SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1917, Page 8

SPORTING.

A VETERAN RACER DESTROYED. I Auslralian-N.Z. Cable Associatio,'.. ' j Received Due. : ; .0, 0.40 p.in.. Melbourne, Dee. riO. The racehorse Wallace lias been destroyed. 'lie was -20 years old and bad become very feeble lately. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") All arrangements in connection with t-lie Taranaki Jockey Club's Christmas meeting are now complete, and a line day's sport is assured. The T.J.C. has been successful in securing satisfactory* train arrangements from" the railway department, so that patrons from ail parts of thb province, will be well served. Vields will be large throughout the day, find probably winners will not bo so easy to "pick" as the man-in-the-street coneiders. fn addition to a representative gathering from Taranaki stables, Auckland, Wanganui, and Feilding horse? will be in attendance, and racing should be very keen. The course and lawns are ft credit to the cl'* v s caretaker, 'and some Cast times on the running track should be registered on Wednesday next. It is generally conceded that the Auckland Cup iB going to prove a much harder race to win than the New Zealand Cup of last November. Johnny Walker still holds his position as first favorite, hut even about- his chances a fairly good "price" may be obtained, while Seadown, Pierv Cross, Teka, Red Rib'bon, Rebel, Mene'laus, and Snub are fllto favored. Uncle Ned's name appeared amongst the final payments in error, but otherwise the only surprise wa; the absence of Vagabond, whose owner's wire arrived too late. The Tava(iiki candidates, Toaterc and Paraoa, are going well, and should give a good account of themselves on Boxing Day. Anent, the respective merits of Toatcre tind Paraoa a good yarn comes from Tnglewood. Both Mr. J. Hawkins and Mr. A. Lile are enamored of the chances of their respective Cup candidates, and it is alleged that these two good sportsmen rarely meet without indulging in a lieap of friendly "barrack," and in consequence several strange wagers have been booked. The local jeweller, who is not only a good sport but a wag as well, give* prominence in his window to a gold pup.- inscribed as follows: "Auckland Cup, 1017. Won by Mr. Jas. Hawkins' Ton- 1 lere.'' Wartime racehorse nomenclature is I i mu-!: in evidence nowadays. At, the re-1 c.'iiv meetings the following have been noticeable: Bed Cap, King's Armor, War Maid, War -Scot, -SinlT Officer, Quinn's Post, War. Star, Bagdad, Queen Lizzie, Long Range, Main Force, Slack fire, etc. ' Sportsmen 'throughout the Dominion all! lenniAvith regret of the bereavement recently sustained by the well-known sporting journalist, Mr. A. If. Bristed. editor of the N.Z. Referee, whose eldest foil, Lieut. Bristed, was killed at th n front. The late Lieut. Bristed was a Main Body man, and was awarded his commission ouite recently. •loekster Ashley Reed recently took unto himself a. partner, the happy bride being Miss Vera Cairns, a dazzling star nf the Johnson Revue Company, ll'luek. Rnngiti-ro, wiio has been sore recently, is undergoing swimming exercise at Foxton. The Palmerston scribe, "Flaneur," reports that. Sleight of Hand is a regular attendant at Awapuni, and that the National winner is going particularly veil at present.