SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 273, 8 April 1911, Page 7

SPORTING

RACING FIXTURES. April 15, 17—Wairarapa Racing Club. April 15, 17, 18—Auckland R.C. April 1/7, IS—Canterbury Jockey Club. April 17, 18—Feilding 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. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Easter meetings open this day week. Equitas was not started at the Manawatu meeting. Heaps of money went astray when Soultiform failed on Wednesday. Valentine is reported to be galloping well, and may win shortly. Swimming Belt finished outside a place in the Southland Cup. 'Boanerges broke his bit in the Manawatu Stakes, and ran all over the course. Birkline lias gone off, and shaped poorly in the Telegraph Handicap, his only start at Awapuni. Reported from Riccarton that Rose Noble is getting tired of the game, and whip and spurs form a feature of his morning gallops nowadays. . Some of the knowing ones had a saver on Sardonyx on Thursday, and got a good run for their money. One or two gallops should smarten this jumper up a lot. Lady Menschikoff was reported to have shown her connections promising form before being railed to Palmerston, but, with Deeley up, she could only finish fifth in the Longburn Handicap, and failed just as badly the second day. The Egmont Winter meeting will take place on May 17 and 18. The stakes •how an increase on last year's, and the go-ahead policy of the club should merit the support of horse-owners and the gen-' eral sporting public. Advance received a good advertisement on Wednesday, when two qf hi* sons, The Rover and Pairewanui, won successive heats at Awapuni. The Rover's victory in the big handicap was a meritorious one, and, coming on top' of his wins in the Woodville and Waipipi Cups, stamps him as a first-rate handi- j cap horse. At a meeting of the Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club recently the question of holding the usual annual race meeting was discussed. After taking into consideration the fact that the last meeting rein a profit of nearly £IOO, it was decided to hold the meeting as usual, and to reduce the stakes to make up part of the loss of revenue through the i outlawing of the bookmakers and conse-, quent loss of betting fees. How these non-betting meetings will draw remains to be seen. Sunburnt was the only actual first favorite to score at Awapuni on Wednesday, and the money of the many went into the pockets of the few. The failure of Ruaparaha and Teotane in the big race, Effort and Gladiole in the Telegraph Handicap, Te Whetu. Soultiform, Kiiosteri and Daisy Paul iii the minor events, spelt disaster to the ever-hope-ful army of punters who accept no defeat as final, but always come up smiling and look for more. On recent form, the Manawatu Stakes looked the best of good things for Culprit, on whom Billy Price had the mount. When the tapes flew up Hermia, Orton and Culprit were first to move, Sunburnt »nd Masterpiece being slow to find their feet. Gray immediately rushed Orton to the front, and was well clear of Culprit I at the home turn. Here Sunburnt appeared on the scene and joined issue .with the leaders as they straightened for home. A neck and neck struggle resulted in a head victory for Sunburnt, and Masterpiece, finishing like a rocket, was a neck away third. Boanerges interfered with some of the others, and gdt rid of OHiver after passing the judge's box. It was a fine race, but some people argued that but for the straggling start and accidents Boanerges and Master-1 piece would have finished first and sec-1 ond. Anyway, the winner was bracketed | with the public choice, Culprit, so all j was well for most people. Considering that Trafalgar happened to come out in Prince Foote's and Comedy King's years, his record is no mean one. In all he has started in 30 races, winning ten, and he has been placed second ten times, third six times, and unplaced thirteen times. He has only won three handicaps, being reserved principally for long-distance weight-for-age events, and as a stayer he takes some beating yet. He has won twice over three miles, four times over two miles, and twice over a mile and a half. The generosity of the sportsman is. proverbial. Some weeks ago Mr. G. D. | Greenwood was awarded, in the Supreme I Court, £4OO damages for the loss of a | brood mare. A committee of Amberlev residents waited upon Mr. Greenwood, | and represented that the defendant \ would be hard put-to to satisfy the judgment, and Mr. Greenwood very generously offered the sum to the defendant as a present. His generous action was warmly appreciated by those concerned, and their wishes of good luck to Mr. Greenwood in his racing ventures will be endorsed by all those who recognise a sporting action when they see one. Mr. Alec. Hall has North-East and St. Bill going well at Wanganui, and the pair should run well at Ellerslie next week. Although the public went solidly for Soultiform on Wednesday, it is said that the knowing ones had all their coin on | Allurement. The latter was given a comfortable run on the rails the whole way, but a rank outsider in Parewamii sneaked up at the finish and "pipped" the good tiling by a head. Julian, on "Wednesday, and Meroze, on Thursday, were strong tips away from the course, and both took out. Gladiole tried to win the Telegraph Handicap all the way, and was just caught .(bout lift? yards from home and beaten into third place by a head and half a head. The mare ran a great race with l.fr -tealier of 'J.4-, and the tinip recorded was 1.14 4-'o. Gold Bird ran so wretchedly in the Kairanga Hurdles on Thursday that the stewards couldn't let his running pass without challenge. The inquiry was adjourned. Hermia was going well in the Stakes when Boanerges carried her out at the turn. Mid her victory in the Borough Handicap v.a- anticipated by her party. Moi! Ami led to the half distance, and then YV. Young brought Hermia along with a great run, landing the stake by a length. Te Puia's form is rather hard to follow these day*, hut it is pleasing to see the Taraimki horse winning a good stake in turn. Lady Medallist landed free from soreness in Sydney, and, despite adverse I comment, has already surprised the touts wi'.h her brilliant truck form. Attendances were rather below the average at the Manawatu meeting, but the tote rang up nearly CSIKJO more than last year. Goodwin Park was given a spell after the Wanganui meeting, and is now look- ■ ing briirht and well. His next start will j be 'at Kcikling. • Defeat is in steady work at Awapuni, in view of winter jumping even's. An exchange is responsible for the

statement that the Nan Francisco mare, Crucinella will soon be or. her rccunn voyage to New Zealand. AYhen this marc left these shores there were many shrewd judges who selected her as one of the most likely to win a. few good races, but bad luck seems to have dogged her footsteps at every meeting, and now she will be brought back with a view to winning lesser stakes on this side. Regarding the retirement of the prominent 'Stralian owner, Mr. L. Macdonald, a Sydney paper states: "The retirement of Leslie Macdonald from the gee-gee game is hardly more surprising than the reason lie gives for selling his racing establishment. "Accusations or insinuations which no honorable man could tolerate" have appeared in "certain newspapers"; therefore he can find no more pleasure in the spot, he says. Mr. Macdonald should by this time be hardened against mere insinuations; and if those he is referring to were levelled at the performance of Blairgour in the Newmarket Handicap, he might very well have ignored them. The racing public in general saw nothing to excite indignation in the surprising failure of Blairgour. The horse had probably passed the border-line which divides absolute fitness from staleness, and the fact that he had previously won two races when he was a red hot favorite seemed to dispose of any cheap doubts of his being a genuine goer for the third event in the 'treble.' Macdonald hud a very good record as an owner of first favorites. Wakeful carried the odds-on to victory in many races, and in Revenue he owned the hottest favorite that ever won a Melbourne Cup." This scribe would be heartily disgusted with himself if any, Taranaki sportsmen threw up the game because of any adverse comment in these columns. But there's no fear of that! Maorilanders are too thick in the hide to take notice of what the other fellow thinks. Of course, it. hurts their pride to be told that the "champion" is only fit for "lions' feed," and should be railed to Boyd's Zoo immediately. But it is often a fact, and if they can patch the crook up and win a heat—well, that's one on to the sporting scribe. The writer knows of comparatively few instances where a | scribe's judgment has been biassed. Tn the main, remarks are kindly meant. Now and then an outraged innocent talks "fight," hut the trouble generally ends with a drowning act in the glass that cheers. Owners don't back their horses oftener than they should do, and who can blame them? They're not in the game for the good of tlieir health, and "the true sporting instinct" we hear so much about doesn't keep any man long, so what's the use of stirring vp things which do not cry out their "deadliness." Wlio cares f