TURF TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1916, Page 8

TURF TOPICS.

(By "Moturoa.") After several weeks of passable weather that unpopular individual, the Qoverment meteorologist—who seems to lie the acme of extreme cusscdness — opined that we would have heavy rain nil round, and for once he was right. Bain and wind liit this coast in real earnest on Friday night, and by Saturday Trentham w»: a duck pond, and Waverley as damp, as miserable, and as forlorn hooking as a half drowned feline. Racing at Trentham was out of the question, but another attempt to commence aquatics will probably be made there to-day. Fortunately the Waverley course stands rain better than Wellington. The Waverley course is right on the railway lino, but there is a sad lack of shelter once, you get there. In addition, there will be racing today at Waipawa, Gore and minor places.

Ten horses are carded for the opening rvent at Waverley, the Brewer Handicap, and they are a fairly smart lot. There is a tendency to make the Gazelcy mare, Gayeium, a strong favorite. She won at Marton and twice at Wanganui, s,nd is partial to the soft going. Something like a conundrum awaits punters in the Morton Memorial Maiden, for wliieli eighteen bave been entered. The proportion of well-per-formed maidens is very small. Carmel Arch, Fidelio, Camp Guard, anil Golden Fan have most to their credit, and Hie former should give a good account of himself. Some interest is taken in Mr. .T. George's three-year-old colt, Alteration (Elevation—F.duam), ivho may start in this race. Under the name of Kirunga the colt was entered for the New"Zealand and Auckland Cups, but it; remains to be seen whether he is the. champion that his owner-trainer appears to believe. Sportronus, by Patronus from Sporting Queen, stands out as very rough nomenclature! A nice field of ten promises good sport in the Handicap Hurdles. Austin tops the list with 10.12, and is well up to that weight. His jumping on a slippery track is not too good, however, liecord is the'Wanganui favorite, while Combustion also has friends. Nothing appears dangerous in the Taranaki division, and the favorites may be Record and Austin. Wise folks generally rush off to lunch

Then tlio Wilson Stakes, run over four furlongs straight, comes up for decision. To-rtny'i field numbers fifteen, and includes qui(.k beginners like Bivouac (who won lust year), and Royal Chef.

The Waverley-YVaitotara Cup is made to appear more, open by the rumoured intended withdrawal of the I'aovrite, Depredation. [f this is so there will be :i rush for Crawford (who ran such a sterling niei: in the Mnrton Handicap), and Want (runner-up in the chief money at Masterton). Crawford appears to be very nicely treated—that is if his efforts over sticks have not slowed him down. Wanganui sports will go for Moulu, hut the Greenwood cast-off does not appear to he too solid when the final pinch comes.

Scratchings may materially reduce tlie thirteen billed for the Flying Handicap, but Zola, Sylviaroa and Movement will command support if they see the- post. Twenty-two fairly! good horses figure in the Momnohak'i Stakes, including Antwerp, Henry Clay and flood—all fair '•milers."- Dood is reported to bo very fit, and goes well in the mud, but the issue in such a big field must necessarily be counted very open. The Jackson Memorial Stakes is another race that should attract numerous starters from amongst the seventeen coloured on the card. Previous results may upset calculations,, but Bivouac, Starcngo, and Movement will have good following* if saddled up. Further payments for the New Zealand Cup, which closed on Friday night, contained very few surprises. The withdrawals included Colonel Soult, who had earned a 101b. penalty; Bee, who is in 'Stralia; and Welcome Nugget, Tangiliou, Housewife., Sir Alba, Kevalenta, and seven of the extreme lightweights. Welcome Nugget was reported last week as an unlikely starter, but some local sports, who got in like the early bird, are bemoaning their fate now. Twentyfour hold their ground, and with Balboa, Indigo, Marc Antony, Rorke's Drift, Snub, Mullingar, John Barleycorn, and Square Deal still in, the race looks like producing an interesting finish. Jumpers, cannot be particularly brilliant in 'Stralia this year, when/modcrate New Zealanders like Kooya, Okaihau. New York, and Troublesome can rather more than pay their way at the big meetings. Cherry Blossom is a "bleeder," and has recently been giving her trainer a lot of trouble.

. Splendid acceptances have been received for the C.J.C. Stewards' Handicap, twenty-eight horses having been paid up for. Of those weighted above Bst, only one (Taringamutu) has dropped out, so there should be something doing when Chortle, Tetc-aTcto, Panmure, Bimeter, Sea Down, Chakwana, Oxenhopc, Egypt, Multiplication, Sweet Tipperary, Kitty Bellairs, Wrestler and Co. are slipped for the flutter up Riccarton straight. Tlie winner will take sonic picking!

Chortle has been withdrawn from his Auckland engagements, and is billed to astonish the natives at Riccarton next month.