SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1916, Page 7

SPORTING.

TARANiAKI ENTRIES TO-NIGHT, . A final reminder is given to those interested that entries for all events to be decided at the Taranaki Jockey Club's autumn meeting close to-night at 9 o'clock. Very liberal stakes are offered, as a glance at the programme in our advertising columns will show, and, the gathering being a patriotic one, Dig entries are expected. The principal stakes for handicap horses are as follow: Taranaki Cup, of 500 sovs., 1% miles; Paul Memorial, of 250 govs., 9 furlongs; Flying Handicap, of 200 sovs., (J furlongs; and Grandstand Handicap, of 150 sovs., 5 furlongs. The stakes for the minor events range from 100 sovs. to 150 sovs., and include hack hurdles, welters and Hat handicaps, as well as "fixed weight" races. Mr. George Morse will declare his weights on Friday, Feb. 4, immediately after the Egmont meeting, and tliis innovation should be appreciated hy horse-owners. Mr, C. O'Connor has been engaged as starter, and Mr. \V, fl. iHartgill will preside in the judge's box. Special trains have been arranged for from Wanganui and other centres, '. and a great meeting should rcMilt. The course is in good order, and arrangements are well forward for the meeting. Mr. E. iP. Webster (P.O. Box 23, New Plymouth), will receive entries for all events up till 9 o'clock this evening.

TURF TOPICS. (Ry "Moturoa.") Egmont entries, though numerically slightly below last year's total, are very satisfactory. Not only are the best of the Dominion's weight-for-age horses engaged in the Egmont and Hawera Stakes, but the handicap events have" attracted horses of the calibre of Merry Roe, Rewi Poto, Emperador, El Gallo. Welcome Nuggett, Square Deal, Master Lupin, Maniaroa, Court Martial, Adjutant, Crown Pearl, Bertrada, Tree Lucerne, Denise Orme, (Bimeter, Panmure, Avon IPark, Lady Middleton, and others, and a meeting between these well performed horses should draw a great attendance, The last season or two have seen a wonderful change, in the class of horses that are drawn to Taranaki meetings. Not that we did not have good horses here before, but the number of topnotchers has increased very considerably. The reason is not difficult to find, and the sporting public now recognise what they owe the "younger generation" of sportsmen who set out to raise the status of Taranaki meetings by adopting a bold, go-ahead policy. Weight-for-age races have been introduced, and stakes have been increased all round, and the result is that more people are attracted to the various meetings, and successes are recorded all along the line. Those who are responsible for the present flourishing state of affairs are to be congratulated. Sixteen horses have been entered for the Egmont Cup. nineteen for the Atkinson Memorial Handicap, and the Flying Handicap and Waimate Handicap have attracted twenty-one and twenty-live respectively. As usual the hack races have filled like little Willie's "parlor" after a Christmas feed, fields of "2."> and 30 being the rule. The hack hurdles might have been better supported. The lopping business is sadly neglected in Taranaki, and if hurdle races are not patronised better than at Stratford and at Hawera, racing clubs may drop them at summer meetings. Wanganui lost a fine old sporting gentleman on Saturday last in the shape of Dr. R. C. Earle, who "weighed in" at the ripe old age nf 73. For nearly half a century he was a leading figure in "everything sporting" in Wanganui, and during the past few years held down the title of patron of the local Jockey Club. •His medical, skill, unequalled generosity, and genial temperament made him a friend of all classes, and it is pleasing to know that his place in the sporting world is being filled "... his son. Dr. Maurice Earle, now a steward of the 'Wanganui Jockey Chib. Auckland sportsmen rolled up in force last week to farewell Dr. Grant, Auckland's most popular medico, all round sportsman', and champion amateur rider. life was the youngest medico ever entrusted with charge of the Auckland public hospital, which position he relinquished to answer the Empire's call Good luck. Doc. Lady Amai's flutter against the "big cattle" up North must have proved very costly to her party, and with the handicappers watching her carefully her prospects of success in forthcoming events are not what might be termed dazzling. She has been handed 0.3 in the Kawakawa Cup, one and a-quarter miles, and 9.7 in the Railway Plate, both races being of the G. 7 minimum variety. 'Tis a cruel world! In some quarters there is a whisper afloat that Lowry's triumphant trioDesert Gold, Tete-a-tete, and Balboawill be given a chance to measure strides (or pants) with the Randwirk cracks this Easier. It would be interesting to see Desert Cold in competition with' the 'Stralian cracks; but she has had a lot of racing this season, and that, combined with a change of climate, might prove her undoing. Fit and well she would carry my coin anywhere. The starting at the Hawke's Bay meeting was, according to Napier papers, the very "worst ever." And Hastings isn't the only place that wants a good "slipper" as badly as some people want a boom in oil shares. Chaminadc, much the worse for wear, is back again in Hawera. He lias been a good horse for the Bar Vons. A slippery sort of filly, Sarah Grand, bobbed up in the two-year-old handicap at Hastings the other day, and, despite a wretched start, she dashed up on the outer and made hacks of Hyllus, Carlatour, and other alleged fliers at the end of a speedy gallop. She is a daughter of All Black and Heavenly Twin, and carries the colors of Mr. P. Neagle. There was "something doing" in several of the big races at Eilcrslic, and Jack Delaval and several other horses were "dealt to" in their races. Little "Jack" was so badly galloped on that he may not sport silk again, but the "stipes'" never seem to notice much at the big meeting.-. Some fine day a fearless "stipe" will hold a meeting* up by "carpeting'' two-thirds of the' runners in every race, and, like the John Hop who does his "dooty," he will be cast into exterior darkness for being too officious! Amongst the "outsiders" entered at the Takapuna meeting are Ngspoto and Master Lupin.