SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 283, 22 April 1911, Page 7

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. April 28 and 29—Wellington E.G. May 3 and 4—Marlborough R.C. May 10 and 11—Hawke's Bay J.C. HOKITIXA RACES. By Telegraph— Prose Association. Hokiti'ka, Friday. There was perfect weather, a large attendance, and good going. Results: Open Handicap.—Divorce 1, Hillspring 2, Pure Rose 3. Also started: Obligado, Wairarapa and The Orient. Won by a length. Tradesmen's Handicap.—lto 1, Surmounts, Montague 3. {scratched: King Try. Won by a length. Trot.—Audonte 1, Mount Camelback 2, Convent Bell 3. W T on by a length. Autumn.—King Try 1, Waiwareware 2, Gold Braid 3. Won easily. Borough Trot.—Marmot 1, Chips 2, Convent Bell 3. Eight others started. High-weight Handicap.—North Pole 1,1 Divorce 2, Negative 3. Also started: Waiwareware, Hillspring and Katua. W ? on by half a length. Railway Handicap.—lto 1, Yeodel 2, Expansion 3. Nine starters. Won by a length. The totalisator receipts were £4380. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Wellington Racing Club's autumn meeting opens on Friday next. The Avondale meeting has been postponed until this day week. Taranaki horses had a good innings at Feilding, and returned the best prices at the gathering. Mr. J. Fryer got St. Toney's purchase money back at Feilding, and the way the St. Clements gelding settled the opposition there points to him being a cut above the average. According to reports, at least two races were thrown away at Feilding through shockingly bad horsemanship, and the jockeys mentioned were not new-chums at the game by any means. With lOst. against his name for the Thompson Handicap, Los Angclos appears to be well looked after, but after his brilliant running in the Great Easter> Handicap Mr. Pollock could hardly have let him down lighter. Mr. E. J. Watt's team of three did well at Riccarton, each horse securing a winning bracket. Cheddar's victory in the Great Autumn must have been expected if the size of the dividend is any guide, but the Hawke's Bay horse had done nothing to recommend him for such a journey. Months ago he was solidly supported for the New Zealand Cup, and but for going wrong would have carried the blue jacket in place ol Bridge, the eventual winner. The veteran 'chaser, Sol, is as great a little bit of stuff as ever. In the settlement of the Autumn Steeple on Monday he won very easily after an interesting battle with Maidi. Sol was only receiving lib. from Loch Fyne. After a long run of bad luck fortune has once more smiled on the Wanganui trainer-owner, Mr. Alex. Hall, and in scoring with both North-East and St. Bill at Ellerslie he must have had a fair win. On last year's form NorthEast looked well in the St. George's Handicap with 7st. lOlbs., but there were some "warm" members in the shape of Soultoria, Sedition, Santa Rosa and Woodhey. Not only did he win, but he scored in decisive'fashion, and now that he has taken it into his head to gallop he should pick up a few more races before the hatidicappers put him out of the handicaps. Broadsword was never noted for reliability, and his running at the Australian Jockey Club's meeting was hard to follow. After practically winning all the way in the Doncaster Handicap last Saturday, he was expected to keep on winning- at the meeting, but on the second day he ran absolutely last in a race run over the same distanceone mile. Since going across the water he has picked up a couple of thousand in stakes, and Mr. S. A. Rawdon has no reason to regret the day he paid £SOO for the bay son of Clanranald. Master .Sylvia won a double for Mr. J. Smith at Patea, and was well supported each start. The opposition was very poor, and if he couldn't win there he wouldn't win anywhere. Antoinette was backed for pounds, shillings and pence months ago for the Easter Handicap, but her recent accident put her right out of court with punters. That she was the moral alleged she proved by winning comfortably in good time, and that after being on the easy list for quite ten days before the meeting.

VETKRAX TRATXKR KAYS AUSTRALIAXS ARE " CROOK." In conversation witli a representative of the Petone Chronicle, Mr. A. Peters, who lias just returned from a year's sojourn in Melbourne, whither he had taken Waiata, says that it practically rained every day for ten months in Victoria, and militated against training very considerably. Out of twenty-eight starts Waiata ran eight seconds, seven thirds and onlv one first. Mr. Peters. methods. As far as lie could judge the "bookie" ran the show from A to Z. One jockey alone who would be outclassed by every second lad in a Xew Zealand stable rode most of the "dead" ones, and now owns nineteen brick cottages on one side of a street in the suburbs and fourteen on the other! The only way to succeed, apparently, is to put up one of these ''sure mounts" and trust his true employer, "the bookie," to give the public a run for its money—and come in when the shekels are beiiis doled out to lad and owner. When Mr. Peters left, Mr. ''Middleton Melrose." the well-known Xew Zealand sporting owner, who has permanently settled in Victoria, was not. meeting with much success there. In his opinion, owing to the great lack of nutriment in the Australian-grown straw, chalT and oats, Xew Zealand-bred horses soon fell aw'av in stamina and condition, whereas the Australian-bred animal-would perhaps be raced for a season for all he was worth and turned out again, some owners having as many as seventy ''oncers" in training, which appeared to consist mostly of "resting" within small enclosures adjoining excellent .stables. The horse sales were a revelation, however, particularly in the light draught section. Victorian farmers and their sons would journey hundreds of miles to Kirk's Bazaar, Melbourne, and pay fabulous <priccs for nearly every line offering there. Money seemed exceedingly plentiful, and to see the rolls of notes changing hands between buyers and sellers was a startler. "Xot' the dummy CSO notes used on race days by bookies' touts for the purpose of drawing the mug's money (the genuine article) into the bookies' hags." said Mr. Peters, "but the real McKay." Australia, is a Rue country and Melbourne a lovely city. Xew Zealanders aren't wanted there, said Mr. Peters; but Xew Zealandcrs can give them points in the matter of courage and enterprise.