SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1918, Page 7

SPORTING.

TURF TOPICS. ;;,,- (By "Moturoa.") The Poverty Bay spring meeting takes place to-day and to-morrow. Good fields should be seen out in the majority of the events, though the hurdlers are a poor lot. Amongst the horses engaged in the open events Cleft, Multive, Astor, and Comment should show up at Ulie gathering, while in the minor races Bjorneborg, Orawia, Sabine, General Stephen, and Torchlight should run well. Acre's name does not appear on some lists of acceptances for the C.J.C. Stewards' Handicap, but the Fordell sprinter was paid up for all right. The Wellington meeting opens on Saturday, and is now the chief topic in the sporting world. Kilmoon, on the strength of a first and third in 'Stralia, is finding favor for the Wellington Handicap, and should be Volo's toughest opponent. Croesus and Demos are in demand for the Shorts Handicap, which is generally voted an open event. Amongst the entries for the Auckland R.C. spring meeting are; Alteration, Dingle, Marqueteur, Perfect Day, Cadet, Madam Ristori, Piano, Staccato, Glenroy, Royal Chef, Silver Unk, Golden Grafton, Kurnalpi, and the veteran Tree Lucerne. Gloaming is located at Trentham, and Ben Deeley is keeping the A.J.C. Derby winner readied, up for Moaday's Champion Plate. Indigo, who dead-heated with Warstep in the New Zealand Cup of 1914, is at present being used as a shepherd's hack at his owner's station at Porangahau. Better that than finishing one's days iu the s'liafts o£ an unhandsome cab. The New Zealand Trotting Cup ravorite, Cathedral Chimes, is reported to be in great nick, and on Saturday morning reeled off a mile and a half in easy fashion in 3.20. Adelaide Direct and Emilius are also in good form for next month's race. When the "correct pea" cannot come to light at the finish of a race it is amusing to see the juggling and shuffling that goes on amongst the leading division. And yet there was an even more ludicrous happening at a recent meeting. At the last moment the rider of the elect of the jockey's ring found out that he had not been "set" to his liking, and without acquainting his confreres of his "double-shift," took tilings easy. All the way up the straight heads were popping round to see where the missing one was scouting, and what really won the race was a matter of chance. Even the blind man with the organ could "see" that there was something wrong.