SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 71, 10 August 1912, Page 7

SPORTING.

RA'.FXG FIXTURES. New Zealand. August 13, 13, 17.—Canterbury J.C. August 29.—Egmont-Wangauui Hunt. September 4—Marton J.C. September 25, 2S—Avondale J.C. September 26 and 2S—Wanganui J.C. Australia. August 10- Victoria A.T.C. October 5, 7, 9, 12—Australian J.C. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National meeting opens on Tuesday next, «nd, leedless to say, the topic of the hour is the G.N. Steeplechase. At time of writing the fields promise to be large and truly representative of the various jutrts of the Dominion, and given fine weather next week's gathering should be well up to the standard of former yearj. At time of wilting final payments for the chief events and acceptances for the minor ones (a'l of which should appear this morning) are not available, hut the principal horses engaged are already on the old convincing ground, and defections should not be numerous. Despite the inclemency of the weather, a fair amount of -work has been done at Riccarton, and it is reassuring to backers of the f.norites that Continuance, Captain Jingle, Paritutu, Koran, The Native. Paisano, Salute, Prosper, Mt. Victoria and other solidly supported ones are going »trongly. The Victorian A.T.C. meeting will be concluded to-day, the principal event being the Australian Steeplechase, run over four.miles of stiff country, every obstacle of which has to be jumped cleanly. There , are no New Zealanders amongst the final' acceptors, but some fine steeplechasers remain in, including Guncap (who won at Flemißgton), Concave, Bullawarra and the veteran Bribery.

Racing matters locally have never been so quiet as at present. Mr. J. Johnion took Sandy Paul through to Riccarton at the beginning of the week, and the chestnut showed to advantage in a gallop with Darby Paul and The Native on Thursday. Koran went south on Monday, and is now a firm favorite for the Grand National Hurdle Race. Waverley sports are very confident of success. All is not well with Te Roti, his spill tast week having proved more serious than at first anticipated. The horse was ▼ery forward, and it will be bad luck if he cannot start at Riccarton next week. Irish' Rifle did not accompany The Native and Coronetted to Canterbury, and k is probable that the old horse will be spelled for a while. Mr. H. Eva was in town on Tuesday, and reported that his team were all goin? well. The tracks at Awapuni have been particularly gnod thi* season, and wet weather has not interfered with training to any appreciable extent. Highdcn will prrfhably be given a run in a hurdle race at -Marton next month Windage, who injured himself through jumping on Kildnnan at Trentham, is now back at Awapuni, and is apparently sound. The Native is daily gaining more friends for the National Hurdles, and if the going is anyway good is sure to run well. In heavy goiii2 t!i" stable will probably rely upon Coronetted to land the money. Both horses are galloping snd jumping well.

•Jockey Jack Stewart was severely cut and bruised when John fell with him on Monday, hut fortunately he is now almost well again, and will pilot the Wanganni pair. Antarctic and John, in the l*g "double" next week. Old Overtime is now in Auckland, and kas joined Trainer Geo. Absolum's string. The opinion prevails at Riccarton tliat Paritutu is as well, if not better than he was last year, and, barring accidents, the old fellow will be going strongly on Tuesday when the others are feeling tired. It is a pity the tracks at Trentham were too bad for liim to be started. as a gallop or two with the colors up would have dune him lots of good.

Kohinoor. who raced with some success in both islands here, is engaged in the High-weight Handicap at Rosehill (Sydney) to-day.

Jason is spoken of as a watch-breaker, and it is common talk that lie has been clocked to leave a couple of furlongs behind in 24sec. On the top of this comes Hews that he will not be sent to Sydney this season: the chances of Atheuic (Traquair—Aranoll), trained in Sydney for Sir. E. J. Watt, are preferred. What a smasher this Athenic must be! Ventura also will race in New Zealand this year, and the blue jacket will have a brace of doughty reps, at the New Zealand Cup meeting in this pair. A press wire from Wellington on Thursday reports that Mr. Geo. Hunter's ISill to increase the number of racing days from 250 to 2SO is finding favor *ith M's.P.. and has a big chance of l>eing made law. The proposal to study liunt ciubs iu preference to recently annihilated racing dubs will not lind universal favor, and it seem- altogether unfair. The Hill proposes to restore seventeen (lays' to racing clubs, three to trotting clubs, and to give ten days to hunt club-. It is pleasing to -ce that the various branches of the Snorts' Protection league are making a move in support of the main features of the Kill, anil it is up to our Waitara and Waimate Plains fellow-sportsmen to button-hole their respective Parliamentary representatives and urge the claims of their clubs to reinstatement. Now i- the time to get bu-v.

At the Royal Ascot meeting the Ascot Stakes Handicap wiis won by a horse bearing the queer name of Tli: Policeman, lb- won by a neck, which is after nil ju-f two big feet.

Tin 1 finding of the Tolali*ator C'ommi'--fcion «•:■ 1110 :is a -hock to many peitplc. anil particularly to the chairman, .Mr. I°. If. I/Pvin. .Sydney papers make no secret of the fact that the Coiiiini-sinn-ers. on their return to Sydney, were al-ino-t n;iii:iim'>n> in their prai-e of the tote. Kilt the three Week- \\ Itiell illt'T\ened between their return and the givi>!C of their report, -aw a le.L' eonie over their JM.le.meni. .\!l tin- time the liloated liar Voas were .piietly confident that the report would not favor the machine, and thoir m-konin;.'. as in many racint.' niatt'T-. proved to be correct. doikey A. nllivcr has ridden three Winter Cup v.inner.-—l'einites. XorthKast and Xyland. Hi- mount cm Tuesday will lie Serenity, and this mucliliooincd hor-c i- -aid to he aliove the aver.iee. |j ;, remarkable to see Prosper and Si'i-enitv. lioth not out of haek cnmpanv yit. in favor for a bier handi- ■ ap where cn-i-tcm horses like Salute and others are <-ii«r:iJif<l- Rarely has ihi.serilie heard of -itch a number •■! "-tone morale" for a trio of raec - a- is the ca-e j l-epardin? the ciiii f event- to he decided , »t 15id-art"ll lieXt Week. People come ' to von with loud-voiced lioastinjr. calm ) and deliberate '-wording." and MonV '

ibreaihi'-it-to-a-soul" whispering. And it is a different horse every time. They cannot all win, and Tuesday will dispel a lot of vain hopes. COXSTAXTIXOPLK'S FIRST DKRBY. i An enormous and motley crowd gathered on the beautiful plain of Veli-FfTendi. on the shores of the Marmora, to witness the first horse races of the Ottoman metropolis. The day was magnificent. the weather-propitious, and the people at the height of their festive mood. The Moslems have never seen horse races before. To them it was in every way a new spectacle, and to all it was a real sign of advancing times. Among the many thousands of spectators women predominated. Hours before the show they came from every quarter with baskets of provisions, intending to spend the whole day in gazing and chatting over the events of the day. The groups of Turkish "hanonms," in their bright, multi-colored tcharshafs, feredjehs and yashmaks, were picturesque in the highest degree. The ladies of the Imperial harem watched the races from their carriages. The Sultan was fatigued, and did not attend, and iiis absence was a great disappointment to performers and spectators alike. Many of the diplomatic*, body were present on specially constructed platforms, and large numbers of the most elegant elements of the European quarter also attended. There were six raws, and the highest prize, 100 Turkish liras, was won by Lieutenant Djelal EfTendi, a smart officer who rode a beautiful Arab horse—Zip-Zip. There was also a steeplechase, in which only two officers participated, and Rushdi-Bey proved the winner. Several deficiencies, such as not keeping exact time, and the inexperience of the judges, will undoubtedly be remedied on*the next occasion.