SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 199, 11 January 1913, Page 7

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. Jan. 21, 22—Foxton R.C. Annual. Jan. 22, 23, 25—Wellington R.C. Summer. Jan. 29, Feb. 1-Takapnna .T.C. Summer. Feb. I—Canterbury J.C. Summer. Feb. 5, 6—Egmont* R.C. Summer. Feb. 12, 13—laranaki J.C. Autumn. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Nothing doing this week. * Taranaki entries close on Friday next. Bobrikoff is a scalding hot order for the Wellington Cup. Imagination has been given a chance in the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham. Labor Day and Ventura will probably be shipped to Sydney after the Wellington meeting. Stipendiary steward. Mr. A. Gordon. kept an eye on the racing at Whangarei this week. "Jokes" used to be all the rage in the Far North. Vice-Admirai. who split a hoof a short while back, is to be given a length\' spell.

Another Xew Zealander likely to be given a chance to distinguish himself in 'Stralia is Turbine. The gpeedy Mensehikiff geldng will probably be shipped to Sydney next week. Old Overtime Tan a couple of good races at Ellerslie last week and may catch a heat at the Takapnna meeting.

St. Petersburg was sold recently for £l5O and £SO out of his winnings. The son of Kilcheran was a bargain at the price.

In the Manawatu race-cards was a no- j tice warning off "Bookmakers." "Turf l Financial Agents" and "Turf Woolbrok- j ers." That ought to rope in all the 1m- | desirables. j Amongst the "also ran" division at a ! recent Sydney meeting was a prad named The Christian Brother. He was of a : retiring disposition and was well down the straight when Saucy Kate and A Woman of No Account were rushing for the filthy lucre. Wellington weights have, met with a warm reception, and the weight-adjuster appears to have overlooked Wairarapa form entirely when doling out his "poultices." In the last race at the above mentioned gathering on January 2 "Pe-J roneal defeated Naiimai over five fur- j longs at even weights. In the Electric 1 Handicap, run over the same distance. , at Trentham. Nanmai is asked to con- ! cede the mare 121bs' And this is only one of manv blunders.

The recently appointed "stipes." as thev are called across the Tasman. are said to be up asainst thp ridiculous principle in New Zealand which sends horse= out to thp starting post twenty minutes or so before the time of stnrtin?. Tt has been pointed out times without number that nervous, flightv horses are made fidgety and excited bv this long waitand when they come to line up at the barrier they are just as "cranky" as can be. In 'Stralia the horses are sent to the starting post and started immediately and the proportion of bad starts is very much lower than in New Zealand. At Stratford on New Year's Day the horses were sent out in heavy rain lonp; before the races were started, with the result that the colours were very hard to pick nn and the riders and horses were put to a lot of unnecessary inconvenience. Tt i« hoped that the "stipes" will shortly recommend that horses be kept in the weighing enclosure until within, at the outside, ten minutes of actual starting time . In awarding Bobrikoff 9.0 in the Wellington Cup. Mr. Pollock let the champion down with kid-gloved hands. Fit and well old "Bobby"—he is now rising nine years, remember —will make light of that burden. Labor Bay. 8.11. reads well, as does Soldiers' Chorus. The latter made no race of a fair crowd in the Tnvercarsrill Cup the ether dav iand humped fl.lo on the journey. Undecided has been given a chance to win the race again, and his form over shorter courses recently has been very good. The field. as it stands, is a big one. but should be reduced to reasonable proportions when acceptance*? are totted up on Monday night.

The money was in on Sea Queen when she started favourite for the Summer Handicap on the second dav at Marton. She was led up to the barrier, and when the tapes lifted there was a bungle, the bit being dragged out of her mouth. A wail of despair went up when the mare's backers saw her drop to the rear and stop after covering a couple of furlongs. Listen, by Conqueror-Listener, for a change hopped out smartly in the Juvenile Handicap at the Wairarapa meeting, and won all out by a length from Secret Link. The latter was conceding her rival 171bs and a year, and won a good race on the opening day for Mr. F. Hall. Secret Link is likely te win plenty of races later on. That the spending power of the community has greatly increased is evidenced bv the totalisator figures for the principal race meetings during the late holiday season compared with the same period for the preceding year. I have selected only a dozen gatherings, but the minor meetings show a simi'.ar result. The figures speak for themselves:

' The above twelve meetings (Auckland four days. Manawatu three day-, and the rest two dayt;) -how an increase of over £IIO.OOO in the amount handled through the totalisator. In conver-ation with a prominent Australian sportsman during the concluding day of the A.R.C summer meeting. he expressed the opinion to an Auckland sporting scribe that New Zealand was only behind Australia in racing in two respects. One was the length of lime horses were sent out of the paddock hefere they were asked to line up at the barrier, and the other was the time they were kept at the barrier owing to some fractious brute that would not face the tapes. These matters, he said, struck the Australians at once, and he seemed at a loss to understand why such a state of affairs was tolerated. It was pointed out that, the public want ed to see the horses before they made their investments; but this he only pooh-pooheil. for. as he said, the tir-t consideration of the authorities should be for the racing side of the question, not for the machine. The question of the delay at the post in order io get some mad-headed brute away with the others, he remarked, was a relie of barbarism, and it beat creation why a dozen horses should be penali-ed for the sake of one. which as like'iy as not mijrhl get out with a fly.

1912-13. 1911-12. Tarauski •22.364 18.235 Dunedin 32.840 23,480% Manawatu 73.315 50.31 S Hawko's Bav 30.840 21,047 Wairarapa 24.408 22.545 Marton 37.274 25.980 Auckland 180.3.).) 170.90S Stratford 21.054 18.525 . Southland 29.198 21.0S4 North Otatro 21.03S 13.494 Auckland Trottinpr 40.080 :;3.8(i4v:. Canterbury • ParkTrotting 30.S40 21.047