SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1918, Page 3

SPORTING.

■ AUSTRALIAN Tl'ltF. "Australian Cable Association. Sydney, May I. Mr. E. J. Watt has temporarily retired from racing, and presented Pontoon and Football to Ids trainer, Rayner. His other horses will probably be raced by another sportsman. Melbourne, May 1. Keplying to the press agitation for a drastic reduction in racing, Mr. Pearce stated that Cabinet proposed to review the entire question in order plainly to establish the position for the racing year commencing oil August 1. Mr. Pearce added that during the season 1913-14 race meetings in Australia totalled 3591, and this season, ending in July, 2149 would have been held.

TURF TOPICS. ('By "Moturoa.") i , ' , Spell oh! this week. Toki broke down on Saturday. Marlborough weights are due on Friday. The latest Biplane excuae is that the eolt 'had the earache! Menelaus was very badly interfered with each day at Hastings. Gipsy Gem was started in the Burke Memorial ou -Saturday. What for? Bursefiller scored easily each start at Hastings, and paid remarakable prices. Ijord Ainslie was unalble tb start 011 Friday 'because a blacksmith could not he procured to remove his shoes. Braoburn ran up well behind Pursefiller on Saturday, but the 'chaser is likelv to go wrong at any moment. The starting at Hastings was awful, and the jocksters took matters into their own hands. There were eighteen falo Starts in sixteen races. Coolpan, with Charlie Price up, finished very gamely in the Poukawa Handicap on Friday, but the next day, with a lightweight up, the Cool trim gelding shaped very badly. Ho is not a boy's horse. The veteran Idealism was going as well as anythting on Friday when his rider fell off- The prad then went on, and after completing the course and finiishing third, returned to the birdcage and made his way to the boxes without the slightest hesitation. But for his rider putting down his hands and riding "pretty," Otara would have been second to Golden Glade in the Longlands Hurdles. The stooards gave Mulcahy a little advice after the exhibition.

Ladoguer was responsible for a reversal of form at Hastings. He was never prominent in the Cup, but the next day he was never far from the leaders, and taking the lead at the turn won easily. A lot of money was lost over Record's failures last week. On the first day he finished third, but he, St. Elm, Braeburn, and Diavolo were so far behind the dividend-payers that it looked like another race. Client was responsible for a sterling perfofmance when he won the Hawko's Bay Chip under 9.3 in the fast time of 2min 34 l-ssec —only a tick outside Lady Moutoa's record for the race. Passing the stand the first time Client was second last, and C. Price rode him On the outside of the field all the way. Six furlongs from home Client commenced his run, and Menelaus, who was going With him, struck trouble. Client came at a terrific pace in the straight, and at the distance had the race well in hand. Menelaus was the unlucky one in the race. But for interference, he would have been second, if not first- C. Price, who rode the winner, was successful on Eligible in 1016. The best of the TTalloinag breed so far was seen out at Hastings. This was Maioha, a chestnut colt out of Fairy Gold- The first day he won from end to end, hut on Saturday he was badly interfered with, and finished outside a place. Another promising sort that got amongst the winners last week was Mr. G. L. Stead's bay gelding Cyrisian, by F/ysian—Cyrima. Prior to the Nursery Handicap 7ie bolted, but was got back in time to start, and won in good style and time.

The totalisator was run very badly [on the first day of the Hawke's Bay meetig, and in consequence the racing was delayed until the last race had to be run in the dark, flic figures on the machine rarojy tallied with the official numbers given to the press, and after one race there was a delay of twentylive minutes while the tote staff were making adjustments. Racing clu'is arc confronted with considerable difficulty in (jetting suitable men for totalisator work, and matters are not likely to improve. TTymcstra was running well o n Friday when something cannoned into him and put Mm on the fenee. In the Hawke's Bay Stakes he led from start to finisrli, and scored by two lengthes from Karo, with Impediment, Cyrisian, and Elocution almost in line. It was a good "go" for second place. Kilraoon (Kilbroney—St. Sophia) was responsible for a good performance when he won the Juvenile Handicap on Saturday. He did not begin too well, and was under the whip at the head of the straight. He fiished very gamely, and just got. home from Tigritiva (All Black —Tigress) and Marula (King Mark— Balama,). Ronald Cameron, the New Zealander who won the Melbourne Cup of 1911 on The Parisian, rode five winners recently at Albury, and whe n he was going out to raise his total to half a dozen his mount dashed into a post and broke Cameron's leg.