SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 292, 13 May 1914, Page 7

SPORTING.

THE EGMONT MMKTIXC. Notes by "Mbturoa." For those who like winter rating the Egmont Club's meeting which takes place at Hawera to-day and to-morrow appears to offer fair sport. The average acceptance for the first day is a dozen per race, and the various events bear a very open appearance. The going, will be holding, and many of .the reputed "good things" may not be as good as they look in heavy going. Excursion fares are available on the trains, and no doubt a fair sprinkling of local sports will make the trip. Proceedings open with the Tongahoe Hurdles, for which ten have paid up. St. Gate promises to> be a pronounced favorite, but Florist and Paoli may find fair support. A line field of fourteen is carded f»T the Tawhiti Handicap, including Sir Moselcy, Rcwi Poto, Kaniki and other well-known performers. Eight remain in the Railway Hack Handicap, of which Princess Motuoa and Conney may be hard to separate on tie tote. I The Meßae Handicap, one mile and a quarter, presents a tough problem. Leonta, Royal Arms and Manawaxaha are all strong fancies, and the chances >of Royal Arms and Leonta are undeniably good. White Crane looks the best of the lightweights. The biggest field of the day may be brought together in the Telegraph Hack Handicap, for which nineteen have been paid up. Some of the best hacks on fie coast are engaged, and the finish should be a good one. On recent form Encoro, Brunswick and Gerberga may be t'je fittest of the crowd. The Waihi Handicap may not see more than half-a-dozen go to the post. Square Deal and Maniaroa may be best backed. Jockey W. Price will pilot Leonta and Square Deal in their engagements.

A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE.

It is not often that we vcnt\i'e to tiilk of ourselves, but it must be pat.nt to all race-goers in this province that the manner in which Taranaki racing clubs neglect the Taranaki Daily N2\vs in the matter of advertising is absolutely unfair and unsportsmanlike, and those who are responsible for the present system of allocating advertising concricts t» kill-sport papers, while regular porting, publications arc over-looked, *nould be told about their failing. If anj unbiassed sport were asked, ''Which paper in Taranaki publishes n;<>4 spori'ng matter"? or ''which paper is always to the fore in defending the sport from attacks from the kill-joy crowd?" or a dozen other questions concerninjr "the grand old game," there would only le one answer. Yet the News is systematically starved by four-fifths of thj X:\r.tnak'i racing clubs! Why? Quien sale! What tempts us to' utter this protest is a letter received last week from z secretary <of a Taranaki club, in reply to a letter fTom this office pointing out that the News devoted a considerable amount of space to sporting, and, as the only morning paper in the province, was a medium of advertising second to none. The reply was hardly courteous. After stating his "personal opinion" that advertising in the local papers did not do much good for the club, the secretary went on to say that "ho doubt you meet your reward from the incrauie or your circulation!" and then follows: "Personally I never see your paper, so cannot speak of its merits!" Which, after all, is a poor argument, yon must admit. In the first place the cliib concerned does advertise! Then why not with the News? Secondly, it cannot be seriously considered that many people buy a paper solely for the sporting news it may contain! * People are intelligent in these days and buy a paper to see and read the world's news. The sporting items are minor details'. The fact that a secretary of a club never sees a paper does not shock that paper very considerably. Once tho a<lvt. is in the paper he can rely upon the racing public, principally horse-owners and trainers, seeing it. These are the men he wants to get at! How often are we asked, "Why didn't you remind us of entries (or acceptances) closing for such-and-such a plaee?" The public cannot understand the club'a attitude, and the clubs are the sufTercrs thereby. Only last week we picked up a paper with a leading article in it calling horseracing a devilish swindle, and the racing public a gang of thieves, yet on the opposite, page was a full column advt. from a racing club! It is to be hoped that Taranaki clubs will show more fairness in the distribution of their favors next season, and for once in a while support those who have done bo much for them personally and the sport in general. CURRENT TOPICS. On Monday Mr Geo. Morse declared weights for the principal events to be decided at the Wanganui Steeplechase meeting, and needless to say, they are engaging a fair amount of attention. At first glance Bcrcola (12st), Glenmore (12st) *ind The Spaniard (11.10). appear to have plenty of weight in the Wanganui Steeplechase (three miles), but the apparent poorness of the other candidates accounts for this trio of tried 'chasers being well loaded. Of the others Peary (10.12), Ruffy (10.8) and .Tackman (9.11) have a little to reeommend them, but of the rest nothing favorable can be written. True, there may. be some budding champions amongst the light-weights, but. this scribe is only interested in past performances. Any follower of form cannot overlook the chances of the three, top-weights, and of these The Spaniard may be as dangerous aa be was last year. The Century Hurdle Race (2% miles) should be easier to pick. Recently Player, Merriinux, Huia, Chortle and Aruake have got amongst the winneTs, and Player (10.13), Huia (10.0) and Aruake (9.12) are likely to be amongst the early favorites. Postillion (9.1) is not unduly weighted in the Borough Handicap (six furlong*). Patronalc (8.-1) and Sir Moseley are on tho same mark, and the latter may have more friends than the roan. Rewi Poto (S.l) reads well, as do Wild Lupin (7.13), The Great Mogul (7.11), Lady Louisa (7.10). and Play Off (7.7). The crowd in the Connolly Handicap is not a select one as is evidenced by the fact that Mr Morse has awarded Moutoa Girl to]) weight (9st). Goldsize (8.10), Leonta (5.7), and Red Book (8.5) resd most dangerous amongst the top-weights, and lower down First Consul (7.8) looks well treated. The fields may not he large at Wanganui but winners look as hard as ever to pick. Perhaps some kind sport will oblige by "dreaming" a winner for us. Talking of dreams reminds me of the tale of the wicked jockey and the parson. One day the parson thought to show the. jockster the evil of his whys, and he said: "i had a dream the other night that 1 went into the next world. There 1 entered a big corridor, and saw a number of doors, one of which was branded '.lockcyn.' Peeping in I saw a most awful place, filled to overflowing, and tho torments the oceupants were

suffering wore indescribable." The jockey smiled reniiniseently, an<( said, (, No\v that's a strange coincidence! The other night I had a dream also. 1 went into the next world and entered a big corridor. And one door was labelled 'Parsons.' I peeped in, and saw the loveliest place imaginable. .Everything was beautiful -—." "Yes, yes." gushed the parson. -'Hut the thing which struck me as strange," continued the jockey, "was that there wasn't a blankcy parson in the whole place!"