SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1917, Page 8

SPORTING.

RACING FIXTURES. Doc. 2G—Tsranaki J.C. Christmas. Dec. 2li, 27 —Manawatu K.C. Summer. Dec. -fi, 2!), and Jan. I—Aiuklaml it.C. Summer. .Jan, I—Stratford lI,U Annual. Jan. I—-Martoii J.C. Summer. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Piaces at New Plymouth. Fllei'slic, Awapuni, and a. host of minor plates on Wednesday. Judging by the numerous acceptors Taranaki sportsmen are in for excellent (sport both here and at Stratford. Ashley Reed has ridden a score of winners to date, but Hector Gray follows closely with a tally of 18. Competent joekstcrs will be as scarce as tlu* moa at New Plymouth,, bin K. Brough is importing Charlie Price to pilot Hushman and Co. If Toatere gets ''stoushed" at F.llerslie various punters intend to do the following rash deeds: (a| To enlist, (h) to 20 to work, (c) to walk home from Auckland, (d) to ''clntek" the .same for pood, or 'el to go right on to Ngaere Clardens on New Year's Day. A Palmerston scribe reckons that, it fakes a lot to stop ardent sports from attending races, and in the absence of trains many will make the journey to Awapuni "per boot." If the price of shoe leather rises much higher "Mninroa,'" will be forced to go barefooted. When the tote .investments at the recent Wairarapa meeting jumped to £24,000, most people started to wonder why. The fact that the five thousand soldiers present, at Tauherenikau had been paid the previous day supplies the answer. It also explains why 1i good number of the bhoys have arrived home for Christmas <'dead stonev." A quartette of very warm favorites got home at Timaru on Monday, btit the dividends did not run to champagne. Brambletye made amends for a lot of failures bv winning the principal money after an interesting race. The brokcuwinded Donnata just lasted long enough to snatch first money. Winter Cherry was "left a street," but showed tremendous speed, and won well, while the much-boomed Phil May won his race, i pulling up, by as many lengths <v. a l:i ' joy will go in his efforts to belittle spoi Sleepy Jack won a race at Taurang;\. so yon may well ask, "What's, in a name?" On the other hand, grandiloquently .named prads like Winning Nimncr, All Over, Dasher Boy, Winning Shot. Sail tiome, Strideaway, etc., fail to earn their oats. Wallace, whose death was reported yesterday, was rising 2fi years, and had about served his term of usefulness. He was Carbine's greatest son in the southern hemisphere, both as a racehorse and as a sire of winners. Amongst the many big races he won was the V.R.O. Derby of 1595, when ho scored in the colors of the late W. R. Wilson. Wallace was named after Donald Wallace, owner of Carbine. Now is the time for the Percys-oflNthe-yacht, and other "tin sports" to break away from toil for a week or two and enjoy life. Part >of the recreation, no doubt, is a day or two at the races, and in case any of these gentlemen may be on the look-out for a probable winnsr or two (about which to "skite" for the next twelve months) it miglit 'be mentioned that Ilymestra, Dingle, Torfreda, Client, Rude, Fisher, Madam Ristori, and Nanna are a crowd wortli keeping in mind at forthcoming meetings. The Auckland horses Penniless and Munster 'have arrived in New Plymouth to fulfil their engagements at the local meeting. Sid Henderson and Archie McMillan, the well-known joeksters, have also arrived here from the northern city. The former, who is riding in good form, having steered Gluepot and Marconi in all their races, will have the mount on Penniless in whichever race started, and on Glenrov in the Flying. A. McMillan will pilot Munster in the Handicap. Keith Lanibess is also back in Taranaki, and will he found piloting Avon Park. Writes ''Coincidence":—Dear Moturoa,—Many of your readers are no doubt wor.dcring which will be the placed horses in the Auckland Cup. In New Zealand of late we have seen in politius •Johnny Walker snubbed by many laws. To those who believe in coincidences, it will be easy for them to see the result of tWT race.