SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 76, 20 September 1911, Page 2

SPORTING

(By "Moturoa.")

TURF TOPICS.

The (lags will be Hying at Avondale to-day, the occasion being the opening] of tfie Avondale Jockey Club's spring meeting. Chief interest centres on the Cup and Avondale Stakes, but the other events have filled' well, and winners may prove hard to pick. The Avondale Cup has drawn only seven horses, 110 less than ten dropping out 011 Friday night. The following are the likely starters, and their riders: Sedition, 9.1, ; F. D. Jones: Domino, 8.12, W. Young; Master Wairiki, 8.3, J. Conquest; Advocate, 7.13, li. Weeley; Sea Elf, 7.12, .M. Ryan; Goldsizc, 7.0; and Duma, 8.10, J. O'Shea. The issue appears to be very open, but Domino has most friends in the northern city. A record crowd of seventeen two-year-olds remains in the Avondale Stakes, run over four furlongs, and the presence of the Taranaki-owned Mangarako (Field Battery—Lady Fisher) invests the race with special interest to local sports. The colt has been showing Albert Rhodes promising gallops, but it is hard to judge how he will shape in his first race with a big crowd of youngsters. He will have a good following all the same.

Other New Plymouth horses which will be seen out at Avondale to-day arc Electrakoff, Crown Pearl, Pleiades and Te Whcreroa. They are all gifted with a goed turn of speed, ami should run well to the fore at the meeting. A big crowd of two-year-olds have been dashing over three and four furlongs smartly at Ellerslic the last fewweeks, and track-watchers are, most enamored of the chances of Prince Soult to prove a top-notcher this season. The colt will be amongst the runners in the Avondale Stakes to-dav.

Five New Zealand Cup candidates sported silk in the Ashlmrton County Handicap, Tannhauser being sent out favorite. The son of Martian challenged Prim at the distance and looked like making a race of it, when Maritime collided with him and ran him on to the inner track. Prim won comfortably. New Zealand-bred horses have been doing very well in Australia recently, and promise to pick up more money at the A.J.C. meeting at the end of this month. Sydney papers are marvellously reticent concerning the downfall of the "cracks" in w.f.a. Chelmsford Stakes, and give Los Angelos scant praise fer his splendid win. The New Zealand horse carried 9.8 (including 71b penalty), and was not in the first half-dozen until well in the straight. From the distance the Hying chestnut cut down one aftef another of the leaders in magnificent style, and won by a clear head. Malt King, Flavinius and Prince Foote were best backed, and the winner went out at a long price. The same day ViceAdmiral was sent out a warm order in the Spring Handicap, one mile and a quarter, but Gray could not get the horse going in the early stages of the race, and though he" was galloping strongly at the finish he could not gain a place. AWg field contested the Tramway Handicap, and Pierene ran the winner to a head, the time for the six furlongs being Im.in H'/isec. Tomea (iStepniak Gipsy Countess) won the Welter Purse, at Mentone, and Full Sail ran off with the Weltefl .Handicap in improved style. At Kalgoorlie Miss Alison (Soult—Miss Nelson) won a double, and Azurine (Seaton Delaval—Real Bine) scored in the Final Handicap. Anglican, who raced at iliramar some time ago, easily accounted for the hurdle race at Victoria Park on the Gth inst. • Add to these victories the success of Lady Medallist and Pakau at Rosohill, and it takes only one eye to see that the mere handful of New Zealand-bred horses in Australia arc holding their own, and a little I)it over. Still the Sydney papers have very little to say regarding these victories, and it is evident that they »re taking the defeat of the local crack's. very badly.