SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 217, 1 February 1913, Page 7

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. Feb. I. Takapuna J.C. Summer. Feb. I.—Canterbury J.C. Summer. Feb. 5, li Egmont R.C. Summer. Feb. 12, 13.—Taranaki .I.C. Autumn. Feb. 13, 14. Gisborne R.C. Summer. Feb. 19, 20—Woodville J.C. Autumn. COMING EVENTS. Feb. I—Middle Park Plate. Feb. 5. —Egniont Cup. Feb. 12—Taranaki Cup. TI'KF TOPICS. (By -Moturoa.") The next fortnight promises to be a strenuous one for Taranaki sportsmen. At time of writing, acceptances for the Taranaki and Egmont meetings are not to hand, but, judging from the number of horses in training in the province, and the number of outsiders under ordus for Hawera and New Plymouth, the forthcoming meetings should draw large fields and provide splendid racing. Bobrikoff, Labor Day, Masterpiece, Heatherbrae and Brown Owl arrived at Hawera this week, and their presence, particularly that of the popular idol Bobrikoff, should prove a great ".•draw." Arrangements for both fixtures are now well forward, and punters may put in the next few days earnestly praying for fine weather.

The Canterbury Jockey Club's summer meeting, a one-day fixture this year, takes place to-day. As could only be expected, the horses engaged to-day are all South Islanders, but the quality of those engaged is very satisfactory, and acceptances surprisingly good. The principal attraction, the Middle Park Plate, will bring together some highckss weight-for-age performers, including Salzburg (whose Trentham performances are fresh in everyone's memory), Autumnus (now quite sound again). Xightwateh, Warstep, Winning Way and others. Salzburg is expected to be hard to beat. On Wellington form, Coroniform will have a big following in the Midsummer Handicap, one mile and a half. The son of Multiform only carried Tat 61b when he filled the role of runner-up in the Wellington Cup, but his victory in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap was achieved with 7st 131b in the saddle, and on the third day lumped Bst 71b into third place behind Seatondale in the Summer Handicap. His opponents today are not particnlarly brilliant ones, though Muniura, who won last year, is not bad. The Craven Plate has attracted a few good horses in My Lawyer, Pilgrim's Way and Oxeuhope. The latter carried Ost 61b in the Wallaceville "Welter at Ticntham List Saturday, and won easily by three lengths, cutting out the six furlongs in the good time of Imin. 15 l-ssec. My Lawyer and Pilgrim's Way have big reputations, but the chestnut '•■ son of OUigado may keep them fairly busy. | The Takapuna summer meeting will be concluded to-day. A Taranaki sport recently returned from Auckland tells me that you would not know Overtime now. He is looking a perfect picture, and the change appears to have effected his rejuvenation. It is, a pity some of us old punters could not Eample some of the same dope! Overtime was confidently backed at Takapuna on Wednesday, and hopping off. smartly held a good position throughout and won his race in good style. The chestnut should win again very soon. Another familiar friend, Bow Bells, appears to be benefited by a change of clime The ex-Taranaki horse ran a great race in the Zealandia Handicap at Takapuna, and after meeting with interference was just blown out by a narrow margin. Bow Bells does not meet horses like' Glad Tidings every day, so may be ticked off to win very soon. Dearest, one of whose legs has filled, will be an absentee from the Taranaki j meetings. La Beina is an unlucky mare. Her second in the Takapuna Cup is the fourth time during the last few weeks that she has just failed to win a well-endowed handicap. It will be remembered that she finished a close second to Bobrikoff in the Auckland Cup. and at the same meeting filled similar positions in two other big events. It is a long lane that ha~ no turning .and a victory for the mare would be well received. '

Jockey F. E. Jones, with five firsts, } was the most successful horseman at T>cntbam. Talking of jockeys, some of the "boys'' earn their money ail right. Deploy was riding at Tp'iithani on Saturday ?ud at Takapnna on Wednesday. Then he took on that killing Main Trunk trip for the second time in one week and proceeded to Riccarton. where lie will be in the saddle to-day. Next week he will probably be riding at Ilawera. Travelling like that would break up most of us. During the running of the Stewards' Handicap at Takapuua ou Wednesday Solus fell, breaking a leg. ami bad to lie destroyed. Those -maii courses, with their sharp turns, are responsible for a lot. One of the warmest orders on the opening day at Takapnna was the niuchlioomed Toreador. The Ferry Handicap was selected for the victory, and no mistakes were made about it either. Toreador quickly took the lead, and at one part of the race was. about eight lengths clear of the next best. In the run home he was steadied and won, with his head pulled round to his shoulder, by the mere trifle of four lengths. What a moral that was! Mr. J. M. Cameron lias purchased the steeplechaser Sir Lethe, the price being 250 guineas. This bold fencer will make one of a team that Mr. Cameron is gathering together for a trip to Australia shortly. •Star Dancer has been galloping well lately, and is expected to put her best foot forward in the Post Handicap at Kiecarton to-day. Jockey (.'. Emmer.sou will ride Tannhattser in the Midsumirer Handicap. Waikehua, who has bft-n winning good handicaps on the West Coast, is engaged in the Hornby Welter at the Canterbury meeting. It will be interesting to note how West Coast, form comuares with that of the other coast. The Australian sires were all low down in the list of winning -ires last season. Australian Star won Lr2C> 10s. Carbine £2057, Creat Scot £383. Merman £952, and The Victory £IO7B. Carbine's sons. . Spearmint. Fowling Piece and Wargrave', did pretty well. J. M. Cameron is now the sole owner of the hurdle horse Colden Loop, having purchased Mr. lioyle's share in the gelding. An effort was made bv a Gisborne owner to secure Golden Loop, but his figure was not high enough. So far nothing ha- b.cn'decided on bv Mi. T. H. Lowry in regard to his team for Australia. It would occasion no 1 surprise were Robrikoff and Labor Day Lo be seen out at the Eginont meeting this month; in fact, there is even- probability of such being the case.

, The season of 1012 in America lias 'been notable for the establishment of a number of new records by trotters and pacers in various classes, but the most memorable performance recorded has been that accomplished by Mr. C. K. (!. Billing's champion Uhlan, who has put up new figures for a mile. For nearly nine years the record has stood to the credit of that brilliant mare Lou Dillon, who at Memphis on October 24. 1003, went a mile in Imin ."iS'/iscc; but on October 3 last, at Lexington. Kentucky, the "black wonder.'" who had previously a record of lmin 58% sec, trotted a mile in lmin 58 sec, and so takes the highest honors in tlie trotting world. Referring to Uhlan's performance, the Breeder and Sportsman says: When Lou Dillon lowered the world's record of 2min 5y 2 sec. made by Del Mar, to lmin oS'/osec, many were the piedictions that no one would ever live to see the record lowered. Similar assertions were heard when Flora Temple (2min 19% sec). Dexter (2min 17sec), Goldsmith Maid (2min Usee), Maud S (2min B%scc), Sunol (2min Bsec), Nancy Hanks (2min 4see). Alix (2min 2%see). and Croesus (2min 2sec) were crowned world's champions, but it seems the speed of the trotting horse has not yet reached its, extreme limit.

J A successful application to set aside * a judgment entered for the plaintiff, without appearance by defendant, was made to Mr. Justice A'P.eckett on January 8 at Melbourne, in the ease brought by Edward Kelly, bookmaker, against Frederick O'Neill, also a bookmaker. Kelly claimed that on October 3 last lie paid £3lB. on O'Neill's behalf, at a settling, and O'Neill bad since refused ) to make repayment. Judgment had ] been entered against O'Neill, who now I appealed, and stated that failure to enter I appearance within the required time was 1 due to an inadvertence. He further I claimed to have a defence to the action. and set up that there had been a minit ber of transactions between himself and | Kelly. Kelly, in an affidavit.. stated 1 that O'Neill had rung him up at 11 p.m. I on October 2, and said: "Ted. I am 60 | miles away. My wife is dying. Will I you do my settling for me to-morrow? i As I won't be down I will send the list of my settling on to you by one of my men, and I will send you my cheque for yon for the amount of the settling. You will get it in the afternoon." As a consequence his clerk paid £5lB on defendant's behalf, and defendant had failed to make repayment. Plaintiff denied that !he owed O'Neill any money. Judgi ment was ordered to be set aside. O'Neill | to pay all costs incurred in obtaining it. \ The stewards of the French Jockey [Club recently had before them an appeal which has attracted considerable attention. At the meeting of the Chaloii-snr-Saonc. held last July, the principal ra.ee was the Prix de la Ville de Chalon-sur-Saone. one mile and a-quarter, on the fiat. Five hofses went to the post. and after galloping about 200 yds they found the course obstructed by a hurdle, which a man in the service of the race society had placed in error. One of the competitors stopped altogether, and another ran out of the course; but the other three jumped the hurdle and completed the race, the first past the win-ning-post being the Marquis De Tracy's Canga. The owners of the horses placed second and third thereupon lodged an objection to the winner on the grounds of an irregularity. The local stewards, after some deliberation, declared the reee null, and ordered it to be run again, at the end of the programme. Against this decision the Marquis De Tracy appealed, but the High Tribunal has given the case against him, and decided that the local stewards acted right in ordering the race to be run over again, as. according to the rules or racing, a horse taking part in a flat race must accomplish the stipulated distance, not only without leaving the track, but also without jumping any obstacle within its limits.

In commenting upon the doings of the English jockeys, '•Vigilant" says: As for our own jockeys, none can compare for talent with the Australian, Frank Woot-; ton. or the American. D. Maher, who may be said to have dominated the situation between them ever since they set foot in this country, and each is an artist in thf profession qualified to compare with rr.ost of (heir English predecessors. Ficnk Wootton is the marvel of the age. Xot always favorably impressed with his methods—he is much too fond of trying the impossible on the inside of the rails for my liking—l am none the less, his great admirer n, one of the most brilliant and fearless jockeys wit bin n:\ memory, his youth being a great factor in my admiration.

Tin- departure i,f Rock Sand from ' America w;i- made the occasion fur a ili-play tlic Ilk.; of which no how has hion honort'd with before. The horse arrived at Jersey City from August Belmont's stud farm. Lexington. Kentuekv. in a special steel ear. which was liberaliv padded and decorated with French and American flags. Apparently the last lias been heard of the Ludylike-Trnelove case in Victoria. Alter a hearing lasting for weeks, at a co-t to the parties of at least, .£4OOO. the Chief Justice (Sir John Madden) unhesitatingly pronounced (|,at the aliened b'dylike was Tnielove. doctored and altered to hide her identity, ami to enable her to va-■ at Mr. John Wren's meetings as ■'" » ;; ' "own. This was the con-cli:-ion ai rived at bv (he John Wren steward- after a few hours' deliberation. Says the Australasian: Mr. Wren was prepared to see the matter out whatever the cost. Tf it could be proved that the ponies were not identical. Mr. John Wren would, in the first place, have ';<•''« well pleased. Ife would have liked it known that he and his stipendiaries had no t been caught napping, lint when it became morally certain th.-n he and his officials had been hoodwinked .''.nd a race won by a faked ponv. he fell' br.imd to see it out. and run tlie risk of being saddled with hcavv law costs. H i* no easy task to secure the necessary witnesses i„ cases of this kind, but Mr Wren got them, and at the end of Ihe Ion? trial Sir John .Madden f„ m ,d (hat the Wren stewards had made no mistake.