SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 310, 9 June 1915, Page 8

SPORTING.

TURF TOPIC'S. | (By "Moturoa.") Taranaki horses had a royal innings oil tlic concluding day of the Otaki winter meeting. The St. Clement's mare, Tiora, hopped oil' l>y winning the Telegraph Hack Handicap from Irish Fusilier and fifteen others; Wild Lupin scored over a good crowd in the Huia Handicap; Fortify beat Powder Fox, Allcar, Veronal, and Zeus in the Railway Handicap, and Iceberg 'iined" a big field in the Hack Scurry. The dividends were satisfactory, and a good share of the coin came to Taranaki. Tiora has been threatening to win for some time, but has so far failed to show the sprinting ability of her halfsister, Ineuru. Tiora's " tactics have usually been of the tear-away order, setting a warm pace for four furlongs, and then tossing in the towel. Goldfinch rode her in behind at Otaki, Deviation and Hushabye being responsible for the pace to the turn. With heads turned for home Tiora, Irish Fusilier, and Hushabye singled themselves out, and the former, .finishing best, won by a length. After Wild Lupin's fine showing on the first day it was strange how punters overlooked his chance in the Huia Handicap. Coldstream, George, Acliillcdi'i, Lady Louisa, and Imarose had more backers than Mr. Harry Nodder's gel ling, but the outsider triumphed. Peroneal, as usual, took up the role of pacemaker, and led Ineuru and Rene along tho back. Goldfinch brought Wild Lupin through on the turn, and, although Lady Louisa finished strongly, she could not reach the Hawera nag, who won a good ( race by nearly a length. The time, I 1.44 4-;>, was fair considering the going. After Fortify's defeat in the Flying Hack Handicap on the first day it looked edds on the Foremost gelding being beaten again in the Railway Handicap (open) run over the same distance on Friday. But he came in for solid support, Veronal being tho only one better backed. And form and time counted for nothing! Powder Fox was quickest to begin, Fortify dwelling on the mark. Powder Fox was still in front at the turn, but Fortify caught him at the distance, and, going on, won easily by a couple of lengths. The favorite, Veronal, was a bad last. The time recorded—l.l 4 4-s—was a tick faster than that put up by Hushabye when she made no race of Fortify the previous day. , Tho public made no mistake when they sent out the Coronet gelding, Iceberg, a warm favorite in the Final Scurry. Fourteen started, and Rcekabye and Manu made the running. Well up the straight Iceberg could be seen overhauling the leaders, and at the finish the grey won rather easily. Mr. 1. Nodder had his horses very fit, and he thoroughly deserved his successes with Wild Lupin and Iceberg. Wild Lupin came into his hands at a low figure, and looks like turning out a rare bargain. When Deeley, by dint of hard riding, pushed Acliilleus home in front of Ru.itangata in tho Ohau Welter at Otaki, he broke Charlie Jenkins' long-standing record of 7!) winning rides for one season. Deeley has since won at Ellerslie, and as half-a-dozen meetings still remain, he should hoist figures that will take a terrible lot of catching in the future. Deeley was in front of the other jocksters at Otaki with three wins. W. Young and H. Goldfinch each pilotted a brace, and others to score were C. Price, W. Bell, McMullen, Bowden, MeSweeney, 11. Young, and L. Nodder. Early in the season Naupata (Mahaki —Lorelei) was tipped to turn out a good winner over big fences. He was stepped out in the Te Roto Hack Steeple on the second day at Otaki, and after indulging Bonny with the lead for-a mile, took •charge, and won without ail effort, His opponents were not very "classy," but he could do no more than win, and that he did handsomely. When Harbour Light was shipped to Onehunga his party made no secret of ;he (',iet that tli"v expected to bring back some of Auckland's abundance of superfluous cash—and they havdoncit! The Hawera jumper set the ball rolling by making a one-horse race of the Ovakei Hurdles on Saturday, paying a fail price considering the weak field. The •lumpers' Flat Race the same afternoon saw "the light" blazing fiercely again and a stinging hot-order in Hereford, and a good field as well, were "blown out.' On Monday came the crowning victory Harbour Light beating Corrie, Blacl Northern, Tragedy King, Admiral Soult Immensity. Monathol, and Pip in th< Campbell Hurdles, run over two miles As a result of the above efforts liar bour Light's owner comes back wit! £SOO in stakes. Advancer's victory in a three miles steeplechase must have been rather gal! ing to Percy Johnson, who passed tliu disappointing nag along as not wortl: keeping in training. 'Advancer fenced fairly well each start at F.llerslie, anil apparently won on his merits. The agi of miracles is not past!