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Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1919, Page 8

TURF TOPICS.

(By "Moturoa.")

The appearance of weights for the Great Northerns serves as u reminder that the winter racing season is at hand, and with Egmont, Wanganui, and Auckland coming along in quick succession puniers are busy studying form in view of picking forthcoming 'doubles." Kauri King, the hero of the last Grand National meeting, is rightly assessed as the best of our hurdlers, and though U.S is a good horse's weight he has only to reproduce his November.form to have a good chance in the Great Northern Hurdles. Art beat a poor lot at Riccarton at Easter, and is apparently well forward for winter racing. The Grand National winner of 191(1 is getting up in yea's, however, and «:M age may bow i.13fore youth. Sleight-of-Hand has g ; ven us Mime ilash-in-the-pan exhibitions over timber, and may hi more at borne ovar (lie small fences than over country. He is well treated with 10.13. Euripos is harshly dealt with, and on past performances would be very hiuy conceding lib tn Sir Kifiher. The latter looked very well at FeUding, and provided he keep's sound will again take a big hand in the settlement of the Century and Great Northern Hurdles. Thrace and Master Lupin are well in at 10.10, and should account for Paraoa and Whiro, both of which have 10.7- Over a distance of ground Teka has to be taken on trust, but British Arch is a proved hurdler and has won under big weights. Waimai, considering his Easter form, is given a chance with 10st, and may outstay Ditto, who is on the same mark. Municipal fenced well at Trentham, and should not be troubled by the distance. He reads well with 9 10, and is set to meet Yankee Jack, who beat him there, on much better terms. Golden Grafton and Aurore are not even promising hurdlers, and read badlv alongside Mr. J. Bull's improving neddv. Crown Pearl is treated as a "has been." and the handicapper may be safe in taking a risk with him. Nothing appears to stand out amongst the light-weights, though Papanui and Munster are on the up grade. The horses that stand out as likely to give the big winter hurdle races a good "shake" appear to be Kauri King, Sleight of Hand, Sir Fisher, and Yankee Jack. \\ aimai is selected as top-weight in the Great Northern Hurdles, and the old fellow appears to retain his brilliancy really well. Master Strowan, with 12.0, mav worry the Aucklander. but Sleight of Hand, with list., will have a fewfriends. Coalition mav be the most reliable of the lO.lfi division, but Troublesome, with 31b less, is likelv to prove what his name denotes. Arlington and Tenacious are both good fencers, but 10.3 appears to lw a bit more than they have earned, though the former may run better at Wanganui than at Ellerslie. Yellow and Black with lflst- is the pick of the handicap, and this promising young leope> appears to li.-> favorably placed to net un to the big things prophesied for him last winter. Those lower down are a poor lot, and cannot be classed with tri"d 'chasers like Master Strowan, Coalition, and Yellow and Black.

When the 'lln passes ofT in Australia tra'ner Geo. Jones, who looks after the horses owned bv Messrs G. L. Stead and W. Richmond, will take his team Sydncywants. With Sasfinof. Surveyor. Spanner. Taunaha. and Golden Bubble to carrv their colors the above sportsmen promise to make things hum on the other side.