year-old son of Soult, won the two big races at the Napier Park meeting in good style, and ran quite up to the big reputation his Gisborne friends have given hm.

Sandstream's absence from Greenmeadows was brought about by the bay gelding getting cast in his box last week. He was in good nick, and Mr. Miller was very unfortunate to lose his services when the fields were so weak.

The forward running of Clifford's castoff, Broadsword, in 'Stralian weight-for-age races, comes as a surprise to Maorilanders. The son of Clanranald was a most erratic customer in the land of his birth, but he has now run half-a-dozen seconds in big company, and it has taken such fliers as Comedy King, Blairgour and Queen of Scots to keep the bay horse out of a winning bracket. His second with 9st up to Comedy King (Bst 111b) in the All-Aged Stakes, was a good performance, and Alawa (9st lib) was one of those which finished behind the New Zealander. He has more than paid his way in stakes for seconds, and should soon reward his owner with a win.

Birkline, by Birkenhead—Agony, won both his races at Napier Park fairly comfortably. On the first day he carried Bst 51b and on Thursday Bst 131b. Cullfnan filled the role of runner-up in tke latter event, carrying 9st 81b, and Isir. Lowry's big black horse was behind Allurement in the Esk Handicap. After being turned out of the High-, den stable as a waster, the well-bred Allurement quickly rewarded her new owner with a first and a second and won again at Napier. It is strange how a change of stables will often bring about a change of luck like this. That the daughter of Soult. could gallop fast there was never any doubt, but she always ran unfortunately, and although "knocking at the door" on several occasions, failed to win a race in the "blue and buff" colors.

The trotter Give, with 22sec start, was sent out favorite for the Stayers' Handicap, three -miles, on the concluding day of the New Brighton meeting, but had no chance of catching Bushranger (40scc), who was near the front from the start, and led over the last twelve furlongs. The winner scored very comfortably by 40 yards in 7min 49sec—very slow time. Says an Australian writer:—lf the racing of the A 7 .R.C. Autumn meeting could be kept up to last' Saturday's level of interest, the attendances would get a lot nearer to Cup-time figures. The public saw some sport on Newmarket Handicap day. • It was an occasion for the breaking of time records. The winners didn't "fluke" home; they! had to get there on their merits.. And the best thing about the racing was tfiat, although it was not better for punters than the 'average bookies' bean feast, it was mostly a confirmation of form. Even the sour surprise which the Wilson stable sprung on the public in the St. Leger go was within the bounds of reasonable expectation. Danaus won the Cauliield Guineas in brilliant style, and subsequently trained light after getting a bad bumping- in the Eclipse Stakes; and because those subsequent performances were over longer distances than the Guineas course, the spry little son of Bobndil was wrongly assumed to be a squib. In the Leger race Danaus went out to make the pace, and stayed in front to the bitter end, just as J.F.A. did in the Victorian Derby of yore, where Emir and Sweet Nell, his stable companions, were the public fancies. In this case the punters took even money about Bobadea; but if its despised stable companion was able to win from end to end in exceptionally good time, they had nothing to complain of. The Newmarket was spoken of as a boii-over, inasmuch as Blairgour, after running brilliantly over five and a half furlongs, and seven furlongs at Canlfleld, failed to repeat its flyaway form up the straight six furlongs at Flemington. In this case, the opposition was stronger, the pace was faster from the outset, aim all the horses that Blairgour had beaten for the Futurity were meeting him on much better terms. Of these only Desert Rose, the N.S.W. marc, showed an unreasonable reversal of form. She went out at forlorn odds and finished absolutely last at Cauliield, whereas she was backed down to half the price at Flemington and finished second, with Quuen of Scots and Broadsword fore ana aft of her. For the rest the running was satisfactory enough. Broadsword, the most dangerous opponent of Blairgour on paper, would probably have won if he had got nearly as good a start as Queen of Scots did. 'He was never in the front rank until the end of the sbniggjio, and then no got within a length of the winner. A sporting journal in England is of opinion that there are, of course, a few reliable hardworking touts who know the horses by heart, and who, with the aid of assistants, do their work thoroughly. And it is hard upon such men that the training reports at most quarters arc such utter concoctions done mayhap by the trainer himself or his secretary, and in many cases written up by men in their own' offices who probably have never seen a racehorse, and imagine things. Truly English owners and trainers are on an easy wicket if they can get their accounts of gallops by their own horses printed in English papers. There are many Australian owners and trainers who would like to to be in a similar position. '

There appears to be no lack of eiv courngun.ent offered by the various trotting clubs and sporting enthusiasts in reward for meritorious performances by high-trotters, says the Spectator, and the near future should see several ot the existing track records considerably bettered. At the present time there are two big purses offering for speedy trotters. The Auckland Trotting Club is offering a purse of 500 sovs for the trotter that can do 2.8 or better. Should this not be accomplished, a purse of 250 -sovs is offered if the mile is reeled off in 2min 9 25-sec. It is also announced that the well-known sporting enthusiast over 'Stralia-way, Mr. John Wren, president of the Melbourne Trotting Club, is offering a purse of 1000 sovs to be set aside for a trotting event to 2.32 or better horses, to be contested at the fine course at Richmond, near Melbourne, next November. The distance will be a mile and a half. With the present galaxy of talent now in good form in Australia, and the recruits recently imported from the States, a big entry and a tremendously interesting race are assured.