SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1918, Page 8

SPORTING

WANGANUI SCRATCH INGS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanyanui, l'"eb. H. The following horses have been scratched for all engagements at the Wanganui Jockey Club's meeting: lloubewife, Lord Keuilworth, Roeklield and Thrace. KG MONT SUMMER .MEETING. ACCEPTANCES TO-NIGHT. Owners are reminded that acceptances for the above meeting close to-night iit 0 o'clock. Mr. H. Coyle's weights appeared yesterday, and seem to be equitably worked out. The meeting takes place on Wednesday and Thursday and promises to be a most successful fixture. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") The feature of the Taranaki JC. autumn meeting was the fine form shown by the Boniform horse Wishful, who got awav with the principal handicap uach day in convincing style, lie wins his races from end to end, and, being able to get two miles, it is a wonder that he has not won more races in the past. Chortle was, produced once at. the meeting, and raft a great race, but his rider appeared to ease him when he saw that pursuit of Wishful was hopeless. Dingle finished very strongly in the Cup, but the race appeared to knock him, out, and his form in the Paul Memorial Handicap was poor. White Blaze ran well each day, as did the unlucky Housewife. Toatere showed up well for the greater part of the big race each day, but he is getting up in years now, and appears to have lost his finishing run. Amongst the sprinters' Gaycium was the most successful Percy Johnson had the mare looking very well, and she was fully tested, running two races each day. Volo added to Sis winning account on Thursday, but he would have had a much harder race if Madam Ristori had got a better passage.

The absence of Estland from the Taranaki Stakes robbed the race of n good di'fl of interest, and unless owners patronise this well-endowed w.f a. event better they cannot complain if the eltiri deletes it from the programme. J,nck of interest was never more fully exemplilied- Why, -nobodv wanted the "fifty pounds for running last! 1 he hurdle races at the meeting drew bigger fields than usual, and our jumper.- appear to be an improved lot this vnar. Otter and Sail Home had a great "go" for a mile and a quarter on tlio first, day, when the much-boomed Feinting horse cried enough. Otter was then tackled by Paid Moore, but showed great gamencKs, and proved equal to the occasion. All the ''heads" were on Flying Camp on Thursday, his first start at the meeting. They reckoned without Paul Moore, however, for after making all the running Plying Camp succumbed by a narrow margin after a ding-dong battle from the distance. Otter again ran well, but a rise of 131b stopped him over the last quarter. Veto jumped slowly, and seems a hopeless proposition in fair company. The chief disappointment was Ratana. but he may be all the better for his two races in public. Sail Homo is a flash chestnut of good size and conformation, but staying does not appear to be his forte, .hi Jitsu is an honest little mare, but too much notice should not be taken of her two thirds at the meeting, as she was a long way behind the dividend-payers and wits ridden right out. Movement ran two good races, and with ordinary luck would have landed a double. She carried her fl..j like a thoroughbred on the second day, and is much improved since racing nt Stratford, Royal Chef dodged the public properly, and after his llrst day's collapse was puzzling. He could hardly have been expected to beat fiuycium. bb't he should have finished in front of L'ou d'Or, who is only a moderate sprinter. Matty appears to be more than useful and even- though beaten on the second day was coming up fast at the finisli. Cora Clra seems to have lost her ■•punch," and how the public came to make her favorite in the Omata Hack Handicap is beyond one's comprehension. Munition ran' fairly well each start, and was pay. ing a great price when she beat all Uit Movement. After Cheddar had won the Mimi Welter there was a lot of talk about his track gallops, etc., but nothing but sheer luck carried him home in front of Volo- Clavis and Henry Clay got amongst the winners, but there was very little merit in their victories. Tile crowds in the "hurry-up'* events were very poor cattle. I n fact, you could count the racehorses amongst tlieiii on the fingers of one hand. Rawakoiv won very comfortably' on the first day, with Huzza just outside a place. The latter paid a falsa .price in the Urenui li>ct rathe public going for piano, who leaves her best gallops on the track, and Cienskus, who stumbled when rumiin third at the borne turn. °

The success of the Cup meeting should encourage the club to increase the stake money all round. Some members of (lie committee are in favor of inereasliyr the Cup stake to £750, but the writer's k'ipinion is that the stake might very well stand" at £530. The races tlm't want "building up" are the sprints, both open and hack. To mention one inj stance, the Farewell Handicap is only '.vnrth a. paltry £IOO to the first horse. Xyst.ad, Gayciimi. Volo. Lord Kenilworth, Cheddar, Madam Ristnri. and Interlude were expected to chase that century, while hurdlers of moderate class like Otter and Paul Moore can pick up 125 sovs. and 115 sovs. respectively. If space permitted "Moturoa" would offer's, few suggestions, but the T..r,C. is run by men who are well capable of taking care of such matters. The press, that usually overworked and mueh-a.bnscd crowd, have to thank the Taranaki J.C. for the excellent arrangements for the expedition of their work and their general- entertainment. president, committee seeretarv. and tol i' lisitor clerks left no stone unturned .jo the work of the press an easy 4jiii pleasurable task-

WINNING TRALYERS. Winning trainers were: P. Johnson (<!i«,yelum 2 and Movement), R. D. O'Donnell (Wishful 2), F. Davis (Finmnrk). li. Nodder (Otter), R. D. King (Matty), P. Coffey (Cheddar), R. Brough (Clavis), R. Johnson (Rawnkore), J. Fryer (Paul Moore), 0. Cox (Royal Chef), C. Jackson (Henry Clay), T. Pino (Volo), W. F. Mantle (Huzza), WINNING JOCKEYS. Winning jockeys were: R. S. Bagby (Gayeium twice and Finmnrk), three; C. Emerson (Wishful twice), and 11. Young (Royal Chef and Volo), two each; S. | Reed (Otter), W. Ayrea (Cheddar), D. Anderson (CtovU), J. O'Shea (Move-

ment), B. Deeley (Henry Clay), C. Brown (Huzza), K. Lambess (Paul Moore), F. Johnson (Kawakore), and G. Clarke (Watty), one each. WINNING OWNERS. The following is the list of winning owners at the Taranaki .Jockey Club meeting: G. L. Stead (first in the Cup and Paul Memorial, second in the Stakes, dead heat second in Grandstand, third in the Flying and Stewards'), ,£7!>7 10s; T. H. Jjowry (first Taranaki Stakes), £400; Mrs. JO. Cofl'ey (first in Stewards' and Flying, dead heat second in Grandstand), £3*22 10s; F. Selwood (first Farewell, .second Cup and Mimi Welter), £100; G. Appleyai'd (first Okoke Hurdles and second Waitara Hurdles), ,£140; L. Pepperell (first Waitara Hurdles), .€12.1; G. Larcom (first Grandstand), £l2s:' P. Johnson (first Timaru, second Oka to), £103; C. McLaren (first Mimi Welter), £100; G. 11. Gibson (first Kawau and third Okato), ,£9o; J. Kovluski (first Okato), ,£!)0; H. G. Taylor (first Timaru), £110; A. Alexander (first Urenui), £BS; W. Raleigh (first Moturoa), £BS; E. Alison (second Flying, third Paul Memorial), £45; A. B. Williams (third Cup), £!)0; W. J. Bowman (second Paul Memorial), £3O; A. Grove (second Stewards'), £25; J. Hawkins (second Okoke Hurdles), £25; W. G. Emeny (second Kawau, third Mimi Welter), £25; W. Cleaver (third Waitara Hurdles and Okoke Hurdles), £2O; J. Goring Johnston (second t'remii and third Farewell), £2O; E. George (second Farewell), £2O; Goodwin and Alexander (second Moturoa and third Kawau), £ls: P. Coll'cy (second Okato), £ls; B. T. Bennett (second Ornata), £ls; G. Green (third Timaru), £5.; J. Dwyer (third Moturoa), .£5; W. Lile (third Oinata), £5; J. McKean (third Urenui), £5.