SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1915, Page 7

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. Oct. 21, 23 —South Canterbury J.C. Spring. Oet. 23, 25—Wellington R.C. Spring. Oct. 25—Waverley-Waitotara R.C. Annual. .i, .i, (j—Auckland R.C. Spring, Nov. (i, 8, 10, 13—C.J.C. Metropolitan. REDUCTION IN STAKES. By Cable—Prei* Association—Copyright. Sydney, Oct. 15. The Jockey Club has reduced the prizemoney in the Villiers' Stakes to £BOO, and in the Summer Cup to £I2OO.

C.J.C. MEETING. By Telegraph.—'Press Association. Christchurcli, Last Night. The following are the weights for the STEWARDS' HANDICAP. Six furlongs.—Chortle 10.1, Croesus 8.13, Balboa 8.12, Tatterley 8.11, Frist Glance 8.10, Bimeter 8.9, Desert Gold 8.8, Hoy 8.6, Downliam 8.4, Palisade 8.3, Bee, Chudlc, Tete-a-Tete 8.0, Tree Lucerne, Plying Start, Nones 7.13, Chakwana 7.12, Bortrada, Belasco 7.11, Three 7.10, Daytime, Melfchikoff, Wise Bird, Hyginas 7.9, Encore 7.8, Martius 7.7, Denise Orme 7.6, Robert Bell, Fabrikoff, Wishful 7.0, Red Charm 6.13, Taringamutu 6.12, Master Achilles 6,11, Peronilla. 6.10, Hushabye, Derby Day C.9, Medley, Botanist, Hydras, Ardent, Jeannot, Findhorn, Recorder, Bellshire, Deviation, Probation, Week End ( Tame Duck, Happiness, Pariform, Marc Anthony, Golden Rupee, Halina, Step, and Malvolia 6.7. '

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Races at Trentham on Saturday. Waverley acceptances should appear this morning. Hikahakeke shaped wretchedly at Hastings and wants a spell. There- was jubilation in Wanganui on Thursday when Fred Tilley's double— Rinaldo and Miacara landed.

Until Thursday llinaldo had not won a race since he beat Merry Roe in the Hawke's Bay Guineas of 1913. So far this season's "Classics" have resulted in alleged "moral" scoring all along the line. Nones, Snub, Disdainful (coupled with War Dancer), and Desert Gold won their races easily, and all paid "evens" or thereabouts.

Desert Gold's hollow victory at Hastings augurs well for a repetition this year of her last season's victorious career. Sho scored last week from end to end, and was hard held over the last three furlongs.

Maori Mat, by Maori King—Tatters, "ran the Debutante Stakes of 1500 sovs. from end to end at Randwick, beating fifteen others, and Mr. E. J. Watt lias no reason to feel disappointed over the Maori King stock. Another of the breed, Barley Sugar (Maori King—Barley Bree) has'shown a lot'of pace on the tracks, and on Saturday finished second to Hyttus in the Hastings Stakes, the four furlong journey occupying only 49 seconds.

Mr. Gerald Stead has a nice cut ol a tilly in Mountain Dream, by Mountain King—Moorooroo. As the breeding denotes, she hails from 'Stralia, the land of Woolloomooloos and t other strange nomenclature. Mountain Dream was always handy in the Telegraph Welter at Dunedin, but swung out at the home bend, letting Hap Dha through. A dingdong race home saw tho imported filly come again, and she scored a meritorious victory by a neck from the useful Hap Dha.

The House of Representatives in committee on the Finance Bill, amended the section relating to the duty on totalisator dividends to read as follows: Prom every dividend payable on any horse-race at any race meeting at which a totalisator is used, there shall be deducted a duty (called the dividend duty) at the rate of sixpence for every pound or fraction of a pound of the dividend." Giganura's victory in the Shorts Handicap at Randwick was deservedly popular. This veteran sprinter won the same even last year with 10.3, and his record in big sprints has been just a trifle more unlucky than it was brilliant. Gigandra contested the last five Epsom Handicaps. In 1912 he ran second with 8.10, and the following year he carried 9.5 to within half a length of Aleconner, to whom he was conceding 221b. Last year he was third with 9.1

Comedy King's first winner turned up in Manaro, who beat a very big field in the Maribyrnong Stakes at Flemington. Manaro wasVidden by P. Burn, and later on in the afternoon F. Burn's son '■Tommy" had his first mount—and a winning one at that —on the Ipoh ii> the Paddock Handicap, Has anyone previously heard of father and son riding at the same meeting? You'll hear the cry, "Pull out, Grandpa" one of thase days!

Rather an interesting tale hangs to Colonel Soult's starting in the Metropolitan Handicap. After his defeat on the first day of the A.J.C. meeting his owners. Messrs Gleeson and Casey, were disposed to scratch him for the Met. Being told, however, that a soldier on the way to Gallipoli had drawn the horse in Tatts, they determined to start the horse and give the soldier a run for his money. Although beaten the Colonel was worth more to the drawer as a starter than as a non-starter. _ Although De Gama was making Iris first appearance this season, the public would have nothing else but him iu the Epsom mile at Flemington. Despite his 10st., he pulled his backers through by the same old margin—a neck—which gave him such a beanfeast before the handicappers "tumbled" to his tricks. The ex-Taranaki horse should stir things lip in w.f.a. circles this summer.

11l April last Mr. D. M. Seaton tried to quit Wolaroi, but the reserve of 250 guineas was not in the running. So Mr. Seaton -went on with the horse, and had the pleasure of leading him in a winner after the A.J.C. Breeders* Plate at Randwiek, the winner's share being £2503. 1-itst year the same sportsman vainly tried to get a century for Portrait, and ihen went on and won four two-year-old races. There's luek in youngsters, but unfortunately the good iuck stories are so few and far between as to be worth a par.

J ree Lucerne is not badly treated with 7.13 in the Stewards' Handicap at lilceurton—that is if lie can "come back"! Last season he won four times in seven starts, and at the Wanganui Autumn meeting Von the Flying Handicap with B.fi; Postillion 8.3 and Emperador 9.4 tilling the other places. Tree Lucerne is getting up in years now, and may find Desert Gold, Nones, Croesus and others too "warm" at Eieearton.

Ben Deeley rode two winners, PJbhon and Otter, at Masterton on Thursday. Charl.e Price scored on the Fordcll pair, liinaldo and Miacara; and Cannont (HUshabye) L. McDonald (Rongora), W. Bell (Plunder), and J. O'Shea (Gold Foil) -also saluted the judge.

The Patriotic Trotting Meeting, got off by the Canterbury T.C. on Saturday last, was, in spite of unfavorable weather, a very successful affair. The seriously contested events were all worth watching, the K.Z. Cup Trial Handicap (If mile) being particularly interesting. This race was open to horses eligible for the big Trotting Cup in November, and it says much for the sporting instincts of their owners that a dozen horses (including the favorite, Admiral Wood) were sent to the post. Adonis, on the limit, led all the way, but Admiral Wood made up a heap of ground over the last six furlongs, and was only beaten by half a length at the finish. Our Thorpe was a length away, third, and Country Belle a similar distance away, fourth. . The fun of the fair was provided by the commercial travellers, who numbered seventy strong. Thoy were decked out in fancy dress such as C.T.'s could only think out, and every conceivable method of parting the public from their coin for patriotic purposes was worked to a standstill Some made 'books," others ran "sweeps" and sold "correct cards," cigarettes, etc., or ran weight-guessing competitions. Every C.T. ou the ground deserved an Iron Cross!

The Commercial Travellers' Trot, a saddle event over six furlongs, proved the "break-up" of the day. No less than thirty-six started, the nondescript noddies and their weirdly-attired "horsemen" creating a brave show as they paraded in th j birdcage. Trotting was not strictly adhered to, but the crowd was roused to intense enthusiasm when a couple of anaemic clerics were seen chasing a ponderous ballet girl up the •straight. Most of the "Ben Deeleys" had d'flicuity in hanging on, and one stout party measured his length on the sward. •Just wait until the Taranaki C.T's line up for a six-furlong sprint, and won't there be sport!