SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1916, Page 7

SPORTING.

TROTTING CONFERENCE'. APPOINTMENT OF STIPENDIARY STEWARDS. By Telegraph.—Press' Association, Wellington, Yesterday. The Trotting Conference to-ilay considered the question of the appointment of stipendiary stewards. The executive suggests tK4t: .the appointment t be for permanent steward and deputy Steward when and where required; also the appointment of a committee to appoint general stipendiary stewards. It was' stated that the President of the Racing. Conference had been approached with a view; to securing the apparent control of trotting events on racing club's programmes. After discussion, the president consented to amend the motion in the direction that the sghejne should, come into force on Ist August for one year, inßtead of three as 'proposed. 1 Tho voting resulted in 16 delegates favoring the import and seven being against. To make any amendment to the rules requires ,n tjirce-quartors majority, and 011 that bapis th'e scheme would have been rejected, bttfc.a point arose an to whether the report constituted oa alteration to the rules, or was really an ordinary resolution requiring a bare majority. The question was referred U> the legal adviser of the conference;

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The Wellington E.G. summer meeting opens at Trentham to-day, a.nd win be continued on Saturday and on Monday. The Foxton annual takes place ojn- the -last-mentioned days, and as a fair sprinkling of Tawinafci horses will "be competing at both' gatherings they are of considerable interest to local spprts. Welcome Nuggei and Rewi Poto are set down to Contsst the Wellington Cup to-day. Ocblt horses are fairly fit, but are too much flattered by the handicapper in being asked to concede welglit to "cracks" . like Snub, Taruigamutu," Blackall, Tangihou, etc. Handicapping is a wonderful thyig! ( A Wellington paper reports that W. Bell will ride Welcome ICuggett in the Cup, and R. Hatch will be on Rewi Poto, Taringamutu has been galloping so well of late that Wellingtoniins give the one-eared neddy a great chance, but those who saw Snub in action at Ellerslie will have nothing else. ■ Sir Solo and Blackall are favored in some quarters, and whatever wins will have to make fast time. The Snub—iPanmure double lias been treated as if it was all over. The Highden sprinter is undoubtedly a high-class horse, but there are no "morals'' in sight when eqwnes of the calibre of Tete-a-tete, Chakwana, Downham and Hyginas are in the field. Most of the top-notchers have iieen allowed ta drop out of the Foxton Cup, their owners preferring the bigger money at Trentham. However, a satisfactory field will face the starter, and Maniaroa, Imarose, Princess Moutoa, and Ratana should all give a good account of themselves. Ratana carried 7.7 into second place in the Stratford Cup, beating Welcome Nugget and other good horse?, so that his owner cannot complain at. the horse being put in at the. minimum at Foxton. Both rages are run over Jho same distance.

The Croesus appeal case occupied the attention of the.Hawke's Hay District Committee for several hours on Friday last, and resulted in the trainei (J. S. O'Neill) and jockey (H. Griffiths) being exonerated. Tha owner's appeal was disallowed, and Mr. G. F. Hardy and his "llier" Croesus will be required to stand down for three months.

The Whangarei meeting was a fairly successful one, considering that of 204 entries there wore only 08 starter.?. Afi expected, Lady Penury won the big race each day in hollow fashion, and CVileraine ran three firsts and a second. Master Kegel mopped up both hurdle races under big weights, and it was mainly owing to the efforts of the three mentioned noddies that jockstcr A. J. MvFlynn pulled out with six winner:;. Deelcy, who has ridden thirty winners this season, drew a blank, and .1. O'Sh.-a, with three wins, rushed his total up to 31. 'Probably Treiltham will se the pair fighting hard for supremacy, but O'fihea has a big pull witli Desert Gold for a mount. Even some of the "Christmas jockeys'" seen out at Taranaki holiday meetings could hardly lose a race on the nag whose name, reads like a rousing good advertisement for a fambus brand of tea. An even lot of two-year-olds will measure strides at Trentham to-morrow. Hyttus .may find fI.T .prohibitive, and Nystad, Sweet Tlpperarv, Egypt. _Tino Atu, Kockbound, and Wrestler can all travel fast. It should be a great race.

Chortle is sprinting in great style and may show up at Trentham. An attempt is being, made to turn the disappointing lianiki into a hurdler. His initial essays were very promising, Ladoguer showed slashing form at Ellerslie recently, and is likely to be well backed in welters at Trentham.

lCgmont weights are due ori nr about Saturday next.

The Wellington Racing Club's summer meeting opens to-day, and will be continued on Saturday and on Monday. Today's fields are fairly good, and racing should lie" first-class.

The Wellington Cup , has attracted seventeen hm'.ses. of which popular fancy leans towards Snub (who finished third in the A utl; la mi Clip) and Taringanuitii (who won a double at the Wairarapa meeting. Taranaki claims two representatives. Tiewi Poto and Welcome Xugget. The former will.lie ridden by 11. Hatch and IJie Hawera horse hy \V_ Bell. The race looks fairly open, and if Snub suffers defeat it may be from Blackall or Sir Solo.

The Telegraph Handicap has been named the Pampure Stakes, but the Highden Ilorse, good as he is, will have to run fairly fast time to, keep.off Chakwana and Tete-a-tete. The minor events have all filled well, and horses whose chances are most discussed include Whakahoki. X ystad, l.adoguer, Pyjama, Dribble, and .Mar-t-Tress,