SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 201, 3 February 1915, Page 7

SPORTING.

EGMONT SUMMER MEETING. (Notes by "Moturoa.") All roads lead; to Hawera to-day, tho opening day of the Egmont Racing Club's summer meeting. Fields will bi-J large, and the class of horses engaged i;i the various heats arc a cut above the average for a Taranf'ki meeting. The Hawera course, under the care of Mr A. Morse, is looking in good trim considering the long sp~U of dry weather, and times should be fast throughout the meeting. The catering is in the hnn.ls of Dustin's Ltd., and mine hot-t Whittle will dispense cooling beverages, so that the inner man promises to be well cared for. The secretary, Mr J. Turton, has everything in apple-pie order, and those who make the trip should be rewarded with two gooJ days' enjoyment. Accommodation was at a premium in Hawera at the beginning of the week, and everything points to the attendance being large and the gathering a record one. I The racing will commence with the Ohawc Hack Hurdles, one and a half miles, for which eleven horses are carded. Kew and St, Gate share the position of top-weight, and the former may be the more forward of the pair. Styrax is daintily treated with 10.11, and has freshened up considerably since racing at Stratford. Glen Nevis appears to have lost his spring form. Tirohanga is well in, and has gone on the right way since he scored a double win at Stratford. Advancer is give n a rough chance, but none of the 9st. division have do n anything lately. Tirohanga and Styrax may be the best backed ones to-day. Of the fifteen figuring in the Flying Handicap, six furlongs, Bimeter, Patronalc, and Ineuru are also engaged in the Egmont Stakes. Rewi Poto heads the list with 9.4, and good as he is he will have to go very fast to beat nicely treated ones like Wise Bird, Ardent and others. Bimeter is speedy but 8.9 may prove too much for the Southerner. Denise Orme is handicapped on her sensational Marton gallop, the time of which is open to doubt. Beldame is a horse that has been going to do big things for a long time. She is not harshly treated to-day with 8.2. Astor ran well at New Plymouth and appears to have the best chance of the Taranaki horses engaged. Wise Bird is the hot order, and the double-layers get lock-jawed when you mention her name. At Trentham shecarried 6.13 to victory in the Metropolitan Handicap inlmin 162-ssec, and on the last day, with 7.9 in the saddle ran Emperador to a nose in the City Handicap in lmin 12 4-ssec. If the latter time is correct it looks all over. The lightweight division contains some fair sprinters like Sir Moseley, Kaniki, Ineuru, Ardent, cti. Wise Bird is likely to start a warm favorite, and Astor and Beldame should carry a fair amount of money. Scratching may considerably reduce the number (nineteen) doWn> for the Meremere Handicap (five furlongs). The Dodger and Lady Amai are much discussed. The field for the Egmont Cup is not! a select one. With the exception of Sea Pink and Emperador they are nothing to write home about. In a true run race Sea Pink might take heaps of beating, but if the race is run anything like last year's it may be a case of Emperador winning in the sprint home. Marshal McDonald is a horse of moods, but Square Deal is an honest, though perhaps not more than a fair performer. Byron cut up badly at Trentham, as did Court-Martial. The best of the lightweights is apparently Chaminadc. Emperador, if started, may be the favorite, and he and Sea Pink may be prominent at the finish. Track form points to Idol and Harbor Light as the fittest of the thirteen engaged in the Ladies' Purse (eight and a half furlongs). The field for the Egmont Stakes (six furlongs) may not be large. If Desert Gold or Flying Start go to the post they will be well backed. Flying Start may have been fortunate to wi n the Wellington Stakes (in which Sutala fell), but he finished with a great burst of speed that day and won on the post. The extra furlong should be more to his liking. Postillion, Gladiole and other well-known sprinters will fill up the field and the race promises to prove a great attraction. Thirteen remain in the Waipapa Hack Flat, seven furlongs, including Draft, Patronymic and Rosalys. Draft looks lit and should run better than at Stratford. With a good boy up, the muchimproved marc Rosalys might trouble the heavier-weighted division. The day's racing will conclude with the Wharcroa Welter, seven furlongs. Toa Terc reads well with 8.5, and Bold Stroke (who ran a second and third at Trentham), is not badly treated. Kaniki, if reserved, might mako a bold showing. Toa Tere should be favorite. E. J. Rae, of Remucra, has booked boxes for Lady Sabretache and Merry Roe for the forthcoming Taranaki meeting. Merry Roe will fulfil her engagement in the First Taranaki Stakes. The Takapuna Jockey Club's summer meeting will be concluded to-day. A fair number of horses with engagements at the Taranaki meeting next week will be running at the Shore to-day, and their form will be of interest to local punters. Bedford who carried 41bs. over-weight on Saturday looks to have a good load in the Takapuna Handicap, and at the weights La Reina (who was unlucky on j the first day) and Phosphorous may finish in front of the Bunyan colt. Soultanc will not have the service of Daeley in the Suburban Handicap to-day, that rider being engaged at Gisborne, but the Soult gelding may give a good account of himself. Spalperion, Coleraine, Takanini, Loyal Arch and Te Onga may be well supported in the minor events. Ngapoto, who is engaged in hurdle events at the Egmont meeting is trained by J Prosser, and is by Mahaki— Lorelei. The ex-Taranaki prad Cheddar was produced at Takapuna, but was too big to do himself justice. Di Gama scored again on Saturday by the same old narrow margin. A useful performer the same Di Gama! Improvements at Wanganui include an enlarged weighing room and the instalment of Gray'fe patent starting machines.