SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 222, 19 March 1914, Page 8

SPORTING.

Nui'ES UY "MOTUROA." | THE RIVALS. In the mater of stakes distributed, •'"••i. -.Hor turnover, and attendances of Hie public, the 'Canterbury Jockey Club and Auckland Racing Ciub may be said to In- running neck-and-neck. Competition is the life of sport, just as of trade and other things, and to this iHomily rivalry—the keen striving "to g» »ne better than t'other fellow"—do horse owners owe t..e big stakes offered and the public attribute the fine appointments set u» for their comfort. It is a healthy spirit, anyway, audi far'caching m its effect—judging by the ii.v the other niotronolitan clubs are feverishly tumbling over each other in their efforts to avoid bein" "left at the post." , j3 j At no time of the year more than at' Easter does the rivalry between the (.'..1.0. and the A.J.C. make itself felt. The metings clash, and then conies the tug-of-war. With well-endowed handicaps over sprint and distance courses at 'cearton and at Ellerslie, owner* have the choice of two good propositions. Auckland horses will most likely race at Ellerslie, and Canterbury horses at Riccarton, but there remains the big body of "in between" horses whose owners are just waiting to see how the cat jumps before deciding on what field* to conquer. In other words, they are waiting to compare the work of the handicappers, J. Hcnrv (for Canterbury) and ii. Morse (for Auckland). Strangely enoiiifh, the entries received for the A.R.C. Easter Ilaiid-ic'an and the OJ.C, Great Easter Handicap are not only almost numerically the same, but . ri horses whose names appear in the Auckland event are also engaged l at Ric- I carton, and practically the same state of things relates to tile Croat Autumn [ Handicap (Riccarton) and the St.'! George's Handicap (run over the same 'islam-,, at Ellerslie). Which club will' "land" the doubting ones?. That is the question which is troubling. the clubs! themselves the public generally, and the "double-taking" and' "d9ubl.o-lavjiu'' public in particular. THE WEICHTSi;i : ; f ' ' I The handicapping '.of. ; f iijehbises is a science which will never toiich'.perfec'- ' t:on, but even after,''il(o l w'ij}| '.f,, r the | slight difference (a fili'lo™)'between the A.IU. Easter and t;,ft,aj Easter, one wonders how these .'two; i»el)-tnby-»i .veight-arljusters manage' to" We /horses up so differently. : Emperaogi■ gets in with ?.■]? at Riccftrt.on T sJs.'lesn than] at Ellerslie, while PotJ&V&'llbs more , }} Riccarton, and I.os Anfeblos," Gi D sv ' Belle, and Bertrada all) hive Bibs more at the latter place.- ITheseilhorses have not met recently, birbi-att the game a inference of from 711k to Slbs seems inexplicable. Pavlova and Haskavne are ' struck fairly right; but.Mr Morse gives Mora McDonald Tibs more than 'Mr ' Henrys doe.v.aml is also! 4lbs worse off in the Auckland race.! Ihe principal differences of opinion concern Emperador and Flora ..McDonald. Both horses have shown winning form recently, and to those who saw the firstnamed race at Ilawera. New Plymouth ' and at Watiganul, the horse apbeafs to j He well in at, Riccarton,.', I said be- | fore, handicapping has.not beeii brought I to perfection vet! ■,'''" I CURRENT '■'■ TOPICS/ '• '■■ ■"'.null : Rangitikei Cup'ob'-Wedft'isday. "'Olliver rode six'winners'at Napier, i Labor Day is cdming; back to form.! Kimbombi, a double winner ai Napier, is a pfbmisiiig sort. ' ''. ' , ' There Was much "0& attached to Bronw'* surprise yiet'6'r> ,'in the Napier Cup. Aruako is going nicely and will next V -eon out over sticks at Fending. Sinapis has onlv 8.4 iii the Sydney Cup. At her best : would give a good account of herself .on Easter Monday. Ventura, "just in from trie naddock," went out at any old price in the Flying at Napier, and after .leading from the start just "Hev " by .a head. It makes one su'spcioiH :I bout these "not ready" horses'. Trotting is aliened to have "caught nu" in Wnnganuj and in Palmerston. This year's meeting were certainly better patronised than last vear's, but the racing at Wunganni was very go-as-on-pleaso. anil-in piost race* there appeared to be, only ,one trier. At times there may have been two "goers," but 'he stewards didn't seem to n.ind whether the riders or drivers took anv in-t■■'•<>-1 in the race or not. One driver enlmly .surveyed the scenery all along the back of the course the first dav. but on the concluding day he released his strnnj;lo-ho|d of the nag's head, toolsome interest in things, and simply won is hj" I'kod. Trotting may In a fine sport but it requires to be run by stewards who understand the game. The Hawke's Bay sportsman hud bad luck : n losintr Marble Head on tne first dav of the Napier meeting. The Birken'iciil folding showed that there was more in him than his dinner when he won a double at Aw.inuni a' Christmas, and nt his best he would have proved a solid tlrand National horse. A bud case of "pulling a horse" oe'ivreil once on a certain racecourse, and it was known that the stewards meant >n o'lnii'i'e into the oondmt of t>> erriit iockov. The owner of the horse, in 'rent alarm. asked an influentb>l friend r o see the stewards with a v'ev to sut•ing the iocker off. "lie never pulled 'lie horse." protested the owner. "He wouldn't do such a thing. You might use vour influence ." "I wouldn't dream of using influence" said the fri"nrt. "Besides, the case was so glar:M"." "Think so?" said the dejected owner. "Well, von sav a good word for 'i>" Ind. and I'll trive you my solemn r'tli it -han't occur aan in! I '' Mr. J. Ronl. of New Plymouth, has ■..„.,.'..i<,.,l "... i.-.11.'-i.nvii sire FoniHi'■ile I'bv Cold Reef Knrv.hi 1 from Mr. C. P. Domiollv. It is Mv. Bond's intontion to pl'oe this hors" at the dis-iin-ii 1 of breeders next season.