SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1915, Page 9

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. . June M—Napier Park R.O. Winter. July 1, 3—Gisborne R.C. Steeple. July 14, 17—Wellington H.C Winter. July 21— Manawatu lliiist Steeple. July 28—Pahiatua R.C. Annual. i July 28—Waimate/ Plains T.C. Annual. j July 20—Woodland* Hunt Steeple. July 2!)— North 'l'ai'aiiaki Hunt Steeple. July 31—Pakuranga Hunt Steeple. TURF TOPIC'S. (By "Moluroa.'') Concluding day at Napier Park. Tin! money was in on Kcw yesterday. Queen's Post is troubled with n suspieious leg. Barring accidents Cornelian will race at Gisborne next week. The Gisborne Steepleehuse liicrong) takes place on Thursday and Saturday next. Wellington weights are due cm Monday. Heaps of rain fell at Napier Park this week, and the course is damp at the best of times. Clash! Tho North Taranaki, Woodlands, and Pakuranga Hunt Club meetings fall of a heap at the end of next month. A tip to the North Taranaki Hunt Club, which seeks a starter! Mr. Alf. Morse is the best starter in Taranaki at the present time. The best reply to those who urge that horse racing should be discontinued during the war is that King George's colors are still in evidence at Home meetings. Entries for the Grand Nationals and for the Winter Cup should appear this morning. The Bar Vons will now get, busy accommodating the foolish "long shot" punters. In camp at Trentham are many wellknown sports, including Messrs Hugh > Speed and C. Patterson, stewards of the 1 Wangamii Jockey Club. The Stevedore, which was recently cabled as a winner at the Queensland Turf Club's autumn meeting, is not the same horse that carried Sir Geo. Clifford's colors so indifferently in the dominion a season or two ago. When framing the programme for the North Taranaki Hunt Club meeting the committee evidently overlooked the fact that a (Ist. minimum is in force in July. The weight given for the Opunako Hack Scurry is Bst.—A palpable error. The good stakes offered by hunt chilis for their annual race meetings should induce many owners of jumpers to qualify for hunters' events, and a big impetus is promised in this most deserving line. The principal stake at the North Taranaki gathering is the Hunt Club Cup, 100 sovs. and a cup valued at 20 sovs. (presented by the Taranaki Jockey Club), and the other events include three hack flat races of 4,5 sovs. each. Though most of our hacks are now in the paddock there is plenty of inducement to those who have horses in training to sit up and take notice when entries close, on July !). The Napier Steeplechase was first run in IRS7, in which year Mr. G. P. Donnelly's colors were carried home in front by Mangaohane. The distance was then two miles and three-quarters, but in 1007 it was dragged down to two miles iand a half. Mangaohane went on and won the Grand National Steeple the next year, and other horses that have won both races since then include Chemist, Mutiny, The Guard, Nadador, and Captain Jingle. Will history repeat itself this season? Schoolgirl, one of the most consistent trotters in the south, is in work again. She has won over 4000 sovs. in stakes to date. The profits over the Wairnrapa Trotting Club's meeting ran into lOOgns., and this sum was. generously handed over to the Patriotic Fund. Mr. Alf. Morse, caretaker of the. Hawera racecourse, has been appointed J starter to the Wainiate Plains Trotting! Club. Private advices state that Tim Doolan and Sauci both won races at the Aspendale meeting this month. The Oxenhope case cropped up again in Dunedin recently when the principals petitioned for mitigation of their disqualification. This time the Dunedin J.C. Committee was caught in a more favorable mood, and it was decided to recommend the petition to the kind consideration of the conference. The erstwhile Taranaki prod, Bradamante, has again changed hands, and is now owned by a patron of T. George's stable. Hurakia, as stated yesterday, was very leniently treated in the Moteo Hurdles, and duly lauded, but the dividend was not big enough to get gay on. Entries for the classic events to be run at Riecarton next season were taken earlier than usual this year, and although not up to last year's figures they are very satisfactory, all things considered. Seventy four have been entered for the Welcome Stakes, and the New Zealand Derbv Stakes and New Zealand Oaks Stakes'have also filled well. As usual, Sir Geo. Clifford is in front with most representatives, and considerI ing his success during the past few seaj sons the thick end of the money goes to the man with the smartest classic performers. And yet some classic races are very easy to win! Just look at Emperador. Ife can win wcight-for-agc, events all over the dominion, and yet lie goes down repeatedly in handicap events. Strange, isn't it? Tararua Jack was shipped to Sydney by Monday's boat, from Auckland. Soporific has won five times in seven starts over the big fences this season. On the other two occasions he failed to pet round safely. * Heather Mixture, whose number was hoisted at Hastings, is an /.nglisli-brcd brown horse by St. Serf—Sprig of ' Heather. He was imported last year, and served a few mares on arrival here. Being only a live year-old, he should have, several years of usefulness in front . of him—if he onlv keeps cool! 1 Tragedy King, 'who pulled up lame, at ; Hie Great Northern meeting, is'still very sore, and mav not sport silk for some ' ! time. :i ——=