SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1918, Page 3

SPORTING.

EGMONT SPRING MEETING. A filial reminder is given to horsfe owners and trainers that nominations tor all events at the above meeting elose tonight at & o'clock. Uood stages are offered and all classes 01 horses catered for, and with so many horses m commission for spring racing big entries are expected. The programme is as follows: McKae Memorial Handicap (open)/ »of 200 sovs., 1% miles; Tawhiti Handicap (open), of 200 sovs., 0 furlongs; Tongahoe Hack Hurdles, of 150 sovs., 1J miles; Waihi Hack Handicap, of 130 sovs., 8£ furlongs; Telegraph. Hack Handicap, oi 125 sovs., 5 furlongs; North Taranaki Hunt Club Steeples, of 200 sovs., 3 miles; Hunt Flat Handicap, of 120 sovs., 1 miles and a distance; and Ladies' Bracelet Steeples, of 130 sovs., 2 miles. Nominations for all events are 1 sov. each. Those interested should note that the Hawera telegraph office closes at 5 p.m.

TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") Although most of the loading horsemen were riding at the Grand National meeting, only two of the number, Stan. Reid and I<\ Ellis, rode more than one winner. The former, who had a great record over fences last season, scored on Arlington and Warform, while Ellis won on Kauri King each day. Others to ride a winner were: A. Ward, L. Hagerty, A. McFlynn. R. Thompson, J. Tapp, J. Olsen, A. McDonald, L. Morris, H, MeSweeney, E. Warner, J. O'Shea, and C. Emerson.' As anticipated, the acceptances received for the Marton Spring meeting, which takes place on Wednesday next, are all too numerous. Quantity* rather than quality is the feature of the lists, and the objectionable practice of lining up the starters in two lines will have to be resorted to if a fair proportion of the acceptors go to the post for several several events. The races have filled as follows; Trial Plate 30, Hack Hurdles 22, Hack Steeples 14, Marton Handicap 15, Rangitikei Steeples 9, Electric HacK Handicap 25, Hack Welter 28, and Railway Handicap 20. Form Up, Mascot, and Gold Soult are the principal withdrawals from the Marton Handicap, but the presence of Kauri King, Colonel Soult, All Over, Detroit, and Hastie ensures a good contest. All Over figures in both op*u handicaps, but if reserved for the longer event should run prominently. Waimatao, Sweep Tipperary, and Torfreda are notable absentees' from the field for the Railway Handicap, and the race loses much interest thereby. BoPeep, who finished second to Croesus at Trentham (just heating Desert Gold), and Demos, All Over, and Elocution should make a pretty race of it. The three-year-olds may be the hardest td heat. Moderate fields should provide interesting racing in the two steeplechases. Arlington has the best credentials in the Rangitikei Steeples, but 11.7 may take some of the ginger out of him in the last mile. /Nita is very well in at 9.12, and Marton is another that reads well. Now that Gaekwar has been reserved for the hack steeples it will not be hard to pick out the favorite. The hack hurdlers are a fairly good lot, but the five top-weights stand out prominently. Tornea, who just failed to see out the mile and three-quarters each day at Riccarton, should be well suited by the distance, but there is any amount of room for a turn-up. ! The various hack flat events will take ■' 'ot of picking, but nothing has turned 'P which appears to upset this scribe's first selections, Oratress, Glucian, i Hastie, and Omahu.