SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 267, 1 April 1911, Page 7

SPORTING

April 5, 6—Manawatu Racing Club. April 15, 17 —Wairarapa Racing Club. April 15, 17, 18—Auckland B.C. April 17. 18—Canterbury Jockey Club. April 17, 18—Feiiding'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—Great Autumn Handicap. AUCKLAND R.C. WEIGHTS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wangainii, Thursday. The following weights have been declared by Mr. Geo. Morse: Tradesmen's Handicap, one mile and a quarter—Fort William 0.0,.Carl Rosa 8.0, Monoplane, Golden Loop and Manapouri 7.12, Paisano 7.11, Woodhey 7.10, Delegate and Uranium 7.0, Tamainupo 7.5, Coromandel and Master Theory 0.13, Higden fl.lo, Caruso 0.8, Tctekura 0.7. Eden Handicap, seven furlongs—Santa Rosa !).l, Grenadier 8.9, Faunus, Sir Artegal 8.0, Antoinette 8.3, Dawn, Turbine and Golden Loop 8.2. Tattoo 8.0, Cullinan and Red Lupin 7.11, Master Jack and Impulsive 7.0, Elegance 7.2, Zinnia (Ml. Ellerslic Handicap, six furlongs—Miscount 9.13. Miss Winsome fi.7, Bootle 8.11, Bellah 8.!), Malwa 8.0, Tranquil 8.2, Comlamine, Glad Tidings and Sea Pinic 7.11, Our Queen 7.9, Gold Size 7.0, General Latour 0.13, Harrigau and Worcester 0.9, Aloha, Lady Gluten and Master Dix 0.8.

Tramway Handicap, five furlongs—Turbine and Gipsy Bell 9.1, Faunus 8.10, St.. Bill 8.8, Wild West and Winning Post 7.11, Lady French 7.10, Solus 7.9, Contralto 7.8, Fremantlc 7.5, Blue Garments ,7 V 3, Peggy Pryde 7.0, Urekehu 6.13, Aristos 6.12, Pairawaatu 0.10, Miss Leonore 6.8.

Gore-Brown Handicap, six furlongsScotch 9.4, Kanewara 9.0, Dircctoire 8.7, Hard Rock 8.6, Lucille 8.5, Aristos and Miss Ada 8.4, Mary Ann 8.0, Poictiers 7.13, Castle Blaney 7.12, Miss Wairiki, Wee Olga, Bogey, Parawai, Katua, Sphinx and Jollie Filie 7.11, Master Wairiki 7.9, Haerenoa 7.8, Tipua 7.7, Spectre 7.6, Taka 7.5, Presently 7.3, Mild lira 7, Blue Mount and Home Rule 6.13, Gloy, Monolope, Yeitalia, Rntter, Glenfern, Monocle and Tctekura 0.12.

Nelson Handicap, seven furlongs— Peacemaker 9.4, Scotch 9.2, Master Jack and Impulsive 8.11, Regain 8.9, Maxwell 8.5, Miss Ada 8.2, Llovds and Captain Soult 8.0, Minstrel 7.11, Wenonah 7.10, Sphinx 7.9, Master Wairiki 7.7, Fuss 7.0, Tipua, Spectre and Madame Paul 7.5, Taak Duma 7.3, Presently 7.2, Mildura and Hamadryad 6.13, Monocle 0.11, Caedmon 0.10. TURF TOPICS. (By -Moturoa.") No races this week. The Manawatu autumn meeting opens on Wednesday. Patea nominations are just as numerous as ever. Culprit has been paid up for in the Seventh Manawatu Stakes. Old Grenadier, who was recently racing in Fiji, will be a competitor at Ellerslie this month. Gunboat was boomed a lot in the South Island, but has done no good since coming north. Once again the irrepressible veteran Paritutu pops up in. the nominations for Auckland hurdle events.

A Ilawke's Bay paper reports that the Hon. J. 1). Ormond has sold Oxton to mi Ohaktmc resident. Oxton was dubbed a "National horse" not long ago! Birkline is going on'well at the Manawatu, and promises to show up at the Manawatu meeting. The son of Birkenhead has a good record: —Six starts, four firsts, a second and a' third.

Bridge is said to have improved greatly since going across' to Sydney, and with Bst 71b would have a chance in the Sydney Cup if well on the day. Golden Cairn is another New Zealander engaged. On the .strength of marvellous trackgallops, Patronatus is in great demand in Sydney Cup betting. The horse ha§ yet to prove his staying ability in public, and it must be remembered that he is absolutely useless on anything but a firm track. When the Ikeys are looking about for a "boom horse," any old thing will do, and Patronatus has been sent out favorite in most of the big handicap events across the water. The public arc easily snared.

Steeplechasers are well catered for in the Land of Frogs. No less than £143,280 will be given away in prize money for these-events in France this season.

Reported from Napier that the Merriwee mare Vi has been found to have broken two ribs. How the accident happened is unknown, hut she will be thrown out of action for several months —which is bad luck for her owner.

From a French paper: "A lady in a harem rig-out was the cynosure of nil eyes at Auteil, and people could hardly draw their eyes off the attractive pantaloons to watch the racing. The 'Harem' lady was the smartest dressed female on the course." Now then, ladies, come on!

Jockey 11. Donovan's handling of True Kniglit in the Hack Handicap at North Canterbury last week did not meet with the approval of the stewards, and after taking evidence that body handed out three months' disqualification to the Canterbury horseman. True Knight was not the favorite, and it is quite an innovation for stewards to watch anything but the horse that carries the money these days.

Sir t.eorge Clifford's team for the Mnnawatu meeting wi'i include Counterfeit. Big Blast and Masterpiece, and the trio should put in an appearance at Awapuni to-day. Masterpiece is said {o be a rare galloper, lint he will have hard mits to crack in Culprit and Co. in the Stakes.

From Auckland comes news of Elvsian's breakdown, and it is probable that the brilliant son of Poult has said farewell to the race (lack. Klvsian, at three years old. won five out of his first nine starts, and then developed a temper, running sourly in three other races. Recent advices were to the effect that the crack had become more tractable, and it is unfortunate that such a brilliant horse will not stand another preparation. Since making no race of the Flying Handicap at Wanganui. Cdadiole has gone on the right wav, and there is hardly a sound watch at Awapnni now. The touts are prophesying all sorts of wonderful things for the little daughter of St. Clements, and I here is no doubt .she is a marvel for her size. Indignation is being expressed by many of the no-totalisator (dubs that the members of the Racing Commission did not trouble to look at'their courses while on their recent tour of the racing districts, which means, of course, that the clubs which at present do not enjoy the benefits of a tote license have no earthly chance of every obtaining one. Considering thai, licenses have to be very considerably curtailed, it is hardly an opportune moment lo howl about such ft mailer. The remedy rests with the .sporting people themselves. Send men to Parliament who will vote for sportsmen's rights, and there will be plenty of racing and totalisator permits for all. But the racing clubs and racing folk don't

care two.; straws about politics. Politics are onlv for the kill-joy fanatics! And as Mr. Fuller said at a meeting of the National Sporting League in Wc'lington last week, New Zealand is enclosed .by a barbed-wire ring which ttic I "wowsers 1 ' are drawing tighter every ' day. And of the manv thousands who I attend races in this Dominion, onlv a paltry thousand care enough about it | to subscribe their names to th" list of I National Snorting Leaguers. It passes I comnrehension! j The amusing statements re norm rn*I in 2 and gambling thereon marte bv members of the W.C.T.U.. sitt??!<r in New Plv mouth this week, will probably make entertaining reading for those sportsmen who enjoy a good joke. We arc told by these ladies that U) the totnlisator has increased belling to ah alarming extent: (21 that the totnlisator (and not the bookmaker) is made use of bv the big gambler; (31 that the retention of the machine after the. abolition of the bookie passes rnderstanding. etc. All of which would be soundly convincing if stated In- persons having even the faintest knowledge of racing and gambling on '•neos. To blame the totalizator for the incr»acp in wimbling is sublime when one considers that gambling has increased rpiite as rapidl l ' in countries wheh do not license totalisators. That, times.are I wood and monev consenuentlv. plentiful t does not strike our friends of the or>nosit» sex. T)mt gambling in land, mining 'hares, oil companies, produce, cards, sports, and a thousand and one other thing s , is on tlie increase is overlooked by these short-sighted propouni'ers of rash statement:. Rut enough of that! The idea that the big gambler jvtronises the tote is absolute nonsense. The man who puts the shekels in as if his choice "can't lose," Hii't fool enough to show his band on the racecourse. Give h'm credit for greater wisdom than that. The less nut on the machine the better it i= for him. Where, does it go. then? It goes to the stav-at-home bookmakers everv time. The write can give, anv amount of instances where not a pony was put on a horse on the course but the "good thing" was "peppered" for hundreds and often thousands of pounds away from the convincing ground. When vnu consider that the absence of ten or twenty bookmakers from a racecourse, as from January 31 last, means practically a doubling of the totnlisator turn-over, and then add to that the money handled by the dozens of bookmakers operating in each of the four large centres everv race day, swell it by the amount handled by each of the .smaller fry of pencillers betting in every ' small town in the colony at the same time—then only will you get any idea of the vastness of gambling on horseracing. The licensed fotalisator is but one betting machine against an annv of hundreds of unlicensed betting machines which walk tin; streets of every town in the Dominion. And then, as regards the licensing of the tote in view of the abolition of the licensed bookie, what are the merits of the cases? Can any W.C.T. Unionist find any parallel? The telegraph is closed against the tote; it is illegal for a person to act as an agent in investing money thereon for another party. The tote is designed to meet the demand for gambling on race-' courses; on racecourses only! The totalisator gambles in cash, and with per-1 sons over 21 years of age. It never asks anyone to bet in its life! Can the same j be put forward in the bookmaker's case. Cannot any youth (who is known as j "safe") get some bookmaker to take bis money? Cannot letters, money-order J telegrams, etc., be sent through the Post and Telegraph Office to the bookmaker? Doe's the bookmaker ever ask a person j to "have a bet" or "take a double," or offer him a race-card? And isn't the bookmaKer fofind everywhere? Tell us, ladies! And, lastly, let us consider the strange sight of W.C.T. Unionists and racing clubs joining hands and rejoicing over the downfall of the bookmaker. Since the W.C.T.U. became a factor in the land, ivc are told,, all this antigambling legislation and heaps of other "reforms" bave been brought about. The W.C.T.U. did it! All these enactments of Parliament were the results of the prodding of the W.C.T.U. The j abolition of the bookmaker—yes! And | the licensing of the bookmaker a few years earlier—well, that's another question. Truly, it is time to "hand round" another "refreshing cup of tea!"