SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 April 1918, Page 7

SPORTING.

SYDNEY YEARLING SALES. Australian Cable Association. Sydney, April 5. At the yearling sales on (behalf of Mr. J. B. Reid, Oamaru, two Kilbroney fillies fetched 65 and 110 guineas; on behalf of Mr. G. M. Currie a latch of King Rufus youngsters ranged from 100 to 350 guineas. Mr. Murray Robson paid 150 guineas for a Flavus colt, and another fetched GOO guineas. A Beragoon colt from a sister of Desert Gold fetched COO guineas. Mr. R. M. Carter (Auckland) paid 190 guineas for a Cardinal Beaufort —Toolyooa filly. RACING FIXTURES. April 6.—Avondale J.G Autumn. April 11, 12.—South Canterbury J.C. Autumn. April 17, 18.—Manawatu R.u Autumn April 26, 27.—Hawke's Bay J.C Autumn. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa") The Avondale Jockey Club's autumn meeting takes place to-day, and the numerous acceptances for the various events should make matters fairly hard for punters. The Avondale Handicap (1% miles) will see thirteen under silk, including the local horses Bisogne and Paddington Green. The former appears to have been well taken care of, and Paddington Green is hardly a boy's horse, so that favoritism may give them the stoney stare, and pass on to'Gazique and Rebel. Gaziquo carried 9.1 and made no race of the Huia Hack at Ellerslie, and he should run out a soli" ten furlongs. Rebel has been showli.,; good form at the country meetings, and hails fmm a lucky stable. The Ri " ■.-.•ay Hack will probably see Fabri-V-i ue heavily supported. She ran Lightning to a head in the Eden handicap, and now meets the Bezonian'mare on olbs better terms. Madam Ristori is nicely treated, and reads well in comparison with horses like Mossman and Stilts, but whether she can foot it with Fabriquette, Cardrona and Co. remains to be seen.

If the going is any way good Informal will take a lot of catching in the Juvenile Handicap- He ran Awo great races at Ellerslie, and is easily the best two-year-old in Auckland. If Paddington Green is reserved for the Welter lccal sports will need their running shoes on to get "set." Loyal Arch may he the hardest of the Northerners to settle. Blue Cross and Pierrot have reeent form to recommend them in the* Mt. Roskill Handicap, though the race looks very open. The jumping events should see Styrax, the Channel and Coloraine j n demand. The meeting is confined to one day. Estland's defeat in the Leger is one of those accidents that hag happened to Desert Gold, Biplane and other good horsey. The man on to'p is generally Warned, but more often the horse itself should shoulder the responsibility. While admitting that 3.10 is not Estland's real time for a nfile and three quarters it is urged that the horse was suffering from a sort of lethargy which attacks the smartest of us at times. If racehorses ran like machines it would be a tiresome game anyhow. Silver Link again proved her ability by downing a select field in the Victoria Handicap at Elleslie. She heat a speedy pair in Philomela and Inform#!, and battled if out gamely under pressure.

Collector was made a good favorite at Riccarton on Monday, and he duly "landed," but his backers had a narrow y squeak. The lightweight, Jeannot, raced neck and neck with him from tie last fence, and he just won by a smile. Glendower, winner of the great Autumn > Handicap, hailed from the same stable as Fiery Cross. On the first day he just failed by a nose in the Autumn Plate, which was lucky for him, though a penalty may not have made much difference.

After disappointing tho public for nearly two years the much-boomed 'Stralian bred gelding Hopfield managed to win a race. He must have cost Mr. J. Thorpe a mint of money, and what the public think of the nag couM not be said in any decent newspaper. At Feilding, as at other places where horses have paid big dividends, you hear the same old story of people being given tickets on the winning outsider by mistake, and thereby profiting unexpectedly. Has it ever occurred to you? I plead "not guilty' myself!

Sir Geo. Clifford appears to have got hold of a decent colt in the shape df by Boniform—Heatherbrae. He finished like a streak in the Champagne Stakes, and made good ones like Torfirida and Alomer look like nags that tug the hearse. Sir George's luck has been putrid for a long time. 01 tie pot could have carrie/ his owner and won the Autumn Steeples at Ellerslie. Only three stood up. and the other pair are not fast. Styrax did not relish the water jump, and the hill stopped him. while Otter refused at a plain sod wall. Taranaki horses, unless they naturally take to jumping big fences, will not have much chance of winning over country until they have better facilities for schooling a't home.