SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 59, 27 July 1912, Page 7

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. NEW ZEALAND. August 13, 15, 17—Canterbury Jockey Club. September 25, 28—Avondale Jockey Club. October 2—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club. October 25, 28—Wanganui Jockey Club. October 26, 27, 28—Wellington Racing Club. November 2, 4, 6, 9—Canterbury Jockey Club. November 8. 9 —Auckland Racing Club. AUSTRALIA. August 3, 10—Victoria Amateur Turf °Club. October a, 7, 0, 12—Australian Jockey Club. DATES OF COMING EVENTS. NEW ZEALAND. August 13— N.Z. Grand National Steeplechase. August 15— N.Z. Grand National Hurdle Race. AUSTRALIA. August 3—Australian Hurdle Race. August 10—Australian Steeplechase. October S—A.J.C. Derby. TURF TOPICS.

(By "Moturoa.") The question of the hour! Can you pick the Nationals? Some people imagine that Salute will just stroll in at Riccarton. Windage broke down again at Trentham, and will require a long spell. Captain Jingle improves with every race and his party can already hear the jingle of the National goldens. A Dunedin scribe refers to our old friend Bob Barlow as "Cocky." Charlie Cochrane should go for breach of copyright! Money rained in for Kilrain each day he won, and report says that the respectable dividends attached to the Fordell prad's victories cost the layers all their winnings in the other races. Royal Arms was not produced at Trentham and would have been all the better for a race before the Winter Cup. The bay gelding is very well. There is still plenty of money to be won with a good hurdler. Mr. E. A. Connolly is reported to have gathered in £9OOO as the result of W 7 ingarara's V.R.C. Natioanl Hurdles.

Prosper arrived at Riccarton on Tuesday, and the early favorite for the Winter Cup is not nearly so hot an order as before the weights were declared. Gay Lawless was amongst the outliders each day at Wellington, and failed badly in the heavy going. Gunsap, winner of the V.R.C. National Steeplechase, was one of the bargains that pop up occasionally. His present owner secured him for the moderate outlay of 42% guineas . After shaping badly at Trentham Patriotic and NgatiTuanui were railed home, and the Taranaki pair will not be teen out at Riccarton. Gold Bird shows a remarkable antipathy to steeplechase fences, and ran off each day at Trentham. The old horse is getting cunning. Te Rahui, who was destroyed after a smash-up at Trentham, was a fullbrother to Paisano and won his first race nine years ago.

Had the National weights been kept hack until after the Wellington meeting it is quite possible that the much improved Coronetted would have received considerably more than 9«t 91b in the big hurdle race. Irish Rifle and Gramd Slam are the reterans of the Winter Cup crowd. The Former is about ten years of age and Grand Slam a year younger. The Wanganui-trained Kew is a really good sort of a horse and should pay his way next season. Jockey J. Stewart will ride John in the National Hurdle Race and A. Julian will have the mount on Paritutu in the Steeplechase. Sandy Paul, Te Roti. and Darby Paul are engaged in the Jumpers' Flat Race on the first day of the Canterbury meeting. Crown Pearl will contest the principal flat events on the other days.

Peary's success in the Trial Plate at Wellington is the sixth which has fallen to Karamu horses since 1905. Previous winners were Mobility. Wirral, Dreadless, Moreeambe, and Ainsdale.

Four horses —Torbelle, Captain Jingle, \ Kilrain and Mt. Victoria—won doubles I at Trentham. Jockeys Joe Stewart, H. i Batten and Sid Reid rode the last men- I ttoned three respectively in their dual I victories. 1

Paritutu us reported to have put up a great trial last week at Trentham over •even steeplachese jumps, doing Bsec better than Hautcre, and the New Plymouth steeplechaser has fair prospects of repeating his last year's performance in the National Steeplechase. From Waverley we hear nothing but glowing reports of Koran's work, and if the dashing son of Pilgrim's Progress can reproduce his Hastings form be will set the others a torrid pace at Riccartoa next month.

Consider the thoughtfulness of thl Rev. J. J. North in naively sympathising with the Prime Minister for being "pestered" by a deputation from a racing club. The Rev. .1. J. North has assaulted the citadel so often that you can pick out his tiacks to the House of Parliament.

From all accounts the running of Ceylon in the i_'i <fion Handicap at Trentham was rem 1 •: ■cable. Dwelling on the mark, she was i. one time tailing right oli'. but in the sfaight she came with a, rattle wide out, and then dashed across in front of several horses to the rails, eventually finishing a close third. The stewards heard Sid Reid'- explanation and expressed them>elv(s as "satisfied." Since the Wellington meeting market limitations have not changed much.

Anuagii. Continuance. Antarctic and Captain din.de arc at ■ aim prices for the National Steep!.a- a:.-e: Pii-auo. Koran, i oroii'ttcd and Tin- Native an' favorites for the Hurdle Pare; and Mang.iroa. l.eai.uki. l.ailion". .-aiute and Prosper are not bciii'.r >,; ;eii r:-k- with in the \V ; nt.r Cup. The of \!m:iL'h for th» Grand v atio'ial <!••'.i'.-e:,i-e i, one of the cone:: Imi;.,- of !,,. ,-,ird ■. Th ■ Ae.ek- •■■■■ w-dl'iiek in third pl.-:-v in the ■■' '■ -de-plcc'a.-e. Snll. tie' "". idsu-r----i ■ ■" ar" at ",-ork and th" m-ei.-v i- -aid i> be rolii'iL' ia -le;>d:ly for Armagh. It is a long cry to 'the New Zealand Cup. but la vers are making lironze a warm favorite. Other- a few points '■ 'ijer are Mi-eon;, who i- -aid (o b•oebT'.e.'e.r : , .;.... |.; pp.; ara i '<:•: for liliyeai'- Cop. Midid-di! Son. Do-niia.. and I'riiee -on'-.. ' aaieoio;:- ~f t !,.. i ~ ,b,.n,e- ~., ihe other -id" ..- Ta-tiien .-.•,. waxin-saiea-tie ••'. He. C0,|.,,,;..:.,,,■, advert r>P"r:. a-.," ->■ ;:,■> ; ■- :,i t .. „-,,< i'k" Gd-- ■■'>! ..;■ „;j_ ,;.,,. , ;,, ,--.. ,•,.,„„•. „f ♦he Tote ( oiami--;. n vil l not affect the <m.=tion i-f hit !■•> ;iii- : -.r C... jeaetiine 'm the can-- " -.■ ■ eoo.| C | j-, j,..,„.,];„. tioii. Wit. e •:> t ■.'■! •:,- i- ivei'able. though, th" lio-tilc report ui:i'- do the fenfrv who ir.i.ie it c-on-Al, rabb' harm. People will be bound to tlihk nuaiilv of

I their intelligence. And where their intelligence is not questioned, their honesty of purpose will be. Take the case of the wonderful Perry, who so cheerfully voted against the clean, honest machine. Said Perry: 'The Commission was referred to as a junketting excursion. That can't apply to me, because I went nowhere with the Coramission.' So he didn't 'commish' at all, but just voted, according to his own ancient prejudice.

_ Wellington racing made no appreciable difference in winning jockeys' records, the leading riders being either in Australia, absent through accidents, or just unable to score through bad luck. On the flat Deeley soars away with 88 firsts, next coming A. Oliver with 45. The latter rode three close seconds on Saturday. Then follow C. Emmerson 3G, A. H. Wilson 30, W. Young 28, C. Price 20, V. K Jones 24, J. O'Shea, H. Grav, H. Griffiths and C. Brown 21 each. In all 141 jocksters knew the joy of riding a flat winner.

Fifty-two more or less game and fearless riders scored over jumps. Tartar Julian led with 14 firsts until smashed up at Napier, when A. McFlynn, with five wins at Gisborne, jumped to 15. The versatile horseman C. Price won 10 times over sticks; T. Pritchard and Jerry O'Connell S); L. Hegarty and W. Young 8. The slate is now wiped clean and may good luck follow them in the coming season.

The new Government has started well by reinstating the Rangitikei Racing I Club, but in depriving Canterbury of one | day the Minister in charge of totalisator permits has acted upon lines that may I 6urely be classed as fearless rather than | tactful. That the extinction of the oldestablished Rangitikei Club was the outI standing blunder committed by the Racing Commission is generally conceded, but considering that the adjacent Marton Club was then given an additional two days racing it is only just that the latter body should be the one to forego the extra day's racing now that the old club has been reinstated. The Prime Minister has stated that no opposition will be given to a Country j Racing Clubs' Bill early next session, and his cordial reception of various deputations leads one to hope that better days are in store for racing in the Doi minion. Now is the time for sportsmen to show their strength, and though not perfect in all respects the Sporting League offers opportunity for followers of all sports and pastimes to do something for their amusement—something for themselves. The sporting community is now suffering for its slothfulness'in the past, and should really "put its hand out" and —wake up!