SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 131, 21 October 1912, Page 7

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa"). Mira, who developed lameness at the Grand National meeting, is now reported to be quite sound again. Odessa and Ceylon generally find Wiiigatui a happy hunting ground, but the pair drew blanks last week. The Mystery, who let his party down heavily once or twioe last season, is in work again under Trainer Brough's eye at Hawera.

It is hard to believe that Labor Day has been supported from the right quarter for the New Zealand Cup. The Waverley mare may be improved by the next fortnight's racing, but she does not strike one as a pronounced stayer. Bleriot and Prince Soult are getting through good * work at Eljerslio, and much interest is being aroused in their meeting at the Auckland spring meeting. The Canterbury trainer, E. O'Donnell, has his big team in good fettle at Riecarton. Los Angelos, Bon Revo, Bon Ton, Oxenhope, Culprit and Culture make up a sextette that should be heard of at the Cup meeting. The probability that Trafalgar and Malt King have run their last races clears the field for Duke Foote, whose only serious rivals in weight-for-age races in 'Stralia appear to be Gadonia, Aurofodina and 1 Lady Medallist. The New Zealarfd-bred Gunboat recently gathered in the Aga Khan Cup, a mile and a half, in India, and his success was a great surprise, the betting being almost £1 to a. threepenny-bit against him. Soultline has not been thriving well over there, but ran a brace of seconds at the same meeting. The Wanganui Jockey Club is nothing if not progressive. Following on improvements to totalisator houses and lawns, mentioned recently, tenders hav? been accepted for the enlargement of the grandstand. The new stand will be twice the size of the pretty structure at present in use, and the improvements will cost close on £SOOO. For up-to-date buildings and first-class management the ! Wanganui Club takes some wiping out. The Stewards' Handicap candidate, Soldiers' Chorus, was sent out a warm favorite for the Electric Handicap at Dunedin. He was never far away from the leaders, and, overhauling My Lawyer | in the straight lie came on strongly, win- < ning very easily. The winner carried Sst lib and cut the six furlongs out comfortably in 1.15 2-5. Under pressure the san of Martian could have improved : upon that time, and even with Sst 91bs in the Stewards' Handicap he will not want for backers. Warstep, winner of the Dunedin Stakes, was probably lucky to beat Clifford's Nightwatch. The ; latter covered a lot more ground than the Martian, filly and was pressing her very closely at the business end 1 of the journey. Fender, another fi,lly by Martian, finished close up in third place. It is surprising the amount of support extended to expensive events by dwners in England, who provide nearly all the stakes run for. Considering their absolutely unattractive pecuniary conditions, the vitality of the July Stakes and the Chesterfield Stakes is nothing short of remarkable. What'. would colonial owners say to condition such as these:—The July Stakes is a sweepstake of £SO each, £3O forfeit, with not one penny of added money; while the C'hes-' terfield is the same, except that the sweepstake is £3O each, '£'2o forfeit? There are fifty entries for next year's July Stakes, and forty-five for the Chesterfield. All the entries for the races at Newmarket which have just closed are strikingly large, having regard to the miserably meagre endowments. Eighty-two yearlings have been entered for the next year's Spring "Stakes, with £2OO added. There is an;- entrance fee of £3,' so the owners provide, thtf whole of the added money. . Dealing with the racing; in "Darkest America," a man on the spot gives "his opinion thus: "No one interested in ths. thoroughbred would really care to see a return to some of the racing we had in Jersey, especially at Guttenbcrg, across the Hudson, opposite Harlem, or at Gloucester, across the Delaware from Philadelphia. These two resorts would mil. any game in the world—even the gamblers were crooked with one another. At both "dope" and the electric spur wc\e introduced, and if a man could only trust the commissions laid openly on behalf of the starter and judge he could have made a fortune, and as for the jockeys, they stopped at nothing. The starter, a man named FlJ'nn, was actually .elected Speaker of the House of Representatives'«by the gang boosting the "sport," and this was, of, course, the last straw, as the respectable element in the State rose up and cleaned out 1 trainers, jockeys, horses and racing."

MASTERTON NOTES. (By "Motnroa.") A Taranaki sport who.' motored through to Masterton last week kindly handed in a "'correct curd" and passed a few remarks: The 'weather was fine—and dry. 'Masterton i,s not as dry as some people imagine. The tote house at Masterton would' make a fine hen house. ; Undecided won the chief event with ridiculous ease. Black Lupin j)aitl easily the smallest winning dividend of the day. Expect, winner of the Trial, is by Ad-vance-Endeavor, and therefore- fullbrother to Effort. 'Exertion (Birkenhead'— Declination) ran nicely, and should win for Mi'. VV. Bidwill when more seasoned. . . Suratura reads like a tea advertisement, but the filly was got by Saracen out of Waitura, and the name is passable. .. The Wanganui horse iankee Doodle (Wairiki —Golden Rose) rail only moderately in the Trial Stakes, and cannot be much class. . Bidwill's three-year-old Imagination was out on her own amongst the hacks, and won a double without tuining a whisker. Deeley and Emmerson, just back irom Sydney, quickly opened winning accounts, Deeley scoring on Imagination twice and limmerson on Leapuki once. Walsh and Quartermain's. alleged flier, Silver Rose, was not slipped at the meeting, but will be amongst the lesser lights at Waverlev next week. °The "correct card" was only correct in spots. A whole page 'was given up to the luncheon menu, which _ was not startling, anyhow! Poultry is apparently unknown in Mastertonj and the •rrand old "fill up "—trifles-was' not started. Even tlm plum pudding was onlv graced witli "sweet sauce.. How s that for the trail of the Prohibitionist T Blue Lake carried her !)st. like a good 'un in the Elving, but could not give 241b to Leapuki." The latter has been going to do things for a. long while, and there was little merit in his victory, considering the weights. Tlirave was favorite, and, as usual, ran into a place, ihe others did not shine worth mentioning, and the erratic, Longstep failed to act up to his name when the tapes were The Cup waf Undecided's at any part of it, the other New Zealand Cup candidates, Byron, Sinapis and Mira, not proving dangerous. The last-named was flogged into second berth, and the rest

iTte speedy Fashion Plate added another easy victory to her list in the ■ Bracelet. The Fcilding mare saw a very short price, and had the race in safe keeping from the head of the long straight. Manitau was kepi, too far out of it to have any chance, but made up ft lot of ground in the run home. Black Reef, by Gold Reef, was a quiet tip, but he failed to see it out. Whimper ran far below Marton showing. Black Lupin and Easy were the only pair backed in the Masterton Hack Handicap. F. D. Jones got the first-named out snlartly, and the rest just filed in behind. It was a poor "race." Jockey W. Price motored through from Wanganui on the 'morning of the races to ride Coromandel, duly won the Stewards' Handicap, and motored home again afterwards. A big day's work, eh? Coromandel was practically in front all tlie way, and won comfortably from the fast finishing Thrave. The others, notably Sir Knox, Hilarian and Negative, were not lie for fast work.

Ladino looked like gathering in the Da;h Hack Handicap until Imagination came up at the distance and settled the question easily. Merton ran better than earlier in the day, but had no chance with the -winner. Lady Volga was not prominent.