SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 105, 19 September 1912, Page 7

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The North Taranaki Hunt dub meeting takes place 011 the Xew Plymouth racecourse this afternoon, and given fine weather an enjoyable day's sport should be provided. Fields promise to be fairly good, and some fair horses will probably be seen sporting silk, notably Royal Dragoon, Rawinia and Duro in the open hack events, and Nero, Otis, Run, Drudgery and Otaraoa in the hunters' events. Today's gathering is a purely sporting one, no tote or bookmaker introducing the sordid element, and who, calling himself a sport, would have it otherwise? True, there is not the excitement attached to the ordinary race meeting, but it does one good to occasionally see clean, healthy sport, racing not for pecuniary gain but for the love of sport. A hunt club meeting brings together old friends, gives "Brother " Bill a chance to distinguish (or extinguish) himself in public as a horseman, shows what erratic jumpers most hunters are when the pace is on, and generally provides clean amusement and wild excitement. It is often thrown up at us that-the attendance at a hunt cluli meeting does not nearly come up to that of a regular race meeting. Which is mostly correct. Still, it is not fair to say that betting is solely responsible for the contrasted state of affairs. Bigger meetings draw outside horses, neddies more in the public eye; horsemanship and racing reaches a higher piano of accomplishment, and, where good riders and good horses gather, there you will find the crowd. New Zealanders are certainly fond of the sight of a good horse. If the town-crier were to announce that at 10 a.m. Patricius Flanniganus would ride Carbine through tlie town there would not be a soul left in shop, office or house. Those who attend to-day's meeting may be assured of a keen and straight day's racing at a minimum of expense to themselves, and it is to be hoped that all sports will roll up to see the heats run off. Nero is said to be thriving on hard work once more, and if produced in the Hunt Club Steeple should run prominently. Drudgery has raced prominently of late, and Rua's forward running at Marton puts him amongst the "pos-' sibles." Singlet is engaged, but I would not advise anyone to "put his shirt on" the prad. The open hack races are—open! Paoli, the Avondale Stakes candidate, is sure to attract attention if given a flutter in the four furlong event. Royal Dragoon, Rawinia and Duro will probably find most admirers. The Otaki Maori race meeting opens 011 .Monday next.

The veteran sprinter, Lord Soult, now rising eleven years, has been put into training again. It is stated that The Rover was sold by his breeder, Mr. Donald Eraser, for the modest sum of 13 guineas. The ex-Taranaki horse Strayboy won the Hunt Club Steeplechase at thc'Otago meeting on Saturday last. At the same gathering the aged Sou'wester gelding Mauri won a double in good style. Jockey W. Young piloted Stead Bros.' Bon Reve to victory in the Bracmar Welter at Ashburton last week. The much-favored Xew Zealand Cup candidate Tannhauser was sent out a warm favorite for the Ashburton 'County Handicap (one mile and a quarter), hut was easily beaten home by another Cup 'horse, in the shape of Martinc.

Teviotdale, by Achilles out of Strathspey, is spoken of as a colt likely to do well this season. He finished strongly in each of his races at Ashburton, scoring a first and a second, and he certainly i* a fine-looking three-year-old. A southern paper reports that Te Roti is doing well at Feilding. and has quite recovered from his Riecarton mishap, lie is given a chance in the Hack Hurdles at Wanganni with 9st. 121b.

Monorail is boomed as Auckland's hest three-year-old, and will probably start favorite in the Avondale Guineas. The New Zealand-bred mare Nightfall, by Multiform —La Xotte, and therefore a sister to Xoctuiform, lias been purchased by a Victorian breeder, and the much-travelled matron is now oil tiie way out from Old England. Strategist shaped well at Dannevirkc and will be given a run in the Hack Hurdles at Wanganui next week. Auckland's supply of liglit-weight jockeys will hardly be sufficient to go roumi if a fair proportion of the fifty horses entered for the New Lynn Handicap on the second day at Avondale sport silk. Just imagine the size of a racecard if there were many meetings like that! Malt King's record of 32 races runs out to II wins. 8 seconds, 4 thirds, and only !) unplaced performances. He cost 31 () guineas as a yearling, and has since won £12.110 in stakes alone. . It is stated that Frank Wootton will probably ride Trafalgar in the next Melbourne Cup. Wanganui acceptances are due on Monday night.