SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 235, 13 March 1915, Page 7

SPORTING.

j RACING FIXTURES. I March 13—Xapier Park R.C. Autumn. March 17—Opunake R.C. Annual. March 18, 19—Masterton R.C. Autumn. Marcli 25 —Rangitikei R.C. Annual. April 3, s—Auckland R.C. Autumn. April 5, li—Canterbury J.C. TURF TOPICS. (By Moturoa.) Xapicr .Park raccg to-day. Opunake races on Wednesday next. Masterton on Thursday and Friday. J Great Easter and Autumn weights ai'e due on .Monday. Tlie dogs were ba.'ciiif; Rewi I\. to-s name yesterday. Warstep's V>' ai '/innings lia.'e nw reached the respectable .total of £7"»70. De liama was very tired at the end of tin- Australian Clip s.vd finished fourtii. 1 Carlo (Siege Gun—Carissima) and Lalia (Obligado—Cvrenica) arc w\i;i;iug : good money in Sydney. There is a "hurdler" in 'Stralia nau'ed X.C. As lie runs off at the first fence every time his initials probably stand for Xo Class. The trotter Rothschild Excelsior, who 1 ran prominently at WangArnu recently, 1 has changed hands for 250 g'.ii:ieas. Con- ; sidering that Mr T. Mace only paid about £3O for the.horse he las made [ a good deal. Dribble, who won the Xui'se'y at Dannevirke, is a rather plain looking full- , sister to Football, Cut sh§_ can travel , faster than her much-boonjedwtytive. ] Rangitikei weights are l.ie on Mon- i day. The writer took a turn,oyer the < course last week and was pleased to l note the many improvements. Ineuas- i ed totalisator enhigcd 1 "bird cage." improved lawns nii:l nuiii- J l>"i 4 board are signs of progress. The - "bird cage," by tile way, runs along the * front of the main lawn, being separated by a .serpentine fence, ana (he pub- ' lie can obtain a good view of tie hor-i s j parading. The Rangitikei cull sUouhl ( have a good mes i<!i b on Wed i - lay and j Thursday week. j De Gama's presence in 'Strain has , been the means of focussing a .'c'jsiiierable amount''of New Zealand attention 1 on weight-for-age events m that clini'. t Apart from De'Gama's failure tlie feat- t nr.. that strikes one is the .'ipparent t lack of high class lis'ance h n'-es on the I eii.< i side this u i<isr.n. Jr l im.'.uine t .■li.v three runners in an F.ssendon Stfkes! The , winner, Land (if Song, f ii," hishbrednnatg t Do Ca-iu (from Xew 1 Zir.ii'.ndl and one soiifa.'y :.tne.' one, J Pistol King, who was only started fur j the sake of third money. Roiled down j. it means that there isn't ridlly a de-1 cent 'Stralkiu-lrfed distance norsa In c commission at present. They were discussing betting systems I when the qniet maa chipped in with, i "They tell me I'la-jki? has given up his s system.'' "Oh, bow was that!" aski.d a t \nn cpo hfi ivnc C

hy-stander. \\ oil, \ou see, ne was c doing famously until lio vrent for s, horse r minted l.ysol and it broko his system A down!" c Sir Donald was sorted out as a Atone moral yesterday and duly landed, !)'it his dividend was hardly worth collecting Flora McDonald is to be shipped to Sydney for the Faster sales, along with Curolus and a half-sister to Anna Carlovna. The Opimake Racing Club has left no stone unturned to ensure a gocd , day's racing at' Pihania on W«.!r.c-silav j] next. The course is withn easy ear run of rill Taranaki towns, an<l no doubt j| a big crowd will turn up at the gathering. The fields promise to be excellent and the racing A.I. OI'L'NAKK RACING CLUB. (i A committee meeting was held nt the '' Club lintel on Monday night. The. j committee anticipate a very successful meeting. Mrs. Foster, of Fltbaui, will | have sole charge of the inside and out- j side luncheon booths, and Mr J. lliisscll. , of the Y\'aimate 11 o( 5 -]_ Manaia. has the Publican's booth. Mr Sam Kraetzu, the well-known racecourse detective, will he present in his ollicial capacity. The Ku- F potiga I'.rass Hand will provide the 1music. ,\ Since last meeting several improve- i lueuts have been effected. A conmvod- 1 ions ladies' room with all necessary con- 1! veniences has been added to the rear b of the grand stand, also a largo pantry '1 for the caterers, A water service has J been laid on to the now rooms and more seating accommodation added to the 'public and stewards' luncheon room. The clerk of the sales and secretarial ' departments Have also received atten-. , tion. The unsatisfactory custom of ' searching for the elusive correct card seller has been improved upon by erectin;.' a central programme siand just in- , pide the main lawn gates, where pa- , trons may procure their programmes ~ at all times. The course is in excellent order, and 'practically all of the horses entered have been accommodated with boxes and paddocks handy to the track : so that with a fine day all previous | fields and attendances should be easily J eclipsed. > [■ ! A Wellington telegram states that the Hill t. I'iirk Committee on Thursday 1 night rescinded the previous resolution prohibiting the sale of liquor on the park, and also grunted to the Hutt Yallev Trotting (Tub a fifteen years' lease ' of the park at .CloO per annum for one or two days' racing, and £25 for two. ' extra da\s if Hijuircd. I