SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1918, Page 8

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. (Ey "Moturoa.")} Egmont entries close to-morrow. Bore 1»3 been turned.out for a long spell. Biplane, is first favorite for the Caulfield Cup. Chakwana and Chuckle are visiting Demosthenes this season. St. Elmn's victory iu the Grand National Steeples was the twelfth credited lo a Hawkc's Bay 'chaser. Stakes were well distributed at the Grand National meeting v iut A. N. Giblons £I3BO and W- Richmond £IOSO took off one-third between them. Gladful was schooled over the big fences at Riccarton recently, and got round safely. Marton country should cot trouble liim,'greatly. Significant pars from a contemporary! —"Desert Gold has 1 left for Sydney. Biplane is reported to have contracted a severe chill." Fifty odd horses were entcrcdifor the Trial Plate at Marton, and if 40 of, them are paid up for they will provide the stake, 110 sovs. Bunting won the National Plate at Brisbane this rtiontli, carrying 9.1 over rine furlongs in the swift time of 1.52%. He must have a good show in. the Caulfield Cup with 8.7. Mr. T. H. Lowry's team for 'Stralia includes Desert Gold. Estland, Finmark, iiiid ICillowen. . All are very forward, the champion mare in particular, and they promise to shake tilings up considerably on the other side.

Warstep and Stcpdanccr, who are due to foal to Solferino, will be mated "with Sanquhar this season. Taranaki sportsmen who attended the Grand National meeting state that the all-mighty Canterbury Jockey Club can learn a heap from the smaller Taranaki clubs as regards catering for the convenience of patrons. The horses' names aro not shown on the face of the totalisator, and the constant scanning of numbers and reference to the card become tiresome. The positions at the post are hidden away in an obscure corner instead of being shown on the semaphore. What Taranaki sports would say if such a condition of affairs obtained here is hard to say. Added to that, the frc.k of hacking and collecting on a favorite on the machine is. a task not likelv to be forgotten. What price the f'-T.C. sending a committee up to, say, the Stratford annual meeting, and finding out how to rim a race meeting? The price quoted about All Over and Torfrida for the Marton double is so small that it can only be read on the charts by the aid of a powerful magnify-ing-glais. While waiting at the posit for the Winter Cup, Fleetham was severely kicked bv some outlaw in the field, and in consequence could not show his best form in the race. Sow that fields threaten to slop all over the course, and bend the fences on both sides, these fractious animals should be labelled "Declined with thanks." A good number of hunters are being srhoolnd at Ellerslie, and probablv several will be sent down to snap up the rood stakes offered by the Efmont Racing Club for hunters' events next month.