SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1916, Page 7

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Gisboine races to-day. Marconi is in the Hurdles there. Moulu is showing promise over the small timber at Wanganui If Braoburn runs up to Wanganui Steeplechase form there should be a lot of very tired 'chasers at the Gisborne meeting. When Styrax "tlirew out" in the liemuern Hurdles, Frank Flynn received a bad shaking and had to forego his hist day's riding, engagements at the gathering. The ox-WangannJ jockster, "Bronc" Coleman, who has made good in the ranks of the hurdle horsemen in Sydney, is now nursing a broken collarbone, the result of a recent spill in a steeplechase. Big fields will contest the minor events at the Gisborne meeting, and those engaged include smart performers like Kooya, Paremata, Colonnade, Carlysinn, and Marcnga. Interesting to note that Mollvhawk, winner of the Hunt Club at 'fillers' lie, was the only competitor ridden by an amateur horseman. Naturally, the win occasioned long beers (ahem), I mean loud cheers! Talking of hunters; Union .lack -tffts recently purchased by a patron of C. .Jackson's stable, and will in future eat his oats in the gay town of Haw-era. H. Goldfinch, YS> McDonald, and C. Scott, with a brace apiece were the only jockeys to score more than one win at the Great Northern meeting. J. O'Shci won once, but as C. Emerson did similarly at Otaki, their places in the premiership totals remains the same. Oceley, who won his appeal, was riding on the third day, but failed to catch the judge's eye.

Royal Park, the good-looking son of Sylvia Park—Rosobelle, in Pat Scully's stable, led for five furlongs in, the niile welter at OSaki last week, and ran better than was anticipated by llis party.) ' i'at" has the big chestnut veal we'll just n:,w, and will not be long in catching a race with him.

It is a pity that some of those "wise" men who are always causing trouble between the trainei and owner by their unsportsmanlike action of carrying tales, did not have a horse to train themselves. With what they know, or, rather, think they know, nliout the training, etc., of the thoroughbred, thsy would, jmking by the voluble manner in which they explain what they would do, and what they wouldn't do, soon have R. ,r. Mason and other lead.ng trainers out of a job.

They toll n tali; about a jockster ■vlio took it into his head to go to the war, and duly presented himself before Hie doctor. Tie was in tlie nude state when the doetov, after running the rule over him and noting the colour of his 'thatch," optics, etc., inquired, "Have you any scars on you?" "No," replied his noble, ''but if yon feel in my pants' pocket you will dud a packet of fags!" ''he doctor fainted.

Percy .lohnson, the popnlftT local trainer, has a record in connection with the flreat Northern Steeplechase t'*at will take some wiping out. "Massa' lias won the race on Jenny, Muscatel, Dummy and Kiaterc. Those who have won the race twice are K Rao, W. Wilson, and C. Scott, so that P. Johns in looks like holding the palm for some t'me to conic. It is not surprising, therefore, that Percy's son lias shown some of his dad's dash over the sticks Kmperndor has thrown off the lameness that trouble him at Wanganui, but t is dcubtfu! if he will stand a really solid preparation. Zola is enjoying a spell at present, but Aruake and Vladian are not being allowed to put on flesh. Probably Walter Rayner will be taking a strong team to the Napier Park and Hawke's Bay n'.eetings shortly. The Otago Steeplechase must have been <m exciting affair. There were ten runners (but only throe .jumpers), in the race, seven falling. The favorite, Black Sea, spilled out at the first fence. Recharge, Grey Renown, Oratonu, and Tommy fell, and The Brewer stumbled and ca:::e down. Case Shot ran off when in the lead, ?ialf a mile from home., and Csrnmore and Heatherlea, who were well out of it when Case Shot side-

steppe 1 ., filled the places. P. Willis, ridci of Black Sea, sustained a broken collarbone, and to add to the debacle, ft. Feilding, who won on Carnmore, was asked to pa~t up a fiver for crowding out Tiic Gunner at the post and rails l'.alf a mile from nome. It was a great race:

Mr. W. E. Bidwill has sold his racehorse Reputation to Mr James M'Donald, of the Mungie Bundee Stud, in Australia. Mr. Bidwill once refused 2000 guineas for the black son of Stepfeldt, but as the colt won ,11500 jr. Sydney this sum and the price paid for him has paid the Rototawai sportsman for keeping the horse till now. Owing to the shortage of stable hands, Mi. Bidwill will probably send a couple of his horses to Trentham to be trained.