SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 287, 26 April 1913, Page 7

SPORTING.

.RACING FIXTURES. ■April 30, May 1— Marlborough Racing Club. May 8, 9.—Ashburton County Racing Club.; .May 14, 15.—Egmont Racing Club. May '22, 24.—W anganui Jockey Club. May .22, 23.—North Otago Jockey Club. May 31, June 3, s.—Auckland Racing Club. DATES OF COMING EVENTS. ✓ May 22.—Wanganui Steeplechase. May 24.—Wanganui Century Hurdles. May 31.—Great Northern Hurdle Race.

TURF TOPICS. ■y (By "Moturoa."). Leonta has "made good" in open < company. A lot of good money was lost on Austin on Thursday. There will be races at Marlborough on j Wednesday and Thursday next. Tilley's horses, Lady Volga, Leonta .and Kaniki shaped well at the Masterton meeting. Euroco has been on the easy list since his Feilding accident, but will be put into work again immediately. There was a horse named Musical run at Masterton on Thursday. There are heaps of "musical" horses about nowToreador, who showed remarkably pace at Avondale, was bought for a hurdler. It is safe to wager that the big fellow will win a good flat race before he goes over "sticks." The Egmont Racing Club will employ two racecourse detectives at its May meeting. Together with "stipes," ordinary 'tecs and the ever-numerous "Johns," the course should be well watched. The Rover is now owned hy a patron of H. Hickey's stable, and will be trained at Hastings in future. The son of Advance may be kept for a National this winter. •< Rinaldo's time, lmin 20 1-osec, is easily a record for the Hawke's Bay Stakes. Previous best was lmin 21 4-ssec, put up by Bon Ton and Provocation. This makes Rinaldo out to be a very smart two-year-013. Duke Foote, w ; ho has enjoyed a long spell since the last Melbourne Cup, is back again at Randwick, looking big and we'll. It is to be hoped that this good ■horse will Stand another preparation, as a meeting between him and Piastre would be a race worth watching. 'Labor Day is on the sale list, and must j count as one of Mr. T. H. Lowry's few j .really bad bargains. Bought at a little J • short of a thousand the unlucky daughter j ,of-Soult has failed to win a race for ) the Hawke's Bay sportsman. She is a > . godd mare, but v her price should be much j lower to-day than it was a few months j ago. Blackney has been well looked after since George Price took him to Sydney, but'he has managed to win a couple of small races despite this attention. At the Ballarat meeting this month 1 " the son df'-Soult won a sis furlongs race under •the steadier of list 111b, and two days later he won a seven furlong race at 'Epsom in lmin 28y 2 sec, carrying 9st in the person of the ex-New Zealand jockey Konald Cameron. .

The rules of racing distinctly decree that a second dividend is only payable when six or more horses, the property of ■different owners, start in a race. Yet it might take the officials of the Hawke's Hay 'Jockey Club some time to explain vhy two dividends were paid out over the "Hawke's Bay Stakes the other day. 'There were six starters, of which Emperador <and Zeus were bracketed, yet a second "div*." was paid out on this latter combination. According to the rules the whole amount, Jess 10 per cent, should 'have been paid to Rinaldd's backers, and the latter are asking why the Bacing Conference don't take the matter up and talk firmly to the Hawke's Bay stewards.

A tired ; looking individual was leaning up against a big block of buildings tbe other -day, calmly studying a race•eard, when the champion "kill-sport"' happened along and proceeded to deal -out the usual lecture. "My dear young man," he sadly said, "if you only gave up losing your money, on racehorses you might, when you are my age, own that block of "buildings you are leaning against." ""'Do you own it," curtly asked the sport. "Er —No." , stammered the 'Kill-Joy.-' "Well, I do," replied the man with tie race-card, and the doleful jiarty went for his life! The veteran, Mark Ryan, has started on his own account .as a trainer and already has two horses in work at EHerslie. His long experience should stand him in good stead, and he has already promises of mare horses to complete his string. The Auckland trainer E. J. Rae, probably knew what he was doing when he purchased Bleriofs full sister Self for 200 guineas on the morning of the Avondale races. Rae trained her previously, and he got a return immediately, the filly winning an £Bo race (and returning a nice dividend) the same day. Leonta's easy victory in the Waipipi Cup on Wednesday merely emphasises the fact that was patent to everybody that the Fordell-trained gelding was simply thrown into the race. On Feilding form alone the son of Conqueror was entitled to a lot more than G. 7, and Handicapper Pollock must have been '*aught napping on this occasion. Trainer F. Tilley won the race last year with "Mescal.

With the winter meetings close at hand the question once more arises, ■"What of the 'chasers?" At Wanganui old Antarctic is still plodding along, and no signs of his "rhematiz" are apparent. Dorando is jumping well too. At Ellerslie Appin is going well over the hi? fences, and J. Williamson's horses are reported to be fast getting into shape. The death of Corozon removes a horse that was a champion in, his day. but that day was history now. The old horse won a Great Northern and a Wanganui Steeple, and was placed in Grand. Nationals and many other races. He was very infirm when sent out to race at Hastings a fortnight ago, and, pulling up lame all round he just turned up his toes and went out. It was a sad ending for a great horse, but many other great 'chasers —Nor'-west and the rest —raced light up to the end. Tiri cost his party a tidy sum each day at Avondale. His party recently naked £4OO for him. hut cynical persons reckon there was some mistake about those "noughts" following the "four." A horse that cannot win a Maiden Hurdles with lOst up is really not worth writing home about. Few more interesting races have been witnessed under National Hunt Rules than that for the Tantivy Steeplechase at Gatwick on March Oth (says the. Sportsman), as apart from the meeting of Balscadden and Jerry M.'s four-year-old brother, John Jorrocks, which evoked immense partisanship, the finish was something' sensational. The pair mentioned met at Hurst Park last month. when Mr. Bower-Ismay's horse defeated tho other bv eight lengths, but although jo/an Jorrocks yesterday had an advan-

tage of 141b in the weights,, the older horse was again given the preference in the wagering. When half the distance had been 'covered, however, the favourite appeared out of it, while Jerry M.'s brother was travelling none too smoothly and the race seemed likely to range itself into a match between Ministrel Park and Heathstone. They rose at the final fence together, with Balscadden still a hundred behind them, though from that point the favourite came through in remarkable style and won, by a length and a half. The owner, also Percy Woodland, who had the mount, were heartily congratulated. John Jorrocks finished last but one, and sadly disappointed hisc friends, who had predicted for him a great career.