SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 10 February 1915, Page 7

SPORTING.

| | TARANAKI AUTUMN MEETING. NOTES BY "AIOTUROA." To-day promises to be a red-letter day in the history of the Taranaki Jockey Club. Cup Day is always a popular day for Taranaki sports, but today's fixture has assumed a more general importance. Visitors are here in strong force- from Auckland, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Canterbury anil other places, and some of the leading stables in those provinces wil be represented here to-day. A f-pecial train from Wanganui will bring up many this morning, though a big crowd from Webbtown arrived by last evening's express. The local course was never looking brighter. The lawns are in perfect order, and the flower-beds are a blaze of color. This week's gathering should be a memorable one. The Taranaki Cup closed with an acceptance of sixteen, and though several of the re-handicapped division may be absentees, a satisfactory field should go to the post. bmperador, the hero of the w.f.a. events at Hawera last week, is bound to lie a pronounced favorite. The rules apparently allow the Canterbury crack to escape a penalty, which is altogether unfair, and a state j of affairs never intended by the framcrs of those rules. However, Bedford and Goldsize will probably be on hand to j give Emperador a good race. I

The. field for the Waitara Hack Hurdle Race, a mile and a-half, will be a large one, and amongst the runners will be Tirohanga and Nauputa, a pair that showed good form at Egmont.

Playoff will most likely come in for solid support in the Stewards' Handicap, five furlongs, though Tree Lucerne fif started) and Bold Stroke are a pair that will not want for friends. "foatere would only have to start in ,the Timaru Hack Handicap to paralyse the betting. In his absence the public mav go for Combustion or Martingale.

The Mimi Welter will introduce some well-known weight-carriers. Los Angelos would only have to be himself to command a big following, hut Patronymic and Wild Lupin mav be more favored by followers of recent form. A very even lot figure in the Okato Hack Handicap, eight furlongs and fi half, and Te Houhou has bis ITawera victory to prove lib: fitness. The Flying Handicap, six furlongs, presents a hard problem for backers. Tree Lucerne (if reserved), Tneuru and Wise Bird all look n'cclv treated, and a fine race should result.

To-day's racing will close with the Moturoa Electric Hack Race, five furlongs, for "horses that have not won a race at time of entrance." This rule allows Yestalis and Fortify, both winners at Hawera last week, to start, wnd they may carry the bulk of the totalizator investments. A comparison of their respective performances show that Fortify carried 7st and wort tf!e Meremere Hack Flat in 1.3, while Vestalis, with Sst 71bs in the saddle, took a second longer to win the. Maiden HackRace run over the same distance. Conditions were practically the same that day, but Vestalis' win was the easier of the two.

Bertrada was galloped on at Hawera sind was rather lijidlv hurt. He has been scratched for all engagements at the meeting. Silver Flood has been scratched for all engauementt at this meeting.