SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1916, Page 7

SPORTING.

THE EGMONT MEETING. (Notes by "Moturoa.") Judging by the lengthy acceptance lists for the opening day's races, the Egmont Racing Club's winter meeting, which takes place on the Hawera racecourse to-day and to-morrow promises to be quite up to the average of the many previous meetings held under the energetic guidance of Secretary J. Turton and his equally energetic confreres. The course, lawns, flower beds, etc., bear testimony to the good work of the Club's caretaker, Mr. Alf. Morse, and given a continuance of the recent fine weather the meeting should be run off under most favorable circumstances. The starting is in the capable hands of Mr. Chas. O'Connor, who is in particularly fine form at present, and the many minor details which go towards making a meeting enjoyable have been carefully attended to. A large crowd of visiting sportsmen came through to Hawera yesterday, and those who can find time to augment the throng to-day and to-mor-row are assured a most enjoyable outing. To-day's racing will commence with the Tongahoe Hurdles (1$ miles), for which a fine field of a dozen is carded. The distance should be to the liking of Parawanui, Lord Nelson, and Golden March, and the best of the trio should take some settling. Lord Nelson, it will be remembered, won the Oroua Hurdles at Feilding with 9.6 in the saddle, and carved out the mile and a half in 2.40 2-5, winning very comfortably from Scrutineer, Golden March, Florist and others.

The Tawhiti Handicap (six furlongs), wlil see a dozen in action. Penalties may account for Glenroy, who won a double at Avondale, and possibly Interlude and Astor may be most heavily supported. The Railway Handicap has filled with nine horses, including Coropet, Antwerp, and Maid o' Gowrie. On Feilding form Antwerp appears to be the fittest of the team. Then comes the Ladies' Purse, and provided twenty amateur horsemen (and a good supply of stickphaat) can be gathered together, a keen race should result. Those engaged are not a very flash lot, but Sylvan Dale, Carloman, and Conguard have shown pace at times. Bivouac is whispered about as hiving a rough chance, but the last time the writer saw him under silk he wns very short-winded—in fact, blowing like a cyclone I The Telegraph Handicap (five furlongs]!, offers more serious food for speculation. Royal Chef, who was unlucky at Feilding, may shape better on his home course, and Depredation and Silver Web are both partial to the distance. The big race of the day, the Meßae Memorial Handicap (one and a quarter miles), will then engage attention. Rewi Poto has 9.9—a big load, and possibly the black horse may find Harbor Light 7.10 and Want 7.7, very hard to dispose of at the weights. Rewi Poto is a good horse over ten furlongs, but he appears to be up against it to-day. The curtain will be rung down with the Waihi Handicap (Si furlongs), in which good performers like Black Ada and Analogue are engaged.

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The good price returned to supporters of Eligible in the Hawke's Buy Cup came as a surprise to those who have followed the three-year-old this season. Possibly, with compulsion in the air, the name of "Eligible is not popular with the racecourse habitues! Sasanoff not only won the Hawke's Bay Stakes, but won well! Left fifty yards at the stnrt, he gradually made up his ground until, with a magnificent spurt he dashed past Hyttus 100 yards from home and won like a rare good 'un. Great Northern weights are now the principal topic, and the layers are busy catching the long-shot punters morning, noon, and night. . As anticipated El Gallo was handed top-weight in the Steeples, but 11.5 is not a prohibitive impost for a horse that has proved himself over country, and in addition has had heaps of autumn racing. Captain Jack 11.3, may never come back to his old form, nor may Glemnore, who is well up in the'weights with 11.1, Tarero, on the s,ame mark, Ims more to recommend him, and Hurakia 10.6, Marton 10.7, and Vascular 0.13 all read better. The. Great Northern Hurdles will take some picking. Black Northern would require to be at his best to win with 11.4, and Merrinmx, with 2lbs less, has pnrned a poultice for the few races he won at odd ; times across the Tasman. The really dangerous division appears to include El Gallo 10.13, Harbor Light 10.12, Tararns .Tack 10.0, and Vladian 9.9.