SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 267, 21 April 1915, Page 7

SPORTING.

TUKP TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Manawatu Racing Club's autumn meeting, which takes place to-day and to-morrow, promises to be of more than usual interest. Not only are the fields likely to be large, but the Dominion's best horses are engaged, and the leading horsemen will also be in attendance. Warstcp, Merry Roe, Pavlova, -Ventura, Balboa, Indigo, Rewi Poto, Flying Start, Desert Gold figure in :iie various events to-day. Taranaki stables will be strongly represented in liie minor events, Sandy Paul, Sam Pan, Iceberg, Welcome Nugget, Rewi Poto, Ratana, Crawford, Sylvandale, Tyson, Martingale, Fortify, Zion Veto, Avon Park, Astor, Patronale, Ineuru, Grattan, and King Chiara making a powerful team. Form was exposed at Trentham last -,-eek, but winners will be required to put up 101b penalties, which should give tl ft others a chance. The various events bear a very open appearance. j

To-day's programme opens at 11.45 a.m., with the Karcre, for which eleven have been accepted. Aruake, The Diver, and Sir Donald have bad plenty of racing lately and may be the fittest of the crowd. The Maiden Plate, a w.f.a event run over seven furlongs, has attracted twenty, 'but scratchings may reduce that number very considerably. The field will include smart maidens like Snub, Iceberg, and Carlysian. This race is for apprentices only, and two-year-olds carry G. 12 and tlirce-year-olds and upwards 7.11. The principal handicap event is the Autumn Handicap, one mile and a furlong. Rewi Poto holds the lid down with 9.1, not a prohibitive weight by any means, but punters may prefer the chances of Square Deal, Inmrose, and Sunbird, who have a pull in the weights. The Manawatu Stakes will see Flying Start, Desert Gold, Eligible and other top-notehers measuring strides once more. Trentham form points to Desert Hold being a prime favorite, but Flying Start may avenge his defeat there if luck does not again favor the Hawke's j Bay two-year-old. The Linton Hack Welter will see Sylvandale (who was knocking at the door on Saturday) and Sir Fisher well backed. Then comes the Awapuni Gold Cup, one mile and a quarter. After Warstep's record-breaking performance in the Trentham Gold Cup, there is no doubt as to what will be the public's choice to-day. If Pavlova, Merry Roe, Balboa, Chortle, Ventura, and Indigo sport silk the favorite may again be called upon to break records to get home in the van. With twenty-two carded for the Woodley Hack Handicap, punters are set no easy task. Botanist, Ararat, and Com- j bustion can all travel fast, though' tak-' ing a line -through Client, one should give I Veto a rough show. It should be a good' race. j

A penalty may check Chortle in the Telegraph Handicap, I'or which another big team of twenty-one have been accepted. Chakwana, fetc-a-tete,, Astor, and others have been showing good form lately and much depends on a good sendoff. With a good run, Chakwana might be prominent over the Inst bit. The tracks at Awapuni were in good order yesterday. The weather was fine, though the sky was overcast. Probably the rain will hold off until the meeting is concluded.

Saturday's racing brought joy (and good "monish") to many Taranaki punters. The locally owned pair, (ilenroy and Crown Pearl, caught at Avondale, but the prices attached to their victories were not - large. Sylvandale paid a fair second dividend at Trentliam, and Black Northern, Croesus, Warstep, The Pole, and others were fancied for the events they won. It is time the Bar Vons returned some of our hard-earned cash!

Warstep's smart scamper over sixteen furlongs in 3min 24sec in Saturday's Trentham <"! old Cup knocked previous records into tile middle of last year, Bridge's much-disputed New Zealand Cup time (3min 25scc) and 'Stralia's best being made to look very small fish. Of course, there will he doubters in Warstep's ease, and the chief peg upon which to hang a "don't believe " is the fact that an ordinary performer like Balboa also broke " 25." That takes feoinc digesting, doesn't it?

Time-keeping is not by any fneans infallible, and the times put up at some meetings are palpably wrong. One sees men with the watch making errors of five seconds —it is easily done, though it looks impossible. At times the horses are on the move before the clock gets busy, and at other times the official with the turnip does not take the time at all. Perhaps lie is busy at the bar! Anyhow, the writer has known a timekeeper to rush up to the Press-room and inquire: "What do you think they ran that mile in?" "Oh, about ' 45," some pen-puslier would reply. And lmin 45sec would go up as the official time. In one case the official put up " 45sec," which was subsequently erased amid derisive cheers. It is a great game, time-keeping! The failure of Croesus at Biccarton was generally conceded to have been all wrong, and when Deeley was hoisted on board the Royal Fusilier gelding On Saturday the public streamed right over to the totalisators and put the pieces down with a loud ring. But the public did not oome through without a scare. Hoy was in front early, and was going l so well at the distance that she looked like coming in alone. Then Deeley called upon the favorite, and he flew! Going two to Hoy's one, he raced alongside less than a hundred yards from home, and, amidst great excitement, took off the prize by a neck. Then pandemonium reigned. It was a great race, and Croesus was a groat horse. Also —I almost forgot—the public had a great win. But perhaps you had already guessed it!

TARANAKI DISTRICT COMMITTER. A meeting of the Taranaki District Committer was lipid last night. There wotre urescnt: Messrs L. A. Nolan (chairman), W. C. Weston, 0. W. Sole, L. B. Webster, J. (iray, J. McLcod, A. K. Standish, Newton King. A. W. ISudgn, E. F. lihindcll. (I. Eraser. ]i. IT. Cliancv, and F. E. Orbell. The holder of a jockey's license was reported for misconduct, and the license cancelled. The Egmont Racing Club's fees from gentlemen riders were donated to that club. Dates of race meetings for lfllii were duly approved, as follow: Egmont Hating Club. February 2nd and .3rd and May Iflth and lltli; Opunake, "Marcli 17th: Stratford, January Ist and 3rd. The dates for the Taranaki Jockey Club and North Taranaki Hunt wiil be dealt with at next meeting.

TARANAKI .10CKFY CLUB. The Taranaki Jockey Club's committee met subsequently, same members being present with the exception of Messrs

Gray (Hawera) and (Judge (Stratford). A letter was rcceh <-» l from the New Plymouth Borough Council, consenting to the club taking a numbers' drive across the municipal reserve, subject to the consent being obtained o'f the Pukekura Park Board, tn whom the land is leased. It ws d"cided to approach the Hoard accordingly. The Oh lira Settlers' Association wrote expressing the thanks and appreciation of the hospitality accorded the members of the Oliura during their recent visit to >'ew Plymouth. r Jhe Pukekura Park Board forwarded 'a letter thanking the club for its donation of five guineas. Hon. 0. Samuel, M.uC., and Mr. L. A. Nolan were appointed representatives to the Racing Conference in Wellington in July next, and the Hon. 0. Samuel and Messrs Nolan and Watson were delegated to prepare notices of motion.to; be submitted by the clu'd.