SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 279, 22 May 1912, Page 7

SPORTING.

TUEP TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Wanganui Jockey Club has reason to be well satisfied with the acceptances received for the opening day of the winter meeting. The chief events, the Wanganui Steeplechase and Centuxy Hurdle Race.. have filled better than last year, and with fitter 1 i r,„. nach race sljitL] 0 ,„ IU/ , - „■ ..peeled. Practically all the good horses remain in. Captain being the oiin well-backed candidate to drop out. El, ven remain in the Connolly Jl.nnrii->™, just over one half of which are Taranaki-trained horses, but the defections of Mangaroa, Khamsin and Dearest have robbed the race of much interest. With the exception of the Hack Steeplechase, all the minor events have filled well. Recent arrivals at Wanganui are Continuance, Paisano, .Kaipetipeti, Dorando, Outlander, Hautere, Dogger Bank, Okaihau, Nedra, and Sphinx. Continuance and Dorando look very well, and should give a good account of themselves this week. The Hastings trainer, J. Cameron, was <lue on Monday night with Woolloomooloo, .Merry Lad, T e Puia, Thrave, Manitau and possibly another. Training operations on Saturday were not of a very interesting order, the course being heavy after a big downpour of rain. Dorando and Outlander ! went freely over a round. Okaihau, Hautere. and Sphinx did slow work.' The Native dashed off two rounds in taking style. The onlv horses jumping were Antarctic and Tniaha. who !r ot round twice over the big fences without mishap. A big crowd of lesser lights did medium-pace work. The following morning Moose and Tonderghie were associated in a round of the big fences, the former out jumping his ancient rival. Paisano, Continuance 0 Sir Lethe, St. Gate. Whimper, Dorando,' The Native. Kaipetipeti, Hautei-e. Okaihau and a large number of horses did slow work. The Century Hurdle Race is generally voted to be very open. The Native is going as well as Ms. many friends could wish, and is certainly in good! [form. Since the acceptances appeared < Koran and Sandy Paul have come.into , favor, and Paisano. Euroco and Merry I J Lad have gained friends. ••''' ' Should Dec.ley ride Mulga Bill it .looks certain that the Hawera horse'.w-ill'start I favorite in the Connolly Handicap. Byron, Coromandel and Merrivonia are strongly supported, and for' some unaccountable reason punters prefer to ■ overlook the chances of that .good'.horse Mcmlip. On Hawera 'running Mendip ' must he counted amongst the dangerous division, and report says 'that lie has improved in the interim. Labor Day is : still under a cloud, but a Waverley tout I states that she has thrown off her'recent ailments. Golden Loop still holds his ground, hut can have only a '''rough" outside chance. Winding-up gallo'iMs on Tuesday and AVednesday will'probably j throw some light on the result. ' * > It is some years since '.such' a i crowd of'steeplechasers" figured in" the ;.big cross-country race. Antarctic and •• ; Dorando are galloping and' . jumping ' .splendidly, and their respective .followers ' hire very sanguine of success: Cohtinu- - lance looks well, but two .fan'ciedVhor'ses | Whakaweira and Beeline. •ha'v.e h'ot put |in an appearance yet. Tafiaha" jumps ■ | very quickly and is a better' hm'se.'tlian I most people imagine. ' ■ " ; ' • ' : I Dorando put up the brightestperfomi[ance of Monday morning's work'.'jump- ! |iiyr in rare style. ; ■>/ ' i ■• ; Jockey F. Flynn has been engaged .to ride Whakaweira in the .Steepfeofia'se and The Native in the Century Hurdle Race. Outlander looks remarkably.well, and now that lie is jumping better .may score before long. .■','" It is stated that Seaman. v-iu . ,-;(• likely start in the Century iiimllcKace in preference to the hack .event. Whakaweira has been fencing Virbod style at Hastings and was booked to ! leave for Wanganui on Monday morriino : _ Antarctic is being ridden in' his training work by young Percival, bubr-it is ; stated that Julian has been offered the ' nde in the big steeplechase,. Humor has ' it that Julian's employers have' refused ' him permission to ride the horse, but ' the uncertain Dame is generalv-a, fabri- ' cator. " * ■ , The Wanganui training tracks bore a busy appearance on Tuesday morning and there was a very lnrfre crowd of touts to watch the work,. The best gallop of the morning was registered by The Native, who had Gaelic as a companion over a mile and a half over the .sticks. The Century Hurdle Race favorite was on the outside and covered a lot more ground than the bay, 1-tb she was of rio use to him, and'he ran in a comfortable winner in 2min 51 sec. At every I jump The Native left Gaelic, and his = performance was a brilliant one. Outlander and Sphinx took a second longer to cover the same course. The former dwelt badly at every obstacle, but Sphinx fenced boldly and seems in' oreat heart. Merry Frank reeled off six" furlongs smartly and looks very fit. Antarctic, with Epsom Downs' and two others, covered six furlongs in Imin 22sec. The Steeplechase candidate finished right up with Epsom Downs at the end. and considering the weighty horseman on top his gallop was a very pleasing one. Hautere jumped the big fences safely, and Torbelle went better than a companion over the small sticks. Euroc'o, on his pat, went a mile and a half over the hurdles with the pace on, but his jumping was sera l hy and disappointed his friends. ' o'vell went twice round over the big fe 'ces, but his jumping has lost a heap of its dash, and his respiratory organs arc worse I than ever. The big horse can have I little chance of seeing out a long-dis-jtance steeplechase at the forthcoming meeting. Whakaweira, Woolloomooloo, I Manitau and a crowd of others did medium pace work. The trio named above look very fit, but Woolloomooloo hardly looks so bright as when last seen under silk at Wanganui. Overtime is off color. Thrave was not extended, but moved nicely over seven furlongs. Merry Lad did long slow work and was anxious to increase the pace. Seaman galloped twelve furlongs on the flat in good time, but only had a lightweight (W. Price) in the'saddle. The tracks are in good order and the fine weather promises to hold over the meeting. Daily, Whakaweira is receiving substantial support for the Great Northern Steeplechase and Wanganui Steeplechase —particularly for the latter event. The supposition is that the old Pilgrim's Progress gelding is a good stayer, and, of course, he has the Great Northern Hurdle Race to his credit. On the other hand, big fences and galloping up hills usually tires beginners steeplechasing. The chestnut gelding San Fernando died at Palmerston North on Thursday last. He was formerly raced by Mr. F. Martin, but was recently sold to a couple of sportsmen for a. Tow figures. j Reumac, Captain Bell, and Blakeney ' have been entered at the Rosehill (Syd- I ney) meeting next Saturday. j