SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1915, Page 7

SPORTING.

Till-: GUANO NATIONAL. By TclcgrMph.—Piess Association. Christchurch, Last Nighl. In eon sequence of the interruption of postal communication with the North Island, acceptances for the Crand National Steeplechase, Crand National Hurdle Race, and Winter Cup, and general entries fertile Crand National nice:, ing, which were to have closed at II p.m., have been postponed till noon to-morrow.

RACING VlX'i'CiiMS. .'lnly lis Pahiatua P..C \nnuil. .lulv 28 —VTiiinncte Plains Trotting Club." July 20—North Taranaki Ucni; Annual. July 2(l—Woodlands Hunt Annual. July 31— Pakuranga Hunt Annual. August 10, 12, 14—Canterbury ,f.C. Winter. September I—llarton J.C. Spring, WAIAIATE PLAINS TROTS. ACCEPTANGER TO-NIGHT, 'Trotting enthusiasts are showing great interest in the Waimate Plains Trotting Club's first .lotalisator meeting, to be lield on the Tlawera racecourse on Wednesday next, and all tliat is now required is favorable weather to ensure the gathering proving a complete success. Tlie entries were first cla.s, and handicapper Ulie Shannon appears to have plensed most judges, so that the acceptances, which close to-night at II o'clock, are expected to be very numerous. These 'interested should note that the Hawera telegraph cilice closes at K p.m.

TURF TOPICS. (By '•Aloturoa.'") .The North Taranaki Hunt meeting tiikes place on the New Plymouth racecourse on Thursday next. The acceptances received are very satisfactory, and a good day's sport is assured those who patronise the meeting. Beacon was slipped for the Hurdles at Aloorefield (Australia) recently, and landed a good stake for his party. The New Zcalander went to the front at the end of twelve furlongs, and, running out the two and a-quarter miles in good style, won easily by half-a-dozen lengths. The time—4.27 —was fairly smart. At the same meeting Toa Tore, with 00, was sent out second favorite in a large field in the Rochdale AVeltrr (six furlongs). He was prominent throughout, hut could only gain third berth to Shiela Pat fi.2'nnd' Wynmouth 82. The winner was favorite, and is considered some good in his class over there.

Report says that the Century Hurdles winner, Styrax, has been galloping and jumping well at Hawera of late. He will complete hi-s jumping tasks .it Wanganui. the. course there being more dry than nt Hawera, besides offering better facilities for Rebooting. Provided Styrax is landed at Riccarton in the siune fine nick that he was in at the Wanganui winter meeting, he should take some settling.

Since the entries for the Grand Nationals closed the bullet of death lias removed four of those nominated, namely Plaver. Clontaft, Cloudy Dawn, and Leapuki. In addition Soporific, EI Gallo. and Appin have dropped out, being ail more or less under a cloud. Tt almost looks as if Fate was against big fields in the Nationals this year.

The Polo was the favorite of oightren ninnera in tlie. Steeplechasers' Flat Race at Flemington recently, ind carried his 11.5 (most of which was A. J McFlynn) in such style that he won iory easily nt the right end. He iv.is 'itte'rwards disposed of at a pood fiirur?, and thus rounded off very nicely a bargain which Mr. Herald Stead—who won ruieli money with the horse—has no reason to burst into tears over. The effort to save La Reina for stud pnroposos having failed, the friendly bullet ended a career that is worth mention as almost a champion hard luck story. She was always "knocking at the door" in some big race or another, ami could on two occasions—-when she won the St. George's and Cornwall Handicaps at Kllerslie—did her bosom nal, Hard Luck, leave her alone. She filled the role of nmner-up to BobrikolT in fhe Auckland Cup. to Labour Day in the Summer Handicap, to Antoinette in the A.R.C. Handicap, and to Jolie Fille in the Tak.ipuna Cup, and in hosts of minor races she was jn=t bealen bv n smile bv nags to which she was conceding good slices jof weight. She stood out as one of the harshest handicapped ncddies in (hi dominion.

The Waimatc Plains Trotting Club in to bo congratulated on having secured Easter Monday for next year's meeting. This favorable date has been blank for several years in Taranaki, and in these columns last year was suggested as a better date than March 17 for the Opnnake Racing Club's meeting. The latter body could not see it in the same light, and what is that club's loss is now another's gain. Easter Monday falls on April 24 next year. The Hawera—T beg pardon—Taranaki Horsetrainors' Association met at Hawera recently and elected a chairman and committee from the ranks of the local trainers. Apparently there are no other horse mentors in the province worthy of a place on that august body. What arc the qualifications for commit-tee-men anyhow? Those who argue thai Tim Dnolan lias pot more thi'.n he deserves in 11." in tin 'lrand National Steeplechase should note (hat the nag was given II.K in the Australian Steeplechase the other day .Considering that the class of 'chaser in the dominion is now brilliant this season, and that Australian handicappcrs have had better chances than Xew Zealand ones to judge the horse's winter form it may be safely said that the horse is ;iot badly treated here. Anyway, the horse bus been brought back, and is a likely starter. If all goes well he will be as good a favorite as Morning on the day of the race. A Hawera. scribe is responsible for (he statement (hat Messrs "Kwart and Seiners' 1 have decided not to persevere nay longer with the Maniapoto horse Kaniki. lie has been a rank disappointment since leaving l-'red. Tilley's stable, and although generally in line nick and well supported bv his partv. he refused to do his best with -the colors mi. lie must have cost his followers a tillV sum. The last word! Waimatc'acceptances I close to-night,