SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 276, 1 May 1915, Page 7

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. May I—Hawke's Bay Jockey Club autumn. May 5, (i. —Marlborough Racing Club autumn. May C, 7. —Ashburton Racing Club autumn. May 12, 13— Egmont Racing Club winMay 20. 22.—Wanganui Jockey Club winter. June 3, 4.—Otaki Racing Club winter, June 3. 5, 7. —Auckland Racing Club Croat Northern. TURF TOPICS.

Cone'uding day at Hastings. The llawke's Bay Stakes will be run to-day. T.oonta. should win a good hurdle race this winter. The progeny of Martian have already won £20.1(1 at the 'Southland meetings. Desert Cold promises to start a very wann order in the llawke's Bay Stakes. The Knglish-brcd nag, Week End, has ■milled up lame. Well named probably! Reputation' has arrived in Sydney in plenty of time to get acclimatised before being called upon to tackle the cracks in the spring. Horse feed is now at a high price, and this, together with the approach of winter, lias been responsible for a large number of "roughies" being relegated to the paddock. First Punter: "What's in front now?" Second Punter: " Sunbird." F.P.: "Can she stay?" S.P.:"Stay! She can stay like a mother-in-law!"

The Marlborough meeting will take place, on Wednesday and Thursday. If Altcar, Powder Fox, Tmarose and Golden Sky make the trip, they should run prominently with the weights apportioned them.

The Manawatu Racing Club is coming in for some sharp criticism over the management of the recent meeting. It is alleged that the clock was " put on " many as four times on one occasion to get more spondulicks on the totalizator. Certainly, the races were all late on the first day, the last event being run nearly half an hour after time, and backers of dividend-payers in the last race had not time to collect before the last trains left.

The last letter of the alphabet, Z, does not often figure prominently on a race card, but Zion (twice), Zeus and Zetes all paid dividends. iAs a matter of fact, there were only a dozen horses whose names began with Z running in the Dominion last season.

Birkful was a strong tip for the Hack Hurd'es at Hastings yesterday, and there were many long faces when the result came through.

Blue Lake has run her last race, and is to be mated with Martian. She was a consistent performer up to six furlongs, and should leave good stock behind" her.

Xt'\v Zealandcrs in Egypt were not greatly impressed by the Arab horses racing there. In fact, the race meetings over there appear to be more hi the nature of a circus. One thing which struck our lads as amusing is the fact that one (an back ft horse for first or four places. Even a sporting scribe sound pick a winner in four tries! The yearling sales at Eandwick were hardly as brisk as usual, but, still, the few good horses brought big prices. Top price was reached with a Maltster —Ardert co!t, who brought 1000 guineas. The record is he'd by Orcus, who brought 3050 guineas in 1007, and proved to be an absolute failure. Buying yearlings is mostly a lottery after all. The ex-Australian jockey has an unique record in connection with the City and Suburban Handicap run at Epsom (England). He won the race in 1011 on Mushroom, in 1912 on Chili 11., and again this year he repeated the trick.

The Maniapoto gelding, Mahlstiek, has been turned out.