SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 105, 11 January 1912, Page 7

SPORTING

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa") Sir Geo. Clifford's horses, Masterpiece and Counterfeit, were withdrawn from the Wellington Cup on Monday. Brown Trout was galloped on in the Mamiwatu Cup, and is at present spelling. The Auckland horseman, B. Deeley, is mentioned as Midnight Sun's likely pilot at Trentham. A small field will contest the Foxton Cup, and Coromandel, who raced well at Ellerslie, does not appear overweighted with 9st. According to a northern scribe first favorites were successful fourteen times in the thirty-two races decided at Ellerslie recently. Jockeys F. Wooton (3) and F. Winter _(2) won the five flat races on the card at Liverpool (England) on November 13. The successful West Coast performer, Curator, ran his last race the other day. On the first day of the meeting he won the Grey Cup. Two days later he ran a gruelling race in the big money at the same place, going under by a head. On the way home the horse dropped dead. The erstwhile New Zealander, L. H. Hewitt, now premier horseman in Austria, can etill go to scale at 7.12, and contemplates riding in England next season. F. Wootton and Danny Maher are getting almost too heavy to ride, and there will be a good opening for one of Hewitt's undoubted ability. In France this season O'Neill rode 163 winners out of 700 tries (or alleged tries) and topped the pole. "Johnnie" Rei?, the little Amurkan who captured tii: ladies' hearts in England a few ye : ago, was. next with the good average cu 115 firsts in 578 starts.

The' Martian horse, Soldiers'. Chorus, put up a good gallop when he carried 9.12 home first in the Southland Handicap, one mile, in 1.42 recently. The chestnut is to be given a "go" with the cracks in the autumn, and should pay his way... Penates showed a glimpse of his old form at the Christmas meetings, but the old fellow's legs are as groggy as ghan's—the gentleman who was always on his last legs! Kohinoor has had a good innings at the Southland meetings, and does not appear harshly treated at Foxton. This one time smart horse is said to be a bit erratic, but can muster up a lot of pace when "on it." Trainer R. Wootton reckons that Lomond is the best three-year-old he has ever handled, and has hopes of landing the Epsom Derby this year with him. After which Wootton purposes returning to his home—Horsetralia. mmm ~~"^——™——* »