SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 194, 14 February 1912, Page 7

SPORTING

TARMTAKI AUTUMN MEETING. (Notes by "Moturoa.") •To-day is Taranaki Cup day—the sportsman's day in Taranaki—and from near and far worshippers at the shrine of I'egaeus will do pilgrimage to the local l'dreeourse to lay their offerings on the altar of sport. By rail, motor-car, per horse and per foot the crowd is coming. Crowds of sport-loving people who enjoy a good horse race and a moderate gamble. The wave of fanatical kill-sport frenzy and its consequent restrictive legislation has failed to kill or even harm the "Sport of Kings" (and other fellows), and has only served to warm Turf followers up and. make the sport more popular than ever. Recent years have Been the Taranaki Jockey Club forging surely ahead under skilful management until it now occupies a high position amongst the smaller clubs, and this week's meeting promises to be a record in more ways than one. Splendid acceptances are . carded for to-day's races and keen contests may be iexpected. The flow of visiting sportsmen has been larger than usual. They come from all parts, and one rubs shoulders with leading sportsmen from • Auckland, Hawke's Bay and Wellington. There is the usual team of happy "bagmen" with urgent business in town this week, pressmen with hotstuff tips from the' centres, and holidaymakers with money to burn! The course and lawns are looking their brightest, and the going should be first-class. Everything that could possibly be done to make the gathering a successful and enjoyable one has been accomplished. The club now has up-to-date appointments, the latest improvements being a new publican's booth and enlArg- ! totalisator house. Mr. 0; O'Connor w ! slip the fields, and his splendid work - the barrier requires no introduction 1.. these parts. Th« club's handicapper, Mr. Geo.. Morse, has concealed winners well and good racing and spirited speculation should be the features of the meeting. The Taranaki j Garrison Band will play selections during the afternoon.

The thirty-seventh Taranaki Cup will be run this afternoon. Seventeen horses have paid up for the chief event, and in point of numbers to-day's field should be above the average for the race, The Taranaki Cup dates back to 1876, when Opawa won. The same year Opawa won the Wanganui Cup, and the next season carried 9st. to the fore in the Taranaki Cup again. Opawa was only one of many brilliant horses that won the race. Other double-winners were Battleaxe (19011902), Paritutu (1905-1906), and Lady Medallist (1910-1911). In 1890 the race was reduced from two miles to a mile and a half, and in 1908 to -a mile and a quarter. Over the three distances the performances of Matau, Vedette and Lady Medallist are time records, while the last-named mare in 1911 put up a weight-carrying record, when she won under the steadier of 9st lllbs. There is not her equal in field, but the seventeen colored on the cartf are a very fair lot.

Coromandel, Jargon, _ Lady Menschikoff and Dearest' 'ran at Hawera last week, and, the last-named is sure to have a ,J)ia foltojsvijig: She. will lose nothing 'by having !the'services of B. D?eley*. Of the Auckland pair engaged, Gloy has the best credentials, and won at Takapuna recently. < The locallytrained horses are all fairly ,and on track form Uhlando should be 'dangerous.. Probably Dearest, Coromanlef : and Jargon. With 71bs penalty Dearest, figures as top-weight in the Flying handicap, but will probably start in the Cup. Gladiole is a brilliant mare and is well up to 9st 21bs. She should run well. Crown Pearl j and St. Toney shaped promisingly last wok a:;J wiil have many, followers. Scratchings will. reduce, the crowd in the Stewards' Handicap; and it is'hard to say whether the "crackk" will take on this race or the Mying'Handicap. The: of 'Vst. Bill, Gl^iole,, .Crown Pearl, Piriwai and otfelsiiia.rt sprinters is sufficient guarantee of'an interesting finish. J Everybody a good hurd/e race, and there will be many people anxious to back Silva,; Allure-and when the numbers go up for the Hack HHfdles. i Silva recorded a firpti seddnd *at Hawera, and is very well,,but it is on the cards r that Allure and' Darby Paul will shape better .to-day. ' ~ The minor. handicaps filled well, and in these theilttesti.. horses, «n recent showing,' appear be Manawakaha, Ngatiruaqui, Gflden ,Loop, Royal Dragoon and St.. Pptejsburg, The races appear to be very qpenj ajid punters may have their work.cut out to pick the winners. ' ■ i.. / .' ;

The Porirua team, apprising Dearest, Dirge and fit. PetsrsburgyC4me along on Friday, and have beep moving attractively on the local tracks, • -y. ■ - - Hector Gray has been out of luck this season, and Deeley has been the most consistent jockster. Deeley's mounts are always worth following,; but like everyone else he has his bad ones. Our old sporting friend Dan O'Brien has entered the hotef -line again, this time as proprietor of the "Crown" Hotel, Sydney. Dan O'Brien js always in and out of hotels—a failing which is very common with many of «s, too! Avarice, by Treadmill, has been a rank disappointment -this season, and IJir .Geo. Clifford sold the horse after the.'Canterbury meeting ,to Mr. A. A. McFarlane. Sir George lets the other fellow race the wasters! :

_ Coming up in the train last night a diminutive jockster was reported to be missing. After a protracted search he was found under a copy of the Referee left on one of the seats! Te Kuiti is generally regarded as a "one horse" place, but they put the sum of £5432 through the tote in one day there last week. At Te Kuiti a man is either a champion wood chopper or "* mug." The local axemen's carnival had an event called the "Mugs' Chop." Evidently a man is known by the forests he slaughters in those parts.