SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1915, Page 7

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. (liy "lloturoa,") Napier Park races on Friday and Saturday. The fences are easier at the Park than at Hastings. Decently handled, Hurakia would -have won each day at the ilawke's Bay mooting. Leapuki is a rank failure as a 'chaser, and hates big obstacles as much as the Turk hates cold steel. Cornelian ran two slashing good races ■last week, and if J. Fryer takes on the Napier anil Cisborne meetings he looks a moral to catch a. heat. The crack hurdle horseman, L. Traill, was badly shaken and iiau a couple ot ribs broken when Grey Renown fell with him in the Woodlands Steeple. The grey nag is usually a safe conveyance," but the fences looked as if they were designed to keep out the Germans or something. The pony Synopsis, half-brother to the New Zealand Cup winner Kinapis, is to be, shipped to SVdney shortly to race amongst the lilliputians there'. He is a useful sort. Cornelian was an odds-on favorite in the Turamoe Hurdles on Saturday, and was in front with Aratiatia lit the .turn. In the run home the,. Porirua jumper stayed on best and won a fine race 'by a length. Thus the Auckland Star: The Taranaki stewards are evidently looking for trouble, and at the next meeting of the New Zealand Racing' CJonfcrcncc they intend moving "that the stewards shall not permit any jockey when riding in a hurdle or steeplechase to adopt the crouch or Sloan style of riding.' It is well known that certain members of the T.J.C. are "married" to that movement, anil though it has much in its favor it seem* doomed to attract the cold eye in duly next. Practically all our leading hurdle horsemen ride short, and the crouch is more or b'ss pronounced, and the average rasing man reckons it's the jockey's funeral anyhow!

Now that the Minister in charge of the much-discussed tote permits has granted limit chili* privileges for this season, the clubs themselves are throwing hack somersaults in their excitement to do things properly, and some of them are not a little disimnvd at t'-ie prospects for next month's meetings. To beg-in with, the purely nominal stakes offered in the past did not encourage owners of decent hunters to prime their horses up to racing pitch, and in consequence few really good horses were qualified for the annual meetings. Now comes the. "rush order," and with Jialf-.a-dozen or so clubs all racing in the last week in July it is hard to see where the horses are to come from. Certainly in most place; the greatly increased stakes offering appear to be flattering to the poor quality of -Morses likely to run for them. Xext year will sec a change, and, after all, a change for the better is what is aimed at. liut this season—alas!

At Flomington the other day several horse-) and (horsemen familiar to New Zealanders had their turn in the limelight. F. W. MeCahe rode Widden, winner of the Marlborough Hurdles, and Jtoonliarra, who was first home in the Prince of Wales .Steeple. S. Neary scored on Nilka in the Hopctoun. Steeple, besides gaining minor places in other events; and Joe O'Connell steered the consistent Fireworks into third plaee. The Now Zealand bred Golden Rock, by Gold Reef—Edith Curcton, won the Cornwall Handicap and brought joy to a big army of followers.