SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 49, 19 August 1911, Page 9

SPORTING

RACING FIXTURES. Sept. (J and 7—Marton J.C. Annwil. Sept. 13—Dannevirkc R.C.- Steopl«ch«ie. J j Sept. 14 and 15—Ash-burton R.C. Spring. Sept. 20 and 23 —Avondale J.C. Spring. Sept. 23 and 25—Otafci R.C. Spring. Sept. 28 and 2!) —Wangamii J.C. Spring. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Flitaway is more unreliable than ever. Shuja was right off color at Riccarton. Entries for the North Taranaki Hum Club meeting close to-night. Charlie Jenkins has accepted Mr. E. J. Watt's retainer as first horseman this season. Avondale weights should appear on Wednesday, and Marton weights two days later. Sir George Clifford's cast-off, Broadsword, gathered in £3189 in stakes across the Tasman last season. A Southern paper states that Guaiftforte has been sold to a New Plymouth sportsman, and will take up stud duties here shortly. The Canterbury horseman, G. Pine, went across to Sydney after the National meeting to pilot Los Angeles in his forthcoming engagements. In winning the National Cup at Chrisfohurch last week King Cole trotted two miles from scratch in 4min 31seo—a New Zealand record. Gambling is on the increase in the city of Ghristchurch. Between the gallops and the trots last week close on £150,000 passed through the totalisators. The mucly abused Racing Commission came in for further denunciation in the House of Representatives this week. There is no doubt the country clubs were sacrificed to keep inviolate the privileges of their bigger brothers, and Mr. Jennings' Bill to give the Minister for Internal Affairs power to grant oneday meetings to the smaller clubs, promises to just about pass. After that' the middle-elass clubs whose racing days have been curtailed will curl up their tails and bark angrily. Surely sporting folk will send supporters of their favorite sport to Parliament next November. As in the Great Northern Steeplechase, Paritutu, minus a rider, completed the course, jumping grandly, spurted in the straight, and when the winning post was passed pulled up and went in with the other horses to the weighing enclosure. The q\d' horse has been so long at the game that he knows it off pat. Ten to one if you gave him a ticket he'd get on 'board the Rarawa and go straight to Avondale next month. He has made the journey a score of times. The sportsman's vade y mecum—the New Zealand Turf Register—just to Imnd, is a trifle more bulky than previous issues. As a guide to the past season's results, 'both racing and trotting, l it stands out as a most useful book of reference. Rules of racing, dates of meetings, registered colors, racing statistics, w.f.a. scales, sales of bloodstock, etc., are here found in brief and concise form. In addition to winning brackets, the index shows seconds and thirds, and those who wish to keep abreast of rac--1112 should lose no time in securing a copy.

If some hwses do not pay their way it is not for want of trying. A casual glance through the Turf Register shows that Miss Sylvia faced the starter on 37 occasions last season. Other hardworked neddies were: Merrie FrarJc, 33 starts, Mediterranean 32, Scotch 31, Flying Soult and Mataari 27, Don Quex, Floater and The Rover 26. Between Boxing Day and the. end of April, old Montague took part in 30 races—nearly two a week! Of the Taranaki crowd Lethean sported silk on 23 occasions, and the defunct Mallet raced 29 times.

Stake-winnings have already been touched upon in these columns. Strange to say, the hardest worker last season, Miss Sylvia, came out with 11 firsts and 10 seconds to her credit. Rurik started 21 times and pulled off 11 races, finishing «econd on five occasions. Obsono won 10 times> Fort William, Gladiole, Negative and Whakaweira eight times; Culprit, Electrakoff, Tney, Ito, Lord Possible, Miss Do Vere, The Rover, St. Toney, Scotch, Tc Whetu, Thistledown, Turbine and Wild Bird seven times. Honorable mention might be made of Smilax. who won six races out of eleven starts. Crowds of horses were successful in six raws, but it is surprising to note the number of good horses of the previous year which did not earn a winning bracket last season.

Mr. A. Rhodes' two-year-old colt by Field Battery—Lady Fisher, half-brother to Maniapoto, has been named Maniaroa. Tho youngster shows plenty of quality and will sport silk in the Avondale Stakes next month.

Mr. .T. George shares with Mr. J. Lucas the enviable position of top in the list of winning owners at the Grand National meeting. Each takes £7OO as the result of one horse's winnings. Next on the list is Mr, W. Smart, £650, won by Undecided.

Jockey 0. Cochrane, who was badly smashed up when Windage fell in the National Hurdles, is still in a pretty bad way. His many Taranaki 'friends will wish "Cockie" a speedy- recovery.

Danube and Provocation, both champions in their day, will be relegated to the stud this season.

Promptly to time Mr. J. Henrys has declared weights for the New Zealand Cup. and needless to say the adjustments are just now the principal topic concerning the racing world. That Los Angeles would be top-weight nobody doubted, but it was generally believed that the chestnut would have to carry more than !tst in the big handicap. Tt is a long time since the handicap started so low. The Canterbury horse is at present in Australia, but if he is brought back must have a good chance at the weight. Bridge won last year with 7-t 101b, but will have to he at his best to run forward with l.llbs more this time. Fort William reads well with Sst Sib, but the best handicapped one of all is surely Merrivonia with Sst 2lb. The mare is an out-and-out stayer, and last season won the Manawntu Cup, V/» miles, by throe lengths in 2min 37 l-ssoc, and carried Sst 31b. With the same weight she put half-a-dozen lengths between horself and the next best in the Ramritikci Cup, 1 1 /, miles. A close third in the Wellington Cup with Bst lib, and a second to Parable in the Consolation Handicap. ]y, miles, were her best efforts at the Wellington summer nicotine Merrivonia next sported silk in the Wanganui Cup, 1-V, miles, carrying Sst 51b to victory after a splendid late run from the distance. With Sst 81b she carried off the Connolly Handicap at the Wanganui winter meeting, winning easily from Gunboat and a big field. Taking these performances into consideration. Mr. Ame's mare must be accounted well treated at Riooartou. Lady Lucy has dropped much below her form of WOO. when she won the New Zealand Cup with 7st lib in the saddle, but Birkdale. on the same mark.-is nicely treated. Gohlfinder will probably have more friends than Prim at the weight*, and lower down Cheddar, Tv.inni. Gunboat. The Rover, and Sonite 1 will find friend-. Of those handicapped j at 7st and lower. John. Mulga Bill. KiloI steri and Goodwin Park are stayers, and ( appear well treated. Taking it right 1 through the handicap appears to be a j fairly eouitable one, and should afford I plenty of food for speculation between now and November 4.