SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 16, 13 July 1911, Page 8

SPORTING

TURF TOPICS. I (By "Moturoa.") I Wellington races on Saturday. < Ililarian is to be tried over hurdles. Gold Thread is expected back in New Zealand next week. Old Assayer was found dead in his box at Hastings recently. Pleiades is in great heart, and' will be ridden by Frank Lind at Trentham. A northern scribe states that Wauchope will be retired to the stud after lacing at the Wellington meeting. Iney, Okaihau, Goldemar and Ardfert were all double-winners at Gisborne last week.

The Masterton Racing Club were lieavy losers over their recent fire, the insurance not covering one-half of the estimated, loss. New buildings will be fretted immediately. Mr. J l . O'Driscoll's horses Waitapu and Sinn Fein will probably- be shipped to Sydney from Auckland on Monday next. John has been jumping better of late, and his party are very sanguine of success at Trentham. "But they are always on a moral" I can hear some scoffer say! . In rating Paisano and Wimmera above The Reckoning in the Grand National Hurdle Race the handicapper is paying a poor compliment to one of the best of 'Stralia's jumpers. If the big gun from the other side starts at Riccarton some of the local champions will have to travel to keep on the same side of the course svith him.

Mr. Alex. Hall left for Trentham at the beginning of the week, taking with him St. Bill, North-East, and St. Gate. t The two "saints" arc; in srood trim, and should run well forward, but altogether too much rubbish has been penned of the deeds of North-East. In recent schooling work the big chestnut has showed an inclination to get right up under his hurdles, and he gets over with next to nothing to spare. In a big field running close North-East will probably get on to a hurdle before he notices it, and that will be the end of him. Track watchers in Wanganui rate St. Bill a more 'promising National horse than the son of Euroclydon. Waiputere is likely'to carry a heap of money in the Winter Hurdles. On his Century Hurdles showing, the Feilding horse must be accounted well in with 9st 61b. W. Young will ride Waiputere, and not North-East, as some of the "boomers" allege, .Trainer B. Nicholls has arrived at Trentham with Lady Fran. The chestnut mare has a fair turn of speed for a few furlongs, and will start in the Te Aro Handicap on Saturday. Jockey Whittaker rode three winners at the Gisborne meeting, and now tops the winning-riders' list with two more victories than H. Gray. Only one more meeting remains, and it is quite on the cards that Gray will increase his total at Trentham. The finish promises to be exciting. The Wellington Racing Club has decided to oppose the appointment of I stipendiary stewards, and has instructed I its delegates to vote accordingly. To! most Turf followers, the fact that in i most cases ordinary stewards look upon the days of racing as picnics is painfully evident, and for the good of the sport it is quite time that properly qualified judges of racing should follow the horses from meeting to meeting, and be in a position to advise stewards of crook running, In some parts a man is appointed steward on the qualification of being "a jolly good fellow." He attends the meeting, "punts" on his fancy; often watches nothing else but his "moral" in (he race, and when trouble arise*, votes with another "jolly good fellow" who says that he saw this and that happen. The man who is to judge racerunning should be absolutely unbiassed; a non-bettor; lie should be intimate with co ors and with horses so that no mistake might occur; and above all he should act fearlessly, and not be afraid to put up ,T. Blank's horse because J. Blank happened to be a friend of his or did business with him. In these parts we are blessed with, for the most part, practical men on tile stewards' stand, hut this scribe has often witnessed a race from the midst of a. crowd of stewards, not one of whom possessed a pair of field-glasses or kn.ew which horse was leading until the crowd howled the winner's name at the finish. The stipes" must come!