SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 135, 29 November 1911, Page 7

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS.

(By "Moturoa.")

The Feilding and Ta.kapwia spring meetings will open to-day. Big fields will probably be seen out at both gatherings, and winners appear to'be well concealed. At Feilding the Auckland Cup candidates engaged include Goldfinder, Te Puia, Coromandel, Lady Menschikoff, and Uhlando, while Flying Sou'lt will be seen under silk .at 'fakapuna. With the big Auckland handicap but a month oil' the running of these korse* will be watched with interest.

Avarice promises to start favorite in the St. Andrew's Handicap at .Feilding. Overtime, looking better than .ever, was railed 1 to Feilding yesterday. C. Monk will ride the Wanganui horse in the Flying Handicap.

Murk Ryan will ride Wee Olga in the big race at Takapuna, and .this inare is said to be most fancied up north. The Highden team for Feilding includes Nyland Blakeney, Mallard and Ermengarde. _ Blakeney and Mallard are engaged in the Maiden Scurry on the second day.

In Palmerston Ermengarde is reportedto have more friends than Autumnus for the Feilding Stakes, but on .Riccarton form Clifford's elect should be hard to beat. Outside this pair little else is given a chance in the Stakes, but the race has supplied a few surprises already and the same may occur to-day. Miss Livonia, who won a double at Ejlersl'ie this mo..— and paid a sensational dividend, appears to be fairly well treated with 7st Ol'b in the Borough Handicap at Feilding. The mare is generally ridden by an apprentice, in which case her impost will only he 7st lib. How the handicappers must hale this apprentice's -allowance! Jt makes a lot of difference sometimes.

Monoline is stepping out smartly and will probably sport silk in two-year-old races at Taikapuua. Recipe has run a few good races, but bo far without success. Will there be a different tale to tell after Feilding? Coromandel has been gaDopiiuy nicely, amd track-watchers are of opinion that Albert Jaokson wild winsome fair stakes wisth the ex-Aucklander.

Jockey i<\ Wootton's record up to October 12 was 159 firsts. His position as premier horseman for the season is now assured, no other rider being within .70 of the little Australian.

Winchester will carry the colons of "Mr. R. Narelle" at Feeding. The Wanganui boniface has not raced with much success, but his recent purchase is a (air performer over the small sticks, and may mow than pay his way this summer. ~, a It is stated- of a well-known 1 trainer (says the Chronicle) that he was disgusted with the starting at a recent Southern meeting and sought out some means of expressing his disapproval without endangering his license. With this end in view he is alleged to have subsequently approached the official barrier-raiser and politely presented him with a box of matches,- at the same time explaining that the lucifers would enable him to practise "starting hush fires." Wild) Lupin, who got amongst the winners at Wave-rley, has been showin" brilliant track form of late, and our Waverley friends will be putting them in at Feiilding if the neddy starts there. Uhlando is now bright and well and Mr. H. Eva has no t lost faith in the little fellow yet. Whether the son of Uhlan can "come Iwe-k" or not will be known to-day. Personally this -scribe has - lost all faith in the horse.

Nominations v for tile Stratford annual meeting c i ose 01 , >| olu iay, December 4, ait 9 p.m. All entries are fixed at the low sum of ten shillings. The programme is advertised in another column.'